Brian Sapp

What a phenomenal RDC 2025!🔥 This year’s Roblox Developers Conference (held Sept 5–6 in San Jose) was packed with major announcements, and I couldn’t be more excited by the direction the platform is heading: • Roblox Moments: A built-in short-form video feed for capturing highlights and instantly sharing them across the platform, think a TikTok-style discovery tool tailor-made for Roblox. • Creator earnings boost: DevEx rates increased by 8.5%, putting more cash back into creators’ pockets. • Huge growth metrics: Over $1 billion paid out to creators in the past year, with daily active users climbing toward 112 million. • Emerging tech & safety upgrades: From acoustic simulation and hydrodynamic enhancements to emissive mapping, CSG on meshes, and server authority for anti-cheat measures • Infrastructure & community support: A new data center in São Paulo is now live, improving latency for Brazilian users, and the platform is reinforcing its commitment to safety with over 100 updates and better age-based moderation. This year, Lootbloc turned up with some unforgettable moments: • Partner Dinner: We hosted a special dinner for our 60+ partners, an opportunity to connect, eat great food, and relax after a long RDC weekend. • Claw Machine: We partnered with the Roblox Commerce team to have our Lootbloc-branded claw machine featured at their booth, where attendees could win merch • Luau Plushie Launch: We unveiled an exclusive Luau whale plushie with Roblox, themed after the Luau logo that attendees could earn by completing a scavenger hunt at the Luau booth • Co-hosting Quataun party Friday night at RDC where we gave away thousands of plushies, shirts, hats and more to fellow developers. Lootbloc is only continuing to grow by bringing on new partners this year like Piggy, Pls Donate, Murderers vs. Sheriff Duels, Twin Atlas and more! Bottom line: RDC 2025 wasn’t just about big tech announcements, it was a celebration of community and all of the successes this past year. I’m so excited by the possibilities ahead, and inspired by how platforms like Roblox and partners like Lootbloc continue to grow together. Here’s to next year, bigger, bolder, and even more connected.

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😮 Private money is coming for gaming - and why we all should be worried. EA at $50B valuation: Private equity just called the top on annualized gaming IP. It’s about predictable cash flow. Here is the background: 💡 Console is back in the driver’s seat. After years of supply shortages, consoles are again the industry’s growth engine - powered by subscriptions, evergreen franchises, and a rebound in blockbuster launches (transmedia). 💡 Mobile has cooled. Growth is flat, acquisition costs are up. The story is no longer “mobile eats the world.” 💡 Live services drive margins. The flashy cinematic trailer still wins headlines, but the profits are in 365-day economies: Ultimate Team, battle passes, cosmetic skins. That’s why a consortium led by Silver Lake, Public Investment Fund (Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund), and Affinity Partners is lining up a $50B take-private of Electronic Arts. Potentially the largest leveraged buyout in media history. What could break the thesis: 🔻 Regulatory optics. Antitrust is quiet. But CFIUS will scrutinize PIF’s role on governance and data flows. 🔻 Franchise risk. If Battlefield underperforms or Ultimate Team flattens, the LBO math might not work out. 🔻 Platform tax. If storefronts don’t budge and marketing CAC keeps climbing, the new owners may have to cut deeper than fans or devs enjoy. We’ve seen three distinct eras of gaming M&A: 1️⃣ Platform land-grabs. Microsoft’s $68.7B Activision Blizzard deal wasn’t about spreadsheets but owning Call of Duty to fuel Game Pass. That was empire-building. 2️⃣ Mobile scale. Take-Two buying Zynga ($12.7B) was a pivot to where growth used to be, mobile installs, ads, and whales. 3️⃣ Sovereign-backed cash cows. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) spent billions (Scopely $4.9B, then Niantic’s games $3.5B) to lock up steady cash-flowing assets and diversify its oil wealth into gaming IP. Now comes a fourth era: 4️⃣ Private equity–driven laveraged buyouts: using heavy debt financing to squeeze maximum compounding out of stable franchises. That’s the real story with EA. It’s not about changing the industry map (like Microsoft). It’s not about chasing new platforms (like Zynga). It’s about proving that annualized sports IP behaves like a utility: dependable, cash-generating, and predictable enough to carry $20B+ in debt. 🤔 What is your take, are those news net positive for the gaming industry or a new area where private equity swoops in to squeeze the last profit out of gaming? Please let me know in the comments

