Deconstructor of Fun

Sponsors:

Hosts:

Laura Taranto, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Mishka Katkoff

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #190 What has happened to all the video games? Jul 08, 2022

In this episode, Laura talks about why games are being delayed and whether mobile games suffer from it as much as PC and console games. We also discuss what the metaverse is. Analyze the impact of Samsung Gaming Hub coming to Xbox. And Eric Kress does doom and gloom updates on the mobile market.

Links:

Sponsors:

Hosts:

Laura Taranto, Eric Kress and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

#150 What the heck is going on? Discussing the gaming megatrends with Hemal Thaker (Goldman Sachs) and Kartik Prabhakara (Aream) Jul 04, 2022

Consolidation, IDFA, metverse, Web3 and now a recession…

During just the last couple of years, we’ve seen some wild phenomena affect the games industry: First, lockdowns caused engagement spikes. Second, we saw a streak of consolidations with record-breaking deals. Third, the impact of the privacy changes started taking effect, all the while as the crypto boom turned into crypto winter...

Today, the industry is influenced by some very interesting trends and headwinds: We are facing a global recession. There’s fierce competition for talent. And the costs of customer acquisition are going up. At the same time, we see the formation of walled gardens that threaten smaller companies that don't have unique content.

To dive deep into the issues above, we were joined byHemal Thaker, the Global Head of Gaming & Interactive Entertainment at Goldman Sachs, and Kartik Prabhakara, the Founding Partner of Aream, an independent investment bank providing M&A and financing advice to technology companies.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWiG #189 Is Blizzard back on track? Why did Miniclip acquire Sybo? Why standards for open metaverse is risky? Jun 30, 2022

Hold on to your AirPods because we have more than a full house on this episode. There’s no more doom and gloom. Mishka and Seufert drop teasers for two upcoming parties. We analyze if Blizzard is “back”. Talk Stumbel Guys, Fall Guys, Sybo and Clash Quest. And take the episode home by talking about the master plan behind creating standards for open metaverse interoperability.

Links:

Sponsors:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Adam Telfer, Laura Taranto, Eric Kress and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWiG #188 Surviving the mobile marketing winter / Netflix mobile titles seen only 13m downloads / return of the Crypto Corner Jun 23, 2022

The team discusses Riot joining Microsoft’s GamePass. Talks about the $24M made by Diablo Immortal after the first two weeks. Reviews the abysmal number of downloads Netflix games has racked up to date. Dives deep into how to survive the mobile marketing winter. And with Ethan back on the podcast, covers your most essential crypto updates, as the wheels are coming off the first iteration of blockchain games.

Links:

Sponsors:

Hosts:

Ethan Levy, Adam Telfer, and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Going Beyond User Acquisition - the Curious Case of Dice Dreams Jun 21, 2022

Every successful mobile games story is different and offers something unique for the industry to learn from, and the story of SuperPlay and Dice Dreams is no different. In this episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Noam Banon, the CMO of Superplay, to talk about how their game Dice Dreams was able to find success in the highly competitive mobile games market. I was also lucky enough to get Sumit Chandel from Google to join the conversation and provide insights on how he’s seen game developers like Superplay unlock growth with Firebase’s wide range of tools.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #11 Inside Illuvium’s $72m Land Sale with Economy Designer Khalid Alroumi Jun 17, 2022

Against the backdrop of a crypto winter that has many a team re-evaluating their go-to-market plan, Illuvium pressed ahead with their land NFT sale, taking in over $72m in a well-organized, well run, low-gas fee land sale. In today’s episode, we go deep inside Illuvium with System and Economy Designer Khalid Alroumi. In this wide-ranging talk, we get an inside look at Illuvium and the many challenges the team faces as it works to forge a long-term sustainable, multi-game, token-based economy that balances the needs of multi different player types. This was an eye-opening conversation about what it is like working as an economy designer in this new frontier of architecting ownership-based digital economies.

This interview is hosted by Ethan Levy, Executive Producer of Legendary: Heroes Unchained at N3TWORK, and Anton Backman, Principal at Play Ventures.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #187 Spending $100k in Diablo Immortal / Saudi Arabia's grab of Embracer Jun 16, 2022

This was a BIG week for console and PC games. We talk about Diablo 4, Modern Warfare 2, Overwatch 2, Stormgate... We got our first take on all of them. We also discuss Summer Game Fest, Saudi Arabia's $1B investment into Embracer, and how to optimally spend a massive stack of cash in Diablo Immortal. As always, we kick off the episode with corrections. Keep the (anonymous) feedback coming and we'll keep correcting ourselves.

Links:

Sponsors:

Careers at BANDAI NAMCO Mobile

Hosts:

Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Building Supercell Under the Sun with Massimo Caporale, CPO at Bandai Namco Mobile Jun 12, 2022

A couple of months ago we covered BANDAI NAMCO’s new studio in Barcelona assessing their 4-day work weeks, lack of hierarchy, and deadlines (you can read our analysis here). We concluded that it all sounded almost too good to succeed. Well, Massimo Caporale, who heads mobile publishing at the BANDAI NAMCO Mobile, heard our analysis and wanted to come on the podcast to elaborate more and share what they've learned thus far from building what many call the Supercell under the Barcelona sun. Kudos to Massimo for being open and taking the time to address our initial analysis.

Host and Guest: Mishka Katkoff & Massimo Caporale

Links:

Sponsors:

ironSource, Xsolla, Recur

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #186 Inside the decline of mobile games market / The impact of updates to Apple's SKAd Network Jun 10, 2022

Adam does a light dive on Diabo Immortal after playing it intensively since launch. Eric Kress breaks down the decline of the mobile games market by looking at the performance of top genres and titles. Eric Seufert analyzes Apple's update to SKAd Network. The crew also talks E3, Pokemon Go passing $6 billion in lifetime revenue, and Summer Game Fest with Geoff Keighlye.

Links:

Sponsors:

Hosts:

Eric Kress, Adam Telfer, Eric Seufert and Laura Taranto

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #10 Writing a Kickass Whitepaper with Void Runners’ spacedog Jun 07, 2022

Though veteran game designer spacedog chooses to remain anonymous, trust us, you've played some of the hit free-to-play games she has contributed to. As one of the developers behind the upcoming blockchain game Void Runners, spacedog recently authored the whitepaper for the game and iterated on it in public with her discord community. In this interview, we discuss Void Runners, the considerations behind writing a whitepaper for your game, and what it's like to work on your game’s design in public.

This interview is hosted by Ethan Levy, who currently serves as Executive Producer of Legendary: Heroes Unchained at N3TWORK.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Battle Passes - Everything You Ought to Know and Then Some Jun 06, 2022

The most comprehensive breakdown of the Battle Pass system in games. This analysis discusses best practices, biggest fumbles, and optimal ways to price and balance Battle Pass in your game.

Host and Guest: Mishka Katkoff & Javier Barnes

Links:

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #185 Analysis of Sony's investor day / The $222 billion gaming market vs. global rececession Jun 02, 2022

This episode is all about headwinds. The crew discusses the global mobile gaming market, which is according to Data.ai set to hit $222 billion this year. Eric Kress dissects Sony’s investor day. The crew also predicts Apex Mobile’s success, marvels Diablo Immortal, and discusses Catalyst Black as an example of why MOBAs just don’t work in the West.

Links:

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

In-Game Ads for Console and PC Games - Opportunity or Threat? May 30, 2022

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about Xbox building an advertising program and the implications this program may have on both business and players. We're joined by Dave Madden, President of PlayerWON, to discuss the best practices for in-game ads within PC and console games. Dave has plenty of insights to share as his company, PlayerWON, is the pioneer of in-game ads in the free-to-play console and PC games.

Links: Dave Madden, PlayerWON, Deconstructor of Fun

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #184 Why EA is not for sale / TikTok’s push into gaming / Snap’s lower guidance May 26, 2022

Eric Kress dismantles the rumors of EA being for sale. Eric Seufert analyzes Snap's multiple lowered guidances. Laura Taranto looks into TikTok's push into gaming. Team also discusses recent two big mobile launches: APEX Legends from EA and Dislyte from Lilith. And what would be a TWIG episode without hearing the latest of Kress' son's basketball life...

Links:

Sponsors:

Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsolla, Recur

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #9 Understanding the WAX blockchain with gaming veteran Michael Rubinelli May 25, 2022

Before he joined L1 solution WAX as their Chief Gaming Officer, Michael Rubinelli had a long and accomplished career in gaming. Spanning companies including EA, THQ, Midway, Take Two, Disney, and Kixeye, Michael’s career has taken him across many gaming platforms and business model transitions. In this interview, we talk about how WAX is the L1 solution purpose-built for gaming, the challenges of transitioning to blockchain gaming, the success WAX Studios has seen with Blockchain Brawlers as well as its role in game development and publishing.

This interview is hosted by Ethan Levy, who currently serves as Executive Producer of Legendary: Heroes Unchained at N3TWORK.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Deep Dive into A16Z's GAMES FUND ONE May 22, 2022

The $600M GAMES FUND ONE, a16z’s inaugural fund dedicated to building the future of the games industry. A16Z has been investing in games for over a decade being the investor of the likes of Zynga and Oculus.

We're joined by Jonathan Lai, General Partner at A16Z to discuss what makes GAMES FUND ONE stand out from the rest of the gaming and interactive media funds.

Jonathan also breaks down what verticals the new fund is going after and how the fund evaluates founders. We also discuss the effect of the bear market on the games industry and the future of blockchain games.

links:

Jon Lai (@Tocelot)

Deconstructor of Fun (email)

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #183 Ubisoft's bet on mobile / AppLovin's masterful earnings report / the problem with braintrusts May 20, 2022

We discuss why Ubisoft shifts attention to mobile amidst declining sales. Kress provides a breakdown of the AppLovin quarterly review, where the company put on a show of the ages and got rewarded with a 35% growth in their stock price. We talk about Bethesda's delayed games and the implication of this. Adam breaks down why brain trust, which sounds so amazing on paper, rarely if ever works in real life.

Links:

Sponsors:

Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsolla, Recur

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #9 The Collapse of the Terra Ecosystem Explained May 18, 2022

If you’ve been following crypto news over the past few weeks, you’ve undoubtedly seen plenty about the dramatic collapse of the Terra ecosystem against the backdrop of the onset of crypto winter. 30 days ago, $LUNA was at $81.45 and is now under $0.0002. $UST was at $1.00. and is now $0.09. Today we are joined by special guest Kenrick Drijkoningen, General Partner at Play Ventures and an early investor in Terra to explain the collapse of Terra, and how this collapse should influence the choice of chain for your web3 game project.

Kenrick is joined in conversation by your regular hosts Ethan and Anton.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Get Bang for Your Buck with Influencers featuring Chief Pat May 17, 2022

Patrick Carney (aka. Chief Pat) is the founder and CEO of Tribe Gaming, an esports and influencer company for mobile games with over 100M monthly views on YouTube.

Together with Pat, we talk about how to be successful with influencer marketing on YouTube. We discuss finding the right influencer for your game and how to get these influencers to talk about your game in an authentic way. Pat also analyzes the impact of IDFA on the demand for influencer marketing.

