Hi there, my name is Kenny, and I work in Revenue Strategy at Riot Games. Each week I compile a gaming industry insights newsletter that I share with other Rioters, including Riot’s senior leadership. This edition is the public version that I publish broadly every week as well. Opinions are mine.
See more or subscribe at: https://tinyletter.com/kliuless
Kliu's Corner: First =/= Winner
Benedict Evans: Tesla, software and disruption
"But the history of the tech industry is full of companies where having a lovely product, or being the first to see or build the future, were not enough. Indeed, the car industry is the same - a great, innovative car and a great car company are not the same thing. Tesla owners love their cars. I loved my Palm V, and my Nokia Lumia, and my father loved his Saab 9000. But being first isn’t enough and having a great product isn’t enough - you have to try to think about how this fits into all the broader systems."
Though this post is primarily focused on Tesla, the takeaways ring true for gaming as well, e.g.: PUBG vs. Fortnite, HoN vs. LoL, EverQuest vs. WoW, etc.
Unfortunately, with such fierce competition globally, today it is not enough for developers to simply design, build, and ship a great idea. They must also think ahead beyond release as to how they can capture and, more importantly, keep as much of the market as possible. (For example, see my discussion last week on Epic's continual fortifications of Fortnite's competitive moat)
Business Strategy & Insights
HBR: Why We Procrastinate When We Have Long Deadlines
Revenue Strategy
Valve: Creating Artifact is not a "zero-sum game"
Rocket League takes a page from Fortnite with new limited-time Rocket Pass
Player Growth
a16z Podcast: Why paid marketing sucks, network effects, viral growth, and more
Android Developers Blog: Exclusive new organic acquisition insights on the Google Play Console
KIWI.COM Case Study: Achieving 66% growth through app store optimization
SuperData acquired by Nielsen Holdings
Design
World of Warcraft Developer Insights: Warfronts
Genetic Algorithms in Games
PC/Console(/Mobile)
Eve Online maker CCP Games sells to Black Desert Online’s Pearl Abyss for $425 million
CEO Robin Jung tells why Pearl Abyss bought Eve Online maker
Hilmar Veigar Pétursson interview: Why CCP thinks Iceland and South Korea are a good mix
Roblox raises $150M, now valued at >$2.5B, and sets sights on China
New LA Times owner makes strategic investment into Daybreak Games
The Lord of the Rings universe is getting a free-to-play online game from Athlon Games
WildStar Developer Carbine Studios Shuts Down
Civilization VI hits console for first time with November 16 Switch launch
Dota2: Understanding OpenAI Five
