Podcasts about drawdowns

We break down Epic Plane Evolution – Voodoo's hypercasual throwback hit that's pulling in ~$150K/day in ad revenue with over 100K daily downloads.Key insights:Gameplay: Players start with a broken cardboard plane and unlock wings, tails, and rockets through upgrades. Controls are intentionally clunky — planes crash often, driving engagement and retries.Monetization: Heavy use of rewarded ads (“convert or die” mechanic) and interstitial spam. iOS users see gems + VIP purchases, while Android has no gems at all, leading to 80–85% of revenue coming from iOS.Retention: Despite frustration, average playtime is ~13 minutes/day across 3 sessions, powered by the addictive slingshot mechanic.Revenue Mix: Estimated $150K/day, 80–84% ads, minimal IAP. VIP subscriptions and gem bundles exist only on iOS.Creative Strategy: Basic hypercasual creatives (gates + plane gameplay). Some gameplay ads actually teach players how to steer — a sign of design flaws.Market Context: Falls under “Arcade Driving” genre, sitting alongside Hill Climb Racing & Traffic Rider. Current run rate ~$10M annually, but easily cloneable. Vietnam devs likely to copy/expand with IAP depth.Future Potential: If Voodoo adds events/meta (e.g. Legend of Slime style), this could evolve from hypercasual into hybrid-casual. But for now, it's a hypercasual money-printing surprise hit.Takeaway: Epic Plane Evolution proves hypercasual isn't dead — it just needs the right loop, frustration, and ads.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Epic Plane Evolution04:08 Gameplay Mechanics and Challenges11:39 Monetization Strategies and Ad Revenue14:10 Unexpected Success and Future Improvements18:15 The Decline of Banner Ads21:13 Analyzing Competitor Strategies24:14 User Acquisition and Monetization Trends28:24 Creative Strategies in Mobile Gaming32:16 Future of Mobile Gaming and Audience Engagement---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Our Creative Trends episode dives into the wildest UA creative trends of July 2025. We dissect the latest ad formats, AI breakthroughs, and genre crossovers reshaping mobile game marketing.Key highlights:Golden Goblins still dominating: Physics + slicing + gem/gold mechanics continue to scale across genres.AI everywhere: From fully AI-generated creatives to lip-synced fake influencers and medieval AI drama ads, VEO3 and other tools are powering cheap, fast, and diverse iterations.Clash Royale's bizarre UA: Gameplay with random AI gorillas and corpses – questionable hooks, but they still scale.Celebrity & influencer hooks: Jonas Brothers cameo in Travel Town ads, Kevin Hart still pushing, street interview actors turning into professional creative talent.Rising stars: Vita Mayong scaling with bizarre money-plinko-style creatives, Carnival Tycoon adopting 4XUA funnels, Dark War Survival flooding with pixel-art AI creatives.Legal risks ignored: LEGO blocks, Gucci logos, celebrity likenesses - Chinese publishers are pushing boundaries regardless.Creative of the year contender: AI-powered medieval skits with bad dialogue, compared to Viva La Dirt League, hailed as the funniest + most viral format so far.Takeaway 2025 creatives = AI hooks + genre mashups + zero morality. The only rule: “Does it scale?”Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej LancaricJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Creative Trends03:52 Analyzing Current Creative Trends17:44 The Ethics of Creative Production in Gaming26:48 Ad Creatives and Performance Insights30:48 Game Concepts and Genre Adaptation31:48 Scaling Strategies in Game Development32:49 Emerging Game Creatives and Market Competition33:51 The Impact of AI on Game Creatives40:48 Trends in Game Design and User Engagement41:54 The Evolution of Game Creatives42:49 Legal Challenges in Game Development47:01 Innovations in Game Marketing Strategies---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

In this episode, we suffer (literally) through Wool Craze, a yarn-peeling 3D puzzler that's taking the charts by storm. The crew dissects why this painful yet brilliant game is generating ~$100-120K daily on a DAU of just ~140K — all while flooding the market with AI-generated creatives.Key highlights:Gameplay & Pain: Long, punishing levels (20–30 minutes each), fat-finger frustration, endless rewarded ads. A grind that monetizes sunk-cost fallacy.Monetization: Aggressive rewarded ads, interstitial spam, “Fail Packs” as top IAP. Smart combo of bundles + F2P pain points.Scale: ~$60K/day from IAP, $30–40K/day from ads = ~$100K/day total.Creative Strategy: Wild diversity (20+ different concepts). Heavy use of AI for characters, interviews, and banners. Street interview trend, talking AIs, even knitted dwarfs.UA Lessons: Chinese devs (HeroLinkage / SparkWish) pushing huge creative volume. AI lowers production cost, drives constant testing.Prediction: Could follow Screwdom's trajectory ($400K/day). With retention benchmarks and UA firepower, scaling is inevitable.Takeaway: Pain + AI + aggressive monetization = money machine.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/0ONl8Bj4jR4Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Game Overview02:18 Game Mechanics and Design05:16 Monetization Strategies07:28 User Experience and Retention10:31 AI in Game Development13:27 Comparative Analysis with Other Games16:03 Market Performance and Revenue Insights18:41 Creative Strategies and Advertising21:23 Conclusion and Future Prospects---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

In dieser Folge nimmt sich Alex die Zeit und beantwortet einige eurer Fragen, die ihr uns in den letzten Wochen gestellt habt.Powered by CapTrader  Mehr zum Thema professioneller Optionshandel:  • ⁠Homepage⁠ • ⁠Der Optionsbrief • ⁠Kostenloser Newsletter⁠ • ⁠Unsere kostenfreie E-Books⁠ • ⁠Instagram⁠ • ⁠Twitter⁠  Unsere Tools  • ⁠ Unser Chartanalyse Tool TradingView⁠ * ($15 Guthaben)   • ⁠ Zum Backtesting unserer Optionsstrategien verwenden wir OptionOmega⁠ * (50% Rabatt!)   • ⁠ Fastgraphs zur fundamentale Analyse unserer Aktieninvestments⁠ *   • ⁠ Optionstrat zur Visualisierung und Analyse unserer Optionsstrategien⁠ *   * Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten eine kleine Provision, wenn du dich über diesen Link anmeldest.     Alexander Eichhorn und Maximilian Bothe sind erfahrene Optionshändler und Trainer & Coaches bei Eichhorn Coaching. In Seminaren und in Einzelcoachings lehren sie den erfolgreichen Optionshandel von den Grundlagen bis hin zum professionellen Handel von Future-Optionen. Trade-Ideen, Hintergrundinformationen und ihre Echtgeld-Performance veröffentlichen sie regelmäßig in Blogbeiträgen, Live-Webinaren und im Eichhorn Coaching Newsletter. Risikohinweis: Dieser Podcast dient nur der Information und stellt keine Aufforderung zum Kauf oder Verkauf der eventuell erwähnten Wertpapiere dar. Der Handel mit börsennotierten Wertpapieren kann zum Teil erheblichen Kursschwankungen unterliegen, die zu erheblichen Verlusten bis hin zum Totalverlust führen können. Bei jeder Anlageentscheidung, die Sie aufgrund von Informationen, welche aus Inhalten dieses Podcast hervorgehen, treffen, handeln Sie immer eigenverantwortlich, auf eigene Gefahr und eigenes Risiko. Die in diesem Podcast zur Verfügung gestellten Inhalte, wie z.B. Handelssignale und Analysen, beruhen auf sorgfältiger Recherche, welchen Quellen Dritter zugrunde liegen. Diese Quellen werden von Eichhorn Coaching als vertrauenswürdig und zuverlässig erachtet. Eichhorn Coaching übernimmt gleichwohl keinerlei Gewährleistung für die Aktualität, Richtigkeit oder Vollständigkeit der Inhalte und haftet nicht für materielle und/oder immaterielle Schäden, die durch die Nutzung oder Nichtnutzung der Inhalte oder durch die Nutzung fehlerhafter und unvollständiger Inhalte verursacht wurden.     #Optionen #Aktienoptionen #Optionenhandeln #Optionshandel #Optionshändler #Optionsstrategien #Futures #Indexoptionen #Optionstrading #Options #Börse #Geld #Finanzen #Handel #Investor #Investment #Trader #Trading #Aktien #ETF #ETFs #VIX #Vola #Volatilität #Margin #Margincall #Tradingsteuer #Vermögenssteuer #Dividenden #Dividendenaktien #Rohstoffoptionen #0DTE #Wheel #Cashflow #Wheelstrategie #Cashsecuredput #gedeckteoptionen #Verlustverrechnungsbegrenzung #Tradingsteuer #0DTE   Kapitel 00:00 Begrüßung 00:40 Wie hoch kann der VXX eigentlich steigen? 04:03 Sind Long-VIX-Strategien fürs Hedging ungeeignet? 06:00 Machen weit OTM-Optionen bei Crash-Spekulation mehr Sinn? 07:40 Wie geht ihr mit stark steigenden Optionsprämien um, wenn der Markt z. B. nach einem Katastrophen-Wochenende mit –10 % eröffnet? 09:45 Mit welcher Strategie hast du erlebt, dass Anleger ihre Depots erheblich verloren oder sogar komplett zerstört haben? 10:50 Können mir Aktien angedient werden, die während der Laufzeit einmal ITM waren? 11:30 Warum habt ihr keine Familienstiftung? 12:03 Was war dein bisher größter Drawdown ? 13:30 Handelt ihr VSTOXX-Optionen? 14:24 Investiert ihr in den SVOL-ETF? 16:03 Verabschiedung 

August 21, 2025 - Chase discusses home sales data and capital flows systems. 

