Mobile Dev Memo Podcast – Season 7, Episode 7: MDM Mailbag #7

Host: Eric Soufert
Guest: Matej Lancaric
Date: February 17, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the Mobile Dev Memo Podcast is a Q&A "Mailbag" featuring industry consultant Matej Lancaric. The discussion dives into mobile gaming conferences, web onboarding and payments, the evolution of creative production (especially playables), analytics and attribution tools, ethical boundaries around ad creatives, and trends in game genres and monetization. The conversation is dense with practical insights and candid opinions from two industry veterans, making it especially valuable for mobile marketers, UA professionals, and game developers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Industry Conferences and Networking

• Post-Covid Event Landscape:
  • PGC (Pocket Gamer Connects) has emerged as the must-attend event post-Covid. Attendance has ballooned, and the energy has shifted dramatically compared to pre-2020.
    • “Pre-Covid was like, okay ... now it’s like 2,800 people, which is insane.” – Matej (05:00)
  • Events like MAU (Mobile Apps Unlocked / Mobile Audiences Unlocked) remain relevant, especially for broad app and gaming networking.
  • GDC is now perceived as a "grind" and less essential.
• Quality of Side Events:
  • Matej prefers intimate networking over over-crowded, content-saturated presentations.
  • Side events hosted by studios or consultancies can be valuable if they focus on true networking, not just another round of presentations (07:31).

2. Web Onboarding & Web UA in Games (08:12–14:36)

• Emerging Trend:
  • Web onboarding is gaining traction, though large-scale, successful implementation in games hasn't been realized—yet.
  • Complexity lies in syncing the web experience with in-app gameplay and payments.
• Genre Agnosticism:
  • The "genre doesn’t matter as much"—it’s about how authentic the playable or web experience is.
    • “Not really the genre, but the actual playable and that’s like the style of it.” – Matej (10:00)
• Apple Retaliation Concerns:
  • Larger studios are hesitant to move aggressively on web monetization due to fear of Apple limiting organic exposure or other forms of reprisal (12:27).
  • Removing IAPs in favor of web-only payments results in a tangible loss of organic visibility in the App Store—a risk for publishers.
• Viability for Small/Medium Developers:
  • Studios making between $100K and $400K/month in revenue can still benefit, but below that threshold, the investment may not be worthwhile (17:03).

3. Web Shops, Revenue Diversification, and Apple’s 30% Cut

• Across the board, consensus is Apple’s 30% cut is a primary driver for developers exploring web payment channels.
• If Apple had shifted to 15%, “people wouldn’t care that much” and web shops would be less aggressively pursued (15:03).
• Building and managing web shops is non-trivial: it requires development, partnerships, MMP integration, and ongoing management (17:53).

4. Attribution and MMPs: Future or Fading? (18:10–21:04)

• State of MMP Adoption:
  • Even as the ecosystem evolves, MMPs are “here to stay,” especially for smaller studios without in-house data teams.
    • "You need a lot more tools than just the MMP now... but you're never going to get rid of it." – Eric (19:35)
  • Big companies that attempt to build internal replacements frequently fail due to complexity and shifting requirements.

5. Monetization Models: Subscriptions, Battle Passes, & App vs. Game Dynamics (21:04–24:47)

• Subscriptions have faded in games, except for live ops-driven titles with strong recurring value (like battle passes).
• Product experimentation is rare in game studios, as producers often resist changes that could disrupt their artistic vision.
  • “Producers wear berets… They see the game as their canvas to express their artistic vision. They're not like a PM.” – Eric (23:38)

6. Creative Production: Process, Volume, & the Ethics of 'Fake Ads' (26:48–30:51)

• Creative Feedback Loops:
  • High creative volume is paramount; internal producer feedback can slow down or stifle winning creative.
  • "If the creative worked and it was a winner, great. That means the process produced something that worked. Now what I care about is the consistency of the win rate." – Eric (28:47)
• Fake/Misleading Ads:
  • Matej is pragmatic on “fake” or misleading ads—visual accuracy can be flexible, but there’s a red line with perverse or gross concepts (31:23).
  • Theft of creatives (e.g., competitors stealing videos) is rampant but effective: “That's why people are stealing the creatives. Because actually… they can work way, way better than the new creatives.” – Matej (35:04)

7. Playables: Creation, Cloning, and Platform Dynamics (38:14–40:43)

• Playables are less easily cloned (compared to videos), but time-to-market for a cloned playable is now just days for major players.
• “Top companies produce 60 playables per month, which is insane.” – Matej (39:51)
• Playables are key for networks like AppLovin, now a major UA channel.

