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PGbiz Podcast #6 - Original Games and the rise of merge

Meet the 'supergroup' founders behind the new studio aiming to 'merge' games the next match-three

PGbiz Podcast #6 - Original Games and the rise of merge

Hello, world! Welcome to episode six of the PocketGamer.biz podcast, your regular roundup of the world of mobile gaming.

The team dive into the recent news, with a focus on funding and finance.

According to Drake Star partners, the amount of investment in 2021 to date is already double that from the whole of 2020, with 844 individual deals identified, with a total value exceeding $71 billion.

The crack PG.biz editorial crew explores where this is taking us and where blockchain may fit… (01m:40s)

In this episode, we have a world exclusive chat with two of the founders of ‘supergroup’ studio Original Games. Founded by veterans and executives from Machine Zone and Rovio, the developer has just raised a significant amount of money and plans to take a game mechanic into the big time.

Listen in to find out more and hear from co-founders Ville Heijariand Arseny Lebedev about their reasons for founding the studio and plans for the future. (12m:32s)

We also run down the forthcoming events, expos, conferences, pitches, parties and rap battles coming from the team at Steel Media.

Listen, learn, love

You can - and should - listen to the first five PocketGamer.biz podcasts, which feature a galaxy of the great and good from the wide world of mobile games, including our exclusive interview with Facebook Audience Network's Imran Khan, exploring the future of app monetisation.

You can find them all on the PocketGamer.biz podcast page.

That's all folks

With thanks again to Ville, Arseny and the Original Games team. Do check out Merge Inn on your devices of choice.

We hope you’re enjoying the podcast. If you are, please let us know. You can drop us an email directly to: podcast@pocketgamer.biz or leave a comment on Twitter where we are @PGBiz.

If you can leave a comment and a review for the podcast on whatever platform you’re listening to, we would truly appreciate it. It’s a fast, simple way to help us get the word out to a wider audience and helps us make the podcast better, faster, shiner and ever more fabulous.

Show Notes and links

Thanks for listening.


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Managing Editor

Brian has been working in the games industry since the mid-1990s, when he joined the legendary studio DMA Design, as a writer on the original Grand Theft Auto. Since then he's worked with major publishers, founded his own digital agency, helped numerous startups with PR, marketing, communications, narrative design, branding and making money.

Back in 2004 Brian created the Scottish Games Network, the industry body for the country's videogames sector. He also lectures at Napier University on the transformative power of interactive media on the creative industries, is a board member of Creative Edinburgh, and helps to organise games, tech and creative industries events.

In his spare time he plays videogames and is usually, proudly, at least one generation behind the cutting edge consoles.