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PODCAST

Naavik Gaming Podcast

The Naavik Gaming Podcast is a business-focused exploration of the companies, trends, strategies and leaders that are defining the future of games. To learn more and see other great content visit www.naavik.co.

business video games

All Episodes

60:12

Games for Good

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/06/18

Games are a force for fun, but what if they could be a force for good, too? We sit down with Laura Carter, the founder of Longleaf Valley developer TreesPlease Games, and Jenny Xu, founder of Run Legends developer Talofa Games, to discuss launching and fundraising for studios with corporate social responsibility missions. Are green games sustainable, and which business models work when you have a “third” actor sharing the bottom line? STEPN created a craze for running games, but how does

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71:40

Embracer Restructuring / Apple’s AR / Not-E3 Week

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/06/16

In this week's Roundtable, we discuss the biggest news from the Not-E3 showcases hosted by major game publishers like Microsoft and Ubisoft. We also debate if Embracer’s announced restructuring will help the company in the long run. Other topics on the agenda include whether the FTC can stop Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard at the last second, the gritty details on how hurdle rates could be influencing investments, and what impact Apple’s Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3 might

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70:43

Our Most Anticipated Web3 Games

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/06/11

Piers Kicks, founding partner of Delphi Ventures and venture partner at BITKRAFT, joins host Aaron Bush to discuss their most anticipated web3 games. The duo also discuss the realities of leaving school early to kickstart investing careers and how the best modern-day founders are different from previous eras, followed by a fun game to capture Piers’ pulse on a variety of gaming and web3 topics.To learn more, make sure to check out Piers’ essay Into the Void: Where Crypto Meets the Metaverse

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72:11

MENA Region Growth / Supercell’s Dueling Betas / SEC...

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/06/09

In this week’s Roundtable, Huuuge Games' Q1 results provide us with some insight into the ongoing impact of user acquisition changes on the mobile gaming business. We also tackle the driving force behind the growth surge in the MENA region’s gaming and esports sectors and Supercell's uncharacteristic release strategy with its betas for Flood Rush and Squad Busters. Lastly, we wrap up by discussing the rationale behind EA's decision to integrate Nike NFTs into its sports games, as well as

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61:03

Building an RPG for Web3 With Azra Games

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/06/06

Azra Games has raised more than just about any other web3 game developer — with a $25 million seed round led by a16z — to build its ambitious vision for what the company is calling a “web3-sensitive” RPG. Founder & CEO Mark Otero joins your host, Niko Vuori, to talk about why he sees RPGs as a good fit for web3, how Azra is incorporating NFTs and web3 elements into their game design, and how they see the current web3 gaming environment evolving.To learn more, make sure to visit

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55:49

Can Esport Leagues Be Profitable?

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/06/04

The esports world is starting to teeter, the NYT wrote last month. Today, we get perspective on whether that’s true or not. Evil Geniuses is an esports organization with over 14 million followers across the globe, and it harkens back to the 90s when it was known as Quake Clan in Canada. We sit down with Nicole LaPointe Jameson, a CEO with an insatiable consumer passion for gaming but also a background in distressed assets — or in normal person speak, companies that desperately need

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62:32

Sony’s Showcase / Capcom’s Resurgence / NVIDIA’s AI Demo

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/06/02

Sony showcased new games, PSVR 2, and an emphasis on live service games, including Bungie bringing back its original franchise Marathon. We dig into Capcom’s understated recent successes, like the new Street Fighter 6 release. Does Last of Us delaying its multiplayer update mean it might end up scrapped? We take a look into what CD Projekt is up to and what the future of Cyberpunk and The Witcher could be. NVIDIA provided a brief glimpse at AI dialogue in games, but how realistic was it

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69:42

Embracer’s Deal Collapse / Take-Two & Ubisoft...

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/26

New regions approve Microsoft’s bid for Activision Blizzard, but the saga isn’t over yet. Another former DICE member starts a studio. How did Axie Infinity finally manage to make it onto iOS, and will it succeed? Embracer loses a huge partnership deal. How will Mortal Kombat 1 fare against the upcoming slate of fighting games? What do the numbers behind Take-Two and Ubisoft’s earnings say about their future plans? Join us for all the latest games business news with Matt Dion, Aaron Bush,

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65:39

What Will the Saga Phone Do For Web3?

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/23

In this episode, we dive into the frustrations of bringing web3 experiences to mobile platforms and explore a unique solution that Solana has taken: building their own phone, the Saga phone.Your host, Niko Vuori, speaks with Laura Shen, the marketing lead for Solana Mobile, to learn more about the Saga phone and its significance. We explore the challenges of mobile-unfriendly web3, including app store restrictions, and the importance of making web3 accessible on mobile devices to drive mass

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65:13

Amazon's New MMO / Google Shows Off AI / Cross...

