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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 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

leisure video games

All Episodes

01:01:10

TWIG #389: GTA 6 Pricing, Tencent Pulls Back from...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/25

GTA 6 finally has a price tag, Steam Machine lands with a $1,000+, and Tencent is quietly pulling out of Japan.In this episode, we break down:● Why GTA 6's $80/$100 pricing is good news for the industry● What the deluxe edition actually includes (and what it's missing)● The attach rate debate for GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox● Why Tencent is exiting its Japanese gaming investments● Who's actually still buying game studios right now● Unreal Engine 6 and what it means for developers● Epic's

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00:56:17

336. Why Most Game Engines Die, and How AI Builds...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/22

Andrew Bowell, CEO of Iconic, who spent 15 years at Havok and a decade at Unity, discusses the future of game development, AI integration, and the challenges of building new game engines. He shares insights on technological shifts, AI's role in creating immersive worlds, and why his company is building an engine to “craft intelligent, living worlds”.https://iconicgames.io/02:10— The shift toward dynamic, emergent, personalized gameplay04:39— Why Iconic won’t end up in the “engine graveyard”10:13—

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00:54:20

My Wife Uninstalled Roblox. Then I Talked to Their...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/19

Roblox's Chief Safety Officer and VP of Safety Products join the podcast to answer the question every parent is asking: Is it actually safe?What's covered:● Why Roblox's safety chief uninstalled the app for his own daughter● The new Roblox Kids and Select accounts launching in June● How facial age verification works at scale, and how parents keep breaking it● AI moderating 150 million daily users across every server, every second● The "predator hunters" YouTube show that

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01:04:21

TWIG #388: Xbox's Spinout Plan, Metacore's Mass...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/18

Microsoft is laying the groundwork to spin Xbox off, Supercell just cut 70% of Metacore's staff after burning through $180M. Meanwhile, EA just launched a real ad platform for sports games.In this episode, we break down:● Why Xbox keeps losing its top studio leadership● Whether Microsoft is actually preparing to spin off Xbox● What Sharma's first 100 days reveal about her real strategy● Why Believer raised $55M to ship an AI plugin instead of a game● How Supercell's Metacore acquisition

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00:46:09

Puzzle Monthly #3: Merge vs Match-3, Gossip Harbor's...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/15

Gossip Harbor is beating Candy Crush, Merge Mansion is going to Supercell, and the Merge genre is at an inflection point.In this episode of Puzzle Monthly, we break down the real state of Merge games in 2026, from the history of the genre to why Gossip Harbor succeeded where others failed, and what the next Merge hit might look like.Topics Covered:● The history of Merge — from Tripletown to Merge Dragons to Merge 2● Merge 2 vs Merge 3: how the economies actually differ● Why Gossip Harbor surpassed

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00:51:36

TWIG #387: LiftOff IPO, Xbox pulls out the bangers,...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/12

Nintendo's stock is getting hammered without a new Mario, Monopoly GO is going all-in on The Simpsons, and Liftoff is back on the public markets. Meanwhile, Xbox finally seems to be doing what it should have done years ago.In this episode, we break down:● Liftoff's IPO and the AppLovin challenge● Monopoly GO's Simpsons mega-event● How Scopely uses IP for reactivation● Apple's crackdown on low-quality apps● Xbox's biggest Summer Showcase in years● Why Xbox is bringing exclusives

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00:58:41

$500M in 2 Years: Here's How Grand Games Did It!

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/08

Two mobile games with a $500M annual run rate in just two years, with a fivefold revenue increase in the last 12 months alone. If you're building in mobile gaming or just want to understand what a genuine rocket ship looks like from the inside, this one's worth your time.Grand Games' founder Batuhan Çelebi built one of the fastest-growing mobile game studios in history. In this episode, Batuhan breaks down exactly how Grand Games did it: the multi-studio structure that keeps teams small

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00:55:33

The ESA's Essential Facts: Free Player Data Most...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/05

Two thirds of Americans now play video games every week. That is more than 212 million people, the average player is 37, and among Boomers, more women play than men. These numbers come from the ESA's 2026 Essential Facts report, the kind of audience and demographic data most companies pay a lot of money for, free to anyone.Jen Donahoe sits down with Stanley Pierre-Louis, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the group that has represented the U.S. video game industry

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01:00:13

TWIG #386: CoD MW4 Revealed, Sony's State of Play,...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/04

Call of Duty is getting back to basics, Sony is pulling the plug on PC ports, and Bungie is laying off staff after Destiny 2's final update. Meanwhile, Summer Game Fest is here, and everyone has something to announce.In this episode, we break down:● Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4, kill blocks, DMZ is back, no last-gen SKUs● Why dropping PS4 and Xbox One could hurt units but help revenue● GTA 6 pricing debate, is $70 leaving money on the table?● Sony State of Play, Wolverine, God of War's

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00:46:49

Match Masters' Influencer Marketing Playbook: 8 Years...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/06/01

Most studios still treat influencer marketing as an experiment. Match Masters, a top 150 grossing game globally, has run it as a permanent growth pillar for 8 years. Jen Donahoe sits down with Candivore's Aviv Vidro and consultant Marion Balinoff to break down the playbook behind one of mobile gaming's most disciplined influencer programs.Studios that treat influencer as a permanent pillar see compounding returns. The ones that test once and cut the channel watch their installs decline 2.7x faster

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01:01:12

TWIG #385: $100M for Indies, Lilith Goes Casino,...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/28

