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Speaker Spotlight: Call of Duty: Mobile associate product manager on how publishing will evolve

Pocket Gamer Connects Digital kicks off November 9th

Speaker Spotlight: Call of Duty: Mobile associate product manager on how publishing will evolve

Pocket Gamer Connects Digital has returned once again, set to bring together some of the finest voices in the games industry and beyond.

PGC Digital #4 takes place on November 9th - 13th. To give you a taste of what to expect, we'll regularly be publishing interviews with the speakers at the show.

The conference spans across five days and will feature a broad selection of tracks, talks and speakers, as well as various fringe events and a new and improved meeting system. You can check out the full PGC Digital #4 schedule here, and to book a ticket, head to the website.

Today's spotlight is on Antanina Livingston, associate product manager at Activision. Livingston's current is on Engagement strategy and planning at Activision, working on Call of Duty: Mobile. Prior to this, she worked at Wargaming as a publishing producer for World of Tanks in China. During PGC Digital #4, Livingston will be taking part in a panel titled 'Live Ops as a Marketing Opportunity'.

Tell us a bit about your company?

Antanina Livingston: Founded in 1979, Activision has continuously disrupted the world of entertainment as a leader in the videogame industry. With a history of delivering iconic game-changers - like Pitfall, Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero, Crash Bandicoot™, Skylanders, and Call of Duty - our obsession is delighting our players around the globe. Focused and committed to innovation, we consistently deliver the most beloved, engaging and successful entertainment.

What does your role entail?

Live Operations -  I’m among a super talented group of people managing day-to-day operations and helping drive the performance for Call of Duty Mobile.

Why did you want to work in the games industry?

I'm a passionate gamer myself and believe that work should be fun. In gaming, that balance is perfectly met. I love bringing cool products to people and providing some great experiences and entertainment to them.

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

You need to love the game you want to work for or at least the genre.

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

The market is always evolving, the most prominent to me is the fact that games are becoming platforms for the events that previously were available offline or on different types of platforms. For example, music bands hold the premiere of their videos in games, live concerts, promotions of movies and various collaborations that are happening now. 

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

The gaming industry may be more and more affected by the geopolitical situation in the world (ex. recent ban of PUBG in India, bans in Irans, block of Wechat and Tiktok in US). That's why publishing and development will become even more distributed to overcome any possible risks. Work-from-home also changed the way companies operate the games, letting them acquire talents around the world.

How has the games industry changed since you first started?

I've witnessed some interesting trends over the past few years, changes in the way games are promoted and published, approaches to video ads, monetisation, the BR genre and platforms competitions.

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

I'm looking forward to meeting other live operations managers, game designers and product managers to share experience and learn from each other.

Want more?

The full conference schedule is now live, featuring 16 tracks and over 200 expert speakers. You can also check out our other track rundowns and coverage of previous Pocket Gamer Connects conferences ahead of the event itself.

Register for Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #4 today!