Tribe Gaming works with the likes of Activision, Tencent, and Supercell. This episode is guaranteed to be full of tangible insights for publishers and developers of all sizes.
ps: check out the Tribe Mobile (https://imgur.com/a/DDrKjT2)

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #182 Crypto crash and blockchain gaming / Explaining FIFA's breakup with EA May 12, 2022

We discuss the crash of crypto and how it affects blockchain gaming. Dive deep into Space Ape's development process and compare it to the one Wooga used to unsuccessfully follow before the Playtika acquisition. Kress explains why FIFA is the one to lose out after the breakup with EA.

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #8 Premium Utility NFTs and How to Build a Tokenized Community May 11, 2022

The recent launch of Moonbirds is shaping up to be the best NFT drop of 2022 yielding up to $280M. In this episode, we dive into why it worked so well, as well as the lessons learned and actionable takeaways for gaming.

The premium of Utility NFTs is growing rapidly, and we’re witnessing the growth in real-time with innovative projects like Moonbirds that build upon previous successful projects. Aligning communities, creators, tokens, and value is how you onboard people to crypto and build tokenized communities.

Hosts:

N3TWORK Executive Producer Ethan Levy -

Play Ventures Principal Anton Backman -

Savage Games Studios CEO Michail Katkoff

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #181 Embracers shopping spree continues / Blizzard launches Warcraft Clash May 05, 2022

We discuss the mixed reviews of APEX Mobile. Congratulate Bernard Kim on his latest baller move. Doom Warcraft mobile. In this episode Kress also ponders why NewZoo keeps triggering him. Seufert updates us on the latest anti-trust charges Apple is facing.

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Blockchain Gaming with the Web3 Pioneer, Shahaf Bar Geffen May 01, 2022

Shahaf started a company called ominously Web3 back in 2006. Since then he has been at the forefront of the adaptation of blockchain technology first within finance and now within games as the President of UnCaged Studios.

In this episode, we discuss the reasons why blockchain and crypto broke into the mainstream last year. Why do investors remain bullish about blockchain gaming despite massive security hacks and lack of audience growth? As well as what is the most important part when assessing and predicting the success of a blockchain games company.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #180 Why private equities are eying Ubisoft / Epic Games CEO's take on the metaverse, crypto, and antitrust Apr 28, 2022

Kress gets triggered by Newzoo's new report about the state of esports and live streaming. The team discusses ex-Riot and ex-Blizzard founding teams. Recap of why advertising in console games is not a good idea. Our take on Diablo Immportal coming to mobile and PC and analysis of why private equities are eying Ubisoft.

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How a gaming executive Chris Heatherly red-pilled on crypto and joined Recur Apr 25, 2022

Chris Heatherly’s long and accomplished career in the games industry spans toys, MMOs, mobile, free-to-play, and VR and includes work on some of the biggest brands in the world. He spent over 14 years at Disney where he worked on everything from leading smash-hit kid’s MMO Club Penguin, to leading their mobile initiative, to leading their toys business. After Disney, he joined NBCU to launch their games business where he developed games using world-famous brands including Jurassic Park, followed by a tour of duty at mobile, free-to-play developer N3TWORK leading Funko Pop! Blitz.

Now, Chris has red-pilled on crypto and joined NFT collectibles startup Recur as their Head of Gaming & Engagement. Having already launched bespoke collecting experiences NFTU and Star Trek: Continuum, Recur is set to launch plenty more branded experiences as well as expand into play-to-earn gaming over the course of 2022. In this interview, learn why Chris red-pilled, what drew him to Recur, and how his experiences across toys, games, and kid’s MMOs influence his work building NFT experiences.

This interview is hosted by Ethan Levy, who currently serves as Executive Producer of Legendary: Heroes Unchained at N3TWORK.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #179 Xbox games get ads, Huuuge Games gets a co-CEO and World of Warcraft receives a new expansion Apr 21, 2022

Heated take on the mobile market downturn. Discussion about Microsoft's move into the in-game ads business. What does a co-CEO mean for Huuuge games and why does the newest World of Warcraft expansion matters.

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Sensor Tower: Q1 2022 mobile games spending dropped 7.1% to $21 billion

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #178 Why mobile games spending dropped in Q1/22 Apr 14, 2022

News:

Meta’s Horizon worlds monetization

Metaverse Articles (NFT Avatars, DOgs, and Epic + LEGO Metaverse)

Check out:

Avatar Platform for Cross-App Metaverse with Timmu Tõke, CEO of Ready Player Me, and Javier Barne's exquisite talk on game economies

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

With E3 2022 Canceled, Is It Time to Cancel E3 for Good?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Inside Overwolf with Uri Marchand, co-founder and CEO of Overwolf and Lee McNeil founder and CEO of Tebex Apr 11, 2022

I'll be honest. Before sitting down with Uri Marchand the most I knew about Overwolf is the ridiculous story that the company is going full remote and setting up their offices in the metaverse of Roblox.

Based on that Roblox story I knew we'd hit it off. After all, I too love pranking Web3 fanatics.

I'm happy I got to talk to Uri and Lee McNeil. There are simply no better people to discuss user-generated content. These two gentlemen have been a vital part of the modding industry that is now a thriving and rapidly evolving business.

If you don't know much about modding, this episode is for you. Overwolf is no joke. They've raised $150M over five rounds with the latest round being $75M led by A16Z

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #177 E3 is canclled / Why Netflix should sell ads / the latest from the EA's Glu merger Apr 07, 2022

News:

Gaming agency Loaded raises $20M in funding

Why Netflix Should Sell Ads

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

HELP UKRAINIANS:

For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, or the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assistance on the ground in Ukraine: Médecins Sans Frontières or the Ukrainian Red Cross.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #7 Axie Infinity’s $625m Hack Explained Apr 06, 2022

It’s the biggest hack in crypto history. As reported in The Verge et all, a hacker stole $625 million from the blockchain behind NFT game Axie Infinity. In this episode, we wanted to really dig into the mechanics of the Ronin sidechain, the Ronin bridge, and the likely form the attack took in order to explain the hack in simple, easy to understand terms. We end up referencing Ocean’s 11… a lot.

We also bring crypto-gaming news updates from the past two weeks, including fundraising rounds from Crypto Raiders and NFT marketplace Fractal, the latest crypto move from GameStop, and DeFi Kingdoms' partnership with Ramp.

Hosts: N3TWORK Executive Producer Ethan Levy and Play Ventures Principal Anton Backman. Unfortunately, Savage Games Studios CEO Michail Katkoff was too busy recovering from his Turkish Bath experience to join this one…

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #176 LIVE from Istanbul featuring a Special Guest Star Apr 03, 2022

This episode was recorded live at the end of the first Deconstructor of Fun event. Major thanks for Google for powering the event. All the videos from the event can be found here: (www.deconstructoroffun.com/blog/2022/4/3/deconstructor-of-funs-istanbul-event-highlights)

News:

Sony officially unveils its revamped three-tier PlayStation Plus subscription service

Apple struggles with Netherlands court could lead to a major shift

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

HELP UKRAINIANS:

For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, or the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assistance on the ground in Ukraine: Médecins Sans Frontières or the Ukrainian Red Cross.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How Wooga's Switchcraft Aced the Soft Launch! Mar 29, 2022

Many of us know how to develop a game. Many of us are experienced in running live operations. Yet only a few of us truly know how to successfully navigate through a soft launch and ship a modern mobile game. In this episode, Annelie Biernat (Game Director at Wooga) and Aaron Hiscox (Business Development Manager at Google Play) shared their insights and learnings on how to successfully complete a soft launch in today's market.

Links:

Hosts:

Bored Ape Yacht Club creator raises $450 million to build an NFT metaverse

Sponsors:

ironSource, Appsflyer, Google

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #6 The Bored Apes $450M Pitch Deck for an MMO Mar 25, 2022

If you’ve been following the blockchain space, the “blue chip” NFT project Bored Ape Yacht Club is inescapable. And as BAYC owner Yugalabs has progressed, it is clear that gaming is central to their future ambitions. There’s been a flurry of news recently, from their partnership with Animoca Brands to P2E game Benji Bananas to the launch of ApeCoin and the leaked investor deck pitching their big metaverse play. In today’s episode, we go deep on the investor deck, look into our crystal balls, and make our prediction on if the Bored Apes will one day rule the metaverse.

We also bring some crypto-gaming news updates from the past two weeks, including FTX’s big gaming hire, Com2Us’s crypto game platform fundraise, and NFTU’s week 1 sellout.

Hosts: N3TWORK Executive Producer Ethan Levy, Play Ventures Principal Anton Backman, and Savage Games Studios CEO himself, Mr. Michail Katkoff.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #175 Bored Ape Yacht Club raises $450M for an MMO / Are fully remote studios just a fad? Mar 24, 2022

News:

CD Projekt confirm The Witcher is coming back for a new game

Sony Interactive Entertainment To Acquire Haven Entertainment Studios Inc.

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

HELP UKRAINIANS:

For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, or the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assistance on the ground in Ukraine: Médecins Sans Frontières or the Ukrainian Red Cross.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

The Secret Sauce of Scaling Successfully with Joshua Wilson, CEO of SciPlay Mar 22, 2022

Joshua Wilson is the CEO of SciPlay, a publicly-traded gaming company with a strong social casino portfolio. In this episode, we discuss the CEO's role in building a culture and how to successfully continue scaling an organization with hundreds of employees worldwide. We also get to talk about what's the best and the worst thing about being a CEO of a publicly-traded games company.

Links:

Hosts:

FIFA Ultimate Team cards aren’t gambling, Dutch court says

Sponsors:

ironSource, Appsflyer

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #174 Daddy's Back! Mar 17, 2022

HELP UKRAINIANS:

For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, or the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assistance on the ground in Ukraine: Médecins Sans Frontières or the Ukrainian Red Cross.

News:

NFT game sales hit $5.17B in 2021

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Playtest to Success with Christian Ress, CEO of PlaytestCloud Mar 14, 2022

Christian Ress is the CEO and co-founder of PlaytestCloud, a platform I’ve been using for 8 years. PlaytestCloid is an essential platform for any and all mobile game developers. It allows us to conclude all kinds of playtests easily, quickly, and with great targeting. In this podcast Christian shares valuable insights on how to use playtest on your trail to successful game launch and beyond.

Links:

Hosts:

Backbone raises $40 million to bring console and PC games to mobile

Sponsors:

ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #5 Line Goes Up - What Is The Problem With NFTs Anyways? Mar 11, 2022

It’s the 2.5-hour documentary railing on NFTs that everyone on your Twitter feed pretended to watch but merely skimmed. With over 6m views, Dan Olson’s Line Goes Up is a fantastic and wide-ranging video essay railing against NFTs, Web3, and all things crypto. The Tokenomics crew has watched the whole thing so you don’t have to, and in this episode we discuss Line Goes Up and where we agree and disagree with @FoldableHuman’s takedown of NFTs.

We also bring some crypto-gaming news updates from the past two weeks, including Void Runners’s playable, allowlist experiment, Jam City’s Champion’s Ascension Pre-Sale, Sandbox’s Alpha Season 2, and more.

Hosts: N3TWORK Executive Producer Ethan Levy, Play Ventures Principal Anton Backman, and Savage Games Studios CEO himself, Mr. Michail Katkoff.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #173 Why gaming companies are really leaving Russia / Court rules that loot boxes are not a game of chance Mar 09, 2022

HELP UKRAINIANS:

For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, the Polish Association for Legal Intervention for refugee rights, the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assistance on the ground in Ukraine, Médecins Sans Frontières or the Ukrainian Red Cross.

