Games Growth with Upptic

The games industry is in a transitory state and many factors are making it difficult for effective games growth. Data is fragmented and attribution methodology is incomplete. Creative workflows can be messy and digital assets are often all over the place. These issues make it hard to understand what is and isn't working.

Amid this volatile climate, Upptic has been growing its games portfolio to its most profitable ever. In this recorded webinar, learn how our team tackles data, creatives, and user acquisition for each stage of growth: Development, soft launch, and scaled growth. Get insights on overarching strategy, data analysis, creative trends, UA best practices, and much more.

User acquisition is only half the battle. Engagement and retention is the other half. While many game companies use online communities and social media to engage players, these don't necessarily get them into the actual game. One often overlooked retention lever are tournaments.

Fractal Product Manager Brent Liang shares his insights on how tournaments can increase retention and player LTV. Learn about which genres work best for tournaments. Discover which types of contests gamers connect with most. Get best practices for building and executing tournaments. Plus, see some surprising ways tournaments are being leveraged for game development.

If you're looking for a new retention lever, be sure to catch this episode!

Game marketing attribution is evolving. Not only does the established mobile segment continue to evolve due to privacy changes and new technologies, but PC and console gaming is having an attribution renaissance, and the nascent web3 segment continues to evolve toward attribution infrastructure and mindsets.

We explore these new frontiers with AppsFlyer Director of Product for Gaming Adam Smart, Gamesight CEO Adam Lieb, and Spindl Founder Antonio Garcia-Martinez. They share their insights on their respective segments of the games industry – AppsFlyer on mobile, Gamesight on PC and console, and Spindl on web3.

Together we take a look at the evolution of data ecosystems, the current state of these segments and their similarities and differences, and the unique challenges each segment faces when it comes to game marketing attribution and analytics.

Michael Migliero, CMO of Big Time Studios, joins the podcast to share his insights on growing web3 games. Big Time Studios is the company behind Big Time – “a free-to-play, multiplayer action RPG game that combines fast-action combat and adventure through time and space.”

Learn about content funnels for Meta, TikTok, and other platforms and how Big Time utilizes NFT mints in conjunction with other revenue sources to monetize users more sustainably. Also hear some surprising stats on game adoption by web3 native gamers vs. traditional gamers – and how Big Time is approaching marketing a web3 game in a post-crypto crash world.

Finally, get insights on ad strategies, analytics, and game economies – as well as some predictions on what will come down the line!

"We think it's the most important channel. We think it's the most authentic channel," Emilee Helm says of influencer marketing. She heads up influencer marketing at Gamesight – which focuses on performance marketing for PC, console, and web3 games.

Emilee joins our podcast this week alongside Bradley Kincaid, the Co-Founder of Lucky Axolotl – a creative studio focused on influencer marketing and UGC. Bradley shares several insights on UGC and influencers – including how to best utilize CTV as part of a marketing strategy.

The two share their thoughts and expertise on a variety of related topics as well, including creative trends, KPIs and measurement, how to work with influencers, and the application of AI tools. Watch the full podcast now to learn more!

Urvit Goel, the VP, Head of Global Business Development at Polygon Labs, sits down with Warren and Xander to talk about onboarding web3 gamers, the current state of web3 games, the Crypto Winter, and Polygon's new partnership with Upptic – which will bring Upptic's world-class growth services to select web3 game developers on the Polygon blockchain.

Warren and Xander discuss the latest earning reports for several major games industry companies. It's, thankfully, not as painful as their Big Tech earnings analysis a couple weeks ago. One thing that shines through all the data is that mobile games are still the king of gaming revenue.

We also ruminate on the ongoing saga with FTX. The ripple effects FTX's collapse continue to reverberate through the web3 space – with Star Atlas and web3 game developers seeing impacts.

Finally, we close with a good ol' fashioned "App of the Week" segment.

Our guest this week is Rafael Vivas – one of the original members of AppLovin and now heading up its new app Vessel as the GM of New Initiatives. AppLovin is a mobile app growth service provider with a suite of software solutions for monetization, user acquisition, ad campaigns, and creatives. Vessel is AppLovin's monetization marketplace for digital items on mobile games and apps, which is currently available in both Apple's App Store and Android's Google Play.

