Eric Seufert

Generative AI Webinar next week with me and Peter Fodor, CEO of AppAgent, June 12, 2024 8am PST. We'll cover: 1) AI Pitfalls 2) What's Working Today 3) Keep Winning Ads Alive! 4) Expand Your Creative Matrix 5) Helpful AI Tools 6) Future of AI >>>> Register here: https://lnkd.in/gQvTDVmZ <<<< #generativeAI, #midjourney, #AIlimitations, #artificialintelligence, #webinar

3

Generative AI Webinar next week with me and Peter Fodor, CEO of AppAgent, June 12, 2024 8am PST. We'll cover: 1) AI Pitfalls 2) What's Working Today 3) Keep Winning Ads Alive! 4) Expand Your Creative Matrix 5) Helpful AI Tools 6) Future of AI >>>> Register here: https://lnkd.in/gQvTDVmZ <<<< #generativeAI, #midjourney, #AIlimitations, #artificialintelligence, #webinar

5

1 Comment

Calling Investors: Invest in the original Xbox “Duke” controller… I am working with a new gaming peripherals company set to take the world by storm and they are looking for investors to join the team. Founded by Duke Schnepf, son of gaming visionary, and Xbox founder, Brett Schnepf, backed by multiple founding fathers of the Xbox, this company is pushing the boundaries of the gaming peripherals sector. Their journey began with Brett Schnepf, a luminary whose contributions to gaming history are etched in stone. As a founding member of the Xbox console team, Brett's design prowess shaped modern gaming, with iconic creations like the Sidewinder PC controller and the legendary Duke controller. Today, Duke Schnepf carries forth his father's legacy. Upside and a half! In late 2024, a major streaming platform will release a series chronicling the founding of a pioneering gaming console (can you guess which one) and the launch of Duke's ground-breaking products, offering an intimate look at the visionary minds behind this revolution. Looking for investments of $10K, $20K, $50K, $100K, $250, $500K, and $1M. Higher investments with equity shares are available for discussion. We foresee full returns and profits delivered within 1 year. If you're interested in being part of this exciting journey, please get in touch to set up a call ASAP. #Gaming #InvestmentOpportunity #Innovation #GamingPeripherals #TechInvestments #gamedev #investors #angelinvestors #gameinvestor #PEinvestment #AngelInvestment

9

Match3 is not the best game economy. I know some who would say it’s not even economy! Also, digital board games are just video games with terrible UX. Listen to the episode for more on these hot takes from me and the fellas.

3

I heard the best way to reach an audience of gaming creators is to talk about what you are working on publicly. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m the co-founder and producer of Metis Creative - one of the biggest Indie Gaming Studios you probably haven’t heard of from Istanbul. Here is our story: 🔺 We do tabletop - a classical gaming medium that made a huge comeback. We are in no rush for digitalizing our games. 🔺 We are crowdfunding veterans. We received no investor money because we needed no investor money. Our seed capital was me selling my old busted PS4. I will keep evangelising this path for all Indies. 🔺 Everything we create for our flagship IP; art, worldbuilding, soundtracks, quest or narrative design plays for the top spot in at least the national gaming scene. 🔺 Our flagship IP, Historica Arcanum is designed to have a strong staying power. Good IPs create loyal fans, loyal fans allow you to snowball, that’s our strategy. 🔺 We do every asset in-house. We retain and nurture talent. 🔺 We doubled our revenue every year, for the last three years. This year seems to be no different. The same goes for our studio size. 🔺 Our release schedule was one major release per year - though with our current resources we are doubling up on yearly releases. Let me know if you would want me to talk about any specific part of our playbook. I intend to make posts like this occasionally to log our progress and inspire new creators in the space!

