Naavik Gaming Podcast

Naavik
  • 4.7 (25)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

The Naavik Gaming Podcast is a business-focused exploration of the companies, trends, strategies and leaders that are defining the future of games. To learn more and see other great content visit www.naavik.co.

  1. 2d ago

    Can Portugal Become Europe’s Next Gaming Powerhouse?

    Between 2018 and 2024, the turnover of Portuguese games companies went from around 5 million to nearly 100 million. In this episode, Kalie Moore sits down with Jefferson Valadares, Co-Founder and CEO of partNerd and President of the Portuguese Association of Game Development Companies, to unpack whether a country long known for exporting its best talent can become a home for original IP. Jefferson has seen the industry from nearly every seat, as Studio GM at EA, Executive Producer at BioWare, Head of Mobile at Bandai Namco, and a board member at Rovio before its sale to Sega. They explore what the AAA years taught him about when to spend and when to wing it, why big companies keep funding games they already know won't work, and what he learned running studio acquisitions at Fortis Games about why most deals quietly lose their value. The conversation also goes inside partNerd, the four-person studio he's building now, and why they're making an original co-op game exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. Jefferson explains the thinking behind designing for asymmetric skill levels so parents, kids, and non-gamers can play together, why GameShare shaped their commercial model, and how hard it is for veteran developers to unlearn best practice and build something genuinely new. He also revisits Doppio, his early bet on voice as a gaming platform, and the timing that led to selling to Fortis in late 2021. Along the way he lays out the Helsinki parallel he sees playing out in Lisbon, why the hardest gap for emerging ecosystems is product rather than engineering or art, and what he thinks the industry is underestimating about the generation that grew up on Roblox and Minecraft rather than GTA. This episode is brought to you by Appcharge, the payments platform built specifically for mobile gaming that processes over a billion dollars annually. Learn more here: https://www.appcharge.com/?utm_source=naavik&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=sponsorship_payments We’d also like to thank Dive for making this episode possible! With its fully managed analytics and LiveOps platform built for game studios, 95% of their clients grow revenue in one year. All of that without having to hire an in-house data team. Learn more here: dive.games/scale. 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. Who’s On: Guest - Jeferson Valadares: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefersonvaladares/ Host - Kalie Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliemoore/  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

    Can Portugal Become Europe’s Next Gaming Powerhouse?

  2. 4d ago

    Naavik Digest: Roblox's Expensive Year of Good Intentions

    This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, August 16th. In this week’s issue, we examine Roblox, which lost nearly a third of its value after it reported Q2 2026 results. We explore what the latest numbers might mean for the present and future of the company. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/robloxs-expensive-year-of-good-intentions Meet with Naavik at Gamescom: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/qE3Yw6pa?typeform-source=www.dropbox.com  Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/  Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch our episodes: YouTube Channel For more episodes and details: Podcast Website Free newsletter: Naavik Digest Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

    Naavik Digest: Roblox's Expensive Year of Good Intentions

  3. Aug 9

    Naavik Digest: How Friendslop Is Disrupting the Live-ops Status Quo

    This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, August 9th. In this week’s issue, we discuss the rising “friendslop" phenomenon, why it’s somewhat disrupting established live-ops practices, and whether it is sustainable long-term. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/friendslop-disrupting-the-live-ops-status-quo Meet with Naavik at Gamescom: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/qE3Yw6pa?typeform-source=www.dropbox.com  Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/  Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch our episodes: YouTube Channel For more episodes and details: Podcast Website Free newsletter: Naavik Digest Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

    Naavik Digest: How Friendslop Is Disrupting the Live-ops Status Quo

  4. Aug 2

    Naavik Digest: Why Platform-Led Gaming in China Is Falling Short

    This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, August 2nd. In this week’s issue, we discuss the decline of platform-led gaming in China through the lens of Alibaba’s likely sale of Lingxi Games, the studio behind Three Kingdoms Tactics. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/the-structural-failure-of-platform-led-gaming-in-china Meet with Naavik at Gamescom: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/qE3Yw6pa?typeform-source=www.dropbox.com  Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/  Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch our episodes: YouTube Channel For more episodes and details: Podcast Website Free newsletter: Naavik Digest Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe

