Podcasts about mobile gaming

In this episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with Angela Yu, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of StoReel, to explore one of the fastest-growing entertainment categories that gaming executives should be paying attention to: AI-native microdramas. While many still think of microdramas as shortened TV shows, Angela argues they have far more in common with mobile games, relying on retention loops, emotional hooks, creator ecosystems, user acquisition economics, and increasingly interactive experiences. She shares how StoReel is building both a consumer platform for AI-generated serialized stories and a creation suite that enables creators to produce content dramatically faster and cheaper than traditional production methods. Along the way, they unpack the KPI performance of AI-produced titles and what game studios can learn from the category's rapid growth.The conversation also explores one of the most fascinating cultural divides in technology today: why attitudes toward AI look dramatically different in China versus the West. Having spent half her life in both markets, Angela offers a unique perspective on why creators, companies, and consumers in China have embraced AI far more aggressively, and what that means for the future of entertainment. They discuss creator ownership, AI-powered storytelling, underserved content genres, interactive characters, and why the next generation of entertainment may look less like Hollywood and more like a creator-driven marketplace where anyone can build, monetize, and distribute serialized stories. The episode ultimately examines how AI is reshaping not just production workflows, but the entire relationship between creators, audiences, and entertainment itself.We'd also like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Who's On:Guest - Angela Yu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-yu-0a0379112/Host - Kalie Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliemoore/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc CabeLinks mentioned: https://storeel.com/

This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, June 21st. In today's issue, we dive deep into LEGO's 30-year history, examining its roots, how it is quietly starting to change, and what comes next for the company in gaming. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/thirty-years-of-gaming-at-lego Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/ Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Realm of Ink, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5, Gobliiins Collection, One Move Away, A Frog's Job 2: Froggina, Steamboat Incident, Pitstop in Purgatory, Chicken Climber, and FORENSIC - M.E. Protocol.

This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, June 14th. In today's issue, we discuss the current state of microdramas — a category which rapidly evolved from a niche Chinese entertainment phenomenon into one of the fastest-growing mobile content categories in the world — exploring the widening gap between audience expansion and monetization, a trend which raises important questions about the category's long-term economics.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/the-microdrama-volume-vs-value-paradox Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/ Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features NBA The Run, Dungeon Clawler, Do You even Forklift?, Psyvariar 3, Necrophosis: Full Consciousness, and Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown.

Gaming M&A is no longer just a story about strategics buying obvious hits. In this episode, Alexandra Takei, VP of Platform Revenue at Medal, sits down with Brogan Keane, Managing Partner at Double Black Capital, to unpack what actually happens when a game studio reaches the end of its company lifecycle: sale, exit, or recapitalization. The conversation breaks down who is buying game companies today, from private equity firms and Korean strategics to non-gaming entertainment companies looking for transmedia exposure. Brogan explains why PE buyers care most about profitability and risk mitigation, while strategics may pay more aggressively for IP, portfolio gaps, genre expertise, or future revenue replacement.The episode also gets practical for founders. Alexandra and Brogan discuss what makes a studio acquirable, why the “million units sold” threshold matters, and why founders should focus on one valuable IP rather than distracting side projects. They also walk through deal structure, including upfront cash, retention-based earnouts, performance earnouts, and why headline deal values are often misleading.We'd also like to thank Medal.tv for making this episode possible. If you're a PC gamer and want to clip your moments or a studio, publisher, or marketer looking to reach a high-quality gaming audience and get your game in front of the right players, check out all Medal has to offer at https://grow.medal.tv.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, June 7th. In today's issue, we shine a light on Embracer after the company recently announced it is splitting up again. We look back at the key strategic decisions the company has made and what they might mean for its future.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/embracer-splits-again Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/ Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features thoughts on PlayStation's State of Play, Sledding Game, Slots & Daggers, SummerHouse, Middle Evil: The Priest, Adorable Adventures, ZPF, Nullstar: Solus, MonsterBlast Infinity, Midnight Swamp, Tale of Dark Lands, and Formula Legends: Formula E - Electric Evolution.

