Adventures in Work-From-Anywhere with Yodo1

Snorkeling with sea turtles in Indonesia one month, catching NBA games the next. A stint living and DJing in the Caribbean. Home in South East Asia one day, Canada the next. Hanging out with people of 30+ nationalities. Visiting eight countries and four continents in three years.

These are not the stories of students on a gap year; this is the WFA life of some of our global team.

When Yodo1 switched to a fully flexible work-from-anywhere (WFA) policy in December 2020, doors opened for nomads to live their dream lives and take their job with them. The policy is simple: As long as you are excelling at your work, you can do it from any country in the world.

For many Yodies, this has meant taking advantage of the flexible work hours to spend more time with family and friends, and several brave souls have fully embraced the nomadic and adventurous lifestyle that working from anywhere makes possible.

These are their stories.

One Year, Four Countries, 14 Cities: Ismael Jorge Soler

Home Country: Spain,

Currently Found In: Lombok, Indonesia

I have been with Yodo1 for 13 months now; I started on a commission basis as part of the Games Growth team and then graduated to full-time employment; I work to help developers to grow a sustainable economy with their free-to-play games. Before joining Yodo1 I worked in four different countries: I would move somewhere and start a new life, find a job there, etc, and live there for a while.

When I joined Yodo1 the WFA policies were certainly a great plus but I was also attracted by the opportunities this company gives you to grow. And thanks to the freedom provided by WFA I have worked from 14 cities across four countries over the last year, even meeting up with other Yodies like Felipe (see below) several times around the world!

From snorkeling with sea turtles off the spectacular island of Gili Meno in Indonesia to indulging my love of the NBA by attending not one but 11 live games–including a playoff!–when I was in the US a few months ago, it has been one adventure after another!

I’m glad that I can travel and still progress professionally without having to find a new job each time.

Living Different Lives: Felipe Gomez

Home Country: Chile

Currently Found In: Back home in Chile

I have been with Yodo1 for about a year. I started as a Business Developer for MAS and in January this year I joined the publishing team. My job is to find Indie developers with great games and see if we can establish new partnerships with them in order to help them scale their games globally.

About five years ago I quit my corporate job in Chile and started traveling, first moving to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to study Mandarin. After Taiwan, I moved to Barcelona and started working at a startup before moving to Zurich where I spent 2 years. I started looking for remote jobs because I wanted to be able to move forward with my career without having to be bound to any country. This is when I found out about Yodo1. I was looking for a job with this sort of freedom, and also one of my dreams was to join the gaming industry, which made the decision to join the company a no-brainer.

I am not really a big city person and I love that I can work while living in places like the Caribbean–it feels like living two completely different lives: I can be fully focused on a high performing job during the morning and next thing I know, I will be playing at a DJ gig in the middle of the jungle in the evening!

WFA is a Lifestyle Gamechanger: Nadiia Marchynska

Home Country: Ukraine

Currently Found In: Vancouver, Canada

I’m the Head of Game Marketing and have been with Yodo1 since September last year. I was always a nomad at heart, but my previous jobs didn’t give me the opportunity to fully embrace my nomadic self. Yodo1’s WFA policy was definitely a game changer for me and helped me make the decision to give up on my settled-down office lifestyle.

I was in Vietnam when I joined Yodo1. Thanks to the flexibility WFA gave me, I was able to visit my hometown in Ukraine and see my family for the first time in three years. When the war started in Ukraine and my city started getting bombed I was actually luckily pulled out on a company trip to Thailand, which was destined to save my life. Despite this un-peaceful time in my life, thanks to WFA I was able to peacefully keep my job no matter where I was.

And thanks to WFA, I have once again relocated—this time to Canada, and I plan to travel more soon!

No Limits: Kemal Kalimov

Home Country: Kyrgyz Republic

Currently Found In: Back home in Kyrgyz Republic

I’ve been at Yodo1 for over two years now, starting as an Business Development Manager and now leading and training our Games Growth sales team. I love traveling and with Yodo1 I can work and travel around the whole world, there are no limits. I have been to around 20 countries already, four since joining Yodo1. I love our WFA policy: I have family and friends all over the world and I can visit them while I work.

Also, I love learning about different cultures and absorbing their way of living, their wisdom and knowledge. The things travel has taught me have helped me build and lead our international team of 20 Yodies representing 15 different countries from varied backgrounds–we are honestly one big family.

These two years with Yodo1 have helped me to grow and become a better version of myself both professionally and individually. I love the intercultural atmosphere, it really expands your horizons when you are learning from people who are anywhere from Japan to Venezuela!

