Insight certainty 4/5 debate potential 2/5

Playdots evaluates new game pitches by requiring a five-year team commitment

Patrick Moberg · Gaming Studio Founders - Patrick Moberg and Holly Liu · Y Combinator · Apr 27, 2018 · at 29:31

Patrick Moberg, co-founder of Dots, discusses how modern mobile games operate as long-term live services rather than one-off releases.

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“Like big question we're asking with every new sort of pitch that comes now is like, would you, Be excited to work on this for like five years. Cause like you have to sort of think about them now as these sort of projects.”

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