PocketGamer.biz Podcast

Chirag Ambwani, SVP Gaming & Entertainment, Corporate Development & Partnerships at Sensor Tower, discusses the state of mobile gaming, monetization strategies, and the growing influence of AI and non-gaming categories.

In this video:
Mobile gaming surpasses $90B, with non-gaming apps also hitting record highs
Short drama emerges as a fast-growing category, led by former gaming publishers
Blended monetisation (IAP, subscriptions and ads) continues to drive growth
Puzzle remains strong, while sports and racing decline
Legacy titles like Clash of Clans and Candy Crush thrive through live ops
Asia publishers dominate top-grossing charts
AI is reshaping workflows, optimisation and ad spend
Sensor Tower expands into PC, console and web store data
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:24 The State of Mobile Gaming: $90 Billion and Growing
01:44 The Rise of Short Drama: Former Gaming Companies Lead the Way
03:43 Why Blended Monetization (IAP, Subscriptions, Ads) Is Key
06:20 Legacy Titles and the Dominance of Asia Publishers
09:00 AI Usage: Optimizing Spend and Workflows

Let's Connect
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👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 82nd episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.
On this week’s show we take a look at:
Google's AI world-building tech Project Genie and why investors are concerned.
Ares Interactive's $70 million funding round.
Fire Emblem Heroes' ninth anniversary.
Nintendo Switch 2 sales.
Lil Wayne's Clash Royale virtual halftime show.
Iron Lung's box office success.

** Let's Connect **
👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz
👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/
👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz
👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz
👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com
👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform
👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/
👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform
👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com
👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025
👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Yevhen Tarasenko, App Growth Consultant and ASO expert, to break down why sustainable organic growth is built on discipline, not shortcuts.

Drawing parallels between ASO and drumming in a metal band, Yevhen explains why teams that treat the app store as a live channel and build always-on systems consistently outperform those chasing quick wins.

You’ll learn:
🥁 Why ASO works like keeping time in a band, requiring consistency, structure and pressure-tested fundamentals
📊 How to prove the real value of organic growth by measuring incrementality and establishing clean baselines
🛠️ What studios should prioritise first, from in-app events to custom product pages, even with limited resources
🤖 Where AI and automation can genuinely help today, including speeding up workflows and reducing manual work by up to 40%
🎮 Why product, marketing and creative teams need to play the same song to unlock sustainable ASO performance

00:00 Intro
01:52 New Year's Resolutions for the Audience
02:36 Guest Introduction: Yevhen Tarasenko
04:06 Defining ASO
05:29 Parallels Between Drumming and ASO
06:40 Rule 1: Treat the Store Like a Live Channel
08:30 iOS 26 Update and Smaller Teams
14:27 Rule 2: Building an Always-On System
22:51 Rule 3: Product, Marketing, and Creative Play the Same Song
28:56 Rule 4: Measure Incrementality and Solo Your Track

Let's Connect
👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz
👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk
👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz
👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz

Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 81st episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.
On this week’s show we take a look at:
What happened to Big Fish Games.
Ubisoft's latest job cuts and restructure.
The latest controversial AppLovin report.
King's launch of daily game Candy Crush Crushable on Yahoo Games.
Pokémon Go experiments with a new strategy for its lucrative Go Tour event.
Netflix's cloud-first games strategy.
** Let's Connect **
👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz
👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/
👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz
👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz
👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com
👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform
👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/
👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform
👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com
👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025
👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle discuss insights and takeaways from Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026 on the 80th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.
On this week’s show we take a look at:
Games industry optimism for 2026 and beyond.
The state of the UK games industry and the historical lack of government support.
The direct-to-consumer revolution (again).
User acquisition challenges.
The AI movement.
And more!
You can check out our article here for more analysis and takeaways from our time at PGC London. 
** Let's Connect **
👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz
👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/
👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz
👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz
👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com
👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform
👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/
👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform
👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com
👉🏻 The Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-30-mena-game-makers-of-2025
👉🏻 The mobile games industry trends that shaped 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-mobile-games-industry-trends-that-shaped-2025/