Work/Life Balance Revolution: Flo Alcasas

Home Country: United States of America

Currently Found In: The Netherlands

I recently celebrated my three year anniversary with Yodo1, and it's been quite a journey—literally and figuratively. Back when I was based in the Philippines, I wanted to go spend a few months in Australia but my then-employer wouldn't let me. So I quit and started looking for online freelance work.

That's how I started at Yodo1. A lot has changed since then—I'm now the Head of HR—but one thing that hasn't changed is that I can go anywhere, anytime, and still do my job. All I need is my laptop. It’s been great for my partner and daughter, allowing us to go on all kinds of adventures together as well as making it possible for me to take her to visit family in the US.

Plus, I love to travel! In the past three years with Yodo1, I've worked from Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, the USA, Germany, Ireland, and—most recently—Thailand. Most of the time, my partner and daughter come along. Since Covid we've established our home base here in the Netherlands but we still love traveling together as a family whenever we can. My dream is for us to be world-schooling nomads in a few years’ time. I’m also looking forward to meeting more colleagues from around the world!

Ready to Start your WFA Journey?

If you would you like to travel the world while growing your career in a cutting-edge industry, and working from anywhere with no limits appeals to you, then don’t just sit there dreaming about it— check out our WFA career opportunities today!

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Discover How IP Crossovers Can Generate Buzz for Mobile Games​

Thinking up new and exciting ways to help grow our partners is a top priority for Yodo1 and our recent cross-promotion events speak to this focus.

Animal Revolt Battle Simulator (ARBS) and Rodeo Stampede, both games published by Yodo1, joined up for a crossover event in March. In this instance, Rodeo Stampede players could unlock up-to five ARBS animals which had been integrated into the game.

T-rex, Hellhound and Minotaur were only some of the beloved ARBS animals that gamers could choose to use in Rodeo Stampede, and the response was phenomenal. These crossover animal skins were free to use for three days, and if players completed a certain number of missions during that time, the skins were theirs to keep.

And if utilizing new characters in an already incredibly fun title wasn’t enough, interstitial messages using KTPlay, our community management tool, encouraged players to head to the source and check out the original game, in this case ARBS.

This was the second time Yodo1 organized a game crossover event of this kind in the last six months. Keplerians, one of our monetization partners since 2019, also participated in a cross-promo event with Rodeo Stampede. Organized in October 2021 for Halloween, it lasted 4 weeks. Rod, Ice Scream's signature character, the crocodile, Rod's pet, and the iconic Ice Scream Van were integrated into Rodeo Stampede, so players could choose to run as Rod instead of with the usual Rodeo rider, and unlock the crocodile once they reached the higher levels.

The game was enhanced by Halloween-themed visuals and lasted one month. Thanks to the interstitial messages, you could access and download Ice Scream 4 directly from Rodeo Stampede.

“Once we shared the assets, the Yodo1 team took care of all integration and design details,” said Pablo, Co-Founder of Keplerians. “With all the logistics and details taken care of, it could only be a win-win for us.”

How does Yodo1 make this happen? With these games in our partner pool, we’re able to communicate promptly, leading to successful matches and deals. Once the events are approved from both sides, our team handles all the crossover logistics, from designing the visual elements, to planning the event promotion, to analyzing the results.

This Keplerians-Rodeo Stampede event was the first crossover either game had participated in, and successfully generated a huge buzz across social media, ultimately increasing traffic for the respective games.

“It was exciting for our game’s community! We promoted it on Discord and encouraged players to post screenshots and videos, offering rewards. Bringing new content to our existing player base and seeing their enthusiastic reaction was definitely a highlight of this collaboration,” Pablo further explained.

Over three million gamers play thousands of games that use Yodo1’s MAS platform. This provides a rich ecosystem of players and content for creating fun and high-impact cross-overs. Yodo1's expertise in designing fun and engaging cross-over campaigns helps to create marketing buzz for the games involved, providing a free cross-promotion network that partner games can participate in and benefit from.

Out-of-the-box events like these are just some of the many ways Yodo1 works to help its partners, bring people together and increase revenue creatively.

In summary, how can crossover events like these benefit you?

1. By generating buzz across social media and providing your players with fun, new unexpected content,
2. Increasing traffic to your game and attracting a new audience–as these games have different player bases, they give each other access to new players.
3. Limited-time events are attractive for players and can generate a huge revenue increase during the runtime period.

If you want to work with us on monetization or game publishing and participate in these cross-promotion events between Yodo1 partners, reach out and contact us today.

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Game Creator Academy: A Treasure Chest for Indie Developers

Gaming is now firmly established as the most popular form of entertainment worldwide, and mobile gaming is its golden child.