News:

'loot boxes' in computer games are not a game of chance

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Playtika Announces Exploration of Strategic Alternatives

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #172 How the War in Ukraine impacts Games Industry / Gabe Newell on the Metaverse / Playtika is for Sale Mar 03, 2022

PLEASE HELP UKRAINIANS:

For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, the Polish Association for Legal Intervention for refugee rights, the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assistance on the ground in Ukraine, Médecins Sans Frontières or the Ukrainian Red Cross.

News:

Games industry rallies behind Ukraine

Gabe Newell on the metaverse

Netflix Announced Plans to Acquire the Finnish Mobile Studio Next Games

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Thetan Arena - the game that combines F2P and P2E Feb 28, 2022

Free-to-Play and Play-to-Earn seem to be two contradicting business models. But what if you could make a game that takes the best of both worlds? A game with infinite upside while being scalable, never-ending, and generally fun to play. Enter Thetan Arena...

Links:

IMX token tumbles as GameStop appears to dump $42 million from Immutable X grant

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Ethan Levy, Javier Barnes

Sponsors:

ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #4 What the DAO?!? Feb 25, 2022

In this episode, we're joined by Andrew Green, co-founder, and Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games. Hold on to your metaverse seats, because this is one high-flying conversation!

Strider, recently raised $3 million to enable creators to take control of their projects through blockchain-based decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).

Yield Guild Games is a play-to-earn gaming guild, bringing players together to earn via blockchain-based economies.

host: Ethan Levy

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #171 The next Call of Duty gets delayed while the mobile version dominates / GameStops crypto debacle Feb 24, 2022

News:

Activision to Delay Next Year’s Planned Call of Duty Game

Call of Duty: Mobile fires past $1.5 billion in consumer spending

Links:

Matthew Wolf interview: Why Zynga is diving into blockchain games

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Everything You Ought to Know about Raising Capital in 2022 with Joakim Achren Feb 21, 2022

Can you raise capital without touting Web3 and blockchain? What's the difference between Angel Investor, a VC, and a strategic investor? When to choose a generalist fund over a gaming fund? What do investors look for in investees? Where do VCs look for investees? How to pitch over a video connection versus on-site? This and many more are answered in this podcast by the powerful Joakim Achren.

Who's Joakim? Most of you likely know him as the founder of the fantastic Elite Game Developers blog, podcast, and newsletter. But what you might not know is that he is a published author, a venture partner at Play Ventures, a very active angel investor, and a co-founder of the powerful Next Games.

I get to talk to Joakim regularly. This time around we decided to record our conversation - and add a bit more structure to it. Let us know how you liked it!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #170 Discussing Supercell CEO's blog post / The Crypto Czar speaks! Feb 17, 2022

News:

Are Our Best Days Behind Us or Ahead of Us? × Supercell

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy

Sponsors:

Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Avatar Platform for Cross-App Metaverse with Timmu Tõke, CEO of Ready Player Me Feb 14, 2022

Timmu Tõke is the CEO of Ready Player Me, a platform that creates cross-game avatars for the metaverse. In this podcast, we discuss the philosophy of the open metaverse, interoperability, cross-game services, the current state of NFTS among many other fascinating topics.

Links:
Timmu Tõke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmutoke/
Crypto Punks: https://punks.readyplayer.me/
Ready Player Me: https://wolf3d.io/

Deconstructor of Fun:
Questions and Feedback
The Newsletter
The Slack Group

Google reportedly aims to pivot Stadia into wider streaming market

The sponsors:
ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #169 Google Stadia's big pivot and the rise of games that spy on you! Feb 10, 2022

News:

The Unnerving Rise of Video Games that Spy on You

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Ethan Levy and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Kill a Game and Pivot Successfully Feb 08, 2022

How do you kill a game without killing the team? Sophie Vo, Niklas Herriger, and Mishka Katkoff discuss their past experiences as well as the dos and don'ts of ending a project and starting a new one.

Links:

Newzoo: NFT companies will transform into luxury and lifestyle brands

Our sponsors:

ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #168 Everything you haven't likely heard about Sony's $3.6B Bungie acquisition Feb 03, 2022

News:
Sony bought Bungie for $3.6 billion

EA Says It's 'Not Driving Hard' in the Direction of NFTs

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Ethan Levy and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #3 How to Build a Blockchain Gaming Studio from Scratch Jan 30, 2022

Tokenomics is a segment focusing on all aspects of blockchain gaming. In this episode we discuss how to make a pitch for your blockchain game, cover the latest blockchain headlines and answer fan questions.

Topics:

Twitter launches NFT Profile Pic Verification
Illuvium announces PvE closed beta
Loop Games to invest $100 million to expand Petherium.io blockchain metaverse
How to Build a Blockchain Gaming Studio from Scratch

Links:
Famous Aspects

NFT Pro’s ‘Metaverse’ Rave Looks Boring, Dead

Host: Mishka Katkoff, Ethan Levy, Anton Backman

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #167 Metaverse rave looks boring and dead / App Store has 'too big to fail' problem / Respawns 3 new Star Wars games Jan 27, 2022

Respawn making 3 new Star Wars games for EA

The App Store has a ‘Too Big To Fail’ problem

Links:

Microsoft to Acquire Activision

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Advanced Audience Understanding with Joe Schaeppi, CEO of Solsten Jan 26, 2022

Joe Schaeppi, CEO of Solsten (ex-12Traits) is back on the podcast discussing how the top game companies in the industry use advanced audience understanding to acquire and engage their players.

Links:

Solsten

Host:

Sponsors:

Microsoft to Acquire Activision

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #166 Why Microsoft Bought Activision and What Will Sony do Next? Jan 20, 2022

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Image: pymnts.com

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Clash Mini - Contender or Pretender? Jan 18, 2022

Supercell seeks third brand extensions for its Clash franchise after the massive success of Clans and Royale. Clash Mini ventures into perhaps the most unattractive genre on mobile known as Autochess. The genre is plagued by low installs, poor monetization, and a graveyard of games from top publishers. Can Supercell breakthrough or was this just another good try? All above discussed by the powerful Hadrian Semroud and Javier Barnes

Links:

Host:

Sponsors:

Take-Two Interactive to acquire social game developer Zynga in $12.7 billion deal

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #165 Did Take-Two overpay for Zynga? Jan 13, 2022

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Crypto Hit Aurory Has Already Raised $100m.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #2 Crypto Raiders Explained Jan 12, 2022

Tokenomics is a segment focusing on all aspects of blockchain gaming. In this episode we discuss how to make a pitch for your blockchain game, cover the latest blockchain headlines and answer fan questions.

Topics:

Crypto Raiders Explained, Splinterlands $SPS Roadmap

Polygon is paying out a $2.2m bug bounty

Polygon Under Accidental Attack

Most People Won't Know Web3 Exists

Square Enix promises ‘decentralized games’ in 2022

Why Gaming NFTs Are Not Oblivion Horse Armor 2.0

Links:
Famous Aspects

Host: Mishka Katkoff, Ethan Levy, Anton Backman

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #164 The Year 2021 in Numbers Jan 06, 2022

In this episode also: mobile publishers open up blockchain divisions, new SPAC from ex-Sony exec, Madden passes away and both Erics catch the COVID.

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon, Xsolla

Image: Newzoo

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

In-Game Audio Ads - the New Frontier of Ad Monetization Jan 04, 2022

Audio ads. It's not a new thing. In fact, audio ads is the oldest way to deliver an ad from one human to another. So in this podcast we discuss the thesis behind audio ads on mobile in the post IDFA era, go into the weeds on how audio ads work and of course discuss the monetization potential they offer.

Links:

AudioMob

Christian Facey

Wilfrid Obeng

Get in Touch:

Hosts:

Michail Katkoff (twitter)

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #163 End of the Year SPECIAL! Dec 26, 2021

In the final episode of the year the crew discusses most impactful news of the past year, biggest winners and losers as well as who made the most skeptical moves. Happy holidays y'all!

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Image: Epic

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Tokenomics #1 Making a Perfect Blockchain Game Pitch Dec 22, 2021

Tokenomics is a segment focusing on all aspects of blockchain gaming. In this episode we discuss how to make a pitch for your blockchain game, cover the latest blockchain headlines and answer fan questions.

Links:

Ubisoft's NFT Announcement Has Been Intensely Disliked

Host: Mishka Katkoff, Ethan Levy, Anton Backman

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #162 Ubisoft's NFT announcement bombs / The Rock joins Fortnite / Spiderman comes to PUBG Mobile Dec 17, 2021

Articles discussed:

Fortnite kicks off Chapter 3: Season 1 with Dwayne Johnson and Spider-Man

Tencent brings Spider-Man to PUBG Mobile

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Image: Epic

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Level Up as Leader with Niklas Herriger Dec 16, 2021

None of us is a born leader. And while some of us become good leaders over time, it tends, in my experience, to happen after lots of trials and tribulation. But what if you had someone coaching you? Doubling your XP and making you level up twice as fast.

In this episode, Niklas Herriger, who founded Gondola (acquired by Tilting Point), coaches startup CEOs, CTOs, co-founders, tech leads, executives, and investors both in the US and Europe.

We discuss how a great leader can multiply their team. How to track progress as a leader. The fallacy of reverting to micromanagement. And the best way of leading games organizations as well as skills required to do so.

Links:

Blockchain is only a game changer if players are stakeholders

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Xsolla

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #161 Ubisoft goes NFT / Apple's plans to take commission outside App Store / How to be a great games CEO Dec 09, 2021

Articles:

Ubisoft Quartz, a Blockchain-Powered NFT Cosmetics System

How To Be A Great Games Company CEO!

Apple legal filing indicates it intends to collect commission regardless of whether developers use IAP or a competing payments platform

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Image: Ubisoft

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Former Apple App Store Head of Games BD, joins the podcast... Dec 07, 2021

Mike Schmid, who today runs Business Development at Rec Room, used to head Business Development for Games at Apple. In this episode we discuss Epic Games, Privacy Marketing, Netflix foray into gaming and the state of mobile games. Enjoy!

Links:

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Xsolla

image: IGN

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #160 Facebook loses crypto executive / Supercell sponsors Mr. Beast / Star Citizen has raised $400M Dec 03, 2021

Articles:

Executive behind Facebook-backed Novi crypto wallet to leave company

Star Citizen has now raised over $400M

Supercell sponsors Mr. Beast's Squid Game remake

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Image: Independent

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

True Talk: Women in Games Nov 29, 2021

While there’s a well-defined path to make your organization more appealing to a more diverse group of applicants, there’s not that much information on how to make the diverse organization run smoothly. That’s why we decided to record this podcast. To talk openly and freely about women in games with women in games.

Empathy is the secret ingredient of an inclusive studio. And there’s no better way to build empathy than listening.

BIG thanks to Anette Staloy (CMO Dirtybit and Co-founder of Women in Games Norway), Tiffany Keller (Director of Product for Subway Surfers), and Juliette Dupré (former head of talent at Tilting Point, current VP of people and culture at PlayerWON) for joining the podcast.

Disclaimer: all views in this podcast are personal and not representing those of a guest's company.

Links:

Moon Active valuation surges to $5 billion on back of $300 million Insight funding

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Xsolla

image: IGN

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #159 Candy Crush' new CMO comes from a footwear company / Moon Active's $5 billion valuation / the Esports bubble debate Nov 25, 2021

Articles:

Esports - a marketing investment?