In this week's podcast we dive deep into crypto, NFTs, and web3 gaming – starting with why AppLovin has created a digital marketplace in the first place and why it views NFTs as an evolution of digital item ownership. We also discuss how NFTs have been misrepresented and misused so far in crypto and web3 – and what the best use cases are for them. Of course, the goings-on with FTX are also discussed – how by focusing on digital items, rather than crypto, Vessel can focus on cost-effectiveness and ease of use, instead of market movements.

In this week's podcast, Warren and Xander discuss the latest Big Tech earning reports for Q3 and Q4 2022. It's a painful podcast – but an important one.

We start off with some surprising news from the crypto space: Binance's imminent acquisition of FTX – the news of which has led the crypto space to basically melt down... again.

We then cover the one relatively bright spot in the industry right now: The completion of the Unity-ironSource merger. Lots of new opportunities await for both for the merged company and its many clients.

After that, we shift focus to the meat of the podcast – the Big Tech earnings.

Facebook revenue is down, Alphabet sees little growth, Snap sees a huge increase in its quarterly losses,  and Apple is seeing relatively flat quarterly income. On top of this are additional news of hiring freezes or layoffs from Facebook, Alphabet, Apple, Amazon, and Twitter.

It's definitely a rough time to be in tech, mobile games, or marketing. But there is still hope that as companies take a more deliberate analysis-driven approach to decision-making and profitability, that fortunes will change for the industry at large – including those who are facing layoffs and have recently been laid off.

Our guests this week are poof and b33f of EtherOrcs. EtherOrcs is the world's first 100% on-chain NFT game. In EtherOrcs, Orcs and their allies go on raids, pillage villages, explore the unknown, and more. Through the course of the game, players can earn better gear and more NFTs through strategic gameplay built on the Ethereum blockchain.

In this week’s podcast we dive into the world of web3 indie game development – including EtherOrcs unconventional path to market and what the creators would do differently if they had a second go at things. Poof and b33f chime in with their thoughts on the current web3 game economy and share their insights on different web3 game fundraising models. They also dive into why EtherOrcs has shunned mainstream gamers in favor of going after native web3 gamers.

Plus, we discuss the latest news from Apple – including the release of SKAdNetwork 4.0, a change to App Store policy on social media post boosts, and a change in Apple's policy around NFTs. Additionally, we discuss Reddit's continuing submersion into NFTs and how it's impacting the overall marketplace.

This week's podcast is brought to you through a partnership with Animoca Brands. Animoca Brands is one of the world's leading mobile game developers and publishers . They are on the frontlines of Web3, investing heavily in a vast portfolio of Web3 projects.

Our guest this week is Bozena Rezab, Co-Founder and CEO of Gamee. Gamee is an engaging play-and-earn mobile gaming platform that rewards players for skill and effort. It is powered by the GMEE token – which enables access, action, and governance of the platform. Gamee products include the Arc8 games hub and G-Bots NFTs.

In this week’s podcast we focus on Gamee's launchpad app Arc8 – a web3 app available in mobile app stores. Was ask Bozena about what they had to do in order to ensure they're complaint on mobile platforms and how they've navigated being a web3 app on mobile devices. We dive further into engagement and business models and how working with web3 changes publishing strategies and player onboarding.

Plus, we discuss the latest DappRader report as told from two different sources, take a look at Bain's analysis of the games industry, and converse about Limit Break's upcoming $6.5M Super Bowl ad.

In this week's episode, Xander and Warren really dive into the nitty-gritty of current events.

First, we discuss AppLovin's new Vessel app – a marketplace where mobile game developers can integrate NFTs into games to drive engagement and revenue. This sits at the intersection of three huge areas of focus for us: Web3, mobile games, and performance marketing. It's exciting news – and also interesting in the fact that AppLovin has managed to work within Apple's strict policies to bring an NFT marketplace into the App Store.

Next we discuss Google's announcement that Stadia will be shutting down in January. The cloud-gaming service has struggled to gain traction, but the company believes the technology will be useful in other areas of its business – such as with industry partners, YouTube, Google Play, etc. Google will be refunding all Stadia hardware, games, and add-ons purchased through Stadia's store.

In another gaming goodbye, Playtika is shuttering Best Fiends maker Seriously – supposedly over discord and clashes between the studio and its parent company on aggressive monetization, budgeting, and other issues. Leaks regarding the fallout seem to heavily favor Seriously, which likely indicates they came from sources within the studio. An article from Mobilegamer.biz promises that a new studio will "rise from the ashes" in coming months.