Last year alone, mobile games generated US$93.2 billion in revenue. For context, global cinema box office and music revenues combined totaled “only” $42 billion.

Considering these figures, you would think that small game developers prioritize the business side as they do the creating side. However, that has not been the case for most, and the primary reason is a lack of access to educational resources to empower them.

When they do exist, these resources are also usually scattered, presenting a challenge for time-crunched indie developers to locate.

And this is where Yodo1 and Game Creator Academy (GCA) come in.

Building a Game Economy is Essential

Having helped thousands of studios worldwide market, manage, and monetize their games, Yodo1 intends to help thousands of game creators expand and diversify their global knowledge of mobile gaming.

While many game development programs prioritize programming, GCA's focus is educational content to help indie developers navigate the business aspect of the industry.

“It is important to emphasize that once a developer builds a game and publishes it on the app store, they operate a business. That game is now competing with other games for eyeballs, downloads, revenue, etc.,” explained Luke Priddy, Yodo1’s head of education.

Hence, having a solid marketing and monetization framework is critical for mobile gaming success.

“With GCA, we’re taking everything we’ve learned from publishing games that have gained over 1.5 billion players and putting those methods and strategies into accessible content in one convenient location,” added Luke.

Track Record of Educating

Yodo1-produced education courses have been widely acclaimed, with over 100,000 students enrolled to date. GCA will diversify and add to that already established student base by making available new learning resources in courses, interviews, PDFs, and more on a weekly basis.

One recent example is a series on game design best practices, which teaches the fundamentals of mobile game design and takes you through the phases of game development from pre-production through post-production. This resource is a relevant roadmap for building more interesting and exciting titles.

Also included in GCA is the 5-star rated Business of Mobile Gaming (BoMG) course taught by Yodo1 co-founder and gaming guru Henry Fong. The popular App Store Optimization Course (ASO), which covers tips and tricks to increase downloads and conversions, is also included.

At Yodo1, we believe gaming success is achievable for all indie developers. Mobile gaming revenue is projected to grow to $116 billion by 2024, and we want to provide you with the knowledge to unlock your earning potential. And right now, the best way to do that is for you to sign up for your free GCA membership. Visit game Creator Academy today to learn more.

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Why are Indie Game Developers Losing Money?

Turning a passion into a business can be a challenge, and it’s a particularly real one for indie game developers. If you’ve faced this, you’re not alone. Imagination and creation are the first steps, but what comes next?

Leaving Monetization Out of Your Game Plan

When most developers start out in game creation, they are—understandably—focused on how to create the best game they can in terms of design, gameplay, and so on; often it is only after the game is nearly complete that they begin to think about its monetization and try to slot in ads and in app-purchases.

“This then becomes an additional unnecessary challenge,” says Riccardo Russo, Yodo1’s Head of Growth Marketing, explaining that monetization is a consideration developers should take while they are creating their game—or even earlier, when it’s still in the idea stage. “It’s key to remember that your monetization is as important as any of the game’s other core elements, like the music, design, and gameplay.

“It’s vital to keep this in mind from the very start, because if you're not building monetization into your game design it has the potential to be disruptive to the game if inserted later, not to mention much more ineffective,” Russo further explained.

How Many Users Do You Need Before You Monetize?

Another misconception is that developers believe they must acquire a large number of users before they can make any money. And while acquiring users is indeed important, having a solid monetization system in place from the start is equally important, to ensure that however many players you have, you can begin earning income right away.

Waiting to get a large user base before implementing a solid monetization strategy is a common rookie mistake. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Don’t Stop at One Game

There is so much opportunity out there—the gaming industry is broad and expanding daily, but many first-time developers believe that making one game will be enough to set them on the path to success. The reality is that you need to hone your skills and put a lot of games on the market, especially in the beginning. Experimentation is key–don’t worry so much about whether it’s perfect or not. Try lots of things, and see what sticks. If you do this, you’ll soon get the feel of the market, learn what is successful, which players are loving your game, and why.

This experience will put you in a much better position to put what you have learned into a game that has the potential to become a big hit and discover the path that will turn your game development from a hobby into a business.

Do Your Research

How can you avoid these pitfalls and set yourself up for success? As a developer it’s vital that you look into the options and research the right monetization solution for your games. You put so much time and effort into making all the other angles—gameplay, graphics, music and so on—just right, and you have to do the same with the financial side.

Failing to prioritize monetization from the start is a mistake that can have long-term consequences for a game developer. If your game has been produced on a shoestring budget, you might quickly break even and be initially happy with that. But you can go so much farther.

