Program

10:30 - 11:00: Fireside Chat: The MENA Region as a Video Games Economy: Challenges and Opportunities

Samer Abbas

MENA Games Business Developer

Oleg Nesterenko

Managing Editor, Game World Observer

The conversation will revolve around the MENA region’s video games market, the local industry, and the support it’s receiving from the public sector. If you are looking to tap into the region’s game development talent or bring your game to the MENA’s players, don’t miss the talk.

11:10 - 12:10: Fireside Chat: Music & The Metaverse: How To Hit The Right Notes

Jade How

Creative Director Fashion & Trends, Lockwood Publishing

Catarina Água-Mel

Business Development Manager, Lockwood Publishing

Keir Mackay

Marketing Director, Lockwood Publishing

Lockwood Publishing shares how they create short-term and long-term music partnership events and combine content streams to entertain millions of users worldwide.

12:20 - 12:50: Creative Trends: What Sells in MENA

Lamia Shreim

Marketing Manager, Tamatem

Lamia will be discussing in detail what goes into successfully marketing a mobile game in the MENA market and how to get it to top the charts.

12:50 - 14:30: Networking Break

14:30 - 15:00: Why Go MENA

MJ Fahmi

CEO & Co-Founder, Babil Games

This talk will be about how publishing your mobile game in the MENA region has great potential for success, and why you should go for it.

15:10 - 16:10: Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Gaming Ecosystem in Turkey

Moderator Oz Silahtar

Co-Founder & CEO, UAhero (Tarentum AI)

Sertac Picakci

CEO, Masomo

Baran Mentes

Chief Publishing officer, Arvis Games

Ozberk Olcer

CEO, Joygame

In this session we will bring together some of the leaders of mobile gaming in Turkey with varying backgrounds and hear their opinions.

11:10 - 11:40: Beginners' Business Mistakes in GameDev and How to Avoid Them

Max Postnikov

Executive producer, Nexters Boost

We worked with more than 100 early-stage GameDev companies in our pipeline. I’m going to share our view on the most common mistakes that almost every game developer makes. And of course, I’ll give advice on how to mitigate those risks.

Look around. You’ll find a ton of advice on building a successful video game. But how about building a prosperous business? Where to raise funds? How to evaluate your ideas and prototypes? How to breach the gap between your playable MVP and grossing live-ops video game?

At our production center, we work with early-stage games helping them to get to the point where they become real businesses. We’ve learned a lot along the way. I’ll be happy to share what we’ve found during this exciting journey.

11:50 - 12:20: Untapped Category of Mobile Gaming - Kids Games - In MENA region

Volkan Taban

Co-Founder, Gamester Kids

Overall analysis of "Kids" gaming category; top performing apps, challenges and opportunities in the region.

12:30 - 13:00: Beyond Myths: Influencer Marketing is Not What You Think It Is

Dasha Arzhanik

Head of Performance, HypeFactory

Influencer marketing is changing at a rapid pace and it's not always easy to keep up with these changes. Some beliefs are long outdated. This presentation will debunk the most common influencer marketing myths that are sabotaging your success.

13:00 - 14:30: Networking Break

14:30 - 15:00: Metaverse in Plain English

Vincent Ghossoub

Co-Founder, Nifty Craft

The talk will feature real life Metaverse demos and provide a glimpse into the future of work.

15:10 - 15:40: 10 Myths about Playtesting Demystified: How to Launch a Successful Mobile Game in 2022

Jeet Thakkar

Head of Business Development, Playtest Cloud

Does remote playtesting even work? Do players share genuine feedback? Will we be able to gather relevant information with the limited resources we have in house? These are some of the questions that I will address in this session about demystifying common myths about playtesting. I will also share valuable insights on how various game studios conduct remote user tests and how it impacts their overall development strategies and leads to a successful launch.

15:50 - 16:20: The Power of Community

Astrid Rosemarin

Communications Director, New World Interactive

Case studies + more general concepts around the idea of bringing traffic (sales, Wishlists, impressions, etc.) to games via community initiatives with minimal to no additional dev resources. For example, we recently had a Day of Infamy 5th anniversary sale, pushed out a trailer, and had a play with devs event and surpassed all KPIs from the previous year in one weekend.

10:30 - 11:00: A New Era of Mobile Gaming?

Çağlar Bozkurt

Head of Blockchain Gaming, Trifles Games

There is a lot of traction about blockchain gaming, and this is still a very new topic for many developers, publishers, and players; and this session will be aimed to briefly give information about the possible new era of mobile gaming.

11:10 - 11:40: UA Privacy Change & Personalized Games

The effects of privacy changes on iOS15 and Android on the game industry. What is needed to survive and properly perform UA in this new era.