Keeping players playing is getting harder as player attention fragments and expectations rise, so understanding churn has become a core live-ops competency. Host Devin Becker sits down with Elad Levy, Founder & CTO of Dive, to break down how churn is defined (and when it's actually “permanent”), the behavioral signals that players are drifting toward the exit, and the underlying causes teams can often address before it's too late. They dig into practical interventions from in-session nudges, to win-back campaigns as well as what reacquisition can realistically accomplish. The conversation wraps with the dumbest reason players quit, the single most important retention move, and a game Elad thinks nails it.We'd like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.com/.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Website

This show has been flagged as Explicit by the host. New hosts There were no new hosts this month. Last Month's Shows Id Day Date Title Host 4630 Fri 2026-05-01 Playing Civilization V, Part 11 Ahuka 4631 Mon 2026-05-04 HPR Community News for April 2026 HPR Volunteers 4632 Tue 2026-05-05 Hackerpublic Radio New Years Eve Show 2026 Episode 6 Honkeymagoo 4633 Wed 2026-05-06 Ham Radio Licence Lee 4634 Thu 2026-05-07 Upgrade Failsause operat0r 4635 Fri 2026-05-08 What did I do at work today? Part 3 Section 1 Lee 4636 Mon 2026-05-11 7 seconds memory Antoine 4637 Tue 2026-05-12 UNIX Curio #6 - at and batch Vance 4638 Wed 2026-05-13 Simple Podcasting - Episode 3 - Analyzing and Filtering Whiskeyjack 4639 Thu 2026-05-14 NLUUG Spring Conference 2026 Ken Fallon 4640 Fri 2026-05-15 Robert A. Heinlein Ahuka 4641 Mon 2026-05-18 Technical Dutch Open Source Event (T-DOSE) Ken Fallon 4642 Tue 2026-05-19 Hackerpublic Radio New Years Eve Show 2026 Episode 7 Honkeymagoo 4643 Wed 2026-05-20 HPR Beer Garden 13 - Triple IPA Kevie 4644 Thu 2026-05-21 Response to comments on HPR4424: Newsboat... Archer72 4645 Fri 2026-05-22 ZERO HOUR: FRIDAY AFTERNOON APK HACKING operat0r 4646 Mon 2026-05-25 Mobile Gaming Elsbeth 4647 Tue 2026-05-26 UNIX Curio #7 - Compression Vance 4648 Wed 2026-05-27 Simple Podcasting - Episode 4 - Audio Analysis Fun Whiskeyjack 4649 Thu 2026-05-28 What did I do at work today? Part 3 Section 2 Lee 4650 Fri 2026-05-29 Playing Civilization V, Part 12 Ahuka Comments this month Past shows hpr4424 (2025-07-17) "How I use Newsboat for Podcasts and Reddit" by Archer72. أحمد المحمودي said: "How did I find HPR" (2026-05-12 17:16:07) candycanearter07 said: "Re: How did I find HPR" (2026-05-12 19:36:04) hpr4502 (2025-11-04) "Cheap Yellow Display Project Part 3: Reverse beacon network " by Trey. Archer72 said: "Morse code" (2026-05-19 15:00:39) hpr4567 (2026-02-03) "Movie Recommendations for Hackers" by Deltaray. Antoine said: "Some watched!" (2026-05-27 03:33:12) hpr4587 (2026-03-03) "UNIX Curio #1 - Shell Archives" by Vance. Dave Morriss said: "Great reminder! I had forgotten shar" (2026-05-07 18:18:05) Vance said: "Color printing" (2026-05-08 22:02:23) hpr4607 (2026-03-31) "UNIX Curio #3 - basename and dirname" by Vance. Vance said: "Correction" (2026-05-12 01:03:12) hpr4618 (2026-04-15) "Simple Podcasting - Episode 2 - Basic Filtering" by Whiskeyjack. Henrik Hemrin said: "Generating sine wave" (2026-05-14 19:59:46) Whiskeyjack said: "Reply to Henrik Hemrin on Sine Waves in HPR4618" (2026-05-15 15:22:16) hpr4627 (2026-04-28) "UNIX Curio #5 - Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" by Vance. Steve Barnes said: "Thanks for the context!" (2026-05-21 05:28:05) hpr4628 (2026-04-29) "Nuclear Power Technology Follow Up" by Whiskeyjack. Antoine said: "o/" (2026-05-17 00:24:23) Whiskeyjack said: "Reply to Antoine on HPR4628" (2026-05-17 18:08:18) This month's shows hpr4631 (2026-05-04) "HPR Community News for April 2026" by HPR Volunteers. Whiskeyjack said: "Response to Ken Fallon in HPR4631 Community News" (2026-05-04 05:13:02) candycanearter07 said: "new episodes" (2026-05-04 18:47:39) Ken Fallon said: "new candycanearter07 episodes" (2026-05-05 09:00:00) أحمد المحمودي said: "Thanks for the encouragement" (2026-05-12 17:18:20) hpr4634 (2026-05-07) "Upgrade Failsause" by operat0r. YourName said: "Why is the audio so bad OMG sorry" (2026-05-06 20:05:43) Ken Fallon said: "Already reported and fixed" (2026-05-06 20:35:49) hpr4637 (2026-05-12) "UNIX Curio #6 - at and batch" by Vance. candycanearter07 said: "still useful!" (2026-05-13 03:43:37) norrist said: "at for scheduled reboots" (2026-05-16 19:41:04) Vance said: "Good points" (2026-05-17 03:03:47) Whiskeyjack said: "At and batch in HPR4637" (2026-05-17 18:35:11) hpr4640 (2026-05-15) "Robert A. Heinlein" by Ahuka. Antoine said: "Nice tips" (2026-05-17 00:22:01) Kevin O'Brien said: "I enjoyed doing it" (2026-05-17 19:14:19) hpr4646 (2026-05-25) "Mobile Gaming" by Elsbeth. candycanearter07 said: "my opinion of mobile gaming" (2026-05-27 00:24:58) hpr4647 (2026-05-26) "UNIX Curio #7 - Compression" by Vance. xmanmonk said: "Great Series" (2026-05-27 00:29:32) candycanearter07 said: "thoughts" (2026-05-27 13:20:13) Mailing List discussions Policy decisions surrounding HPR are taken by the community as a whole. This discussion takes place on the Mailing List which is open to all HPR listeners and contributors. The discussions are open and available on the HPR server under Mailman. The threaded discussions this month can be found here: https://lists.hackerpublicradio.com/pipermail/hpr/2026-May/thread.html Events Calendar With the kind permission of LWN.net we are linking to The LWN.net Community Calendar. Quoting the site: This is the LWN.net community event calendar, where we track events of interest to people using and developing Linux and free software. Clicking on individual events will take you to the appropriate web page. Provide feedback on this episode.