If you simply choose to go with ad networks, without implementing mediation into your game from the start or early on, you’re losing a significant amount of revenue that, especially in the early days, you could be reinvesting in other areas like marketing, creating games, and more.

MAS Levels the Playing Field for All Developers

How can you best meet these challenges, so you can focus on producing new and better games? MAS is the perfect monetization solution for indie developers who want to make sure they are not leaving any money on the table.

It’s not only the easiest solution on the market, it’s also a great equalizer, giving every developer access to personalized, specialized ad solutions that are tailored to your game’s audience.

MAS is the easiest solution all around: integration is simple and you will be assigned a dedicated Customer Success Manager from our top-notch global team who will focus on your specific game needs. MAS is the most effective solution because it ensures you have the widest coverage in terms of ad networks and ad mediators in your network. You can then feel at ease that we will find the best and most profitable ads for your game w, making sure that any users you have—whether many or few—are well monetized from the start.

Have you been looking for a simpler, more effective, and more profitable monetization solution? Partner with the best today by registering on our MAS Portal. You can set up MAS in just three easy steps, or contact a Games Growth Specialist today to learn more. Together we'll ensure your game reaches its full potential!

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Team building: An Important Chapter in Yodo1’s WFA Story

Hiring top talents from across the world is a quick win for organizations like Yodo1, embracing work-from-anywhere (WFA). Top-performing employees equal top-performing businesses. It’s simple math, at least on the surface.

However, onboarding individual high performers from around the world are just one part of the equation. Another essential element is bringing those talents together, discovering the chemistry, and molding them into a productive team with the bigger picture in mind. And the secret to achieving this?

Team building.

Thailand, Here We Come

Having been at WFA since January 2020 and seen the workforce grow from spanning two countries to now 28 across six continents, the desire for Yodo1 colleagues to connect in person and match faces to height, build, and humor grew stronger.

With this in mind, the leadership decided the time was ripe for an off-site team-building exercise to align 2022 priorities but, more importantly, connect as people.

Phuket, Thailand, it was. And fittingly, for an off-site taking place on either side of Valentine’s Day - there was no shortage of fondness and friendships. From team dinners at Baan Rim Pa to exploring and partying it up at Ko Pha Ngan, the vibe was more high school reunion-Esque than introductory.

A feeling was palpable as parting messages poured in with time winding down.

Much More Than Goodbyes

Ukrainian-born, U.S.-based Customer Success Team Lead Polina Ozhylevska was among the first to chime in: “We all met for the first time, but it felt like we knew each other forever. There was no awkwardness at all, more than team chemistry; there was just an authentic, warm vibe that resonated across the spaces we occupied. I love how masterfully we take advantage of our team’s diversity, learning from each other’s cultures and applying new communication styles. I can’t wait to do this again with more team members.”

HR Head Flo Alcasas, who traveled from her native Netherlands and played a critical organizing role, expressed: “Meeting our team has made me crazy proud to be part of Yodo1. It was amazing to discover how hard-working and passionate our people are and fun, interesting, and supportive of each other. It’s beautiful and an honor to be their HR: fourteen countries, 10+ languages, five+ religions, three business units, and one team. I’m very thankful to Yodo1 for making this happen. You’re amazing, despite all the organizational challenges. My call to action from this event is for teams and leaders to bring your people together this year. Even when things don’t go as planned, it’s worth it.”

U.K.-based IP Licensing, BD Fieldman Robinson’s message was: “I've never been in a company that has so many great people with such different backgrounds, expertise, and experience, which is backed up by all of you being even more fantastic in person than over a video call. A big shout out to the organizers, and I can't wait to meet more of you in person, learn about you and what you do, and how we can support each other on this Yodo1 journey.”

Meanwhile, India-based Engineer Nitesh Oswal’s message to the team was: “I honestly don’t want to leave, but it looks like I have to (for now). This trip has pushed me to make several changes and roam around a bit more. Apart from the fun, meeting all the motivated people beyond their Zoom windows was lovely. It was fun to drop at everyone’s table; pair with them; find problems; new ideas, and solutions. Thank you for accepting my manic laugh, quirky humor, and random rants. I want to invite you to India and be your host.”

Lead organizer for the exercise and head of strategic partnerships Marina Espin said: “I have been at Yodo1 for three years, and this is undoubtedly the best and most rewarding experience I have had. This trip has made us stronger as a team, has allowed us to align and commit to our 2022 goals, and has helped us connect with our peers at different levels. Investing time and resources in organizing off-sites with your team is worth it.”

Elsewhere in the Caribbean, some 17,000 km on the other side of the world, a proud #yodie closes this article and marks his calendar for the next link-up.

Does our diversity and way of working intrigue you? If so, visit our career page to explore opportunities to join our growing, global family of #yodies.