Gaming Giant King Names Fernanda Romano as Chief Marketing Officer for Candy Crush

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Image: Adweek

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Why Pokemon Unite Hasn’t Reached the Top (yet?) Nov 21, 2021

Pokemon Unite had a strong start. After initial Nintendo Switch launch, the game bursted onto mobile with 30M installs in the first week. Yet the installs quickly dwindled and the revenue dropped. It seems that after a roaring start the game quickly faded. This deconstruction explores the details why a game destined for success missed its mark.

Links:

Hadrian Semroud
Javier Barnes.
Mishka Katkoff

Hosts:

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Xsolla

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #158 Axie Infinity troubles / Activision history of misconduct / Roblox analyst day recap Nov 18, 2021

The best monthly blockchain report: Promo code: NAAVIKDOF

Articles:

Deconstructing Axie Infinity

Report: Activision Blizzard CEO knew about misconduct at the company for years

Roblox Analyst Day recap

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Betahat, Xsolla

Image: Cointelegraph

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Blockchain Gaming for Dummies Nov 14, 2021

You have a decision to make: Jump on the blockchain gaming bandwagon or continue to roll your eyes from the sidelines.

To make your decision a more calculated one, Michail Katkoff from Deconstructor of Fun sat down with Ethan Levy aka. The Crypto Kid and recorded a Crypto Gaming for Dummies episode on the Deconstructor of Fun podcast and YouTube channel.

Some of the topics covered:

What does blockchain mean in the context of gaming and how is it applied?
Why do you need blockchain in games? Couldn’t existing tools and tech do the same?
Why is there so much hype around something that has so few players?
Why aren’t pay-to-earn developers being called out for misleading numbers?
What are some of the leading blockchain platforms for games?
Are crypto-enabled games with openly traded assets also affected by macro swings in the crypto markets?
What tech stack is out there to build your own marketplace, tokens, and mint NFTs?
Are there any best practices to follow when making a play-to-earn?

Links:

Host:

Baseless NFT hype hits a crescendo

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Xsolla

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #157 Zynga hires VP of blockchain gaming as NFT hype hits a crescendo Nov 11, 2021

Articles:

Zynga hires a VP of blockchain gaming

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Betahat, Xsolla

Image: Cointelegraph

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Brand a New Studio with Joe Nicholls, President & co-Founder of Timbre Games Nov 08, 2021

Hiring is the most difficult and crucial part of building up a studio. What makes it easier is having a great employer brand. With a big name like Supercell, Activision or EA you’re more likely to attract great employees and retain your current ones. Your job ads produce an abundance of applicants, which in turn reduce your recruitment costs. And as you get those great hires in, they will refer their coworkers allowing you to scale up faster.

But how do you build an employer brand that can compete for employees against the established talent magnets in the market?

I had the privilege to reconnect with Joe Nickolls, who recently founded Timbre Games in Vancouver. Setting up a AAA studio in one of the most talent hungry gaming clusters in the World is not something you do without carefully strategizing how will you be able to attract talent. In our conversation Joe discusses his very unique approach to building an employer brand that can stand out from the magnificent gaming companies in the city.

Links:

Joe Nickolls

Timbre Games

Host:

New World — Amazon’s Rollercoaster Hit

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Xsolla

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #156 Let's talk AppLovin / Activision tumbles / Silver bullets in gaming Nov 05, 2021

Topics covered:

Social media company Snap falls as much as 23% after a blow to its Q3 earnings from Apple privacy changes and supply-chain disruption

5 Reasons Why I Became Bullish on Blockchain Gaming

Links:

New World — Amazon’s Rollercoaster Hit

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Betahat, Xsolla

Image: AppLovin

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #155 Our take on Amazon's New World / Snap's 23% IDFA fumble / Reasons to get bullish on blockchain gaming Oct 28, 2021

Topics covered:

Social media company Snap falls as much as 23% after a blow to its Q3 earnings from Apple privacy changes and supply-chain disruption

5 Reasons Why I Became Bullish on Blockchain Gaming

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Betahat, Xsolla

Image: helpmykidlearn.ie

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Everything You Didn’t Know About Playrix with Maxim Kirilenko, CBDO at Playrix Oct 25, 2021

While we all know of Playrix, we also know very little about the company. There are almost no English-speaking articles on how they make games or what is their organizational structure. I don’t remember ever reading about their culture nor hearing about their future plans. The company prospers behind an iron curtain. And if you don’t speak Russian, you’d likely be clueless, until now…

I had the privilege to sit down with Maxim Kirilenko, Playrix’ Chief Business Development Officer, and ask all the questions that I wanted about the company. We talk about:

Playrix 17 year journey to date and their aspirations to one day beat Tencent on mobile
How the company is organized around clusters of excellence located far away from each other
the infamous war between Homescapes and AppLovin’s Matchington Mansion
Playrix’ M&A strategy saw investments in the likes of Nexters and Vizor, which both grew into unicorns
a company culture that is transforming from purely Russian to more of a hybrid

Topics above and more in the first-ever English-speaking podcast with a member of the Playrix leadership team from the link below.

Links:

Host:

Steam Bans and Epic Allows NFTs

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #154 Epic allows NFTs / Stillfront sued over earnout dispute / AppLovin whistleblower story Oct 21, 2021

Topics covered:

Kixeye shareholders sue Stillfront for $30M over earnout dispute

AppLovin SDK Re-Routed Apple’s SKAdNetwork Postbacks To Itself

Ironsource will buy mobile ad and app monetization firm Tapjoy for $400M

Unity reveals Ad Mediation and Bidding coming to its Dashboard

Links:

How to be a Great Product Manager (by Joe Kim and Brett Nowak)

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Betahat

Image: makeuseof.com

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Ship Successful Word Games with Michael Martinez, CEO of FunCraft Oct 19, 2021

I think we can all agree that Deconstructor of Fun is pretty good at predicting the mobile games market. Well, here's another prediction: FunCraft is going to be one of the rising stars of 2022. I got to sit down with my good buddy Michael Martinez to talk about his company's path to finding early success and how they are planning to feed the fire and grow. If you're savvy, you'll join this fun rocket ship as soon as possible. Because its going to be a ride for the stars you'll regret on missing out. Links: Michael Martinez FunCraft Get in Touch: Send us Questions and Feedback Deconstructor of Fun Newsletter Deconstructor of Fun Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #153 All Crypto Everything & how to be a great Product Manager in games Oct 14, 2021

Topics covered:

EA promotes Laura Miele to COO, making her one of the most powerful women in gaming

NFTs, Ultima Online, and player-run game economies (by Eric Seufert)

Links:

Case Study in Hypercasual games

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Betahat

Image: paxful.com

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #10 Audio ads in the post IDFA landscape with a guest star, Amit Monheit from ODEOO Oct 13, 2021

Audio ads. It's not a new thing. In fact, audio ads is the oldest way to deliver an ad from one human to another. So in this podcast we discuss the thesis behind audio ads on mobile in the post IDFA era, go into the weeds on how audio ads work and of course discuss the monetization potential they offer.

Links:

ODEOO

Amit Monheit

Get in Touch:

Aleksander Leonard Larsen

Hosts:

Michail Katkoff (twitter) & Eric Seufert (twitter)

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Crypto Gaming 101 with Aleksander Leonard Larsen (COO, Sky Mavis) and Anton Backman (Play Ventures) Oct 05, 2021

Seemingly every week a crypto gaming company raises a monstrous amount of capital for a game that not so many of us in the industry are even familiar with.

These are staggering numbers seem to make very little sense. So what better way to understand what's going on than asking an investor, who invests into blockchain gaming, and a founder who has just recently raised a massive investment rounds.

Whether you're tuning in to learn or to roll your skeptical hippo eyes, this podcast is for you!

Links:

Anton Backman

Get in Touch:

Hosts:

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Lets Talk: Netflix Games - Past, Present and Predictions Oct 04, 2021

Netflix entry in the games business has been rapid, methodical and diverse. In this episodes we'll discuss what has happened till date, review Netlix' strategy and offer predictions of what could happen next.

Links:

Chris Heatherly

Ethan Levy

Get in Touch:

Hosts:

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Instant Games 2.0 with Justin Waldron, President of Playco Oct 01, 2021

The way I think about instant games is different after recording this podcast with Justin Waldron.

As do you, I had certain perception of instant games that were based on what has been done before. You know, the HTML5 games, the Facebook Messenger games, and the iMessage games. Yet what Playco sees as an opportunity is quite different from what has been done before.

I think you'll enjoy this podcast since it's not about the post app store world or how to do instant games better. This podcast is about emerging social platforms an how games can be a vital part of those.

Links:

Playco Careers

Justin Waldron

Get in Touch:

Hosts:

When you ‘Ask app not to track,’ some iPhone apps keep snooping anyway

Sponsors: Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #152 When you ‘Ask app not to track,’ some iPhone apps keep snooping anyway / UK Cracks Down On In-Game Microtransactions Sep 29, 2021

Topics covered:

New World is Already Steam's Most Played Game of 2021 Despite Server Struggles

Niantic Shutting down AR Catan Game

Zynga Announces FarmVille 3 for Mobile

UK Cracks Down On In-Game Ads And Microtransactions

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Sponsors:

Facebook Gaming, ironSource, Appsflyer, Beamable, Betahat

Image: idrop news

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Scale a Merge Game with Antti Hattara, CEO of Starberry Games Sep 27, 2021

During the past couple of years the market has been crazy about merge games. And it's easy to understand why. The core mechanic is simple and engaging leading to high rates of engagement.

Merge games are also very simple to soft launch as it takes about 8 weeks to get one of these games into the hands of players. The low entry barrier is also the reason for the market getting flooded by merge games that have not been able to scale.

My guest today is Antti Hattara, CEO of Starberry Games. As many start-ups, also his made a merge game. But what sets Starberry apart from competition is their vast experience in launching and scaling casual games.

Now year post launch, Starberry’s Merge Mayor is finally scaling up breaking revenue and download records every week. In this episode we discuss how to scale up a merge game. Because you all know that making one is not the real challenge.

Sponsors:

Get in Touch:

Hosts:

FIFA 22 is bringing back 'preview packs,' but regular loot boxes are staying too

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #151 Dapper Labs raises another $250 million, deep games for masses, and FIFA's updated loot pack strategy Sep 23, 2021

Topics covered:

Deep games for the masses

NBA Top Shot creator Dapper Labs raises another $250 million

Links:

The We Works book to read "We Works the Cult of We"

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Image: Dapper Labs

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Here's How You Can Capitalize From the Apple vs. Epic Court Ruling Sep 20, 2021

The court has ruled that Apple must allow iOS apps to offer payment options besides the ones subject to App Store's 30% fees. Essentially, these payment methods link outside of the core app experience. We explore the best ways for game studios, large and small, to capitalize on this massive change.

Guests:

Chris Hewish

Eric Seufert

Links:

Host:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #150 The App Store is the Games Store and Apple should recognize this / Can Supercell Boost Beatstar Into a Major Hit Sep 16, 2021

Topics covered:

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Image: Apple

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

We just raised $100M - here's what's next with Ian Proulx, CEO of 1047 Games Sep 14, 2021

1047 Games is the developer of Splitgate, a portal-like shooter in beta that has amassed 13 million installs. And now this fully remote team of 40 up-and-coming developers has been laced up with hundred million Dollars to take grow their first game into a household name.

In this episode we discuss how they achieved their amazing launch numbers after the first beta felt somewhat flat. We'll also chat how the company got started and how are they going to deploy their massive war chest to surpass the expectations set by the prominent investors.

