Week in Mobile Games E50 - AppLovin and Machine Zone layoffs, celebrity marketing, and Supercell's aversion to soft launch
Tune in for a very special episode of the PocketGamer.biz Podcast Week in Mobile Games - it's our 50th show!PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle discuss the latest games industry news on the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s episode we cover:The early days of the podcast, strange mannerisms and our favourite moments from the Week in Mobile Games.AppLovin's latest round of layoffs impacting 97 staff and what the future holds for Machine Zone.Dream Games' celebrity marketing push for Royal Kingdom, starring LeBron James, Jimmy Fallon, Courtney Cox, Shakira and more.A Minecraft Movie's box office success - but is transmedia worthwhile?Supercell's seemingly growing aversion to soft launches - would Brawl Stars be successful as a new release now?How the Nintendo Switch 2 release date and features reveal impacted its mobile apps and games.** 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 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 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
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49:21
Week in Mobile Games E49 -Trump tariffs chaos and Supercell doubles down on celebrity marketing and investments
PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle discuss the latest games industry news on the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s episode we discuss:The crazy Trump tariffs and their impact on the games and wider tech industry.Supercell’s celebrity marketing campaigns - Is it worth it?AppLovin’s intent to merge with TikTok’s entire "undermonetised" international business outside of China.A Minecraft Movie’s opening blockbuster success.Why Supercell wants to invest in games companies.** 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 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 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
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32:57
Steal This Strategy — The One Top Studios Use to Save Millions
In mobile, where budgets are tight and timelines even tighter, catching friction early in development can save you millions — and keep your game out of the app store graveyard. But what does effective playtesting actually look like? And how do you turn player feedback into real, actionable improvements?That’s exactly what PlaytestCloud set out to answer in their first-of-its-kind report, Steal This Strategy.Joining Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow this week is Jack Dunne, VP of Research Operations at PlaytestCloud, along with John Wright, gaming consultant and former VP of Mobile at Kwalee. They break down three core tactics top-performing studios use to turn testing into a serious competitive advantage and the #1 action step studios can take today to get started.Jack Dunne - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacka-dunne/PlaytestCloud - https://www.playtestcloud.com/John Wright - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwright1987/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:49 - 300-mile treks & strength training05:07 - Key findings & methodology10:30 - Saving money & ugly baby syndrome14:35 - Successful studios' testing habits17:35 - #1 Testing often25:09 - #2 Testing differently 28:54 - #3 Testing competitors' games37:36 - What else can you test?41:27 - Testing cross-platform and webstores43:06 - Next direction for playtesting45:39 - #1 action item47:51 - Favourite games Q&A* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144491/ 👉🏻 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
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52:26
Week in Mobile Games E48 - Nintendo Switch 2 release date reaction and Tencent's bizarre Ubisoft deal
PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle discuss the latest games industry news on the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this special episode, we dive into the launch details of the Nintendo Switch 2, discussing the games, features and that $450 price point.We also cover Ubisoft and Tencent's $1.25 billion deal to prop up the publisher's leadership, France's ATT fine for Apple, and yet another short-seller report ruining AppLovin's day.** 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 2024 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2024/👉🏻 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
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42:30
What If Game Production Looked More Like A Film Set?
What if creative production in games worked more like a film set — flexible, efficient, and built around doing your best work when it’s needed most? That’s the pitch behind creative as a service, and this week’s guest, Casey Dickinson, CEO of SuperFaction, is making a strong case for it.In this episode, Casey lays out how the just-in-time model helps studios bring in external talent at exactly the right moment — freeing up internal teams, reducing idle time, and allowing creatives to actually stay creative. It’s a shift that makes high-quality output more sustainable, especially for indie studios that often lack the bandwidth for LiveOps, seasonal campaigns, or ongoing content production.He also dives into the overlooked opportunity of working with niche IP — showing that you don’t need a Marvel-sized license to build reach and monetization. If you’re rethinking how your studio builds, scales, or survives in 2025, this conversation is full of ideas worth stealing.Casey Dickinson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseydickinson/SuperFaction - https://superfaction.com/CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:53 - Surfing through the games industry04:50 Helping indies ride the waves10:16 - Light-touch publishing16:26 - "Just in time" models22:33 - IP collabs done right25:38 - Campaign launch checklist27:25 - Stop being so precious with data29:22 - Effective long-term partnerships33:34 - Efficiency steps for small studios37:06 - Favourite games Q&A* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/144491/ 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz 👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz
Welcome to your regular glimpse into the business of mobile games. Featuring interviews with games industry experts! Your hosts are the insiders at PocketGamer.biz, the top B2B site for the mobile games industry. It covers the people, technology and deals that drive this multi-billion dollar sector. In our ongoing podcast, you’ll hear the editorial team and their guests dive into the topics and themes at the forefront of the industry. You’ll get unique insight and exclusive Q and As, taking you behind the scenes on the international mobile games scene.
France