GameMakers

By Joseph KimLeisure Video Games

GameMakers episodes

June 24, 2023 Serkan Toto on Top Japanese and Korean Video Game Companies | Pixels & Profits #3
We speak to Serkan Toto to get his take on the top Japanese and Korean game companies. Serkan is considered by many to be the foremost expert on the Japanese video games space.
Check out more from Serkan:
- https://www.serkantoto.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/serkantoto
OUTLINE:
0:00 Intro
1:25 Key Asian gaming trends, including crypto
4:45 Serkan’s take on the console wars
8:18 Matthew’s take: Mobile never killed console
9:22 Serkan: Traditional Asian game companies killing it on mobile
10:55 Live services from Asian game companies
14:20 Nintendo
25:28 Will Nintendo ever push mobile?
31:36 Sony
40:30 Mobile for Sony
43:00 Sony first party
48:28 Square Enix
55:51 Nexon
1:03:29 NCSoft
1:12:52 Netmarble
1:19:47 Other remaining Japanese and Korean gaming companies: Watch out for Capcom!
1:26:26 SEGA + Rovio
1:30:42 Leads-based model for Asia to grow Western audience
1:32:00 Chinese invasion of Japanese talent
👇 EPISODE LINKS:
Special Guest Serkan Toto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serkantoto/
- Matthew Kanterman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-k...
- Joseph Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
- Brian Peganoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-peg...
SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:
- Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i
- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/
😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! —
• MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1
• TWITTER → @jokim1
• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
— POPULAR CONTENT —
🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney    • Economy of the Me...
ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies    • Building the Amaz...
🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021    • Mobile Gaming Tre...
🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming    • Future of PC Gami...
🔴 Games Industry M&A    • Games Industry M&...
🔴 Netcode for Multiplayer Games    • Netcode for Multi...
🔴 IDFA Deprecation Product Impact    • Apple IDFA Deprec...
🔴 Trip Hawkins on the New High Score    • Trip Hawkins | Th...
🔴 LiveOps F2P Best Practices    • LiveOps - F2P Sal...
1 hr 36 min
June 20, 2023 Lessons Learned: Gaming Startups & New Global Risks
From Wargaming, Anton Kolkovskiy founded Bulberry Studio to build mid-core F2P mobile games. As war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, Anton was unable to raise a follow-on round of funding and eventually shut down the studio he had spent so much time, energy, and effort into.
What were the lessons he learned from the start to launch to attempting to save the company?
What would he do differently knowing what he knows now?
Phylicia Koh is a partner at Play Ventures, and while Play did not invest in Bulberry, she was aware of Bulberry and shared her thoughts about Bulberry's path.
What advice would Phylicia give Anton? What would it have taken for Phylicia to invest in Bulberry?
Further, what is the market like today, and given new market dynamics, what would she fund today?
OUTLINE:
0:00 Intro
4:24 Anton’s story starting Bulberry Studio from Wargaming.
8:25 What do VCs look to invest in then vs. now.
13:21 Initial funding from My.Games, deal structure, initial investment thesis, pitch to My.Games, and initial soft launch experience.
19:30 Initial testing experience, what they focused on, how to approach initial testing.
21:30 Typical approach for testing from Phylicia.
22:25 Strategic investments: company structure considerations
26:05 How do you know if you are succeeding on retention or deadline? Lessons learned from Anton. The line between confidence and being wrong.
29:30 What was the actual process/approach to their initial testing vs soft launch phase?
35:44 Initial soft launch metrics.
37:00 going to investors with metrics with small cohorts. Window dressing cohorts.
42:03 What could you have done to change the outcome of what happened?
46:31 The biggest fire.
47:56 Impact of global macro, the Russia-Ukraine war impact on Bulberry Studio.
59:50 How to extend runway when things go bad?
1:02:02 Psychological impact on founders for startups in trouble.
1:05:02 What would it take to invest in a troubled game deal from Play Ventures?
1:10:12 What should investors look for in the new investment environment?
1:23:22: How much global macro awareness should leadership teams be aware of?
👇 EPISODE LINKS:
- Anton Kolkovskiy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anton-kol...