Links:

1047 Games careers

Host:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Creative optimization and Iteration in the Context of iOS 14 with Miri Growth Sep 10, 2021

Topics covered: 1) What’s really going on in the market at the moment? 2) Creative testing in iOS 14 3) How to produce creatives 4) Trends in creatives 5) Snap and TikTok

Links:

Miri Growth

Host:

Supercell's Everdale: a Genre Definer or a Pretty-Looking Social Appointment System?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #149 Supercell's Everdale / Nifty Games raises $38M / Axie Infinity’s $1.2 Billion Annualized Revenue Sep 08, 2021

Headlines:

Nifty Games adds $38M to its coffers for sports Clash mobile games

Axie Infinity’s $1.2 Billion Annualized Revenue Overtakes Candy Crush’s 2020 Total Revenue

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

Image: Supercell

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Secrets to Successful Cross Promotion with Playtika's Yuval Yosefi Sep 06, 2021

The sudden rise of the weight companies put on cross-promotion is of course due to the IDFA deprecation that has to some extent further accelerated consolidation in the industry. As large publishers grow larger and operate across all the key gaming genres they are looking for tools to increase the life-time values of their large and diverse player base.

Paytika is one of the main consolidators in the industry. They have in many ways been on the forefront of effective cross promotion growing games across multiple genres and audiences.

In this episode I'm joined by Playtika's Media Department Lead, Yuval Yosefi, who explains how to set up and operate cross promotion strategy.

Links:

Host:

Apple will let developers accept payment outside App Store, in major concession amid antitrust pressure — The Washington Post

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #148 Apple concedes amid antitrust pressure / Facebook undercounts installs on iOS14 / Miska's internet evaporates Sep 02, 2021

Headlines:

Facebook Undercounted SKAdNetwork Conversions For iPhone 12 Users Since February

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Hire the Perfect Art Director for Games Aug 30, 2021

A great Art Director will make your game stand out. They will build a strong art team and inspire both the developers and the executives with their creative vision. A perfect art director is just as a important as your technical director - and one could argue that sometimes Art Director should be the first hire on the team.

In this podcast we discuss:

Who's an AD?
When to hire an AD?
What kind of an AD will fit your game project
Common pitfalls of an AD

Guests:

Kshiraj Telang, AD at Moonactive

Jack Gilson, AD at Scopely

Host:

Links:

Analyzing Riot Games’ move to mobile

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #147 Hot takes on new game releases / Liftoff ❤️ Vungle / LILA Games value deck / Riot Games on mobile Aug 26, 2021

Headlines:

New Game Releases Madden, Call of Duty Vanguard, Marvel

Liftoff and Vungle agree to merge into one mobile growth company

LILA Games’ Values

Links:

Is app store regulation too little, too late?

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #146 The Problem with VR / Mobile Games to Surpass $120B in 2021 / App Store Regulations Aug 18, 2021

Headlines:

The Problem with VR

App Annie: Mobile games on track to surpass $120B in 2021

Links:

Building the Metaverse blog

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Metaverse, NFTs and Creator Economies with Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable Aug 16, 2021

In this podcast we're going to discuss:

From Disruptor Beam to Beamable
Working with Big IPs and publishers
Defining Metaverse
Creator Economy and NFTs
Investing into Metaverse

links:

Jon Radoff

Zynga’s Q2 2021 bookings of $712M are up 37% from a year ago

Host:

Mishka Katkoff,

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #145 Why did Zynga plummet despite record earnings, Golf Rivals vs. Golf Clash and how FIFA Ultimate Team boosted its sales Aug 12, 2021

Headlines:

Zynga acquires StarLark studio and Golf Rival game for $525M

FIFA Ultimate Team's new Preview Packs actually boosted loot box sales, EA says

Links:

Blizzard president out in wake of discrimination lawsuit and employee walkout

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #144 Tencent tanks as regulatory concerns mount, Blizzard president gets booted and Riot generates $100M on mobile Aug 05, 2021

Headlines:

Tencent tanks after Chinese media calls online gaming‘opium’ as regulatory concerns mount

Riot Games' mobile titles generate over $100m

Links:

Activision Blizzard Sued Over Frat Boy Culture, Harassment

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #143 Tilting Point Raises $235M, Blizzard Sued over Frat Boy Culture, Facebook Talks Metaverse Jul 28, 2021

Headlines:

Mark in the Metaverse

Tilting Point Raises $235 Million to Fuel Expansion and Acquisitions

Links:

Netflix Hires Facebook Gaming Executive Mike Verdu

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #142: No IDFA? No Problem! Netflix Hires Facebook Gaming Exec and Peloton Makes a Game Jul 21, 2021

Headlines:

Peloton plans to launch an in-app video game

No IDFA. No Problem. Apple Can’t Kill Gaming

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Call of Duty Mobile - Past, Present & Future with Chris Plummer (Head of Mobile) and Matthew Lewis (GM, CoDM) Jul 19, 2021

How Call of Duty Mobile went from concept to soft-launch. How the game broke all the records with 135M installs during launch month. What caused the turnaround in 2021 after revenues declined post-launch. What is the future of Call of Duty Mobile and Activision Mobile as a whole?

Guest:

Chris Plummer, Head of Mobile at Activision

Matt Lewis, VP of Mobile, GM of Call of Duty Mobile

Join Activision

Links:

Host:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #141: Google expands ad targeting in mobile games, WoW update dissapoints, NoPixel and Grand Theft Auto Jul 14, 2021

Headlines:

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Navigate Through a Soft Launch with a Mid-Core Game in 2021 Jul 12, 2021

Launching a mid-core game with high production values, competitive gameplay and strong multiplayer core requires a long and thorough soft launch.

I'm joined by Volkan Ediz, Chief Revenue Officer at Super Evil Megacorp, as we discuss how they've approached soft launch for their latest title Catalyst Black. What countries and platforms they chose, what has been their marketing budget, how do they improve marketability, what metrics they are looking at and how have the privacy changes affected the soft launch.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #140 Secret for growing Brawl Stars, Game deals surpassed $60B, next Assassin’s Creed will be a live service game Jul 07, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

Links:

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

No Rules Rules - the merits and pitfalls of a ruthless culture Jul 05, 2021

According to the book No Rules Rules, Netflix's culture is ruthless - both in terms of execution and in the way they treat their employees.

In this episode, Sophie Vo, Joakim Achren, and Yours Truly discuss the merits and the challenges of the Netflix culture in a games company setting.

We also talk about the pitfalls many companies face as they attempt to introduce pieces of the Netflix culture into their vastly different organizations.

Links:

#1 Duolingo filed to go public

Elite Game Developers

Rise and Play

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #139: EA spends big on Playdemic, self-publishing equals VC money, Duolingo's S1 Jun 30, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#2 Self-publishing is key to attracting VC money for mobile gaming studios

#3 EA continues to spend big on mobile games with $1.4 billion Playdemic acquisition

LINKS:

TWIG Newsletter

Slack Group

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How MTG is Building a Family One Acquisition at a Time Jun 28, 2021

Arnd Benninghoff (EVP, Modern Times Group) and Shaun Rutland (CEO, Hutch) join the podcast to discuss MTG's corporate strategy. MTG is one of the top consolidators in the industry having acquired companies like Hutch, Inno Games, and ESL. MTG refers to their consolidation activities as "family building". Their growth strategy is founded around acquiring resilient game studios that have operated over years through the turmoil of the market. The acquired companies are usually mid to small size and without exception profitable. MTG doesn't offer any central resources - unlike Zynga, AppLovin, or Playtika. And the corporation wants founders to continue to not only head their companies but to also help to "grow the family".

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #138: Disney's resurgence into games & E3 Review Jun 24, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#1 E3 Review

#2 Disney's resurgence into video games is only just beginning

LINKS:

TWIG Newsletter

Slack Group

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Make a Hyper Successful Idle Game Jun 21, 2021

This episode discusses idle games from all angles. Together with Rimmy Spanjer, who is the Managing Director of Games at Hyper Hippo, we cover concept validation, the development process, best monetization practices, and live services strategies in idle games. We also discuss why you should or shouldn't make an idle game and predict the future of the genre.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #137: Deep Dive into NFT and Netflix Games + Special Guest Star! Jun 17, 2021

Welcome to This Week in Games!

We discuss NFTs in games with Ethan Levy, who also talks about his recent Deconstructor of Fun article - How Netflix could become the'Netflix of Gaming'.

LINKS:

#1 Dark Horse Comics started a gaming division

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Making the Business Case for VR Games with Chris Pruett (Oculus) Jun 15, 2021

In this episode, I'm joined by Chris Pruett, Director of Publishing at Oculus. We discuss the latest VR hardware and the overall adaptation rate of the platform. The Oculus ecosystem and the type of content that has reached financial success on it. As well as the future of virtual and augmented reality.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #136: Apple's WWDC, Valorant goes Mobile, Space Ape snags Boom Beach from Supercell Jun 09, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#2 Valorant is coming to phones and mobile platforms

#3 WWDC

LINKS:

#1 Tim Cook faces harsh questions about the App store from Judge in Fortnite Trial

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #135: EA Mobile breakdown, Apple's battle against Microsoft and Epic Jun 02, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#2 why Apple says Microsoft's xCloud game streaming isn't on the iPhone

#3 EA Mobile

LINKS:

#1 Netflix Looking for Exec to Oversee a Push Into Gaming

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #134: Netflix Goes Games, Garena Free Fire Financials and Jam City SPAC May 27, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#2 Garena Free Fire - Q1 2021 Results

#3 Jam City SPAC

LINKS:

Lilith's CEOs interview

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Life Post Acquisition with Lou Fasulo, CEO of Starform (previosly Z2) May 24, 2021

Zynga, Playtika, Tencent, Stillfront, Embracer, and many more are achieving fantastic growth through M&A. In many ways, acquiring gaming studios has become the norm for growth for successful gaming companies.

Yet we tend to forget how volatile M&A tends to be. According to research and a recent Harvard Business Review report, the failure rate for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) sits between 70 percent and 90 percent when looking at all industries combined.

In this episode, I'm joined by Lou Fasulo, former CEO of Z2, which was acquired by King in 2015 and shut down in 2019. In many ways, the acquisition of Z2 represents the more common way acquisitions tend to play out. After a bloomy dating period comes the honeymoon, which is followed by the challenges of functioning effectively as a part of a larger corp. As the challenges mount, the result is often the dismantling of the acquired entity.

----

LINKS:
Secrets of Game Growth

#1 Ubisoft's free-to-play turn could be the new normal for big franchises

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #133: Scopely's Game Acquisition Approach, Our Analysis of Zynga, Ubisoft goes F2P, Xbox Partners with Timi May 18, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#2 Xbox teams up with Tencent’s Honor of Kings maker Timi Studios

#3 HOW SCOPELY TRIES TO DO GAME ACQUISITIONS THE RIGHT WAY

#4 Zynga Quarterly Earnings Call

LINKS:
Secrets of Game Growth with Deconstructor of Fun, Mobile Dev Memo & Twitter

#1 Metacore secures €150m credit line from Supercell

Hosts:

Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team May 14, 2021

the book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

the author: Patrick Lencioni

the hosts: Joakim Achren, Sophie Vo and Michail Katkoff

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #132: Zynga Acquires Chartboost, Metacore's $150M Credit Line and Division Aims at Mobile May 11, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#2 Ubisoft Reveals Free Tom Clancy’s The Division Game with Heartland

#3 Zynga Buys chartboost to drive online ads, reports record quarterly revenue

LINKS:

👉Newzoo's latest trend reports

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Newzoo’s 2021 Trends to Watch in Games May 07, 2021

Newzoo is the world's most trusted source for games and esports analytics and market research. They have a fantastic team of experts providing insights and expertise that helps developers, publishers, and platforms around the World.

