The mobile games industry, being one of the most dynamically developing industries in the world of entertainment, is steadily moving forward, subject to constant transformations. Yury Husak, founder and technical director of Studio Cation, will tell us what are the trends of this market and how to remain a sought-after specialist amidst the changes.

Yury, tell us how you came to the mobile games industry.

I started my career in web advertising, working as a flash programmer. Eventually, I opened my own business and started creating interactive advertising campaigns based on JavaScript. We created promotional websites for charity events, particularly for McDonald's. You may remember that they have annual campaigns when part of the proceeds from the sale of products goes to help children. Users can scan QR codes on the package, register, and participate in the promotions. There was even a virtual steam train, which was joined by cars with the names of the participants. It was an interesting project that required constant adjustments and updates in real time. I remember those projects with great warmth. But I don't like to stand still, so over time, I decided to concentrate on creating demos for mobile games. This direction is topical now; that's why I decided to occupy this promising niche. Now, I have my own team; we work with clients from different countries—my customers are in Cyprus, England, the Czech Republic, and America. 

Explain why this direction is so in demand on the market. What do you think makes mobile game demos so important for the gaming industry?

From the market's point of view, demos serve as a great marketing tool. They allow you to showcase the unique features of your games and attract the attention of potential players. In addition, feedback plays a key role in improving the quality of the game. Players' reactions to demos help evaluate what works in the game and what needs improvement. This is very valuable information for game creators.

What is the advantage of demos over video reviews and game descriptions?

It's simple; there's no need to compare. Demos provide a unique opportunity to try a game before making a purchase or downloading a free version. This allows players to see if the game suits their tastes and expectations. Users get to experience the gameplay and graphics. When you play the demo version, you control the character yourself, make decisions, and see how they affect the game world in real time. Sure, video reviews and descriptions can give a general idea of what the game offers, but they can't convey the very atmosphere and sense of engagement that comes from playing the game. Demos give a much better idea of what a game offers and help players decide if it matches their interests and expectations.

What trends in the mobile gaming market can you identify?

Games are becoming more complex but also more interesting. In the past, casual games like Happy Bird, for example, were simple—one mechanic. But now, games are becoming more complex by mixing different game mechanics. For example, a single game can feature 'three-in-a-row' elements, where the player connects identical items, as well as the mechanics of collecting and improving personal items. In addition, players can interact with each other in real time by participating in competitions or cooperative missions. Such mixed mechanics create a varied and engaging gaming experience. Graphics are also improving, especially 3D, which opens up new possibilities for developers.

The topic of meta-universes is very interesting. We are waiting for projects related to the integration of advertising in this direction. So far, they are on pause, but in the future, they may become very successful.

What is the reason?

Physics does not keep up with humans. First, we need to develop lenses that would be comfortable for the eyes. Now, it is quite hard to use VR glasses. After 15–20 minutes, your eyes start to get tired, you get dizzy, and the picture is perceived indistinctly. But we have already bought special helmets, and we hope that we will soon be able to get a new user experience. You know, in our field it's very important to play a lot yourself.

Does it help in game development and demos?

Absolutely. Playing a lot of different games with different mechanics—how else can we understand what users need? We also study a lot of competitors, their advertising, techniques, and we identify some new solutions for ourselves and use them in our work.

What difficulties does the game industry face?

Nowadays, the mobile game market is extremely competitive, and it is difficult for newcomers to break through in this field. Every day, a huge number of new games are released, and it becomes more and more difficult to stand out among them and attract players' attention. The ability to create unique and engaging gaming experiences is becoming a key success factor, and for new developers, this presents a big challenge. It's important for developers to constantly study the market, follow trends, incorporate feedback from players, and constantly improve their development skills.

However, if we talk about my field—creating demos—the situation is diametrically opposite. What we do—only a few companies in the world do it—we have orders for several months in advance. All the major market leaders know us. However, here, another problem comes to the fore—the lack of specialists.

Why is there such a situation? Nowadays, you can find a large number of training programs and courses in the field of programming.

Let me explain the specifics of creating demos. All advertising platforms have a limit on the size of demo versions of games in 5 MB. Our task is to convert developed games into demos, while respecting this limitation, keeping their game mechanics and gameplay intact. We manually create code and modify graphical elements to comply with this limitation but still ensure that the game is playable. So, a specialist must have a good knowledge of both programming and design, 50/50. But courses offer either one or the other; programming and design are separate, so you have to learn everything on your own. At the same time, you can find separate articles devoted to this topic on the Internet, but they are all scattered. There is simply no structured information. Personally, I had to train all my employees from scratch; no one came ready. And this training takes more than a year.

Can't artificial intelligence replace humans in this case?

I don't think it will be realistic in our field in the coming years. Neural networks can help in some aspects, for example, in design, but it is still problematic to assemble a demo version of a game in some kind of constructor.  We're keeping an eye on the development of AI, though. I think we should just accept the fact that technology doesn't stand still and learn how to write a neural network ourselves. Keeping up with trends, learning about technical innovations, and continuously improving your skills is the key to success. This is the only way we can stay ahead of the machines and stay ahead. I'm in favor of this approach.