The world of esports and gaming is expanding at exponential rates, but many are still standing on the sidelines wondering how to best jump in. 

Todd Harris joins John in this week’s episode of the DLC Drop Podcast to discuss the evolution of his company Skill Shot and the merger with Ghost Gaming to become a one-stop solution for partners wanting to leverage gaming and gaming media to reach and support active gaming enthusiasts.

In this conversation, John and Todd discuss how his love for creating games formed his own company, and why he’s so passionate about building communities and excitement around his games. They also discuss how they utilized esports to gain more exposure for their games, and why it ended up being a great payoff. 

Todd also discusses how acquiring Ghost Gaming moved them into producing events, not just for the games they create, but for other gaming companies. He talks about how they can provide a more holistic approach for brands to create a win-win opportunity to work in the gaming world.

To learn more about the upcoming events and to connect with Todd, visit:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddalanharris/

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:15 – Meeting Todd and learning more about Skill Shot.

2:48 – Todd talks about how Skillshot came to be, and how they needed up merging Ghost.

8:06 – Todd talks about how why they decided to utilize esports as a way to gain exposure for their games.

11:14 – Todd discusses the IP issue that game owners face, and how he feels the publishers could consider approaching tournaments.

15:15 – Todd talks about why other companies may not have large prize pools, and how they can come up with creative ways to grow those pools.

17:11 – Discussing what it was like moving over from the publishing world to doing events for other publishers.

20:19 – Todd talks about how tournaments are managed and how that changes per game.

24:39 – Todd talks about his approach in Ghost Gaming, and how companies are looking to diversify their revenue.

28:30 – How pro teams help drive players and interaction even if they have no desire to become a pro player.

31:27 – How revenue in the esports world depends on revenue of media rights vs. sponsorship.

35:32 – Todd talks bout how they’re trying to be a one-stop shop for brands to engage with the esports world.

40:00 – How brands can really win in the esports and gaming worlds.

42:11 – How can cities win in the world of esports, and what are the things they should be looking at in order to step into the space.

46:57 – What career opportunities are available for kids who are interested in the gaming space?