In this episode, we discuss Newzoo's services and dive deep into their latest cloud gaming and mobile gaming reports.

Kudos to Candice Mudrick and Tom Wijman for joining the podcast.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #121: APEX Mobile, Fortnite Made $9B, Call of Duty Gets a New General Manager May 06, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#1. Respawn reveals details on Apex Legends Mobile

#2. Fortnite made more than $9 billion in revenue in its first two years

#3. Johanna Faries named new Call of Duty general manager

LINKS:

Level Up Academy

Modern Mobile Marketing at Scale

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Facebook's Games Marketing Insights for 2021 May 02, 2021

2020 was a monumental year for mobile gaming. Facebook's Games Marketing Insights for 2021 report provides several new and unique insights that will help you plan for the year ahead. The report dives into changing player behavior, demographics, motivations, preferences, and spending habits.

To save you time, we recorded a podcast episode with Stephen Gray, Ph.D., Consumer Research Manager at Facebook, and went through the report in detail. Some of the fascinating takeaways from the podcast:

Core gamers adopted mobile. The major new audience getting into mobile games are core gamers who flocked especially into shooter games.
Familiarity is becoming vital. Three out of four games downloaded in the Western markets were familiar to the player in advance. In South Korea, a more mature mobile gaming market, 9 out of 10 games downloaded were familiar to the players in advance.
The top is evolving. 42 new games entered the top 100 grossing charts. This is nearly double that in 2019. This changes the perception that the top is never changing but it also speaks of the diminished staying power of top-grossing games.

Download the report.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #9 iOS 14, the Creative Paralysis and the Android Safe Havens Apr 29, 2021

In this episode, we discuss iOS 14, whether Android can provide safe havens, and the future of creatives post-ATT.

Check out the latest growth strategy course: ios14strategy.com code: DT50

Your hosts:

Michail Katkoff (twitter) and Eric Seufert (twitter)

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG 130: EA's New Battlefield Game, Epic vs. Apple, New Leadership for Overwatch Apr 27, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#1. EA announced its new Battlefield game

#2. Fortnite’s Mastermind Goes to Battle With Apple

#3.New Leadership for Overwatch

LINKS:

- LILA Games Job Opportunities: https://www.lilagames.com/jobs/

- JK's New Investment Podcast: SUPER STONK BROS: APPLOVIN IPO BREAKDOWN

- Get Notified of GameMakers Events!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG 129: Applovin Falls 19%, Playstation IP to Mobile, Square Enix M&A Rumors, JK Retiring! Apr 20, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#1. AppLovin Shares Fall 19% in Market Debut

#2. Sony wants to bring its top PlayStation franchises to mobile

#3. Multiple potential buyers interested in Square Enix reporting

JK's NEW INVESTMENT PODCAST:

- SUPER STONK BROS: APPLOVIN IPO BREAKDOWN

SPONSOR:

- Betahat: Reading the pulse of the consumer is at the heart of everything we do. With each engagement, we combine industry expertise with the research and analytical methodologies targeted to your specific needs. From research surveys to ethnographies, market segmentations to predictive modeling, we offer a full suite of services.

Your hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Games That Last a Decade with Ken Go, CEO & Founder of DECA Games Apr 19, 2021

Which one is more important - to ship a good game or to grow a good game?

DECA Games founded by Ken Go is a truly unique gaming company. They became highly successful by reversing the steps to success. Instead of developing new games, the company started off by first growing live games. Only after proving successful in operating decade-old titles have they taken a step towards developing and one-day shipping games of their own.

I encourage all to listen to this episode whether you're interest in live services, company building, or both.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Blockchain Basics In Gaming Explained | Upland's Dirk Lueth Apr 17, 2021

Dirk Lueth Co-founder of Upland Explains Blockchain Basics and How It's Used in Games

SPONSOR:

- XSOLLA: Xsolla Funding Club is a complimentary matching service that puts video games like yours in front of multiple publishers and investors.

Join Xsolla Funding Club today at Xsolla.com/funding.

Your host:

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

Speaker:

- Dirk Lueth, Co-founder Uplandme

UPLAND:

Upland Website

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG 128: Epic Will Lose $300M on Epic Games Store, Epic Raises $1B for Metaverse, Could Apple/Google Kill F2P? Apr 15, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games!

News for today:

#1. Epic will lose over $300M on Epic Games Store exclusives, is fine with that

#2. EPIC Games raises $1B for long-term metaverse plans, with $200M from Sony

#3. Could Apple and Google pull the plug on mobile game monetisation?

#4. Wild Rift is League of Legends predictions

SPONSOR:

- XSOLLA: Xsolla Funding Club is a complimentary matching service that puts video games like yours in front of multiple publishers and investors.

Join Xsolla Funding Club today at Xsolla.com/funding.

Your hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How War Robots Grossed $500M with Vladimir Krasilnikov, CPO at Pixonic Apr 12, 2021

War Robots is the largest tactical shooter on mobile having grossed $500M since launch. Despite the massive success, the beginning of the game's journey was very rough. The game launched as a barebone version boasting KPIs that were unimpressive at best. Yet with hard work, smart decisions, determination, and having their back against the wall the team at Pixonic was able to not only turn the game around but turn it into a massive success. Guest: Vladimir Krasilnikov Host: Mishka Katkoff --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

The Dos and Don'ts of Cross-Platform Development with Maxwell Zierath Apr 08, 2021

Cross-platform makes all the sense on the paper. More platforms increase your games' reach and will limit your dependency on a single platform. Yet despite all the tools, cross-platform development remains extremely difficult and thus incredibly risky.

In this episode, we discuss the following questions: How do you approach cross-platform development? Do you focus on one platform? If so, which one? Do you start with the hardest or the easiest? Do you do it all internally or so use partners to make ports? Do you have a dedicated team to work on tools for cross-platform development? What happens when your game goes live. How do you make updates?

Shoutout to Maxwell Zierath for joining the podcast.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG 127: Clash of Clans 3 New Games, Tencent Timi $10B in 2020, Manticore Raises $100M Apr 07, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games #127.

News for today:

#1. Exclusive: Tencent's Timi gaming studio generated $10 billion in 2020, sources say

#2. Manticore Games raises $100M for user-generated games in the ‘multiverse’

#3. Clash Of Clans Reveals Three New Games: Clash Quest, Mini, & Heroes

#4. Wild Rift is League of Legends for everyone (We didn't really cover this)

SPONSOR:

- The Industry's Best Market Research Firm: Beta Hat

Your hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #8 Latest ATT Drama, Digital Turbine's Shopping Spree, Working with Celebrities and the Most Expensive Ad Apr 02, 2021

Growth Triggers is a segment focusing on all matters of growth.

In this episode, we discuss Digital Turbine's shopping spree, the latest in ATT, Warpath's launch trailer, and working with celebrities.

Your hosts:

Michail Katkoff (twitter) and Eric Seufert (twitter) + Christian Calderon

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #126: Rocket League Mobile, League of Legends Wild Rift, & Tencent Regulatory Compliance Mar 31, 2021

Welcome everybody to This Week In Games #126.

News for today:

#1. Rocket League Coming to Mobile

#2. The'League of Legends: Wild Rift' Open Beta Is Out Now in the Americas on iOS and Android alongside Version 2.2

#3. Tencent Stresses Regulatory Compliance as Profits From Gaming, Payments Surge

News that Triggered Eric:

#1. Qualcomm is reportedly developing a Switch-like Android gaming device

#2.EA developing new PGA Tour game, its first golf title in six years

#3. The Global Cloud Gaming Market Is on Track to Generate Revenues of $3.2 Billion by 2023 | Newzoo

#4. Nexon invests $874 million in Hasbro, Bandai Namco, Konami, and Sega Sammy

LINKS:

- Creators at Work Podcast & Brett Nowak's Liquid & Grit Gaming Market Research Company

Your hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Game Publishing on Roblox | Gamefam CEO Joe Ferencz Mar 29, 2021

The creator community on Roblox to date has consisted of many younger former players that have advanced from playing to building games on the platform. Many have wondered when and if the platform would start bringing in more professional developers and publishers. '

Here with us today to talk about Roblox’s development platform and opportunity space for devs is Joe Ferencz, CEO of GameFam. Gamefam is a recent venture backed startup specifically targeting Roblox and aiming to become the first big gaming company focused on the platform

The company was founded in 2019, currently lists 37 full time employees and 8 live games on Roblox including Ultimate Driving and Hot Wheels Open World.

Host:

Joe Kim, CEO LILA Games: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim/

Guest:

Joe Ferencz, CEO Gamefam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-ferencz-ba76b78/

LINKS:

https://gamefam.com/

Interview on GameMakers Youtube: https://youtu.be/ym4Xluf6P4Y

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Scaling So Far with Savage Game Studios Mar 29, 2021

CEO & Co-Founder of Savage Game Studios, Michail Katkoff, joins Matthew Ellis for a chat in the latest episode of Scaling So Far 🎙
Having led and built teams at the like of Supercell, Rovio & Zynga in the past, Michail shares advice on hiring awesome studio talent, the impact of having leaders who listen, & keeping your culture alive & evolving 👾
... oh & he answers the question on everyone's lips - what being a "Savage" means to them 🤔
Listen in & follow Deconstructor of Fun for more #freetoplay insights from Michail 👌

Scaling So Far podcast: 🎧 https://lnkd.in/dYZsyXq 🎧

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #125: Mr. Beast VC Fund, IronSource SPAC, 2K Tiger Woods, Discord $10B+, NYT Games Biz ft. Dean Takahashi from GamesBeat Mar 24, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #125!

Today we cover:

#1. MrBeast’s management company, Night Media, has a new venture fund that’s backed by creators

#2 2k Sports Acqures HB Studios, signs PGA Tour 2k deal with Tiger Woods

#3. Thoma Bravo SPAC Agrees to Take IronSource Public

#4. Facing Post-Trump Slowdown, New York Times Eyes $100 Billion Games Market

#5. Discord exploring sale that could be worth more than $10 billion

LINKS:

#1. AdTech + Game Studios | The big DANGER from Applovin and Zynga

#2. Consumer Insights In Gaming

Guest:

- Dean Takahashi, Lead Writer VentureBeat & GamesBeat

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

Check out TWIG on the GameMakers YouTube Channel!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Danger of Integrated Studios + Ad Networks: Applovin and Zynga Mar 22, 2021

Recently Applovin a major ad network and games studio - announced the acquisition of Adjust which is a company known as an MMP or mobile measurement partner.

Zynga recently announced its intentions of acquiring an ad network including supply and demand side tech, mediation, and an MMP

We discuss the potential implications of these kinds of vertically integrated acquisitions with a games studio business pose a number of conflicts and dangers to potential customers of the ad networks.

