As Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #7 creeps closer, we're speaking to many of the business leaders and industry experts who are speaking, presenting and participating in the event.
Facebook may not be a company that springs to mind when thinking about mobile games, but the social giant has become an integral part of the games ecosystem, through its work in virtual reality (VR), as well as helping developers and publishers to acquire new users and build active, engaged communities.
At PGCD7, Facebook's Michael Bertaut will discuss the future of app monetisation - and how developers can plan for success in the future.
Pocket Gamer spoke to Bertaut to find out more about his role at Facebook and his thoughts on the ongoing evolution of the global games market.
PocketGamer.biz: Tell us a little about yourself and your background
Michael Bertaut: I am the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regional director of the Facebook Audience Network. This means I am responsible for managing strategic partnerships with app and game developers across the region and oversee all commercial operations
Before Facebook, I worked with Oracle, AdRoll and Google in both EMEA and Latin America (LATAM).
The Facebook Audience Network Team helps developers and publishers build and scale their business sustainably through ad monetisation in their games and app properties.
Why is Facebook interested in the games sector?
Facebook's mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. People use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family, to discover what's going on in the world, and to share and express what matters to them.
Did you always have an interest in the global games market?
The games industry is incredibly dynamic and is always on the cutting edge of developing and leveraging new technology. It's also a great industry for social interaction.
What advice would you give to someone interested in entering the games industry?
Play a lot of games! It's a great way to understand what kind of games appeal to you and which you might want to develop. Also, you need to build, test, iterate and approach your work with a great deal of agility to incorporate different learnings and to take advantage of the constantly evolving opportunities.
I believe that we will see games continue to thrive...
What impact has the last 12 months had on the games industry?
Games have seen such an incredible amount of significant growth over the last year as we all adjusted to the global challenges of the pandemic. This included a real lack of social engagement in the ways that we were used to. Games have afforded the opportunity for a diverse demographic to find pleasure in gaming as well as the growth of the time existing gamers spent playing.
What trends do you foresee in the industry over the next 12 months?
I believe that we will see games continue to thrive with diverse demographics and through new developments in the ecosystem, for example, cloud gaming, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
How have you seen the industry change since you joined?
I first started as a boy playing console games, which were pretty expensive at the time and loaded through cartridges, if anyone even remembers those. It's now incredible to think of how far we've come, moving to such fast releases of new games and the birth of cloud gaming as a newly developing technology.
What are you most looking forward to at PocketGamer Connects?
I always find the Connects events a great opportunity to re-connect with friends and colleagues across the industry and to hear of the terrific new developments in our industry.
Book now
Michael Bertaut is just one of more than 250 incredible speakers taking part in Pocket Gamer Connects Digital #7 which takes place online from July 12th - 16th 2021.
Find out more and book your ticket now.
