Amber Newsletter | January 2024

Navigating the Roblox Universe: Amber's Exclusive Webinar

Our exclusive Amber Webinar on "Reaching New Audiences through Roblox" has officially kicked off.

Featuring a stellar lineup of speakers including Scott Humphries (Chief Product Officer at Amber ), Edgar Daniel Serrano Rivera (Team Producer at Amber ), Todd Lichten (Head of Entertainment Partnerships at Roblox ), Joshua Wexler (Co-founder and CEO at Pure Imagination Studios ), and Nate Spell (Founder and CEO of Barrier Four ), the event took a deep dive into the intricacies of developing SAW X: Survive the Obby. The session was followed by an engaging Q&A.

This webinar is designed to showcase the strengths of Roblox as a platform for brands looking to connect with new audiences. Explore why some are opting for this platform to create meaningful experiences based on IP and discover strategies to reach older audiences, specifically those aged 17 and above.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to delve into the world of Roblox and gain valuable insights.

A Glimpse into Amber's Co-Development Solutions

Exciting developments are in full swing! Our newly launched Co-Development Solutions Video Reel, featuring insights from Tiago M. Fernandes , our Head of Co-Development, is now live.

In this video, Tiago provides a detailed tour of Amber's wealth of expertise, extensive experience, and cutting-edge technical capabilities within the gaming industry. Uncover how we harness the strengths of our multidisciplinary custom development teams to propel our clients' projects to unprecedented levels of success.

Dive into the video reel to explore the collaborative solutions that define Amber's commitment to excellence in the ever-evolving landscape of game development. Thank you for being integral to our ongoing pursuit of innovation and success!

Amber Shines at Pocket Gamer Connects 10th Anniversary as Gold Sponsors

This year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Pocket Gamer Connects LIVE from London, proudly serving as Gold Sponsors for the event.

Our team, including Mihai Pohon?u , Jaime Gine , Ioana Pohontu (Business Development Manager), and Catalin Butnariu (Chief Strategy Officer), actively engaged in the event.

Amidst the dynamic atmosphere, we seized valuable networking opportunities, connecting with industry leaders, developers, and enthusiasts.

The event provided an excellent platform for exploring new business prospects, fostering collaborations, and staying abreast of emerging trends in the gaming landscape.

Our involvement in this year’s PG Connects London has set the stage for a promising and eventful year ahead.

Amber's Executive Trio Readies for D.I.C.E. Summit 2024

As this year’s D.I.C.E. Summit approaches, anticipation builds for three days of intensive video game discussions, and our colleagues are poised for excitement.

Amber's trio— Scott Humphries (Chief Product Officer), Andreea Enache (Chief Revenue Officer), and David Cohen ?? GamesBeat NEXT (Director of Business Development - PC / Console)—will be on the scene in Las Vegas, immersing themselves in the event from February 13-15. Their mission: to explore fresh avenues for industry growth.

During their stay, they'll be actively engaging in the art of forging new partnerships and advancing products for both clients and partners.

Get ready for an insightful and productive summit!

Exploring Taipei Game Show 2024 with Thomas Wong

At the forefront of Taipei Game Show 2024 in Taipei from January 25 to 26 was our BD Director - GaaS, Thomas Wong , leaving a distinctive mark on this influential gaming event.

Organized by the Taipei Computer Association, the Taipei Game Show has become Taiwan's largest gaming exhibition, capturing the attention of gaming enthusiasts and industry professionals worldwide.

Thomas, who joined Amber in December 2023, actively participated in insightful conversations and information exchanges throughout the event, adding valuable perspectives to the ongoing dialogue shaping the gaming industry.

His engagement went beyond connection-building, enhancing the depth of our mastery in the gaming world.

Discovering Mexican Traditions: Breaking the Kings' Bread

In Mexico, we celebrate the holiday season with a unique tradition – the "Rosca de Reyes" or Kings' Bread. This delightful custom takes place on January 6th, marking the culmination of Christmas festivities. The Rosca, adorned with candied fruits and small ceramic figures representing baby Jesus, is shared among family and friends.

At Amber Mexico, we turn this tradition into a heartwarming gathering. Picture us coming together in the studio, sharing laughter and good wishes while cutting slices of Rosca. To make the experience even more special, we indulge in hot chocolate, creating a memorable moment full of tradition and flavor.

