two & a half gamers Special Episode – Mobile Gaming OG Eric Futoran: (Scopely) War stories, Algorithm Manipulation, Growth strategies, ANR
This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers special session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let’s not forget this is a 4 am conference discussion vibe, so let’s not take it too seriously. Special Guest: Eric Futoran
The Team:
Jakub Remiar- Game design consultant
Felix Braberg – Ad monetization consultant
Matej Lančarič – User Acquisition & Creatives consultant
Summary
In this episode, Matej, Felix, and Jakub are joined by Eric Futoran, an OG gaming industry expert. They discuss Eric’s experience with Max and Scopely, including their breakout success with Dice with Buddies. They explore the winning formulas that contributed to their success, such as optimizing the core loop and implementing strategic monetization strategies. Eric also shares insights on launching a game at scale and the importance of different channels and featuring for a successful launch. This conversation covers various topics related to app growth strategies, IP deals, and troubleshooting ad network issues. The speakers discuss the importance of starting strong in app rankings and the tactics used to manipulate algorithms. They also explore the impact of changing app icons and the success stories of simple app ideas. The process of signing IP deals and the challenges of IP approvals are discussed, along with the calculation of fees and revenue sharing. The limitations of predictive LTV in soft launch and the importance of collecting data for troubleshooting ANR issues and ad networks are also covered. The conversation concludes with a discussion on balancing user experience and revenue generation.
Agenda
00:00 Epic Introduction and Special Guest
03:22 Starting with Max and Scopely
08:26 Scopely’s Breakout Success
14:27 Scopely’s Winning Formulas
20:37 Launching a Game at Scale
24:04 Different Types of Traffic for Game Launch
28:37 The Importance of Featuring and Channels for Launch
30:32 Strategies for Growth and Algorithm Manipulation
31:30 The Importance of Starting Strong
33:40 Timing and Seasonality in App Launches
34:14 The Impact of Changing App Icons
36:14 Success Stories of Simple App Ideas
37:08 Negotiating IP Deals
38:24 The Process of Signing IP and Deal Structures
40:49 The Challenges of IP Approvals
42:55 Calculating Fees and Revenue Sharing in IP Deals
45:52 The Limitations of Predictive LTV in Soft Launch
49:20 Analyzing ANR Issues and Ad Networks
55:47 The Importance of Collecting Data for Troubleshooting
59:34 Balancing User Experience and Revenue Generation
Takeaways:
Starting strong in app rankings is crucial for long-term success.
Changing app icons can help reactivate dormant users and trigger increased engagement.
IP deals require careful negotiation and consideration of upfront fees, revenue sharing, and content approvals.
Predictive LTV is challenging to calculate accurately in soft launch.
Collecting data and using analytics tools can help identify and troubleshoot ANR issues and ad network problems.
Balancing user experience and revenue generation is a constant challenge in the gaming industry.
Join our slack channel here: SLACK CHANNEL
Please share feedback and comments – matej@lancaric.me
If you are interested in getting UA tips every week on Monday, sign up for the Brutally Honest newsletter!