- Phylicia Koh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyliciakoh/
SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:
- Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/34hfOtv
- Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i
- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/
- Don't miss an episode on Youtube:    / gamemakersstudio
😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! —
• MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1
• TWITTER → @jokim1
• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
— POPULAR CONTENT —
🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney    • Economy of the Me...
ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies    • Building the Amaz...
🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021    • Mobile Gaming Tre...
🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming    • Future of PC Gami...
🔴 Games Industry M&A    • Games Industry M&...
🔴 Netcode for Multiplayer Games    • Netcode for Multi...
🔴 IDFA Deprecation Product Impact    • Apple IDFA Deprec...
🔴 Trip Hawkins on the New High Score    • Trip Hawkins | Th...
🔴 LiveOps F2P Best Practices    • LiveOps - F2P Sal...
1 hr 32 min
June 15, 2023 Top 5 Mobile Game Launches: Honkai Star Rail, Monopoly Go, Survivor!.io, Marvel Snap, Frozen City
Everyone's saying mobile is dead. Then how do you explain these 5 blow-out mobile game launches over the past year? Lol.
Matej Lancaric from 2.5 Gamers and I reviewed the data, launch strategies, and more for each of these Top 5 mobile game launches over the past year.
OUTLINE:
0:00 Intro
6:30 Honkai Star Rail
14:49 Monopoly Go
27:00 Survivor!.io
36:03 Marvel Snap
45:48 Frozen City
52:09 JK + Matej Top 5 rankings
👇 EPISODE LINKS:
- two & a half gamers YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@2.5gamers
- Matej Lancaric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matejlanc...
- Matej's Consulting Practice: http://lancaric.me/
SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:
- Spotify Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3Cpyq7i
- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/
55 min
June 13, 2023 Console Wars: Microsoft is All-in on Game Pass, Is this Game Over? | Pixels & Profits #2 (Part 2 of 2)
The market dynamics, strategy, and future outlook of console gaming: Sony vs. Microsoft vs. Nintendo.
Microsoft is all in on Game Pass. Is this the last generation of Xbox?
OUTLINE:
0:00 Intro
0:56 Impact of PC gaming to console gaming market
4:51 Why Microsoft's console business is in danger
6:26 Microsoft may not care about Xbox and hardware, Starfield will be a good test
7:43 Microsoft = Game Pass or BUST!
10:12 Impact of live services and F2P to console gaming
16:14 Does live service concentrate the market?
19:00 How important is mobile gaming to console makers - come on!
25:49 Primary growth drivers for console market
30:10 Outlook for console wars - the potential impending doom of Microsoft
👇 EPISODE LINKS:
- Matthew Kanterman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-k...
- Joseph Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
- Brian Peganoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-peg...
38 min
June 06, 2023 What Drove Success in the PlayStation vs. Xbox vs. Nintendo Console Wars?
Excerpt from GameMakers full interview: Pixels & Profits #2.
Watch the full discussion here: https://youtu.be/fi0RCUiCnfE
SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:
- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/
5 min
June 06, 2023 Console Wars: Microsoft vs. Sony vs. Nintendo | Pixels & Profits #2 (Part 1 of 2)
The Pixel & Profit bros discuss the long history of the console market and the primary players in the market today: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.
We trace back the history from the 6th generation to today and talk "profits." Meaning the key games and market history and dynamics thus far and outlook into the future.
OUTLINE:
0:00 Intro
1:05 Console market overview: Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft
9:37 Determinants of success for the console market
12:53 6th Generation: 1998 - 2013
17:18 7th Generation: 2005 - 2017
23:10 8th Generation: 2012 - 2020
29:58 9th Generation: 2021 - Present Day
33:29 Console makers differences in strategy
👇 EPISODE LINKS:
- Matthew Kanterman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-k...
- Joseph Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
- Brian Peganoff: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-peg...
47 min
June 02, 2023No IDFA, No Excuses - Why The Narrative Behind IDFA Deprecation Destroying Mobile Growth is Wrong!
Taken From: Mobile Growth: IDFA Deprecation Scapegoat or Reality?
Podcast

