Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle 2023
In May 2023, join over 1,000 attendees from across the globe to network, pitch, and learn about the latest and greatest industry trends at Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle. The two-day event places a significant emphasis on emerging technologies like AI and Web3 and how they’ll impact the game industry. Benefit from the wisdom of over 150 top experts who will speak on game design and development, monetization and growth, life as an indie, new technology, company culture, and more.
You don’t want to pass up the abundant networking opportunities. Get up close and personal with some of the biggest names in mobile games during expert sessions at what promises to be our most significant event yet!
Speaker Spotlight: Kazutomo Niwa
Kazutomo Niwa is a giant in the game server industry. He’s the CEO of Game Server Services (GS2) and freed up developers to create fantastic games using his cloud-based game server solution. Niwa witnessed a significant pain point for many game developers while working at Nintendo and decided to solve it. His previous experience there, dealing with the operating systems of consoles and game servers of massive scale, helped him create GS2.
Niwa will speak at PG Connects Seattle in 2023 about how to improve user engagement and monetization for game operations. Specifically, he’ll cover the structural differences between live-service games in North American and Asia/Japan markets. GS2’s features and tools will be discussed to provide insightful information on the operational improvements game developers can achieve with GS2 usage.
Disruptors to Mobile Games in the US Market
Niwa believes that the next big disruptor in mobile games will be the expansion of the US mobile market. Historically, monetization through gacha-based games was not popular in the US. However, with successful games like Genshin Impact and hybrid casual games, the sentiment has changed.
The challenge here is the development costs, especially for AAA games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, which have budgets similar to those of a console game. Developers must shorten development cycles, streamline game development, increase user engagement, and maximize monetization to address the high costs.
Undervalued Developments in Mobile Game Industry
Niwa believes the US gaming industry underestimates the potential of the high-end mobile market. The game Genshin Impact alone generated over $2 billion in revenue and Honkai Star Rail $13 million within the first week of launch. US developers should take notes from these examples and develop high-end mobile games that work on other markets. The potential for success is huge.
Hypercasual or Hybridcasual Gaming?
Hypercasual gaming’s profitability is declining due to the increase in cost per performance relative to its lifetime value. On the other hand, hybridcasual gaming has been successful in recent years, and the chance of success is still great.
Are you excited to join the Seattle Pocket Gamer Connects event in May 2023? Click here for more information.