Naavik Gaming Podcast

Host Devin Becker is joined by Zach Nass, Head of Gaming at nSure.ai, to discuss the complex and evolving landscape of payment fraud prevention in gaming. Zach shares insights into why payment fraud in gaming has become such a critical issue today, the unique challenges posed by game-specific economies and marketplaces, and the importance of nuanced, adaptable solutions to secure transactions.

We unpack how AI and machine learning are used to identify patterns and predict fraudulent payment activity, and also touch on how payment fraud prevention strategies are evolving to better handle the decentralized systems of web3 and cryptocurrency transactions. This episode provides an in-depth look at the future of secure gaming payments — and the technical processes that nSure.ai employs to detect and prevent payment fraud — so you can stay ahead of fraud cutting into profits.

We’d also like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast 

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Host Niko Vuori and guest George Isichos, core contributor at Game7, discuss the current state of web3 gaming, focusing on the latest Game7 x Naavik research report (which you can download here). They explore the evolution of the ecosystem, the impact of platforms like Telegram and Epic Games Store, and emerging economic models such as Play-to-Airdrop. The conversation also addresses the challenges posed by bots in gaming and the shifting geographic distribution of players. 

The discussion then digs into the integration of AI in gaming and its unique impact in web3, the evolving funding landscape for web3 games, the rise of indie and fall of AAA, plus the shift towards Layer 2 and Layer 3 strategies. 

We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.com/.

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of LinkedIn’s 1B+ global users. You might have also noticed some of your professional connections playing one of LinkedIn’s new games — Queens, Pinpoint, Crossclimb, or Tango — and may even be wondering "why are there games on LinkedIn?"

Host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Lakshman Somasundaram, Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, to discuss the strategic intent behind games on LinkedIn and their unique approach to building games inside a professional networking and social media platform. We discuss the history of other social media’s forays into gaming and the underlying principles that guide the design, format, and product features of LinkedIn’s games.

With a current D1 retention rate of approximately 80% and an exceptionally engaged community, LinkedIn hopes its portfolio of games will become a meaningful conversation starter for professionals. To discover more about the how, why, and what behind this initiative, just hit play!

We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.com/.

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

A new frontier is emerging with the advent of "web shops," also known as direct-to-consumer distribution methods. Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Chris Faught, the CEO and founder of Neon, a direct-to-consumer payments service currently working with Space Ape, Metacore, and Theorycraft to build customizable web shops and geography-specific payment systems, challenging the traditional distribution models of Apple and Google. 

We explore the evolving landscape of mobile regulations, contextualize the current payment stack in gaming, and break down what it means to be “the merchant of record.” The discussion highlights what major publishers and game studios have done since the iOS and Android distribution shake-up that began with Epic's lawsuit against Apple in 2021. 

Additionally, we dig into the nuances of why a direct-to-consumer webshop is about more than just increasing profitability. For any studio, investor, or revenue strategist interested in optimizing margins and considering a shift to a direct-to-consumer webshop, this episode is a must-listen.

We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.com/.

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

Watch the episode: YouTube Channel

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Host Aaron Bush welcomes Shahar Sorek, CMO of Overwolf, and Nick Tuosto, co-founder of Griffin Gaming Partners and GoodGame Advisors, to discuss the growing – and increasingly interconnected – impact of transmedia and modding on the gaming industry. 

As beloved entertainment IPs partner with more types of game creators, we examine how these transmedia efforts are reshaping consumer behaviors and evolving the market, especially with the younger UGC-native generation and as UGC creation gets more professionalized. Our guests share insights into how cross-platform support and new technologies, especially AI, are democratizing creation and unlocking new possibilities. They also share best practices for both publishers and brands who want to make UGC an effective strategy. Tune in to discover what lies ahead for the intersection of UGC and transmedia.

We’d also like to thank Neon – a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion – for making this episode possible! Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming and can help you sell direct without the typical overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavik 

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

Who’s On:

Guest - Shahar Sorek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%90%B0-shahar-sorek-83ab299/ 

Guest - Nick Tuosto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ntuosto/ 

Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ 

Watch the episode: YouTube Channel

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Disclosure: GoodGame provides independent financial advice on mergers, acquisitions, financial restructurings and similar corporate finance matters. All investment banking and securities brokerage services are preformed through our partner, Belzberg Capital LLC (“Belzberg”), a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (www.finra.org). GoodGame, through Belzberg, performs advisory services in connection with underwritings and does not sell underwritten securities to investors. Neither GoodGame nor Belzberg is a retail broker-dealer, and it does not provide research or analyst reports or solicit or carry accounts for, or offer or sell securities products to, retail customers.

