Deconstructor of Fun

Squad Busters One Month Later: Down, But Not Out It's been about one month since Squad Busters launched—enough time for front-loaded marketing spend to subside and the immediate reality to set. Squad Buster’s launch failed. We were hilariously wrong about the launch prospects of this game. Much less than acquiring portfolio-high download volume, Squad Busters is Supercell's weakest launch entry, behind only Boom Beach. While Squad Busters initially drove massive download quantity, it quickly sputtered out, and poor download quality translated to lackluster active users and revenue. The unreliability of pre-registration numbers, the overestimation of brand equity, and the waning influence of first-party featuring are soon becoming recurring themes in mobile gaming; Squad Busters' launch throws these challenges into the spotlight. It’s particularly a poor showing of Supercell’s IP. Gathering all Supercell IPs under one roof was supposed to be Squad Busters' strength, but the result is irreverent. Supercell may have brand recognition, but brand equity remains questionable. One thing we know for sure: Squad Busters launched too early. Forgoing a soft launch deprived Supercell of the ability to assess even Day 30 KPIs. This decision remains puzzling, as there was no pressure to launch Squad Busters. Brawl Stars is completing a historic comeback, while Clash Royale requires immediate attention. Instead, Supercell now needs to repair both Clash Royale and Squad Busters while also managing a plethora of other initiatives: Spark Labs, a growing investment of 19 companies, scaling headcount & remote work, and a North American studio that rears its head once a quarter. While the decision to forgo a soft launch was wrong, it was human. Sources indicate that no individual made the call, and leadership stood behind the decision. Forgoing a soft launch reflects a near decade of understandable Supercell frustration and an easy way out of prolonged soft launches: “Just do it.” Combined with a brand view of Supercell IP as akin to Nintendo, glowing first-party allegiance, and an eagerness to rack up another win on top of Brawl Stars’ revival, Squad Busters’ launch was too tempting to pass up. Squad Busters is a disciplined reminder of the importance of soft launching and a reality check on the strength of platforms and mobile-first IPs. While the game holds immense promise—a claim we stand behind—game lead Eino Jonas and the team are tasked with growing its magnitudes behind its portfolio peers. Yet, Brawl Stars reminds us that nothing is outside Supercell’s purview. (full post in comments)

In our latest article the powerful Lexi Sydow, Director of Corporate Marketing and Insights at Sensor Tower, unleashes her mobile gaming market insights. Lexi covers significant trends in mobile gaming and marketing: 📱 app vs game dynamics 🕺 Ad spending on TikTok and YouTube 🌎 Regional differences 🎭 IP collaborations 🔮 the future of subscription gaming. Gain valuable insights on market normalization post-COVID and ATT changes. #gameindustry #mobilegaming #gamedev https://lnkd.in/dKpSWNYx

Trigger warning: if you’re a founder struggling to raise funding despite doing every little thing that the VCs requested and showing promising early KPIs, this podcast may enrage you... Klang Games out of Berlin has raised 77M over 6 funding rounds from reputable investors like Supercell, LVP, North Zone, and Makers Fund. Why is this impressive? 1️⃣ The company was established in 2013 2️⃣ They haven’t shipped a game in a decade 3️⃣ They don't have any scalable data to show they are heading in the right direction. And despite all of this, they are somehow able to raise consecutive rounds of tens of millions. Year after year! Fundraising is unfair. No matter what VCs say, it is ultimately subjective. The founder’s charisma plays a huge part. Storytelling is crucial. Without selling, your ability to raise outsized funding is nearly impassive. In this episode, we got Klang co-founders Mundi Vondi and Oddur Magnusson talking about their journey thus far and Michail Katkoff trying to understand how they were able to get funded for their never-ending story. If you're a founder, or considering becoming one, this is a podcast you should probably listen to...