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Setting some baselines for the tabletop gaming industry as we start 2026: 2025 was the best year ever for our industry on crowdfunding platforms. Across all categories on Kickstarter, GameFound and BackerKit, the amount pledged rose from $217m to $280m (a 23% increase). Trading card games had record years. We don't have public data for Pokemon, but the Magic: the Gathering numbers Hasbro has published through Q3 showed a 29% growth year over year from 2024. There's good reason to believe that Pokemon had a similar trajectory. Several other games also performed well - even the next tier of collectible card games probably generated revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars, collectively. Games Workshop reports results semi-annually so we have a snapshot through June. Revenue adjusted for foreign exchange fluctuations grew from £525.7 to £628.7 (+16%). That's a good proxy for miniatures wargames as a category. The Alliance Distribution and Diamond Comics bankruptcy has been resolved and Universal and its equity partners now have control of the largest wholesaler for games in the US; we expect ongoing litigation involving the windup of Alliance to continue but ongoing operations appear to be returning to normal. Tariffs remain a concern. If, at any time, the China trade can be choked off by tariff policy then the industry needs to spend time & capital developing options outside of China. If tariffs are spiked again in the near term, the downstream effects remain existential for many publishers. The overall North American / European economy which accounts for at least two thirds of the industry's revenue is strong. The US GDP grew at an annualized rate of 4.3% in Q3; for the full year I expect GDP to be 3% or better. The EU GDP will probably have grown by about half that. Headwinds caused by widespread early adoption of AI in tech and entertainment spaces are hitting a demographic who are known to be substantial consumers of games but it is impossible to see that signal in the returns being reported by the public companies in the sector. It may grow large enough in 2026 to be visible but right now, it is not. Anecdotally, 2025 was a down year for mid-range publishers, and many shed jobs and a few ceased operations. Hiring seems to have continued at the top-range publishers (reflective of their overall growth), although it appears many of the jobs are being filled by people from adjacent or technical fields and not from within the industry. Sideways opportunities in the mid-tier appear quite limited. Going into 2026 we appear to have reached a point of temporary stability on tariffs and outward signs of gamer engagement remain high which should mean another good year for the top-range publishes and hopefully a recovering year for the mid-range.

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What I’m seeing in the marketplace right now feels like a split screen. On one side: AAA publishers. EA just went private at a $55B valuation, big capital doubling down on IP, sports franchises, and predictable cash flows. Safe bets, multi-year cycles, global reach. On the other hand, UGC breakouts. Roblox reporting shows games like Plants vs Brainrots, a 4-week-old title that peaked at 3.3M CCU and nearly 200M visits. Simple loops, community-driven, algorithm-fueled. Zero to millions overnight without a massive marketing budget. Two completely different models. Both are shaping the same audience: 9–34 years old, global, and spending more time (and money) within digital economies. This is the dichotomy brands, agencies, and investors need to understand.  • AAA = reach, prestige, longevity  • UGC = speed, culture, explosive upside The EA news and Roblox data together tell the same story: the future of gaming isn’t one or the other. The real opportunity is in connecting the worlds. Where do you see the next billion-dollar franchise coming from: a AAA publisher or a Roblox dev team?

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Roku just shocked Wall Street: 15% revenue growth + a surprise profit in Q2 2025. Here’s why this matters if you’re an indie filmmaker or small production company: Roku isn’t just selling devices anymore—it’s becoming a serious streaming powerhouse. ✅ $1.11B in revenue (beating expectations). ✅ 35.4B streaming hours (+5.2B YoY). ✅ Platform growth (+18% YoY) from ads + subscription revenue. ✅ Acquisition of Frndly TV (low-cost streaming) to expand content reach. This surge isn’t just numbers—it’s a clear signal: ad-supported streaming (AVOD) is booming. Roku thrives on free, ad-driven content, making it fundamentally different from subscription-heavy giants like Netflix or Hulu. And here’s where it gets interesting for creators: 🎬 Launching content on Roku is far more accessible than pitching to closed platforms. If you’ve got a finished indie project or micro-series, Roku offers a legitimate OTT pathway—without the gatekeepers. 🎯 With better ad-tech (Amazon DSP integration), your niche content stands a greater chance of reaching the right audience. 💡 Indie takeaway: The streaming wars aren’t only for billion-dollar studios. As platforms like Roku profit and scale, they open new doors for small creators willing to think like distributors, not just filmmakers. 🔑 If you’ve been looking for a practical way to test your content in the streaming market—Roku might be worth a serious look.

