Why Copying Best Practices Fails in Mobile Gaming

Copying best practices from successful studios often fails because companies replicate only visible processes, ignoring the underlying systems that made them effective. Nikita Guk, founder and CEO of GIMZ, notes that the number of successful new mobile releases has sharply declined, with launching a profitable game now costing over $1 million, which is no guarantee of success. At leading studios, only about 1 in 12 projects gains traction, typically requiring years of iteration. Teams become unfocused, metrics stagnate, and managers burnout, leading to a cycle of high turnover and unfulfilled potential.