Speakers:

Josh Chandley - COO of WildCard Games and current customer of AL
Josh Burns - Founder of DigitalDevConnect, A games industry veteran and neutral party
Filippo De Rose - Head of Growth at Trap Light, also previously at Pixelberry and a former customer of AL
Aviad Dadon - Chief Strategy Officer at Bidshake

Moderator:

Joe Kim - CEO LILA Games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #7 China's Tech Giants' Attempt to Circumvent IDFA, Our take on AppLovin's S1, Is Clubhouse a Fad? Mar 18, 2021

Growth Triggers is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. In this episode, we discuss AppLovin's S1, the future of Clubhouse, and how China's tech giants are exploring ways to skirt Apple's privacy changes.

Your hosts:

Michail Katkoff (twitter) and Eric Seufert (twitter)

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #124: Star Wars to Marvel -> Licensed IP, Applovin S1, Roblox: Dawn of the Metaverse Mar 16, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #124!

Today we cover:

#1. From Star Wars to Marvel, licensed video games are becoming more ambitious. Here’s why.

#2. AppLovin S1 (our take on the MTM take)

#3. Roblox: Dawn of the Metaverse

LINKS:

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

Check out TWIG on the GameMakers YouTube Channel!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Building Games For A Female Audience | Ft. Renata Caldani, Joana Marques, and Maryna Iaremenko Mar 12, 2021

How do you design mobile games for a female audience? In this talk, we cover genres, motivations, mechanics, and much more!

Speakers:

Maryna Iaremenko, Lead Game Designer, GameHouse
- Joana Marques, Sr. Product Manager
- Renata Caldani, Brand Manager, Square Enix Montreal

Moderator:

Joseph Kim, CEO LILA Games

SPONSOR:

This podcast is sponsored by Square Enix Montreal.

Check out a ton of open listings right: *** HERE ***

Also, check out some of the open positions below:

Software Development Manager

Release Management Supervisor

User Researcher

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Game Biz #1: Future of Game Industry M&A Ft. Chris Petrovic, Eric Kress, J Kim Mar 10, 2021

Game Biz is a new segment discussing big game industry trends, strategy, and public company movements.

Catch us on Clubhouse this Friday for an after discussion on this topic:

Clubhouse Friday 3/12/21 at 12PM PST

Your hosts:

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG 123: Fortnite Acquires Fall Guys Dev Mediatonic, Ubisoft NFT Game, and Dream Games Secures $50M Mar 10, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #123!

Today we cover:

#1. Fortnite developer Epic buys Fall Guys studio Mediatonic

#2. Gaming Giant Ubisoft Partners With Ethereum-based NFT Platform Sorare

#3. Dream Games secures $50m Series A round

LINKS:

Join us on Clubhouse this Friday 3/12/2021 at 12PM PST to discuss the Future of Games Industry M&A

https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/MRQ1Z7pE

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

Check out TWIG on the GameMakers YouTube Channel!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Turnaround a Company with Offer Yehudai, President of Fyber Mar 08, 2021

Let's be honest, leading a winning team is easy. Success breeds success and you're rolling from one victory to another with the momentum growing day-by-day.

What is hard is taking over a team that is failing and turning it around. What is even harder is turning around a declining public company, whose numbers are scrutinized every single quarter by shareholders and analysts.

I'm joined by Offer Yehudai, President of Fyber, who shares his experience in spearheading Fyber's 3-year turnaround.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #6 The Right Way to Build Your Game Marketing Team Mar 04, 2021

Growth Triggers is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. In this episode, we discuss:

Whether to embed UA staff or not?
Who do you count in a UA team
What are the vital UA functions for a game team?
Who/what do you need for the best chances of success in SL?

Your hosts

#1. PUBG: New State is a futuristic new battle royale game for Android and iOS

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #122: PUBG New State, Genshin Impact Dev Costs, Google Stadia Problem?, & Spotify Remote Work Mar 03, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #122!

Today we cover:

#2. Genshin Impact Dev Costs

#3. Google Stadia Problem? A Video Game Unit That’s Not Googley Enough

#4. Spotify says it's letting employees work from anywhere, while still paying San Francisco and New York salaries

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

Check out TWIG on the GameMakers YouTube Channel!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

How to Market Mobile Games in 2021 with Kieran O’Leary, VP Marketing at Rovio Mar 01, 2021

ATT will handicap ad platforms’ abilities to target specific users throwing a wrench in the growth strategies of most top mobile game publishers. The three key changes will be:

Resurrection of Product Marketing
The Role of an IP in performance marketing
The Broadening of Media Mix

In this episode I'm joined by Kieran O'Leary, VP of Marketing at Rovio, to discuss mobile games marketing in 2021. We focus on the topics above and discuss what's the best way for the game and marketing team to work together.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #121: BlizzCon, Zynga accelerates, Rovio's financials and VALHEIM! Feb 24, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #120!

Today we cover:

#1. Zynga’s plan to accelerate growth in 2021

#2. BlizzCon Online 2021

#3. Valheim: How a 5-Person Team Created the Most Popular Game on Steam

#4. Rovio 2020 Financial Statement

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

Check out TWIG on the GameMakers YouTube Channel!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #5 Why AppLovin and Zynga are Building Content Fortresses Feb 22, 2021

Growth Triggers is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. In this episode, we discuss AppLovin's acquisition of an attribution platform Adjust, and Zynga's intention to invest in ad tech.

Your hosts

#1. Zynga Is Building Its Own Ad Network, Mulling M&A

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Embracer Group: Strategy, Outlook, and Focus on the Long-term | Kenshi Arasaki (ATA), Ken Go (DECA), and Randy Pitchford (Gearbox), Lars Wingefors (Embracer), Feb 19, 2021

We get a comprehensive and in-depth discussion talking about industry consolidation/consolidators and more specifically about the Embracer Group. In a unique discussion, we get a very holistic perspective on Embracer speaking to:

- Kenshi Arasaki, CEO, A Thinking Ape, One of the best in the industry at long-tail and forever franchise games with titles from the early days of IOS like Kingdoms at War.

- Ken Go, CEO, DECA Games, Who specialize in live operations having taken over and successfully managed live titles such as former gree titles like Knights & Dragons and Modern War.

- Randy Pitchford, President and Co-founder Gearbox, I think everyone knows Gearbox games most notably Borderlands.

- Lars Wingefors, Co-founder and Group CEO, Embracer Group, Quickly becoming famous for a lot of the recent industry acquisitions they have been making.

Host:

- Joe Kim, CEO LILA Games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #120: Supercell on 2nd Decade, Zynga Ad Network, Bad Robot Entering Games, Microsoft on Future of Games Feb 18, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #120!

Today we cover:

#2. Bad Robot looking to be the rare Hollywood-and-games success story

#3. Microsoft's Head of Cloud Gaming James Gwertzman Talks Past, Present, and Future of Gaming Tech

#4. MY TAKE ON SUPERCELL IN 2020 AS WE BEGIN OUR SECOND DECADE

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

Check out TWIG on the GameMakers YouTube Channel!

CLUBHOUSE EVENT

This Friday 2/19/2021 at 12PM PST
https://www.joinclubhouse.com/event/xob8aNOK

Sponsors

Square ENIX Montreal. Check out their open job positions here: semmtl.com/dof

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Learnings from Building My Dream Team with Sophie Vo, Studio Lead at Voodoo Feb 15, 2021

How do you build a dream team from scratch?
In this episode Sophie Vo, Studio Lead at Voodoo, details her journey of building a game team. We discuss how to craft a team culture, hire according to set values and lead through lockdowns.
Sophie has a true passion towards leadership. Her approach is very methodical and constantly improving as she analyses, plans, executes and recalibrates based on learnings.

Don't miss Sophie's original article "A Dream Team is All You Need".

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Future of PC Games | David Brevik (OG!), Sean Haran (Gearbox), Tim Morten (Frost Giant) Feb 12, 2021

Today we will be speaking about the future of PC Gaming.

Here with us to talk about this are 3 incredible speakers

- David Brevik, Famous of course for founding Blizzard North and for Diablo but then also founding other game studios including Gazillion and now as President of Skystone Games

- Sean Haran who’s held senior executive roles at 20th Century Fox, Marvel, Riot, and now as Chief Business Officer at Gearbox

- Tim Morten who was at Activision, was CEO of Savage Entertainment, held exec positions at EA, Santa Monica and Blizzard before starting Frost Giant as CEO.

Host:

- Joseph Kim, CEO of LILA Games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #119: EA Buys Glu, AppLovin Buys Adjust, Embracer Buys Gearbox, and Predictions (Shooters, Marketing) Feb 10, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #119!

Today we cover:

#1. Why Did AL Buy Adjust

#2. EA buys GLU

#3. Embracer Group acquires Borderlands maker Gearbox Entertainment for $1.3B

Predictions: Shooters and Marketing

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

Check out TWIG on the GameMakers YouTube Channel!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Seriosly Unconventional Growth with Philp Hickey, EVP of Brand & Marketing Feb 09, 2021

Originally Seriosly's first game was launched in mid-2014. Since then the game has grown quarter after quarter with the latest growth spurs coming after the acquisition by Playtika.

In this episode I'm joined by Phil Hickey, EVP of Brand & Marketing at Seriosly, to discuss:

How has Best Fiends been able to continue to grow ever since the game was launched?
Why did they take this unconventional/methodical approach of building a brand first.
How much pressure has there been to follow the latest performance marketing trends from shockvertaising to extremely misleading ads?
How to build and run an effective and lean marketing team in games that is sitting far away from the game team?
What's the best way for the game and marketing team to work together?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Hit Roblox Developers Share Their Secrets! Feb 05, 2021

Hear from real game developers on Roblox who have created hit games! What does it take to be successful? How is dev on Roblox different from other platforms? What is a day in the life like? What is their view on Roblox monetization? What is the future outlook for the platform?

Roblox developer speakers:

- Andrew Bereza aka "Berezaa", Toybox Development - Vesteria, 2PGFT, Miner's Haven, Azure Mines, War Games, Build Island

- Josh DeBoer, aka "Artemis" Summit Studios Games - Vehicle Simulator

- Anne Shoemaker aka "Myzta", Fullflower Studio - Mermaid Life, My Droplets

- Arthur Trusov aka "Trus" - Tropics Paradise, Tycoon Hospital

SPONSOR:

This podcast is sponsored by Square Enix Montreal! Check out open positions to work there at: semmtl.com/dof

Your host:

- Joe Kim aka "DJ Mac Daddy" CEO of LILA Games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #118: Epic Games Store Review, Google Stadia Shuts down Internal Studios, & Gambling Apps on Google Play Feb 03, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #118!

Today we cover:

#1. Gambling apps are coming to Google’s Play Store in the US and 14 other countries, The Verge

#2. Reviewing Epic Games Store’s 2020, MasterTheMeta

#3. Google Stadia Shuts Down Internal Studios, Changing Business Focus, Kotaku

Hosts:

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

Guest Host:

- Ninel (Gryuner) Anderson, Check out Devoted Studios Youtube Channel

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Going Public with Anton Gauffin, CEO of Huuuge Games Feb 01, 2021

In this episode, I'm joined by Anton Gauffin, CEO of soon to be public Huuuge Games.

We discuss why Anton has decided to take his company public, dive deeper into their Build & Buy strategy, talk about their M&A approach, and what sets Huuuge different from the other consolidators in the market. We also discuss the effects of IDFA depreciation on the company's M&A strategy.

your host

Mishka Katkoff

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Playtika IPO | Growth???, Risks, and Future! Jan 29, 2021

Today we are going to be discussing Playtika’s IPO and future prospects.

