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Mobile & F2P | Jordan Blackman | Why the Best Games Are Winning by Squeezing Less | DD 2026
The mobile gaming industry is undergoing a fundamental shift in monetization strategy, moving away from aggressive, friction-based tactics toward a model that prioritizes long-term player engagement.
- Reducing aggressive monetization 'pinches' can increase both player retention and total revenue simultaneously, contradicting the traditional industry assumption that player satisfaction and business performance are inversely related.
- Successful monetization redesign requires 'revenue migration,' where removing a friction point (such as level-gating) is balanced by alternative, less intrusive spending opportunities within the game loop.
- The cost of aggressive monetization is rising because modern players are increasingly sensitive to friction and more likely to churn when they feel over-squeezed, making the traditional 'out-squeeze the competition' strategy less effective.
Gamescom 2026 insights and Sony Music's shock Puzzle & Dragons investment | Week in Mobile Games
The global gaming industry is currently navigating a period of strategic realignment, characterized by shifting developer allegiances, significant capital movements, and a renewed focus on core gameplay experiences.
- Sony Music has acquired a 23.29% stake in GungHo Online Entertainment, the developer behind the mobile hit Puzzle & Dragons.
- Godot is gaining significant market share as an open-source alternative to established engines, becoming the most-used engine in the GMTK Game Jam with 47% usage compared to 39% the previous year.
- W4 Games, a company supporting the Godot engine ecosystem, has secured $18 million in new investment.
This Region Is A Hidden Goldmine for Game Developers
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is emerging as a strategic growth market for mobile game developers, offering a combination of lower cost-per-install (CPI) rates and a rapidly expanding, mobile-first user base.
- The MENA region offers a strategic growth opportunity for mobile developers due to lower cost-per-install (CPI) rates and a mobile-first user base that can reach 60% of the performance metrics of tier-one markets.
- Mobile casual gaming, specifically board, puzzle, and card genres, dominates the regional market and accounts for over 70% of total gaming activity.
- Regional investment strategies have shifted from localized publishing of foreign titles toward the development and acquisition of original intellectual property and proprietary technology, led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar.
Staying Strong in the Game with Jordan Smith | 358
The contemporary gaming industry is undergoing a profound period of instability, characterized by widespread layoffs and a systemic shift away from the collaborative, high-quality production standards that defined previous console generations.
- The gaming industry is experiencing systemic instability driven by a speculative investment culture that prioritizes short-term trends like AI and crypto over sustainable product development.
- Large corporations are fostering a risk-averse environment by relying on formulaic 'Hollywood-style' sequels and unsustainable financial models, which has led to widespread layoffs and the loss of senior talent.
- A significant disconnect exists between management and creative workforces, exacerbated by a lack of business acumen among founders who often attribute success to luck rather than intentional design.
Intro: Introduction & Welcome - Chris James, Steel Media.
The Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan 2024 conference serves as a strategic platform to connect, support, and celebrate the global games industry, with a specific focus on the burgeoning Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market.
- The global gaming market is valued at $188–$189 billion, supported by a player base of 3.4 billion people that is projected to grow to 3.76 billion by 2027.
- The MENA region is the fastest-growing gaming market globally, currently experiencing a 9% growth rate and serving as a strategic hub for talent and studio development.
- Investor confidence is rebounding, with over $1.1 billion in early-stage funding recorded during the third quarter of 2024.
The Art of Hiring and Getting Hired, with Jordan Mazer, Head of Talent at a16z Games
Strategic talent acquisition in the gaming industry requires a shift from traditional, unstructured hiring practices toward a founder-focused, operator-led model that prioritizes clarity, speed, and functional precision.
- Shift from subjective, unstructured hiring to a founder-focused, operator-led model that prioritizes functional precision and clear business objectives.
- Implement structured interview processes that utilize real-time, collaborative problem-solving to assess hard skills, replacing burdensome and often biased external assignments.
- Define organizational culture through measurable, behavioral-based frameworks rather than generic, subjective evaluations to ensure consistent talent assessment.
