Gaming Is Becoming The Commerce Layer

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 87th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s show we discuss:- How Unity is copying the AppLovin playbook by shedding its publishing division Supersonic to focus on the Vector growth story.- The Ninth Circuit's decision to deny Apple's rehearing request in the Epic Games App Store dispute.- The February mobile game charts.- Sonic Rumble's quiet rebrand to Sonic Rumble Party.- Fire Emblem Shadows' slow start to life.00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates07:21 Unity's Strategic Shift in Advertising11:13 Sonic Rumble's Rebranding and Performance Analysis16:52 Apple vs. Epic Games: Legal Updates and Implications19:36 Fire Emblem Shadows Analysis23:32 February Mobile Game Charts Insights** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

This episode is brought to you in partnership with GameAnalytics. PocketGamer.biz Podcast hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Falko Boecker, Head of BD & Customer Success at GameAnalytics, to explore a hard truth about the industry:Studios are not short on data.They are short on clarity.Across rising UA costs, privacy shifts, AI disruption and tighter margins, one thing has become non-negotiable: teams must make better decisions, faster.But collecting data is not the same as using it well.Falko brings a rare perspective, having worked across journalism, publishing and business development before moving into analytics. His mission has always been to connect creative thinkers with the business side of games, and data is now the bridge.In this conversation, we unpack:Why “data maturity” is not the same as “data sophistication”Where studios get stuck when trying to think full funnelWhy infrastructure matters less than mindsetHow segmentation moves teams beyond surface-level metricsWhat actually changes between pre-launch and live opsWhy Roblox and fast-moving ecosystems are redefining how teams react to player behaviourOne of the most important takeaways:Data does not replace creativity. It sharpens it.As Falko explains, analytics should not be a black box owned by specialists. It should be accessible across design, product and marketing so teams can align around shared goals instead of siloed assumptions.We also explore how AI is beginning to shift analytics from reactive dashboards to proactive insight, and where humans still need to drive the decisions.If you are building a game in 2026, this episode is a reminder that success is not about having more dashboards.It is about asking better questions.** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 87th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s show we discuss:The Epic layoffs and how that reframes its Google settlement and years of court battles to reduce mobile platform fees and remove anti-steering policies.Savvy Games Group's CEO Brian Ward's thoughts on M&A, China and rising Eastern influence.Duolingo's experiments with a tool to lock other apps until daily lessons are complete.Our big interview about the development of Wuthering Waves.Roblox's decision to take a slice of in-game brand deals with creators under new advertising rules.Savvy's acquisition of Mobile Legends developer Moonton from ByteDance.** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter -   / pgbiz  👉🏻 LinkedIn Group -   / pocketgamer-biz  👉🏻 Facebook -   / pgbiz  👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-5...👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 86th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s show we discuss:- Final thoughts on GDC week and the future of the show.- The recent Google and Epic deal, plus what Epic Games Store GM Steve Allison had to tell us about it.- A visit to King's London studio and comments on its former midcore ambitions.- The BAFTAs continues to sideline mobile games. Are publishers to blame?- PEGI's decision expands age ratings to cover loot boxes and in-game spending.- Fortnite returns to Google Play.** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

