Immutable’s Web3 Roadmap for 2024

GRID has seen the value of data in esports since 2018 thanks to Founder and CEO Moritz Maurer's direct experience in the scene. Working directly with game developers, GRID is able to surface unmatched competitive game data from some of the biggest games like League of Legends, DotA 2, Valorant, PUBG, and Rainbow 6: Siege. GRID is leveling up the understanding of competitive player and match data for players, teams, esports organizations, and even the game developers themselves. With its Open Access initiative, GRID is democratizing data access to help improve the esports landscape for everyone. Join your host Devin Becker as he explores the present and future of esports infrastructure with Moritz Maurer.

We’d also like to thank Windwalk for making this episode possible! Windwalk builds digital communities and the technologies necessary to accelerate them through their flagship software, Harbor. To learn more, simply head to https://www.harbor.gg/

And if you’d like to meet GRID at GDC, head on down to booth S568 or visit their website.

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.

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Neopets has always been a metaverse, says Dominic Law, CEO of The World of Neopia. If you were born prior to the 2000s, you’ll remember how much Neopets took the internet world by storm. By 2011, Neopets had 35M unique users, amassed 1 trillion page views, and was responsible for compelling an entire generation of children to internet proficiency and adoption. Not only that, but Neopets was free to play (before free to play), UGC (before UGC), web3-esque (before the blockchain), and a product placement paradise containing immersive ads all the way back in 2005. The rise and fall (and hopeful rise again) of Neopets contains a treasure trove of knowledge around community management, social gaming adoption, digital identity, user generated content, and the life cycle of products and businesses. As Neopets approaches its 25 Year Anniversary, join your host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, as she speaks with Dominic about the parallels between Neopets and Roblox today, the history of multiple management teams over the course 25 years, and what Neopets is doing to rebuild a long lost IP. 

We’d also like to thank Nexus for making this episode possible! Nexus’s creator program in-a-box makes it easy for game devs to build and manage a world-class creator program, driving significant growth in conversion, ARPPU, retention, and LTV. To learn more, go to http://nexus.gg/naavik 

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In this week's Roundtable, the squad unpacks the seismic impact of Nintendo's legal victory, securing a $2.4M settlement against the Switch emulator Yuzu, a move that has dramatically reshaped the emulation landscape. We then pivot to Netflix's strategic foray into gaming, spotlighting its latest coup in bringing the critically acclaimed indie darling Hades to mobile platforms, signaling a deeper commitment to integrating premium gaming into its ecosystem. The conversation shifts to the ever-evolving acquisitions landscape, including the recent sales of Saber Interactive's and Jagex, which hints at private equity's growing role in the gaming industry's future. Amid the flurry of industry upheavals, we also take a moment to shine a light on the positive trends and standout successes that have emerged early in 2024, offering a counter-narrative to the often gloomy industry headlines. Join us for all the latest games business news with Aaron Bush, Anil Das-Gupta, and host Devin Becker.

If you’d like to speak with Naavik at GDC, please use this form to let us know! https://9r0y051mvrx.typeform.com/to/hRCVP7VN

We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.com/.

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Studio369 is preparing to launch MetalCore, an open world player-versus-player mech combat game that combines the engagement of high-quality traditional gaming with true asset ownership via web3.

It has been in the works for about three years, with the game expected to hit a closed beta by the end of March and an open beta test by May 2024. It’s being built by a team of experienced developers familiar with the mech combat genre from LucasFilm, Disney, and Activision, among others.

In this episode your host, Niko Vuori, dives into how MetalCore is integrating NFTs and digital ownership into the mech combat genre, what utility the $MCG fungible token will provide players, what it's like to build on Immutable, and more.

To get your key for Phase 2 of the closed beta, visit https://metalcore.gg. You can find Dan Nikolaides on LinkedIn.

Also, big thanks to ZEBEDEE for making this episode possible! ZEBEDEE provides a plug-and-play API and SDK for seamless integration of instant, borderless, and low-fee payments using the Bitcoin Lightning Network. Want to better engage and monetize your global user base? Start for free at https://zebedee.io/ 

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The games industry can no longer ignore the MENA region, encompassing markets like Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and more. With approximately 800 million people, a young and growing audience of gamers, expanding wealth, rising ARPUs, and emerging talent, it’s abundantly clear that MENA will be much more important to the games industry’s future than it was in the past.

To tell us more about what’s going on here, host Aaron Bush sat down with David Fernandez, CEO of Sandsoft Games. We dig into emerging trends in MENA, how global teams can maximize their success in the region, how better developing talent could change the entrepreneurial landscape, and how Sandsoft is positioning itself to become a Saudi-based global leader as a publisher and developer.

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.

