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PODCAST

Deconstructor of Fun

Deconstructor of Fun

Deconstructor 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 @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/ Eric Kress @ekress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/ Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/ Phillip Black @econosopher

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All Episodes

00:10:40

Cyprus 7: Where Are All The Greek Gaming Studios on...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/05

Alex Siamantas of Holyday Studios reflected on eleven years of building a profitable idle-RPG studio as one of the island’s few Greek founders

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00:10:52

Cyprus 6: The Secret Behind White Nights Conferences...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/05

Julia Lebedeva of WN Media Group spoke about launching the first Women in Games Cyprus event

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00:11:09

Cyprus 5: How a Metal Band Inspired a Wild Game Idea

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/05

Alexey Morozov of Horns Up Games shifted the tone completely. His project, Lord of Metal, is a festival-management sim built with the Swedish band Sabaton, combining the logistics of live events with the chaos of rock culture. It’s equal parts management game and love letter to heavy music.

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00:16:23

Cyprus 4: GDCy and the Story of the Largest Developer...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/05

GDCy founders Tim Fadeev and Andrey Ivashentsev shared the story of how a single pub meetup evolved into the region’s largest developer festival. They credit the island’s mix of sunlight, low taxes, and openness to business. Cyprus, they say, isn’t just a haven for founders - it’s starting to feel like Europe’s next creative cluster.

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00:05:22

Cyprus 3: We Relocated our Studio from Ukraine to...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/05

Leonid Zhuravskyi, CEO of MysteryTag, said he’s found Cyprus to have a rare sense of openness - competitors who still share notes over coffee or wine.

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00:07:07

Cyprus 2: Cyprus Investment Secrets You Didn’t Know!

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/05

Andrey Feinberg (Kuznetsov), an independent advisor who’s seen the investment side of the story. Despite tougher global conditions, he says Cyprus remains busy, with founders rebuilding after relocation and finding stability in a global business that rarely offers it.

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00:06:16

Cyprus 1: What If Cyprus Becomes The NEXT BIG Tech...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/05

Aleksandr Bogdanov, CEO of Studio 42, spoke about Cyprus as a new mixing pot, with veterans from Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia now calling Limassol home. He believes the island could rival Istanbul as the next tech powerhouse.

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00:34:19

Masters of Publishing 5: Scaling is a Grind

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/03

Scaling hybridcasual games is like solving a puzzle with moving pieces: CPI, retention, and platform dynamics constantly shift. Samantha Benjamin explains why profit-sharing doesn’t guarantee profit, how the spray-and-pray era is over, and why scaling is now a perpetual process of adjustment and reinvestment.👉 Understand what it takes to grow efficiently when downloads plateau.

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00:23:13

Masters of Publishing 4: Secrets to Winning Big with...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/11/03

Monetization in hybridcasual is a balancing act: ads for early players, IAP for the committed ones. Maayan Eshkol dives into player segmentation, the real role of a game economist, and why monetization has to be part of the design loop from day one.👉 Learn how to integrate ads and IAP without sacrificing retention.

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01:03:46

310. Pim De Witte on Turning Down $500 Million from...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/31

Pim De Witte, founder of General Intuition and Medal.tv, turned down a deal reportedly worth $500 million from OpenAI, and instead raised $134 million to build an AI lab rooted in games, not words.In this conversation, Michail Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun) dives deep into:1) How world models could replace game engines2) Why games are the best simulation layer for developing intelligence3) What “AI-native” really means for future studios4) And the paradox of ther AI bubble00:00The Decision to Walk

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01:08:40

TWIG #355 Apple’s $2B Problem, Halo’s PlayStation...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/30

We unpack Apple’s $2B legal battle, Halo’s surprise move to PlayStation, and EA’s latest earnings reality check, alongside Amazon Game Studios’ restructuring, AI’s growing impact on gaming investments, and a one-year look back at Pokémon TCG Pocket. From corporate chaos to console crossovers, it’s a packed week of insights, strategy, and sharp takes on the business of games.00:00 Welcome 03:09 Family Updates and Personal Stories04:22 Deconstructor of Fun Roundtable Events08:16 Apple's $2 Billion

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00:38:14

Masters of Publishing 4: What Makes Game Go Viral in...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/29

Great creatives don’t guarantee great traffic. Karen Levy unpacks how to scale UA with structured testing, controlled volume, and ruthless iteration. We explore the rise of AI-driven pipelines, why UGC-style ads dominate TikTok and Reels, and why authenticity outperforms glossy fakes.👉 https://supersonic.com/

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00:16:35

Masters of Publishing 2: 3 Signs Your Game Will Be a...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/28

What makes a hybridcasual hit? Guy Agiv explains how to design a core loop that hooks instantly but also unfolds depth over time. We cover the milestones from prototype to scale, how publishers and developers shift roles across the journey, and why “simplicity beats complexity” when it comes to retention.👉 Discover why elegant design—not clutter—is the secret to replayability.