11:50 - 12:20: Potential and Challenges of Mobile Game Market in Iran

Shahrzad Salemi

Business Developer, Cafe Bazaar

This session will review overall image of mobile games market in Iran, opportunities available, as well as challenges and what one should take care of when publishing a game in this market.

12:30 - 13:00: The Future of In-App Brand Advertising

Aaron Ludlow

Head of Product, Interact by Playstack

The competition to get brands seen and heard in this digital era is getting fiercer and fiercer. With the invention of AdTech, there are ways to get users to engage with brands within games. This is not just beneficial for brands, it is also beneficial for game developers, and even players as they are able to enjoy the game with the integration of brands making the experience more lifelike.

13:00 - 14:30: Networking Break

14:30 - 15:00: Bring your Game to Chinese Market

Nikita Khristenko

Head of Cloud for Gaming, Tencent

Entering Chinese market is something that a lot of companies would like to try. However, there are so many things that they are not aware of. Naming, choice of colours, cultural differences, local regulations. This lecture will give an overview of what to be aware of and share some tips to avoid mistakes.

15:10 - 15:40: Tech drives Effective In-Game Advertising

Antoine Jullemier

VP Gaming, Bidstack

The digital advertising industry is on the rise and many brands have started to acknowledge and value the size of the opportunity in gaming, but are unsure how to effectively activate in the gaming space. Join this session to learn more about the future of native in-game advertising.

08:30 - 10:00: Welcome Coffee

10:10 - 10:15: Welcome to WN Istanbul!

Julia Lebedeva (Kraskovskaia)

COO & Partner, WN Media Group

10:15 - 10:30: How Can an Event in Istanbul Open Up Endless Amount of Possibilities? / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Gaming Industry

Tansu Kendirli

Chairman, Oyunder

Simay Dinç

Founder, Women in Games Türkiye

10:30 - 11:00: Talent Flow to The Turkish Game Industry

Barış Ozistek

CEO & Board Member, Bogazici Ventures

The Turkish game industry is booming fueled by the strong flow of top talents. The challenge is how to manage the growth and invest into the most promising startups. The talk will focus on the market, opportunities and future rising of the top talents of the country.

11:00 - 12:00: Panel Discussion: Mobile Gaming Trends

Moderator Carlos Estigarribia

Director of Business Development, wappier

Vlad Funtikov

CEO, CM Games

Chris O'Kelly

Vice President Live Games, Goodgame Studios

Ricardo Flores

Executive Producer - Studio Head, Lockwood Publishing

The mobile market represents around half of all global games revenues and opportunities abound for savvy developers, but how can today's game makers succeed in this increasingly competitive landscape? Our panel will answer this important question while addressing changes in the Apple ecosystem and discuss the future of F2P gaming, as well as consider new opportunities including web gaming, AR/VR blockchain gaming and blockchain gaming.

12:00 - 12:30: Raising Capital on "Ground Zero"

İsmet Gökşen

Founder & General Partner, Ludus Ventures

Investing in at a pre-seed stage is both challenging for investors and entrepreneurs. This session will be about how to create an attraction in the pre-seed stage, what makes a start-up "venture backable" even with an idea, and how to find a sweet spot between an investor and a founder.

12:30 - 13:30: Lunch Break

13:30 - 14:00: Is There Life on the iOS Planet after the Big Boom? Game-changing Insights Post-iOS 14

Furkan Taşdöğen

Account Executive, AppsFlyer

It’s been around one year since the bombshell of iOS 14 landed and completely changed the industry as we knew it. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework has turned the mobile app space upside down. As the dust settles and game developers start to get used to the newly introduced privacy changes and regulations, it’s still clear that some challenges in the sector remain. Join us as we take a deep dive into some game-changing insights post-iOS 14. Specifically, we’ll be discussing the current state of gaming app marketing, how ATT is affecting the market and how to navigate around the resulting issues.

14:00 - 14:30: Leveraging Hollywood Licenses in Game Development

Tim Willits

Chief Creative Officer, Saber Interactive

How to decide, secure, and develop a modern video game based on a Hollywood license. Tim will talk about his experience working with Saber Interactive on World War Z, Evil Dead, and A Quiet Place. He will discuss the many aspects of working with license holders, maintaining the spirit of a Hollywood franchise, and how to bring these games to market.

14:30 - 15:00: Fireside Chat: Current M&A Trends in the Games Industry & Outlook for 2022 and Beyond

Caglar Eger

CEO, exmox

Shum Singh

Managing Director & Founder, Agnitio Capital

Last year saw continued heated activity in M&A, and 2022 is likely to continue down that path. How will the M&A space evolve as many of the big targets have already been snapped up? Will publishers become increasingly aggressive? Or increasingly selective?

15:00 - 15:30: "Doin' It Right": How to Create Best Possible Mobile Marketing Content

Gökçe Nur Oguz

CEO & Co-Founder, Playable Factory

Playable ads have been increasingly relied on by mobile advertisers recently, however video is still one of the most powerful marketing tools. Mobile gaming companies are now looking for a more holistic approach combining various marketing methods for the best possible outcome.