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Native Ads Coming to MAS

by Alex Olthoff, Sales & Support | MAS Product Manager

At Yodo1, we pride ourselves on building a customer-centric culture and embracing best practices in product development. One such practice, a Press Release (PR) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), encourages the product manager to start the development of a new major feature by writing a press release and associated FAQs about the new product or feature.

In this instance, we wanted to share what a PRFAQ looks like for our latest, major Managed Ads Services (MAS) feature: Native Ads. We hope this format inspires you to think about your customers the next time you add a feature to your game/app!

Native Ads Just Got a Whole Lot Easier to Use Thanks to the MAS SDK

Native Ads are one of the most powerful ad types for app and game developers looking to create a better ad experience for their users and players. Unlike traditional, disruptive ads, Native Ads fit right in with the rest of the app, appearing to almost be part of the content or game. Made popular by Admob for Android apps, they are now available in our monetization MAS SDK, which will increase revenue for developers using the platform, while improving the experience for their players.

Other Solutions Are Time Consuming

While there are many viable, single ad network providers who can help developers use Native Ads, benefitting from the full power of Native Ads can be a challenge. It requires configuring a mediation provider, setting up and monitoring waterfalls, and integrating multiple ad networks into a game. This can take a week just to get set up, and far longer to optimize effectively, and often developers just choose single ad network solutions to avoid the complexity, thus sacrificing their revenue.

More Revenue, Less Effort

With Native Ads now a part of MAS, developers no longer have to struggle to access their full potential. Instead, by simply integrating MAS, they get access to the power of multiple mediations, each capable of running multiple ad networks that serve Native Ads. This means higher revenue with minimal effort.

We are excited to be bringing Native Ads to MAS. Our customers, indie developers trying to do better by themselves and their players and users, deserve an easy-to-use Native Ads solution that doesn’t require multiple ad network integrations and/or managing eCPM floors or bidding solutions.

Now, with MAS they can get a seamless experience using the ad type and an automated solution for managing monetization of all the other major mobile ad types they rely on. Native ads on MAS promises to help thousands of developers more rapidly experiment with new app and game ideas, saving time on annoying integrations and making more to boot.

How to Get Started

Using Native ads with MAS is much like using any other ad type with MAS. Simply follow the 6-step process outlined at developers.yodo1.com (just four steps on Unity with our NO CODE PLUGIN). Our dedicated Developer Support team will be there to assist you every step of the way, and even integrate the game for you for free if you don’t have time (ask about an “Integration Assist” in our chat).

Early Users Like It

Ikram Terkini, a developer and beta tester of the new Native Ads feature, had this to say: “It was easy, and the impact on my revenue has exceeded my expectations. I hadn’t tried Native Ads before because I knew they were challenging to set up, and I struggled to find a good use case. Now, I can confidently say that using them has paid off, and it was easy with MAS.”

Another beta tester, Raul Gonzalez, commented: “I had been using Native Ads with Admob for a while. They worked fine, but I was looking to try a new solution that brought me more revenue without the challenge of working with a mediator. When Yodo1 reached out and offered to let me beta test, I said yes right away. I am glad I did, because I’ve seen an increase in revenue not only from Natives, but all ad types I use in my game.”

Are you interested in trying out MAS and getting the full benefit of Native Ads? Check out our portal to get started at mas.yodo1.com/register!

FAQs

What size of Native Ads do you have?

We offer two sizes: small and medium. These sizes will adapt to your application, but you can think of small as approximately the size of a large banner (250 x 100 pixels) and the large size as slightly larger than an IAB medium rectangle banner (300 x 250).

What are the eCPMs for the Native Ads you offer?

This will vary considerably depending on the app. But as a rule of thumb, you can expect to see earnings close to those from a well-placed interstitial. You can evaluate your traffic in the MAS dashboard and consider how to make your app/game more attractive to players in countries where eCPMs are higher.

What do I need to do to set up Native Ads?

The process is simple:

1. Submit your game to the MAS portal at mas.yodo1.com if you haven’t already.
2. Integrate the MAS SDK (you can use our No Code integration for Unity, or simple steps for several other platforms).
3. Insert native ads into your game/app and release your game with MAS integrated.

How quickly can I Integrate MAS?

Typically, MAS takes 1-2 hours to integrate, but in good conditions, it can be integrated in 15 minutes! MAS is the easiest SDK in the world to integrate.

Are your Native Ads different to Admobs’?

Yes! We do use Admob’s Native Ads, but the Native Ads we provide are served from a range of networks included in MAS. This means these multiple ad networks are competing effectively to make sure you get the highest eCPMs and best fill rate for the Native Ads in your game.