46

8 Comments

Recap of Consensus 2024: why does this event exist? TLDR Thx for the BBQ, Austin! And it was great to meet up with old and new friends including EJ Ayala, Michael Dershewitz, Max Kaufman ⚡️, Erica Hamilton, Ron Cao, Colleen Sullivan, Alex M., Paul Thind, Dante Reminick, Parker Heath, Kiernan Fitzsimons, Conrad Sain, George V., Rodrigo Etcheto, Kelly DiGregorio, and more! In all it was a great time meeting with incredible partners. It's clear that: - Cloud compute and distributed hosting x web3 gaming has a lot of potential - Gaming-focused chains are ready to rock and roll, esp. powered by Sequence - Investments are increasingly sophisticated and focused on sustainability - Traditional gaming is headed into the space in droves, with strong teams with incredible backgrounds who truly understand gamers, data, A/B testing and more But Consensus, as with many generalist crypto or web3 events, is obsolete. Events in new industries are important, but as the space matures and consolidates, I'm not sure that there's a need for several days devoted to basic underlying technology. It's like going to Servers 2024! We all get it, we know what servers are, what they do. How this gets applied, what benefits it brings to developers, players, users, that's what matters. I'd love to see Consensus get a bit more serious around specific tracks or reconsider its focus.

26

10 Comments

📢 Attention all Liquid and Grit members! 📢 We are thrilled to announce an exclusive members-only economy roundtable discussion, co-hosted by Liquid and Grit and Game Economist Consulting. This event will feature special guest Phillip Black, who will share his invaluable insights on the groundbreaking monetization strategy employed by MARVEL SNAP. 🎯 Key Takeaways: - Deep dive into MARVEL SNAP's innovative monetization approach - Understand how limiting direct purchases can drive spend - Gain valuable insights from industry experts - Engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the future of monetization in mobile gaming 📅 Date: April 25th, 2024 at 9AM PST DM for an invite. To learn more about MARVEL SNAP's economy, check out the most recent Economy Report: "MARVEL SNAP's Economy Drives Spend by Limiting Direct Purchases." This report provides a comprehensive analysis of how limiting direct purchases can positively impact revenue generation. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge, network with like-minded professionals, and stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of mobile gaming monetization. 🔒 Access is exclusive to Liquid and Grit members only. If you haven't already, join our community today to secure your spot at this groundbreaking event. #MarvelSnap #MobileGaming #Monetization #EconomyRoundtable #LiquidAndGrit #GameEconomistConsulting

42

2 Comments

Our latest jobs update 👇

9

1 Comment

Update: These numbers are just a snapshot, for context read the article, or read GameSquare financial results, if you don't trust us 🤷🏼‍♂️ https://lnkd.in/eTC3FPki GameSquare Holdings Inc. 2023 results, by the numbers: - Revenue: $52M ✅ - Gross Profit: $13.4M ✅ - Cash on Hand: $2.9M ✅ - Total Assets Value: $64.7M ✅ - Total Operating Expenses: $44.1M 🛑 - Net Loss: $31.3M 🛑 https://lnkd.in/ek69qU96

14

Yesterday, my team at Vareto announced the first-ever multiplayer modeling platform for Finance. 😍 Now that I can finally speak publicly about what we've been working on, the first thing I want to share is a screenshot from a live multiplayer session we did internally at the company. One of the interesting things about building enterprise software as a startup is that we're still too small to *need* our own product. So instead of doing what our customers do--expense budgeting, headcount planning, etc.--we use Vareto's multiplayer modeling to forecast fun things like total pet spend. Yep, that's right. We had 40 people go into a Vareto model and enter in bottom-up inputs for how much they expect to spend on their cats and dogs this year. 😂 While this isn't very useful--especially since many people entered in clearly exaggerated numbers--sessions like this helped prove that our new 2.0 platform can handle even "extreme" usage situations. (In reality, even if some enterprise customers have thousands of users in Vareto, only a handful are ever likely to be in the same model page at the same exact time given granular data permissions.) You can see more useful, realistic ways that finance and business teams can use Vareto multiplayer here: https://lnkd.in/gV9gqKwz

