Naavik Gaming Podcast Naavik

Roblox is approaching 350 million monthly active users, making it bigger than Xbox, Playstation and Switch combined. It’s a platform that generated $3.3 billion in bookings last year and paid $740 million to its developers and creators. The low barriers to entry for developers and immediate access to an audience of 350 million players has made it an appealing proposition for indie developers. 

According to Roblox’s most recent estimate, however, there are over 5 million developers on Roblox making it incredibly competitive and difficult to stand out. Furthermore, the nuanced player expectations have left many professional developers scratching their heads wondering why their Candy Crush-inspired game mechanics never gained traction. 

Our host, David Taylor sat down with Janzen Madsen (aka Jandel) and Nathan Clemens (aka UndoneBuilder) to share their learnings from 8+ years developing successful games on Roblox. Janzen is the creator of breakout hits such as a dusty trip, Field Trip Z, Wacky Wizards and Gunfight Arena, which collectively have 100,000 concurrent players at the time of this writing. If Janzen were a game, he would be the 8th most popular game on Steam right now. Nathan has launched 24 Roblox games including The Survival Game, City Life, and War Simulator, which have garnered over 850 million play sessions. 

These two know how the Roblox meta better than anyone else so I’m excited to see what insights we can glean as we look for success on the most competitive platform in games: Roblox.
This episode is brought to you by CleverTap Gaming, the all-in-one platform for creating personalized player experiences. Visit https://clevertap.com/gaming/ for more details. 

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In an era of games where the financing sources are slim and marketing and community can make or break your game launch, your host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, welcomes Tim Morten and Cara LaForge, CEO and Director of Business Operations respectively at Frost Giant Studios, to discuss their experiences in running a widely successful crowd financing campaign on Kickstarter ($2.4M, 2280% over target, with >$28K backers for an average wallet size of $85) and a crowd equity campaign on StartEngine. We talk about the differences between a crowd equity and crowd financing campaign, the dos and donts of Kickstarter as a platform, the planning and strategy behind the Stormgate campaign specifically (marketing beats, Founder’s pack design, and timing), as well as lessons learned if they were to do it all again. Tune in for a fun episode, and, if you’d like to contribute to Stormgate, they’re running an extension campaign on Indiegogo here due to demand!  

Big thanks to GRID for making this episode possible. GRID is a game data platform providing esports data infrastructure, analytics, and distribution solutions to leading game publishers including Riot Games, Ubisoft, and KRAFTON. If you're a fan, developer, or entrepreneur with an idea for a live data-powered project, make sure to apply for GRID Open Access, get free access to official data, and start creating today! To learn more, visit https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=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 podcast@naavik.co.
 
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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Guild of Guardians is Immutable’s second major game after Gods Unchained, and is one of the most anticipated web3 games of 2024 - Immutable has called it their new “flagship game” and has been preparing for a global May 15th launch. After starting out as a real-time RPG, the game pivoted to a more casual auto-battler 15 months ago, driven by Gods Unchained and formerly Magic the Gathering: Arena Design Director Chris Clay. Guild of Guardians is one of the first games on Immutable’s new ZK-EVM blockchain, which Naavik covered in the January 24, 2024 episode of the podcast with Immutable founder, Robbie Ferguson. 

In this episode, your host, Niko Vuori, sits down with Justin Hulog, Chief Studio Officer at Immutable and Chris Clay, VP & Design Director at Immutable and talks about Immutable’s gaming ambitions, lessons learned from Gods Unchained and how excited the Immutable team is about Guild of Guardian’s early metrics heading into the May 15th global release. If you are interested in web3 games, you won’t want to miss this episode. 

Check out Guild of Guardians online, as well as Niko’s January 2024 interview with Immutable founder Robbie Ferguson.

We’d like to thank RallyHere for making this episode possible. RallyHere is a proven gaming backend platform and service made specifically for cross-platform live-service games. RallyHere is your one-stop-shop to streamline your development processes, increase speed to market, and optimize your post-launch live services. To learn more or schedule a demo, visit rallyhere.gg  

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 podcast@naavik.co.
 
