In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush , Anil Das-Gupta and Matt Dion join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Thatgamecompany’s 160M USD Investment: Could the investment scale the company to explore games that are emotional experiences across mediums? Will we see more games developed as art? Do companies need to tackle artistic versus revenue-focused projects differently? #2 EA’s Lootbox Fine Overturned: How can companies keep up and adapt their games to the individual regulations of each coun...
Mar 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min
In this Crypto Corner episode, Michael Sanders , Co-Founder and Chief Storyteller at Horizon Blockchain Games , joins your host Nico Vereecke to discuss #1 What Blockchain brings to Gaming #2 The next generation of Blockchain Gaming wallets with Sequence #3 Blockchain Trading Card Games with Skyweaver #4 The future of Gaming YouTube video: Available here Episode Summary here If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co . We’d love ...
Mar 15, 2022•58 min
In this Metacast episode, David Amor , Abhimanyu Kumar and Matt Dion join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Realistic Characters for Virtual Worlds: Inworld AI raised 10M USD to create “brains for virtual characters in immersive realities”. Why are realistic characters important for virtual worlds? Could third party AI solutions lower game development costs? What other AI applications could we see in games? #2 Genshin Impact’s User Generated Content: Why is HoYoverse developing UGC content ...
Mar 11, 2022•59 min
In this Crypto Corner episode, Robby Yung , CEO at Animoca Brands , joins your host Nico Vereecke to discuss: #1: What Animoca Brands is #2: The biggest advantages of Blockchain in games #3: The future of Blockchain Gaming #4: Animoca’s strategy & value proposition #5: Interoperability Key Resources: Episode summary | YouTube video If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at metacast@naavik.co . We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedb...
Mar 08, 2022•48 min
In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush and Fawzi Itani join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 Evolution of Digital Game Sales: Will digital games overtake physical copies, and are digital sales a long-term strategy for console developers? #2 Playtika’s 2022 Strategy: Playtika went public in January 2021 and they recently announced they’re considering a sale of the company. We discuss the possible ‘whys’ behind the decision based on their 2021 earnings and game portfolio. #3 Steam Deck’s Relea...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 1 min
In this Crypto Corner episode, Nico Vereecke , Devin Becker and Ethan Levy join your host Maria Gillies to get back to basics on Crypto Games. We discuss: Web3 vs Crypto Games vs Blockchain Games Different types of Crypto Integration in Games Different types of Blockchains, Layer 1s and Layer 2s Fungibility Composability Governance Tokens vs Utility Tokens vs NFTs Staking YouTube video: Available here . If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at n...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 7 min
In this Metacast episode, Matt Dion and Sebastian Park join your host Maria Gillies to discuss: #1 How to Prioritize New Game Ideas: You have a list of new game ideas but you’re not sure which one to pursue first? We discuss how to prioritize them and whether finding the perfect idea is required before getting started. #2 Costs of Buggy Game Launches: We share our opinions about how buggy game launches could affect player purchasing behavior, and if there’s a line to be drawn between perfection ...
Feb 25, 2022•55 min
In this Crypto Corner episode, Nicholas ‘Captain Kix’ Kneuper - co-founder of Crypto Raiders - and Naavik collaborator Devin Becker join your host Nico to take a deep dive into Crypto Raiders . Crypto Raiders is a pixel dungeon crawler game, RPG, & ecosystem with gamified DeFi elements utilizing tokens & NFTs. The game is built on the Polygon Network. In Crypto Raiders, players use NFT characters to loot dungeons, defeat bosses, and earn tokens. YouTube video: Available here . If you wou...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min
In this Metacast episode, Anton Gorodetsky , David Amor and Yonatan Raz-Fridman join your host Maria Gillies to discuss - #1 Roblox Results: Roblox reported their Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 results. We dive into the reported numbers, discuss Roblox’s strategy and their secret sauce, and what challenges must be solved to keep reaching towards their ambitions. #2 Global Gaming Deals Activity in 2021: We talk about why “2021 proved to be yet another record-smashing year for the Video Games i...
