Deconstructor of Fun

Deconstructor of Fun
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Video Games
  • Updated weekly

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

  1. Why Most Game Engines Die, and How AI Builds "Living Worlds"

    22 Jun

    Why Most Game Engines Die, and How AI Builds "Living Worlds"

    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 gameplay 04:39— Why Iconic won’t end up in the “engine graveyard” 10:13— “Intelligent living worlds” explained 16:12— Dogfooding and building the engine through its own game 19:35— Deterministic vs open-ended gameplay 23:11— What Unity got right about AI 26:52— The real paradigm shift in gaming 37:59— Player-first, not technology-first 46:26— Where AI adoption in games stops today 51:56— Remote vs hybrid culture at Iconic

    56 min
  2. My Wife Uninstalled Roblox. Then I Talked to Their Safety Team.

    19 Jun

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

    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 went viral, and why Roblox banned them anyway● How bad actors move kids off-platform to Discord and Snapchat, and what Roblox does about it● Why Roblox faces more scrutiny than TikTok or YouTube despite tighter restrictions

    54 min
  3. $500M in 2 Years: Here's How Grand Games Did It!

    8 Jun

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

    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 and ownership real, the game greenlight process that filters out imitation before it starts, and why Turkish mobile gaming talent is pound-for-pound best in the world. We also get into the honest stuff. The capability gaps they're still closing, what happens if growth flattens, and brutal seasons of raising his first round.

    59 min
  4. The ESA's Essential Facts: Free Player Data Most Companies Pay For

    5 Jun

    The ESA's Essential Facts: Free Player Data Most Companies Pay For

    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 since 1994. He is a media and IP lawyer who leads the organization that defends games in Washington, runs the ESRB rating system, and makes the industry's case to lawmakers and parents.In this episode: Why "gamer" means something different than it used toThe older and female players reshaping the audienceWhat a $20 monthly median spend says about gaming's valueHow the ESA fights online safety and loot box legislationInside iicon, the ESA's new event connecting games to the wider economyHow to use this free data in your next project, especially for marketersLearn more about the ESA and find the report at The ESA website https://www.theesa.com/

    56 min

  5. 1 Jun

    Match Masters' Influencer Marketing Playbook: 8 Years of Always-On Growth

    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. Aviv walks through Candivore's 8 year always on model, the blitz approach where 20 creators go live on the same day, and the product marketing funnel his three person team built around creators. Dedicated welcome pop ups, skill based leaderboard giveaways with tangible prizes, and retargeting mechanics that drive 6x higher in app purchases from returning players. Marion breaks down why the standard 24 hour click window is broken for influencer content, why 7 days is the floor, and why day 365 installs run 75% higher than day 30. The two also tackle vertical testing (true crime crushed it for Match Masters with female audiences aged 30 to 55, tech reviewers flopped), country penetration strategy, why TikTok still doesn't work for performance, and where influencer marketing ends and UGC begins. If you've ever been told influencer marketing doesn't work after a single test campaign, send this episode to your CMO.

    47 min
  6. Shooter Monthly #7: Marathon’s Collapse, Apex’s Comeback, & Disney’s Extraction Shooter

    20 May

    Shooter Monthly #7: Marathon’s Collapse, Apex’s Comeback, & Disney’s Extraction Shooter

    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 exploding again in DAU● How Apex keeps balancing casual and hardcore players● The hidden importance of movement and traversal in shooters● Why Apex’s live service design is still among the best in gaming● The rise of bots, softer matchmaking, and more accessible BR systems● Why Disney may be working on an extraction shooter● Whether sci-fi shooters are still too niche for mainstream success● Why the extraction shooter genre may still be in its early evolution CHAPTERS: 03:11 Marathon In Trouble06:30 Why Players Bounce08:23 Saving Marathon09:42 Onboarding Versus Difficulty11:08 Marketing Retention Reality15:32 Cryoarchive Endgame Explained17:01 Tarkov Side Project Reveal22:46 Arc Raiders Update Check27:21 Live Service Reengagement30:10 Why Arc Raiders Clicks31:44 Accessibility Push Needed33:23 Sandbox Health Ideas36:19 Apex Season Surge39:02 Movement and Progression42:33 Market Forces and China46:35 Bots and Softer BRs49:02 Disney Extraction Rumor50:35 Star Wars and Fortnite Link52:21 Wrapping Up

    53 min
  7. UA Monthly #4: Freecash Android Comeback, Mistplay Goes All In & Can Anyone Stop AppLovin?

    18 May

    UA Monthly #4: Freecash Android Comeback, Mistplay Goes All In & Can Anyone Stop AppLovin?

    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 capitalize on Freecash's iOS ban?● AppLovin added more revenue this quarter than all of Unity's ad networks combined, so why are we still comparing them?● Can anything, or anyone, actually stop AppLovin at this point?

    58 min
  8. TWIG #382: Merge Mansion Falls, Xbox Fires the Wrong People, and the Math That Killed Gaming VC

    7 May

    TWIG #382: Merge Mansion Falls, Xbox Fires the Wrong People, and the Math That Killed Gaming VC

    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 game still couldn't survive● What the 70% layoffs tell us about liveops competition and the limits of celebrity UA campaigns● Xbox replaces 24-year veterans with Instacart execs, and whether growth engineering can fix a content problem● GameStop bids for eBay with no synergy pitch and why the meme stock era never really ended● Roblox voluntarily takes a billion dollar hit on bookings and why it might be the smartest long-term bet in the room● The math that broke gaming VC funding, from $12.5B in 2021 to $627M in H1 2025 and what founders should do insteadCHAPTERS:00:00 Cold Open Jail Joke00:11 Meet the Hosts01:47 Episode Headlines02:21 Theme Park Mario Talk03:13 Line Monetization Schemes04:40 Istanbul Events Plug05:37 Consulting Shoutout07:03 Supercell Buys Metacore08:38 Metacore Rise and Stumble10:51 UA Cuts and Layoffs20:00 Strategic Investor Dynamics23:14 Xbox Leadership Shakeup24:42 Game Pass and Content Gap26:48 Microsoft IP Live Service Vision28:59 Xbox IPs Need Long Runs29:55 GameStop Buys eBay Meme32:22 Roblox Safety Overhaul Fallout35:32 Age Verification Debate37:02 Roblox Monetization and 18 Plus43:03 Ustwo Cuts Costs Reality45:16 Freelancers Bands Model47:25 Premium Math Doesn't Work51:19 VC Funding Math Broke59:06 Is This the New Normal01:01:56 Wrap Up and Thanks

    1hr 3min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Deconstructor of Fun
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    799
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Deconstructor of Fun
  • Show Website
    Deconstructor of Fun

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