124

22 Comments

At Liquid and Grit, our hiring testing system was inspired by Van Halen's playbook. You might have heard of the infamous "no brown M&M's" clause in Van Halen's concert contracts. While it sounds like a frivolous demand, it actually served as a clever safety check to ensure that stagehands had read and followed every detail of the contract, ensuring the safety of the band, crew, and audience. Similarly, our tests always include a few intentional mistakes or omit key information. This was our way of testing a candidate's diligence and attention to detail. We want to hire people who aren't afraid to go the extra mile, do additional research, and find solutions to problems on their own. The candidates we end up hiring are the ones who spot the issues, fill in the missing information, and demonstrate their commitment to thoroughness. They understand that the devil is in the details and that small oversights can have big consequences. Just like Van Halen used brown M&M's as a warning signal, we use these hidden tests to identify the candidates who have the right mindset and work ethic to thrive in our company. It's not about catching people out, but about finding those pearls who will go above and beyond. #hiring #recruitingtips #attentiontodetail #vanhalenmethod

27

5 Comments

In a previous post, I mentioned that #VentureStudios enable their #founders to focus on testing their hypothesis and building and iterating on their product. But how do they do it? Through their #Platform, a game-changing function for ventures that includes: 🖨 Back-Office consists of HR for building talent pipelines, taking care of payroll, and administering benefits; IT to support critical tech infrastructure, including cybersecurity and collaboration tools; Legal helps form entities, navigate complex regulations and compliance issues, and optimize tax position for founders and investors; and Accounting maintains accurate reporting and empowers the ventures with insights into their financial status 💻 Shared Vendors. Bundling services provides ventures access to bulk pricing and cost-effective options for things like computers, cloud storage, and even outsourced professional services (like Legal or Accounting) 🏢 Facilities. Co-working spaces enable convenient collaboration and grant easy access to essential Studio resources, both of which help to foster an exciting culture of innovation 🚀 By providing these services across a portfolio of ventures (and to the Studio itself!), allows the costs to be amortized and avails top-notch support and favorable pricing to startups who would not otherwise have access to so much support so early in their journey.

9

Hybrid Monetization: A Win-Win for Gamers and Devs? GameCloud explores the growing trend of hybrid monetization in gaming: 1. Diversified revenue streams for devs 2. Freemium access for gamers 3. Balancing player experience with effective monetization Read the full blog post here: https://lnkd.in/dzJ5d5nX #GameMonetization #HybridModel #GameCloud

2

I've been stuck at inflection points in my businesses, and I've learned the best way to tackle them is to have an expert on your side to help guide you in the right direction. In our latest Grow with GrowTal episode, Go-To-Market leader Catherine Donaldson dives into the marketing challenges founders will encounter at different growth stages founders and how she overcame them. Tell me your experience hitting an inflection point in the comments.

6

1 Comment

while the #bbg space was white hot in the early parts of the 2000s, a new sector of the industry really exploded from 2002-2009. the downloadable game market. this market took the focus off bbgs and into downloadable games because the monetization was so much stronger (e-commerce purchases for $19.99 vs. advertising). the downloadable game market was super fun and super competitive. there were three major distribution platforms at the time, #oberonmedia, #realarcade, and #bigfishgames. these three companies would continue to duke it out for the next 7 years. during this time, the industry adopted the highly debated use of the word '#casual' to define the industry. "easy to learn and difficult to master" was how we differentiated the casual industry from the rest of the gaming space. anyway, the 'casual' name stuck (to the chagrin of many) and the industries biggest event run by Jessica Tams was born - 'Casual Connect'. the conference was fun, informative, and exhilarating.  we saw the best game developers at the time (#popcap, #gamehouse, #playfirst, #reflexive, #sandlot, #iwin, #threerings and others) win awards and the hearts of players around the world.  unfortunately, splitting revenue three ways (site publisher, game developer and distributor) made it extremely difficult for anyone to massively profit on a consistent basis.  the industry continues to exist to this day, but a larger and more viral industry (back to the browser) was just around the corner..... #bbgs #casualgames #casualconnect #gameindustry #gamedevs #gamehistory #arkadium

