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Each week I compile a gaming industry insights newsletter that I publish broadly. Opinions are mine.
Hi, my name is Kenny Liu, and each week I compile a gaming industry insights newsletter that I publish broadly. Opinions are mine.
See more or subscribe at: https://tinyletter.com/kliuless
The X
The X, a weekly scavenger hunt app launched in 2018, has blown up recently thanks to TikTok
Each Saturday, a new game opens with five puzzles to solve, usually related to current events
Users coordinate with group messaging and social media to solve clues that ultimately lead to one final step at a nearby location
Everyone who makes it through all the challenges splits a cash prize, like HQ Trivia
There’s only one game per week and the challenges are different each time, keeping the experience fresh. Users can also regulate the difficulty by either trying to go solo or completing it with others online, providing greater accessibility to a broad user base
Business Strategy
Blog: Measuring marginal organic contribution from paid marketing
Twitter’s ad network provides the best value for PC/console games marketing
Platforms
Kickstarter and Games in 2019
Matthew Ball essay on the metaverse
Epic Games Store third-party games hit $251m in player spending
Google Stadia is getting 10 timed exclusives in the first half of 2020
Creative
Favorite Game Animations of 2019
Mark Brown: The Two Types of Random
Project Horseshoe: Applications of Cyclical Progression
The Last of Us director Bruce Straley on ludonarrative dissonance
Designing Manifold Garden's believably unbelievable world and puzzles
Blizzard is pushing World of Warcraft into the future with Visions of N’Zoth update
PC / Console
Tencent bids $148m to acquire 100% of Funcom
Digital Bros to buy Starbreeze assets from Smilegate
Major slowdown of new releases on Steam last year
Microsoft first-party titles to be cross-compatible between Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Mobile
Stillfront Group acquires Storm8 for up to $400m
Scopely acquires Marvel Strike Force dev FoxNext Games from Disney
Tencent’s TiMi J3 studio cracked the code on adapting Call of Duty for mobile
App Annie's State of Mobile 2020 report: Mobile games now bring in more spending than all other game types combined
XR: AR / MR / VR
BBC: What went wrong with virtual reality?
AR could be Nintendo Switch's next gimmick
Niantic drove $249m in tourism revenue with its walking events in 2019
Esports & Influencers
Streamlabs: Year in Review Live Streaming Industry Report
Super League Gaming partners with Chinese cinema company Wanda Media
PlayVS brings Fortnite to high school and college esports tournaments
Brands pursue millennials by engaging with esports and gaming
BBC: YouTube signs three top gamers away from rival Twitch
China
Bloomberg: ByteDance Readying Assault on Tencent’s Mobile Gaming Kingdom
Tencent intends to further diversify investments outside of games
NetEase launches own digital distribution platform in China
China's latest online trend: traditional culture and cosplay
NYT: Why ‘Star Wars’ Keeps Bombing in China
Tech / Entertainment
Overtime
AppsFlyer secures $210m in latest funding round
Russian game market doubled in five years to $2bn
Fortnite is holding a TikTok dance contest to find the next great emote
Famed Oaktree Capital investor Howard Marks on games and investing
Plague Inc. tops Apple’s App Store in China as Wuhan coronavirus spreads
LA Times: Women suing Riot Games may deserve $400m, not $10m, state regulator says
Podcast interview with NYT best-selling author Neil Pasricha on happy habits
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