Shifting to incoming games, we highlight the release of Overwatch 2 and it's interesting pivot into a completely live-services model. The game is also doing away with loot boxes in favor of a new in-game shop that uses in-game currency. It's been a long time coming, but that's not surprising given everything Blizzard has been through in the last few years.

Finally, we end on the news that App Store net revenue declined 5% year-over-year for the month of September – a record low for the store. The news was highlighted by Stephanie Link and retweeted by Eric Seufert, who noted that "ATT wreaked havoc on the mobile gaming market, which comprises the vast majority of App Store revenues. The growth of Apple's ad platform, substantial as it has been, was not sufficient to offset that loss within the broader Services category."

Our guest this week is Quinn Campbell, VP of Growth at Sky Mavis. Sky Mavis is the creator of Axie Infinity – the world's most popular Web3 game by DAU. In addition to Axie Infinity, Sky Mavis also hosts a marketplace to buy and sell in-game assets, a wallet for digital items and currencies, and Mavis Hub, a launchpad for promising blockchain games.

In this week’s podcast we talk to Quinn about Sky Mavis' approach to bringing Axie Infinity to the mainstream F2P audience. We drill down into the original drivers of growth for Axie Infinity, issues with the original game economy, how the game has evolved and what the next generation of Web3 games need to be prepared for, applying mainstream gaming playbooks to Axie Infinity, working with "necessary evils" such as mainstream app stores, the term "free-to-own", and persisting Web3 stigmas.

We also discuss the White House's first ever framework for crypto and AppLovin's new blockchain project, Vessel.

This week's podcast is brought to you through a partnership with Animoca Brands. Animoca Brands is one of the world's leading mobile game developers and publishers . They are on the frontlines of Web3, investing heavily in a vast portfolio of Web3 projects.

Our guest this week is Benjamin Lee, Co-Founder of Blowfish Studios. Blowfish Studios is part of the Animoca Brands family and builds AAA games for mobile, PC, VR, console, and, coming soon, Web3 with Phantom Galaxies.

In this week’s podcast we focus on building a AAA game for the blockchain. Benjamin talks to us about the development of Phantom Galaxies, why Blowfish decided to make it on the blockchain, how they are tackling marketing for Web3 and mainstream audiences, and more.

Plus, we discuss the Ethereum's smooth rollout to proof-of-stake, Animoca's latest round of fundraising, Zynga's acquisition of Storemaven, and Starbucks incorporation of Web3 in its rewards program.

Our guest this week is Cloé Dana, Co-Founder and CEO of Tempr. Tempr uses AI-powered tools to empower marketers in their UA optimization and maximize their returns.

In this week’s podcast we take a dive into the world of automated predictive analytics and how it can shape UA strategy. Cloé answers all our questions regarding the technical aspects of automated predictive analytics and what marketers can expect to get out of them. We also dive into the changing data privacy landscape and ongoing issues with attribution efficacy.

Plus, we discuss the latest Ethereum news, dive into how Apple's privacy changes have boosted its Search Ads product, and share skepticism regarding Netflix's upcoming ad platform.

Our guest this week is Derrick Morton, CEO of FlowPlay. FlowPlay creates community-focused digital worlds – including Casino World, Vegas World, Live Game Night, and ourWorld, that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age anywhere in the world. They were also rated one of Washington's best workplaces in 2021 by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

In this week’s podcast we take a dive into how to build great teams and work cultures. Derrick details what sets FlowPlay apart that makes it such a great place to work, how to grow a team effectively, ways to deal with conflict, and what aspiring team leaders should do.

Plus, we discuss Embracer Group's acquisition of Lord of the Rings game, movie, and book rights, Animoca's continuing crypto strategy, and FTX's revenue report.

Our guest this week is Manu Gambhir, Co-Founder and CEO of Snapyr. Snapyr supercharges player retention for game developers and publishers. They offer the world's first no-code visual programming language for engagement marketing.

In this week’s podcast we take a dive into retention marketing for games. With UA efficacy decreasing due to increasing privacy restrictions, retention marketing offers important opportunities for maximizing player value. Manu shares his insights on what these opportunities are and how to take advantage of them. We also dive into attribution, measurement, and modeling to understand the full LTV of players.

