Europe 2014Video Coverage

Teemu Huuhtanen: A Great Game Will Always Find Its Audience | Casual Connect Video

February 24, 2014 — by Catherine Quinton

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Europe 2014Video Coverage

Teemu Huuhtanen: A Great Game Will Always Find Its Audience | Casual Connect Video

February 24, 2014 — by Catherine Quinton

Teemu Huuhtanen talked about working with venture capital during Casual Connect Europe. “Don’t just take the money, you can totally do your own due diligence. You can ask the VC on what they like about your business, what they would change.”

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Teemu Huuhtanen is CEO of Next Games, a company that was founded in May 2013 by industry veterans in Finland. He joined the company in August. Huuhtanen has been in the game industry for the past fifteen years. The perspective that experience gives him has taught him what is most important for a successful startup to focus on.




Discoverability and Higher Production

The biggest challenge Huuhtanen sees in the game industry today is still discoverability. But he claims, “A great game will always find its audience and the revenue will follow.” Next Games is working to increase their discoverability, following UA trends, but they also value old school marketing as well as smart PR. In addition, they will be working with the early adapters and different game titles communities.

As Huuhtanen considers what the next trend may be in the games industry, he insists that it is not worth looking five years ahead; everything changes so fast that what really matters is being able to adapt and innovate. Next Games plan for the future is a focus on higher production values for mobile games since they realize gamers are already expecting that from the current games.

Next Games Founder and CEO
Next Games’ Founders and CEO

Being Passionate




The most enjoyable aspect of working in the game industry, according to Huuhtanen, is that it doesn’t really feel like work when you are doing something you are passionate about. And he says, “The fact that you can potentially be a global-hit game publisher on your own is something that drives me a lot.”

Next_Games_Office
Next Games is working to increase their discoverability, following UA trends.

The proudest moment Huuhtanen remembers in his career occurred in 1999/2000 when they launched that first mobile game. It was an SMS-based game called Top Agent, where players saw a 30-second video of the game on a TV show on Finland’s largest commercial channel, then continued playing on their phones by replying to multiple-answer text-based questions. The whole process of doing this game, most likely the first of its kind in the world, ignited his passion for games for good.

A Mobile Gamer

When playing games himself, Huuhtanen is usually on iOS, since he has little time for console gaming. Currently, he is playing Carcassonne, New Star Soccer, Yatzy, Angry Birds Friends, Farm Heroes Saga, and similar games, as well as trying out the new games coming out every week.

When he has free time, he enjoys being with his wife and one-and-a-half year old daughter and his friends. His hobbies include spending time at his cabin or outdoors, golfing, skiing, reading and watching movies.




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Catherine Quinton

Catherine Quinton

Catherine Quinton is a staff writer for www.gamesauce.org. Catherine loves her hobby farm, long walks in the country and reading great novels.

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