Tel Aviv 2015Video Coverage

Noa Adamsky: Connecting People and Games with Innovation | Casual Connect Video

February 13, 2016 — by Gamesauce Staff

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Tel Aviv 2015Video Coverage

Noa Adamsky: Connecting People and Games with Innovation | Casual Connect Video

February 13, 2016 — by Gamesauce Staff

'I see a great (gaming) audience in kids and parents together.'–Noa AdamskyClick To Tweet

When making games for kids, it’s not wise to forget to design for parents, as well, according to Funtomic’s Noa Adamsky. During a panel appearance at Casual Connect Tel Aviv in 2015, Noa touched on some of the ways kids interact with their parents through technology. “Kids imitate parents in the way they explore applications,” Noa said. “So for example, if I go into the App Store and I look for the featured games, my kids see me do that.”







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Noa Adamsky
Noa Adamsky

Ever since Noa Adamsky was a kid, games have been her passion. However, it wasn’t until she had kids of her own that she considered entering the games industry as a career move. “I found myself spending time with my kids, exploring new games and analyzing their appeal,” she says. “I decided I wanted the next product role in my career to be as part of the gaming industry.”

And with over 15 years in product management, she not only had the desire to meet that goal but the ability as well. With vast experience in agile software development, product go-to-market, launch, product strategy and complex project management, she began searching for executive product positions around Israel.

In May of 2015, when she discovered that Funtomic was recruiting, she jumped at the opportunity to follow her passion to be involved in all-ages gaming.

Work and Play

Noa Adamsky and her focus group
Noa Adamsky and her focus group

Noa used the first months at Funtomic to meet with as many people as possible, play their games, and learn as much as possible about the gaming industry, saying her main challenge initially was the same as for any other manager joining a new company in that she had to learn, observe, and gather information before suggesting changes to company strategies, processes, or technologies.




Now that things have shifted into high gear, Noa spends her days collaborating with talented and creative people while using imagination and innovation to conceptualize products and market them. She calls it the highlight of her work, saying that she was initially inspired to pursue a career in product management because of the “feeling of creativity and building something new that serves, helps, delights or entertains people” as well as the opportunity to create jobs, teams, and collaborate with others in forming and using products.

However, perhaps the most fun part of her job is the way it allows her to connect with her kids and their friends. “I always have a small focus group I can trust to give me great advice about game ideas,” she says of them.

Wants and Needs

Noa says the brand is their most effective marketing tool. “Players all around the world know it…”

When Noa looks for a game herself, she looks for something that makes her smile. This can be from game characters, graphics, scenery or the feeling of accomplishment from winning a hard level, defeating an enemy, or solving a mystery — but the key is that if it makes her feel good, she won’t be able to stop playing.

When it comes to games to include in their portfolio, Funtomic’s Content team looks for games that are fun for all ages, contain appealing characters, have fast gameplay and are challenging but not discouraging. She sees games as a powerful learning tool, capable of teaching kids resilience, collaboration, math, language, multitasking, empathy and much, much more.
To ensure the games Funtomic create and publish fit both their own guidelines and their audience, they will first conduct tests internally or with a closed group. After that, they release their games at a “controlled, slow pace” while monitoring all activity and attending to any issues that arise.

One of the reasons for such controlled testing and release is to protect their most powerful marketing weapon: the Kizi brand. Noa says the brand is their most effective marketing tool. “Players all around the world know it, spread the word about it, and come by again and again to play favorite games and explore newly published titles.”
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Trends and Innovation

As Funtomic looks to publish more games, they are keeping an eye on current trends. One of the biggest trends they are currently seeing is the increase in visual communication, such as videos, emojis and memes, over traditional written communication. True to her job, Noa is on top of it. “I will be looking into innovative ideas that combine human visual communication and casual gaming for all ages.”

 




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