Joseph Cooper

🌟 Big News in the Blockchain World! 🌟 Sharing an exciting article from Korea Times about the powerhouse merger between Kakao's Klaytn Foundation and NAVER Corp's Finschia, now reborn as Kaia. This feels like watching two superhero teams unite for an epic mission! (sorry, geek moment here hehe) 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️ 📰 "Naver, Kakao launch Kaia after merger of blockchain platforms" Kaia is set to launch at the end of June, bringing together the best of both platforms. The new mainnet promises to revolutionize the blockchain landscape with its innovative token and governance system. 😎 🎮 As someone deeply invested in the intersection of gaming and technology, this is thrilling news. The synergy of Kaia represents not just a technological leap but also a huge opportunity for the gaming and tech communities to thrive together. By merging the strengths of both Klaytn and Finschia, Kaia can facilitate more secure transactions, enhance digital asset management, and offer robust support for decentralized applications, all of which are crucial for the evolving landscape of gaming and technology. 🤝 We're gearing up for the media launch of Kaia on June 3, 2024 in the Philippines. Can't wait to see what new partnerships and innovations will come from this! 🚀 What are your thoughts on this merger? Let’s connect and chat about the future of blockchain and the endless possibilities it holds. 😊 As mentioned before, "Kaia Natin Ito!" (We can do this in Filipino) 😁 Here’s to an exciting journey ahead with Kaia! 🚀 #JBlaze #Klaytn #Finschia #Kaia #Merger #Technology #Blockchain #Growth #Web3 #Gaming #Community #Innovation

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Recent data from DappRadar shows a significant surge in the #GameFi sector, with unique active wallets topping 2.54 million, doubling in just one year. Gaming pioneers Yat Siu and Johnson Yeh anticipated this growth, predicting a massive influx of players into #Web3gaming. In a notable collaboration, the move-to-earn protocol STEPN has teamed up with adidas to release 1,000 Genesis Edition #NFTs on Solana Foundation marking the beginning of a promising year-long partnership. This collaboration will also introduce a range of NFTs and wearable sneakers. Adding to the momentum, @Ordz Games launched the "BitBoy One" this month, a Web3 handheld device reminiscent of the 1989 Nintendo GameBoy. This innovative gadget offers players a nostalgic gaming experience while earning Bitcoin through retro-style games. These developments underline the dynamic evolution within the Web3 space, heralding an era of significant transformations and collaborations. It's exciting to witness such substantial movements in Web3, signaling exciting times ahead for the industry. 📈 Sources: Cointelegraph, @ZhiyuanSun

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𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩�� 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣? 👀 Yesterday, I had the privilege of participating in the "Incentivizing Innovation in Web3 Gaming" panel at Proof of Talk alongside industry visionaries Yat Siu, BORGET Sebastien and Miko Matsumura. > Drawing on PGF's retro elements, Web3 Gaming is the place where gamers can get creative, spend time and build around their favorite game or IP and be rewarded for it, with something of value. 🔍 And here's the real kicker: the game is about to change. At Cross The Ages, we don't just create a game, we create a gaming experience. Gone are the days when games dictated the rules; now it's the players who dictate the game. 🦾 With Web3, players take control of their gaming journey. 🫵🏻 By rewarding positive behavior, Web3 redefines gaming and makes it more attractive. And with the support of industry giants like Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Immutable, Polygon Labs, and many others, we're pushing the boundaries of what's possible in gaming. As Vineet Budki hosted the show, he threw us a curveball: "𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣?" My choice? FORTNITE. Imagine its Creator Program and assets soaring to new heights, adding even more value for players. I'd love to hear your thoughts: which game could benefit most from the integration of Blockchain technology? 🎮 Share your thoughts in the comments below! 🚀 Congratulations to Proof of Talk for this amazing quality of event! this event is now unmissable well done Zohair Dehnadi Iaad Kweider Dr. Matthias Reiser Bahman Nedaei #Web3Gaming #CrossTheAges #RewardsRevolution #Innovation #GamingCommunity