91

44 Comments

Rebuilding a brand in the eyes of marketers and kickstarting sales motion can be tricky. I was fortunate to have received a masterclass during my almost three years at the music app Shazam from my former boss and CRO Greg Glenday in the art of manifestation. For context, Shazam was one of the most downloaded apps in the world reaching hundreds of millions of users but had prior hiccups on scaling advertiser revenue. A bulk of the revenue came from the affiliate business from the streaming services. We needed marketers to rethink how they viewed Shazam and Greg launched the Shazam for Brands concept. It was a simple yet consistent messaging across all of our sales marketing efforts and how we spoke to brands + promoted at all of our B2B efforts. * We showed up in mass at Cannes and in high profile places under Shazam for Brands. We built buzz with products that weren't necessary ad related but allowed us to show innovation and get marketers excited again. * We launched an integration with Snapchat where you could Shazam within their app environment. We demoed this product in every meeting under Shazam for Brands. * We launched a TV show on Fox TV with Mark Burnett and Jamie Foxx called "Beat Shazam." We sold advertiser integrations under the Shazam for Brands banner. * We partnered with AR company Zappar and released AR within the app under the Shazam for Brand moniker. Once we had created market buzz, we introduced a takeover unit and within a matter of months we went from selling banner ad units to high impact takeovers. The business was starting to scale right when we were acquired by Apple. Greg Glenday was relentless in his pursuit of reframing the company as an ad supported marketing leader. I learned a ton about the importance of manifesting the direction you want to take a company. The irony that the Shazam app is now ad free is not lost on me 😁

66

9 Comments

🔎 Testing Arium on Apple's Safari delivered a high-quality stream in HD with 60fps. 👀 Our focus is on two primary streaming protocols: SRT and WebRTC. Haivision' SRT and W3C's WebRTC are both used for streaming media, but they are designed for different use cases and have distinct features. SRT is designed for low-latency (starting from 20 ms), high-quality video streaming over unreliable networks. It primarily uses UDP for transport, with mechanisms like ARQ (Automatic Repeat reQuest) and FEC (Forward Error Correction) to handle packet loss and ensure reliable delivery, which is a great advantage. WebRTC offers ultra-low latency suitable for real-time interactions. It uses SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol) for media encryption and DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) for data security. 🎮 Keen to learn more about Arium? Find out at https://arium.gg/about #Testing #Streaming #SRT #WebRTC #CloudGaming #Apple

28

2 Comments

AI-Powered Ads! How To Produce MORE Winning Ads. << WEBINAR >> Join Peter Fodor, CEO of AppAgent and myself on June 12, 2024 8am PST for a webinar where we discuss how to produce more winning ads using Generative AI. We'll cover things like:  1) UA team building a custom resizing pipeline without the creative team.  2) How the creative team can focus more time on new concepts.  3) Expand Creative Matrix: using copywriting and persona techniques:    - PAS(Pain-Agitate-Solve)    - AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)    - Emotions (FOMO, Scarcity, Humor, Nostalgia, Hope/Inspiration)    - Action (Urgency, Curiosity, Social Proof, Scarcity, Call To Action)    - Emotional Appeal    - Storytelling    - Needs & Desires (Solve a Problem, Fulfill A Desire, Improve Life.....) AI Fragmentation - A review of the best tools with recommendations.  - 3D Tools: VFX/Animation, Gaming, Motion Graphics  - Ai Video  - Ai to 3D   - Ai Avatars  - Ai Music  - Ai Storyboards >>>> Register here: https://lnkd.in/gQvTDVmZ <<<<

6

1 Comment