Starting on Monday 27th September, it's just a matter of days until Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #8 is upon us.

Runninng from Monday 27th to Friday 1st October, we will be bringing a myriad of industry professionals to discuss the multiple facets that comprise the mobile games industry.

If you are worried about missing your most anticipated talk, or maybe two interesting discussions clash, fear not! All attendees will have access to recordings of each session which will be emailed to keep you up to date.

Before we delve into some of the tracks I am looking forward to - make sure you have secured your ticket to one of our biggest PGC Digital events yet!

Big hypercasual pitch

It is nigh impossible to be in the mobile space and not be aware of the growing success and impact hypercasual games have had over the last few years.

The pitch provides developers five minutes with a couple of experts before moving on to the next experts who can share their insights (a speed-date you won’t be disappointed with).

The winners and runners up will receive editorial coverage from yours truly, PocketGamer.biz, as well as the chance to receive mentoring/coaching from Sunday which focuses on creating a profitable hit hypercasual game.

The Big Hypercasual Pitch will take place on Wednesday 29th from 15:00 to 18:00 BST.

Games Industry Gathering

While we eagerly await the return of live events we still miss the combined connective experience events provided.

The Games Industry Gathering aims to replicate the experience of brushing shoulders through randomised breakout rooms, ensuring you’ll meet new and exciting people.

Over 3,000 vetted industry peeps will be in attendance to share a drink and discuss the wider industry (it’s BYOB, sorry).

Those with a ticket to PGC Digital #8 will be automatically invited to the Games Industry Gathering held on Friday 1st October via Zoom.

Pocket Jam #6

Who doesn’t love a good game jam? Not only are they a great opportunity to share ideas and network, but they are heaps of fun and can lead to future projects.

This is the sixth time the Pocket Jam will run and again it will be entirely based online. Once again we are partnering with Finnish Game Jam to bring another exciting game jam to PGC Digital #8.

The game jam will take place in the PGC Digital #8 Discord server, similar to previous events. Attendees can fly solo or participate in a team with the option to add new team members as the event continues.

This year’s game jam will begin on Tuesday 28th at 8:00 BST (10:00 EEST) and will close on Wednesday 29th at 15:00 BST (17:00 EEST).

A progress report is scheduled to take place in between the two days at 16:00 BST on Tuesday 28th (18:00 EEST).

Penny for your thoughts?

Here a just a few of my picks from the exciting lineup of topics we have for the eighth edition of PGC Digital - you can view the full schedule here.

• Superstar Session: The Bridge Between Marketability Testing & >$100m UA Spend: Go-to-market Strategy Optimised for Growth
• When: Mon 27th, 9:30 BST

SuperScale CEO Ivan Trancík will be heading to PGC Digital #8 to share his well-informed insights into scaling and user acquisition. Ivan and his team at SuperScale have successfully launched and scaled over 150 games in partnership with both established studios and quick up and comers, accumulating over 2 billion downloads.

• Panel: IDFA Effect' on UA Performance & New Changes for ASO
• When: Mon 27th, 11:00 BST

Understanding app store optimisation (ASO) is essential for developers to understand how visible their products are to consumers. Our panel consists of AppFollow head of consulting Anna Kochetkova, Helio Games executive director Pavel Naumenko, AppQuantum UA growth manager Alexey Gavrilov, and AppsFlyer senior partner development manager Idan Horenczyk.

• How to Design In-game Ad Placements
• When: Tues 28th, 15:30 BST

Consumer frustration at in-game ads has become more apparent than ever. Without revenue from ads, many studios would not be able to continue operations. Recently, developers are turning to in-game-play ads that don’t disrupt user experience to maintain this vital source of revenue. AdInMo head of game design Nathan Ball is here to discuss efficient practices to achieve the best of both worlds - strong monetisation and ads that don’t irritate players.

• Superstar Session: Long-lasting Publishing - How to Create Hypercasual Hits That Cross 100M Downloads
• When: Wed 29th, 9:30 BST

Gone are the days where hypercasual games disappeared from stores after a month or less. Hypercasual developers have set sights on long-lasting titles that provide steady revenue several months after launch. CrazyLabs are no stranger to creating long-lasting successful hypercasual games and speaking at PGC Digital #8 is CrazyLabs very own head of publishing Shai Sasson to discuss the steps in maintaining long-lasting hypercasual hits.

• Live Ops & Their Importance for Your Game
• When: Thurs 30th, 15:30 BST

Live ops are crucial for developers to perpetuate the sustainability and longevity of mobile games and can come in many different forms, such as updates and regular in-game events. Speaking at PGC Digital #8 with 15 years worth of live ops experience is Imperia Online marketing and business manager Aleksandar Ivanov.

• Superstar Sessions: Why Protection Matters?
• When: Fri 1st, 9:30 BST

As with all growing markets, eventually, people begin to find ways to exploit them for self-gain and the mobile game industry is no exception. 'Cracking' games, a method that circumvents paying for games and in-app purchases, costs developers millions in revenue every year. Denuvo software engineer Kurt Nistelberger will discuss how such cracked games are made in the first place and ways in which developers can enforce countermeasures to make it more difficult for hackers.

Got your ticket?

I am sure my picks have you swayed but if my curated panels aren’t what you’re longing for then take a look at the wider selection that Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #8 has to offer here.

If you haven’t already got your ticket then you can do so here. See you there!