This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, May 31st. In today's issue, we dive deep into Scopely and the three titles which generate close to 95% of the company's monthly in-app revenue, examining their current states and future prospects. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/dissecting-scopelys-mobile-empire Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/ Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Constance, Savara, Directive 8020, Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, RoadOut, R-Type Dimensions III, Monster Crown: Sin Eater, Magin: The Rat Project Stories, and a major price hike for the Steam Deck.

In this episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with James Nicholls, Studio Director at Scriptic, to explore one of the most fascinating intersections emerging in entertainment today: true crime, interactive storytelling, streaming platforms, and AI-powered production. Scriptic's breakout title, Scriptic: Crime Stories, became one of the top-performing games in Netflix Games history by turning players into detectives investigating crimes through phones, voice notes, chats, and digital evidence. James breaks down how the studio built a new category they call “narrative play,” where stories come first and gameplay is designed to feel invisible, intuitive, and accessible to audiences far beyond traditional gamers.They also dive into why true crime became the perfect genre to unlock mass-market interactive storytelling, how Scriptic's TikTok strategy generated over 100 million views, and why platforms like YouTube Playables and streaming-first gaming represent a major shift in distribution. Along the way, James shares how Scriptic uses AI across its production pipeline without sacrificing human storytelling craft, and how the future of entertainment may blur the line between watching a prestige drama and stepping inside it yourself.We'd also like to thank Dive for making this episode possible! With its fully managed analytics and LiveOps platform built for game studios, 95% of their clients grow revenue in one year. All of that without having to hire an in-house data team. Learn more here: https://www.dive.games/scale/.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Who's On:Guest - James Nicholls: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-nicholls-3814759/Host - Kalie Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliemoore/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.Link Mentioned: https://www.scriptic.com/

This show has been flagged as Explicit by the host. Games Mentioned Tile Survive - https://tilesurvivegame.com/en Monopoly Go - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/monopoly-go/id1621328561 Arrows Go - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/arrows-go-arrow-puzzles/id6758326278 Apologies, Lee's mic is a bit metallic due to filtering out background noise from a fan Provide feedback on this episode.