By comparison, Admob Native ads come from 1 ad network, Admob, which means you have no guarantee that Admob is giving you the ads that are going to bring the most revenue to you.

How will I be paid when using MAS?

We pay you the revenue you earn from our ad networks every 30 days. We take a small cut from the overall payment. We deal with customers in over 100 countries with a strong payment partner, guaranteeing that you will receive your payments on time, in the currency you need, every time.

Is MAS an Ad Network?

No, MAS is a Managed Ad Service, which means we use the best ad networks and ad mediators for your game. We do this using a powerful AI algorithm that has been used to increase the revenue of developers around the world by as much as 500%!

Can you help me with the MAS integration?

Absolutely! Our Developer Support team is best in class, and with employees, across the world, there’s always someone available to help. If you have any additional questions, please email us at bd@yodo1.com

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Celebrating Yodo1: Ten Years,Ten Voices

Yodo1 may have marked its tenth anniversary in November 2021, but the celebrations for a dynamic decade have carried over into 2022!

The Beijing-based start-up that began in 2011 with two visionaries and a few games to publish has evolved into a global gaming force with a player base of over 1.5 billion, built via partnerships with over 1,000 developers and 5,000 games across 50 countries.

A diverse workforce numbering over 150 across 35 countries has contributed significantly to this growth. But numbers don’t tell the whole story. So here we look at these ten years through the lens of ten team members who helped write those successful chapters.

1) What inspired you to start Yodo1? How has it evolved since then?

Games have always been a passion, and Yodo1 was an opportunity to combine that passion with my work. We founded Yodo1 as smartphones transformed the way people played games and built them, where one or two-person teams could now bring their games to life and reach a global audience through smartphones.

Yodo1 was founded to enable these indie teams of game developers not just to make great games and a great living out of these games. I look forward to helping more game developers turn their games into multi-million dollar franchises.

—Henry Fong, Co-founder, and Co-CEO, Australia

2) What do you love most about being a part of the gaming industry? And what are the challenges?

I understand the impact of customer satisfaction on businesses. Therefore I took the time to learn the skills required to be a good Customer Success Manager and obtained industry-recognized certification. Here at Yodo1, I found a perfect environment to apply my experience and refine my skill set. Every challenge I’ve faced at Yodo1 has provided me with valuable learnings required for growth, professionally and otherwise. It’s not easiest to keep up with the ever-evolving tech industry, but I look forward to constantly innovating alongside Yodo1.

—Polina Ozhylevska, MAS Customer Success Manager, Ukraine/United States

3) At the end of 2020, Yodo1 pivoted to being a fully work-from-anywhere (WFA) environment. How is that working out?

In a year, we've gone from 99% of the company being in Beijing to have almost half of our team spread out across some 25 new countries. We've brought on nearly 70 new people this year, and only a quarter was China-based.

How is it working out? The team is beautifully diverse, and I think we're doing much more than possible in the confines of an office—creativity, experiments, and overall productivity. On the employee side, people tied to Beijing for work had the freedom to return to their hometowns, see their families more, or even travel to new countries. And for hiring, we can put a job description out, and people can apply from anywhere in the world. There's no limit.

The past year has been a fantastic learning experience, and I'm looking forward to the innovations and improvements we’ll make in the new year.

—Flo Alcasas, Head of Human Resources, Netherlands

4) What are the strengths of having a multicultural workforce at Yodo1?

As a naturally curious individual, Yodo1 has provided me with a consistent learning environment and a space to think creatively and in a global context. This has served me professionally as Head of Customer Success and in my personal problem-solving approach. Operating in this environment also allows me to tap into global expertise daily, which is not only a professional advantage but also a unique privilege for me, as I have always been excited about being exposed to cultures outside my own, and I get to experience that while being gainfully employed.

—Syed Ali Shah Baacha, Head of Customer Success & Developer Support, Pakistan

5) What is the best part of working at Yodo1?

I was in the admin department when I joined Yodo1 nine years ago. Then four years later, I was given an opportunity in a vital HR role, although I had no previous experience in HR. That is Yodo1 in a nutshell. It gives you that platform to challenge yourself, learn and grow professionally, and improve your circumstances. My colleagues are also very friendly and helpful, making work all the better for me.

—Ma Jun, HR Operations Support, China

6) As a long-time employee, how do you feel about the shift to WFA?

I’ve experienced significant professional and personal growth during my ten years at Yodo1.

I joined as a young, single girl in the capacity of Marketing Manager and have gone on to get married and become a mother, all while being promoted to Marketing Director and then my current position as Head of IP Licensing.

