WePlay Ventures Newsletter: Month's Gaming Landscape

We’re excited to keep this journey rolling with you, bringing you the freshest updates from our dynamic community of gaming studios and spotlighting key advancements in both the global and Turkish gaming ecosystems. At WePlay Ventures, we are dedicated to innovating and being creative and are constantly supporting the games of the future. ?????

In this edition, you'll dive into the latest success stories from our portfolio companies, uncover new industry trends, and get an insight into our recent events and partnerships. We’re thrilled to showcase the impressive milestones our studios are completing and hope you find their progress and dedication as inspiring as we do. ??

Join us as we explore the highlights of August and keep the momentum going!

News from WePlay Ventures!??

· Our partnership with Heroic Labs brings the Heroic Games Stack, including Nakama and Hiro, enhancing scalable and social gaming experiences. ????

· We’re excited to work with UGC Ninja, experts in high-quality user-generated content videos. Their network of 24,000+ creators supports our studios in creating engaging marketing content. ????

· With AppMagic, our studios gain access to advanced mobile market intelligence, helping track trends, optimize ideas, and understand retention benchmarks. ????

These partnerships boost our WePlay HUB graduates and portfolio studios, accelerating their growth!

·???????? We’re thrilled to share that Vellicor Games, a proud WePlay HUB Batch 3 graduate, has reached a major milestone with their game "Together in Between." This black-and-white, co-op first-person puzzle adventure has garnered 25,000 wishlists, reflecting the growing excitement and anticipation within the gaming community.

Check out the game on Steam !

Congratulations to the Vellichor team for their incredible achievement and ongoing success! ????

·???????? WePlay Ventures is thrilled to announce that applications for the 5th batch of our WePlay HUB program have started! Get ready for an exciting journey as our new batch kicks off on October 1st. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this dynamic accelerator and take your game studio to the next level. Apply now and join us in shaping the future of gaming! For more details and to apply, visit here .

·???????? WePlay Ventures is excited to join Workup Gaming Program of Türkiye ?? Bankas? as the investor partner. This unique initiative is designed for Turkish game studios aiming to expand and succeed. Our mission is to refine their game development, boost efficiency, and unleash their creative potential on a global scale.

Participants will also have the chance to connect with investors, including funds from ?? Bankas?, WePlay Ventures, and DOMiNO Ventures. ?? Discover more and apply here: https://www.workup.ist/workup-gaming

These updates represent exciting milestones for WePlay HUB and our studios. Stay tuned as we continue to advance together in the gaming world!

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Global Gaming Ecosystem News!??

While we have our updates, much is happening in the global gaming arena that’s worth highlighting. The gaming landscape is continually changing from emerging technologies to major game launches. We want to keep you in the loop regarding these global developments. Here are the latest top stories, from innovative tech and new game releases to important market trends:

· Casual Gaming In H1’24: Tough Competition And New Opportunities

In H1'24, the casual gaming market revenue increased by 11%, reaching $7.2 billion. The Match-3 genre saw a 9% revenue growth, while Merge-2 and Match 3D genres experienced significant increases of 107% and 127%, respectively. Despite declines in Idle Tycoon and Casual Casino genres, the Sort Puzzle genre grew by 1200%, marking the fastest development. Notable games include Royal Match, Block Jam 3D, and Monopoly GO!.

·???????? Why Tech Giants Integrate Games on Their Platforms

Games are increasingly being used to enhance user engagement across various platforms. The New York Times, for example, has integrated casual games like Wordle, attracting over 1 million subscribers and 10 million daily players. This success aligns seamlessly with their daily news consumption, enriching the overall user experience. Microsoft Teams has also incorporated gaming to boost interaction and add fun to its platform. Netflix’s venture into gaming, though challenging due to its contrast with its passive streaming model, represents a bold step towards diversifying entertainment and capturing more user attention. When thoughtfully integrated, games can complement a platform’s core offerings and significantly elevate user engagement.

·???????? Overview of Game Publishers in Live Streaming for the First Half 2024: Riot Games on top, Tencent and Garena leading mobile genre

In the first half of 2024, Riot Games leads with a staggering 1.7 billion hours watched, driven by the continued popularity of League of Legends and Valorant. League of Legends alone accounts for over 1 billion hours, reflecting its dominant position in esports. Rockstar Games follows with 1.2 billion hours, largely thanks to GTA V, which has maintained its popularity through role-playing servers. Valve ranks third with 835.64 million hours, supported by the success of Counter-Strike 2. Activision and Blizzard Entertainment complete the top five, with Call of Duty: Warzone and World of Warcraft driving their watch time.

PlaysOut will take thousands of Web3 mini-games to Telegram via TON blockchain

PlaysOut is set to transform the gaming landscape with a strategic partnership with TON Play to bring thousands of Web3 mini-games to Telegram, boasting over 900 million users. The beta launch is planned for December, with a full rollout in early 2025. This project, supported by collaborations with STON.fi and Tencent, aims to enhance user engagement and drive the transition from Web2 to Web3. By integrating advanced gaming technologies and leveraging Telegram’s vast user base, PlaysOut is positioned to revolutionize mini-games and Web3 adoption, offering new opportunities for developers and enriched experiences for players.

·???????? Gaming Apps spent $29B on user acquisition in 2023, 40% to U.S.

AppsFlyer's annual mobile gaming report, based on data from 15,000 apps, highlights key trends in monetization and user acquisition. The U.S. remains the top market for user acquisition, with $12.2 billion spent in 2023, far surpassing other regions. Match games dominate ad spend, totaling $8.65 billion, followed by strategy, RPG, casino, and simulation genres. Cost per Install (CPI) are narrowing between iOS and Android, with iOS at $6.80 and Android at $1.35, indicating improved efficiency in acquiring iOS users. The report also shows a shift towards hybrid monetization models, with 43% of games now using a blend of in-app advertising and purchases, up from 36% the previous year.

Thank you for being part of our community and staying engaged with the latest from WePlay Ventures. We’re excited to continue this journey with you, and we look forward to bringing you more insights, success stories, and updates in our social media channels:

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Continue to explore, innovate, and stay in the loop with us!??