15:30 - 16:00: Networking Break

16:00 - 17:00: Women in Gaming

Moderator Aysu Yildiz

VP of Sales, AppNava

Ayşe Betül Eser

User Acquisition Manager, Product Madness

Dominika Pawlasiuk

Senior Mobile User Acquisition Specialist, Huuuge Games

Simay Dinç

Game Producer & Co-Founder, Recontact Games

In this panel, we’ll be speaking to inspiring women as they share what it takes to succeed in gaming, advice on navigating the workplace, tips for women just entering the industry, and a whole lot more.

17:00 - 17:30: Fireside chat: How to Make Money from Hyper-Casual Games in 2022

Julia Lebedeva (Kraskovskaia)

COO & Partner, WN Media Group

Erkmen Aydogdu

Growth Team Lead, Alictus

17:30 - 18:00: Marketing Research: Raising Chances to Make a $100M Game

Anastasia Grishina

Brand Manager, MGVC

09:00 - 10:30: Welcome Coffee

10:30 - 11:00: How to Choose the Best UA Channels for Your Game

Magdalena Zaręba

Senior Growth Media Buyer, Huuuge Games

Kazimierz Merklejn

Senior Growth Media Buyer, Huuuge Games

No matter what is the scale of your UA, there are always plenty of channels to buy traffic from. At Huuuge we've had many opportunities to explore dozens of networks and learn the channels’ strengths and weaknesses. We would like to share our knowledge in order to help you with planning your exploration strategy and avoiding traps that might be set on your way.

11:00 - 12:00: Designing Games for Maximum Monetization

Moderator Kevan Merlehan

Director of Sales, Liftoff

Erno Kiiski

Chief Game Analyst - Managed Services, GameRefinery

Victor Zaletov

Director of Product Publishing, Huuuuge Games

Burkay Özdemir

CEO, MildMania

While the vast majority of mobile game revenue is earned through in-app purchases, designing games for maximum monetisation remains a major challenge, requiring deep knowledge of UX design, virtual economy tuning, pricing economics, and many other disciplines. Featuring experts across these fields, this panel will give attendees concrete and proven advice for designing mobile games, as well as more advertising driven games.

12:00 - 12:30: The Franchise Approach: A Practical Guide

Valerio Di Donato

CEO, 34BigThings

The franchise approach to videogames IPs can be a solid strategy to grow a game studio, have a game IP better known in the world and foster some technology credit. This talk will go through steps, tips and tricks to execute it.

12:30 - 13:30: Lunch Break

13:30 - 14:00: Startup to Scaleup in Gaming

Sara Asad

Growth Manager, Tamatem

Startups to scale ups, gaming in MENA has always been a world of its own - but not anymore. Having the highest ARPPU globally, the MENA gaming market is on the verge of booming as gaming companies are becoming globally recognized. Similar to how digitization became a necessary adoption for all industries, gaming in MENA has become the newest trend for many industries and emerging startups. Let’s chat about it all: the MENA gamer, regional startup ecosystem, and what it takes to be part of it.

14:00 - 14:30: The State of Gaming Investment in MENA

Joseph Shomali

Co-founder & CEO, Play 3Arabi

With the recent gaming M&A's happening in Turkey and the MENA region, as well as investments tailored for gaming from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, there are great opportunities for startups. This talk aims to shed light on some of the opportunities available and how to take advantage of them.

14:30 - 15:00: The Future of the Turkish Game Scene

Moderator Tansu Kendirli

Chairman, Oyunder

Sertac Picakci

CEO, Masomo

Emre Canbazoğlu

Chief Executive Samurai, MildMania

Oğuzhan Kar

Founder / Creative Director, Leartes Studios

Turkish Game industry projected itself as a powerhourse for the last couple of years. This conversation will reflect the upcoming trends and actual status for game industry professionals, business developers, service providers & financial institutions.

15:00 - 15:30: First Deal’s a Charm or What We Learned from Our First $100 mln M&A

Andrey Kuznetsov

Chief Investment Officer, Nexters

15:30 - 16:00: Incrementality Measurement 101 - An overview for beginners

Louis Brutton

Senior Analytical Lead, Remerge

The notion of “Incrementality” is becoming increasingly popular among mobile app marketers. Join Remerge’s incrementality expert,as he sh ares the basics of how this methodology works. Find out why incrementality measurement is essential for mobile ad campaigns and learn when you should use it.

16:00 - 16:30: M&A vs IPO - What’s the Best Strategy for Your Studio?

Christopher Bergstresser

Board Member, Mogul Games Group

16:30 - 17:00: WN Developer Contest - Awards Ceremony

PROGRAM

Europe/Istanbul (UTC+3)