Yodo1 has always provided a great work environment, nurturing all my aspirations and growth potential and equally supportive of my personal development by building a results-oriented foundation of trust and continuous innovation.

—Vivien Zhang, Head of IP Licensing, China

7) What do you love most about your job?

I can work from anywhere. I can travel anytime. I can live anywhere I want to live.

Yodo1 (through its smart Talent Acquisition team) recognized early that the world would change after COVID, and nobody would want to work from offices anymore. They realized that if they're going to get the best talents (and keep them), they have to offer unique advantages, and this is what they did!

They could put themselves ahead of the other companies and get the best talent because of their smart culture.

And the "killer advantage" that I found in Yodo1 is the unlimited PTO. Only a few companies offer this advantage and have this smart culture, and I'm proud to be a member of one of them!

—Ahmed Tohamy, LED Frontend Developer, Egypt

8) Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into gaming as a career?

The gaming industry is diverse and has a lot to offer. You don't have to play or create games to be part of it. You get to work on solutions to problems touched by millions of players worldwide.

As an engineer, I witnessed firsthand Yodo1’s emphasis on independence, leadership, and ownership. The company promotes better habits, helps employees set clear goals (personally and professionally), and incentivizes them to succeed. We welcome anyone who wants to make the world more playful, one game at a time.

—Nitesh Oswal, LED Lead, India

9) How did you get into this field, and what do you like about it?

I worked for one of Co-CEO James' startups and liked the working environment and culture. I wasn't a gamer, but the fact that James encouraged me to try my skills in a new industry gave me the courage to try. The results have changed my life, and it all started when I took the first step, enrolling in the MAS BD Course.

I love that I can work virtually, which any mom would appreciate. I also have had a forward-thinking, supportive manager, Marina (Espin, Head of Sales & Support) who has guided and mentored me? I have learned a lot from her and look forward to learning more. I also enjoy working one-on-one with developers from all over the world, which has allowed me to develop my ability to communicate clearly, not only with them but also with other team members.

—Tsitsi Chogah, Legion Team Lead, South Africa

10) Where would you like Yodo1 to be in another ten years?

We believe both Web 3.0 and the digital creator economy will be centered around the number one form of entertainment: video games. Yodo1 is committed to being THE platform that supports all game developers with an easy-to-use yet powerful platform of monetization tools, business support, and education offerings to enable developers worldwide to turn their games into scalable businesses.

—James LaLonde, Co-Founder, and Co-CEO, China

Will You Join Us for the Next Ten?

Powered by diversity and inclusion, Yodo1 will continue to innovate its service offerings into the next decade as a critical player in this growing, global industry.

If you read this through to the end, you’re either curious, passionate, or both as they relate to gaming and Yodo1 culture. Would you like to help us write our next successful chapters?

Check out our Careers page to learn more and discover open WFA roles.

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Rethinking Banner Ads: Myths vs Reality

With 2022 almost here, it is the perfect time for game developers to analyze what worked, what didn’t and make plans so their games become better and better. Monetization is a major part of this. No matter if you are a small or big developer, there are always ways your strategy can be improved to increase your revenue.

Of the three major ad types most mobile game developers depend on—banners, interstitials, and rewarded videos— the latter two typically generate the bulk of a game’s revenue. They may get all the love, but banner ads are an important tool, too, and shouldn’t be ignored. There are some long standing biases towards banners from many in the development community: let’s take an objective look to sort facts from bad press.

Bias #1: Banners Ads Are Disruptive

One of the most common misconceptions is that banners are highly disruptive to the user experience. However, it’s not fair to banners to say they cause bad UX; the ugly truth is it’s developers who create bad UX for their users with banners.

Some classic examples include banners covering UI elements, banners popping up in the middle of game play, or adding too many to the screen, completely taking players out of an immersive game play experience. However, while all the above can be issues with banners when used poorly, interstitials are actually the more disruptive ad type, since when they show the whole game is interrupted.

By contrast, when used well, banners can actually feel almost pleasant in the game play experience. For example, medium rectangle banners on pause screens, victory screens, and game over screens give players something else to consider in case they are bored. Similarly, smart banners can add considerably to landscape games, reminding players to check out something they may want to consider later without compromising gameplay.

Bias #2: Banners Don’t Generate Meaningful Revenue

Another persistent belief about banners is that they don’t generate enough revenue to be worth using, but they can contribute an average eCPM of $0.50, which can translate to $500 or more if a developer gets over a million banner impressions in a month. In addition, some banner types can even deliver a higher eCPM, and more revenue. As an example, adaptive banners have a 20% higher eCPM, putting them up there with interstitials in terms of revenue.

