Ignite Startups: Breaking Down the Indie Game Industry with Slava Heretz, CEO of Camlann Games| #110

Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society

In this episode of the Ignite Podcast, Brian Bell interviews Slava Heretz, founder and CEO of Camlann Games. They delve into Slava’s journey from Soviet Ukraine to establishing a unique gaming platform that merges finance and tech expertise with his lifelong passion for gaming. Slava shares how his experience in SaaS and finance shaped his understanding of business growth, especially in ensuring positive unit economics. This background helped him identify critical challenges within the indie gaming industry, where hit-driven dynamics often mean many games fail to break even. Camlann Games addresses this by applying a systematic approach to data analysis, marketing optimization, and targeted game promotion, aiming to make sustainable profits in a traditionally risky industry. Slava explains how Camlann Games fills a significant gap in the market by focusing on underrepresented indie games. Leveraging his expertise in unit economics and marketing automation, he developed a platform inspired by tools like HubSpot and Apollo to create a scalable approach for game marketing. With the help of advisor Simon Carlis, Slava's team uses big data to forecast successful game genres and trends, building a strategy that aims to de-risk the development-to-market process for indie games. Rather than scaling across thousands of games, Camlann Games works selectively with studios, providing them not only with marketing support but also taking on the role of an investor. The goal is to create a reliable path to market while maintaining favorable revenue-sharing terms that far exceed industry standards. Throughout the conversation, Slava highlights key industry dynamics, discussing the rise of platforms like Steam, Epic Games Store, and the evolving nature of game distribution and monetization. Brian and Slava also touch on emerging trends such as AI’s role in game development, from AI-driven non-player characters to possible challenges in gaining player acceptance of AI in games. Slava explains that, while AI has transformative potential, there’s still resistance from players who prefer traditional game mechanics over AI-driven elements, a sentiment that affects Camlann’s current strategy. Chapters: Introduction to Slava Heretz & Camlann Games (00:01 – 00:16) Slava’s Early Life and Love for Gaming (00:17 – 00:44) Professional Background: From SaaS to Gaming (00:45 – 01:28) Understanding Unit Economics in Indie Gaming (01:29 – 03:58) Bridging SaaS Strategies with Indie Game Publishing (03:59 – 04:37) The Decision to Launch Camlann Games (04:38 – 07:15) Identifying Market Gaps for Indie Games (07:16 – 09:00) Challenges of Marketing Indie Games at Scale (09:01 – 13:09) Exploring Game Genres & Data-Driven Insights (13:10 – 16:31) Working as a Tech-Enabled Publisher (16:32 – 18:35) The Role of AI in Indie Gaming (18:36 – 20:16) Evaluating Game Quality & Market Demand (20:17 – 22:04) Freemium Models vs. Paid Indie Games (22:05 – 24:32) Success Stories and Lessons from Indie Hits (24:33 – 26:56) The Importance of Pre-Release Marketing (26:57 – 28:36) Viral Loops and Social Engagement in Games (28:37 – 30:34) Future of AI and NPCs in Gaming (30:35 – 33:10) Challenges of AI-Driven Gameplay (33:11 – 37:16) Measuring Ad Spend and Campaign ROI (37:17 – 39:54) Global Distribution & Partnerships for Indie Games (39:55 – 43:55) Leveraging Marketplace Models for Success (43:56 – 46:57) Future of Camlann Games & Industry Trends (46:58 – 48:08) Rapid Fire Questions with Slava (48:09 – 49:56)