Playtika develops and publishes some of the world’s most popular social casino games such as Slotomania, Slots - House of Fun, Bingo Blitz, and card games like World Series of Poker

In our discussion today we’ll be talking about

#1. IPO and current valuation
#2. Current business and sources of revenue
#3. Growth prospects
#4. Key risks
#5. Competition
#6. Future Prospects

And with us today to talk about Playtika’s future prospects:

Matthew Kanterman from Bloomberg Intelligence
Eric Kress from Gossamer Consulting

Moderataor:

Joe Kim aka DJ Limit from LILA Games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

*FULL UPDATED* How to Effectively Deploy Consumer Insights Jan 29, 2021

Today we will be talking about how to most effectively utilize consumer insights in gaming.

A lot of research studies can go wrong due to various problems and errors that can lead to false conclusions.

What should studios watch out for? And how can we do this right?

So today we will be discussing consumer insights with arguably the best CI practitioners in the entire industry:

Mark Allenbach, Founder of Well Played Research,
Stan Kwon, Founder of Beta Hat
Matt Penfield, VP of Consumer Insights from Zynga
Mike Swiontkowski, Head of Global Research and CI from Blizzard

Host:

Joe Kim, CEO of LILA Games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #117: New PUBG Mobile Game, Tencent Gonna Buy EA or Take-Two?, Vicarious -> Blizzard, Strategy and Sports Predictions! Jan 27, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #117!

Today we cover:

#1. A new PUBG Mobile game is on the way

#2. Report: Tencent raising billions to buy EA, Take-Two, or others

#3. Vicarious Visions merged into Blizzard

#4. Deconstructor of Fun Strategy and Sports Predictions

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Ad Revenue & Monetization Trends in 2021 | Post-IDFA Impact Jan 22, 2021

Today we will be talking about mobile ad revenue and monetization. More specifically we will discuss What will happen in 2021 including the potential impact of IDFA deprecation

To talk to us about these issues we have with us a good mix of ecosystem players in the industry.

Josh Chandley, COO, WildCard Games an indie mobile games studio building classic card games
Sofia Gilyazova, Head of Ad Monetization, Social Point, the mobile games division of Take Two
Offer Yehudai, President, Fyber. Fyber builds monetization platforms for mobile publishers.

Your host:

Joe Kim aka "DJ Limit" CEO of LILA Games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #116: Playtika's $11B IPO, Star Wars' IP given out like candy, Hypercasual and RPG predictions Jan 20, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #116!

Today we cover:

#1. Mobile game maker Playtika goes public at $11 billion valuation

#2. 2020 year in review | Bayjinger

#3. Star Wars Games to Be Branded Under Lucasfilm Games Banner

#4. Hypercasual Prediction

#5. RPG Prediction

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

The Secrets of Lily's Garden - Lessons from Perhaps the Most Underrated CMO in the Industry Jan 15, 2021

Is it possible for a mid-size studio with no prior hits to enter the most competitive genre on mobile and challenge publishers that outweigh it on all aspects from game development to marketing? On paper, never! In real-life, yes!
This episode explores the growth of Lily's Garden from an idea to a multi-hundred-million top-grossing title. And who better to talk about this than Gonzalo Fasanella, CMO of Tactile Games.
ps: as always, open roles in the company discussed towards the end of the episode.

In this episode we discuss the following topics:

How has Lily's Garden been able to sustain the incredible quarter after quarter growth for soon two years?
How to build and run an effective and lean marketing team in games?
What's the best way for the game and marketing team to work together?
What should CMOs / heads of performance marketing, who tend to be extremely data-driven? learn from the advertising industry?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #115: Roblox $29.5B, Cyberpunk WTF?, Diablo Immortals, Puzzle Game Genre Predictions! Jan 12, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #115!

Today we cover:

#1. Roblox: $520 Million Funding And $29.5 Billion Valuation

#2. What the hell is going on with Cyberpunk?

#3. Diablo Immortals: More than a Meme

#4. Puzzle Games Becomes the Top Grossing Genre on Mobile

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

LINKS:

Future of UA Mobile Marketing Conference (Free Signup): https://futureofua.splashthat.com/

Event will be held on 1/14/2021 (Thursday) at 10AM.

Everybody (PMs, Execs, and Marketers) sign up for this now!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #4 Mobile Games Marketing in 2021 Jan 07, 2021

Triggered growth is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. This podcast is insightful, entertaining, and highly opinionated. We call it how we see it.

In this episode, we discuss the most common misinformation regarding IDFA deprecation, the battle for the ownership of conversion events, how product and marketing teams will work together as one.

In addition, we'll discuss trends in creatives, ad spend, and ad monetization. Talk about the role of app store testing and player research. And of course hypothesize what the big three (Apple, Google, and Facebook) will look like in 2021.

Your hosts:
Michail Katkoff and Eric Seufert

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #114: Happy New Years! | Best of 2020 Jan 05, 2021

Welcome to TWIG #114!

Today we cover the best and worst of 2020 in the Games Industry!

Hosts:

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

LINKS:

Future of UA Mobile Marketing Conference (Free Signup): https://futureofua.splashthat.com/

Event will be held on 1/14/2021 (Thursday) at 10AM.

Everybody (PMs, Execs, and Marketers) sign up for this now!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

What do Successful Game Projects Have in Common? Jan 02, 2021

The topics covered in the episode are:

What are the biggest differences in how the big companies and the indie ones build their games?
How to decide what the project is going to be balancing between data and intuition
How to choose the right monetization model for your game
How to drive sustainability through updates, new player acquisition, and reactivating lapsed ones
What are the main shifts in player behaviour post-2020:

Shoutout to the Googler Martin Svoboda who interviewed me

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

2020 in Review Mirror - Trend Analysis and Forecasts with Sensor Tower & AppsFlyer Dec 21, 2020

Which genres gained the most and which trailed behind? What were the effects of the lockdowns? What are the trends for user acquisition, in-app purchases, and in-app adds going into 20201? Which countries were overlooked?

guests:

Randy Nelson - head of mobile insights

Brian Murphy - head of gaming

Tim O'Neil - strategic account executive

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #3 IDFA Depreciation for the Product Leads Dec 18, 2020

Growth Triggers is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. In this episode, we focus on;

How much info will I have about where the players are coming from post IDFA
what happens to a/b testing and offers?
What happens to soft-launching
Ad monetization?
LTV curve vs. LTV curves
Are fake ads done?
how can product teams help the marketing team?

Your hosts

#1. MTG acquires Hutch – a leading developer and publisher of mobile racing games

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Game Industry M&A: Chris Petrovic (ex-Zynga SVP) on Keys to Success! Who's Next? Dec 17, 2020

Chris Petrovic joined Zynga as SVP and Head of Corporate Strategy, M&A, and Business Development all the way back in March of 2016 when Zynga stock was $1.88.

Since Chris joined, basically ALL of Zynga's growth has come through mergers & acquisitions and helped drive increased share value to today's price of ~$8.70.

During his time at Zynga, Chris oversaw the acquisitions of: PuzzleSocial, Harpan, Gram Games, Small Giant, Peak Games and most recently Rollic Games.

Prior to Chris' involvement, Zynga had not been so successful at M&A.

- What were the changes made at Zynga to help increase success?

- What are key lessons learned and keys to success?

- What should game companies look for when doing acquisitions?

Speakers:

- Host: Joe Kim, CEO of LILA Games

- Host: Eric Kress, Principal of Gossamer Consulting

- Chris Petrovic, former SVP and Head of Corporate Strategy, M&A, and Business Development, Zynga

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #113: MTG Acquires Hutch, Wild Rift Expanding to Europe, Zynga's Rollic Acquires Onnect Dec 15, 2020

Welcome to TWIG #113!

Today we cover:

#2. League of Legends: Wild Rift expanded to Europe and other territories

#3. Zynga-owned Rollic acquires Onnect from dev Chef Game Studio for $6 million

Hosts:

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

- Miska Katkoff (@m_katkoff)

Guest Host:

- Eric Seufert (@eric_seufert)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

LINKS:

Check out Eric's Blog: https://mobiledevmemo.com/

YouTube Videos Referenced:

- Multiplayer Netcode

- Product Implications of IDFA

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Helsinki the Capital of Mobile Games Dec 14, 2020

However you want to slice it or dice it, Helsinki is the best city in the World for mobile games companies.

What makes it unique is the ecosystem that has developed organically over the years. Founders help each other. There’s a strong drive for collaboration and there's not much rivalry or competition. Founders inherently understand that success breeds more success.

I'm joined by two of the most qualified people to talk about the Helsinki gaming ecosystem:
Harri Manninen, founding partner of Play Ventures and a board member of every single prominent gaming startup in the city, and Joakim Achren, co-founder of Next Games and a person who has singlehandedly helped more gaming founders than anybody else in the business through the content on Elite Game Developers.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #2 Fake Ads Post IDFA and When to Build a Brand for Your Game Dec 10, 2020

Triggered growth is a segment focusing on all matters of growth. This podcast is insightful, entertaining, and highly opinionated. We call it how we see it.

Your hosts: Michail Katkoff and Eric Seufert

Hit us up for topics you'd like us to cover and how to improve.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

TWIG #112: Genshin Impact = $400M in 2 Months on Mobile, EG7 Acquires Daybreak, Roblox Future in China!!! Dec 09, 2020

Welcome to TWIG #112!

Today we cover:

#1. Sensor Tower: Genshin Impact brings in nearly $400 million in 2 months on mobile

#2. EG7 acquires Daybreak

#3. The promise and challenge of Roblox Future in China

LINKS:

Check out Joakim's Elite Game Developers website and podcast: https://elitegamedevelopers.com/

Check out Randy Nelson's Interview with Joseph Kim:

- Gaming Trends | A Look Ahead to 2021 (SensorTower's Randy Nelson Interviews JK)

Hosts:

- Joe Kim (@jokim1)

- Adam Telfer (@adamwtelfer)

- Eric Kress (@ekress)

Guest Host:

- Joakim Achren (@joakim_a)

As always, pls feel free to send us feedback!

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Why Israel's Gaming Ecosystem is One the Best in the World with Gigi Levy-Weiss Dec 07, 2020

Israel has always been a hub for tech startups. It's where companies such as Monday, Wix, Fiverr and Waze - just to mention a few - were born. Today the country is also known for a massive gaming sector worth tens of billions with companies such as Playtika, Moonactive, Plarium, Crazy Labs, ironSource, AppsFlyer and Fyber driving the growth.

Who better to deconstruct the evolotion of the Israel's gaming ecosystem that Gigi Levy-Weiss, the Founding Parner of NFX (leading Israeli and Silicon Valley VC fund) and an early investor in Plarium and Playtika - among numerous other startups.

The questions we cover are:

How did the gaming sector get started and evolved into what it is today? How are Israeli companies doing so well in social casino when gambling is illegal in Israel? How does the Israel's a gaming ecosystem compares to the one we have here in Helsinki? How do companies stack up with needed talent? What is the VC and Angle scene like in Israel?What has gone right with the evolution of the gaming ecosystem in Israel - and what could have been done better and what will the future look like?

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support

Growth Triggers #1 How Apple Played Epic, Platform Wars and the Marketability Loop Dec 03, 2020

Growth Triggers is a new segment on Deconstructor of Fun podcast focusing on all matters growth. This podcast is definitely insightful, for sure entertaining and as always, highly opinionated. We call it how we see it.

Your hosts