Design for Monetization on Mobile

NOTE: RSVPs are open again, but you will just receive a hand-written nametag instead of a real one if you RSVP today :)

Freemium games are killing it (http://www.treysmithblog.com/the-fall-of-angry-birds/) on mobile, but very few people know the ins and outs of mobile game design with respect to monetization. Proper game design for monetization varies dramatically based on what type of game you’re building, what audience you’re targeting, and what monetization methods you’re focused on. That’s why those at the intersection of these two key domains are some of the most sought-after people in the game industry, and we’re bringing you three of the best to share their experiences and teach you the tricks of the trade. Learn how to design fun, engaging mobile games that monetize at our next event, Design for Monetization on Mobile!

Please note that we have moved to a new location: the Adobe offices at 601 Townsend. This beautiful, spacious location offers more seating, improved audio/visual, and will livestream the event. Thank you Adobe for hosting us!

Pizza and beer will be served at 6:00pm, followed by three expert speaker presentations at 7:00pm. Each speaker will present for 20-25 minutes, allowing 5 minutes for Q&A. After the event, drinks and more networking will be on tap until 9:00pm.

Schedule

6:00 - Food, Drinks & Networking

7:00 - “The Mobile Monetization Landscape”
Vatsal Bhardwaj, Product Strategy @ Storm8

7:30 - “Monetizing Mid-Core Mobile Games”
Alex Rosen, Director of PM & BI @ GREE International

8:00 - “Designing for Virality & Monetization”
Ya-Bing Chu, Former VP & GM of Mobile @ Zynga

8:30 - More Food, Drinks & Networking

9:00 - Wrap Up

Speakers

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/a/e/event_156120942.jpegVatsal Bhardwaj - Product Strategy, Storm8

Vatsal Bhardwaj is on the product team at Storm8 where he focuses on strategic planning, new IP development and network products. Prior to Storm8, he worked in corporate strategy at Zynga. At Zynga, he led strategy for new businesses including mobile, international, Zynga.com & competitive analysis on Facebook and mobile games.

In addition to social/mobile gaming, he has over six years of experience in product management and consulting roles at Microsoft, Cooliris and Deloitte. Vatsal holds an MS in CS from Duke University and an MBA from MIT Sloan.

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/a/8/0/event_126919072.jpegAlex Rosen - Director of Product Management & Business Intelligence, GREE International

Alex Rosen is a Director of Product at GREE, where he heads up a game studio working on an unannounced title. He also manages Business Intelligence, where he oversees all data analysis for their US mobile gaming studio.

Before that, he was Director of Analytics & Monetization at Funzio, which was acquired by GREE in May 2012. At Funzio, he was responsible for all game optimization, monetization and marketing for Funzio's four hit mobile titles, all of which hit the top free and grossing charts. Prior to Funzio, Alex worked at Google in the Google Apps for Enterprise group, focusing on small business solutions and product development.

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/5/a/2/event_156121442.jpegYa-Bing Chu - Vice President & General Manager, Zynga Mobile

Ya-Bing was most recently a Vice President and General Manager in Zynga's Mobile Division. There, he was responsible for operating the massively popular games, Words with Friends and Scramble with Friends. Before working on With Friends titles, he worked on Zynga Poker, Farmville, Petville, and Zynga.com. His work experience stretches back through Microsoft, working on the first versions of Xbox Live, and Yahoo! Search, working on social search integrations, classification technologies, and rich media integrations.

Mass Transit & Parking Information

601 Townsend Street is on the corner of 7th Street and Townsend Street. You can easily reach the location by Caltrain, BART/MUNI, or car.

BART/MUNI: Take BART to the Embarcadero Station, then go to the in-station MUNI stop. Take the Inbound (Ballpark) MUNI N or T train to the 4th and King stop. Then walk up 4th to Townsend and turn left. Walk down Townsend two blocks and you're there.

Caltrain: Take any northbound Caltrain until it reaches its final destination of 4th and King. Then, walk out of the Caltrain station to 4th and Townsend. Walk down Townsend away from the ballpark and towards 7th Street.

Car: Take 280 Northbound until it splits between the King Street exit and the 6th Street exit. Taking the 6th Street exit, turn left at the light onto Brannan, and then take the first left onto 7th Street. 1 block later, you are there.

Parking: Street parking is plentiful and there is a parking garage on Townsend that Adobe runs. They've reserved 25 spots for our event on a first come, first serve basis.

Event Host: Adobe

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/f/2/0/event_156123872.jpegAdobe is changing the world though digital experiences. We help our customers develop and deliver high-impact experiences that differentiate brands, build loyalty, and drive revenue across every screen, including smartphones, computers, tablets and TVs. Adobe content solutions are used daily by millions of companies worldwide—from publishers and broadcasters, to enterprises, marketing agencies and household-name brands. Building on our established design leadership, we enable customers not only to make great content, but to manage, measure and monetize it for maximum impact. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com .