While game devs may feel downtrodden, brands are optimistic on the gaming opportunity | IAB’s Zoe Soon

For game devs, the past 2.5 years of layoffs make it seem like gaming is falling apart. But that’s not how the brands see it. That was the vibe at last week’s Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) Playfronts, said Zoe Soon, vice president of the IAB Experiences Center, in an interview with GamesBeat. In a talk at IAB Playfronts, Soon said that brands are enthusiastic about moving into games, and the opportunity is huge, as IAB believes that games are getting just 5% of the total digital advertising spending. That’s down from 6% of spend in 2022, but Soon said things are turning around. That should cure some of the gloom in gaming. Game devs have seen 35,000 layoffs in the past 2.5 years, according to Amir Satvat, the game job champion. Part of the reason was overhiring during the pandemic, but Powerpoint gaming champion Matthew Ball pointed to troubling trends where there is more competition for gaming time and players are stuck playing old games for a longer period, resulting in less t ... Read full article.