Amber Mexico Takes Center Stage at Global Game Jam 2024!

We're delighted to announce that we were part of Global Game Jam as a hub in Mexico!

This event, which occurred from January 26th to 28th, centered around creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

In collaboration with our civil association, ARDEN, Global Game Jam is a global phenomenon where game developers from around the world come together to create unique games within a limited time frame.

For this special occasion, we organized mentoring sessions for our 70 in-person participants. These sessions covered a range of expertise:

- Game Design with David Castella .

- Narrative with Hugo Rodriguez .

- Development Management with Andrés Rivera Aragón .

- Art with Alvaro Jáuregui Dávalos .

- Production with Edgar Lázaro .

These mentors brought a wealth of experience to guide and inspire our participants throughout the jam.

We were happy to experience the creative energy, innovation, and camaraderie that Global Game Jam always brings.

Stay tuned for updates as we reflect on this exciting journey with the global game development community!

INDUSTRY SNEAK PEEK - January 2024

Netflix is strategically exploring ways to monetize its gaming ventures, considering play charges, optional in-app purchases, or in-game ads, according to sources. The streaming giant, known for its evolution from a DVD distributor to a streaming pioneer, aims to solidify its position in the gaming realm.

While it has made strides, offering free mobile games as a subscription perk, it plans to double its game titles in 2024 with about 90 new games in development. With less than 1% of subscribers playing games daily, Netflix's challenge lies in expanding its gaming appeal.

Rumors of console-quality games are circulating, potentially requiring separate fees. Success could fund Netflix's ambition to create unique, TV-tailored games, but failure might lead to a negative public perception, hindering subscriber growth.

As Netflix adopts a "crawl, walk, run" approach to gaming, its next steps involve strategic revenue models to enhance the overall worth of its gaming investment.

In 2023, mobile gaming witnessed a staggering average of 1.1 billion weekly downloads , accompanied by players spending over $1.5 billion weekly, culminating in a total revenue of $107 billion by year-end, as revealed in data.ai 's State of Mobile 2024 report.

The dominant global game genres included hypercasual, simulation, and action, with 16.4 billion, 10.5 billion, and 5.5 billion downloads, respectively.

While Simulation experienced a 0.7% uptick in downloads, hypercasual downloads declined by 7.5%, and action fell by 12.1%. Interestingly, hypercasual saw a 52.9% surge in in-app spending, whereas simulation and action genres saw decreases of 5.3% and 10.3%. RPGs became China's preferred genre, constituting 21% of all mobile game installs and experiencing an 8.6% download increase.

Globally, RPGs, led by titles like Genshin Impact and Pokémon Go, emerged as the highest-grossing genre, generating $24.5 billion and accounting for 30% of revenues, showcasing their adeptness at monetizing players. Notable top-grossing games included Candy Crush, Honor of Kings, Roblox, Royal Match, and Coin Master, with newcomers like Monopoly Go earning over $1 billion in their initial seven months.

In 2022, the time people spent on mobile apps increased by 6%, reaching over five hours daily in mobile-first markets, creating fresh opportunities for brand-consumer relationships. Indonesia led with over six hours daily on apps, followed by Thailand, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil, while Japan, Australia, and Canada showed the fastest growth in time spent.

Global consumer spending rose by 3% in 2023, notably in South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, and Turkey, with over 25% year-on-year growth. Although mobile game spending dominated at $107.3 billion , other apps generated $64 billion, growing 20 times since 2014. These "need-to-have" apps exhibit resilience, outpacing games in turbulent economies. Despite a 2% decrease in mobile game spending, combined revenue from apps and games exceeded $171 billion in 2023.

China and the US contributed significantly, with China leading at $37.63 billion and the US following at $23.92 billion, comprising over half of global mobile game revenues. The UK spent $2.19 billion on mobile games, ranking second after 2021's $2.39 billion, despite declining downloads. Japan exhibited a spending preference, contributing $12.78 billion with 600 million downloads, emphasizing Japanese gamers' willingness to spend. India's modest growth, increasing player spending from $210 million to $230 million between 2020 and 2023, anticipates a 49% year-on-year valuation growth until 2028 according to Google.

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