Deconstructor of Fun

Deconstructor of Fun
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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. TWiG #375: GDC 2026 Post-Mortem, Epic’s Surrender & Google Play’s Legal Rebirth

    18 HR AGO

    TWiG #375: GDC 2026 Post-Mortem, Epic’s Surrender & Google Play’s Legal Rebirth

    The Deconstructor of Fun crew is back from San Francisco, recovering from a whirlwind GDC week to break down the massive shifts hitting the industry. No prep, no scripts. Just the real conversation on whether the "lowest attendance since 2011" is a sign of a dying conference or just a more efficient executive retreat.Questions we answer in this episode:● What is the "one word" to describe the GDC 2026 vibe?● Is the 30% drop in attendance a death knell or a much-needed "senior-only" filter?● Did Tim Sweeney actually win his fight against Google, or is a 5% discount just "mice nuts"?● How will the new Google Play fee structure actually work?● Did anyone actually see a compelling AI-native game on the show floor this week?● Why is it so expensive to run real-time LLMs in a live game?● Why is a hardcore Korean MMO giant like NCSoft splurging $200M on a German rewarded-play platform?● What is the LinkedIn engagement "hack" that everyone needs to stop doing immediately?Jen Donahoe | Phil Black | Eric Kress | Mishka Katkoff

    1h 3m
  2. TWIG #374 GDC 2025: The Honest Debrief

    1 DAY AGO

    TWIG #374 GDC 2025: The Honest Debrief

    The full Deconstructor of Fun crew, all six of us, recorded live and on-site in San Francisco at the end of GDC week. No prep, no scripts. Just the real conversations from a week of side events, back channels, and late nights. Questions we answer in this episode: What's the one word that captures the mood of GDC 2025?Is GDC still relevant?What's the wildest rumor that we heard?Why is everyone at GDC publicly obsessed with AI?Did anyone actually see a compelling AI-native game this week? Where is investment money actually flowing in games right now? What's the one thing the industry needs to hear right now that nobody is saying out loud? Mishka Katkoff | Jen Donahoe | Eric Kress | Adam Telfer | Laura Toranto | Phil Black

    59 min
  3. Shooter Monthly #5: The Marathon Revelation, Overwatch Reborn & The Death of Highguard

    2 DAYS AGO

    Shooter Monthly #5: The Marathon Revelation, Overwatch Reborn & The Death of Highguard

    Extraction shooters are finally confronting their identity crisis. Is Marathon the answer, or just another branch of the same lineage?Phil, Sides, and Anjos break down a pivotal moment for shooters: Highguard’s collapse, Marathon’s high-stakes launch, and Overwatch’s unexpected resurgence. The debate rage on: are we watching the evolution of battle royale into something more persistent, or just another iteration of Tarkov’s legacy? We discuss: ● Highguard’s shutdown and the limits of modern marketing ○ Hate-playing, sentiment collapse, and losing control of narrative post-launch ● Marathon’s design thesis ○ Persistent battle royale vs traditional extraction shooter lineage ○ Lower friction loops, faster re-entry, and softened risk systems ● The genre split ○ Arc Raiders as first-principles PvE extraction ○ Marathon as PvP-first with extraction layered on top ● The missing innovation question ○ What is Marathon’s true “Bungie leap” beyond sandbox combat + loot? ● Overwatch’s resurgence ○ Systems-driven live ops vs content arms race with Marvel Rivals ● The future of shooter ecosystems ○ Extraction, hero shooters, and the erosion of “black hole” games

    54 min
  4. State of Gaming 2026: What’s Really Winning Now

    3 DAYS AGO

    State of Gaming 2026: What’s Really Winning Now

    Sam Aune from Sensor Tower breaks down the State of Gaming 2026 - from Battlefield 6 proving premium is far from dead, to why free-to-play is getting harder to break into, and how social indie games are driving viral success. In this episode, we go deep on mobile’s slowdown, strategy games dominating revenue, and how Chinese publishers are out-executing the West across both midcore and casual. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome and Report Setup 00:43 State of Gaming Goes Beyond Mobile 03:22 Trend One Battlefield Six Dominates 05:05 Premium vs Free to Play Reality Check 07:10 Hybrid Pricing and Live Ops Middle Ground 09:01 Battlefield Six Marketing Playbook 11:53 Indie Breakouts Repo and Peak 12:31 Why Social Games Go Viral 16:12 AAA Response and GTA Six Outlook 18:08 Mobile Market Maturity and Consolidation 20:37 Why Growth Stalls IDFA Saturation 23:34 Strategy Genre Wins Worldwide 26:41 Regional Genre Opportunities and New Hits 28:00 Free Fire US Surge 28:30 China Social Extraction 28:52 Why China Wins 31:47 Century Games Playbook 34:23 How West Competes 38:35 Indie Focus Advantage 43:21 Web Store Incentives 46:38 App Store Search Wars 49:46 SEO Naming Strategy 51:22 Report Wrap Up