8. Creative Production Tools: AI and Automation (40:43–44:41)

• Tools used: AI chatbots (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini), Adobe Suite, Blender, and emerging pipelines like Layer AI.
• Workflow automation now allows full creative production—from asset selection to export—in just a day.
• Emerging AI video generators (Sea Dance 2, Genie 3) will upend creative pipelines: “The production value… it’s insane.” (42:36)

9. Analytics and Competitive Analysis (46:26–47:28)

• Typical stack: MMP + Firebase + Looker/internal dashboards.
• For competitive analysis: Sensor Tower (paid), ad libraries, and TikTok trend tools.

10. User Acquisition Channels: TikTok, Meta, and Beyond (47:33–49:17)

• TikTok now outperforms Meta for many iOS campaigns: “It’s my… second or third best channel for iOS. …TikTok is always up there…” – Matej (47:43)

11. Genre Outlook for 2026 (49:17–50:25)

• Top Genres:
  • 4X strategy (huge influx of Chinese titles anticipated), Match-3, Hybrid Casual (evolving toward Casual).
• Hybrid casual is now more “casual” as revenue models evolve: “It was a stepping stone toward casual games.”
• Expect no radical shifts—established genres will likely remain dominant.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "We’re not getting any younger. Ten years ago... time flies." – Matej, reflecting on industry longevity (01:51)
• "PGC… it became the show." – Eric, on the rise of Pocket Gamer Connects (04:58)
• "Even if it's a little bit misleading, nobody cares anymore that much, right?" – Matej, on authenticity in playable ads (09:58)
• "I think the MMP is here to stay. But you need a lot more tools than just the MMP now than you did." – Eric (19:35)
• "Producers wear berets. ...You brute, you buffoon! ...dealing with producers tends to be kind of excruciating because they don't want to change anything." – Eric, humorously on the tension between creativity and product optimization (23:38)
• "The toughest conversations I've had about creative... just about call it brand integrity... But what I care about is the consistency of the win rate." – Eric (28:47)
• "There is a red line here. Some of these ads have gotten perverse and disturbed and I don’t, I wouldn’t feel comfortable associating my company or my game with them." – Eric (30:51)
• "That's why people are stealing the creatives. Because actually…they can work way, way better than the new creatives. Is it OK? I don't think so..." – Matej (35:04)
• "If your competitors are Century Games, then you have maybe a couple of days..." – Matej, on creative cloning speed (37:05)
• "Top companies produce 60 playables per month, which is insane." – Matej (39:51)
• "TikTok is my second or third best channel for iOS. It works really well." – Matej (47:41)
• "I don't think lots is going to change. I know there's at least 100 Forex games coming from China to the store this year..." – Matej (49:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:10] – Matej introduces himself and business focus
• [08:12] – Web onboarding and web UA for games
• [12:27] – Apple’s potential retaliation against web monetization
• [15:03] – Apple fee model and impact on developer channel choice
• [17:03] – Web shops for mid-sized and smaller companies
• [18:10] – Future role of MMPs
• [21:04] – Subscriptions and game monetization trends
• [24:47] – Producer versus PM problem in gaming
• [26:48] – Creative feedback loops and process focus
• [31:23] – Fake ads, red lines, and platform inaction
• [35:04] – Content theft in the creative ecosystem
• [38:14] – Playable ads: creation, cloning, and impact
• [40:43] – Creative production tools and AI automation
• [46:26] – Analytics & competitive analysis tools
• [47:33] – TikTok as a UA channel
• [49:17] – Upcoming genres to watch

Where to Find Matej Lancaric

• LinkedIn: Matej Lancaric
• Newsletter: Brutally Honest
• YouTube: Two and a Half Gamers

Summary prepared for Mobile Dev Memo Podcast fans, marketers, and mobile game developers.