Who’s On:

Guest - David Fernandez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dremesal/ 

Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ 

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In this week's Roundtable, the squad dives into the recent announcement of Age of Empires Mobile, sparking debates on whether it will meet the high expectations of its loyal fanbase or simply blend into the crowded market of 4x strategy games. We then shift gears to discuss the surprising success of Balatro, a poker roguelike game from a solo developer that turned profitable within just an hour of its release, highlighting the trend of unexpected hits in the gaming industry this year. The conversation takes a somber turn as we examine Sony's decision to lay off 900 employees, with a notable focus on PSVR developers. Lastly, we delve into the growing concerns among Apple Arcade game developers, who report a deteriorating partnership environment. Join us for all the latest games business news with Dave Elton, Felipe Mata, and host Devin Becker.

Big thanks to GRID for making this episode possible. GRID is a game data platform providing esports data infrastructure, analytics, and distribution solutions to leading game publishers including Riot Games, Ubisoft, and KRAFTON. If you're a fan, developer, or entrepreneur with an idea for a live data-powered project, make sure to apply for GRID Open Access, get free access to official data, and start creating today! To learn more, visit https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=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.

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Do you believe that XR is the future of modern entertainment? Composed of a blend of AR, MR, VR, and spatial computing, XR is a major frontier for big tech. Meta has spent $40B on Reality Labs, and Apple has launched the world’s first “spatial computer” this past month. But is it a fit for entertainment and games?

Join your host, Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, Taylor Hurst, Principal at Konvoy Ventures, and Julian Park, CEO and Co-Founder of Bezi, in an exhaustive discussion about XR and its subcomponents, company players and their competitive advantages across integrated chips, software, and hardware, gaming content being built for XR devices, debates around the the future of VR, and the underwritten priors that have to be permissible in order for the space to succeed. 

We’d also like to thank Windwalk for making this episode possible! Windwalk builds digital communities and the technologies necessary to accelerate them through their flagship software, Harbor. To learn more, simply head to https://www.harbor.gg/ 

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.

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In this week's Roundtable, the squad dives into the unexpected success of Helldivers 2, PlayStation Studios' first game to launch simultaneously on PlayStation and PC. We then shift gears to Microsoft's Xbox Business Event, which, despite its brevity, sparked a flurry of speculation regarding the company's strategy for porting "exclusives" to PlayStation. The conversation takes a critical turn as we examine the Epic Game Store's 2023 performance review, alongside Epic's maneuver to reintroduce Fortnite on iOS in Europe via its own mobile app store. Additionally, we dissect Supercell's annual public letter and debate the effectiveness of the company's strategic pivots since its last game released in 2018. This week's discussion offers a blend of analysis and insight into the evolving dynamics of game development, distribution, and the broader industry's competitive landscape. Join us for all the latest games business news with Sebastian Park, Tammy Levy, Aaron Bush, and host Devin Becker.

You can sign up for the Naavik x Betaworks NYC meetup here: https://lu.ma/3lrc2t71

We’d like to thank RallyHere for making this episode possible. RallyHere is a proven gaming backend platform and service made specifically for cross-platform live-service games. RallyHere is your one-stop-shop to streamline your development processes, increase speed to market, and optimize your post-launch live services. To learn more or schedule a demo, visit rallyhere.gg

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.

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It is no secret that web3 gaming had bit of a down year in 2023. Many studios had to shut down, and venture funding was hard to come by. But where some see a valley of despair, others see opportunity.

Midnight is scooping up talented web3 studios that have run out of funding in order to go after multiple opportunities at the same time with double AA games. 

To get a sense of the ambitious plans Midnight has for moving web3 gaming forward, your host, Niko Vuori, sat down with Steve Wade, the founder and CEO of Midnight, for an enlightening conversation. 

To learn more about Midnight, visit https://www.midnight.io/. You can find Steve Wade on LinkedIn.

This episode is brought to you by CleverTap Gaming, the all-in-one platform for creating personalized player experiences. Visit https://clevertap.com/gaming/ for more details. 

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Today’s guest is Shanti Bergel, Founding General Partner and Managing Director of Transcend Fund, which has been a top decile performer since the firm was founded in 2020.

Shanti is not just on the cutting edge of where the games industry is headed, but he’s also a veteran operator across much of the industry’s decades-long dynamism. In this episode, Shanti and host, Aaron Bush, chat through Shanti’s career at companies like EA, Gree, and FunPlus, pull out evergreen lessons learned, and then discuss his views on gaming VC. His insights about navigating platform shifts, succeeding in global expansions, becoming better at sales, and the power of startups focusing on distribution innovations are all worth learning from.

We’d also like to thank Nefta for making this episode possible. Nefta has created an advertising network that pays game publishers higher eCPMs on their iOS opt-out users and drives better results for advertisers. Learn more about how Nefta can boost your results at http://nefta.io/

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.