Plus, we discuss the latest in the Unity merger proposals, some surprising statistics about teens and social media platforms, changes to Reddit's community points system, Disney's latest earnings and milestones, and the maybe possible redemption arc of WeWork's Adam Neumann.

Our guest this week is Ian Masters, Founder & CEO at Flick Games. Flick Games is reimagining Solitaire. They work with artists all over the world to bring a unique richness to the game that can't be found anywhere else. In this week’s podcast we take a dive into identity in gaming – including how Flick is using its platform to highlight underrepresented people and demographics. We also talk about market opportunities surrounding representation, and how Web3 and NFTs will impact inclusivity and diversity in gaming. Plus, we muse on the latest games industry earnings news, a looming recession, TikTok's music ambitions, and another delay to the end of Google's third-party cookies.

This week a couple of members from our UA team, Kevin and Ian, join us for a special roundtable focused on the state of games marketing.

Starting off with some high-level conversion on the mobile ad industry and Web3 games marketing, we then dive into some of the most interesting tactics and channels they currently see. Conversation turns to client portfolios and channel buckets, before heading into ATT and how SKAN is working for them at the moment.

Plus, we discuss the latest news on tech earnings and games spending (hint: it's not good) – as well as the latest from Netflix, Tesla, and Minecraft.

Our guest this week is Shum Singh, Managing Director & Founder at Agnitio Capital. Agnitio Capital is a fully authorized and regulated investment bank. They have been passionate about and investing in games since their founding in 2003.

In this week’s podcast we take a dive into M&A and investing in the gaming industry. Shum tells us more about Agnitio Capital and the recent history of M&A and investing in the games space, we discuss the impact of the downturn of the global economy, and get predictions on how the next few years will play out for investments in the gaming space.

Plus, we discuss the news that Solana Labs is building a Web3 phone, Sky Mavis is reopening their Ronin Bridge, and Playtika is selling their controlling stake in their own company to Joffre, and more.

Our guest this week is Justin "Jkey" Vogel, Co-Creator of Safary. Safary is the world's first Web3 growth community with a mission to build the first Web3 growth playbook by connecting top growth professionals and defining what growth looks like in Web3.

In this week’s podcast we discuss what this playbook will include. Learn about the foundational challenges that Web3 apps face, growth levers native to Web3, distinct tools Web3 marketers have, and examples of projects that are executing effective Web3 growth strategies.

Plus, we discuss the latest news on Diablo Immortal, metaverse projections, and the latest hubbub around Embracer.

Our guest this week is Thomas Hopkins, COO at Perfect Storm Studios. Perfect Storm Studios is a games studio founded by industry veterans working to build the next generation of games. They're currently working on a title that will incorporate great design, community involvement, and player rewards.

In this week’s podcast we take a dive into community building. Thomas Hopkins is well-versed in community building with past ventures at Masterclass, Superpeer, and beyond. Learn more about the key components and best practices for building and managing a community as a business growth lever.

Our guest this week is Emma Kong, Sr. Manager, Mobile Growth at Electronic Arts (EA). EA is one of the world's leading game developers and publishers. Some of their most recognized game brands include EA Sports FIFA, Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, and Need for Speed. They have more than 450M registered players around the world.

In this week’s podcast we take a dive into growth pillars such as UA, data, creative, and tech – and how to unify them. We also talk about team alignment, good communication, buying vs. building, recent UA developments, and collaboration between marketing and product.

Plus, we discuss the latest news from Netflix, Coinbase's new NFT marketplace, Meta's giant fees for creators in its metaverse, and more.

Our guest this week is Ramin Shokrizade, Founder at Arrivant. Arrivant is a game development studio focused on creating massively social games with player-to-player Play-to-Earn economies that meet the core needs of gamers – empowerment and connection – using scientific principles. They're currently working on their first PC and mobile game: StarGarden – a team-based, auto-chess battler with RPG mechanics.

In this week’s podcast we take a dive into game economies and ponzi crypto – digging into the details of why so many early Web3 gaming economies have collapsed, what the traits of sustainable and scalable Web3 game economies are, and how Web3 evolves game economies.

Plus, we discuss the latest news from Epic Games, Meta, China, and more.