Casual Connect Europe 2017 Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Gamesauce: Global Inspiration for Game Developers

main

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Melinda Montano: Helping Developers Go Cross-Platform | Casual Connect Video

April 19, 2017 — by Catherine Quinton

Going cross-platform can keep a game alive and played for years to come. - Melinda MontanoClick To Tweet

Going cross platform is an opportunity to increase your potential audience. It can please your current userbase and it can grow your lifetime revenue. Such a leap needs to be considered carefully. As Melinda Montano, Business Development Manager at Kongregate explained during their presentation at Casual Connect Europe, “Before you decide to go cross-platform, understand why you’re doing it. Figure out the opportunity - do you want more revenue, users, prestige?” The complications developers often encounter when going from mobile to PC and vice-versa. These include perceived game value, freemium/premium, to the specifics of UX/UI changes. Melinda’s talk, PC and Mobile: Going Cross Platform Post-Launch provides actionable insights for your cross-platform PC and mobile plans. One simple tip Melinda offered was: “In UI, the biggest thing to remember when going from PC to mobile is that we have hands. They cover the screen.” For more, see the full lecture below.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Jason Della Rocca and Why You Will Never Get Funding | Casual Connect Video

April 15, 2017 — by Emily Baker

Jason Della Rocca is
Co-Founder at Execution Labs

Why You Will Never Get Funding may sound like a very depressing session from Casual Connect Europe but it was very insightful. Funding is tough to come by, especially for indie developers. Helping indies find their way to funding is Execution Labs‘ mission.

Jason Della Rocca, Co-Founder at Execution Labs, spoke on the sad reality that most games and studios do not get the funding they seek. Although we hear of million or even billion dollar deals happening these are rarer than you may think. It is a hard thing for most developers to penetrate. Jason gave a fresh perspective on the real reason for this: you. Discover with Jason the top reasons investors are holding back the cash and gain insight on how to improve your chances.

Jason speaking at Casual Connect Europe 2017, photo taken by Lera Polska

Rather than pitching a problem (e.g., lack of funds to finish the game) to a potential publisher, Jason advises developers to “reframe it as an opportunity, understanding that what they are doing is an opportunity and pitching that in talking to us about the game/studio. Now, that may mean they still have some cash flow issues but don’t pitch the problem, pitch the opportunity. That is a red flag right from the beginning.” Jason offered many other gems during this session:

DOWNLOAD SLIDES

For more information about Jason Della Rocca and his career, see this exclusive article.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Bill Mooney: The Next Mobile Esports Revolution | Casual Connect Video

April 10, 2017 — by David Radd

I still hope to think that my proudest moment is still to come. - Bill MooneyClick To Tweet

The three elements which comprise an esport are: competition, organized tournaments and spectatorship. In 1972, esports began with a Spacewar tournament. About 50 years later, esports has evolved into its own entity within the games industry. Join Bill Mooney, CPO of Skillz, at Casual Connect Europe at his talk entitled Esports 101: The Past, Present and Future of an Industry on the Rise as he explores the history behind esports and talks about the future as well. Esports has a projected audience of 180 million by 2019 and over $5 billion in revenue by 2020. Bill described, “Esports drives the committed audience.” To hear more insights into this exciting part of the games industry, tune in to Bill’s full session below.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Clark Stacey: Taking Advantage of Licensing | Casual Connect Video

April 9, 2017 — by Catherine Quinton

Clark Stacey presenting at Casual Connect Europe 2017.

So you’ve made it! Your game is a success, and now you’re thinking of taking that success farther. Could licensing the game for consumer products be a good move? What are the advantages? What pitfalls do you need to watch for?

Clark Stacey is a person you might want to ask. Clark is Co-Founder and CEO of Wildworks, a developer of games for children, based in the US and Amsterdam. WildWorks IP Animal Jam has grown to become the world’s largest online social network for children. In 2016 they extended Animal Jam to include toys, consumer products and other media.

At Casual Connect Europe, Clark discussed what they learned from this process and how to position your game and your development teams to succeed with licensing. One important takeaway from his presentation is that connections back to your game can be more valuable that the product royalties. But equally important, “Don’t assume that because a company is big they know what they are doing.”

For more insights into the licensing process watch the video of Clark’s full session at Casual Connect.

DOWNLOAD SLIDES

To read more about Clark Stacey including a lecture from Casual Connect Europe 2016, see this exclusive article.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Bjoern Bergstein: The Best Monetization Model For Your Game | Casual Connect Video

April 2, 2017 — by Catherine Quinton

No matter how good the games you develop, unless they turn a profit, preferably the highest possible profit of course, your games can’t succeed. So how do you best monetize your games? Bjoern Bergstein would be an excellent person to ask.

After studying Game Design and Game Production at Games Academy Berlin, Bjoern founded and ran his own game studio for a short time. Bjoern then joined Tivola Publishing GmbH, a company highly experience in games for families, and is now Head of Games, responsible for all in-house development.

