Two powerhouse names in gaming will add to the momentum behind Spil Games’ mobile strategy, the company announced today.
Amsterdam, Tuesday 28th July, 2015. Jan-Michel Saaksmeier has been hired as Head of Licensing for Mobile Publishing while Christian Godorr will take on the new role of Director of Game Design and Monetization.
Spil Games has been focused on the mobile market over the last year, and these new hires add momentum to a strategy that is already showing signs of success. The company has seen over 45 million downloads on mobile and is working with a wide range of brilliant developers to drive exponential growth.
“These new roles bring experience and skills that underscore our commitment to quality in the mobile market,” says Tung Nguyen-Khac, CEO of Spil Games. “We already have a superb team and we are now augmenting it to sharpen our focus on publishing the best in new mobile games and in optimizing revenue.”
Jan-Michel Saaksmeier took on a new role as Head of Licensing for Mobile Publishing on 1 July 2015. He brings a deep knowledge and expertise in finding and developing successful games and building relationships with developers to maximise revenues.
For the last six years he has worked at Bigpoint producing and developing game concepts, rising to become Live Game Director and later Head of Publishing. He was the mastermind behind Farmerama, Bigpoint’s biggest game franchise.
“There are so many awesome games out there,” Jan-Michel says. “I guess my particular talent is in spotting those with the potential to make it huge, and working with their developers to realise that potential.”
Tung Nguyen-Khac comments: “Jan-Michel really gets what makes a good game great. He has pin-sharp analysis of content, a rare talent in this industry. Spil Games was already strong in this area but, with Michel, we will be unbeatable. I am delighted to welcome him.”
Christian Godorr will take on the new role of Director of Game Design and Monetization from 1 August 2015. He moves from Ubisoft where he was Director of Monetization. He has 16 years’ experience in the games business and brings a fundamental understanding of game design and virtual selling. He also has experience of the Asian and North American markets, vital to Spil Games’ global plans.
He has worked for Bertelsmann/RTL, Elkware (once Germany’s leading mobile game developer for feature phones), and for Bigpoint. He created and produced Dark Orbit, a massively multiplayer online game, while at Bigpoint.
“I established the fundamental assets for Bigpoint’s success in virtual selling,” Christian says. “So I completely understand the free-to-play business model and user monetization, revenue and scalability.”
Tung Nguyen-Khac comments: “Christian is a real game veteran and that experience enhances our strengths. But his skill in and enthusiasm for game monetization mark him out as a true talent. I’m excited that he decided to join us.”