Feb 18, 2022•1 hr 5 min
In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, timshel , LordOfaFew and Threepwave , join your host Nico to take a deep dive into how world building happens within the Lootverse. We talk about what the Lootverse is, what makes it special, who decides what ‘Canon’ is in Loot, what it means to build fully on-chain and much more. Full episode summary available here . YouTube video available here . If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co...
Feb 15, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Episode Summary In this Metacast episode, Matej Lancaric , Chong Ahn and Nico Vereecke join your host Maria Gillies to discuss - Network Effects Animoca Brands investment strategy has a “rising tide lifts all boats” approach explored in Naavik’s newsletter Master the Meta: https://naavik.co/themetas/animoca-2022 We discuss network effects, flywheel effects and if we’ve seen other examples of these strategies applied in games. User Acquisition Fundamentals If you’re thinking about starting your o...
Feb 11, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Episode Summary Trading Card Games lend themselves well to Blockchain Technology. Digital Trading cards are an easy concept to grasp, as they are already in-use and reflect characteristics of scarcity similar to their physical counterparts. In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Chris Clay - Game Director for Gods Unchained at Immutable and David “Mzo” Becker - Games Commentator & Researcher, join your host Nico to take a deep dive into Blockchain-Based Trading Card Games. They discuss The ...
Feb 08, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Episode Summary This episode of the Roundtable sees Florian Ziegler , Matt Dion , and Maria Gillies joining your host Nico to discuss DAOs and their application in the gaming space, endgame design, and the big news this week on Sony’s acquisition of Bungie. Riffing off Matt’s deep-dive into the nascent landscape of gaming DAOs on Naavik , our guests discuss what DAOs are and how they operate, particularly in the context of games. We then turn our attention to the criticality of endgame design fo...
Feb 04, 2022•59 min
Summary here Play-to-earn Gaming Guilds are Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) that buy game assets (usually yield-earning NFTs) and loan them out to guild members through scholarships. Because of their size and rapid growth (they often represent tens of thousands of gamers and have $100m+ treasuries), they have a significant impact on how blockchain games are designed and where the industry is going. In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Gabby Dizon - Co-Founder @ Yield Guild Games...
Feb 01, 2022•54 min
Summary here In this Metacast episode, Maria Gillies , Jayne Peressini and Aaron Bush join your host Nico to discuss - #1: Naavik’s The Sandbox Deconstruction TL;DR - The Sandbox is currently: - More expensive than you think - Less decentralized than you think - Less censorship-resistant than you think You can find the teaser deconstruction here . And the full deconstruction here ! #2: Women in Games More diversity within the games industry will lead to better games. We discuss some things organ...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr
Summary here In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Ryan Foo and Tender join your host Nico to take a deep dive into Crabada , a fully decentralized Play-and-Earn Idle Game on the Avalanche network. Set in an undersea world filled with fierce fighting Hermit-Crabs called Crabada. Players are invited to breed, lend, rent, and battle crabs represented by on-chain NFTs to earn cryptocurrencies with real value. If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out...
Jan 25, 2022•44 min
In this Metacast episode, Sebastian Park , Miikka Ahonen and David Amor join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss - #1: Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard for $68.7B For context, find the article here . #2: OpenSea Raises $300M at $13.3B Valuation For context, find the article here . And some other referenced links: OpenSea | Fractal | Coinbase NFT | LooksRare #3: Turkish Studio’s are Raising Big Specially, we discuss Spyke's and Dream Games' raises. If you would like us to discuss any other ga...
Jan 21, 2022•1 hr 4 min
In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Joost van Dreunen , Miko Matsumura and Chong Ahn join your host Nico to talk about what’s going to happen in the Blockchain Gaming world in the year to come. If you would like us to discuss any another blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co . We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: Discord Le...
Jan 18, 2022•1 hr 9 min
In this Metacast episode, Yonatan Raz-Fridman , Devin Becker and Abhimanyu Kumar join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss - #1: Take-Two buys Zynga for $12.7B For context, here is the press release . #2: Is Roblox Exploiting Young Game Developers? We discuss the first and second videos released by People Make Games. And as this week’s bonus segment , we are making bold predictions about M&A in 2022. Other key links referenced in the discussion: EA buys Glu - Link GTA Online recurring reven...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Over the past months, we’ve seen a significant backlash from the gaming community when gaming companies announced they were experimenting with NFTs in their games. In this Naavik Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Lars Doucet and Ethan Levy join your host Nico to have an open-minded discussion about whether these concerns are really valid, and what the blockchain gaming community can do to address them. If you would like us to discuss any other blockchain gaming-related topics, do reach out at nico...
