Since the invention of computers, programmers have tried to find ways to develop games on them.
Back in 1952, a Cambridge University professor created the world’s first-ever computer game called OXO, or as we popularly call it – Tic Tac Toe.
With over 3 billion users, the gaming industry has been on a booming rise. PC, mobile, and console gaming companies are using the latest technologies to create games that are both entertaining and culturally resonating for their countless users.
Who would’ve thought that the industry of joystick Pac-Man and Super Mario would be worth more than 200 billion dollars someday? But it is the reality today.
And our guest publisher today is making huge loud splashes in the web gaming industry of Germany, alongside his father Philipp.
Gridgames.app is a website that offers users multiple logic puzzle games, like wordle, to engage their minds and have fun at the same time.
In this post today, we will chat with Valentin Hübner, one-half of the father-son duo behind the gridgames.app, on how their website came to be, his take on the ever-evolving gaming industry, and more.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
About the Birth of Gridgames.app
Both Valentin and his father Philipp have loved logic puzzles all their lives. So much so that Philipp even sells Sudoku and other puzzles to newspapers, while Valentin created a website aimed at newspaper customers.
So when wordle went viral internationally, the father-son duo came together to create a German version of the game and launched wordle.at!
The immense success of the website further nudged the pair to upload more logic puzzles to the web and share them with the world. That is when they built and published gridgames.app – a website with German wordle, Sudoku, and other interactive logic puzzles which Philipp had developed over the past years.
It is one of the most popular logic puzzle gaming websites in Germany – and rightfully so!
Gridgames and Ad Monetization
Both Valentin and Philipp realize that for a web app like theirs, web advertisements are important.
While the ads can be inconvenient for some web users, it is also what enables them to provide all the services for free, which they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.
As Valentin said – “Without ads, we would need to limit the games to registered playing users only.”
Another way to experience ad-free games is to become subscribers. But still, ads generate most of the revenue – meaning they stay.
Valentin also talks about the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR) in Europe. He says it is very strict. In fact, Google recently updated its policies, making it a mandate for publishers to use a Google-certified Consent Management Platform (CMP).
Though it wasn’t much of a struggle for the two at gridgames to abide by that change, as they were already using a CMP to manage both gridgames.app and wordle.at’s privacy and data collection.
As per Valentin, using a trusted CMP, publishers can focus on what they are best at – their content!
“I am glad I do not personally have to deal with privacy regulations and advertising standards.”
He believes that using experts who understand the complex modern privacy regulations saves them a lot of time to focus on the website and the material that sets them apart from the competition.
Having said that, Valentin also realizes that even when one is using a trustworthy CMP that complies with all regulations and follows the best practices, the main responsibility lies on the publisher.
He shares – “When using a third-party CMP, I believe the main responsibility falling on publishers is to present options clearly to users. For example, not tricking users into signing up for a newsletter or accepting push notifications in order to get low-value traffic.
He believes transparency is what would build a true and strong relationship between the website and its users.
When speaking of emerging ad tech and change in data collection, Valentin seems optimistic about the emergence of privacy-preserving alternatives, such as the Privacy Sandbox and the phasing out of third-party cookies.
The Gaming Industry / Word to the Wise
“Everything begins with an idea!”
Valentin recognizes the importance of the looks of a game, but he believes that the idea and the concept behind it are a lot more than the overall interface in the world of game building. From his own experiences, he notes some of the most popular games he has played have had poor graphics or UX.
This confirms his thought that as long as the content is to the user’s liking and preference, they will use the app or website to consume the data. So, he recommends one should pay more attention to the idea and not as much to the looks of the game. At least not solely to the looks.
He also emphasizes that in order to break into this industry, one need not have a professional degree under their belt. A degree course definitely imparts valuable knowledge and skills, but he believes that software development is best learned with practical hits and misses.
And over on the ad monetization side, Valentin understands and accepts the power of monetization, but he also realizes the responsibility that still lies on the shoulders of the publishers. He believes in building relations with the users, rather than running after low-value traffic.
Overall, both Valentin and Philipp are enjoying working on Wordle and other logic puzzle games on their website. And wish to add more to the already growing list.
Pro Tip by Valentin Hübner: “When I am working on something and realize that I am losing the overview, I take a step back or even stop working for the day. When I pick up that task again, I often have a better perspective of the situation.
Otherwise, there is the risk that I will produce an overly complex solution that creates more problems in the future and wastes my time that way.”
