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State of the African Games Industry: 2023 Survey
The 2023 State of the African Games Industry survey, conducted by Maliyo Games and presented at the Nordic Game conference, provides a snapshot of the current development landscape across the African continent.
- Unity is the dominant game engine in the African market, used by 64.1% of developers, followed by Unreal at 14.5% and Godot at 8.5%.
- Contrary to the perception that the African games industry is exclusively mobile-focused, 62% of developers build for multiple platforms, while only 23% develop exclusively for mobile and 10% for PC.
- The survey, conducted by Maliyo Games and presented at Nordic Game, gathered data from 118 respondents across the continent, including studios (35%), indies (35%), employees (12%), and hobbyists (18%).
Former Epic, Riot Exec Mike Seavers Joins Yuga Labs
Yuga Labs, a prominent Web3 and NFT company, has appointed Mike Seavers as its new chief technology officer, effective May 22, 2023.
- Mike Seavers, former EVP of Development at Epic Games and former CTO at Riot Games, has been appointed as the new Chief Technology Officer of Yuga Labs, effective May 22, 2023.
- Seavers replaces outgoing CTO Kerem Atalay, who will transition into a role as a strategic advisor for the company.
- Yuga Labs is a prominent web3 and NFT company known for properties including Bored Ape Yacht Club, Otherside, CryptoPunks, 10KTF, and Meebits.
War Robots Tops $750 Million in Lifetime Revenue
The mobile mech shooter War Robots has surpassed $750 million in lifetime revenue since its initial launch in April 2014.
- The mobile mech shooter War Robots has surpassed $750 million in lifetime revenue since its April 2014 launch.
- The game added over 30 million new players in the year leading up to April 2023, marking a 40% year-over-year growth rate.
- War Robots currently holds a total registered user base of over 200 million, including a core group of 6 million players active for at least two years.
Unreal Editor for Fortnite: A Game Changer
The introduction of Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) represents a significant shift in the free-to-play (F2P) gaming landscape, positioning Epic Games to compete directly with established creator-led platforms like Roblox.
- Epic Games launched the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), a platform that enables creators to build multiplayer experiences using professional-grade Unreal Engine tools within the Fortnite ecosystem.
- The UEFN ecosystem aims to compete with Roblox by offering a path for developers to transition from creative platform tools to professional C++ development, addressing the career longevity concerns of creators.
- Epic Games introduced 'Fab,' a unified digital asset store for UEFN that shares 88% of revenue back to developers, while Fortnite creators are incentivized through a model that rewards engagement and retention.
The First AAA FPS on the Blockchain?
The development of AAA-quality first-person shooters on the blockchain represents a pivotal shift in the gaming industry, moving away from extractive play-to-earn models toward sustainable play-to-own frameworks.
- Developing a top-tier AAA blockchain FPS requires a budget in the low to mid 8-figure range to ensure sufficient runway and high-fidelity production quality.
- Shrapnel, developed by Neon Media, raised $10.5 million in a funding round led by Griffin Gaming Partners and is targeting a late 2024 release.
- Last Expedition by Gala Games utilizes a node license model priced at $2,000, which grants owners server hosting capabilities and exclusive mod NFTs rather than traditional play-to-earn token rewards.
Game Radar: Blocklords, Star Atlas, AI Arena
The current landscape of blockchain gaming is defined by a persistent tension between ambitious technical innovation and the practical realities of sustainable economic design.
- Star Atlas lost nearly half of its operational runway due to the FTX collapse, forcing the team to attempt to raise capital through multi-million dollar NFT ship sales in a bear market.
- AI Arena, developed by ArenaX Labs, raised a $5M seed round led by Paradigm to build a platform that combines AI training with web3 gaming mechanics.
- Blocklords utilizes a dynasty system where heroes have limited lifespans, requiring players to manage bloodlines and pass on unique attributes to descendants to ensure long-term progression.
Paranormal Tales: How Did It Hit #1 Trending on Steam?
The success of the indie horror title Paranormal Tales serves as a primary case study for effective game discovery and viral marketing.
- The indie horror title Paranormal Tales secured over 70,000 Steam wishlists in one week by utilizing high-fidelity Unreal Engine 5 visuals and a unique bodycam perspective to drive viral interest.
- Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework has permanently hindered free-to-play mobile growth, forcing developers to shift from precise user acquisition to broader, catch-all creative strategies.
- Market performance in the mobile sector is bifurcating, with casual games currently outperforming niche, high-monetization genres like social casinos due to tracking limitations.
Nyamakop Is Hiring: 3D Character Animator
Nyamakop, a game development studio, announces an opening for a 3D Character Animator to contribute to an upcoming, currently unannounced title.
- Nyamakop is actively recruiting an associate-to-intermediate level 3D Character Animator for an unannounced game project.
- Candidates must possess a strong portfolio featuring stylized character work and demonstrate familiarity with video-game art pipelines.
- Proficiency in Unreal Engine 4 and prior experience working on commercial game titles are considered advantageous for applicants.
Overload
CD Projekt’s aggressive October 2022 announcement strategy serves as a high-stakes attempt to rehabilitate its corporate reputation and bolster investor confidence following the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077.
- CD Projekt announced an aggressive expansion strategy including a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel (Project Orion), five new Witcher games to be released within six years, and the development of an original, non-Witcher/Cyberpunk IP.
- CD Projekt is establishing a new satellite studio, CD Projekt Red North America, with offices in Boston and Vancouver to support its future development pipeline.
- Co-CEO Marc Iwinski is stepping down after nearly 30 years at CD Projekt and has applied for a seat on the company's supervisory board.
The Lost Ark Has Found Its Way
Lost Ark has established a significant footprint in the Western gaming market, securing 20 million registered users following its February 2022 launch.
- Lost Ark reached 20 million registered users in the Western market following its February 2022 launch.
- Amazon successfully established operational credibility in the MMO sector by removing aggressive pay-to-win mechanics and integrating the game with Twitch and Prime Gaming.
- Daily active users stabilized at 450,000 after an initial launch peak of 1.3 million, proving the viability of importing established Eastern titles to Western audiences.
Sony's Epic Strategy
Sony is strategically positioning itself at the intersection of interactive entertainment, film, and music through a series of high-profile investments, most notably a recent $1 billion funding round for Epic Games.
- Sony invested $1 billion in Epic Games, bringing its total stake to $1.45 billion and valuing the company at $31.5 billion to secure a 3% share.
- The partnership centers on integrating Sony’s intellectual property into Fortnite and leveraging Unreal Engine 5’s technical features, such as Lumens, Nanite, and MetaHumans, to improve production efficiency.
- Sony is shifting its business model from hardware-dependent sales to a service-based ecosystem, aiming to increase user lifetime value through a diversified portfolio of interrelated properties.
Mobile Game Trends in 2022: It’s Now or Never
Mobile game growth in 2022 is projected to stabilize after the pandemic-driven boom of 2021, with key shifts shaping the sector.
- Apple’s privacy updates have significantly increased user acquisition costs, forcing developers to pivot from traditional targeting toward influencer marketing and live-streaming on platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube.
- The Play-to-Earn (P2E) model is becoming a mainstream revenue stream and employment alternative in underdeveloped markets, with some players in regions like the Philippines earning up to $3,000 monthly from titles such as Axie Infinity.
- Non-gaming giants including Netflix, Amazon, TikTok, Google, and Apple are aggressively entering the gaming space, evidenced by Amazon’s 'New World' reaching 700,000 concurrent players and TikTok campaigns like #GiftOfGame generating 2.5 billion views.