Jan 11, 2022•1 hr 7 min
For many in the games industry, 2021 was a rollercoaster ride. We saw Roblox going public, Apple’s ATT come into effect, discriminatory practices in the largest game companies come to light, play-to-earn burst onto the scene and so much more. In this special Metacast Roundtable episode, Fawzi Itani , Ryan Foo and Florian Ziegler join your host Nicolas Vereecke to look back at 2021 and share their biggest learnings. If you would like us to discuss any another gaming-related topics, do reach out a...
Jan 07, 2022•57 min
In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Khaled Alroumi , Anton Backman and Sebastian Park join your host Nico to take a deep dive into the complexities of Blockchain Games and high level competition + esports. If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co . We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: Dis...
Jan 04, 2022•49 min
In this Metacast episode, Chong Ahn , David Amor and Florian Ziegler join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; #1: The Rise of Blockchain Gaming Ecosystem Funds All over the Crypto Gaming space, blockchains are partnering up with Venture Capital funds to create Blockchain Gaming Ecosystem funds. The goal of these funds is to support games teams to build on these respective blockchains. This is a solid strategy to kickstart network effects, but we are wary of these ecosystems becoming too close...
Dec 24, 2021•1 hr 9 min
In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, Derek Lau and LordOfAFew join your host Nico to take a deep dive into how we’ll scale Blockchain Games. If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co . We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: Discord Learn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | Lin...
Dec 21, 2021•46 min
In this Metacast episode, Aaron Bush , Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Miikka Ahonen join your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; #1: PlayStation Spartacus Sony is (allegedly) planning a new subscription service to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. The service will allow PlayStation owners to pay a monthly fee for access to a catalog of modern and classic games. Launch expected in spring, the service will merge Sony’s two existing subscription plans, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. #2: Tence...
Dec 17, 2021•51 min
In this Metacast Crypto Corner episode, your host Nico is joined by Ryan Foo and Oweh Soh to take a deep dive into the Wolf Game phenomenon. If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co . We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: Discord Learn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Follow us: Twitter | Linked...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 1 min
What is a MMOCG or Massively Multiplayer On-Chain Game? How does it work? What can we do with it? Is this going to be a thing? Find out this and more in this week’s roundtable! In this Metacast episode, Florian Ziegler , David Amor and Matej Lancaric are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; Massively Multiplayer On-Chain Games MMOCGs are games that are both Open-Source and Open-State. The whole game lives completely on the blockchain, which has some profound and interesting consequen...
Dec 10, 2021•54 min
In this Metacast CryptoCorner episode, your host Nico is joined by Lars Doucet , Ryan Foo and Miko Matsumura to discuss the sustainability of Play-to-Earn Economies. If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co . We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always, if you like the episode, you can help others find us by leaving a rating or review! Join the discussion: Discord Learn more: Newsletter or Go Premium Fo...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 9 min
In this Metacast CryptoCorner episode, your host Nico is joined by Joost Van Dreunen , Antubel Moreda and Sebastian Park to discuss the next steps in bringing Blockchain Gaming to the masses. We talk about what the biggest challenges still are, who the next gamers will be, and what companies will thrive in this space. If you would like us to discuss another blockchain gaming-related topic, do reach out at nicolas@naavik.co . We’d love to hear your general thoughts and feedback too! And as always...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr 6 min
In this Metacast episode, Miikka Ahonen , Matej Lancaric and Anton Gorodetsky are joined by your host Nicolas Vereecke to discuss; InvestGame’s Gaming Deals Activity Report Q1-Q3 2021 Find the report here Brands in Games Nike and Roblox partnered to bring Nikeland onto the platform. We discuss how brands look at games, how they can build exposure within them and what games companies can do to facilitate that. Facebook/Meta Reveals Haptic Gloves Meta has silently been working on haptic technology...
Nov 26, 2021•54 min
