Farming vs. Hunting: Right Games for Publishers

You may have heard the terms Farming and Hunting before, commonly used in sales strategies. But how do they apply to game publishing? Let’s break it down:🌱 Farming – The “Come to Us” ApproachThis strategy relies on publishers building platforms or portals where developers can submit their games. Companies like Voodoo, Supersonic, and Kwalee have dedicated submission portals to capture inbound leads.🔹 The goal? High quantity over quality.🔹 The BD team reviews submissions daily, selecting games for testing.🔹 Automated campaigns (or manual tests by the growth team) determine potential hits and quality.🔹 The success rate? Roughly 1 in 300-500 hundred games make it through, genre depending.🎯 Hunting – The “Go to Them” ApproachHere, the BD team proactively searches for top-tier games and studios. This is a quality-first approach:🔹 BD teams use LinkedIn, emails, and industry tools to scout promising games.🔹 […]

John Wright February 25

Journal

How do publishers find and sign new games?

If you’re a game developer looking to get noticed by a publisher, understanding how their sourcing process works is key. Who’s responsible for finding your game? Where do they look? And most importantly, how can you improve your chances of being discovered?🎯 The People Behind Game DiscoveryMost publishers have a dedicated “new business” or “sourcing” team whose main job is to scout new games. In some cases, this responsibility falls under the publishing manager, who not only finds and signs developers but also manages the commercial relationship post-signing.Regardless of their job title, this person is your gateway to the publisher. Making them an advocate for your game and studio can be the difference between getting signed or staying in the shadows.🕵️‍♂️ Where Do Publishers Find Games?Game scouts use a mix of tools and strategies to discover potential hits before their […]

John Wright February 23

Journal

What Game to Build, Which Publisher to Go?

What Game to Build, Why, and Which Publisher is Right for You?If you’re a game developer looking to pitch to publishers, the real question isn’t just what to build, it’s why you’re building it and who you should be partnering with. Here are three critical things to consider:1️⃣ Choose Your Development Strategy: Innovation vs. +1I see two main ways to approach game development:💠 True Innovation - Creating something the market has never seen before (think Roblox).✅ Upside: If you succeed, you own a genre and might be diving into money like Scrooge McDuck.❌ Downside: Most fail. It’s a high-risk, high-reward play.💠 The “+1” Strategy - Taking an existing, successful game and adding a new twist or meta.✅ Upside: Lower risk, faster validation, and a better fit for most publishers. a good example would Match 3D evolved from Match-3, creating a […]

John Wright February 22

Journal

Current state of publishing in Mobile Games?

Mobile game publishing is set to thrive in 2025, building on the momentum of a strong 2024. Hits like Hexa Sort and Twisted Tangle have demonstrated the power of effective publishing strategies, and it’s no surprise that 9 out of the top 10 gaming companies by downloads have dedicated publishing divisions or strategies in place.For developers, partnering with a strong publisher has never been more essential. Here are my three key reasons why: 1. Funding challenges are growing.Investment in game studios is at a five-year low. According to the latest Konvoy report (see graph in the comments), Q4 2024 saw a 47% QoQ decline in funding. While early-stage investments are still happening, they are primarily small checks meant for prototyping or MVP development. Securing the capital needed for scaling and doing UA at scale? highly unlikely, or at least most […]

John Wright February 21

Journal

Ubisoft: Slightly more negative picture

I think we’re all aware at the recent wave of short comings, game launch delays and back catalogue issues Ubisoft have been facing but digging in to their recent financials I think it showcases a slightly more negative view then expected: • Financial Performance: In Q3 FY2024-25, Ubisoft reported net bookings of €301.8 million, a 52% decline from €626.2 million in the same period last year, aligning with its revised guidance. Ultimately even though they set guidance correctly, seeing such a YoY decrease shows increasing pressures and an even bigger ownous on future releases (which we all know is going to be pinned to AC: Shadows).• Assassin’s Creed Shadows Release: Despite previous setbacks, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” is now scheduled for release on March 20, 2025, with pre-orders tracking comparably to “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey,” the franchise’s second most successful entry. My […]

John Wright February 15

Journal

Embracer Group Q3 numbers: 30% Drop

Embracer Group just released their Q3 numbers per their earnings call yesterday and the company is seeing a 30% drop on the Swedish Stock exchange. Key highlights from the earnings call:• Net Sales: The company reported net sales of SEK 7.4 billion for the quarter, reflecting a 7% organic growth.• Adjusted EBIT: Adjusted EBIT amounted to SEK 1,175 million, slightly below the previous year’s SEK 1,318 million but above management expectations.• Sale of Easybrain: Embracer Group announced the sale of Easybrain to Miniclip for $1.2 billion (USD), with the transaction expected to close any time now.• Strategic Focus: The sale of Easybrain aligns with Embracer’s strategy to streamline operations and focus on core assets. However, they saw just a 2% increase on mobile and a 23% drop on PCC revenues so I am not sure how this will effect them […]

John Wright February 14

Journal

AppLovin stock has jumped 30% after hours after another insane quarter.