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Disturbance in the Force: Square Enix Square Enix is doing the classic Nintendo play, raising salaries in Japan (in 2023) and then layoffs in Europe and North America in 2024. It is a very Japanese game publisher move that Nintendo has popularized for a couple decades now. Meanwhile, Square Enix has dropped all pretense of 'web3' and 'gen' AI hype, and is focused on Triple A multiplatform releases. Where have I heard that strategy before? ----- VideoGameChronicle: "Square Enix confirms US, Europe layoffs as part of restructuring. PUBLISHING, IT, AND SQUARE ENIX’S COLLECTIVE INDIE GAMES LABEL ARE AFFECTED" "Square Enix is set to make an unconfirmed number of layoffs as part of ongoing company restructuring, it told staff in an internal meeting on Monday. According to people who were in attendance, Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu said that both the company’s American and European arms would be hit with layoffs, which will happen over the course of the next month. The scale of the layoffs wasn’t shared, but staff were told that people in publishing, IT, and Square Enix’s Collective indie games division will be affected. Those impacted will be informed this week, staff were told. Following the internal meetings on Monday, many of Square Enix’s main Slack channels were locked. The layoffs coincided with the publication of the company’s quarterly financial results today, in which Square Enix said it plans to “rebuild overseas business divisions from the ground up” and has “begun optimizing costs at its European and American offices via structural reforms”. Kiryu, who was appointed as the Final Fantasy firm’s new boss in June 2023, has been enacting a large-scale reorganisation of Square Enix’s development efforts, in an effort to reverse recent disappointing sales of its biggest games. In Japan, Square Enix recently promoted a new group of creators to its executive officers, and placed checks on producers’ influence over individual projects, according to Bloomberg. Earlier today, Square Enix published a new medium-term business plan, which revealed its intention to make its AAA games multiplatform going forward. The plan, which the publisher has dubbed ‘Square Enix Reboots and Awakens’, lays out a three-year strategy which it hopes will lead to “long-term growth”. Square Enix’s financial results indicated that profits were down nearly 70% from the previous year, partly due to “the recognition of ¥22,087 million ($141 million) in losses on disposal of content as an extraordinary loss”. Square Enix said that, going forward, it will “aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy that includes Nintendo platforms, PlayStation, Xbox and PCs." By doing this, it will be able to “build an environment where more customers can enjoy our titles in regards to major franchises and AAA titles, including catalogue titles,” it said. VideoGameChronicle: https://lnkd.in/gr3SAbE2 #gameindustry #squareenix #gamepublishing #gamedev #gamelayoffs #layoffs

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🏀 Basketball Fever: China's top mobile publishers, Tencent and NetEase Games, are launching new licensed basketball games, reflecting key trends in the gaming market and the global future of licensed sports titles. 📱 Dunk City Dynasty: Also known as Hoop Heroes, this 3v3 street basketball game by NetEase boasts 500K downloads and is gearing up for global launch. It's already outperforming competitors! 🌍 NBA Infinite: Tencent's 3v3 basketball game has seen a global push since the NBA All-Star Game. With unique player abilities and broad international ambitions, it’s set to capture basketball fans worldwide. 🎮 Strategy Shift: Both Tencent and NetEase are diversifying genres and expanding globally. With new regulations stunting growth in traditional genres, they're now focusing on more casual, globally appealing titles. 🏆 Sports Licensing: These new games highlight the evolving landscape of sports IP. NetEase licenses players directly from the NBPA, while Tencent holds an official NBA license, indicating a shift towards more diverse and dynamic licensing opportunities. 🌐 Global Appeal: With basketball’s growing popularity, these games aim to attract new players domestically and internationally. This could be a game-changer in achieving revenue growth through audience diversification. 🕹️ Play Hoop World: For fans of basketball games, don’t miss out on Hoop World from Quiet. Available on iOS, Android, and Online on the web that works without installing, it's a fun and addictive basketball game that's perfect for quick play sessions. Give it a try and see why it's worth the hype! Links in the comments.

