Is Mobile Gaming Dead? Why Istanbul Beats Helsinki & The $5B Micro Drama Gold Rush | Anton Backman

Is Mobile Gaming Dead? Why Istanbul Beats Helsinki & The $5B Micro Drama Gold Rush | Anton Backman

From Nothing Ventured by Aarish Shah - EmergeONE

June 11, 2026 · 1h 0m · Episode 138

About this episode

Anton Backman discusses the current state of mobile gaming and the rise of Istanbul as a gaming hub.

Is mobile gaming still a venture-worthy bet or has the gold rush ended? Anton Backman, General Partner at Play Ventures, has one of the most contrarian takes in VC right now. In this episode, Anton breaks down why the gaming funds that exploded during Covid are struggling, why Istanbul has quietly become the world's hottest hub for mobile games (and why Helsinki lost its edge), and why micro dramas are following the exact same monetisation playbook as mobile gaming. We also get into: → Why success in mobile is 50% product, 50% user acquisition and why most studios get both wrong → How Turkey's gaming companies out-pay investment banking for top graduates → Why a micro drama app briefly dethroned ChatGPT in India → The rise of real money gaming and what VC-backed startups are getting right → Why analogue is making a comeback in a world drowning in digital content Whether you're a founder, investor, or just fascinated by where attention (and money) is flowing — this one's packed. Find Anton Backman online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonbackman/ Twitter: https://x.com/retripaladin Play Ventures: https://playventures.vc This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne…

People in this episode

Host: Aarish Shah

Guest: Anton Backman

Topics covered

Keywords

Sponsors

EmergeOne

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Play Ventures

Products: ChatGPT

Places: Istanbul, Helsinki, India

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