Mobile esports is on the up. But it’s safe to say it’s still a divisive issue. We spoke to RewardMob CEO Todd Koch to find out some of his views on the topic.
Based out of Canada, but with a European office now open, RewardMob is a platform aimed at helping games developers with user acquisition, monetization and player retention.
Esports Insider: Why do you believe in the potential of mobile esports?
Todd Koch: Right from day one we seen the potential for massive growth in competitive gaming on mobile devices. It’s a natural progression to follow the massive success that PC based esports have seen over the past several years. Every person that has a mobile device worldwide is a potential mobile esports participant.
ESI: Which genre do you see succeeding in mobile esports? We’ve seen a number of titles gaining traction, from MOBAs like Arena of Valour and Vainglory to FPS titles such as Critical Ops.
Todd: I think you will always see strong performance from MOBA and FPS genres. They are built for competition and have a well established base in PC and console already. I am excited to see games like Vainglory and Critical Ops pushing the envelope in mobile and having such great success.
“Every person that has a mobile device worldwide is a potential mobile esports participant”
The goal with RewardMob is to get players engaged in our tournament structure which will mean that almost any mobile game developer can add a casual esports feel to their games no matter what the intended audience or genre.
ESI: Tell us a bit more about the RewardMob story. You’ve just opened a new European office in Prague…
Todd: Yes, we were fortunate enough to add Thomas Newman and Andrei Gardea who were formally with CashPlay.
Both bring a ton of industry experience and are located in Prague. With our office in Canada and in Prague we are essentially able to provide 24 hour customers service to our players and develop around the clock. Since our game developer partners are global it made a lot of sense to also have a global profile and provide the best possible service to our players and game development partners.
ESI: RewardMob is involved in the world of cryptocurrency. Why did you make this decision and how do you see it bettering your platform, and the experience of your users?
Todd: One of the single biggest issues in esports is chargebacks on credit cards. We have seen some reports with companies as high as 18%. That cuts right into the bottom line and effects revenue for us as well as the gaming partners. Cryptocurrency eliminates fraud and chargebacks.
“There is no waiting 30 to 90 days to be paid out like some existing platforms do”
Another major advantage is payouts to game developers. Now they can be paid out in real time at that conclusion of the tournaments. There is no waiting 30 to 90 days to be paid out like some existing platforms do.
The third thing that is important is that players are able to remove the value from the game whenever they want. For similar reasons to the developers, players do not have to wait for long periods of time to receive payouts when they win a tournament. They will have access to their tokens at the conclusion of every match.
ESI: Finally, on the record, what’s your favourite mobile esports title? What are people playing at RewardMob HQ?
Todd: To be completely honest most of the staff are playing the games on the RewardMob platform. We launched a new game this past week called Tropical Blast and it’s a lot of fun. We were all engaged deeply in it over the weekend.
You can arrange a meeting with RewardMob and find out more about their services at our upcoming ESI Super Forum in London on March 22nd