This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, May 24th. This week, we take a closer look at Asha Sharma's progress and plans three months into her tenure as CEO of Xbox — reviewing her early moves and what she may need to do to reverse Xbox's fortunes. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/where-will-asha-sharma-take-xbox Want to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/ Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Bus Bound, Atomic Owl, Gunboat God, Dracamar, Codename: Black Crow, Smash It Wild, Under Par Golf Architect, and Sudden Strike 5.

Host Devin Becker sits down with Tom Gayner, CEO of Levellr, to dig into what it actually looks like to listen to players at scale, and how to turn the constant stream of feedback from places like Discord and Reddit into usable sentiment signals. Tom breaks down how Levellr gathers and organizes that data, what teams gain when they treat social channels as a living feedback layer, and how different communities or players tend to “slant” the conversation in different ways. They also get practical about workflows (dashboards and reports vs. hands-on collaboration), how to group feedback into meaningful player personas, when proactive outreach makes sense, where social sentiment shines (and where research methods like focus groups still matter), and what the next 3–5 years of player feedback might look like as tools, and player expectations, keep evolving.We'd like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast We'd also like to thank Neon – a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion – for making this episode possible! Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming and can help you sell direct without the typical overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavik If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This episode covers the Naavik Digest newsletter published on Sunday, May 17th. This week, we conduct a focused case study within the highly competitive Merge-2 subgenre of the casual mobile F2P market, where certain Eastern developers are now consistently out-monetizing their Western counterparts while competing for the same audience pools. You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/the-eastern-playbook-for-dominating-western-audiencesWant to explore working with Naavik? Shoot us a note: https://naavik.co/contact-us/ Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege, Casual Loop, CyberBlocker Complete Edition, The Empty Desk, Traysia, Magic Twins, THE TAG-ALONG OBSESSION, Rival Stars Horse Racing, ChildStory, PULMO, NubiaPhobia, and Pinball FX - Williams Pinball Volume 10.

Most premium games are treated like opening-weekend businesses: if they do not spike, studios cut losses and move on. This episode challenges that instinct. Alexandra Takei, VP of Platform Revenue at Medal, sits down with Ian Fielding, CEO of Super Evil Megacorp, to discuss how studios can build durable premium games, manage back catalogs, and survive as independent AA companies in a market that increasingly punishes the middle.The conversation traces SEMC's evolution from Vainglory and Catalyst Black to its current cross-platform, IP-driven chapter with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate and Bloodline. Ian explains why SEMC moved away from large-scale PvP free-to-play, how it operates a fully remote mid-size studio across multiple live titles, and why proprietary tech still gives the company an edge. The core case study is TMNT: Splintered Fate, which has grown years after launch through disciplined platform expansion, meaningful DLC, free updates, cross-play, bundles, and smart use of licensed IP. The episode ultimately explores a harder question: what does it take for an independent, multi-project studio to keep games alive, grow audience over time, and avoid betting the company on one giant moonshot?We'd like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.com/.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on May 10th, 2026. This week, we dive deep into Savvy Games Group, exploring what the Saudi Arabian gaming holding company now owns, how it's performed, and its endgame.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/inside-saudi-arabias-gaming-empireMeet with Naavik at the Nordic Game 2026: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/Jc5cl7eY Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features STICKER/BALL, Drill Core, The Coma 3: Bloodlines, The Confinement, TerraTech Legion, Elementallis, and Plantera 2: Golden Acorn. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)

In this episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with Julia Palatovska, Co-Founder and CEO of Dorian, to explore one of the most underappreciated shifts in entertainment: the convergence of user-generated content, interactive storytelling, and female-first fandoms. As microdrama consumption explodes globally, Julia argues that the real opportunity isn't just in passive viewing but in turning audiences into creators and stories into interactive, monetizable experiences. She breaks down how Dorian is building a no-code platform that enables creators from cosplayers to webcomic artists, to launch games, iterate in real time, and generate meaningful income through free-to-play mechanics typically reserved for professional studios.They also dive into why most UGC platforms fail to translate creation into commercial success, how Dorian shifted from volume to unit economics, and what it takes to build a true creator marketplace from scratch. Along the way, Julia challenges long-standing assumptions in gaming from the industry's blind spot around women players to the over-indexing on mechanics over narrative and shares why human-made content still outperforms AI in creator-driven ecosystems. The conversation ultimately paints a picture of a new kind of platform: one where the next billion-dollar IP for Gen Z women might not come from a studio, but from a solo creator with a laptop and a deeply engaged fandom.We'd also like to thank Medal.tv for making this episode possible. If you're a PC gamer and want to clip your moments or a studio, publisher, or marketer looking to reach a high-quality gaming audience and get your game in front of the right players, check out all Medal has to offer at https://grow.medal.tv.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Who's On:Guest - Julia Palatovska: https://www.linkedin.com/in/palatovska/Host - Kalie Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliemoore/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