How to get noticed and hired into an executive position by a headhunter? Deconstructor of Fun got you covered! In the latest podcast, Gerard Miles from Mission One is shedding light on the multifaceted nature of executive positions and debunking common misconceptions about the executive sphere. https://lnkd.in/dEwT-xc4

What is Voodoo's secret sauce? Join us on a tour inside the office! Our first AAA podcast episode is filmed at Voodoo's HQ in Paris. You'll not only hear how the company has transformed from a hypercasual giant to a hybrid casual powerhouse. But also see inside the studio. The video version can be viewed on YouTube and Spotify. Link in the description! Oh, and let us know how you like the elevated production values. Should we do more of these? Which companies would you like us to visit? #gamedev #gameindustry

SQUAD BUSTERS RAISES THE SUPERCELL STAKES Matthew Emery, Michail Katkoff, and Phillip Black gather around the Finnish campfire to discuss Squad Buster’s significance to Supercell’s Next Chapter - Is Supercell under owner pressure? - Is Brawl Stars as successful as we think it is? - Why was Supercell’s top chief put on the game? - Why will Supercell reach record revenue with this game? - New innovations in the consumables economy and a genre born? Listen or Watch below: 📺 https://lnkd.in/ezqTf32W 🎧 https://lnkd.in/efsazhyG

SQUAD BUSTER'S LAUNCH IS HERE, AND SO ARE WE Supercell. 🚀 Verdict & Prospects As it stands, Squad Busters is not a game players will remember forever. But it can be one. Squad Busters demonstrates Supercell’s world-class ability to broaden the accessibility of mid-core mechanics, in this case, roguelikes and MOBAs, while weaving an effective character progression consumable-based monetization model. Squad Busters promises to evolve into a stronger, more robust, structured sandbox than its seeming counterpart, Brawl Stars. Simply put, Squad Busters is Supercell’s most accessible game yet and has the most sustainable revenue potential among their offerings, bar Clash of Clans. It’s also a crowning achievement in Supercell’s IP building. Squad Busters’ characters draw from other Supercell IPs, with endless and tantalizing future potential tie-ins. Yet the art style, gameplay, and wholly original IP elements (that theme music!) manage to expand and enhance the IP it’s based on. Potential cannibalization between Brawl Stars and Squad Busters is overblown. We should expect a portfolio-high download volume. However, a lackluster learning loop, muted character design, and two-in-round currencies hamper Squad Busters' ability to transition players to elder gameplay depth. Long-term prospects remain the game’s biggest mystery, as the game was never soft-launched long enough to measure so much as a D30 retention rate. While these are fixable issues, the team must solve them “live,” which is much more difficult if the team headcount scales. Ultimately, Squad Busters needs more refinement time. In the short run, and as the first game to go global under Supercell’s “Next Chapter,” it has a shot at helping Supercell achieve its highest annual revenue on record to date. That would be a welcome reprieve for a company that was acquired by Tencent for $10 billion just after Clash Royale launched. As we have documented, ever since the acquisition, Supercell has been more often declining than growing, with revenues 20% lower than at the time of acquisition. And that’s how you adjust to the inflation and the growth of the mobile gaming market… However, solving Squad Buster's core issues is paramount to avoiding the inconsistent performance of Clash Royale and Brawl Stars. Far more in the DEFINITIVE DECONSTRUCTION below.👇 https://lnkd.in/e7uaeDym

If that title doesn't make you click, we don't know what will 😅 The latest podcast episode with the brutally honest 🦩 Matej Lancaric is live on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts from. Just search for "Deconstructor of Fun" and make sure to subscribe so that you never need to search when new episodes drop. XOXO

Layoffs, blockbuster titles, award-winning TV shows, and privacy impact on marketing are the topline news. But what's going on when you scratch the surface? From economic fluctuations to shifts in consumer behavior and technological advancements, the game industry landscape is evolving in ways that demand keen insight and strategic foresight. Amidst this backdrop, three compelling trends have emerged, each signaling a pivotal moment in the industry's narrative. In this blog post, Michail Katkoff delves into three key trends, dissecting their impact and exploring the broader implications for stakeholders—from seasoned developers to aspiring entrepreneurs. Head on to the Deconstructor of Fun website to read the full story. Link in the comments.

Before Merge Mansions, Merge Gardens and Travel Towns there was Triple Town. A legendary game by Spry Fox (a Netflix Games studio). In the latest podcast episode, we embark on a journey with game design guru, Daniel Cook🌟 and our very own Ethan Levy. The two discussed the evolution of Daniel's career, the essence of creating meaningful games, and what lies ahead. This is a must-watch/listen for anyone passionate about the future of game development! Whether you like merging or not... #GamingIndustry #gamedev