Grand Games is back with another puzzler and it's a monster. Car Match has hit $120K/day, combining bench mechanics, Pixar-style cars, and a polished Royal Match meta. On paper, it's a textbook case of how to scale a puzzle game.Product, amazing. UA? Not so much.Here's why:The product is a 9/10. Meta depth, endless events, and a proven template.Monetization is efficient. ~30% of revenue comes from ads, bundles are cleverly layered in, and interstitials start at different levels for different players.But the UA machine is broken. Grand Games has only 5-7 creatives live. For a game printing $2M in 30 days, that's a scaling disaster waiting to happen.Jakub nailed it: “If they stop producing new creatives, they die immediately.”Felix added: “It's an easy fix — upscale creative production.”But Matej countered: “Not that easy. You need concepts, not spaghetti on the wall.”$5M/month with Magic Sword + Car Match combinedThe takeaway: Car Match proves that you can copy, paste, and polish your way to $120K/day. But without a creative firehose, momentum will stall.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Car Match and Hosts02:16 Overview of Game Mechanics and Comparisons04:12 Gameplay Experience and Difficulty Levels07:11 Meta Mechanics and Game Events10:16 Monetization Strategies and Player Engagement13:25 Discussion on Customization and Player Preferences16:13 Game Performance and Market Insights20:34 The Financial Landscape of Game Development22:08 Understanding User Acquisition Challenges24:59 Creative Strategies for Game Marketing27:13 The Importance of Scaling Creative Production31:19 Analyzing Revenue and User Acquisition Costs36:08 The Role of Data in Game Marketing Success---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

เอกสาร "Drawdowns and Recoveries" สำรวจการลดลงของราคาหุ้นและกองทุนรวมจากจุดสูงสุดถึงจุดต่ำสุด โดยวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลย้อนหลัง 40 ปีของหุ้นสหรัฐฯ กว่า 6,500 บริษัท รวมถึงผลการดำเนินงานของกองทุนรวมและกรณีศึกษาของบริษัทอย่าง NVIDIA และ Foot Locker การวิจัยนี้เผยให้เห็นว่าการลดลงของราคาเป็นเรื่องปกติของการลงทุนระยะยาว และหุ้นหรือกองทุนที่มีผลตอบแทนสูงสุดมักผ่านช่วงเวลาที่ยากลำบาก บทความยังชี้ว่าการฟื้นตัวจากจุดต่ำสุดสามารถทำกำไรได้อย่างมหาศาล โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งสำหรับหุ้นที่ตกลงอย่างรุนแรง แม้ว่าหุ้นส่วนใหญ่จะไม่กลับไปสู่จุดสูงสุดเดิมก็ตาม นอกจากนี้ ยังให้คำแนะนำเชิงคุณภาพในการพิจารณาหุ้นที่มีแนวโน้มฟื้นตัว เช่น การประเมินสาเหตุของการลดลงว่าเป็นวัฏจักรหรือภาวะถดถอยถาวร รวมถึงความแข็งแกร่งทางการเงินของบริษัท

This episode of Two and a Half Gamers dives deep into UA financing with Jeff Cohen from PVX Partners, unpacking how mobile game studios can scale without giving up equity. Jeff breaks down the mechanics of non-dilutive funding, explains why not all financing partners are created equal, and reveals the traps founders fall into when choosing a lender.Founders' guide: How to choose the right UA financing partnerhttps://pvxpartners.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-ua-financing-partner-a-founders-guideKey insights include:UA financing ≠ publishing — best for post-product market fit games with proven ROAS curves.Funding scale: PVX clients receive between $500K and $2M/month, with the largest hitting $4M/month.Market potential: UA financing is projected to hit $2.5B by 2027.Flexibility matters — some lenders force you to take capital every month, even when you don't need it, which burns cash.Hidden costs: setup fees, legal fees, bundled SaaS tools you don't need.Risk management: Understand secured vs unsecured loans. With PVX, the risk is on them if funded cohorts don't pay back.Alignment is key — avoid lenders whose primary business isn't lending (publishers, VCs, SaaS providers with side financing).Scalability: Choose a partner who can grow your facility with you so you don't stall at scale.Main takeaway: Treat UA financing like raising equity — vet the partner's reputation, structure, and incentives as if your studio's future depends on it… because it does.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Special Guest: Jeff Cohen https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-cohen-29930455/Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to UA Financing04:09 Understanding UA Financing06:57 The Need for UA Financing09:53 Choosing the Right UA Financing Partner12:30 The Business Model of UA Financing15:29 Pricing and Interest Rates in UA Financing18:36 Flexibility and Facility Size in UA Financing22:58 Understanding Risk Management in Lending25:32 The Importance of Counterparty Risk29:10 Aligning Incentives Between Lenders and Borrowers32:46 Navigating Secured vs Unsecured Loans39:06 Evaluating Lenders: Key Considerations and Red Flags---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

In this solo episode of Two and a Half Gamers, Matej Lancaric reveals his full Soft Launch Framework: the exact 40-page playbook he uses to validate retention, monetize effectively, and decide whether to scale or shut down a game before global launch.From three critical stages — Tech Test, Retention, Monetization — to precise KPIs, country targeting, creative iteration, and UA channel sequencing, Matej walks through the step-by-step process he's used across dozens of successful launches. This isn't theory, it's built from real campaign data, retention curves, LTV models, and monetization funnels from midcore, puzzle, and RPG hits.Key insights from the episode:Why a soft launch should run 3–6 months (not one) to capture real LTV and retention curves.The 3-stage framework: Tech stability, Retention validation, Monetization scaling.Exact geo picks for each stage (Philippines, Mexico → Poland, Brazil, Netherlands → UK, Germany, Canada).UA sequencing: Facebook → Google → TikTok/Unity, shifting from MAI to event-optimized to purchase campaigns.Retention benchmarks (ideal 40/20/10) and what “healthy” ratios actually look like.Creative strategy: 10–15 videos per month, 3–5 playables, gameplay-first to avoid misleading retention data.How to kill a game quickly if it can't meet KPIs — and save your studio in the process.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Soft Launch Framework04:06 Key Performance Indicators for Soft Launch07:17 Stages of Soft Launch Testing09:55 Retention and Monetization Strategies12:21 Understanding Game Metrics and KPIs14:48 Technical Testing and Data Evaluation18:54 Retention Strategies and User Acquisition21:36 Pre-Launch Strategies and Market Selection25:07 Monetization Strategies and Campaign Optimization27:58 Creative Approaches and User Engagement37:34 Preparing for Global Launch and Final ThoughtsMatej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.mePlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

