Philipp Karstaedt is currently COO and co-founder of META Games, a Berlin-based development studio, having decided that actually making a game at some point is the best way to gain insight into the development world from a publisher’s perspective.

As part of Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #1, Karstaedt will be giving a talk on communicating KPIs and aligning your company around them.

Ahead of the event, we chatted with Karstaedt about why you shouldn't get into the industry just because you love playing games, and why he thinks new IPs will be the big trend of the next 12 months.

PocketGamer.biz: Tell us a bit about META Games.

META Games creates mobile games for esports fans. We're a small 15-person studio in Berlin working on our first title.

What does your role entail?

I'm responsible for monetization, live operations, marketing & user acquisition and partnerships within META Games. Meaning providing the monetization perspective to the dev & game design team, establishing a culture of data-driven decision making, helping the teams to get alignment on goals and processes.

Why did you want to work in the games industry?

Because I loved games...

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

Don't do it because you love playing games! Do it because you love building products generally and understanding people. Be ready to have your view on games changed forever - once they're your job, you'll look at them differently.

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

Some new contenders possibly breaking up the monopoly at the top of the usual few. Casual and mid-core are getting a lot closer.

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

Let's see if the new contenders make it. More sophistication still. Some new crazy cool IP being the foundation for a new super hit.

How has the games industry changed since you first started?

A lot more sophistication and firepower in building games, a lot more understanding about player behavior.

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

Trying out a purely digital conference for the first time, both as a speaker and attendant. Curious to see how the energy of presence-based conferences transfers into the digital space.

PG Connects Digital #1 is the best of our Pocket Gamer Connects conference in an online form, with an entire week of talks, meetings, and pitch events taking place from April 6th to the 10th. You can register for the online event here.