Interview

Speaker Spotlight: Nordeus' Božo Janković on the future of mobile game monetisation

Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle 2019 will take place on May 13th to 14th

Speaker Spotlight: Nordeus' Božo Janković on the future of mobile game monetisation

Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle 2019 will take place on May 13th to 14th. To give you a taste of what to expect, we'll regularly be publishing interviews with the speakers at the show.

For more details on PGC Seattle and to book a ticket, head to the website here.

Today we're speaking to Nordeus business development manager Božo Janković ahead of his panel entitled 'Ad monetisation, IAP, subscription model - What is the future of monetisation?'.

At Nordeus, Janković takes care of the company’s external partnerships. This includes leading Nordeus’ ad monetisation strategy and partner relations as well as the company’s licensing efforts – signing and managing the world’s leading football clubs.

PocketGamer.biz: Could you tell us a bit about the company?

Božo Janković: Nordeus is an independent mobile games company based in Belgrade, Serbia founded back in 2010. Since then, it has grown to a 170-people studio, with employees from more than 20 countries.

Nordeus flagship product is Top Eleven, the most successful football management game on the planet with over 200 million registered players worldwide.

Nordeus also launched Golden Boot - free kicks football game (initially as a Facebook Instant Messenger game, now available on iOS and Android as well) which reached more than 67 million people. This year, we are also globally launching our new PvP battle game, Heroic - Magic Duel.

Nordeus is also a founding member of the Serbian Games Association and Digital Serbia Initiative which help create thriving conditions for games and other digital industries in Serbia. 

What does your role entail?

As part of my Business Development role at Nordeus my role entails several different areas of business:

  • Ad monetisation - Taking care of Nordeus' ad monetisation strategy, partner relations, games performance
  • Licensing - Managing relationships with world's leading football clubs for Top Eleven
  • Keeping track of industry trends and general business opportunities

Why did you want to work in the games industry?

The games industry is a truly unique place to be working in: great growth powered by constant innovation, challenging and competitive environment and of course - fun!

What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into it?

Go for it!

What are your thoughts on the industry in the last 12 months?

The industry doesn't show signs of slowing its growth. Apple Arcade, Google Stadia, Epic Store are some of the major news that left the biggest impression on me and for which I believe will have a big impact in the upcoming period as well.

Also, we had a few major game releases in the past 12 months and it will be interesting to see how things roll out for them as well.

What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?

Apple Arcade will definitely bring a different user experience and will motivate the developers to think more creatively on how to engage their players for longer periods of time.

Ad monetisation is up for some changes. Further growth of unified auction (also referred to as in-app header bidding or fair bidding) and brand demand, as well as the further decline of the offerwall product.

Developers may become more creative in monetising their users in the case that regulators from other countries follow the examples of the Netherlands and Belgium in cracking down on loot boxes.

How has the games industry changed since you first started?

Although I've been in the industry only for 2.5 years I do believe that the quality bar is going up and things are getting more competitive (if it's even possible).

Which part of the Connects event are you most looking forward to and why?

Networking is something that I'm most looking forward to at PGC Seattle! It's the most rewarding experience meeting colleagues from other companies, having honest and transparent communication, and exchanging knowledge and experiences.

Find out more about Pocket Gamer Connects Seattle 2019 on the website.