Early-stage funding hits 12-month high despite depressed growth and late-stage activity

Q2 2024 - the State of Gaming and Venture Capital as Consumer Demand Continues to Grow

Why it is so hard to fundraise in gaming right now and predictions for what’s next

University adoption of competitive gaming can drive a culture around esports

Apple and Anstream partner for retro game streaming

UEFN has made a splash in gaming, but faces a few roadblocks before mass adoption

The legality of using copyrighted training data for generative AI models

Voodoo values BeReal users for >50% less than Snap, Pinterest, Instagram

How has mobile gaming fared since IDFA was deprecated

Virtual pets can fulfill the human need to care for something in a scalable way

Netflix drove 81.2m gaming downloads in 2023, 0.15% of all mobile gaming downloads

Game assets are exploding in volume and version control systems need improvement

TikTok for Games as a product concept will not work, here's why

An analysis of potential buyers of TikTok in gaming, big tech, telecoms, e-commerce, and advertising

Prediction: 1-2 IPOs in 2024, large M&A in 2025 due to regulatory overhang

The next wave of consoles in 2028 is likely a tipping point for cloud gaming adoption

Charting the evolution of gaming accessibility, from its origins to a future of enhanced play

AI agents add another layer to the complexity of AI in games

Digital fashion is failing to deliver innovative products and experiences

Gaming is global but not homogenous

Enhanced developer tools are elevating indie game quality (rated almost the same as AAA games now)

Gaming can play a pivotal role in adaptive learning

Anime IP is underutilized and underdelivered in video games

The UGC ecosystem is accelerating with new entrants and IP integrations

Player feedback needs physiological data

Looking beyond the Lens, how will the developer ecosystem evolve around the Vision Pro platform

Lack of opportunities to monetize skill in esports are structural

The CCP has a strong belief that gaming is a negative influence on the Chinese population

Games that hope to have a long life in esports should lean towards an open ecosystem

Key events and trends in gaming from 2023

LEGO and Epic Games has the potential to be one of the most transformational partnerships of the decade

gaming has become core to the continued training and development of the defense industry

Player tools will unlock TTRPG mass appeal, easing entry, and enhancing the player experience

Free-to-play model creates problems for developers and players

Gaming can play a role in early childhood development

The gaming industry is leaving $10-30 billion in annual revenue on the table

Cloud gaming tech could be best used in playable game advertising

The repercussions of anonymity in virtual worlds

Dissecting the Indian 28% GST Tax on Real Money Gaming

An evolving landscape, charging for the value they provide

Spatial computing needs compelling haptics

VTubing is a sizable and rapidly growing sub sector within live streaming.

Cosplay is a growing industry with a user base that has a high propensity to spend.

We are beginning to see a new chapter in console wars with renewed development of the handheld gaming access ecosystem

We believe that the Smart TV is still an underutilized channel for gaming

What does copyright law and generative AI content mean for the gaming industry?

NPCs can elevate experiences through AI

Influencer-driven marketing for games: future of UA or cost sink?

Gaming platforms have similar profiles to Forever Apps

Snapchat has struggled to become a significant player in AR (outside of Lenses) and missed a serious opportunity within gaming.

Looking at gaming, venture capital and factors for growth in the region

The origins and history of game shows and matching consumer demands for the future

Gen Z is starting to shape the future of consumer applications

Our view is that successful UGC platforms will not win with tool differentiation alone, IP will be core

The Vision Pro is exactly what we expected from Apple; a premium device that showcases their vision of an XR future

We believe the social fabric of the gaming industry offers a healthier (and safer) alternative to social media today.

Exploring Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

The past, present, and future of cloud gaming

AR and its technology suite creates new challenges for the governance by tech platforms as well as the government (local and federal).

As the global population continues to age, gaming can be applied to and even tailored to make everyday tasks easier

Epic vs Apple || Microsoft + ATVI

Potential for game distribution though OTT

Can realistic NPCs and digital companions make people feel less lonely?

Can milestone-based financing be the next phase of gaming content VC?

Headwinds across advertising and in-app purchases

Augmented Reality is missing a core piece of infrastructure when it comes to positioning and orienting user devices in the real world

The future of personalization needs more innovation

The convergence of active + passive content consumption

AR is still waiting on its moment; large tech companies will take us there

Strict copyright infringement will hinder fan growth and engagement

Broader infrastructure improvements are being conflated with the success of individual assets that stand to benefit in the near term

F2P, while being one of the greatest business model innovations in gaming, has caused problems that it's going to need to fix

Playing out the bear case for generative AI’s impact on UGC platforms

Savvy Gaming Group will struggle to fulfill its goal of establishing Saudi Arabia as a hub for innovation and gaming

Key events and trends in gaming from 2022

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard faces steep regulatory hurdles

Browsers offer a future for game developers that would give mobile and PC developers the ability to circumvent any and all walled gardens

The belief that gaming can increase user retention and engagement is not limited to “traditional” subjects taught in schools

Blockchain gaming infrastructure must be built to solve relevant problems for players and developers

We believe that Apple’s efforts on the privacy side are positioning them for the launch of their own internal ads business

Games as a way to manage and build healthy lifestyles

We do not believe that location-based virtual reality will be a sustainable distribution channel for digital experiences

We believe there will be a shift back to hardware-driven strategies

By introducing game mechanics to increase engagement and monetization, dating applications are the perfect candidate for disruption

Gaming investment has not been immune to the global economic downturn

Although subscription services are growing meaningfully in adoption, consumers have high expectations

As a public company, Roblox has pressure from the public markets to optimize for earnings calls and top/bottom line growth

The future of analytics within gaming will be driven by tools that help developers understand their audiences in a deeper way

With XR continuing to gain popularity, Android has found a new and likely quite lucrative opportunity

We believe acquiring content will round out Amazon's development, marketing, and distribution capabilities to become a key tenant in gaming

We believe the winners in the space of digital identity adoption will enable a federated identity

We believe AppLovin will double down on its software business and will be aggressive in pursuing value-add acquisitions

Hypercasual is facing significant headwinds due to the business model’s misalignment with current advertising policies and user trends

The FTC’s scrutiny of Meta’s Within acquisition is inconsistent with the FTC’s track record we have seen within gaming

Ownership and re-selling creating a $1b gray market

There has been a notable increase in studios in the early stages of development self-branding their upcoming games as AAA

We focused on what two key antitrust bills could mean (if passed) for innovation in gaming

Halfway through 2022, we wanted to dive into how the gaming industry has fared so far this year