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“But you don’t look like a gamer. And I mean it as a compliment.” — Strangers “Then you are not a gamer.” — Industry veteran I grew up playing tons of games in China. I still vividly remember the fun times playing Korean MMORPGs with childhood friends at internet cafes. Can you imagine we had to pay both publishers and internet cafes by the hour? New maps, cosmetic items, creatures, and weapons were dropped with every update. I was always jealous of the kids who could afford monthly subscriptions, giving them unlimited playtime. This was easily 15+ years before the concept of Game as a Service. My first ever online purchase on Chinese eBay was virtual items for Ragnarok Online because little Grace was good at math and knew it was way cheaper to buy a decent beginner set than to grind for crafting materials. When I moved onto other games, I sold my RO account and made a small profit. This was 20+ years before NFTs and discussions around digital ownership. In Asia, video games are a crucial part of our social lives. My cousin, who introduced me to World of Warcraft, Half-Life, Need for Speed, and many other exciting games when I was a little girl, met his wife through Honor of Kings. My sister-in-law jokes that if dating apps fail you, find someone in a game who will carry you - you see their true colors through PvP and teamwork. Gaming has always been fun and positive for me, and I never doubted my identity. Then moving here to the US was a culture shock. On one side, I was told I was too good to be a gamer because I dressed nicely, wasn't socially awkward, and didn't live in my parents' basement. On the other side, an industry veteran said in my face that I wasn't good enough to be a gamer because I didn't play certain genres competitively. I was frustrated and turned to Reddit for answers. Here are some top comments I found: “I remember putting 300+ hours into Skyrim, but feeling like I couldn't call myself a gamer because I didn't play Halo or League. You definitely aren't the only one who feels that way. ♥️ We were just blocked by years of gatekeeping ugh” “I don't refer to myself as gamer and I don't think I ever will. I love video games, but the term comes with so much baggage it wouldn't fit onto a container ship bc most of the dudes who the term was coined for and that unironically refer to themselves as gamers are not people I would like to be associated with.” “𝐈'𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬.” 🥲 ✨ Imagine a world where everyone who plays games can proudly call themselves gamers. ✨ Imagine the breakthroughs in storytelling and game design we could achieve if every gamer felt empowered to contribute their unique perspectives. ✨ Imagine the explosive growth of the industry if we shatter the stereotypes and gatekeeping that hold it back. Gaming is for everyone, regardless of how they look or which games they play. If you love games, you belong in this community. #videogames #inclusivity

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Happy to share this insightful article from BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation about the launch of Kaia, the new blockchain platform formed through the merger of Klaytn and Finschia. With the Philippines emerging as a key player in the Web3 gaming space, Kaia aims to bring innovative Web3 games and collaborate with local gaming teams to enhance the ecosystem. 🎮 🚀 As Sangmin Seo from Klaytn Foundation mentioned, the game industry is our primary focus, but we're also looking forward to exploring other use cases in the Philippines. With partnerships with Yield Guild Games and Coins.ph, we’re on track to drive mass adoption of Web3 in the region. 🤝 Check out the full article here: [https://lnkd.in/eYz5Bgfy.] PS: Keep an eye out for more updates and exciting projects coming your way! 👀 👁 #JBlaze #KaiaBlockchain #KlaytnFoundation #Finschia #Dosi #3DKS #Web3 #Blockchain #Crypto #NFT #Gaming #Philippines #Innovation #ThinkGrowth

