Interview

PG Connects speaker spotlight: Franco Breciano, ZupCat

Do you know what makes your game stand out?

PG Connects speaker spotlight: Franco Breciano, ZupCat

It's just weeks to go before Pocket Gamer Connects 2014.

Our first conference will be held in London on 20-21 January - you can find out more details here.

So to whet your appetite, we're finding out more about some of our speakers.

Franco Breciano is the co-­founder and CEO of ZupCat.

Founded in September 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, ZupCat's Facebook and mobile games have been downloaded more than 10 million times.

During 2013, it partnered with Square Enix to co­-develop mobile games specifically tailored for the Latin American market, and partnered with Fox Sports to develop its official Brasil 2014 Soccer Game.

Pocket Gamer: What do you think has been the most significant event for you during 2013?

Franco Breciano: For ZupCat, we successfully transitioned from being a social games company to a mobile games company, also working with Square Enix and Fox Sports.

What will be the biggest challenges and opportunities in 2014?

As the mobile space is consolidating and becoming more and more competitive, the quality bar is rising, and that puts pressure on everyone, especially independent developers.

What's your advice for indies?

It's becoming harder and harder to stand out, so my advice is

Do a lot of market research to understand which games work, and why.
Indie developers have scarce resources so focus on core features that make your game unique.
Understand who are the best partners to distribute your game.

How big do you think the East-meets-West opportunity is, and which markets are you most excited about in 2014?

We think Latin America is becoming a relevant market. It's growing fast year after year as smartphone and credit card adoption grows. This is especially the case in Brazil.

What are you expecting to learn from attending Pocket Gamer Connects?

For companies like us in Latin America, coming to conferences like Pocket Gamer Connects is great. We want to connect with other great developers and publishers, and learn about the industry's new trends.

What were your favourite mobile games of 2013?

  • Flick Kick Futbol Legends
  • Jelly Splash

Finally, what's your New Year's resolution?

My resolution is to spend more time with my family. (I'll be a father in April.)


Contributing Editor

A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.