How a Chinese Survivor.io Clone Is Printing $170K/Day in a Brutal Category?We tear into Mech Assemble: Zombie Swarm, a high-performing “shoot ‘em up” that's managing to out-earn Survivor.io in a red-ocean market. With nearly $4M monthly revenue, $170K/day at peak, and only ~12K daily downloads, the game is proof you can win with ruthless monetization, creative overload, and a mix of East + West appeal.Key takeaways:Category Killer: In a genre where most titles die after launch month, Mech Assemble is holding and scaling revenue.Revenue Mix: 85%+ IAP with whales from the US, Japan (20%), South Korea, Taiwan, and Tier 1 EU. Ads add ~$14K/day.Customization Hook: Fully movable, functional weapon placement on mechs — a novelty in the subgenre.Onboarding Power Move: Classic “Asian onboarding” — start overpowered, then strip it away.Aggressive Monetization: 200-pull pity timers, daily ad boosts, limited waifu offers, and multiple battle passes.Creative Strategy: 500+ pages of creatives across TikTok, Google, and Facebook. Mix of AI-generated, meme-driven (Skibidi Toilet, Gundam knockoffs), and misleading playables.UA Reality: CPIs hitting $30+ in US, mitigated by whale-heavy spending and blended campaigns. Downloads modest, but ARPDAU sky-high.Why It Works: Strong East + West monetization, relentless creative testing, genre familiarity + novelty in mech customization.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠ Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to the Episode04:21 Exploring the Game: Make Assemble07:16 Gameplay Mechanics and Features10:10 Monetization Strategies and Revenue Insights13:14 Customization and Player Engagement16:08 Creative Marketing and User Acquisition19:22 Comparative Analysis with Other Games22:09 Future Predictions and Closing Thoughts---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Falko Höhnsdorf, Manager des wikifolios "Fond-Werte Trend Trading", erklärt seine Handelsstrategie: Drawdowns vermeiden, Aufwärtsphasen nutzen. Mit einer Marktampel aus technischen Trends, Marktbreite und Indikatoren steuert er Investments gezielt. Aktuell setzt er auf den NASDAQ 100 und meidet trägere Indizes. Disziplin und Timing sind für ihn der Schlüssel zu stabiler Performance.

MUSKOKA DRAWDOWN REFORM GRAVEL COALITION AUGUST 2 2025

We dissect Miniclip's War Drone 3D, a surprise hit blending realistic drone fantasy, hypercasual onboarding, and ruthless gacha with relentless ad monetization. With over 50 percent organic downloads, scaling past 300,000 installs per day at peak, and daily revenues topping $65,000, War Drone 3D proves you can go viral with core gameplay, slick visuals, and a smart (but sometimes broken) upgrade loop. What's inside:Viral Organics: Over half of all downloads are organic, driven by gameplay that looks and feels like real drone footage. Younger demographics are hooked on the “news media” aesthetic and immersive perspective.Tower Defense, Shooter, Hypercasual: Fast onboarding, no menu bloat, and you're shooting in seconds. The core loop is classic tower defense, layered with shooter upgrades and skill cards—instantly accessible, but with depth for longer-term play.Rewarded Ads and Gacha MonetizationProgression and Pain PointsCreative UA and Organic Blend: Ads leverage real drone footage aesthetics, survival hooks, and “breaking news” memes. Vertical and story formats are underused—big opportunity for TikTok and Instagram growth.Key Takeaway:War Drone 3D proves you can scale to millions without heavy UA if you nail fantasy, onboarding, and reward loops. Add better gacha balancing, creative iteration, and the sky's the limit.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Technical Issues02:04 Overview of War Drone 3D04:00 Gameplay Mechanics and Balancing07:03 Game Design and User Experience12:02 Monetization Strategies and Ads19:09 User Engagement and Replayability22:58 Market Performance and Future Prospects25:21 Ad Revenue Insights and Gameplay Mechanics28:03 Game Design and User Experience30:59 Improving Game Mechanics and Progression Systems35:00 Marketing Strategies and Audience Engagement39:57 Creative Approaches in Game Advertising---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

In this episode, we break down Tile Survive! FunPlus's biggest 4X pivot yet and their boldest copy of Century Games' “Dark War” playbook. From idle meta and scripted roads to resource overload creatives and meme awards, Tile Survive is showing that copying the leaders is now the fastest path to $50,000 a day. Find out what's new, what's missing, and why FunPlus may finally scale back into the 4X top tier.You'll learn:The real gameplay and meta changes—what's new, what's just Dark War with cartoon paintThe evolution of 4X ad creatives—Golden Goblins, AI memes, Minecraft hooks, and fake UGCWhy simplifying onboarding, events, and gacha is now the winning moveKey Takeaway:Tile Survive is proof that the new 4X playbook is copy, simplify, and scale—then innovate only once you're printing money. FunPlus finally stopped reinventing, and the numbers are speaking for themselves.How to master the template and what FunPlus might do nextGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Revisiting Forex: A Nostalgic Dive04:05 Game Review: Tile Survive Unpacked06:53 Game Mechanics: Simplification and Comparison10:03 Market Trends: Analyzing Downloads and Revenue13:06 Creative Strategies: Marketing and User Engagement16:05 Future Predictions: The Path Ahead for Games25:00 Emerging Trends in Game Development27:05 Creative Strategies and Marketing Insights30:25 Game Mechanics and User Engagement34:00 Benchmarking and Performance Metrics37:55 Final Thoughts and Future Directions---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

This episode, Two and a Half Gamers sit down with analytics legend Russell Ovans—the mind behind Professor ARPDAU and the author of game analytics' “bible.” Learn the brutal truth about retention, ARPDAU, LTV, and the “golden cohort” trap. If you want to scale your game profitably in 2025, you need these formulas, tools, and lessons - no hype, no BS, just results.You'll learn:Why retention is the only metric that matters (until ARPDAU takes over)How to model and predict your LTV, player days, and payback window using real retention curvesThe difference between analytics and data science, and why cohorts are your best friendHow to avoid burning your UA budget chasing “golden cohorts” or missing your D7 ROAS targetFree tools at arpdow.com to plug in your data and get real answersKey Takeaway:Retention plus ARPDAU equals real growth. Track cohorts, model your curve, and never fall for the golden cohort trap or ad network happy talk. If you want more, arpdow.com has the tools.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Special Guest: Russel Ovanshttps://arpdau.com/https://arpdau.com/ltvJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Analytics in Gaming05:38 Russell Owens' Journey in Game Analytics08:29 Understanding Analytics vs. Data Science11:37 The Importance of Cohorts in Game Analytics14:43 Retention Metrics and Their Significance18:44 Key Performance Indicators for Game Success21:39 The Relationship Between LTV and CPI24:37 Predicting Retention and Its Impact on Game Design30:41 Understanding Retention Metrics33:42 The Importance of Retention in Monetization36:31 Expected Player Days and LTV Calculation43:43 Tools for Predicting LTV and ROAS50:41 Final Thoughts and Homework for Game Developers---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

In this episode, I chat with Stephan Livera, Bitcoin educator, host of the Stephan Livera Podcast, and advisor at Bold Bitcoin. We explore his journey of escaping the lockdowns in Australia to build a new life in Dubai, and how his libertarian values and understanding of Bitcoin economics shaped that decision. Stephan also shares his thoughts on cycles, proof of reserves, the role of stablecoins, and the long-term outlook for hyperbitcoinization. ––– Offers & Discounts ––– Theya is the world's simplest Bitcoin self-custody solution. Download Theya Now at theya.us/cedric Get up to $100 in Bitcoin on River at river.com/matrix The best Team Bitcoin merch is at HodlersOfficial.com. Use the code Matrix for a discount on your order. Become a sponsor of the show: https://thebitcoinmatrix.com/sponsors/ ––– Get To Know Today's Guest ––– • Stephan Livera on X: https://x.com/stephanlivera ––– Socials ––– • Check out our new website at https://TheBitcoinMatrix.Com • Follow Cedric Youngelman on X: https://x.com/cedyoungelman • Follow The Bitcoin Matrix Podcast on X: https://x.com/_bitcoinmatrix • Follow Cedric Youngelman on Nostr: npub12tq9jxmt707gd5vnce3tqllpm67ktr0mqskcvy58qqa4d074pz9s4ukdcs ––– Chapters ––– 00:00 - Intro 01:09 - Escaping Australia and the Birth of a New Life in Dubai 06:34 - How Bitcoin and Libertarianism Shaped Stephan's Exit 12:09 - Feeling Disconnected from Home and Becoming a Global Citizen 16:24 - The Allure of Dubai and Its Strategic Advantages 18:54 - Bitcoin Core vs. Knots, Ordinals, and Relay Filters 23:09 - Consensus vs. Policy and Mining Centralization Risks 28:09 - Core Development, Multiple Implementations, and GitHub Controversy 32:34 - Bitcoin Core Funding and Developer Incentives 35:54 - Bitcoin Treasury Companies and Fiat Arbitrage Opportunities 40:09 - Understanding Risk and the Premium to NAV Debate 45:29 - Global Perspectives: Trapped Capital, Arbitrage, and Institutional Flows 49:49 - The Future of Treasury Companies and Their Evolution 55:09 - Nation-State Adoption and Libertarian Reflections 58:24 - Market Cycles, Future Peaks, and Drawdowns 01:04:49 - Is It Too Late to Stack? Advice for Friends and Family 01:07:54 - Inflation, Recess from the Rulers, and the Tether Debate 01:11:03 - Seven Years of Bitcoin Podcasting: What Keeps Stephan Going 01:12:28 - Aha Moments, Power Laws, and the Path to Hyperbitcoinization DISCLAIMER: All views in this episode are our own and DO NOT reflect the opinions/views of any of our guests or sponsors. Produced by nilli studio (https://x.com/nillistudio) I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for tuning in, supporting the show, and contributing. Thank you for listening!