Chris James and Dave Bradley On Lucrative Gaming Markets And Branding Power At PGC Helsinki
The recent Pocket Gamer Connects (PGC) event in Helsinki served as a hub for industry professionals to evaluate current market trends, with a specific focus on navigating the challenges of the mobile gaming sector.
- The MENA region is the world's fastest-growing gaming market, with a projected 12% growth rate and an estimated 577 million players.
- Venture capital investment in mobile gaming has slowed due to rising user acquisition costs and ongoing data privacy challenges.
- Studios are increasingly adopting cross-platform development and subscription models to offset mobile market volatility and ensure long-term profitability.
Panel: The New Gaming Frontier Navigating Emerging Markets for Global Growth
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has emerged as the fastest-growing gaming market globally, with projections indicating a valuation of $7.2 billion supported by a player base of 574 million.
- The MENA gaming market is the fastest-growing globally, currently valued at $7.2 billion with a player base of 574 million.
- Success in the region requires moving beyond generic translations to sophisticated cultural localization that accounts for specific regional dialects and customs.
- Market entry necessitates integrating local financial ecosystems, specifically direct carrier billing and other regional payment infrastructures.
Mobile Shooters: What's Next After Battle Royale? ft. Jordan Phang/Naavik (FREE REPORT!)
The mobile shooter market represents a specialized but significant segment of the global gaming industry, accounting for approximately 5% of total game downloads and 6% of revenue.
- The mobile shooter market is highly concentrated, generating $3.5 billion in revenue and 2.6 billion downloads between October 2020 and November 2021, with a few dominant titles like Game for Peace, Free Fire, and Call of Duty Mobile capturing the majority of spending.
- Extraction shooters are emerging as the primary evolution for the genre, utilizing high-stakes gameplay and loss aversion to create a distinct, tension-filled loop that differentiates them from standard Battle Royale formats.
- New shooter IPs face significant retention challenges because players are reluctant to abandon established ecosystems where they have already invested in social connections and cosmetic assets.
Fireside Chat: Zain’s Vision for the Esports Market - Hamzeh Iseed, Corporate Communications - Zain
Zain, a leading telecommunications provider in Jordan, has established a dedicated esports division to support the country’s growing gaming ecosystem and engage with the youth demographic.
- Zain launched its dedicated esports division in 2020 to professionalize the gaming ecosystem in Jordan by providing infrastructure, coaching, and talent scouting.
- The Jordanian market is currently mobile-dominant, with PUBG Mobile, FIFA, and Warzone serving as the primary titles for viewership and participation.
- To overcome hardware cost barriers, Zain utilizes cloud-based gaming services like GeForce Now to facilitate a transition from mobile to professional PC and console gaming.
The Rise of the Game Industry in the MENA Region - Kamal Aittah, CEO & Founder at Game Hermits.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is currently experiencing a significant transformation in its gaming industry, evolving from a landscape of hobbyist developers to a burgeoning hub for original intellectual property and professional studio development.
- The MENA gaming market is projected to grow from $1.78 billion in 2021 to $5 billion by 2025, representing a 15.1% compound annual growth rate.
- The region remains significantly underserved with fewer than 50 established local studios, creating a high-potential investment gap compared to Western markets with thousands of studios.
- Government initiatives in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE are providing critical infrastructure and funding to transition the region from a hobbyist landscape to a professional studio hub.
Chris James and Nour Khrais welcome everybody to Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan 2022
The Middle East and North Africa region has emerged as the fastest-growing games market globally, currently commanding a player base of 488 million and projected revenues reaching $7.1 billion.
- The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the fastest-growing games market globally, currently serving 488 million players with projected revenues of $7.1 billion.
- Jordan has established itself as a credible international game development hub through the Jordan Gaming Lab, which operates seven locations and supports a community of over 10,000 members.
- The King Abdullah II Fund for Development provides the essential infrastructure and financial backing required to transition local indie developers into the professional gaming market.