Stay ConnectedDeconstructor of Fun podcast is created by games professionals for games professionals. We explore the business side of the games industry with the goal of bringing listeners content that is relevant, insightful, and entertaining on a weekly basis.
Hosts:
Michail Katkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Phillip Black www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe
Copyright: © Deconstructor of Fun
Alexei Chemenda, CEO and co-founder of Poolday.ai, discusses how AI enables marketers to focus on strategy and storytelling. Discover the future of personalized video ads, the evolving role of A/B testing, and the importance of combining creative and analytical skills in marketing. 00:00 Introduction: Misconceptions About AI in Marketing01:53 Revolutionizing Ad Creation with AI02:53 Personalization and Creative Control04:15 Continuous Creative Cycle04:37 AI in Gaming and Brand Marketing09:22 Balancing Volume and Quality in AI-Driven Marketing16:37 Predictive Analytics and Data Fluency20:19 Future Skills for Marketing Leaders23:13 Enhancing Human Creativity with AI25:22 Conclusion and Contact Information
Mishka Katkoff sits down with Uri Marchand, CEO of Overwolf, to break down how user-generated content (UGC) is quietly reshaping the gaming industry. They dive into Overwolf’s mission to turn in-game creation into a viable profession, and why modding — once a hobby for the few — is now a legitimate career path for thousands.
This isn’t just about mods anymore — it’s about the future of gaming economies.
00:00Introduction to Overwolf and UGC0
4:05 The Evolution of Modding in Gaming
06:56 Industry Trends: Embracing UGC
10:05 Challenges and Opportunities in Modding
13:17 The Role of Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite
16:32 Balancing Creator Support and Developer Benefits
19:37 Sustainability of the Modding Economy
22:23 Revenue Share Models in the Creator Economy
25:34 The Impact of AI on Modding
29:14 The Power of AI in Game Development
30:15 Democratizing Game Creation
31:01 Challenges in Scaling Overwolf
33:51 Overcoming Investment Hurdles
37:41 The Future of Overwolf and Gaming
43:24 Innovations in User-Generated Content
45:39 Changing Mindsets on Premium Mods
48:17 Disruption in the Gaming Industry
52:09 Lessons Learned from Overwolf's Journey
The crew unpacks a week of spicy news and strategic contradictions, starting with Supercell’s latest investments and how VC incentives often clash with long-term game building. We weigh in on GamesBeat’s move to independence, the ongoing esports funding debate, and whether Netflix’s Rebel Moon game is a flex or a fumble.
Valorant Mobile’s China launch signals Riot’s next big move, while Tencent continues to dominate with titles like Gunfight King.
The team dives into Disney’s Solitaire push, Habby's intriguing new soft launch, and the return of Royal Kingdom’s celebrity-fueled ad campaign—capped off by a heated debate: do TV ads still move the needle for mobile games, or are we watching legacy marketing die in real time?
01:56 Industry News Highlights
02:47 Supercell Investments Analysis
05:35 VC Contradictions and Incentives
17:43 GamesBeat Independence
20:17 Esports Investment
22:31 Oblivion
24:15 Netflix's Rebel Moon Game
31:00 Valorant Mobile Launch in China
32:36 Gunfight King and Tencent's Gaming Dominance
33:19 Disney Solitaire
40:00 Habby's New Game in Soft Launch
46:33 Royal Kingdom's Celebrity Ad Campaign
48:44 Debating the Effectiveness of TV Ads for Mobile Games
01:06:53 Concluding Thoughts on Marketing Strategies
Lightspeed’s Moritz Baier-Lentz joins us for a no-holds-barred conversation on venture capital, gaming, and the inner workings of multi-billion-dollar venture funds. No fluff—just real talk about fund math, spotting exceptional founders, the future of AI in gaming, and why most investments won’t work out (and why that’s okay).