Today, we break down Granny: the solo-developed mobile horror hit that racked up a billion downloads and $50,000 daily ad revenue with no UA, no team, and nothing but YouTube virality.You'll learn:The secrets behind Granny's viral growth and billion-plus downloadsWhy four simple interstitials are better than banners, IAP, or rewarded videoHow meme culture, Let's Plays, and YouTube Shorts keep the DAU highHow a lack of mediation and adops left $50 million on the tableWhat makes Granny so replayable—and why nobody's cloned the formulaThe untapped goldmine of horror games on mobileKey Takeaway:You do not need a team, UA, or even high production values to win. Build for memes, embrace virality, and never underestimate the power of a good scare on mobile.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠ Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Granny: The Horror Game04:26 Game Mechanics and Design Exploration07:27 Gameplay Experience and Strategies10:26 Monetization and Revenue Insights13:26 Multiple Endings and Replayability16:23 Personal Reflections on Horror Games19:22 The Evolution of Granny: From One to Two21:50 Connecting the Dots: Granny and Slendrina Lore23:57 The Passion Behind Game Development26:42 Analyzing Download Trends and User Engagement31:08 Revenue Insights: The Financials of Granny Games35:17 Optimizing Ad Placements for Better User Experience36:18 Game Design and Monetization Strategies37:29 Understanding Ad Mediation and Revenue Loss39:52 Calculating Potential Revenue Losses42:00 Leveraging YouTube for Marketing44:09 The Impact of Horror Games on YouTube46:05 Challenges in the Horror Game Genre50:01 Future of Horror Games and Closing ThoughtsMatej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiarPlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Viele Anleger unterschätzen ein Risiko, das sie an der Börse arm hält: große Drawdowns. Im heutigen Podcast welcher ein YouTube Reupload vom 08.07.2021 ist, zeige ich dir anhand konkreter Zahlen, warum es wichtiger ist, Verluste zu minimieren als hohe Gewinne anzustreben, und wie du dein Vermögen langfristig schützen kannst. Vereinbare jetzt dein kostenfreies Strategiegespräch: https://jensrabe.de/Q3Termin25 Trage dich hier in meinen täglichen kostenfreien Newsletter ein https://jensrabe.de/Q3NewsYT25

Charlie and Peter dive into the triumph created from long-term investing, including why it's better to be an owner than a lender and the importance of global diversification. Together they offer insights into the behavior of investors, the cost of pessimism, and economic indicators that influence your portfolio. Plus, the continued growth of AI and new all-time highs.

We break down Century Games' Tasty Travels, the new merge hit muscling into a category long dominated by Travel Town and Microfun. Tasty Travels is not just a clone. It's a polished, high-velocity merge machine, doubling the ARPDAU of Travel Town and already scaling toward $200,000 daily revenue, with a launch playbook built on AI, altered gameplay, and relentless creative iteration. We explore why Century's approach to UA and live ops could make them a serious threat to every top-grossing merge game and why nobody wants to go head-to-head against them.What's inside:Insane UA and CreativesOnboarding and PaceEvents, Live Ops, and MonetizationMarket Impact!Clone Wars and CopycatsKey Takeaway:Tasty Travels is not just another merge game. It's Century Games' statement that nobody is safe from a studio that can outspend, outclone, and out-iterate the entire category.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/IreEye1zjF0Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Tasty Travels04:14 Gameplay Mechanics and Features07:15 Comparative Analysis with Travel Town10:06 User Experience and Game Economy13:22 Event Structures and Engagement16:15 Innovative Elements and User Acquisition Strategies21:13 Introduction to UA Play and Gameplay Mechanics24:15 Live Operations and Monetization Strategies27:14 Ad Monetization in Merge Games31:16 Revenue Insights and Market Trends37:46 Future Predictions and Competitive Landscape40:17 Exploring Creative Strategies in Gaming43:26 The Role of User Acquisition in Game Success46:42 Innovations in Game Design and User Engagement51:51 Competitive Landscape in the Gaming Industry---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

In this episode we celebrate Ozzy Osbourne and answer emails from Iron Tony, Ben and Robbin.  We discuss some of the charts at Portfolio Charts and some related research, the unexpected problems of complex trusts and the value of simplifying estate planning by giving money away while you are alive and balancing treasury bonds, gold, and equity allocations to create resilient portfolios.If you'd like to move to the front of the email line, please consider donating to the Father McKenna Center at fathermckennacenter.org or through the support page at riskparityradio.com.Links:Portfolio Charts Page O' Charts:  Charts – Portfolio ChartsPortfolio Charts Golden Ratio Article:  Beautiful Constants and the Golden Ratio Portfolio – Portfolio ChartsJim Sandidge Chaos Paper:  RMJ081-ChaosAndRetirementSecurity.pdfDana Anspach Presentation (watch minutes 17 - 59):  How to Turn Investments into a Retirement Paycheck in 2023Testfolio Comparison of TLT and VGLT:  https://testfol.io/analysis?s=dGUGRbj009NBreathless Unedited AI-Bot Summary:Season 6 kicks off with a deep dive into the powerful analytical tools at Portfolio Charts that can transform how you evaluate investment strategies. Frank unpacks essential charts like Withdrawal Rates and Drawdowns, revealing why understanding a portfolio's behavior during market stress matters more than chasing maximum returns. Through clear explanations and vivid analogies, he demonstrates how risk parity approaches function as the Toyota 4Runners of investment strategies—reliable, versatile, and designed for challenging conditions.The conversation shifts to a listener's complex trust situation, sparking a thoughtful examination of estate planning pitfalls. Frank offers a compelling perspective on legacy planning: rather than creating elaborate structures meant to preserve wealth indefinitely, consider simpler approaches that benefit heirs during your lifetime and avoid unintended family conflicts. His personal approach of allocating roughly 1% of his annual portfolio withdrawals to giving provides a practical model for balancing financial security with meaningful impact.Finally, Frank addresses portfolio construction fundamentals, explaining why Treasury bonds serve as essential "recession insurance" and how to balance them with other assets like gold and equities. He emphasizes that even historically strong performers like gold can experience decade-long drawdowns, reinforcing the need for true diversification across asset classes that respond differently to varying economic conditions.Whether you're new to risk parity investing or refining your existing strategy, this episode delivers valuable insights for creating a resilient portfolio designed to weather market uncertainty while supporting your long-term financial goals. Have questions about your own investment approach? Send them to frank@riskparityradio.com or use the contact form at riskparityradio.com.Support the show

Inside Bending Spoons: the $2.5 billion app juggernaut behind Evernote, Remini, Splice, and more. Special guest Darius reveals the hacks behind viral UA, review scores, creative iteration, and the brutal playbook that's rewriting consumer SaaS.You'll learn:The secrets behind Bending Spoons' $500 million annual revenueWhy TikTok, Shorts, and Reels are more powerful than any ad network for app growthThe playbook for cutting costs, boosting review scores, and scaling faster than competitorsWhy retention is all about renewals, not DAU or D30Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Special guest: Darius MoraYoutube channel: ⁨@DariusMora⁩ https://www.linkedin.com/in/moravcik/Youtube: https://youtu.be/xP3AziedKW0Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Bending Spoons and Guests02:49 Bending Spoons' Unique Business Model08:21 Hiring Practices and Company Culture11:19 Acquisitions and Market Strategy18:17 Transitioning from Gaming to App Development24:15 The Impact of Viral Trends on App Success29:37 User Acquisition and Marketing Techniques34:14 Subscription Models and User Retention Strategies37:31 Key Metrics for Success39:23 Understanding Retention and Monetization in Gaming41:11 Creative User Acquisition Strategies42:09 Manipulating Reviews for Better App Ratings44:07 Leveraging TikTok for User Acquisition50:19 Navigating Paid User Acquisition Challenges53:28 The Importance of Creative Testing55:39 The Power of Authentic Content in Marketing---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

