The leading games industry conference is almost here. Pocket Gamer Connects London is now only a week away and what a line up of speakerswe’ve got in store for you.
On January 23rd and 24th Pocket Gamer Connects hits home soil, returning to London for two days of insight sharing, and contact making interspersed with our world famous thought-provoking panels, seminars, keynotes and more.
There’s limitless networking opportunities and our expert sessions are your chance to get up close and meet some of the biggest names in mobile games for what will be our biggest and best PG Connects London yet!
In the build up to the conference – and to give you a sneak preview of what to expect – we are spotlighting some of the authorities in the games industry that are sharing their wisdom. Next, we speak to the team at Digital Turbine: Ryan Cook, RVP Performance Sales, Duncan Blackett, Head of Sales and Kim Grewal Team Lead, Account Management.
The team will be taking part in panels and talks at the show speaking about user acquisition for app developers while circumventing data/privacy headwinds and legislative pressure and optimising ads in a way that helps to retain your hard-earned players.
Be sure to join us at PG Connects London on January 23rd to 24th 2023 to find out more!
What’s the most common mistake you see being made in the games sector?
Ryan Cook: I see companies activating too soon without a long term strategy for development and monetisation.
Duncan Blackett: Complacency. Failure to innovate: new markets and new ways to find (and monetise) users.
If you could give other mobile games companies one piece of advice, what would it be?
Ryan Cook: If you’re not first, you’re last! 55% of users download five games a year, you need to be one of them, quick. Organic growth doesn’t happen from a fireside chat.
Duncan Blackett: You need to look outside of your regular UA channels for growth
What’s the most important key performance indicator (KPI) for you – and why?
Kim Grewal: Often it is all too easy for companies to focus on metric KPIs, such as revenue or eCPM. Whilst these are obviously important indicators, I believe that relationship KPIs bring their own value to the table. At Digital Turbine we aim to go above and beyond for our clients, making sure they are happy with the services provided. At Digital Turbine, with the recent acquisitions across Appreciate, Fyber and AdColony, our portfolio of combined products such as On-Device, User Acquisition, Mediation, Offerwall and our Exchange make for interesting KPIs across the board – from CPI and ROAS goals, to eCPMs, ARPDAU and Fill Rates.
Dollar amount aside, the quality of the KPI is also important. For example, which partners do your service provider work with? Do they work with certified partners and have a good QA process? What is their market share? The measurement of a company across all products should be considered.
What is your biggest aspiration/goal in mobile gaming?
Ryan Cook: That we keep moving the needle forward, spawning innovation at the risk of failure.
Duncan Blackett: To have the top 50 games developers all using On-Device.
What company do you most admire in the mobile games world?
Duncan Blackett: King, with over 10 years at the top.
What’s your favourite ever mobile game?
Ryan Cook: Temple Run
Duncan Blackett: Angry Birds
Kim Grewal: My Talking Angela 2 by Outfit7. I play this for the diversity of the quick and easy challenges. The gameplay takes me back to my Tamagotchi days. When Outfit7 brought out Angela’s song Shine Together last summer, it was a hit in my household. It’s a feel-good factor song for a feel-good factor game!
What key trend should we be paying attention to in the next 12 months?
Ryan Cook: Carrier based app stores
Duncan Blackett: Play-to-earn
Is hypercasual gaming here to stay?
Ryan Cook: Yes, anxiety lives with us all!
Duncan Blackett: Yes, but we must find new ways to monetise.
Tell us your thoughts on play-to-earn games
Ryan Cook: I love the full circle component of play-to-earn, where consumers help developers, who help brands who help develop more, feeding a struggling economy.
Duncan Blackett: Play to earn is here to stay and grow in this recessionary environment
What do you enjoy most about working in the mobile games industry?
Duncan Blackett: The people.
Kim Grewal: There is never a boring moment in the industry. It’s constantly evolving which means that it is all about thinking outside the box and always being curious and keeping up to date with the latest changes in order to keep on top of it. Additionally, working with such a variety of teams, including Product, Tech, Legal and most importantly our diverse array of clients, to find the best possible solutions.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received that you can pass on to others?
Ryan Cook: The answer “no” is a given.
Duncan Blackett: When you fall down, get right back up again.
Find out more about Pocket Gamer Connects London and get your tickets right here!