Yes you are reading that correctly, AppLovin stock has jumped 30% after hours after another insane quarter. Check out: AppLovin Empire: Monopoly in Mobile Gaming? Highlights from the earnings call earlier today were:• Revenue Growth: The company reported a 44% year-over-year increase in revenue for Q4 2024. • Earnings Per Share (EPS): Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $1.73, surpassing market expectations. • Future Revenue Projections: AppLovin forecasts Q1 2025 revenue between $1.355 billion and $1.385 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations. • Strategic Shift: The company is expanding its advertising platform beyond gaming into e-commerce, marking a transformative period (please refer to my 2025 marketing predictions after with Deconstructor of Fun to read more about this).• Divesting From Games: AppLovin plans to sell its gaming studios for approximately $900m to focus on its core advertising technology and software platform, AXON is […]

John Wright February 13

Journal

5 takeaways from Supercell CEO’s Blog Post

I don’t think there’s many people in gaming who doesn’t look forward to reading Supercell’s CEO Illka Paananen yearly blog post that addresses the industry. If you haven’t already read it I suggest you check out the article and look over it, but if you want my key 5 takeaways and highlights it would be:• Brawl Stars’ Remarkable Surge: Over five years post-launch, Brawl Stars achieved unprecedented growth, with metrics such as player count, engagement, and revenue increasing multiple times over. To go from $10-20m a month to $70m+ is one of the biggest success stories I’ve ever seen in mobile, another key indication of the importance of live ops in todays games. • Squad Busters’ Introduction: Supercell released Squad Busters, its first new game in over five years, which generated over $100 million in gross revenue during its first […]

John Wright February 13

Journal

Retention Radar 2025 Report

Shout out to Aarki and their new Retention Radar Report that I stumbled across. My key highlights there: • Retention Decline in Casual Games: Casual titles saw a drop in D30 retention rates, reflecting shifting user engagement and the growing challenge of sustaining player interest over time. • Rewarded Ads Continue to Dominate: Rewarded video ads outperform other formats, delivering both high retention and revenue impact, especially in Tier 2/3 regions where conversion to paying player (IAP) is harder. • Regional Monetization Differences: Emerging markets see a higher dependence on ad monetization versus in-app purchases, emphasizing the need for flexible monetization models across regions, this includes eCPM’s and localised IAP pricings. • RPGs Lead in Long-Term Retention (No Sh*t): Strategy and RPG games show the strongest long-term retention rates (D30 and beyond), highlighting the importance of deep, immersive gameplay and […]

John Wright February 11

Highlights

Valve Bans In-Game Ads: A Bold Move

Valve Bans In-Game Ads: A Bold Move Valve corporation has updated its policy to strictly ban in-game ads as a monetization strategy for developers. While this may please gaming purists, I see some challenges this could create for developers and the industry overall.Key Impacts: • Economic Limitations for Developers: Removing ads as a potential revenue stream limits options for developers, particularly those working with F2P models or small-scale projects. • Reduced Accessibility for Tier 2/3 Regions: Ads often help monetize players in regions where spending on microtransactions is less common, making this a missed opportunity. • Missed Potential with Intrinsic Ads: Brand integrations (e.g., seeing Coca-Cola ads on a racetrack) can enhance immersion without breaking gameplay, yet Valve’s stance cuts off this possibility.While I understand Valve’s decision aligns with its audience and focus on premium experiences, this move underscores the […]

John Wright February 10

Journal

Vietnam’s Gaming Ecosystem and Recent Regulatory Changes

Vietnam’s Gaming Ecosystem and Recent Regulatory Changes Over the past few days, we’ve seen significant news regarding the Vietnamese government’s decision to enforce stricter regulations on game submissions and approvals, following a similar path to China.As many of us know, China only approves a few hundred games annually, creating a major hurdle for Western developers who want to reach Chinese players without relying on specialized local publishers or partners.The key difference between China and Vietnam lies in the value of their markets. China boasts both high-quality users and immense scale, making any disruption or potential loss of earnings for Western developers a serious concern.In contrast, Vietnam’s monetization potential is relatively modest. User behavior is similar to that of most Tier-3 markets, and LTV generally range between $0.10 to $0.40c, depending on the game genre.That said, Vietnam has emerged as a […]

John Wright February 9

Journal

Mobile Gaming Brands Winning with UGC

We all know that gaming marketers are loving UGC ads right now, I've spoken about this multiple times recently and it's definitely a trend that is going to keep gaining in traction and user performance (ROI). I was recently approached by the folks at Ramdam to review their market report on just this subject and I found a world of really useful data points that further validate my whole hypothesis around the ad-type shaping the cultural norms in marketing.Probably my favourite state overall was that ads incorporating UGC achieve on average a 7.5% higher Day 30 retention rate! I think all studios right now could do with seeing those kinds of performance bumps from using this strategy!Download the report here.

John Wright February 5

John Wright

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