Gaming Platform Acquisition Strategy

The speakers discuss finding opportunities in traditional games (like Sudoku, crosswords, poker) by acquiring their domain names and building modern gaming platforms, using the example of a successful Sudoku company acquisition.

Key Points:

• Example Success Case - Easy Brain (Sudoku Company):

  • Acquired for $640M + $125M in additional considerations
  • 2020 Revenue: $210M
  • Profit: $70M
  • 15 live games with 12M daily active users
  • 750M total lifetime installs

• Untapped Opportunities:

  • Premium domains like poker.com and crossword.com are underutilized
  • Current state: Many are just basic affiliate sites or barely functional
  • Example: poker.com is just running affiliate reviews instead of actual gaming
  • Crosswordpuzzle.com is essentially abandoned (last updated 2007)

• Market Validation:

  • NY Times makes $90M in subscription revenue from crossword puzzles
  • Shows significant market potential for traditional games
  • These games have loyal, regular players

• Business Model Potential:

  • Acquire premium game-related domains
  • Build modern gaming platforms
  • Target games people play religiously (chess, crosswords, sudoku)
  • Focus on mobile-first experiences
  • Monetize through subscriptions or gaming revenue