    Naavik Digest: Why Platform-Led Gaming in China Is Falling Short

  5. Jul 31

    Fractional Talent’s Growing Role in Game Development

    As studios contend with layoffs, hiring freezes, longer development cycles, and a growing supply of experienced talent outside traditional roles, fractional work is emerging as a potential middle ground between full-time hiring and conventional consulting. Host Devin Becker is joined by Aaron Bush, co-founder and Managing Partner of Naavik, to discuss why the company expanded from research and advisory into fractional talent, what meaningfully separates fractional leadership from contracting or staff augmentation, and how these engagements work in practice.  They examine which roles fit the model, why senior talent dominates the supply pool, how studios retain knowledge after an engagement ends, and whether increased reliance on fractional experts could weaken the industry’s pipeline for developing junior talent. The conversation also considers whether this is a temporary response to the current employment cycle or an early sign of studios becoming smaller permanent teams supported by flexible specialists. Check out Naavik's Fractional Talent Network: https://naavik.co/fractional-talent/  We’d like to thank Dive for making this episode possible! With its fully managed analytics and LiveOps platform built for game studios, 95% of their clients grow revenue in one year. All of that without having to hire an in-house data team. Learn more here: dive.games/scale  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.

    Fractional Talent’s Growing Role in Game Development

  6. Jul 26

    Naavik Digest: How Online Fandom Is Rewriting the IP Playbook

    This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, July 26th. In this week’s issue, we examine how a new generation of creators and internet-native IP — sometimes memes or worlds that no one owns — are starting to take the entertainment world by storm in new ways. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/how-online-fandom-is-rewriting-the-ip-playbook Check out Naavik’s fractional talent network: https://naavik.co/fractional-talent/  Meet with Naavik at Gamescom: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/qE3Yw6pa?typeform-source=www.dropbox.com  Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/  Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch our episodes: YouTube Channel For more episodes and details: Podcast Website Free newsletter: Naavik Digest Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

    Naavik Digest: How Online Fandom Is Rewriting the IP Playbook

  7. Jul 21

    Inside Subway Surfers, Mobile Gaming's Most Enduring Hit

    Fourteen years after launch, Subway Surfers is still one of the biggest games in the world. In this episode, Kalie Moore sits down with Mathias Gredal Nørvig, CEO of SYBO, to unpack how a mobile game launched in 2012 continues to attract between 100 and 150 million monthly players while nearly every other hit from its era has faded away. They explore the philosophy behind Subway Surfers' iconic World Tour live operations, why empowering artists and designers has kept the game feeling fresh for more than a decade, how community ideas have directly shaped new characters and game modes, and why collaborations with games like Brawl Stars have become some of the studio's most successful partnerships. Mathias also shares how Subway Surfers Cities evolved from years of experimentation, why SYBO deliberately avoided cannibalizing its flagship title, and what they're still learning as they build the franchise's next chapter. The conversation also dives into one of gaming's most remarkable organic marketing stories: how Subway Surfers became one of TikTok's biggest gaming phenomena without spending on user acquisition, why SYBO gives its social team extraordinary creative freedom, and how the studio thinks about virality, platform expansion, and community-first marketing. Mathias shares SYBO's measured approach to AI, lessons from becoming part of Miniclip and Tencent, why the company stepped back from large-scale licensing despite nearly five billion downloads, and how sustainability, accessibility, and healthy gameplay have become core parts of the studio's long-term vision. The episode offers a rare look inside one of mobile gaming's most enduring success stories and what it takes to build an evergreen franchise that continues to evolve without losing what made it special. 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 podcast@naavik.co. Who’s On: Guest - Mathias Gredal Nørvig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noervig/ Host - Kalie Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliemoore/  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 Links mentioned: https://sybogames.com/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaming-Good-Unlocking-Create-Better-ebook/dp/B0CSDHG8KC/https://www.goodgame.club/

    Inside Subway Surfers, Mobile Gaming's Most Enduring Hit

  8. Jul 19

    Naavik Digest: The Memo That Undid 10 Years of XBOX Strategy

    This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, July 19th. In this week’s issue, we shine a light on the memo that undid 10 years of Xbox strategy, focusing on what CEO Asha Sharma is actually trying to achieve.  You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/the-memo-that-undid-ten-years-of-xbox-strategy Meet with Naavik at Gamescom: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/qE3Yw6pa?typeform-source=www.dropbox.com  Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/  Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch our episodes: YouTube Channel For more episodes and details: Podcast Website Free newsletter: Naavik Digest Follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

    Naavik Digest: The Memo That Undid 10 Years of XBOX Strategy
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About

The Naavik Gaming Podcast is a business-focused exploration of the companies, trends, strategies and leaders that are defining the future of games. To learn more and see other great content visit www.naavik.co.

Information

  • Creator
    Naavik
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    469
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Naavik, Inc.
  • Show Website
    Naavik Gaming Podcast

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