Pragma CEO Eden Chen | Game Changer (Audio) | Summary and Q&A

Transcript

Read and summarize the transcript of this video on Glasp Reader (beta).

Summary

In this episode of Gray Matter, David Thacker interviews Eden Chen, the CEO and co-founder of Pragma, a backend game engine for social and multiplayer games. Pragma aims to make game development faster and better by providing a comprehensive toolset for game developers. Eden discusses the founding of Pragma, their approach to building the technology, acquiring design partners, equipping developers with the necessary tools, and their long-term vision for the company. He also shares his thoughts on the metaverse and NFTs in gaming.

Questions & Answers

Q: Can you provide an overview of Pragma and its purpose?

Pragma is a toolset for game developers that helps them create games faster and better. Our first product is a backend game engine that takes care of out-of-game platform features such as matchmaking, content management, accounts, social features, and more. We understand that game development is complex and scaling a game requires a lot of effort, so our goal is to provide the infrastructure and technology to support developers in building successful games.

Q: How did Pragma come about and why did you choose to work in the game industry?

I have always been a gamer and technology enthusiast. However, after college, I ventured into other industries such as finance and tech startups. It was only after I had my first child that I realized how much I missed the social nature of gaming. I reconnected with a friend and game developer, Chris, and we decided to start Pragma together. We had a personal passion for games and a desire to shape the industry in a positive way by encouraging social connections and reducing toxicity.

Q: How did you build the technology behind Pragma, considering the complexity of game development and the need for scalability?

Building a backend engine for games is a highly challenging task, especially when it comes to scalability. Many game studios struggle with scaling their games to millions of players. We knew that hiring a large engineering team to build the platform from scratch would be unrealistic for a startup. So, we leveraged our network of experienced platform engineers who had worked on successful games like League of Legends and Fortnite. We started with a design partner who paid us to build the technology, and then we expanded our customer base from there.

Q: How did you convince game studios to bet on Pragma for their backend game engine, considering the risks involved?

One of the key factors that convinced game studios to choose Pragma was our team of experienced platform engineers. We were able to quickly build a team of highly skilled individuals who had worked on successful games. This gave us credibility and made us an attractive option for studios looking to build live service games. We presented ourselves as a lower-risk alternative to hiring their own expensive team of engineers. We also listened to the needs of our customers and worked closely with them throughout the development process to ensure their satisfaction.

Q: How do you equip game developers to leverage Pragma effectively?

We understand that providing a great developer experience is crucial for the success of our platform. We have invested in technical writing and documentation to ensure that developers can easily navigate and understand our platform. Our customer experience (CX) team regularly runs through the platform using our documentation to ensure a seamless experience. We also provide a frontend web portal, called Pragma Portal, which allows developers to access metrics, manage services, and monitor their games.

Q: What are your considerations for pricing and packaging Pragma as you transition from beta to general availability?

We began with an annual license model to account for the long development cycles of the gaming industry. However, we are now exploring different pricing models, such as royalty-based pricing or user metric-based pricing. Our principles are to monetize during the development period, align success with our customers' success, and provide great value to our studios. We are working closely with our customers to determine the best pricing model that balances their needs and our goals as a company.

Q: What is the ultimate goal and vision for Pragma in the gaming landscape?

Our mission is to support healthy and vibrant online communities within the gaming industry. We aim to contribute to a positive gaming experience by reducing toxicity, promoting social connections, and shaping the future of online gaming. In addition to our backend game engine, we envision a range of products, including cross-game login systems, payment integration, web3 integration, and more. We want to be the go-to infrastructure layer and advocate for developers and studios to simplify game development and create better, more social games.

Q: What are your thoughts on the metaverse and its impact on the gaming industry?

The concept of the metaverse is exciting, especially the ability to interoperate between different platforms and virtual worlds. The internet, in many ways, is the closest thing we have to a metaverse. As an infrastructure provider, Pragma aims to support interoperability by creating generalized tools and enabling communication between different platforms and games. We want to facilitate cross-distribution and cross-game interactions to move closer to a metaverse-like experience.

Q: How do you see NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) fitting into gaming, and what potential do they hold?

NFTs bring an interesting cultural shift to digital goods in gaming. Digital goods have always existed in games, but NFTs introduce market pricing, tradability, and transparency. However, the integration of NFTs into gaming has not yet fully matured. While there is potential for NFTs to drive economies within games, there is also a concern that it may shift the focus from game design to the economy itself. The challenge lies in finding the right balance and ensuring that NFTs enhance the gaming experience rather than overshadowing it. Additionally, the success of NFTs in gaming has been more pronounced in social identity and generative art rather than utility-based items.

Q: What roles are you currently recruiting for at Pragma, and what qualities are you looking for in candidates?

As we continue to grow, we are actively hiring platform engineers to strengthen our team. Backend platform engineers with experience in game development or similar complex systems are highly sought after. We are also expanding our product management and design teams. We value candidates who are passionate about gaming, share our mission to support healthy online communities, and can contribute to building best-in-class tools for the gaming industry.

Takeaways

Pragma is a backend game engine that provides toolsets for game developers to create games faster and better. They focus on building a scalable infrastructure that takes care of out-of-game platform features, such as matchmaking, content management, social features, and more. Pragma believes in supporting healthy and vibrant online communities and aims to shape the gaming industry for the better. They are actively recruiting platform engineers and expanding their product management and design teams. Pragma is also interested in exploring the potential of the metaverse and NFTs in gaming, while ensuring that game design and player experience remain at the forefront.