Fortnite has paid out roughly $500 million to creators since UEFN and Creator Economy 2.0 launched in March of 2023. These payouts, which have increased 32.5% YoY (measured from March through September), are showing no signs of slowing down. However, Fortnite Creative engagement as a proportion of total Fortnite engagement has actually declined as Epic has launched more successful modes like 'Reload.'

What will it take for Epic's $500 million investment to turn into a thriving UGC ecosystem that creates more value than it costs? Where does the Fortnite economy go from here? Joining host David Taylor today are two top Fortnite creators and influencers, Chad Mustard (aka MustardPlays) and Michael Ha (aka Birdo).

MustardPlays has accumulated over 900K followers on Youtube with his Fortnite Creative content, and his company JOGO Studios, which he co-founded with TypicalGamer, is the 4th most popular game on Fortnite at the time of recording.

Birdo created a Fortnite-focused TikTok following of over 2M. He then hit it big with Minigame Box PvP, which has been played for 5 billion minutes or 1% of all Fortnite Creative time since the release of UEFN in March 2023.

We’d also like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, make sure to visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

Watch the episode: YouTube Channel

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Free newsletter: Naavik Digest

Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this episode, host Niko Vuori and guest Sean Ryan delve into the emerging category of social sweepstakes, a gaming model that barely existed as recently as 2017 but has rapidly evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry. In 2023, social sweeps generated almost $6 billion in revenue, and this number is expected to double to nearly $12 billion by next year, 2025.

What are social sweeps? When a gaming product offers users real-world prizes without the element of consideration. Removal of consideration takes place via the existence of an alternate method of entry, such as sending in a postcard, so that users can potentially receive real prizes without making a purchase.

Niko and Sean explore the mechanics of social sweeps, the regulatory challenges that come with it, and the role of VGW as a pioneer in the space. The conversation also touches on the target audience, user journey, and the future potential of social sweeps in the broader gaming market. Check out Sean's company, Zoot, on the web.

We’d also like to thank TikTok for making this episode possible. In a dynamic gaming market where a majority of games fail within three years, TikTok has become a critical partner in helping games achieve long-term player retention and substantial revenue growth. Learn more: https://bit.ly/LiveOpsProgramNAVPodcast 

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Sebastian Park, co-founder of Infinite Canvas and a favorite recurring guest, joins host Aaron Bush to dive into the fascinating topic of building games on new platforms and with new technologies. They discuss how Infinite Canvas rapidly iterates, uses off-the-shelf LLM tech, and what the team has learned lately from building on Discord, Twitch, and Telegram. If you want to better understand how emerging AI-based tools will increase the baseline requirements for competing in game development and what emerging platforms to be most bullish on, make sure to give this episode a listen! 

We’d also like to thank nSure.ai for making this episode possible! As a proven industry leader, nSure.ai provides scalable payment fraud prevention that’s not just effective but tailored specifically to your needs. To learn more, visit https://www.nsure.ai/contact

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

Who’s On:

Guest - Sebastian Park: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianpark/ 

Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ 

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In this episode, host Niko Vuori and guest Danny Moy, Chief Strategy Officer at SciPlay, delve into the highly competitive category of social casino. 

They discuss the evolution of SciPlay, the demographics of social casino players, and the integration of casino mechanics into mainstream games. The conversation also touches on the importance of live operations, the role of AI in game design, and the cross-pollination between real money gaming and social casino. 

With insights from Danny's extensive experience in the gaming industry, this episode provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape and future trends in social casino gaming. The discussion also covers the challenges of user acquisition in a post-IDFA landscape, highlighting the importance of community engagement through live ops and partnerships.

Check out SciPlay on the web. You can find Danny Moy on LinkedIn. 

We’d also like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, make sure to visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

Watch the episode: YouTube Channel

For more episodes and details: Podcast Website

Free newsletter: Naavik Digest

Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

What is culture, and why does it matter? Seth Sivak, the founder and ex-CEO of Proletariat, a studio most known for its title Spellbreak, joins our host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, to discuss the importance of organizational culture in the gaming industry. 

Proletariat was founded in 2012 by Seth and four other co-founders and went through various era of growth: scaling up to 80 people in person, 130 people remote during the pandemic, everyone brought back in person again, and then a sale to Blizzard Entertainment in the summer of 2022 with subsequent culture merging afterward. 

We discuss the definition of culture, who is responsible for setting it, who is responsible for maintaining it, as well as tactics to create a shared vision and shared set of norms, habits, and standards. If you are curious about what supercharges a successful game and business, this is a conversation that illuminates the balance between transparency and employee focus, how to build an effective communication decorum that scales, and why spending time on your company culture does not detract from building your product and business, but if done right, enhances and augments success.   

We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.com/.

If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at [email protected].

Watch the episode: YouTube Channel

For more episodes and details: Podcast Website

Free newsletter: Naavik Digest

Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.