Finally, it’s worth noting that there’s often at least a positive causal relationship between the presence of banners and the purchase of IAP to get rid of advertising in a game. While it’s always important to test what’s true for your game, you’re potentially leaving IAP money on the table if you completely ignore them.

Bias #3: Banners Fill Rate Is Low

That being said, this last bias has a kernel of truth in it for one particular scenario: non-standard banner sizes. For those not familiar, non-standard banner sizes are any banner sizes other than 320x50.

Why do these other banner sizes have a somewhat lower fill rate? The reason differs by size.

320 x 100, for example, is only served by Admob , and this means a slightly lower overall fill rate.

Finally, medium rectangle banners are only supported by Admob and FAN, again lowering fill rate slightly.

Overall though, the fill rate for these other sizes is only nominally lower, and a savvy ad monetization solution can still help developers get the maximum fill rate from these banner sizes.

A Balanced Ad Strategy

Like most things in life, the key to great ad monetization is balance, and banners definitely have a place in a balanced ad strategy.

The key is to use a great ad monetization partner that makes sure you are getting the most out of the banner ad type. Yodo1’s top-performing mobile game monetization SDK, Managed Ad Services (MAS) 4.4, now includes all of the above-mentioned five banner sizes, giving you even more choices.

Take advantage of our Holiday Welcome Bonus and get $25 today when you release your first game using MAS. This offer is valid until December 31, 2021, so sign up today and see how much a service that favors developers can increase your bottom line.

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Curiosity and Tenacity: Ismael Kickstarts Gaming Industry Career

At Yodo1, we believe that the gaming industry should be open to everyone with an interest, no matter their skill level or experience. Our free courses and training sessions allow anybody who loves gaming to fulfill their dreams of working in the industry.

Many people are drawn in by a personal interest, of course, but some have also come to Yodo1 thanks to a series of happy coincidences.

Meet Ismael

Ismael from Alicante, Spain, wasn’t part of the gaming industry—he’d worked various jobs, mostly in tourism, and was helping some of his friends with translations and marketing for their mobile gaming studio.

“Yodo1 contacted my friends and they don't speak English. So they asked me to look into it and do some research.” He thought he’d just give the company a quick look-over, but when he went to Yodo1’s website and started reading up on the products, he was impressed and wanted to learn more about it.

First Step: Yodo1’s Free MAS Business Development Course

Ismael found the Managed Ad Services (MAS) BD Certification Course and realized that MAS was the product his friends were being offered: a platform that helps mobile game developers optimize the revenue from their games.

Curious, Ismael signed up for the free course. “I thought if I took the course then I’d be ready, see if there was a catch, and avoid any surprises.”

But after taking the course, Ismael had no doubts. “I told my friends that this platform could definitely be helpful to outsource monetization and optimize revenue.”

Ismael dove into the business side of gaming, studying up to twelve hours some days to get a handle on the terminology, industry trends, etc. At first, he felt lost and found it overwhelming, but he kept at it.

His friends’ studio had decided to integrate MAS, and just a week later, “I got an email from Yodo1 telling me I’d passed the course...and that's how everything started,” says Ismael, with a wide smile.

A Day in the Life in the MAS BD Rep Program

Ismael’s new job involved speaking to game developers around the world, helping them onboard the MAS platform and teaching them how to use it effectively. Each morning, he began by preparing for the day’s upcoming calls by playing the developers’ games and researching them online, seeing how MAS could help them.

In addition to the flexibility and the constant opportunities for learning and growth, Ismael found the Yodo1 Team to be one of the best parts of his new job. “This team is amazing. Every time I needed some help, they were there. And I really love the personal connection with our community partners. Of course, I recommend the product, but it’s not just selling for selling’s sake.”

He also discovered a strong, collaborative team spirit: “Here, we work towards what’s best for each developer, and for the company; it’s about we, not I. We look for what’s best for the team, always. And I love it.”

Ismael took up the challenge, refusing to be intimidated by the amount of work and new information. And it has paid off in spades! Only a few short months later, Ismael was offered a full-time position as a Customer Success Manager at Yodo1, a challenge that he embraced with open arms, thanks to the experience he developed in the MAS BD Rep program.

This Could Be You!

Ismael hopes his story provides encouragement and motivation for anyone who’s thinking about taking the MAS BD Certification Course that if they give their best shot, they can be a part of the gaming industry, too.

When asked to describe the atmosphere of working in a team at Yodo1, Ismael’s reply was clear and joyful: “Family, laughs, and team spirit. I know they have my back every time. No matter what happens. Also, Yodo1 likes you to be curious. And this all began because I was super curious.”

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