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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

In the dynamic landscape of gaming, the fusion of cutting-edge financial technology and innovative incentives is shaping a new era of player acquisition and engagement. Host Devin Becker leads an insightful discussion with Ben Cousens, Chief Strategy Officer of ZBD, and Paul West, Founder of Fumb Games, on the transformative power of Bitcoin rewards in gaming.  Delving into Fumb's utilization of ZBD technology, they both unveil how this synergy propels gaming retention and LTV through examples of successful games harnessing ZBD’s Bitcoin Lightning Network service.

Exploring the intersection of financial incentives and traditional user acquisition (UA), the conversation navigates how rewarding players financially complements conventional marketing strategies. Addressing pressing issues in mobile UA and retention, Ben and Paul dissect the system's efficacy in mitigating challenges and fostering sustainable growth. Strategic considerations, such as player segmentation and reward frequency, illuminate the nuanced approach required for optimal results. We explore how this approach manages to be cost effective for game developers by rewarding amounts that are a fraction of LTV while still strongly motivating players.

Navigating the complexities of fluctuating Bitcoin prices and the potential for alternative reward forms, including NFTs, tokens and other networks, the discussion forecasts the evolving landscape of gaming incentives for games and potentially gamified apps. As the prospect of moving from free to play to rewarded play becomes potentially more prevalent, the episode raises thought-provoking questions about its trajectory and the ensuing competitive landscape. Join Devin, Ben, and Paul for a compelling exploration of the future where gaming and incentives converge to redefine player engagement.

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 podcast@naavik.co.
 
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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

A new era of game developer has arrived to shake up narrative game making. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, welcomes Emily Pitcher, founder of Sondering, and Karla Reyes, founder of Anima Interactive, two Forbes 30 under 30 game developers focused on narrative innovation and socially conscious storytelling. The discussion delves into the evolution of narrative in games, innovative storytelling mechanics, the importance of representation, and finally, the limited innovation brought to business models within the narrative genre. Beyond building stories for the underrepresented, they are also committed to building studios whose developers are uniquely qualified to do so: social media and Tik Tok native (check out Emily’s robust following here), and importantly, have lived experiences that lend themselves to a creator’s truth. Games are a powerful medium for storytelling and social change and it is developers like these that are leading the charge. 

Also, big thanks to ZEBEDEE for making this episode possible! ZEBEDEE provides a plug-and-play API and SDK for seamless integration of instant, borderless, and low-fee payments using the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Want to better engage and monetize your global user base? Start for free at https://zebedee.io/

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 podcast@naavik.co.
 
Watch the episode: YouTube Channel
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Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website
Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Nyan Heroes is a team-based hero shooter featuring small cats piloting giant mechs. The studio was founded in Singapore in 2021 and is staffed by industry veterans from hit franchises like Marvel’s Avengers, Destiny, and Halo. Combining web3 and web2 elements, the game aspires to competitive gameplay and has already secured partnerships with top names in the esports space. The game also has garnered impressive reviews and early stats. Nyan Heroes is a top 5 most wishlisted game on the Epic Games Store, a top 16 most played game on the Epic Games Store during its recent alpha demo, and boasts over 1.3 million registered users, 80% of whom are web3 Solana natives. 

In this episode, your host, Niko Vuori, speaks with Nyan Heroes Creative Director & CEO, Max Fu, about the game, how he intends to compete in esports, and how he’s thinking about balancing web2 and web3 elements. Max also unpacks his love for cats and how the Nyan Heroes felines can form the foundation for a major new IP.

Check out Nyan Heroes online and in the Epic Games Store. You can find Max Fu on LinkedIn.

We’d also like to thank Nefta for making this episode possible. Nefta has created an advertising network that pays game publishers higher eCPMs on their iOS opt-out users and drives better results for advertisers. Learn more about how Nefta can boost your results at http://nefta.io/

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 podcast@naavik.co.
 
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.