00:00 from pro-gamer in Diablo II to Goldman Sachs to Lightspeed VC
10:00 The Lightspeed model
18:00 How Moritz spots truly exceptional founders (hint: not a checklist)
24:00 Fund math 101
30:00 Studio investing vs. tech investing in games
36:00 How consolidation is reshaping gaming M&A (and why it’s a big deal)
43:00 Speedrun, a16z’s gaming accelerator: innovation or red flag?
51:00 Debunking big VC myths
58:00 The future of gaming: AI, generative content, and creating the next Roblox
1:05:00 How Lightspeed wins competitive deals—and what founders should ask VCs
1:12:00 Is raising VC money harder now? Yes. But here’s why it’s still a golden era.
1:20:00 Final thoughts: investing at the edge of what’s possible
Kress is fresh back from Turkiye, sharing on-the-ground insights before diving headfirst into the week’s big beats.
We break down Epic Games Store’s revenue, debate the Minecraft movie’s potential for franchise dominance, and unpack the latest M&A and investment trends shaping gaming’s future. Inflation’s creeping impact on game pricing gets a hard look, while the crew wrestles with the evolving MTX and revenue models.
Things heat up with Marvel Rivals throwing punches at Overwatch, a sharp take on Western vs. Eastern LiveOps strategies, and a no-holds-barred discussion about Bungie’s Marathon pivot into extraction shooters. To wrap, a quick (and slightly roasted) look at Kingdom’s celebrity-packed ad campaign.
00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions
03:09 Chris' Insights from Turkey
07:02 Epic Games Store Revenue Discussion
13:30 Minecraft Movie and Franchise Management
21:07 M&A and Investment Trends in Gaming
29:47 Game Pricing and Inflation
30:31 MTX and Revenue Models
32:59 Marvel Rivals vs. Overwatch
37:33 Western vs. Eastern LiveOps
44:24 Marathon: The Extraction Shooter
58:13 Kingdom's Celebrity Ad Campaign
In this episode of Deconstructor of Fun, Jen Donahoe is by Charles Hambro, CEO and Co-Founder of GEEIQ, and Matt Edelman, President and CEO of Super League, to dive deep into the evolving world of brand activations and UGC (user-generated content) in gaming.
We explore how brands navigate virtual worlds, the ROI of successful campaigns, and why gaming audiences are more valuable than ever. The conversation spans the rise of playable ads, IAB standards, and the growing distinction between branded content and traditional ads.
Charles and Matt also share their insights on the future of campaign-based activations and why entertainment brands are doubling down on gaming.
00:00 Introduction to Brand and UGC Activations
04:57 UGC and Virtual Worlds
07:44 Brand Activations
15:47 ROI and Success Stories
21:02 Challenges and Future of UGC Platforms
27:12 The Power of Gaming Audiences
27:45 Mobile Advertising
29:00 Playable Ads
29:42 IAB and Playable Ad Standards
31:34 Engaging Audiences with Playable Ads
35:49 Branded Content vs. Traditional Ads
36:41 The Future of Branded Content in Gaming
42:40 The Importance of Campaign-Based Activations
44:47 Entertainment Brands in Gaming
46:59 Concluding Thoughts and Future Trends
In this week’s episode of This Week in Games, we’re joined by special guest Chris Sides for a jam-packed conversation covering everything from transmedia storytelling to the latest moves in the gaming industry.
We dive into the surprising momentum behind the Minecraft movie, explore Gen Z trends and market predictions, and unpack Netflix’s bold push into interactive fiction. Plus, we break down A16Z’s new Speed Run initiative, take a close look at Supercell’s evolving investment strategy, and compare War Robots to the newly launched Steel Hunters.