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Excited to reconnect with my gaming family at the upcoming event! If you’re attending, let's catch up! Now, a bit about my professional focus: Developers - Expert back-end development for smooth gameplay - Co-dev partners with credits from top games like CoD - Business advice on self-publishing vs. platform distribution - Cross-platform solutions for friends lists, leaderboards, achievements - Hybrid on-prem and cloud infrastructure for global deployment Publishers - Expanding Steam distribution to over 130 other stores AI Enthusiasts - Discussing all things AI - Reimagining performance marketing, influencer strategies, IRL-to-TikTok content, and community insights - Comms writers who need real-time social media context, especially on TikTok and Twitter (X) Licensing Experts - Developers for projects suitable for your IP - Kids game authentication modules for age/gender verification, looking at Hasbro & Mattel CEOs - Honest discussions about your business model (ARR vs. project-based revenue) Creative Media Agencies - Using AI to streamline social media departments - Crafting authentic brand collaborations (think Burger King & Stevenage Football Club) Ad Networks - Navigating IDFA changes with AI, LLMs, and social networks - Creating custom segments based on current IRL conversations Telecom Companies (BT Group, stc) - Integrating games into communities with PII benefits - Restoring eCPMs for F2P games through data enrichment and AI LLMs Monetization Experts - Exploring IRL-to-virtual and back again monetization strategies - Innovative ways to monetize virtual worlds, including IRL extensions Sherry Cask Scotch Enthusiasts - Finding and enjoying the best in Malmo Cigar Aficionados - Same as above! Consulting Models - Balancing professional life with family priorities Roblox x Fortnite x Meta - Discussing the potential of core gameplay in Roblox & Fortnite and meta-games on Meta Looking forward to meaningful conversations and some great cigars!

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🚀 Is Squad Busters going to hit $70 mil/month 😱 in IAP revenue after the global launch? I think Supercell would start with $250k/day and scale to $500k/1mil and then to $2mil/day based on actual numbers. We don’t know the payback or retention yet, but based on the retention profile from Supercell games, this can reach the current Brawl Stars scale—$70 mil/month IAP revenue. It was quite surprising to everybody when Supercell announced that Squad Busters is going GLOBAL! First of all, there is 0 chance this was decided on day 3 when it was announced. It was already decided before this game went to “soft launch.” This soft launch version is a marketing vehicle to build up hype and maybe fix some last technical issues. There is a really nice synergy effect between all the games to increase pre-registrations and give out nice rewards! #gamedev #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #gameindustry #mobilegames #mobilemarketing #mobileadvertising #userexperiencedesign #userexperience #gamedeveloper #games #gameart #ads #creative #midcore #casual #puzzle #moba

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Phoenix Labs was silently acquired by Forte a year ago — the transaction was never made public! This might shock many, but let me provide a brief timeline of how Phoenix Labs reached up to the point of 160-170 layoffs last month. In 2020, Phoenix Labs was acquired by Free Fire creator Garena for a whopping $150M. And then, in 2023, Phoenix Labs laid off employees in the months of May and December out of the blue. Apparently, Forte had bought Phoenix Labs from Garena and was responsible for calling the shots on layoffs. Even the most recent decision of layoffs that impacted more than 150 individuals was called by Forte. (Credits to Kris Morness) Besides the layoffs, Phoenix Labs also cancelled a game that was weeks away from releasing in early access. Scrapping a game means removing years of effort and hard work that the game developers put into building it. Every day, game developers are losing more than what they make for a living. It is just plain sad to see how the world’s leading entertainment industry is still unable to pay the creators who make it a leading industry. They need all the support they can get, so to bring them maximum visibility, I request all of you to share and make this reach recruiters and game studios currently hiring. Resuming my highlights, this is the second shoutout to the devs of Phoenix Labs. Noah Watkins — A UX Lead of Phoenix Labs who was once a UI Artist/Designer for Rocket League at Psyonix. Noah has designed user experiences and handled UI/UX art & design for AAA studios like Amazon Games and PlayStation Studios. Other renowned titles he has worked on are DC Universe Online, H1Z1, and EverQuest. Check out Noah’s portfolio: www.noahwatkins.com Veer Sharma— One of Phoenix Labs’ Lead VFX Artists, who has worked on games like Crash Bandicoot 4 and Legends of Runeterra. Veer is skilled in Unity, Unreal Engine, Houdini, Maya, 3DS Max, Photoshop, and After Effects. Omar Amador — He is one talented Technical Artist who has worked as a Character Technical Artist for Remedy Entertainment on Quantum Break. And it doesn’t end there! Previously, Omar worked as a Technical Animator for the Nintendo subsidiary Retro Studios on Donkey Kong and Metroid Prime 4. Michael Vicente — Has an experience of 10+ years with Blizzard Entertainment as a senior level Artist before becoming the Principal Artist for Phoenix Labs. Michael is regarded as an artist with ‘legendary’ sculpting skills who brings his own unique style. Andrew Kane — A highly experienced Technical Lead Game and Online Services Engineer! With over 13 years of experience in the gaming industry, he has worked for AAA studios like Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, and Crystal Dynamics. Sean Phillips — An expert game marketer who has worked with studios like Codemasters, 2K, PlayStation, and Creative Assembly. The games he has worked on are even more interesting, like DiRT, WWE, NBA, Mafia III, XCOM, Sid Meier’s Civilization, and FIFA! #layoffsupport

