A self proclaimed gaming geek, Adam Smart acts as a gaming ambassador for mobile, PC and console.
In his unique role at AppsFlyer, where he holds the role of director of product – gaming, he focuses on driving global growth in the vertical through product development, go to market strategy and business development.
He brings a wealth of industry knowledge to the role, having previously spent more than seven years at top developer Product Madness.
Smart is one of more than 250+ expert speakers delivering 29 conference tracks at Pocket Gamer Connects London on January 22nd to 23rd. We asked Smart to tell us more about their upcoming talk, entitled ‘In the Sandbox With… Creative Success!’, as well as get their opinions on the latest industry trends.
PocketGamer.biz: Please give us a summary of what you’re speaking about and why it’s important.
Adam Smart: Join us for a live episode of ‘In the Sandbox with…’ – the distinctive games industry podcast co-hosted by myself and the incredibly talented Piyush Mishra from Product Madness.
Our special guest for this episode is none other than our good friend and user acquisition legend, Saikala Sultanova of Ace Games. Together, we’ll delve into the crucial role that ad creative now plays in user acquisition and discuss strategies for maximising returns.
This topic holds immense value, particularly in light of the privacy implications in the mobile landscape. We’ll navigate the added complexity of fostering cross-departmental cooperation to enhance and evolve creative strategies.
Don’t miss this super interesting and insightful conversation as we explore the dynamics of the games industry and uncover ways to turn those insights into successful ventures.
What do you think the next big disruptor in mobile games will be?
Third-party stores. I believe this year will be a super interesting time for organic discovery from new marketplaces.
What is the single biggest challenge facing the mobile games industry today?
I believe it’s saturation, with so many studios creating so many titles and PC and console hitting it out of the park last year with 100h titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Diablo 4, Dave the Diver, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and so many more, finding games and having time to play, at least for me as a consumer, is becoming harder.
What leaders/pioneers in games do you find inspiring?
Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen, every time. From the immense success that company holds, to his super open blog post covering their new game struggles, to publicly asking for a Deconstructor of Fun Clash Mini Deconstruction! What more inspiration does one need!
What’s your favourite ever mobile game?
For the fourth year in a row I will have to say Raid: Shadow Legends. I should add I’m not sponsored by them! But I’ve been playing for a long time.
However in my opinion, in Q4/Q1 they have hit it out of the park with new features that have completely rekindled my love and excitement for the game.
What game has been on your phone the longest?
Clash of Clans, gosh! I can’t even remember how long I’ve played for, I still play now on and off. However I’m embarrassed to say I’m only at Town Hall 13, so I really should push up to 16…
Meet Adam Smart at PG Connects London
Not only will you have the chance to see Adam Smart take part in one of our panel debates, but you can also arrange to meet them at PG Connects London. Our online organiser MeetToMatch is free to all event attendees, connecting you directly with more than 2,500 decision makers from the global games industry.
As well as the 29-track conference schedule, the two-day event also features a series of side-events like The Very Big Indie Pitch, Publisher SpeedMatch, Investor Connector and a host of other networking opportunities all aimed at helping you level up your skills and business.