00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions
01:58 Special Guest Chris and His Background
02:49 Transmedia and Pop Culture Discussion
03:48 Industry Updates and News
07:03 Podcast Highlights and Recent Episodes
09:21 Minecraft Movie Success
16:54 Gen Z and Market Predictions
20:48 Netflix's Interactive Fiction Strategy
28:44 Speed Run Initiative by A16Z
30:22 Supercell's Investment Strategy
31:19 Supercell's Investment Philosophy
32:54 Supercell's Investment History and Performance
43:14 Blueprints: The Best Rated Game of 2025
49:21 RE's Latest Deck Recap
53:36 Steel Hunters: Early Access and Unreal Engine
01:03:02 War Robots vs. Steel Hunters01:05:02 Conclusion and Farewell
In this episode, Deconstructor of Fun’s Michail Katkoff sits down with Tobias Knoke — long-time Googler, gaming industry expert, and Gen Z whisperer — to unpack what game developers need to know right now about the fastest-growing and most misunderstood audience in gaming.
👉 Learn why Gen Z is about to become the biggest spending group on mobile
👉 Why they’re less loyal to individual games, and how to win them back
👉 How to build creator strategies that actually work
👉 What Gen Z hates about ads — and what they love
👉 How AI is quietly reshaping game development (and why Gen Z doesn’t care)
🧠 Read more at:
www.deconstructoroffun.com
00:00 The State of Gaming Post-Pandemic
03:51 Understanding Gen Z's Gaming Behavior
06:53 Strategies for Engaging Gen Z
10:05 The Role of Creators in Gaming Marketing
12:52 Building Effective Creator Strategies
15:43 The Impact of Social Connections on Gaming
18:43 Achieving Escape Velocity in Game Launches
33:38 Navigating Competition in Mobile Gaming
36:52 Understanding Gen Z's Unique Gaming Preferences
41:23 Ad Monetization Strategies for Gen Z
46:53 High Expectations and LiveOps for Gen Z
49:37 The Role of AI in Game Development
Gen Z, gaming strategies, mobile gaming, creator marketing, ad monetization, LiveOps, AI in gaming, audience engagement, gaming behavior, influencer strategies
GDC’s over, but the takes are still hot. Eric Kress recaps the chaos and questions Dark Legion’s staying power, while Phil gives the Game Craft boys a well-deserved nod.
Then it’s Switch 2 speculation time: is Nintendo finally back in the power game? Meanwhile, Roblox cozies up to Google for rewarded ads—what does that mean for the ecosystem?
Meanwhile, AppLovin fights off short seller heat while asserting market dominance. Plus, Tencent’s playing the long game with Ubisoft, again—no surprise, but lots to unpack.
02:12 GDC Highlights and Dark Legion Update
03:18 Game Craft Podcast
05:27 CEO Interviews and App Charge Partnership
07:31 GDC Attendance and Dark Legion Performance
15:58 Switch 2 Announcement
23:26 Roblox Rewarded Ads and Google Partnership
31:54 AppLovin's Short Seller Allegations
36:17 Hedge Fund Hotels and Market Dynamics
36:36 AppLovin Market Dominance
38:49 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Acquisition
43:57 Supercell's New Game: First Impressions
53:22 Ubisoft's $1.25 Billion Tencent Deal
01:05:36 Tencent's Long Game and Market Strategy
What makes the company a great place to work? We discuss the significance of company culture, leadership evolution, and the vital role of customer obsession with AppsFlyer's CEO and co-founder, Oren Kaniel.
Oren shares his entrepreneurial journey, how the company overcame early financial challenges, and the importance of remaining innovative and passionate. Additionally, we explore AI's role in the future of business, balancing data privacy with technological advancements, and the grand vision for AppsFlyer's continued growth and impact.
02:44 Building a Company Culture
06:33 The Importance of Customer Obsession
15:24 Challenges and Early Days of the Startup
20:15 Navigating Growth and Scaling Up
25:06 Hiring and Nurturing Talent
42:15 Transparency vs. Clarity in Leadership
44:02 Innovative Solutions for Business Growth
56:39 The Role of AI in Business Transformation
01:05:47 Building a Sustainable Business Ecosystem
01:15:20 Future Prospects and Innovations
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