Governor Newsom isn't letting up on President Trump, despite the drawdown of federal troops in LA. An Army veteran is demanding an investigation, after he was detained for days by immigration officers without being charged. President Trump has pulled the plug on federal funding for one of California's most ambitious projects. Plus, more.Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comVisit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support the show: https://laist.com

Jakub Remiar dives into Uma Musume Pretty Derby's “Spark” and legacy mechanics—one of the most advanced progression and inheritance systems in any mobile RPG. See why this game's depth is pulling 100,000 downloads a day and racking up 450,000 dollars daily revenue even outside Japan. From Genshin-style stat RNG to community-driven parent borrowing, you'll learn why this system is built for both theorycrafters and casuals, and why it's suddenly trending in the West.You'll learn:How legacy and spark inheritance work, and why this is deeper than anything in Western gachaWhy are there sixty-page guides and two hundred-page translations just to optimize your teamThe power of borrowing “whale” parents and building the perfect runHow no-level, stat-based progression makes Uma Musume endlessly replayableWhat makes this system so viral on YouTube, Shorts, and Steam right nowWhy every risk-reward decision and endless RNG roll keeps the meta aliveGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/jk7CmPs4JRYJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Umo Musume Pretty Derby04:54 The Roguelite System Explained08:12 The Legacy System and Its Importance11:05 Understanding the Spark System13:59 Social Mechanics and Community Impact16:53 Replayability and Randomness in Gameplay20:13 Future Potential and Game Design Insights---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

This episode is a tour through the wildest creative trends dominating mobile games in June 2025. We break down why two- and three-minute video ads are everywhere, how AI hooks and long-form ASMR are pre-qualifying high-value users, and why the best-performing creatives this month are often stitched together from hits of the past. What's inside:Long-Form Video SurgeCopy-Paste ManiaASMR and Satisfying LoopsAI-Driven InnovationClone Wars and IP TheftReal Life and UGCKey Takeaway:If you are not testing long-form videos, iterating ASMR or AI hooks, and watching what your competitors are copying, you are missing out. Quality and innovation are moving at warp speed, and copy-paste is the new default.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Creative Trends in Mobile Gaming04:24 Analyzing Recent Creative Campaigns07:32 The Impact of Video Length on User Engagement10:27 Innovations in Game Advertising13:23 Exploring AI in Game Marketing16:25 Case Studies: Successful Game Creatives19:16 Conclusion and Future Trends20:26 Understanding Player Perception22:34 Innovative Ad Strategies26:15 Analyzing Game Trends30:08 Marketing Strategies for Game Growth35:22 Emerging Trends in ASMR and Casual Gaming37:32 Innovations in Game Development and User Engagement39:22 The Role of User-Generated Content in Gaming41:07 The Impact of AI on Game Creatives44:46 AI Developments and Their Influence on Game Marketing53:08 Conclusion and Future Insights in Gaming---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric

We unpack KnitOut by Rollic, a surprising hit blending simple, relaxing puzzle mechanics with clever monetization and UA execution. Underneath the soothing yarn is a sophisticated, scalable system that echoes the Turkish studio's proven blueprint. KnitOut is already generating $ 60,000 daily revenue and 20,000 downloads a day, with the US accounting for sixty percent of revenue and CPIs exceeding $10. What's inside:Core Gameplay: Addictive bench mechanic, yarn “block jam” puzzle core, and highly satisfying ASMR touches. Monetization: Interstitials start after level sixteen or eighteen. First rewarded ad comes with an upsell to “remove ads” IAP. No banners. Creative StrategyBlueprint for Hits: Rollic's process is all about finding a sticky core, tuning every curve, scaling hard, and only adding events or meta once retention and monetization benchmarks are proven. Hundreds of prototypes feed the pipeline, but only a handful get to scale.Key Takeaway:KnitOut looks simple, but it is a masterclass in “build core first, polish to perfection, then scale with data.” The Turkish blueprint continues to win, even as clones flood the market.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor, FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/o22Ky7sGWqsJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Game Overview04:27 Gameplay Mechanics and Strategy07:25 Game Difficulty and Progression10:27 Monetization Strategies and User Engagement13:23 Comparative Analysis with Other Games16:33 Development Insights and Future Prospects21:45 Understanding Game Monetization Strategies25:30 Analyzing Game Performance Metrics29:25 The Shift in Ad Revenue Dynamics33:46 Creative Strategies in Game Marketing38:06 The Importance of Creative Length in Ads---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

We go deep on Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Japan's gacha horse girl sensation, and a masterclass in roguelite meta complexity. With real horse DNA, multi-layered training runs, six gacha layers, and a live ops cadence that powers up to 72 million dollars per launch month, Uma Musume is a unicorn in the global market—an RPG sim that's too Japanese for most of the West, but a billion-dollar franchise at home.What's inside:Japan-First, World-Second: Ninety-five percent of all revenue still comes from Japan.Insane Revenue Per DownloadTrue Roguelite Progression: Training runs carry over legacy stats, traits, and inspiration from previous “parents.” Every decision in a run matters. Social features like friend-run inheritance and deep support card gacha fuel endless replay.Authentic Horse Girl DNAToo Complex for the West: The English launch saw a brief spike (three hundred thousand dollars in a day) but quickly dropped. Complexity, visual style, and waifu focus make it a core product for otaku and hardcore sim fans.Key Takeaway:Uma Musume Pretty Derby is proof that deep, highly local games with real social and meta layers can still print billions, if you own your niche and deliver unmatched complexity.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/HmKZaCWlDBIJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Uma Musume Pretty Derby06:02 Understanding the Game's Popularity and Mechanics09:11 The Unique Design and Gameplay of Uma Musume12:02 The Evolution of Horse Racing Games15:10 Rogue-lite Mechanics in Uma Musume17:58 Character Selection and Training Strategies21:06 The Role of Support Cards and Skills27:03 Final Thoughts on Gameplay and Complexity37:19 Racing Mechanics and Strategies42:13 Game Progression and Challenges55:22 Monetization and Gacha Mechanics01:01:24 Marketing Strategies and Community EngagementMatej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Markets have recovered fast - maybe too fast. Alan and Niels unpack what sits beneath the surface: a bond market brushing off record deficits, volatility draining from asset prices, and trend followers caught between sharp reversals and shrinking conviction. They explore how sentiment, structure, and speed are shaping today's trading environment, and what most investors still underestimate about liquidity, macro policy, and risk. With fresh research in hand, they ask whether drawdowns are misunderstood, if diversification has become an illusion, and why clarity often emerges only after the pain. We do recognize that we had some technical issues with this recording and appreciate you for sticking with us.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Alan on Twitter.Episode TimeStamps:00:57 - What has caught our attention recently?04:38 - Industry performance update07:38 - Is trend thriving?09:57 - Dunne's global macro overview16:33 - A catastrophic year for the dollar18:12 - Is this time different for trend following drawdowns?27:26 - The value of long term track records34:30 - Is trend following flawed?37:48 - What are investors actually interested in?44:32 - What is up for next week?Copyright © 2024 – CMC AG – All Rights Reserved----PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about

We dissect the phenomenon of FPS Strike, a low-poly, Counter-Strike-inspired mobile shooter racking up more than 4 million DAU, mostly across India, Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt, and Southeast Asia. Despite its massive scale, nearly everything about the game is stuck in the “admon nightmare” zone—zero iOS presence, almost no user acquisition, unoptimized ad stack, endless rewarded ads, and zero LiveOps. Yet, even with all those gaps, it is still a money-printing machine, generating $30,000 to $50,000 a day, primarily from video ads and interstitials.What's inside:Ad Stack TrainwreckAds Everywhere, Little MonetizationCreative and UA FailFake Counter-Strike, Real Results: The “nostalgia” is more about experiencing a shooter for the first time on mobile, not actual Counter-Strike memories. Simple graphics, bots for everyone, and a skin shop that barely matters.Key Takeaway:You do not need next-gen graphics or live PVP to win in Tier 3. But if you do not optimize your ad stack, creatives, and UA, you are burning money every day. FPS Strike is a case study in “good enough” that could be so much more.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Podcast: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to the Game Landscape04:42 Analyzing Game Metrics and User Engagement07:38 Gameplay Mechanics and User Experience10:38 Monetization Strategies and Ad Integration13:36 Game Features and User Retention Strategies18:27 The Importance of Monetization Strategies21:08 Ad Revenue Insights and Optimization24:51 Maximizing Ad Stack Efficiency27:37 User Engagement and Retention Strategies31:38 Influencer Marketing and Organic Growth35:34 Game Mechanics and Player Experience38:42 Future of FPS Games and Industry Trends---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Krisen wirken sich immer auf Börsenindizes aus – jedoch in unterschiedlichem Ausmaß. In Teil 1 dieser Folge sprechen wir mit Nicolas Werbach über die Entwicklung bedeutender Indizes wie den MSCI World, MSCI ACWI, MSCI Emerging Markets, S&P 500, MSCI Europe und MSCI Japan. Gemeinsam analysieren wir, wie sich diese Indizes in historischen Krisenszenarien verhalten haben – mit besonderem Fokus auf Rendite, Chancen-Risiko-Verhältnis und maximalen Drawdown. Außerdem geben wir konkrete Tipps, wie sich ein Portfolio möglichst krisenfest aufstellen lässt. ++++++++ Der Portfolio Tracker von extraETF ist da. Unser neues Tracking-Tool ist einfach zu bedienen und hat genau die Funktionen, die du wirklich brauchst. Portfolioanalyse, Dividendenplanung, vollständige Holdings-Analyse: Der Portfolio Tracker kann alles. Überzeuge dich selbst. Jetzt testen! https://go.extraetf.com/portfolio-tracker ++++++++

