Stay Informed
Get Industry News In Your Inbox…
Sign Up Today
Pocket Gamer Connects, the leading international conference series for the global games industry, is coming back to San Francisco on March 17th to 18th, 2025.
This must-attend event will unite more than 750 industry professionals for two days of learning, pitching and networking. Attendees will dive into expertly curated conference tracks exploring the latest trends in mobile, covering everything from industry growth engines, user acquisition, and HTML5 to the investment landscape, monetisation, and UGC.
One of our expert speakers is Aghanim’s Vice President of Revenue, Conor McLaughlin.
Before joining Aghanim in September 2024, Conor played key roles in the mobile ad industry, serving as the Director of Business Development at Vungle, Partnerships Director at Jun Group, and leading monetisation growth at Liftoff.
With over a decade of experience in sales, partnerships, and business development, Conor has been instrumental in scaling publisher revenues and shaping global go-to-market strategies. His expertise in monetisation solutions and industry growth makes him a key player in the evolving mobile gaming and fintech landscapes.
A King’s College London graduate with an MBA from Trinity College, Conor is now focused on forging partnerships that redefine engagement and revenue opportunities for publishers worldwide.
We spoke with McLaughlin to hear more about the initiatives he leads to help developers and publishers maximise IAP (In-App Purchase) profitability.
Pocketgamer.biz: Can you tell us what you’ll talk about at PGC San Francisco?
Conor McLaughlin: I’m speaking on the Webstore Wizardry panel, where I’ll be diving into Aghanim’s multidimensional approach to direct-to-consumer strategy – and why it’s a game-changer.
Let’s be honest: most traditional webstores don’t work. They tiptoe around Apple and Google compliance while failing to deliver the performance needed to justify their setup costs. At Aghanim, we take a different approach. Rather than forcing a broken model, we eliminate friction points by seamlessly linking users to content that matches the games they love, allowing publishers to communicate directly with their audiences and use relevant rewards tailored to specific player attributes to drive the highest engagement rates possible.
On the panel, I’ll be breaking down how our compliant, high-performance DTC enablement platform helps developers and publishers unlock real, sustainable revenue growth—without getting lost in the noise. If you’re looking for smarter ways to maximize profitability, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.
What’s the most common mistake you see being made in the games sector?
Following the herd.
“Let’s be honest: most traditional webstores don’t work. They tiptoe around Apple and Google compliance while failing to deliver the performance needed to justify their setup costs.”
Conor McLaughlin
If you could give other mobile games companies one piece of advice, what would it be?
Avoid offering alternative payment methods to players who have been using credit cards for decades – it cannibalises your profit margins.
Where are the next big opportunities in the mobile games market?
The single biggest opportunity right now in mobile gaming is direct to consumer. There is no debate. The question is how to do it effectively.
What’s the most important key performance indicator (KPI) for you – and why?
Player loyalty. Because otherwise, it’s just items on a website.
What is your biggest aspiration/goal in mobile gaming?
To give leverage back to the developers, publishers and creators responsible for fueling our industry’s success.
What is the single biggest challenge facing the mobile games industry today?
Profitability. When you take Apple & Google fees, user acquisition costs and taxation into account, it’s almost impossible for mobile games to turn a profit. We’re changing that.
What leaders/pioneers in games do you find inspiring?
I really like what Scopely is doing right now to optimise user acquisition ROI. There is a reason why they’re so successful in new launches and M&A…
What developments do you think have been undervalued by the mobile games industry?
I think the industry often undervalues long-term sustainability in favor of short-term wins. Too much focus has been placed on aggressive monetisation tactics instead of creating real, lasting engagement. Live ops and player-first experiences have made huge strides, but they’re still underutilised as a way to build retention beyond just content drops.
Another overlooked development is how non-traditional game extensions – whether through rewards, social layers, or alternative monetisation models – can create meaningful value. The industry tends to chase trends, but the real wins come from building systems that players actually want to return to, not just ones that get them to spend.
What’s your favourite ever mobile game?
8 Ball Pool.
What game from another company do you wish you had worked on?
Pokemon Go. You couldn’t go outside in New York when that thing launched. It was madness.
What game do you think offers something new, and exciting that hasn’t yet hit the mainstream?
I’m always on the lookout for mobile games that break the mold, and The Division Resurgence from Ubisoft really stands out. It’s bringing a full-fledged open-world shooter experience to mobile in a way that feels ambitious and fresh. Translating a AAA franchise into a mobile-first experience is no easy feat, but they’ve managed to capture the depth and strategy of The Division while making it work for on-the-go play. I like this one a lot and a great example of how mobile games are evolving beyond traditional genres and expectations.
What role do NFTs play in the future of games?
Next question.
“This is a big opportunity, we’re tracking to deliver 100 percent+ increases in net revenue for our publisher partners. That’s no joke – everyone should be able to get involved.”
Conor McLaughlin
Is hypercasual gaming here to stay?
Listen, I love hypercasual. These guys were the trailblazers of our industry in the 2010s. Companies like Voodoo, TapNation, Kwalee, Crazy Labs, Tripledot, Azur had players downloading six games per year.
Now, with more and more publishers looking to diversify away from IAA and towards IAP, we’re seeing the new “hybrid-casual” term crop up more and more. I don’t think hypercasual is dead, however, it’s clear the economics need to change in order to carve out more sustainable profitability and growth.
When not making/selling/playing games, what do you do to relax?
I don’t really relax.
What do you enjoy most about working in the mobile games industry?
I like that I’m working for an organisation that is on the forefront of innovation, ahead of its peers, with a clear mission of improving the longevity of the most inspirational companies in the space. Purely focussed on giving back, instead of taking away. Not only are we helping, we’re the most effective in doing so. So yeah I enjoy that.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received that you can pass on to others?
You don’t know everything.
What was the fundamental appeal of the mobile games industry that brought you to it?
When I first got into mobile games, it felt like the Wild West – open terrain, untapped potential, and a rush of new ideas. Anyone with a vision and some grit could launch a game, publishers and developers were emerging left and right, and ad networks came and went like frontier towns. It was fast, unpredictable, and full of opportunity.
Today, the landscape is a little different. The gold rush brought noise, and now it’s harder to separate signal from static. Some companies overpromise and underdeliver, while others exist just to help those companies try (and fail) to deliver. The market’s more crowded, but that just makes it even more important to know who the real players are and which partners can actually move the needle.
What topics do you want to hear more about at industry events?
I’m always interested in discussions around how we can help publishers and developers hit their core goals – whether that’s optimising user acquisition, launching new games, or simply boosting their bottom line. The right rewards in front of the right users? That’s where our live ops technology shines. A seamless game extension platform where one in four players transacts? That’s a game-changer.
If we’re not the ones creating the games, we’re making sure the real experts have the best shot at doing so – and to me, that’s the next best thing.
Can people get in touch with you at the event? What sort of people would you like to connect with?
Of course, we’re happy to talk to everyone who’s interested. This is a big opportunity, we’re tracking to deliver 100 percent+ increases in net revenue for our publisher partners. That’s no joke – everyone should be able to get involved.
What is one way attendees can prepare for your discussion?
Get ready to make your easiest million yet.
