Why Minigames Mean Major Business
Minigames in mobile titles date back to the late 2000s, with early examples like Kingdom Hearts Mobile, a collection of small in-game challenges.| Naavik
Today, we look into Duolingo’s strategy for the future development of its app after the company’s acquisition of the music gaming studio NextBeat. We also bring you a new podcast episode where we talk about the increasing role of AI in game development, as well as this week’s top news and some hand-picked Content Worth Consuming. The post Duolingo’s Next Beat: Music, Math, and More appeared first on Naavik.| Naavik
With AI taking over the tech industry, its role in game development is slowly shifting from novelty to potential necessity. Host Devin Becker sits down with Francois Courset, a consultant at Naavik with experience on using AI in game development, to explore the current and near-future landscape of AI in game creation. The conversation covers everything from Francois’... The post On the Front Lines of AI Game Dev appeared first on Naavik.| Naavik
In today's newsletter, we analyze Dream Games' twice-proven strategy, exploring what others can learn from its success and what it means for the future of the match-3 genre. We also bring you the latest Content Worth Consuming and round up this week’s top news items. The post The Royal Blueprint: Easy to Copy … Or Not? appeared first on Naavik.| Naavik
Minigames in mobile titles date back to the late 2000s, with early examples like Kingdom Hearts Mobile, a collection of small in-game challenges.| Naavik
Discover the gaming industry's leading insights at Naavik Digest. Sign up now for the #1 games industry newsletter.| Naavik
The video game labor market is in crisis, and few understand it better than Amir Satvat. In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Amir, Tencent BD Director and founder of the world’s largest grassroots games career community, to break down the structural shifts reshaping the industry. From layoffs and shrinking remote roles to... The post Inside Gaming’s Deepening Labor Crisis with Amir Satvat appeared first on Naavik.| Naavik
In today’s issue, we make the case for major changes at Xbox, share our conversation with the head of esports at EA, and bring you the latest news and Content Worth Consuming from around the gaming world. The post Why Xbox’s Best Path May Be Outside Microsoft appeared first on Naavik.| Naavik
In this episode, host Aaron Bush sits down with Monica Dinsmore, Head of Esports at EA, to unpack her journey from finance and ops to leading esports strategy at one of the world’s biggest game publishers. Monica shares behind-the-scenes stories from launching the LEC at Riot Games, navigating the operational chaos of COVID-19, and transitioning to EA to... The post The Business of Esports at EA appeared first on Naavik.| Naavik
The toy business has long overlapped with video games, of course, but recent months and years have seen a number of important changes.| Naavik
Former Nexon CEO Owen Mahoney joins Aaron Bush for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about the current and future state of the games industry. While Owen had a successful decade-long run leading one of Asia’s most important gaming companies, this episode explores what he’s been thinking about since stepping down – namely through his sharp (and sometimes spicy) essays critiquing industry norms... The post Why the Games Industry Might Triple (Despite Its Challenges) appeared first...| Naavik
Today, we take a look at GenAI and its current impact on game development during pre-, post-, and production phases. We also bring you this past week’s top news items, as well as a fresh batch of hand-picked Content Worth Consuming. The post The State of AI in Game Development appeared first on Naavik.| Naavik
Join host David Taylor as he interviews The Gang, a pioneering team in Roblox gaming, creators of Strongman Simulator with over 1.5 billion plays.| Naavik
Who has what it takes to create the next hit live-service FPS? Explore the top contenders reshaping the future of multiplayer shooters.| Naavik
Discover how top creators turn TikTok engagement into billion-dollar empires through strategy, virality, and brand power.| Naavik
Unpacking PlayStation’s evolving strategy as it shifts focus to live-service games, cross-platform play, and a broader gaming ecosystem.| Naavik
Africa’s gaming scene in 2025 is thriving, Driven by local talent, tech innovation, mobile growth, and global influence in the industry.| Naavik