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We’re unveiling one of the biggest product launch in EvenBet Gaming ’s history. A truly revolutionary approach to online poker—purpose-built for sportsbooks and casinos. Why now Player behavior has shifted: they want speed, snackable sessions, and low friction. Operators are feeling the squeeze: rising acquisition costs and the constant battle to grow LTV. What we’ve built • Fast, casual poker designed for micro-sessions and seamless cross-sell from the sportsbook. • Lightweight integration and minimal overhead—made to slot into your existing UX, not fight it. • Retention loops that work: missions, streaks, flexible rewards, and CRM-ready triggers. • Configurable economy to fit your brand, markets, and risk profile. The impact • Acquire smarter by converting traffic you already have. • Lift LTV with engaging, repeatable play patterns players actually return for. • Lower total cost of running poker without compromising the experience players love. We’ve kept the soul of poker—and removed the friction that slows growth. If you want the demo, DM me or drop “DEMO” in the comments. Let’s talk about timelines and fit for your markets. #EvenBet #iGaming #Sportsbook #OnlinePoker #Casino #ProductLaunch #Retention #LTV #Acquisition

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85 companies. One goal: make crypto payments work in the real world. Turnkey is joining Mastercard's Crypto Partner Program - and I genuinely think this is one of the most important coalitions in payments right now. Stablecoins and tokenized assets are ready. The rails are being built. But none of it scales without secure, compliant wallet infrastructure underneath. Big things ahead 🚀 🔑 💸

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EA Announces Agreement to be Acquired by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners for $55 Billion. This is your daily reminder that game franchises are worth billions. EA shareholders will receive $210 per share, a 25% premium over its pre-deal price, and once the transaction closes in fiscal 2027, EA will no longer trade on public markets. This is one of the biggest moves in gaming history, comparable in scale to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition. EA is one of the five major Western publishers, sitting on franchises like Battlefield, Apex Legends, The Sims, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and a portfolio of sports games that generate billions annually. Going private could allow EA to operate without quarterly shareholder pressure, but the deal is financed partly with $20 billion in debt, which means cost-cutting is inevitable. Layoffs, studio closures, and selling off dormant IP are all realistic outcomes. This acquisition is also part of a bigger Saudi strategy. PIF has spent years diversifying away from oil, investing in esports, Formula 1, and now one of the most profitable gaming companies in the world. It signals how seriously Gulf states see gaming as a future growth industry and a cultural tool. From a consumer standpoint, this could go in two directions: If the consortium truly wants to grow EA rather than strip it for parts, it could mean reviving neglected franchises and experimenting with new IP without the quarterly earnings pressure. On the other hand, private equity deals often focus on generating value quickly, which could mean more microtransactions, subscription pushes, and a further narrowing of EA’s focus to guaranteed earners like EA Sports FC and Battlefield. One of the most recognizable names in gaming has been taken off the public market and placed under the control of foreign investors. It is the clearest sign yet that video games are no longer just a niche hobby but a major asset class that nations, sovereign funds, and global financiers are willing to spend tens of billions to control.

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2 Million Players, $0 Ad Spend...But Does It Convert? When wab.eth (Nawab Mir) from Sappy Seals revealed they hit 2 million Roblox players with zero ad spend, jaws dropped. A few thousand dollars, no UA budget and 20 million impressions. But here’s the catch: it wasn’t meant to convert. It was meant to seed. Panel sentiment was all over the place when we discussed this topic on Gamified: 9/10s from Andrew (dub) Wion and Tony Valcarcel 3/10s from Sinjin David Jung and Jerry Singer 1/10 from Matt Biamonte (on conversion only) Wab’s insight: the game isn’t a pipeline into Omnia. It’s a cultural plant. It primes young players to love seals, then expands through social hooks like Discord and TikTok. Sometimes the game isn’t the product. Sometimes it’s the billboard. And when your billboard reaches millions for almost nothing? That’s not vanity, that’s leverage.

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"iambeastnetwork expands global reach with launch on Roku & Amazon Fire TV". ​iambeastnetwork/iambeastradio founded by Andre "The Beast" Crayton, is proud to announce its official launch on Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices. This expansion places the iambeastnetwork and iambeastradio network’s diverse catalog of programming into over 90 million Roku households and 250 million Fire TV devices globally. ​Operating on Roku & FireTv Devices, the network features a powerhouse lineup including The Miller Experience Xcalibur Miller, Jessica Javens Talk Podcast, The Psych With A Mic Jennifer Paweleck Bellingrodt, Change The Narrative Podcast Marion Rivera iambeastnetwork remains committed to providing a platform for voices that inspire, educate, and entertain. ​Users can now add the iambeastnetwork channel directly from their device’s app store. Search 🔎 iambeastnetwork Pluto TV Samsung Networks Paramount Tubi Crackle Disney Experiences Plex, Inc. Hulu Starz CBS Fox Networks Group NBCUniversal Netflix

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