EP 11 | 09 NOV 2020

Winning at strategy games can be challenging, and not just for players, but also the businesses who are building them. David Eckleberry, General Manager of the 4x strategy game Star Trek Fleet Command at Scopely, and Howard Chen, Developer Growth Consultant at Google Play, discuss the game genre, how the team at Scopely approached Star Trek Fleet Command, and how other game developers can find success in the genre – or, in Star Trek lingo: how 4x strategy games can live long and prosper.

Guests

General Manager and Vice President, Scopely

David Eckelberry is General Manager and Vice President of Game Design for Scopely, a leading interactive entertainment and mobile games company. David leads Star Trek Fleet Command, a mobile game combining a free-roaming multiplayer experience with roleplaying, narrative, progression, and real-time battles. Prior to joining the Scopely team three years ago, David had a rich experience as a gamemaker for MZ (MachineZone), Microsoft, Gree, EA, LucasArts, and Turbine Entertainment. Yet to this day, he gets more questions about his job twenty-five years ago. After Georgetown University, his first industry experience earned him peak gamer credibility by writing sourcebooks for Dungeons & Dragons and designing cards for Magic: the Gathering at TSR and Wizards of the Coast.

Developer Growth Consultant, Google Play

Howard is a Developer Growth Consultant at Google Play where he leads North American mobile business consulting. As a former game developer, Howard creates and shares game optimization recommendations and platform insights to game developers leveraging Google Play platform data. Previously, Howard led the central product team at Electronic Arts where he specialized in product strategy, monetization, and live services. Howard is a passionate gamer who enjoys playing and dissecting live service games. Howard holds an MBA from the University of Southern California (Fight on!) and BS from Carnegie Mellon University.

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