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⚠️CAUTIONARY SCAMMER - FRAUD COMPANY WARNING⚠️ It has been brought to my attention by the amazing Christophe Bettez that https://lnkd.in/gs8Qkpjz Is a PRETEND/FAKE GAMING COMPANY‼️ I recently made a post promoting the following job opportunities for the company: Principal Writer, Principal Narrative Designer, and Associate Writer. I came across these job opportunities via game search engine alerts, and shared them to our community. As it turns out “Luminary" does not have a website, an office, or actual staff except for the founder, Chad Tait.   Luminary also claims (pretends) to have amassed 500K$ in founding, yet the actual amount of pre-seed funding is undisclosed, and there are no investor names (source: https://lnkd.in/g3JvXmB7).   The company logo is also a black-and-white copy of an Australian digital design company (https://lnkd.in/gKq3NWU7), yet there is zero connections between the two, as "Luminary" is Florida-based.   Please be aware of this company, these fake job postings, and this pretend company. Be aware he has a second “fake company” GREY WOLF https://lnkd.in/g5uusrSS so avoid job opportunities from this one too! I reached out the “owner and CEO” Chad Tait, and his response was he was merely “practicing”, and as far as his explanation for posting fake job opportunities? He was “promoting”. Please DO NOT engage or send messages to him, I feel in my bones this was a case of someone being in over their head, and oblivious to the harm and dangers they may have caused. Instead, BLOCK the company, BLOCK him even. I am hoping that as a result of this uncovering that Chad will remove his “fake” company, stop posting non-existent job opportunities and be a better and more productive member of our community.

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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

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［SyFu GameFi x BNB Smart Chain］ SyFu GameFi project has decided to adopt the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) as its exclusive chain for the launch. (For more details, see the full release here) https://lnkd.in/gh4vJ6ez This choice will allow users to enjoy BSC's fast and low-cost transactions. The adoption of BSC is the first step towards making our gaming experience smoother and more efficient. SyFu is continuously engaging with the BNB Smart Chain, and we will be receiving their full support in onboarding and marketing efforts. Our future plans include the goal of making GameFi multi-chain. This will allow users from different blockchains to participate in our ecosystem, providing a more diverse and dynamic gaming experience. With the realization of multi-chain support, SyFu will grow into a truly global GameFi platform.