Recorded on location at Pocket Gamer Connects London, host Peggy Anne Salz sits down with Berkley Egenes, CMO at Xsolla, to examine a structural shift in the industry.Gaming is no longer just entertainment. It is becoming the commerce layer connecting developers, brands, platforms and players.Xsolla’s recent rebrand reflects that evolution — moving beyond payments to enable publishing, distribution, promotions and marketplace infrastructure designed to help developers launch, grow and win.In this conversation, Peggy and Berkley break down:Why D2C is now a strategic pillar, not a workaroundHow casual games are outperforming expectations in web shop adoptionWhy Southeast Asia is accelerating faster than many Western marketsHow brands, telecoms and super apps are converging around gamingWhat happens when commerce, loyalty and gameplay start to mergeAs Berkley puts it, the stereotype of the “gamer” is gone. Everyone is a gamer. That makes gaming the most powerful engagement layer in digital culture.When attention lives in games, commerce follows.This episode explores why the next phase of growth may depend less on transactions inside the app — and more on orchestrating an ecosystem around it.Chapters00:00 The Evolving Identity of the Gamer00:40 Xsolla’s Mission in Video Game Commerce02:53 Exploring Growth in Southeast Asia05:07 Unique Ad Experiences and Monetization07:07 Integrating Non-Endemic Brands into Gaming09:23 Insights from the Xsolla Report14:41 The Future of the Gaming IndustryLet's Connect👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In Part 2 of this two-part PocketGamer.biz special, host Peggy Anne Salz continues her conversation with Jon Radoff — CEO of Beamable and one of the early architects of online game infrastructure, long before LiveOps became a discipline and games-as-a-service became the norm.If Part 1 examined why backend now determines competitive advantage, Part 2 tackles the macro reality reshaping every studio’s growth strategy.Installs have plateaued. Time spent has stabilised. Revenue growth is no longer coming from incremental user acquisition, but from deeper monetisation of existing players. Sensor Tower calls this the “monetisation-first” era, and the message is clear: scale alone is no longer enough.As Jon puts it: “Games is a services business now. You don’t ship a product and walk away. You run it.”In this episode, Peggy and Jon unpack what that actually means in practice:• Why value per player now matters more than volume • How retention, loyalty and operational excellence have become the real growth levers • Where monetisation systems, competition frameworks and identity infrastructure reinforce each other • Why partnership can become a strategic advantage rather than a loss of control • Where AI lowers operational barriers — and where trusted infrastructure remains essentialThis conversation makes one thing explicit: in a monetisation-first environment, infrastructure is not plumbing. It is strategy.Together, these two episodes explain not just what the Skillz–Beamable integration represents, but why developers who adapt to this new growth model will be structurally better positioned over the next cycle.Chapters00:00 - Content That Would Never See the Light of Day00:42 - Democratize Game Development01:26 - Wild West Experience02:49 - Understand Roblox03:07 - Lesson for the Broader Game Industry04:28 - Co-creation with Your Player Population06:58 - Skillz and Beamable09:08 - Building Your Own 3D Engine10:44 - Exclusively Creative Industry13:40 - English Language Programming17:48 - Unique Technical Architecture of Games22:57 - The "1 + 1 Equals 3" MergerLet's Connect👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In this PocketGamer.biz episode, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Craig Chapple sit down with Francesca ReDavid, VP of Product Growth at Mistplay, and Aaron Thandi, Chief Commercial Officer, to examine how rewarded is evolving in what many are calling the monetisation-first era.For years, rewarded functioned primarily as a UA lever, driving installs and early engagement at scale. But growth dynamics have shifted. Installs have plateaued. Revenue is concentrating deeper in the player journey. Studios are now under pressure to increase lifetime value, not just acquisition volume.That shift forces a rethink.Mistplay is preparing to launch a new feature called Playtime Events, designed to combine time-based rewards with contextual in-game milestones. The goal is structural: align rewarded mechanics more closely with how games actually drive engagement and monetisation.Rather than rewarding time alone, this approach ties incentives to meaningful progression points inside the game experience.The testing that led to this shift is significant.In this episode, you’ll hear:Why rewarded can no longer operate as a simple traffic channelHow hybrid playtime-plus-task testing drove a 30% lift in playtime and a 20% increase in D30 ROASWhy RPG and strategy titles exposed the limits of generic reward structuresHow contextual milestones can reinforce progression loops rather than distract from themWhat UA, AdMon and Product teams must rethink as monetisation becomes the growth engineAs Francesca explains, rewarded increasingly needs to function as a companion to gameplay — embedded in progression, not layered on top of it.For studios navigating deeper engagement cycles in 2026, this episode explores why the next phase of rewarded will be defined less by installs and more by alignment with monetisation mechanics.Chapters00:00 Driving High Performance and Quality Experience01:34 The Monetization-First Era04:01 Rewarding High-Quality Users05:56 Defining Rewarded07:50 The History of Mistplay in Rewarded11:34 Rewarded No Longer a Source of Cheap Traffic15:12 Time Spent as a Key Indicator29:39 Playtime and In-Game Events33:38 Playtime Plus Task Mechanics48:02 Rewarded's Future: Personalization and ML** Let's Connect **👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

