GTA VI Trailer / Hybridcasual Success / Africa’s Gaming Market

In this week's Roundtable, the squad dives into the unexpected early leak and subsequent official release of the GTA VI trailer, which has taken the internet by storm. We then shift gears to discuss the burgeoning success of hybridcasual games, which surpassed $2B in revenue in 2023, and how Voodoo's bold claim of "hypercasual is dead" is playing out in the market. The conversation heats up as we explore the upcoming Fortnite and Lego collaboration, questioning the fit of audience and moderation tools for the Lego brand. We also uncover new details from the Epic Games vs Google lawsuit, revealing a once-proposed alliance with Supercell to create a new app store and whether Microsoft is in a good place to try that. Finally, we delve into the emerging African gaming market, analyzing its potential as a huge developing audience and comparing it to previous expansions in other developing regions. Join us for all the latest games business news with Dave Elton, Matt Dion and host Devin Becker.

We’d also like to thank Lightspeed Venture Partners for making this episode possible! With its dedicated gaming practice, "Lightspeed Gaming," the firm is investing from over $7B in early- and growth-stage capital — the by far largest fund focused on gaming and interactive technology. If you’re interested in learning more, go to https://gaming.lsvp.com/.

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.