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/19

How did Zelda outsell Harry Potter? Why is Amazon trying another Lord of the Rings MMO? Google shows off new AI tech, and cross-platform gaming shows some interesting trends. Join us for all the latest games business news with Maria Gillies, Dave Elton, Sebastian Park, and host Devin Becker.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a market and competitive intelligence tool for tracking the mobile games industry, monitoring KPIs,

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28:54

5 Reflections Since Founding Naavik

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/14

Today’s episode is a bit different. One of our interviews fell through, but instead of skipping an episode Naavik’s co-founder and podcast host, Aaron Bush, decided to pick up the mic and roll solo. Aaron discusses five reflections since founding Naavik – about leadership, learning from other industries, what makes the games industry special, and where we are going next. We also want to learn about what your major reflections have been since joining the games industry, no matter what your

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74:45

Sega + Rovio Plans / Stillfront + Playtika Earnings...

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/12

What is Sega's strategy for Rovio? What do the earnings reports for Playtika and Stillfront say about their acquisition methods and growth? Can TreesPlease build a profitable game around planting real life trees? How can Microsoft compete with Sony's recent console success? Join us for all the latest games business news with Abhimanyu Kumar, Tammy Levy, David Kaye, and host Devin Becker.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a

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70:52

How Yuga Labs is Defining the Future of Web3 Gaming

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/09

Q: Where does an 800-pound ape get its game on? A: Anywhere it wants to. Having launched some of the biggest NFT collections (including of course Bored Ape Yacht Club), acquired some of the biggest NFT collections (including CryptoPunks and Meebits), raised $450 million from a16z and broken all kinds of web3 records since inception, Yuga is ready to get its game on. It now wants to show the world what web3 gaming can really be, having hired some of the biggest names from Epic Games,

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61:53

Founding Funds, Paths to Partner, and Glass Ceilings

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/07

Holly Liu is the co-founder of Kabam and now managing partner and co-founder of PKO, a collective investing in tech and entertainment. Phylicia Koh is a partner at Play Ventures, a games VC with ~$250M AUM. Today we learn how these two phenomenal games people founded funds, exited companies, and ascended to partner as well as a definitional layout of the structure of the investing world. Furthermore we shade this all under the fundamental reality that venture capital is still very much a

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82:13

Microsoft Acquires Speedbumps / Apple’s Legal Victory...

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/05/05

In this episode, we discuss Microsoft's acquisition challenges, Apple's win against Epic, and the impact of record-breaking successes in the Mario Bros movie and MiHoYo's latest mobile game. We also explore how Mythical's latest mobile game is expanding the audience for web3 and the effect of ever-expanding game development costs on the industry. Join us for all the latest games business news with Aaron Bush, Anil Das-Gupta, Jonathan Anastas, and host Devin Becker.Also, a big thanks to

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47:09

Interoperability, Game Ecosystems and Web3

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/04/25

Interoperability between game ecosystems and economies has been held up as a possibility that is opened up by decentralized protocols, blockchain technologies and web3 - but until now, it has mostly been a pipedream rather than a reality. But now two web3 companies, metaverse avatar developer Ready Player Me and open-world shooter developer Faraway Games, have partnered up to deliver on the promise of interoperable game worlds. Your host, Niko Vuori, chats with Alex Paley, Founder &

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59:11

The Tabletop Renaissance

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/04/23

Jane Chung Hoffaker is an Emmy winning executive producer for League of Legends’ Arcane Series that’s now embarking on a new adventure: building a board game startup called Incredible Dream Studios. We’re throwing it back to the days of yore, discussing what makes a good board game, what’s easier and harder in development vs. video games, whether AAA underutilizes board games in franchising and expanding their IP, and some of the business model impacts of running a COGS intensive business

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69:23

Sega Acquires Rovio for $776M / Niantic’s New Games /...

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/04/21

Sega swoops in to acquire Rovio, but are they the right buyer? Niantic announced more licensed games, but will these reach Pokemon Go levels? We dig into what Netflix’s latest hire says about its ambition, and what exactly is going on in web3 now that things are quieter. Dive into the latest games business news with Aaron Bush, Matt Dion, David Amor and your host Devin Becker.Also, a big thanks to data.ai for supporting all of Naavik's mobile data needs. If your team requires a market and

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70:49

The State of Esports, UGC, and Venture Capital

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/04/16

Today’s episode is an interview with Sebastian Park, an ex-esports executive who is now co-founder of Infinite Canvas (creating and acquiring UGC games) and a venture partner at BITKRAFT. We dive into the trifecta of Sebastian’s background: esports, UGC games, and venture capital. Why are so many esports teams crumbling, and where’s the industry going next? What are Sebastian’s early impressions of the Unreal Editor for Fortnite? And how is the explosion in venture capital both good and

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69:20

Mario Movie / Dream Games / Scopely Acquisition /...

Naavik Gaming Podcast ·

2023/04/14

What does the Mario movie mean for games? What is Dream Games follow-up to Royal Match? Where does Phillip La go after Sky Mavis? Was the Scopely acquisition a good deal? What does Sony’s cloud hires say about its strategy? What crazy thing has AI done now? Dive into the latest games business news with Aaron Bush, Anil Das-Gupta, Tammy Levy and your host Devin Becker.00:00 - Start01:43 - The Super Mario Bros Movie goes super09:05 - Dream Games has a new game22:42 - Phillip La leaves Sky

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407 results

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