Speaker Spotlight: Rafael Morgan

• Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025 takes place on October 7th and 8th.
• The event will feature a host of talks, panels, seminars and networking opportunities.

Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2025 is just around the corner, taking place on October 7th and 8th bringing together over 1,500 delegates from more than 50 countries for two days of presentations, networking, and learning.

Across the event, you can expect PGC's trademark mix of hosts, talks, panels and seminars covering a variety of games industry topics from AI to live ops, monetisation and more.

Joining the star-studded mix is CrazyGames's VP of partnerships, Rafael Morgan, who'll be discussing the company's focus on web games as one of the industry's biggest untapped opportunities.

We spoke to Morgan to find out more about his PGC session, the value of the web as a gaming platform and where he sees the future of games heading.

Tell us more about yourself and your role at CrazyGames.

I have a background in marketing and strategic partnerships and have navigated the complexities of the digital gaming landscape for many years. My expertise spans launching successful campaigns, forging collaborative partnerships, and fostering community engagement in the gaming space.

As the vice president of partnerships at CrazyGames, I've been instrumental in driving growth and positioning the platform as a leader in online gaming.I have led initiatives that not only expanded the reach of web-based games but also created meaningful connections between developers and their audiences.

I'd like to think my insights on market trends and strategic monetisation have helped people across the industry understand the evolving nature of web gaming.

Please give us a summary of what you’re speaking about and why it’s important

The web is gaming’s most overlooked platform, frictionless, cross-device, and free from gatekeepers. In this talk, I’ll show why web games are no longer a side note, but a strategic opportunity for developers and publishers to reach bigger audiences, cut acquisition costs, and future-proof their business.

What’s the most common mistake you see being made in the games sector?

One of the biggest mistakes we see is studios relying too heavily on a single distribution channel - usually the app stores.

By not diversifying into the open web (and other alternative platforms), studios leave huge opportunities on the table. On CrazyGames, we’ve seen mobile developers repurpose their games for the browser with very little extra work and suddenly unlock millions of new players.

If you could give other mobile games companies one piece of advice, what would it be?

From a CrazyGames perspective, the key advice is:

Don’t overlook the web as a distribution channel.

Most mobile developers focus exclusively on the app stores, but that comes with heavy competition, rising UA costs, and restrictive platform fees. 

The web, by contrast, offers:

• Frictionless discovery: No installs, no store reviews, just instant play through a link. This massively reduces drop-off and lets millions of players try a game with zero friction.

• New audiences: At CrazyGames, we see over 35 million monthly active players worldwide, many of whom aren’t reached through app stores. For mobile studios, this is an opportunity to expand beyond the crowded iOS/Android ecosystems.

• Long-tail revenue & visibility: Games on the web can continue generating traffic and revenue years after launch thanks to SEO, sharing, and embedding across different platforms.

• Diversification & resilience: Depending solely on Apple/Google is risky. Adding the web gives studios more control, stronger direct relationships with players, and protection against policy or algorithm changes.

So the one piece of advice is: Publish your mobile games on the web as well! It’s a low-effort, high-impact way to grow reach, extend a game’s lifecycle, and build resilience in a volatile industry.

Where are the next big opportunities in the mobile games market?

Cross-platform portability: The lines between mobile, PC, and browser gaming are blurring. A game that can adapt to all screens - from phone to desktop browser, maximises both retention and monetisation. Studios that plan for cross-platform at launch will capture more engagement and future-proof their IP.

Diversification beyond app stores: As UA costs rise and platform fees remain high, developers need alternative channels. The web allows direct player relationships, viral growth, and long-tail discovery through SEO and sharing. This diversification is becoming not just an advantage, but a necessity

Emerging tech: WebGPU & Cloud: With WebGPU and cloud streaming, the web can now deliver near-native performance. This means high-quality 3D and more complex genres will become viable in browsers, unlocking opportunities for studios used to building only for native mobile.

What’s the most important key performance indicator (KPI) for you - and why?

Our north star KPI is playtime, because if players stay, revenue and growth naturally follow.

What is your biggest aspiration/goal in mobile gaming? 

We’ve just launched the CrazyGames mobile app on the app stores, and this is a huge milestone for us. The goal is to turn it into a true “mega app” for gaming, a single hub where players can instantly access thousands of games across every genre.