Mobile Games Playbook

As we wrap up the first half of 2021, in this episode of The Mobile Gamedev Playbook, we have asked our analysts to spell out what have been the biggest mobile trends and games of the year so far! 

GameRefinery by Vungle's own Erno Kiiski, Wilhelm Voutilainen, and Kalle Heikkinen join host Jon Jordan to discuss how hybrid game mechanics and particular market trends have rocketed new games to the top of the download charts across the USA, China and Japan, as well as which games we should be keeping an eye on. 

You can now find The Mobile GameDev Playbook also on GameRefinery's Youtube channel. 

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The Mobile GameDev Playbook

We are a bit starstruck in this episode of The Movile GameDev Playbook, with guest Richard Bartle! Listen in to learn more about best practices for audience design, taxonomies of players and how they can help developers design better, more engaging mobile games. 

Richard joins the podcast to discuss his impressive career, including how he created the Multi-User Dungeon - or simply MUDs - the forebearer of the multiplayer online role-playing genre and how he developed the Bartle Taxonomy Player Types. 

Head of Analytics at GameRefinery by Vungle, Joel Julkunen, also joins the conversation to discuss the influence  Bartle's player types have had on GameRefinery's own taxonomy and the subtle difference between mobile and MMORPG players. 

You can now find The Mobile GameDev Playbook on video and all the usual podcast platforms. 

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In this episode of The Mobile GameDev Playbook, we’re discussing how to use creative strategy to build better mobile ads. We look into what creative strategy is, how it’s implemented and what might change for user acquisition in the post-IDFA world.

Vungle joins our podcast for the first time since acquiring GameRefinery earlier in the year - bringing all its mobile advertising expertise. Angry Birds developer Rovio also joins in the chat to discuss all things creative. 

Dive deep into the topic with host Jon Jordan, Vungles’ Global Head of Creative Labs Gavin McNicholl, Mobile Pod Lead Natalie Suthons and from Rovio, we have Senior Performance and Marketing Specialist for Small Town Murders, Jussi Naapuri and Performance Marketing Manager for Angry Birds Dream Blast Ann-Marie.

You can now find The Mobile Game Dev Playbook on video and the usual podcast platforms. 

Thanks for listening!

In this episode of The Mobile GameDev Playbook, we’re discussing how to utilize player insight to help build better games. We look into the tips, tools, and techniques game developers can use to understand what their players want so that they’ll keep coming back for more.

Market-research platform PickFu joins this episode to discuss how game developers have collected user feedback using their service, along with mobile game studio Mojiworks, which uses data-led design in their game development process. 

Dive deep into the topic with host Jon Jordan, GameRefinery’s Chief Game Analyst Erno Kiiski and special guests John Li, co-founder of PickFu, and Jen Bolton, VP of Player Insights at Mojiworks. 

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In this episode of The Mobile GameDev Playbook we discuss the common struggles game developers face when monetizing their games and provide some top tips to ensure optimal ROI on mobile gaming ad monetization. We also take a deep dive into the current mobile app monetization strategy and how it might change post IDFA. Will high IAP monetization games survive the change? 

Kolibri Games brings their expertise to the panel today, as a games publisher, with their most notable mobile titles including “Idle Miner Tycoon” and “Idle Factory Tycoon”, with the former reaching over 100 million downloads worldwide. This episode also takes us through Kolibri’s humble beginnings from being founded in a student dorm to building an 120 strong team based out of Berlin. 

Host Jon Jordan is joined by GameRefinery's Head of Product & Ad Intelligence Lauri Heikkinen and special guest Nate Barker, Director of Business Development at Kolibri. 

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Episode 13 brings you insight into the winners and finalists of GameRefinery’s very first Mobile GameDev Awards in 2021. These new annual awards aim to reward design and innovation in the mobile game industry by developers in the US, China and Japan. In this episode, GameRefinery’s analysts and partner judge from Luna Labs discuss a few of the award categories and what made the winners stand out from the competition - what is their secret?

Award categories discussed include Innovation and Excellence in Core Gameplay, Best Evolver, and Best in-game Event. 

Host Jon Jordan is joined by GameRefinery's Chief Analysts Erno Kiiski, Kalle Heikkinen, and Teemu Palomäki and special guests John Wright, Vice President of Operations at Luna Labs. 

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In this first podcast of 2021, The Mobile GameDev Playbook unveils what might be in store for the new year and the mobile gaming industry - it’s a fully packed episode! We discuss how the pandemic’s development might affect industry growth in 2021 and how gaming habits might evolve in the post-COVID era. We also explore future potential trends for the Match 3 genre, the expansion of the casual gaming market in China, as well as the recent increase of mobile game collabs. 

Host Jon Jordan is joined by GameRefinery's Chief Analysts Kalle Heikkinen, Erno Kiiski and Wilhelm Voutilainen.

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As the end of the year approaches, this episode of the MobileGameDev Playbook will take a look back at what 2020 has had to offer the mobile gaming industry. We’ll delve into the key trends to come out of this eventful year, including the rise of social mechanics, changes to location-based AR games to fit COVID lockdown restrictions, as well as some of the secrets behind Genshin Impact’s success. To wrap the year up, we’ll also do some forward-thinking about what might be in store for the industry in 2021.

Host Jon Jordan is joined by GameRefinery's Chief Analysts Kalle Heikkinen, Erno Kiiski and Wilhelm Voutilainen.

Thanks for listening! 

In the latest episode of the Mobile GameDev Playbook, we examine what it takes to design a profitable game economy. We uncover the best monetisation strategies for mobile game developers, as well as how to plan and execute these strategies to boost a free-to-play mobile game’s potential revenue. 

From the planning of in-game economic structures to applying an enticing value exchange for players, this episode covers all the bases for developers looking to maximise their game’s chances of financial success. 

We’re joined by game design consultancy Mobile Game Doctor that specialises in bringing together experienced game designers from all over the world to help promote global game design health and creative well-being for its clients. 

Host Jon Jordan is joined by GameRefinery's Chief Analyst Erno Kiiski and special guests Dave Rohl, Chief Executive Officer and Raymond Holmes, Consulting Designer at Mobile Game Doctor. 

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Apple shocked the mobile advertising world this summer when it gave a two months’ notice of a seismic change in how mobile advertising campaigns would be targeted, measured and evaluated with the arrival of iOS14 and IDFA changes. Luckily, with these changes now likely taking place in early 2021 instead, mobile game developers and advertisers have some more time to plan accordingly and explore new ways to build their acquisition and attribution strategies. But what is IDFA? What do the upcoming changes really mean? And most importantly, what marketing and tracking technologies will be available for the mobile games industry instead?

In this episode of the Mobile GameDev Playbook, we focus on Apple's iOS14 ad feature updates and how to best prepare for them. Host Jon Jordan is joined by GameRefinery's Head of Product, Lauri Heikkinen, as well as special guest Alasdair Pressney, Product Manager at AdColony - one of the world's largest mobile advertising platforms, with a reach of 1.5billion users globally. 

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