We break down Wittle Defender, Habby's latest departure from the mass market, blending deep meta, squad RPG mechanics, and a relentless gacha system. This is not another Survivor IO. It is a meta monster built for hardcore RPG fans, multi-layered progression, gear grind, rune systems, and dozens of monetization hooks. But is it too deep for global scale?What's inside:Meta Gone WildGacha and ProgressionMore Modes, More MonetizationDeep automation and idle mechanics Ad Revenue ShrinksUA and Creative: Focused on Asia, with heavy use of fake gameplay, static images, and Rush Royale or Top Heroes clones for Facebook and TikTok ads. Playable ads exist but are rare.Key Takeaway:Wittle Defender marks Habby's pivot away from broad hybrid monetization. The focus now is on deep spend, multi-layered progression, and gacha depth for a smaller, more hardcore player base. Ad revenue is down, IAP is up, and the US is no longer the top target.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/lg023xHkCUkJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Host Dynamics02:49 Sailing Adventures and Job Interviews04:06 Whittle Defender Game Overview07:19 Game Mechanics and Progression Systems11:22 Monetization Strategies and User Experience14:22 Gameplay Modes and Challenges18:17 Character Skills and Randomization Mechanics25:18 Final Thoughts and Game Depth25:42 Character Dynamics and Game Mechanics28:36 Game Depth and Player Engagement29:52 Market Positioning and Audience Targeting34:15 Revenue Insights and Market Performance40:15 Monetization Strategies and Future Directions44:06 Game Mechanics and Trends46:13 Marketing Strategies in Gaming51:18 Investment and Development in the Gaming Industry56:14 Future Directions for Game Studios---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiarPlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

If the market was 100% wiped away, many would be broke, but I feel I could still win. Drawdowns in their recovery this year could make second fastest recovery in the S&P. Stay sharp and keep your faith high because this is about market crash.

In this episode of Excess Returns, Matt Zeigler and Jason Buck sit down with Eric Crittenden, CIO of Standpoint Funds, for a wide-ranging and candid discussion about trend following, risk transfer markets, and what it takes to build a resilient investment strategy for uncertain futures. Eric shares decades of hard-won insights on investor behavior, portfolio construction, performance pain points, and why blending passive equities with systematic macro might just be the future of asset allocation.

Today, we deep-dive into Raid Rush, the Turkish-made tower defense game that is bringing roguelike deck-building, build-your-own-path mechanics, and IP crossovers to the top of the mobile charts. The crew unpacks why this game feels so deep, why Korean and US players are eating it up, and how the game balances heavy progression, smart ad placements, and old-school strategy with real modern LiveOps.What's inside:A Real Tower Defense for 2025: Raid Rush lets you build your own road, place towers with real strategy, and merge and upgrade through a deck and gacha system. Every run is different thanks to randomization, new land placement, and a menu packed with modes, heroes, and skills.IP Collabs Done RightKorea and the US Lead the PackCreative and UA Trends: The team breaks down a wild mix of real-life, static AI, and hyper-casual video hooks, plus some truly creative (and not-so-creative) uses of IP.Key Takeaway:Raid Rush shows you can still win by mixing deep strategy, roguelite randomness, smart ad and IAP segmentation, and just enough IP muscle. In a world of copycats, this one actually innovates.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/9rDyKoe58b0Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Game Overview04:16 Game Metrics and Performance Analysis07:15 Gameplay Mechanics and Unique Features10:13 Strategic Depth and Replayability13:30 Monetization Strategies and Ad Integration16:26 Collaboration with Terminator IP and Content Expansion19:25 Final Thoughts and Future Prospects27:30 Monetization Strategies in Mobile Games30:40 Dynamic Monetization and User Engagement32:15 Creative Advertising and User Acquisition37:25 Trends in Tower Defense Games42:58 The Role of AI in Game DevelopmentMatej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiarPlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Today, we break down Carnival Tycoon: the “idle” game that's really a Trojan Horse for social casino and slot machine mechanics. We compare every feature, monetization trick, and creative strategy to Coin Master, Monopoly Go, and the social casino giants. Find out how Carnival Tycoon hit five million dollars a month, why rewarded ads are hidden everywhere, and what makes this copycat succeed where others flop.You will learn:Why Carnival Tycoon is more social casino than idle, and how it fakes the early gameHow copy-paste UI, offers, and creative trends shape modern casino gamesThe secrets behind rewarded ad segmentation and thirty to forty-five percent ad watchersWhat separates the titans (Coin Master, Monopoly Go) from the fast followersWhy LiveOps and ruthless economy balance are the real keys to scaleHow AI, asset flipping, and creative theft drive UA in the social casino wild westGet our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Game Overview04:15 Gameplay Mechanics and Revenue Insights07:14 Comparative Analysis with Social Casino Games09:42 Visual Progression and User Engagement13:15 Monetization Strategies and User Retention16:18 Advertising Dynamics and User Segmentation19:13 Session Length and User Experience22:10 Final Thoughts and Future of Carnival Tycoon28:52 The State of LiveOps in Gaming29:39 Engagement Mechanics in Mobile Games30:21 Analyzing Game Release Timelines31:46 The Role of Marketing Partners in Game Scaling32:35 Creative Strategies in Game Advertising33:54 The Impact of AI on Game Creatives35:35 IP Infringement and Creative Theft in Gaming37:25 The Wild West of Mobile Game Marketing40:46 Trends in Game Development and Marketing44:02 Future of Onboarding in Mobile Games---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiarPlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

We tackle the legacy and latest iteration of Puzzle & Dragons, the game that defined Japanese mobile gaming and reached a mind-blowing five billion dollars in lifetime revenue. From wild metagame depth and monster collection to why Western players just never clicked with the formula, the crew unpacks the hits, misses, and museum-piece vibes of a true industry legend.What's inside:No Gacha in the Gacha Game? Cultural Roots Run DeepMuseum Piece, Not Modern HitGame Design DNAAds, UA, and ProfitKey Takeaway:Sometimes, the most influential games are the least exportable. Puzzle & Dragons is a legend in Japan, a footnote in the West, and a masterclass in knowing and owning your audience.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/nPidjalbujgJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Puzzle and Dragons02:53 The Evolution of Mobile Gaming05:53 Gameplay Mechanics and Features08:48 Cultural Differences in Gaming11:41 Monetization Strategies and Ads14:42 Comparative Analysis with Other Games19:21 The State of Gaming in Japan22:46 Cultural Differences in Gaming Preferences25:35 Revenue Insights and Market Dynamics28:00 User Acquisition Challenges31:05 Reflections on Mobile Gaming History---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me---------------------------------------If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej LancaricDo you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai

We break down BitLife, a simulation game that proves you do not need flashy graphics or complex meta to print money. With an aggressive monetization model, evergreen retention, and a loyal fanbase, BitLife has been going strong for over seven years, now pulling in more than $110,000 a day, with ad revenue making up half of its total income.What's inside:Ad Monetization on Steroids: Interstitial ads hit you right from the tutorial, with a cooldown of 70 seconds, banners refresh every five seconds, and rewarded ads are expertly placed on emotional player moments.BitLife monetizes player choices through a web of IAPs, subscriptions, and one-time offers.Smart UA and Creative Strategy: Originally fueled by organics, Stillfront's acquisition kicked off heavy user acquisition with strong creative hooks, unique AI and UGC blends, and consistent iteration across every channel.Key Takeaway:You do not need the best graphics to win in mobile. If your product is unique, your ad monetization is ruthless, and your UA is dialed in, you can scale forever.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/--JFbHlo3E8Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Bit Life and Hosts04:27 The Growth and Acquisition of Bit Life07:36 Gameplay Mechanics and Life Choices10:18 Monetization Strategies and Ad Integration13:22 Life Events and Their Impact on Gameplay16:26 The Role of Ads in Player Experience19:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts on Bit Life23:09 Game Mechanics and Monetization Strategies26:24 Ad Revenue Insights and User Engagement31:26 User Acquisition and Marketing Strategies38:18 Game Performance and Future Growth44:21 Final Thoughts and Ratings---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

