Deep Dives
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DEEP DIVES
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The New Reality of Mobile DTC Payments
Executive Summary Introduction A new mobile gold rush is underway. Thanks to a combination of court rulings and policy reforms, direct-to-consumer (DTC) payments are rapidly becoming a core part of mobile gaming business models. Game and app publishers are seizing the opportunity to replace the 30% platform fees with far more reasonable alternatives, leading to…
The State of UGC Games (2025)
To explore working with Naavik on your UGC games consulting needs, please contact us here. We’d love to chat. The user-generated content (“UGC”) train showed no sign of slowing down in 2024, with engagement at all-time highs, launches of new tools powered by artificial intelligence further lowering the barrier of creation, and more brands and…
Hello, World Models!
This article was written in collaboration with our partners at Lightspeed who are part of Naavik’s Open Gaming Research Initiative. As an increasing share of our time is spent online and interacting with digital content, AI’s impact on gaming & interactive media has shaped not only Lightspeed’s investment approach (backing category-defining companies, including Inworld in…
The New Era of Gaming Comms
This deep dive was written in collaboration with our client, High Vibe PR — a boutique communications firm for companies and brands that define the future of gaming, entertainment, and culture. Historically, PR’s primary role has been to secure trusted third-party coverage, build credibility, and amplify a game’s narrative through key media channels. However, the gaming…
A New Era of Self-Publishing
Earlier this year, Palworld took the world by storm. It became the biggest third-party game launch ever on Xbox Game Pass, dominated the Steam charts, and spawned a craze for monster taming not seen since Pokémon Go. What makes this story even more special is that Palworld’s developer Pocketpair is an independent studio without a…
New Horizons in Habit-Building Gamification
Gamification, in a nutshell, is taking gaming mechanics and applying them in a non-gaming context. The proper execution of gamification can help boost multiple metrics, from engagement to monetization. According to Duolingo’s former Chief Product Officer Jorge Mazal, leveraging gamification helped Duolingo 4.5x its DAU. In this deep dive, we look at the growing genre…
The 4X Evolution of Century Games
No, this is not a repost of last year’s Frozen City deconstruction, but it is about another Century Games hit that tasks players to survive in a frozen environment: Whiteout Survival. Both games look very much alike, especially during the first sessions. If you’re thinking there’s something fishy going on with this likeness, you are…
The State of UGC Games (2024)
Big thanks to David Taylor for spearheading this essay — and to our OGRI partners for making it possible! To explore working with Naavik and David on your UGC games consulting needs, please contact us here. We’d love to chat. It was a massive year for user-generated content (“UGC”) games in 2023. New platforms launched,…
Revolutionizing Play: The Emerging Trends in Backend Game Services
In the past, games were self-contained adventures, existing solely within the confines of a cartridge or CD. Whether it was a pixelated rescue mission or navigating barrels tossed by an enraged ape, the gaming experience was limited to the physical medium. Today, however, games have evolved into expansive, interconnected universes, constantly updated and simultaneously experienced…
Dave the Diver: Nexon’s Approach to “Fun First”
Today we have a deep dive with Dave the Diver! Read on and find out how this feel-good smashed the charts in Steam. We have also prepared our regular game of the week at the bottom of this newsletter.
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