On this week's episode of the podcast, I am joined by Phil Black, one of the co-hosts of the Game Economist Cast, a podcast dedicated to game economy design, and a consultant with Game Economist Consulting. Previously, Phil held game economist and analytics roles at Amazon Games, DICE, and Scopely. Phil is also a panelist on the This Week in Games (TWIG) podcast. Phil joins me on this episode to examine the shifting dynamics of the mobile gaming economy, from the consolidation of high-revenue genres to the strategic adoption of AI and direct-to-consumer models. Among other things, we discuss:How the concentration of mobile gaming revenue into puzzle and 4X genres reshapes the competitive landscape for independent developersWhether the integration of hyper-casual mechanics into core loops represents a fundamental evolution of the modern mobile gaming economyWhy the transition from visual AI outputs to deep personalization remains the primary value proposition for future game monetizationWhat the divergence between Android and iOS installation gates reveals about the health of the global mobile marketing ecosystemIf the rise of third-party web shops and direct-to-consumer models can effectively counteract the platform fees of major storesHow the emergence of warbonds and sampling-based monetization strategies signals a shift away from traditional battle pass reward structuresWhen the mobile gaming industry will move beyond post-ATT recovery strategiesThanks to the sponsors of this week's episode of the Mobile Dev Memo podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠INCRMNTAL⁠⁠⁠. True attribution measures incrementality, always on.Xsolla⁠. With the Xsolla Web Shop, you can create a direct storefront, cut fees down to as low as 5%, and keep players engaged with bundles, rewards, and analytics.⁠Branch⁠. Branch is an AI-powered MMP, connecting every paid, owned, and organic touchpoint so growth teams can see exactly where to put their dollars to bring users in the door and keep them coming backInterested in sponsoring the Mobile Dev Memo podcast? Contact Mobile Dev Memo advertising.The Mobile Dev Memo podcast is available on:YouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on May 3rd, 2026. This week, we examine what direction China's gaming giants are taking following the decline of the traditional Anime-Gacha ARPG model.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/beyond-gacha-why-chinas-gaming-giants-are-pivoting-to-lifestyle-sims Meet with Naavik at the Nordic Game 2026: https://naavik.typeform.com/to/Jc5cl7eY Our most recent AI x Gaming newsletter: https://naavik.substack.com/p/kraftons-radical-ai-transformation Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

The mobile gaming industry just posted record revenue ($195.6B) while simultaneously firing 44,000 developers. Here's what's actually going on.Matej Lančarič flies solo this week to break down the five stories that matter most: NTE's massive global launch, IronSource's official shutdown after one of the worst acquisitions in mobile gaming history, the State of Mobile Gaming 2026 report and what its genre data really tells us, Adam Foroughi's spicy 20VC interview, and Google's ad tech antitrust ruling that's about to reshape programmatic advertising.Five stories, one signal: the market growth is real but extremely concentrated. If you're not in the right two genres or one of the live-service giants, you're competing for table scraps.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Record revenue, record layoffs paradox00:50 NTE / Neverness to Everness global launch02:30 IronSource is officially dead — RIP $4.4B acquisition03:45 $195.6B revenue + 44K layoffs — the concentration story05:15 Adam Foroughi on 20VC — $83M payday, AI, layoffs05:45 Google ad tech antitrust ruling — what comes next06:30 Closing — the week ahead━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

This week's episode features Gambonanza, Survivor Mercs, Dread Delusion, Tiny Bookshop, Skautfold: Moonless Knight, GluMe, Ninjora Echoes, and Above Snakes. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)

