A few weeks ago we reported on Hexacore, a hypercasual developer and publisher, receiving a $3.5m investment from Dubai-based Scalo Technologies.
The company, founded by existing veterans in the mobile space, has already found success with titles like Sushi Roll – developed by Say Games – as well as Merge Animals and Blend It 3D. But now, they’re looking to move from the world of hypercasual and into an area that has attracted both controversy and interest, mobile web3.
We got the chance to put our questions to co-founder and CEO of Hexacore, Mikita Khazau, about his view on the potential of their pivot, and his views on the current investment landscape for mobile.
PocketGamer.biz: Can you give us a brief overview of the development behind Sushi Roll, Blend It 3D and Merge Animals, and what lessons have you learnt from it?
Mikita Khazau: These three games were actually developed by the individual founders, before we established Hexacore, and the experience we gained collectively has been used to build even better games.
Blend It 3D was our first successful product, and it allowed us to earn the budget we needed to produce more complex and moderately successful products. We invested our efforts and resources wisely into the next successful product, Sushi Roll 3, which skyrocketed to the top of the free games chart on both AppStore and Google Play during its release days. It was a significant achievement for us.
During this time, we also learned a key lesson – that it’s vital to build an atmosphere of creative freedom for the team, and reinforce each new step with product metrics.
With the competitive nature of the mobile market currently, specifically in the hypercasual genre, why do you think you’ve found success?
Success depends on many factors, including deep immersion in the market, hard work, and, of course, an element of luck. But luck does not come without persistence. The hyper-casual games market is highly competitive. In 2019, when we started, there were estimated to be more than 5,000 teams and studios creating such games. All of these teams went through 20-100 prototypes to achieve a successful release. For us, with a small team, it took 20 attempts to achieve our first two successful releases.
Why the pivot to web3 and blockchain, given the success of your existing non-blockchain catalogue?
There are a number of reasons why we decided to establish a new company, to focus on game publishing with a web3 component.
The market became much more competitive, and less profitable, and at the same time we saw a huge opportunity in the web3 sector, with its ownership values and active community of players. As we had a great deal of relevant experience between us, and key team members had particular experience in web3, we decided to dive into this sector.
Blockchain technology is revolutionising the way games are played, owned and monetized. The benefits of true asset ownership give gamers a new level of immersion, excitement, and control
Mikita Khazau
How has your work with Scalo Technologies, aside from financial, helped accelerate your plans and future development?
We recently became partners, but we’ve known each other for a year and a half, and have been actively communicating. Scalo has helped significantly to improve our structure, and formalize our future plans, while also sharing its great expertise, and making introductions to major players in the market.
Most importantly, the main strength of our partnership is Scalo’s belief in the founders, and in the Hexacore team.
What value do you think mobile gamers will find in the integration of blockchain technology into your upcoming games?
Users will finally have true ownership of their game results, and their time. While this understanding may not come immediately, we believe it will manifest.
We anticipate substantial advancements, leading to a broader audience and increased fan base. Games will take on a distinct theme, encouraging players to deeply identify with the product and recognize its true value.
This will create a new level of brand loyalty within the gaming industry, where our current community of players spend countless hours on gameplay, even with games offering limited content. This kind of dedication speaks volumes about the appeal of gaming, and reflects similar patterns seen with specific products in the market.
Can you reveal anything to us about your plans for the near future, and the development of new titles utilising the technology?
As a mobile gaming company, we have a dual focus on game development, and publishing. Our own in-house project, Pocket Space which is currently in the works, is a mid-core game featuring multiplayer mode and asset ownership mechanics.
On the publishing front, we have an exciting pipeline of impressive projects with partners who want to publish with us. We’ll have some very interesting new announcements soon.
Why do you think the wider industry should pay attention to blockchain on mobile?
Blockchain technology is revolutionising the way games are played, owned and monetized. The benefits of true asset ownership, enhanced security, interoperability, tokenization, and community engagement give gamers a new level of immersion, excitement, and control over their gaming experiences.
As blockchain technology continues to evolve, it presents a huge opportunity for game publishers to differentiate themselves, attract a broader audience, and create a more vibrant and sustainable gaming ecosystem.
There are an estimated 2.2 billion mobile gamers worldwide, and we believe that mobile web3 games could become the major web3 new user onboarding channel. Soon, everyone in possession of a smartphone will have a crypto wallet installed on it. This is a huge opportunity, and we want to use it to become a leader in mobile web3 publishing.
Scalo Technologies has made a significant investment in your company – what do
you think of the wider investment landscape for mobile gaming at the moment?
We’re very enthusiastic about the current investment landscape. The industry is experiencing a big surge in interest and investment, which highlights the huge potential and a bright future for mobile gaming.
Investors like Scalo Technologies recognize how blockchain technology is transforming the gaming sector, particularly in terms of ownership, security, and monetization. Their financial backing not only fuels our growth and innovation, but also acknowledges the potential returns and long-term viability of mobile gaming investments.
The enhanced security provided by blockchain increases player trust and reduces concerns over fraud and hacking, making mobile gaming a more appealing and secure investment prospect.
Mobile gaming is now attracting both traditional and blockchain-focused investors. This ongoing flow of funds will drive innovation, creativity, and the development of more groundbreaking gaming experiences that captivate audiences worldwide.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing mobile gaming in 2023, and what are you doing to counter it?
On a global scale, players’ attention is progressively becoming more scattered. The distraction of social media and other entertainment options has made it more difficult to keep their focus on gaming experiences.
We’re also seeing a shift in player’s attention towards shorter gaming sessions. This presents a challenge for developers, to condense crucial game mechanics into limited timeframes, but still make sure the gameplay remains engaging and user-friendly. Blockchain games, in particular, have faced hurdles in this respect. But we’re now witnessing promising advancements as developers work towards enhancing the overall gaming experience.
We believe we can play a big part in driving mobile gaming forward, by giving players more ownership and control over their gaming experience, in the midst of evolving technology and new trends.