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00:37:56

Masters of Publishing 1: Secrets to Getting Signed by...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/28

Hybridcasual isn’t just “hypercasual with IAP.” Igor Beraslavski (GM at Supersonic) breaks down how publishing has evolved from testing prototypes to becoming a full-stack partner in design, monetization, and live ops. We discuss what publishers look for, how to spot market trends before the herd, and why most me-too products never scale.👉 Learn how to build lasting partnerships and survive in the most competitive corner of mobile.

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01:16:58

309. Ex-Take-Two CEO on the Future of Games and the...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/27

Ben Feder has done it all: CEO of Take-Two Interactive during the GTA and Red Dead years, President of Tencent’s International Partnerships, and board member at Epic Games and Bad Robot. Now he’s turned investor, running Tirta Ventures, a fund at the intersection of AI and gaming.In this conversation, Ben and Michail Katkoff explore what makes a great founder, why “operational VC” is a myth, and where the next billion-dollar gaming companies will come from. They discuss how AI is reshaping

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00:59:39

TWIG #354 Google's New Payment-Link Era and Rovio's...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/23

Jen Donahoe makes her triumphant return. She's joined by Eric Kress and special guest Stan Kwon from BetaHat.We dig into:Battlefield 6 corrections, marketing takeawaysAndroid’s new payment-link era Unity’s cross-platform paymentswhat General Intuition’s $134 M seed means for spatial reasoning and game dataRovio’s restructuring Football Manager deal with FIFA00:00 Welcome03:12 Jen's Update09:17 Industry Insights and Trends14:56 Battlefield Six Analysis23:05 Marketing Strategies and

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01:15:38

308. The 8 Trends That Will Redefine Gaming in Asia...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/20

Mishka Katkoff is joined by Daniel Ahmad (Director of Research & Insights, Niko Partners) and Lisa Hanson (CEO & Founder, Niko Partners) for a deep dive into the latest trends and insights from the Asian, MENA, and Indian gaming markets. We cover regulatory changes in China, the rise of India as a gaming powerhouse, the evolving MENA landscape, and much more. If you want to stay ahead in the global games industry, this episode is packed with actionable intelligence!01:30 China’s Gaming

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00:59:31

TWIG #353 Netflix Goes Couch Co-op, PlayStation 6’s...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/16

Supercell’s CEO releases a rare open letter calling for more industry collaboration, while Ubisoft’s nepotism controversy reignites debates around leadership culture. Netflix Games kicks off its Battle for the Living Room with a push into Smart TV party games, and early buzz around PlayStation 6 points to an AI-driven leap in graphics and efficiency. Meanwhile, Battlefield’s launch performance goes head-to-head with Call of Duty once again, and Disney enters the overcrowded match-3 market with Magic

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01:01:56

TWIG #352 EU Regulations, Epic Shops, and the AI Slop...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/09

This week in games: Ilke’s open letter to the EU stirs the industry pot, AppLovin faces an SEC probe, and Epic drops its new Web Shops like it’s 2012 all over again. Ubisoft’s management drama continues, Istanbul’s gaming boom is no joke, and we wrap with a spicy take on the new wave of AI business slop.00:00 Welcome01:00 Intro & Shills07:58 Ilke's Open Letter on EU Regulations21:38 AppLovin Under Fire: SEC Probe and Stock Volatility29:19 Epic Games' Web Shops Launch36:50 Ubisoft's Management

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01:14:22

How Balatro Became a 7-Million-Copy Indie Hit |...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2025/10/06

A one-person poker roguelike sold seven million copies and outperformed studios with hundred-million-dollar budgets. In this episode, Playstack CEO Harvey Elliott joins Michail Katkoff to break down how they discovered Balatro, what makes a modern indie publisher truly valuable, and why the next wave of hits will come from focus—not funding.02:07 Understanding Bellatro's Success: Metrics and Engagement04:50 The Indie Developer vs. Publisher Dynamic08:11 Finding the Right Fit: Indie Publishers

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