1. Distribution The mobile “meta” is getting games in players’ hands post-ATT. The unintended consequences of Apple’s destruction of mobile acquisitions haven’t been to regain distribution control but for firms to find alternatives. “Content Fortress” ad networks, messenger apps, fake ads becoming white-lie ads, web stores, a return to brand marketing angles, and yes, web3,…
In tech writer Ben Thompson’s infamous aggregation theory, economic power derives from supply ownership—train barons owned the track and leveraged that power up and down the supply chain. The internet flipped the relationship: with near zero switching and distribution costs, suppliers instead aggregated user demand to leverage suppliers. Consider Amazon: aggregating millions of customers gained…
A Game Economist Attends the Eras Tour At the Eras Tour in Stockholm, my thoughts naturally turned to Ms. Swift’s untapped monetization potential. Despite her billionaire status, she’s barely scratched the surface. By embracing “Taylor’s Version” labeling, Era-specific merch, and friendship bracelet culture, Swift could double her “extras” ARPPU from $50 to $100.
Thanks to Laura Taranto and Matthew Emery for the feedback and editing! Verdict & Prospects As it stands, Squad Busters is not a game players will remember forever. But it can be one. Squad Busters demonstrates Supercell’s world-class ability to broaden the accessibility of midcore mechanics, in this case, roguelikes and MOBAs, while weaving an…
The Fallout TV series has received widespread critical and audience acclaim, with 65M viewers and Amazon Prime’s 2nd most-watched show of all time. The show appears to have cracked the secret transmedia success formula: top-tier IP, backed by a six-figure budget, distribution through a 200M MAU network, and widespread critical acclaim. Consistent with the transmedia thesis, engagement with Fallout games…
Inflation, ads, and webstores reverse nearly every trend in gaming—and then reverse it again. These aren’t rounding errors either—they’re GDP-level phenomena (literally), and the inability to account for them is warping our perception of reality in the gaming industry.
Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) provided a watershed moment for mobile, proving Western gamers are ready for virtual dual analog stick controls and heralding a wave of Eastern titles to the West. Or did it?
1. It’s Distribution or Bust, and No One Cares IDFA is gone; how is your game designed to maximize distribution? Game designers, not marketing managers, need to start building for *sustained* user acquisition. Adding an influencer as a cosmetic is a nice stunt, but it’s not fundamental to the game loop. I was surprised at…
More of the event here, and my talk should be live soon… 1. Cultural Norms Matter There’s far less “sharing” in Turkey than in Finland or Sweden. Anyone with a Finnish ID number seems to have access to Supercell’s dashboards! Turkey has largely avoided non-competes, and it must stay that way. King single-handedly has hamstrung…
Matthew Ball’s excellent piece, The Tremendous Yet Troubled State of Gaming in 2024, unpacks a paradox: gaming seems prosperous yet is marred by unprecedented industry layoffs. Ball’s findings reveal a simple reality: playtime is down over 20% (3.5 hours per week) from its COVID peak. This decline, further seen in declining inflation-adjusted spending, cements gaming…