The Hunt for hybrid casual, Captain Hook of Creatives, Google Apocalypse (#92)

This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session #92. 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 Youtube: https://youtu.be/wgTV8NEkyrQ Join our slack channel here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-235cralar-rzJNo5gNa~yrYrrun7PDjQ

Agenda

00:00 Epic Intro and Subscriber Growth

03:44 Technical shenanigans

04:36 The Hunt for Hybrid Casual Games

13:20 Tower defense game from SayGames

19:02 The Google Ad Monetization Revolution

28:15 Announcement of Captain Hook Awards

30:40 Review of Monopoly Go Creative

31:28 Review of Hero Wars Creative

35:16 Review of Age of Apes Creative

36:30 Good hook can dramatically decrease your CPIs

37:18 My Perfect Hotel No wifi hook

38:29 Review of Candy Crush Creative

39:59 Review of Kingdom Guard Creative

42:32 Review of Whiteout Survival Creative

48:12 Discussion of the Best Hooks

50:51 Discussion of Weird and Sexist Creatives

52:58 PGC London Talks

53:15 PGC Takeover and Party

53:42 Partnership with Games Forum

54:00 New Year Greetings --------------------------------------- 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

We have experienced significant growth in their subscriber base.

The hunt for hybrid casual games is a major trend in the industry, with companies like Habby, Voodoo, and Crazy Labs leading the way.

Google's recent changes in ad monetization have had a significant impact on publishers, particularly the end of a popular ad monetization hack.

The revenue profiles of different game studios vary, with some experiencing growth and others facing challenges. Hooks play a crucial role in driving user acquisition and can significantly reduce CPIs.

The best hooks are those that are unique, attention-grabbing, and seamlessly connected to the gameplay.

Creatives that use real-life footage or well-known celebrities can be highly effective in capturing users' attention.

Weird and sexist creatives should be avoided as they can negatively impact the brand image and user perception.

Matej will be speaking at PGC London and invite listeners to attend their talks.

There will be a party organized by 2.5gamers during PGC London.

The podcast has partnered with Games Forum and will have a live session at the conference.

We wish you a happy New Year.

--------------------------------------- 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

Felix Latest Article - https://www.felixbraberg.com/post/the-end-of-gam-and-admob-placement-refreshes