Pocket Champs live review: Exceptional growth, Clever game design, Ads playbook w/Arthur Michel (94)

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session #94. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously. Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠, Arthur Michel Youtube: https://youtu.be/4yhTGKmL3Ds Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-29stniv6f-oLJzhx2U_mRB_ppXnJ9hvQ

Madbox is recruiting in Live Games, New Games, Data and Automation: madbox.io/jobs Agenda 00:00 Epic Intro

02:04 Discovery and Initial Impressions of Pocket Champs

04:09 Game Design and Core Gameplay Mechanics

09:52 Progression Systems and Collection Building

16:47 Matchmaking and Player Experience

23:49 Evolution of the Game and Key Features

28:20 Improvements and Challenges in Progression Systems

32:52 Interstitial Ads and Ad Monetization

33:52 Rewarded Placements and Clever Design Features

35:20 No Banner Ads and Focus on In-App Purchases

37:25 Controlling Interstitial Ad Frequency and Bid Floors

39:19 Estimated Ad Revenue and ECPMs

40:57 Experimenting with Interstitial Ads

47:05 Indirect Integration of Ad-Related Missions

49:03 Positive Feedback on Creatives and Innovations

50:28 Gates Creatives and Unique Icons

53:28 Exploring Deeper Progression System

56:06 Ad Networks and Spend Estimates

57:41 Long-Term Retention and Future Plans

01:02:59 Overall Assessment and Room for Improvement

01:06:51 Game Production Philosophy and Purposeful Feature Integration

01:07:27 Finding Features that Enhance Player Experience

01:08:14 Passion and Creativity in Game Design --------------------------------------- Matej Lancaric User Acquisition & Creatives Consultant ⁠https://lancaric.me Felix Braberg Ad monetization consultant ⁠https://www.felixbraberg.com Jakub Remiar Game design consultant ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubremiar --------------------------------------- Takeaways Pocket Champs features strategic decision-making in gear selection and offers a balance between player input and automated gameplay.

The game's progression systems, such as the trophy road and events, provide short and midterm objectives for players.

Matchmaking in Pocket Champs is challenging due to the low skill involvement, but efforts are made to create a meaningful player experience.

The game's monetization strategies, including offers and battle passes, are designed to provide value and maintain a robust economy.

Continuous iteration and risk-taking are essential for game updates to keep the player base engaged and the game fun for the long term. Game development teams should have ownership and control over their games.

When adding new features, it is crucial to consider their purpose and how they connect with the existing game.

Finding features that make sense and enhance the player experience requires time, iteration, and creative work.

Passion is essential in game design and development. --------------------------------------- Please share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it! Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple! Please share feedback and comments - [email protected] --------------------------------------- If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lancaric.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter by Matej Lancaric Latest article - https://open.substack.com/pub/lancaric/p/stay-ahead-in-ua-for-2024-my-top?r=7qqaf&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true Do you have UA questions nobody can answer? Ask ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matej AI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - the First UA AI in the gaming industry! https://lancaric.me/matej-ai