In this episode, host Kalie Moore sits down with Terry Lee, CEO of Fusebox Games, to unpack one of the most overlooked but powerful business models in mobile gaming: interactive fiction built on licensed IP. While much of the industry chases scale through mechanics or ads, Fusebox has quietly built a $30M+ business by turning hit TV shows like Love Island into living, evolving games with some of the highest payer conversion rates in mobile. Terry shares how the studio transformed from a one-season-per-year content cycle into a high-frequency content machine, why writing (not tech), is their true competitive moat, and how they've engineered a system where narrative, data, and monetization continuously inform each other in real time.They also explore what makes fandoms move seamlessly between TV and games, how Fusebox approaches community (including its complicated relationship with Reddit), and why the team is expanding beyond romance-driven gameplay into broader storytelling formats with IP like Big Brother and The Traitors. Along the way, Terry offers candid insights on leadership, scaling under pressure, and navigating the role of AI in creative industries - arguing that the real advantage won't come from replacing talent, but from amplifying it.We'd also like to thank modl.ai for making this episode possible! Using a combination of computer vision, reasoning models, and feedback loops, modl:QA+ autonomously explores builds, detects bugs, and generates actionable reports that sync directly with your existing workflows. To learn more, visit modl.ai.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Who's On:Guest - Terry Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-lee-296a089/Host - Kalie Moore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliemoore/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.Links Mentioned:https://www.amazon.com/CEO-Sixteen-Lessons-Career-Level/dp/B0G49VV3R8

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 26th, 2026. This week, we dive into Unity's ongoing turnaround, the promise of Vector (its ad platform), and what comes next as AI evolves game development.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/unitys-ad-driven-turnaroundLet us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Replaced, Tides of Tomorrow, Basketball Classics, Devil Jam, Pengilo, CloverPit: Unholy Fusion, and Before Exit: Gas Station - Daylight DLC. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)

Michal Bubernik, Head of Marketing at Pixel Federation, joins Patrick Eichmann of Apptivate to discuss how AI is transforming creative production inside mobile gaming. The conversation covers how Pixel Federation scaled from producing around 10 polished creative assets per month to roughly 700 variations through AI-assisted workflows, why post-IDFA growth requires higher creative volume, and how teams can use testing systems to identify winning creatives faster. Michal and Patrick also explore leadership during technological change, overcoming fear around AI adoption, how creative teams can become proactive tool scouts, and why speed, experimentation, and adaptability now define high-performing marketing organizations. Questions addressed in this episode How did Pixel Federation scale creative production so dramatically? What changed for gaming marketers after the deprecation of IDFA? Why does AI increase output without expanding headcount? How should teams test hundreds of creative variations? What mistakes do companies make when adopting AI tools? How do leaders reduce fear around automation and job change? What does a proactive creative culture look like in 2026? How should marketers think about speed versus polish? Timestamps 0:00 — Introduction and Michal Bubernik's background in gaming marketing 0:32 — Pixel Federation overview and flagship train games 0:56 — Michal's leadership role and managing the marketing team 1:34 — Team size, in-house creative structure, and collaboration 2:14 — How IDFA changes impacted gaming marketers 2:53 — From 10 creatives a month to 700 variations 4:05 — Internal AI tools versus best-in-market external tools 5:28 — How large-scale creative testing works in practice 6:51 — Biggest mistakes teams make with AI adoption 8:10 — Fear, resistance, and job security concerns around AI 10:24 — Leadership advice for marketers behind on AI 11:20 — Lightning round begins 12:24 — Where to learn more about Pixel Federation 12:53 — Closing remarks Quotes (2:22) “I think IDFA deprecation has impacted every single company in the mobile free-to-play industry.” (6:51) “With AI, it's moving forward so fast that the only mistake you can make is not testing it in every way you can.” (10:50) “Don't be afraid to try at least one AI tool -- and you will see how much it can help you.” Mentioned in this episode Pixel Federation Michal Burbernik

Host Devin Becker sits down with Nicolas Vizioli (Founder of Lemonade) to unpack what “AI coding for UGC in Roblox” actually looks like in practice, ranging from how Lemonade plugs into Roblox workflows to why Roblox is a uniquely interesting target compared to broader “vibe coding” for apps. Nicolas shares early results, where the product is (and isn't) competitive with Roblox's native tools, and how AI-assisted development has changed over the time he's been building in this space. They also zoom out to where AI fits across UGC platforms, what impact it's already having on Roblox creators, and what needs to happen, both technically and culturally, to reach the next phase of AI-powered UGC game development.We'd like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast We'd also like to thank Neon – a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion – for making this episode possible! Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming and can help you sell direct without the typical overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavik If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 19th, 2026. We examine the exploding number of mobile games made with AI, exploring how advances in generative AI and vibe coding are affecting the market and whether these additions are still just “AI slop” games.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/is-the-era-of-mobile-ai-slop-games-hereSensor Tower's Action & Strategy Report: https://sensortower.com/report/gaming-deep-dive-action-and-strategy?utm_source=naavik&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=&utm_content=newsletterNaavik's AI x Gaming newsletter's first issue: https://naavik.substack.com/p/navigating-ais-execution-era-in-gaming  Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Ereban: Shadow Legacy, Order 13, Manairons, Don't Mess With Bober, Manafinder, The Coin Game, and the Ready or Not "Boiling Point" DLC. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)