We just dropped our latest episode, and it is a must-watch for anyone building or buying mobile game ads. We break down the biggest trends ripping through the creative market:AI hooks and seamless transitions: five art styles in five minutes, and the line between real and fake is now a blur.Celebrities everywhere: Monica, Phoebe, LeBron, Christina Aguilera, even C-tier cameos nobody asked forSatisfying gold bars, drowning waifus, and cruelty hooks: Virality still rules the creative graveyard.Copy-paste chaos: King Shot mechanics, snakes, resource overload, and every trend recycled at warp speedIP infringement? Nobody cares. Elsa and Moana show up in more ads than their own movies.Here is the brutal truth: The mobile creative game is faster, weirder, and less original than ever. AI is now your intern, celebrity ads are squeezing out innovation, and anyone who is not remixing, testing, and scaling daily is already behind.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/xbOwszmQ6tgJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction and Event Highlights02:58 Creative Trends Overview05:50 Golden Goblin Creatives08:42 Celebrity Influences in Gaming Ads11:44 Contractual Dynamics in Celebrity Endorsements14:42 Trends in Game Creatives17:37 AI and Animation in Game Marketing20:04 Exploring Game Mechanics and Design Flaws22:42 The Evolution of Game Concepts and AI Integration25:41 Analyzing Coin Master's Consistent Revenue Stream28:43 The Impact of AI on Game Development31:43 Trends in Mobile Gaming Revenue and Performance37:10 Introduction to SuperScent and Game Comparisons37:47 Exploring Game Mechanics and Creative Concepts39:27 Discussion on Whiteout Survival and Game Trends40:29 Advertising Strategies for CTV Campaigns41:36 Analyzing Pokemon Go's New Developments44:18 AI in Game Creatives and Advertising48:42 Trends in AI-Generated Content and IP Infringement---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Legend alert. In this episode, we sit down with Jane Whittaker, a developer, executive, and innovator whose career spans from coding 8-bit chart toppers and Atari's biggest hits to shaping the DNA of open-world, survival, and RPGs. Jane shares candid stories from the 1980s video game crash, building Alien vs. Predator with just two programmers, working with Sid Meier and Mike Singleton, and steering giants like EA and MGM.What's inside:Real Video Game HistoryIndie Roots and All-In Dev: From writing sound drivers without knowing music to doing design, code, and art in a single project, Jane did it all before “indie” was a thing.Survival Games Before They Were CoolOpen World Royalty: From Mike Singleton's Midwinter to World of Warcraft landscape architecture and Microsoft Flight Simulator expansions, Jane's fingerprints are all over gaming's biggest virtual worlds.Modding and Crafting PhilosophyNo AI Shortcuts, Pure CraftWhy Fun Beats TechKey Takeaway:Game design that stands the test of time is about creative risk, pure craft, and relentless focus on fun, not just graphics or tech. Jane's story is a masterclass for anyone building or dreaming of building games.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/RyDJ88zRVwoJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to a Gaming Legend02:42 The Evolution of Gaming: A Personal Journey05:45 The Impact of the 1983 Video Game Crash08:32 The Making of Alien vs. Predator11:12 Transitioning to MGM and GoldenEye14:22 The Legacy of Survival Games17:24 Behind the Scenes of Dungeon Keeper and Marvel Games20:00 Contributions to World of Warcraft22:10 Crafting Immersive Game Worlds25:50 Innovations in Game Mechanics29:10 Creating Tension and Fear in Gameplay32:55 The Role of AI in Game Development38:12 Crafting Immersive Game Worlds41:13 The Importance of Effort in Game Development43:53 Balancing Budget and Creativity46:02 The Role of Modding in Gaming50:13 Lessons from Past Projects54:35 Building a Passionate Gaming Community---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Today, we sit down with Supersonic's Samantha Benjamin and Guy Agiv to discuss the hit game Screw Master 3D. From adapting trends out of China to hybrid monetization tricks and creative secrets, this episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone in mobile gaming.What you'll learn:How Screwmaster 3D's physics-puzzle and meta layers drive insane engagementThe models and tactics behind maximizing eCPMs and LTV in ad-heavy gamesThe secret to rapid adaptation, culturalization, and scaling trends globallyA-B testing, skip-its, and boosters—hybrid casual best practices for monetization without killing UXCreative production at Supersonic: data-driven, AI-boosted, always iteratingThe new era of hybrid casual is ruthless: if you want to compete, you need to move fast, master ad monetization, and out-iterate everyone on creative and product. Screwmaster 3D is proof that the real money is in the details.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/OmGzUDUiPsQJoin our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to Screw Master 3D02:37 Game Mechanics and Design Insights05:39 Adapting for Global Markets08:38 User Engagement and Retention Strategies11:50 Monetization Strategies and Challenges14:33 Future Developments and Game Evolution26:56 Balancing Game Difficulty and User Engagement27:50 Analyzing User Metrics and Revenue Streams29:09 Retention Rates and User Engagement Strategies31:09 Ad Monetization Strategies and User Experience35:34 Optimizing Ad Experience and User Segmentation40:14 ECPM Management and Ad Impression Strategies45:26 Implementing Skip It Feature in Game Design49:19 User Acquisition Strategies and Channel Mix52:44 Channel Mix and Budget Allocation55:43 The Power of Playable Ads01:00:21 Creative Testing and Iteration Strategies01:01:53 Balancing Playable Lengths for User Engagement01:05:00 Testing New Channels and Creative Strategies01:12:19 Exploring New Channels for Growth---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

the U.S. will scale back its military presence in Syria to a single base, Taiwan and the U.S. mark the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, Ukraine uses underwater explosives to strike a bridge between Russia and Crimea, Ecuador's lawmakers vote to allow foreign military bases, MI5 apologizes to the U.K. High Court for false evidence in a neo-Nazi case, the U.S. doubles its steel and aluminum tariffs to 50%, the Congressional Budget Office says Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” would expand the deficit by $2.4T, the Trump administration rescinds emergency abortion guidance, the US navy will rename a vessel that had honored LGBTQ activist Harvey Milk, and an Indian pilot prepares for a historic mission to the International Space Station. Sources: www.verity.news