Griffin just handed $100M to indie developers, Lilith is back with a pachinko creature collector that's turning heads, and Toon Blast hired Gus Fring for reasons that actually make sense.In this episode, we break down:● Griffin Gaming Partners' $100M indie fund and why project financing beats VC math for games● Why the tourists are gon,e and the OG gaming VCs are back● Embracer's endless restructuring and the Fellowship Entertainment spin-off● The full Embracer collapse timeline, 44

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01:04:27

The Brutal Truth About Gaming Consulting Nobody Talks...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/25

The gaming industry has seen 24,000+ layoffs in 2024–2025 alone, and a wave of new consultants has followed. But how many of them actually chose this path?Michail Katkoff sits down with John Wright to unpack the raw, honest reality of gaming consulting: the anxiety, the income rollercoaster, the identity crisis, and the strategies that actually work.In this episode, we break down: ● Why 70% of gaming consultants are in survival mode (not thriving)● The psychological shift from exec to consultant,

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00:55:59

TWIG #384: Turkey Raises Capital & the West Cuts...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/21

Turkey's game industry is overheating, Xbox just hired a chief strategy officer that has the panel in meltdown mode, and Roblox is betting big on a HD pivot that could blow up in their face.In this episode, we break down:● Why Turkey is dominating the gaming landscape and what's fueling its growth● The talent shortage threatening Turkey's gaming boom● Why West Coast game development costs are becoming unsustainable● Xbox's sweeping leadership shakeup and what it signals● Why bringing

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00:53:15

Shooter Monthly #7: Marathon’s Collapse, Apex’s...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/20

Marathon’s player numbers are collapsing, Apex Legends is surging again, and rumors suggest Disney may be entering the extraction shooter genre.In this episode, we break down:● Why Marathon’s retention and onboarding may be fundamentally broken● Whether Bungie can still save Marathon● How Arc Raiders became the first mainstream extraction shooter hit● Why extraction shooters still struggle with accessibility● The debate around wipes, PvP pressure, and economy design● Why Apex Legends is suddenly

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00:58:06

UA Monthly #4: Freecash Android Comeback, Misplay...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/18

John Wright and Vincent join Josh Chandley for the monthly deep-dive into what's actually moving the needle in mobile user acquisition.Questions we answer in this episode:● Is Sensor Tower now a monopoly, and should you be worried about pricing?● Why did Google reinstate Freecash but Apple still won't?● Is there one person at Apple secretly controlling which apps live and die?● Is Misplay buying its way to relevance, or is this a smart strategic pivot?● Does Misplay have a window to

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01:00:30

TWIG #383: Turkey Dominates Puzzle Games, Royal...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/14

Supercell enters the toy business, Playtika fully embraces casual games, and Turkey’s puzzle game machine keeps printing hits and billion-dollar studios.In this episode of TWIG, Jen is joined by Adam, Phill, and LT to break down the biggest stories in mobile games, from Grand Games’ massive $70M raise to the deeper economics behind hybrid casual, DTC monetization, and why puzzle games are evolving beyond traditional match-3 design.Topics Covered:● Grand Games raises $70M, and why Turkey has become

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00:53:37

From Mobile Games to Apps: Play Ventures $500M Fund

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/11

Why are gaming VCs shifting capital to consumer apps? In this episode, Henric Suuronen and Harri Manninen, founding partners of Play Ventures, one of gaming's top venture funds with $500 million under management and over 100 portfolio companies, break down how they evaluate founders, why they require a two-year vesting cliff, and what co-founder conflict really looks like from the investor side. We discuss the venture capital math behind gaming startup funding, why consumer apps trade at higher

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01:03:06

TWIG #382: Merge Mansion Falls, Xbox Fires the Wrong...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/05/07

Supercell absorbs Merge Mansion, Xbox fires its veterans and hires from Instacart, and the math behind gaming's VC collapse finally gets laid out in full.In this episode of TWIG, Mishka is joined by Josh Chandley, John Wright, and Ethan Levy to break down the biggest moves in games this week, from Finland's most beloved merge studio quietly running out of road to why gaming VC funding has dropped 95% since 2021.Topics Covered:● Supercell acquires Metacore and why a profitable $30M a month

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01:01:47

TWIG #381: Xbox Loses the Plot, Ubisoft on Life...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/04/30

Xbox doubles down on a DAU strategy with no real plan to get there. Ubisoft keeps cleaning house while its franchises collect dust. And the most doom-and-gloom post ever written about the games industry lands on LinkedIn, and it's hard to argue with.Topics Covered:● Xbox's public memo: Rebranding back to Xbox, shifting to DAU as a north star● UK games subsidies: £28.5 million, three funding tracks, and why Turkey is still running laps around everyone● Ubisoft Canada shakeup: Four big

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00:44:26

Puzzle Monthly #2: Match-3 Is Broken, Pixel Flow...

Deconstructor of Fun ·

2026/04/28

Match-3 is harder than ever to win, clones are getting taken down, and Royal Kingdom is scaling toward the top of the puzzle market.In this episode of Puzzle Monthly, we break down the real state of puzzle games in 2026, from Turkish startup funding to Supercell’s latest attempt, Pixel Flow clone drama, and whether Royal Kingdom can actually challenge Candy Crush.Topics Covered:● Turkish puzzle startups raise fresh funding and why the ecosystem keeps producing hits● Supercell tries puzzle again with

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321 results

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