In Part 1 of this two-part PocketGamer.biz special, hosts Peggy Anne Salz and Brian Baglow sit down with Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable and an OG architect of online game infrastructure, building persistent systems long before “LiveOps” became a job title, to examine a shift many studios still underestimate.The pressure is real: move faster, iterate based on real player behaviour and extend lifetime value without burning runway.Studios know they need LiveOps. They know they need scale. What they often underestimate is where competitive advantage is now determined.Drawing on decades of building and operating live online games, Jon explains why infrastructure decisions can quietly shape, or sabotage, everything that follows.Peggy, Brian and Jon explore what Skillz’s acquisition of Beamable’s backend and LiveOps technology means for developers, and how bringing together competition systems, identity, payments and scalable backend services can reduce operational risk while freeing teams to focus on what actually differentiates their game.The hard truth: “If you’re spending any of your effort building the tech instead of the fun, you’re accumulating debt that doesn’t do you any good.”Jon makes the case for treating infrastructure as a strategic lever rather than a technical burden and for recognising that games are no longer products you ship, but businesses you operate.In this episode, you’ll understand:Why velocity and behavioural signal now outweigh feature roadmapsHow backend decisions directly impact runway, trust and long-term scalabilityWhat unified competition, identity and LiveOps systems unlock for 20-person studiosWhy socially connected mechanics are no longer reserved for massive teamsHow creator-driven ecosystems like Roblox are resetting player expectationsPart 1 closes on a pivotal idea: monetisation matters, but creativity at scale is the multiplier.In Part 2, the focus shifts outward to the macro forces shaping the industry and why we have entered what Sensor Tower calls the “monetisation-first” era.Chapters0:00 Game of Thrones Content Delivery Challenges3:17 Why Developers Shouldn't Build a Backend3:36 Aiming High and Iterating Rapidly4:23 Driving Engagement Through Content and Events9:10 The Number One Challenge: Velocity9:38 The Second Problem: Lack of Evidence12:07 The Need for Both Speed and Evidence16:15 Monetization as a Design Decision19:33 Embracing the Social Fabric in Games23:42 Creating a Regular Content Cadence and EventsLet's Connect👉🏻 X - https://x.com/pgbiz 👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/pocketgamer-biz/?originalSubdomain=uk 👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz Check out more world-class speakers sharing their insights and expertise at one of our events. You can find details of our next event here - https://www.pgconnects.com/next-event

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 85th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s show we discuss:- The Xbox leadership changes and what it means for Microsoft's games division.- Pokémon's 30th anniversary.- The UK ASA's decision to issue an enforcement notice on loot box transparency for mobile game ads and store listings.- Blizzard's reveal of Overwatch Rush - Another MOBA?!- Our big interview with the director of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby movie.** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com

PocketGamer.biz head of content Craig Chapple, deputy editor Paige Cook and news editor Aaron Astle talk through the latest games industry news on the 84th episode of the Week in Mobile Games Podcast.On this week’s show we discuss:Scopely's big deal for Pixel Flow developer Loom Games.The January 2026 mobile game revenue and download charts.Matthew Ball's State of Video Gaming 2026 report.Pokémon Go's PvP revamp.The closure of Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile's servers set for April 2026.The fall of Unity's shares by 91% since November 2021.** Let's Connect **👉🏻 Twitter - https://twitter.com/pgbiz👉🏻 LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/pocketgamer-biz/👉🏻 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PGbiz👉🏻 Website - https://www.pocketgamer.biz 👉🏻 Pocket Gamer Connects - https://www.pgconnects.com👉🏻Pocket Gamer Connects Speaker Submission form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoS5n-vdHu6aU-2d_rR7x1FAgewG51y3nlU1aB8RdetiKaGw/viewform👉🏻 The Top 50 Mobile Game Makers 2025 - https://www.pocketgamer.biz/the-top-50-mobile-game-makers-of-2025/👉🏻 Download the PocketGamer.biz Mobile Games Developer Trends Survey Winter 2024/25 report - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3tbjUxVkG17CuHHljMblfmUC3DZ6gNAzV8qiz8bAALUXSvQ/viewform👉🏻 Join the AI Gamechangers newsletter - https://aigamechangers.substack.com