We just dropped a new Review Radar episode in which we examined every major mobile game from the last three months. Some are breaking the ‘podcast curse' and scaling up, others are stuck in stable dinosaur mode, and a few are just… lost.Highlights:Triple Match City and Color Block Jam are stacking revenue with surprising ARPU and ad mixesRoyal Kingdom and Pokémon Sleep show that audience and IP still trump any new featureCloning is the new normal, but most ‘copy-paste' games never hit the KPIs of their genre leadersMonetization is where dreams die, great engines, weak revenueUA and creative discipline are still the biggest differentiatorsOur verdict? Build fast, adapt faster, and don't be afraid to kill what isn't scaling. In mobile gaming, the only thing worse than a failed experiment is a boring one.Get our MERCH NOW: 25gamers.com/shop--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investors---------------------------------------Vibe. Vibe is the leading Streaming TV ad platform for small and medium-sized businesses looking for actionable advertising campaign performance.https://www.vibe.co/---------------------------------------For an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.---------------------------------------This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Youtube: https://youtu.be/vaa1d1Evif0Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-2um8eguhf-c~H9idcxM271mnPzdWbipgChapters00:00 Introduction to the Review Radar04:39 Game Performance Insights: Triple Match City07:16 Core Survival and Its Revenue Growth10:32 Acero 2: Launch and Revenue Analysis13:37 Top Girl: User Engagement and Revenue Trends16:37 Royal Kingdom: Celebrity Campaign Impact19:36 Path of Exile 2: Community Reactions and Revenue22:40 Dark and Darker: Soft Launch Insights25:34 Magic Sword: Future Potential and Market Position27:06 Revenue Insights: Comparing Game Performance28:48 Block Blast: The Unexpected Contender29:42 Project Rise: Anticipation and Delays33:27 ColorBlockJam: A Rising Star in Mobile Gaming36:35 Hi-Sees Hero: Challenges in Game Development39:48 Candy Crush Solitaire: Stagnation in a Competitive Market41:50 Goods Puzzle: A New Player in the Market---------------------------------------Matej LancaricUser Acquisition & Creatives Consultant⁠https://lancaric.meFelix BrabergAd monetization consultant⁠https://www.felixbraberg.comJakub RemiarGame design consultant⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar---------------------------------------Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Derek Moore reflects on market reaction to the 2011 US debt downgrade and explains what S&P, Fitch, and Moody's have for ratings. Plus, are markets poised for more positive returns based on several indicators? The bear case against the markets would be a reduction in profit margins. Later, Derek reviews some data of future 12-month returns when consumer confidence is low as a contrarian indicator. Finally, looking at several current indicators and random musing in markets for clues about the future. All that and more this week.    S&P 500 Index net profit margins for Q1 2025 Consumer confidence and consumer sentiment are low but is that a good thing? Looking at how often intra year lows on average are -14% but often markets end higher 12-month inflation expectations are now 7.3% highest since 1981 Hard vs soft data Velocity of M2 Money Stock  What has been working asset class wise in 2025 YTD 15 biggest rallies since 1950 and subsequent forward total returns Atlanta Fed GDP Now Investment banks starting to reduce recession probabilities Attribution of earnings EPS growth DeGraaf and Zweig Breadth Thrusts occurring within 1 month of each other  Explaining the difference between Moodys, Fitch, and S&P bond ratings Moodys downgrades US Debt     Mentioned in this Episode   Derek Moore's book Broken Pie Chart https://amzn.to/3S8ADNT   Jay Pestrichelli's book Buy and Hedge https://amzn.to/3jQYgMt   Derek's book on public speaking Effortless Public Speaking https://amzn.to/3hL1Mag   Contact Derek derek.moore@zegainvestments.com           

Ready to take a deep dive and learn how to generate personal tax free cash flow from your corporation? Enroll in our FREE masterclass here and book a call here Are you building your financial or investment portfolio just to watch it bleed during a downturn?If recent market drawdowns and dips have you wondering whether your DIY strategy is holding up, you're not alone. Many investors are facing steep market drawdowns—some as high as 36%—and struggling to recover. This episode tackles a sobering truth: when your portfolio drops, the climb back up is steeper than you think. Jon Orr and Kyle Pearce break down why a “protect first, grow second” mindset could be the most important shift in your investing journey. Here's what you'll walk away with:A clearer understanding of how market drawdowns impact long-term growth—and why avoiding them matters more than you think.The core elements of a rules-based system to manage risk like the pros, even if you're investing on your own.A side-by-side look at popular assets like the S&P 500 and Bitcoin, showing how trend tracking and volatility signals can guide smarter entry and exit decisions.Press play now to learn how top investors manage risk and why that could be the missing piece in your wealth-building strategy.Hit play now to get clear on how to optimize your financial strategy and make smarter moves for your personal and corporate wealth growth!Discover which phase of wealth creation you are in. Take our quick assessment and you'll receive a custom wealth-building pathway that matches your phase and learn our CRA compliant tax optimized strategies. Take that assessment here.Canadian Wealth Secrets Show Notes Page:Consider reaching out to Kyle…taking a salary with a goal of stuffing RRSPs;…investing inside your corporation without a passive income tax minimization strategy;…letting a large sum of liquid assets sit in low interest earning savings accounts;…investing corporate dollars into GICs, dividend stocks/funds, or other investments attracting corporate passive income taxes at greater than 50%; or,…wondering whether your current corporate wealth management strategy is optimal for your specific situation.Understanding drawdowns is critical for anyone serious about wealth building and financial independence. In today's volatile stock market, a strong rules-based system can help investors—especially business owners and DIY planners—prioritize risk management over blind growth. This episode explores how smart diversification, trend tracReady to connect? Text us your comment including your phone number for a response!Canadian Wealth Secrets is an informative podcast that digs into the intricacies of building a robust portfolio, maximizing dividend returns, the nuances of real estate investment, and the complexities of business finance, while offering expert advice on wealth management, navigating capital gains tax, and understanding the role of financial institutions in personal finance.

Paul Hawken is one of the great elder statesmen of environmentalism, a bestselling author, and the mind behind Drawdown and Regeneration.  This conversation explores the biosphere's intrinsic intelligence through the expansive lens of Paul's latest book, Carbon: The Book of Life. We discuss carbon's improbable origins, examine the mycelial networks that function as Earth's connective tissue, and challenge our extractive relationship with nature.  He methodically deconstructs our reductive approaches to climate solutions, highlighting how humility and wonder might be our most powerful tools for planetary stewardship. Paul's perspective represents not merely a shift in environmental thinking, but a fundamental reimagining of our relationship with the living world. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up Today's Sponsors: Eight Sleep: Get $350 off your Pod 5 Ultra w/ code RICHROLL

It's so easy to spiral into a climate doom loop. But solutions to the crisis are out there! Even as federal action stalls, states, local organizers and innovators across the U.S. are charging ahead with climate progress. What responsibility does the media have in elevating the solutions that exist and are working? And how can artists help reframe the climate conversation and shift the narrative from foregone conclusion to a reimagining of what's possible?  This episode features conversations recorded live during SF Climate Week — with Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, Nikhil Swaminathan, CEO of Grist, and author and artist Jenny Odell — all exploring how solutions-focused storytelling today can help shape the future we dare to imagine tomorrow. Guests: Jonathan Foley, Executive Director, Project Drawdown Nikhil Swaminathan, CEO, Grist Jenny Odell, Artist; Author, “Saving Time,” “How to Do Nothing” Mina Kim, Co-host of Forum, KQED Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's so easy to spiral into a climate doom loop. But solutions to the crisis are out there! Even as federal action stalls, states, local organizers and innovators across the U.S. are charging ahead with climate progress. What responsibility does the media have in elevating the solutions that exist and are working? And how can artists help reframe the climate conversation and shift the narrative from foregone conclusion to a reimagining of what's possible?  This episode features conversations recorded live during SF Climate Week — with Jonathan Foley, executive director of Project Drawdown, Nikhil Swaminathan, CEO of Grist, and author and artist Jenny Odell — all exploring how solutions-focused storytelling today can help shape the future we dare to imagine tomorrow. Guests: Jonathan Foley, Executive Director, Project Drawdown Nikhil Swaminathan, CEO, Grist Jenny Odell, Artist; Author, “Saving Time,” “How to Do Nothing” Mina Kim, Co-host of Forum, KQED Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. For show notes and related links, visit our website. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Brewers Association's Craft Brewers Conference has taken over Indianapolis, and the Brewbound team gives a vibe check on the first day of the largest meeting of craft brewers in the U.S.    Justin, Jess and Zoe recap early presentations from BA board chair Leah Cheston, president and CEO Bart Watson and Trillium founders JC and Esther Tetreault and the overarching theme of resilience in the face of adversity.    Plus, Jess interviews Liz Nicol, the founder of Drawdown Brewing in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, on her brewery's embrace of women's sports, community building and running a membership club.

We kick off this episode with a deep dive into the latest U.S. tariff announcements. Braden shares his candid thoughts on the rationale (or lack thereof) behind these so-called “reciprocal” tariffs, including how the formula used is fundamentally flawed, and why some of the moves feel more like political theater than economic strategy. We also unpack the unintended consequences of targeting key low-cost manufacturing partners outside of China, and how this could backfire on American businesses. In the second half, Simon goes through 10 companies on his watchlist as recent drawdowns have opened up some compelling long-term opportunities. Ticker of stocks discussed: TSM, NVDA, CP.TO, UBER, V, MA, AXP, CNQ.TO, MPC, TOU.TO, ASML, ISRG, GOOG Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Finchat.io for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this replay of episode 57, clipped for brevity and timely relevance, we bring you the final installment in our Regeneration Series, originally inspired by Paul Hawken's seminal book, Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation. As we head into Thanksgiving week and Giving Tuesday, this episode dives deep into the final theme of Hawken's book—Action and Connection—and explores the personal, practical, and planetary steps we can all take to regenerate life on Earth.This replay includes a passionate reflection from host Corinna Bellizzi on her own climate action punch list, progress made, lessons learned, and the deeper motivations behind creating Care More Be Better. You'll also hear Paul Hawken share his vision for the future, the inseparability of humans and nature, and the powerful role language and indigenous wisdom play in reshaping our climate narrative.