Bjoern Bergstein speaking at Casual Connect Europe 2017, photo by Lera Polska

At Casual Connect Europe, Bjoern discussed the three monetization models: Premium, Freemium and Free-to-Play, and the pros and cons of each. The final decision about which method will be best to use depends on many different factors, so this is a complex decision. During Bjoern’s session Monetization for the Whole Family – The Long Way to Find the Right Monetization Model, Bjoern described Tivola Publishing’s journey to find the best model for their company and the insights they gained, as well as sharing helpful examples. To succeed as a new company he suggested “Don’t try to compete or copy big players.” Instead, find your own niche, “use the niche and be good at it.” To learn more, be sure watch the full video of Bjoern’s session.

DOWNLOAD SLIDES

To read more about Bjoern Bergstein including a lecture from Casual Connect Europe 2016, see this exclusive article.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Maurice Wheeler: Seeing Children’s Needs Through Adult Eyes | Casual Connect Video

March 31, 2017 — by David Radd

Children aren't just small adults, they have extremely different motivations and reward mechanics. -…Click To Tweet

Every time you think you’ve “cracked it” with what children are into, you attend a workshop or focus group and they do something and confuse you again, admits Maurice Wheeler of Little Big Partnership. Maurice also notes we become less creative as we grow up, so the Little Big Partnership is focused on helping other businesses make sure they are creating something that will work with kids and their families. “With digital devices children get quickly the result they could be proud of“, Maurice comments in the Casual Connect Europe lecture below.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Rujul Patel: Leading the Ad-Supported Game Revolution | Casual Connect Video

March 30, 2017 — by David Radd

Like game development, ad monetization must be user centric and user sensitive. - Rujul PatelClick To Tweet

Rujul Patel, Fyber’s SVP of Global Developer Relations, is on a mission to help mobile game developers make money. The key to mission success: balancing IAP monetization with ad monetization. ““We need to see how to have ads work better in mobile games,” said Rujul during their session at Casual Connect Europe. Many game developers, however, believe that ads hurt the game experience and could cannibalize IAP revenue. At their session, Rujul dispels these concerns with a few examples of developers who successfully added rewarded video ads to their monetization strategies.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Robby Yung: Delivering the Power of Brands to Kids Apps | Casual Connect Video

March 29, 2017 — by David Radd

Kids are a loyal audience. - Robby YungClick To Tweet

Kids games in the app store has some of the most diverse content and business models in the game industry. There are many ways to break into this market whether it is by freemium or subscription services. Robby explained that “Today there is a limited content with Premium in the kids category… Other categories have surpassed the premium category, like the subscriptions platforms”. Developers need to keep in mind that apps for kids need to not only be fun. Join Robby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands, in his session The Complexities of Creating for the Kids Category during Casual Connect Europe 2017 as he describes the positive side of working with brands. “Kids are a loyal audience” after all and “Working with brands can be very exciting even for the development team” were just some of the wisdom that Robby brought during this session. For more information, see his full session below.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Paul West: The Data That Can Grow Your Business | Casual Connect Video

March 25, 2017 — by Catherine Quinton

Paul West is Performance Director at AdColony

There are millions of apps out there. Does it seem like an impossible task to get enough installs to succeed with yours? How are the top earning publishers managing to keep growing and acquiring users at scale? Paul West can help you understand.

As Performance Director EMEA at AdColony, Paul leads a team that is helping to grow the businesses of AdColony’s top gaming clients. Data is the crucial factor that you can use to increase your chances of succeeding. Paul believes in the story-telling power of video, but measuring the data is necessary to validate the results.

In Paul’s session called Taking AIM: Top 10 App Install Marketing Trends in 2017 at Casual Connect Europe, he used the latest App Install Marketing Survey to offer a preview of what to expect in the game industry in 2017. Full screen video advertising has proven to be the most effective and popular app install channel. Paul drove this home by saying, “Telling a story with video is beautiful. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million.” To understand what is working for the top 100 mobile marketers, and also what isn’t working, and to find insights to raise your own opportunities for success, be sure to watch this video of his full session.

DOWNLOAD SLIDES

For more about Paul West’s career and insights, see this exclusive article.

Europe 2017 Video Coverage

Mohamed Fadl on eSports and How They Are Evolving | Casual Connect Video

March 22, 2017 — by Catherine Quinton

Where is the eSports sector of the game industry heading? How can you get an audience for eSports? How do you create an enjoyable spectacle? The eSports sector is very complex, with varied nuances among the eSports disciplines. So how do you find your way?

Mohamed Fadl is Head of Global Esports, Wargaming.net

Mohamed Fadl has the knowledge to offer excellent guidance. Knowing that entertainment is constantly evolving, they insist, “This generation doesn’t believe in TV anymore. TV is dying.” And eSports is one of the alternative channels for entertainment that is taking that place. “We call it eSports so we can connect it to something we know and explain it,” they point out, but it is a form of entertainment with its unique aspects. In this developing sector, Mohamed describes “Technology is King; content is Queen. The King itself is nothing, it means nothing. It is just a medium. Content creates the culture. It creates the trust. It creates the channels to speak to the next generations.”

Mohamed began their involvement in eSports as Wargaming‘s director of community in Europe and is now head of global eSports at Wargaming. They have developed World of Tanks into one of the top eSports games and now oversee global development and evolution of the Wargaming.net eSportsLeague. To learn more from Mohamed, be sure to watch the video of his full session from Casual Connect Europe.

DOWNLOAD SLIDES

For more about Mohamed’s career and insights, see this exclusive article.

Newer Posts Older Posts