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Incredibly useful PC game market data from Steam. Steam continues to be the largest PC game platform by MAUs, by revenue, and by titles. Nothing comes close to it. ----- GameWorldObserver: "Steam business update: Sustained revenue growth, top 5 languages (non-EFIGS), expansion into Asia and South America. Valve’s Kassidy Gerber recently shared several updates on Steam as a platform and some of its key metrics. Here are the key findings." (Evgeny Obedkov) (Jun 11, 2024) Data below is taken from Gerber’s talk at the Nordic Game 2024 conference (ty GameDiscoverCo). --Steam has experienced tremendous growth in user base over the last five years, especially in regions such as Asia, Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America. --For example, the number of new Steam users in China, Serbia, and Philippines has increased by more than 100% since 2019, with Japan, India, and Mexico up more than 150%. --“Part of our mission on Steam is to reach gamers around the world,” Gerber said. “We invest a lot in making sure we price in the right currencies, accept the right payment methods, and connect our servers close to our customers.” --Steam currently supports 29 languages, and Valve is working on supporting more. And the actual language breakdown on the platform still surprises a lot of game devs. --“Traditionally, a lot of developers in the West tended to focus on EFIGS (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish). But it would be a big mistake to ship a game on Steam in 2024 and not at least consider a Simplified Chinese,” Gerber explained. --The slide below shows that the top five languages on Steam are English (35.08%), Simplified Chinese (28.08%), Russian (7.91%), Castilian Spanish (5.25%), and German (3.41%). --Like many other game platforms, Steam saw a huge surge in revenue at the start of the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020. However, it is “still seeing sustained growth,” with the graph below showing that global revenue for Valve’s platforms hasn’t slowed since then. --As GameDiscoverCo rightly pointed out, the key is likely Steam’s global expansion. Valve is doing a great job of reaching new audiences in Asia and other regions to offset the overall games market slowdown. --Steam hosts four seasonal sales every year, and Gerber pointed out that each of them continues to grow year-over-year. --For example, average daily revenue for the Summer Sale 2023 grew 23% year-over-year. Autumn and Winter events, which remain the biggest, are also growing — up 17% and 13% respectively. --“It’s worth noting that this growth isn’t localized to just the biggest games on Steam,” Gerber noted. “Games of all sizes see significant sales upticks by participating in our seasonal sales.” For more information about Steam, including data on Next Fest, Steam Deck, and Steam Input (6.7 million daily active controller users, +19.2% YoY), watch the full talk below." GameWorldObserver: https://lnkd.in/gegwxA9M #gameindustry #valve #steam #pcgames #cloudplatform

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Business of games: 14 biggest funding rounds, partnerships, and trends from the last week Investment round-up details for May 4th week. #238 1. Nintendo acquires Switch port specialist Shiver Entertainment from Embracer 2. IGN Entertainment buys GamesIndustry, RockPaperShotgun, other Gamer Network outlets 3. Firaxis vets found a new developer Midsummer 4. Keywords Studios green lights £2 billion EQT Group buyout offer 5. Sinn Studio raises $2.5M for real-time PvP VR combat game 6. Sega veterans Jarvis Crofts, Luke Greenaway, and Mark Dallamore have formed a new publisher-agency hybrid, Alibi 7. Atari acquires Intellivision brand, uniting competitors from gaming's early years. 8. Relic Entertainment has partnered with UK-based investment firm Emona Capital to become fully independent after being sold by Sega in March. 9. Rolling Stone has returned to games media by launching a new section, Rolling Stone Gaming. 10. Anomaly has raised $1.45 million for an AI-driven Layer 3 Web3 gaming platform. 11. Elixir Games acquires RoboKiden and teams with Ava Labs 12. Swordsman Studio Lands $2.5M For New PvP VR Combat Game 13. Autodesk acquires Wonder Dynamics 14. Plarium and Big Fish up for sale at Aristocrat Top Trends: 1. Embracer CFO and deputy CEO Johan Ekström stepping down, 2. Sony making PlayStation mobile store for F2P games 3. Moonton not for sale as Bytedance stays in the game with new CEO 4. Sega reaches financial targets one full year ahead of schedule in record fiscal year #gamingIndustry #gamedesign #mobilegames #gamedev #gamedevelopment #gamedeveloper #indiedev #unity3d #madewithunity

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