YouTube
6 min
June 01, 2023 Where is the games industry today? Less risk, higher cost of capital, bifurcation of winners & losers
Excerpt from GameMakers full interview: Pixels & Profits #1.
Watch the full discussion here: https://youtu.be/2G539NGHfVI
SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:
- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/
😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! —
• MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1
• TWITTER → @jokim1
• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
— POPULAR CONTENT —
🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney https://youtu.be/h6ClJxjuRvw
ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies https://youtu.be/bkd2TOpKt4I
🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021 https://youtu.be/NejFzHtpiZI
🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming https://youtu.be/_QT7O3Wxi2s
🔴 Games Industry M&A https://youtu.be/65nyPk6WNrs
🔴 Netcode for Multiplayer Games https://youtu.be/tHq3PzmjhLw
🔴 IDFA Deprecation Product Impact https://youtu.be/Ojec4wGKpso
🔴 Trip Hawkins on the New High Score https://youtu.be/5egTSQ6AiRA
🔴 LiveOps F2P Best Practices https://youtu.be/tmzqqnYbjNY
6 min
May 31, 2023 The Rise of China: Dominant western game developers may fall to Asian competitors like HoYoverse
Excerpt from GameMakers full interview: Pixels & Profits #1.
Watch the full discussion here:    • Where is the Game...
SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:
- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/
😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! —
• MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1
• TWITTER → @jokim1
• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
— POPULAR CONTENT —
🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney    • Economy of the Me...
ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies    • Building the Amaz...
🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021    • Mobile Gaming Tre...
🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming    • Future of PC Gami...
🔴 Games Industry M&A    • Games Industry M&...
🔴 Netcode for Multiplayer Games    • Netcode for Multi...
🔴 IDFA Deprecation Product Impact    • Apple IDFA Deprec...
🔴 Trip Hawkins on the New High Score    • Trip Hawkins | Th...
🔴 LiveOps F2P Best Practices    • LiveOps - F2P Sal...
5 min
May 30, 2023 Why Nvidia (NVDA) stock jumped and the impact of AI to gaming | AI X Gaming!
Excerpt from GameMakers full interview: Pixels & Profits #1.
Watch the full discussion here: https://youtu.be/2G539NGHfVI
SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS:
- Newsletter: https://gamemakers.substack.com/
😃 —CONNECT WITH ME! —
• MY INSTAGRAM → @jokim1
• TWITTER → @jokim1
• LINKEDIN → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/
— POPULAR CONTENT —
🤑 Economy of the Metaverse with Tim Sweeney https://youtu.be/h6ClJxjuRvw
ℹ️ How to Build the Amazon of Game Companies https://youtu.be/bkd2TOpKt4I
🔮 Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead at 2021 https://youtu.be/NejFzHtpiZI
🖥️ The Future of PC Gaming https://youtu.be/_QT7O3Wxi2s
🔴 Games Industry M&A https://youtu.be/65nyPk6WNrs
🔴 Netcode for Multiplayer Games https://youtu.be/tHq3PzmjhLw
🔴 IDFA Deprecation Product Impact https://youtu.be/Ojec4wGKpso
🔴 Trip Hawkins on the New High Score https://youtu.be/5egTSQ6AiRA
🔴 LiveOps F2P Best Practices https://youtu.be/tmzqqnYbjNY
10 min

About GameMakers

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The GameMakers podcast publishes current, entertaining, and in-depth discussions on F2P game development. Topics that we cover include the business of games, F2P monetization, liveops, game design,…