Our Operations Manager, Mayang Putri Bestari, didn't initially imagine herself stepping into the dynamic world of video games. Although a keen gamer herself, Mayang’s professional journey with Acorn allowed her to gradually grasp the intricacies of social media within this unique industry. A native Indonesian, navigating through this international industry presented plenty of challenges, even with her strong proficiency in analysing numbers and statistics. This blog will cover her journey to becoming the valued member of Acorn Games she is today.
Her Gaming Journey
Mayang was first introduced to PlayStation games by her father when she was small.
I have never been separated from games since I was little, I was first introduced to the PlayStation series by my father who also loves various types of games.
The first two titles she remembers playing were the Tekken and Harvest Moon series. Those games eventually helped to reveal more genres, from adventure to slice-of-life games and acted as a fundamental tool in learning the basics of English at a young age.
Fast forward to her high school years, when Mayang took notice of PC and online games. It was a solid reason to spend money in an internet cafe so she could immerse herself in another world for a few hours at a time. Playing various video games in her childhood helped her expand on skills still used to this day: language, time management and a sense of responsibility.
How Mayang Found Acorn Games
During her high school and university days, getting into the gaming world just wasn't on the table. Mayang spent a lot of time gaming during these years, but fundamental questions such as "how are games made?" and "how did I find out about these games?" remained unanswered. Mayang was simply unsure if gaming was a legitimate career path and felt unsure about giving it a shot professionally.
Fortunately, Mayang had a circle of friends in the gaming industry who gave her the push she needed after a few years of consideration.
I gained courage from the results of conversations between me and my friends who had previously been involved in the game industry.
At the time, the gaming scene in Indonesia hadn’t yet grown to the levels at which it proudly sits in 2023. Today, you can find many outstanding Indonesian-made games with global appeal. What really stood out was the tight-knit and supportive community within the Indonesian games space, where people truly cared about their projects and those of others. That's when Mayang actively sought out a way to enter the industry and turned her unique talents in operations management, reporting and analysis towards Acorn Games. After sharing a breakdown of the Indonesian gaming space with Acorn founder, George Eastmead, it was clear that these unique skills were of huge value to the agency and Mayang began to work closer with the team.
That's what got me thinking, that I'm in the right place. From here, I looked for various ways to enter the game industry until I finally found Acorn Games.
Being a Part of the Acorn Team
Acorn Games is dedicated to supporting game developers, ranging from solo creators to established AAA studios, in enhancing their social media presence and community management. The company's positive track record with indie game developers since 2012 served as a compelling motivation for Mayang to join Acorn. Mayang was warmly welcomed by the team, who consistently offered assistance whenever challenges arose and welcomed Mayang’s unique skillset which served to lift the indie gaming agency to new heights.
Despite Mayang’s initial lack of experience in the gaming industry, her time with the Acorn team provided her with invaluable insights. She learned how to identify the unique potential in games, participated in community development efforts, how to manage diverse social media platforms from various perspectives, and what KPIs were of the most value in understanding growth. When the client is happy, the team is happier. Facing challenges and solving problems together has helped both Acorn and Mayang grow professionally and individually.
As Acorn's Operations Manager, she's thrilled to apply her marketing and analytics expertise to enhance company operations. Her mission is to ensure the team encounters minimal challenges, thereby ensuring satisfaction among Acorn's clients. While at work, she wholeheartedly focuses on creating a lively, positive, and comfortable environment because she believes it's essential in the games industry to provide such an atmosphere.
What I hope to bring to the company
I hope I can implement my knowledge and skillset in marketing and analytics to give a fresh perspective, especially in terms of operations
Advancing a company requires a solid team and operations that run smoothly. I hope I can provide new innovations in managing operations so that it is easier for the team to carry out.
Apart from that, I want to provide a new, fun, and positive atmosphere for the team with the aim of providing comfort and trust in team relationships. In the gaming industry, fun is part of the job, right?