We are gearing up for Europe’s leading B2B conference for the global mobile games industry, Pocket Gamer Connects London, and we are excited to share with you the fantastic speakers gracing us with their knowledge and expertise at PG Connects!
You can view the entire speaker line-up so far here to get a full scope of the talent that will be speaking this February. To give you a glimpse of what you can expect, we are spotlighting some of the most highly anticipated speakers to showcase the incredible talent and top-tier businesses that will be sharing their insights with us.
We spoke with head of business development of ZEBEDEE, Ben Cousens, who started his career in video games development before moving into finance, advising, and investing in video games companies globally with The Raine Group and Lakestar, where he met and subsequently joined ZEBEDEE to lead Business Development. Ben loves working with games developers and is always happy to talk.
Join us at PG Connects London on February 14-15 to hear Cousens present a deep dive into building game payments as a native experience.
PocketGamer.biz: What key trend should we be paying attention to in the next 12 months?
Cousens: Of course, I have to say play-and-earn games, but in reality the implications extend far beyond that: the real underlying trend is that value transfer can now exist natively within virtual environments. This not only enables players to be rewarded for their time commitment to a game, but equally opens up many new, innovative game mechanics that are yet to be discovered.
Games developers can finally monetise economic activity that occurs in their worlds, as it will no longer be pushed to third-party or grey market websites and platforms. The future is exciting.
Outside development and publishing, where are the next big opportunities in the mobile games market?
Payments: it looks like the Apple/Google IAP duopoly is on the wane.
What leaders/pioneers in games do you find inspiring?
I have a soft spot for Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman, and Tim Schafer, and most of the early LucasArts team’s contribution to adventure games.
What game has been on your phone the longest?
Balls King. That game is so addictive.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received that you can pass on to others?
“Use the computer, don’t let the computer use you.” — Prince.
Can people get in touch with you at the event? What sort of people would you like to connect with?
Of course! I’m interested in connecting on many fronts: ZEBEDEE has several exciting partnerships to share and I am hiring, but above all I love getting creative with game developers on what is possible with our API. Feel free to say hi!
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to meet with Ben Cousens and other industry leaders at Europe’s #1 B2B games industry conference on February 14-15. Make sure you secure your spot today!