It can feel like modern game development competes to ship the best game with the smallest possible team. We constantly hear stories about breakout titles built by a handful of developers, but that narrative is often incomplete. Behind many “tiny teams” sits a much larger layer of co-development, outsourcing, and external support across engineering, art, QA, localization, and more. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, VP at Medal, sits down with Ninel Anderson, founder and CEO of Devoted Studios, to go under the hood of that hidden layer of game development. The two unpack what co-development actually is, where the line sits between co-dev and outsourcing, and why a risk-averse market has pushed more studios toward fractional resourcing and flexible external partnerships. They also discuss a core misconception in the market: that external partners are mainly about finding cheaper labor, when in reality the real advantage often comes from better pipelines, stronger process design, and access to the right talent globally. Finally, the episode explores how Devoted thinks about staffing and capacity, and why communication training is core to the company's culture.We'd also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.com/.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 12th, 2026. We dig into the past, present, and future of music games – exploring the nuances of licensing, mobile winners, Fortnite's music evolution, Duolingo's new focus, the upcoming launch of Stage Tour, and more.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/music-games-and-the-setlist-problem Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Absolum, Trash Goblin, ChainStaff, Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, Hotel Barcelona, and Incantation. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)

Host Devin Becker sits down with Aaron Bush (Managing Partner & Co-founder of Naavik) for a grounded look at how games are using AI today, separating real production wins from the hype. They map where the industry is right now and then dig into concrete examples across the pipeline: Capcom's ideation and efficiency gains, Pearl Abyss using placeholder assets during development on Crimson Desert, Embark and Nexon's work across experiential data, coding, and voice, and Krafton's experiments with AI co-playable characters and workflow optimization. The conversation also covers the less glamorous (but high-impact) uses like Live Ops content production in mobile (story, levels, art, balance, cutscenes), automated QA like King's AI testing for Candy Crush Saga, rapid prototyping, and the broader tooling layer that's reshaping how games get made.We'd like to thank Medal.tv for making this episode possible. If you're a PC gamer and want to clip your moments or a studio, publisher, or marketer looking to reach a high-quality gaming audience and get your game in front of the right players, check out all Medal has to offer at https://grow.medal.tv.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co. Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe

This is the audio version of the Naavik Digest newsletter published on April 5th, 2026. We explore Epic Game's strategic shake-up in the wake of its latest layoffs, including its reorientation on UGC creators, Fortnite's stagnation, the looming Disney IP implementation, and what else may come next.You can read the newsletter (with even more sections and visual detail) here: https://www.naavik.co/digest/epics-strategic-shake-up Let us know what you think by sending us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch our episodes: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

This week's episode features Super Meat Boy 3D, Overthrown, ICARUS: Console Edition, Grind Survivors, Just Deserts, Docked, Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor, and (barely any) Realpolitiks II. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)

This week's episode features some more thoughts on the current state of the industry and bunch of games--including Royal Revolt Survivors, Moto Rush Reborn, Sands of Aura, City Hunter, Laysara: Summit Kingdom, Adventurous Slime, and Space Hulk: Deathwing. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)

This week's episode features some thoughts on the current state of gaming discourse, a plan to change, and bunch of games--including Minishoot' Adventures, Death Howl, Demon Tides, Defending Camelot - Tower Defense Action, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered, and The Low Road. Anyway and as always, thank you for watching or listening, I hope you enjoy this here episode, and I hope you have a wonderful wonderful rest of your day. (And if you haven't already, or are a listener and not a watcher, please like, subscribe, hit the bell, and all that jazz; it may not seem like much, but it goes a long way in helping support the show and site in general. I would appreciate it greatly.)