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Danielle Tran
🎮 | Gaming Investor @ Konvoy
Danielle Tran is a professional with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Industrial Engineering and a Minor in Statistics from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.
She has a diverse background in various organizations, having held positions such as Board Observer & Investor at several companies including Stealth, k-ID, Goss, Pok Pok, Spark Creative Play, and Edgegap.
Danielle Tran was also an Ambassador at Women in Games and held roles as Senior Associate at Konvoy, Corporate Strategy & M&A at Activision Blizzard, and Consultant at McKinsey & Company.
Highlights
I think we're due for a new business model in games.
The winds of change have affected both game development and consumer behavior and expectations in recent years, and I think this will force something new to emerge. These shifts have driven every major change in the way games monetize, for example:
🎮 Xbox Game Pass (Subscription Service): This was introduced as part of MSFT's strategy to challenge traditional distribution and compete with platforms like Sony. It offers players access to hundreds of games without buying each title individually, while also providing game publishers with a low-risk way to boost player interest and revenue.
🎟 DOTA 2 and Fortnite (Season Passes): DOTA 2 introduced battle passes to enhance player retention by providing rewards for continued gameplay. This method has proven to be particularly effective in F2P games (e.g., Fortnite), as it encourages player engagement while generating revenue.
📱 The emergence of the hypercasual genre.. and subsequent death (Ads): The rise of mobile and F2P transformed advertising in games. In addition to tech advancements, hypercasual games, with their short and engaging gameplay, proved ideal for showcasing ads quickly. This made low-cost CPI campaigns possible, encouraging publishers to invest in hypercasual titles. IDFA depreciation had the opposite effect, making hypercasual profitability through ads unviable.
WHY NOW?
I believe there are a few signs in the market that indicate a shift may occur:
1️⃣ Maturation of the gaming market: ~41% of the global population plays games. While I do believe that penetration will continue to increase and the market size absolutely will, no longer are we in an era where we will see explosive growth in the # of gamers. People are growing up gamers - gaming is mainstream (and that's a good thing) and player expectations reflect as such.
2️⃣ Major shifts in the mobile market: IDFA depreciation killed hypercasual, a large driver of the growth of the mobile market. Mobile developers are still figuring out what works and that is reflected in the stagnation of mobile revenue.
3️⃣ Higher margins from alternative payment methods: Apple now has to allow alternative payment processing options. This means more money in developer pockets = more firepower.
4️⃣ Potential for 3P marketplaces (distribution): Sweeney has continued to go toe-to-toe with Apple and Google over distribution and payment practices. While there only have been geo-specific wins (EU) - this has implications on potential shifts in distribution and discovery.
5️⃣ AI x game development: I know, I know.. this is overdone and overstated. But AI tools have and will continue to enable developers to make games faster, cheaper, and better.
As the industry adjusts to these changes, new business models and monetization strategies will likely emerge. Rolling with the punches and adapting will be key to staying competitive and meeting the ever-evolving expectations of gamers.
🎮FOUNDERS ATTENDING GDC AND PGC!! Join us for a unique panel session at GDC and PGC where founders and investors come together for an open and honest discussion on navigating the world of gaming startup investments. Let's embrace our diverse perspectives and learn together, can't wait to exchange insights with everyone!
Founders vs. Investors: An honest discussion from both sides of the table 📆 Tuesday, March 19th @ 2:00pm PT (45 minutes) 🏢 The Hibernia, 1 Jones Street, SF
🎤 Hosted by Nick Button-Brown
💸 Investors Amy Wu (Menlo Ventures) Danielle Tran (Konvoy) Archie Stonehill (ex-Makers Fund)
🚀 Founders Michael Heywood (Included Games) Travis George 🔜 GDC (Vela Games) Alexander Bergendahl (LootLocker)
#gdc2024 #gdc24 #gdc #pgc #gaming #venturecapital #startups
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Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
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Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
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Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
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