    54 min

  5. 10 MAR

    Puzzle Monthly #1: Pixel Flow, UA, and the Future of Sort Puzzles

    We talk about how Pixel Flow scaled so quickly, why its core design works for monetization, and how games like Hexa Sort and Magic Sort helped push the sort puzzle genre forward. The discussion also covers UA, the wave of Pixel Flow-style clones appearing in the market, and whether hybrid-casual puzzle design is starting to influence traditional puzzle studios. We also touch on what kinds of mechanics might lead to the next big puzzle hit.

    45 min
  6. TWiG #373: Turkey Funds Game Dev, WB Games Uncertainty & Discord Drama

    5 MAR

    TWiG #373: Turkey Funds Game Dev, WB Games Uncertainty & Discord Drama

    We discuss Turkey’s new government subsidies for game developers and why the country may become one of the most attractive places to build a studio, the uncertain future of WB Games following major media consolidation, and Discord delaying its global age-verification rollout after backlash and regulatory pressure. We also discuss the Misfits seed round from an ex-Supercell/King team, a correction around Tilting Point’s recent deal, Playtika surpassing $1B in direct-to-consumer revenue, and Ubisoft reshuffling leadership on Assassin’s Creed, along with broader conversation around monetization, web shops, and the state of the games industry heading into GDC. CHAPTERS 01:53 LA Dinner and Downtown Vibes 02:44 Mishka London Detour 04:10 GDC Shilling and Events 07:59 Tilting Point Deal Debate 11:34 Appcharge Web Store Ad 12:27 Misfits Seed Round Breakdown 20:45 Turkey Subsidies Update 23:17 Paramount Buys WB Fallout 28:16 Assassins Creed Leadership Shuffle 30:58 Discord Age Verification Backlash 34:33 Roblox Lawsuits And Regulation 36:25 Playtika DTC Numbers Breakdown 38:51 Supercell Web Shop Playbook 43:48 Marathon Server Slam Impressions 45:07 Sales Forecasts And Sony Stakes 50:58 Retention Wipes And Monetization 55:23 Skate Layoffs And F2P Trap 01:00:39 Gundam Collab And Sony PC Pivot 01:03:57 Wrap Up And GDC Plans

    1h 5m
  7. Meta Is Back in the Game. Here's What That Actually Means.

    2 MAR

    Meta Is Back in the Game. Here's What That Actually Means.

    Guy Meiboom, Meta’s US EMEA Gaming Director, breaks down what actually happened to gaming performance after ATT and why Meta had to rebuild its gaming org from the ground up. From creative velocity and algorithmic reach to geo lift testing and UA funding, this episode focuses on execution. Not theory. Not slides. The uncomfortable middle between marketing, product, and capital allocation. If you’re scaling a mobile game in 2026, this conversation is about the mechanics that matter and the habits you may need to unlearn. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Post ATT Reality Check 01:08 Why Gaming Needed Its Own Org 06:10 What Works Now In UA 09:34 AI Moats And Creative Diversity 14:34 Guardrails Versus Clickbait Ads 18:20 Attribution Mistakes Get Expensive 24:53 Long Term ROAS And Source Of Truth 27:08 Lift Testing Playbook 29:06 Future UA Roles Map 31:17 Macro Outlook for Gaming 35:04 Mobile Downloads and Scaling 39:05 UA Funding and Capital 41:12 Learning from China 43:49 Unlearning Marketing Habits 46:30 Apps vs Games Lessons 48:01 Challenge the Status Quo

    51 min
  8. TWiG #372: Death at an Xbox Funeral & Balling Out Ball’s State of Gaming

    27 FEB

    TWiG #372: Death at an Xbox Funeral & Balling Out Ball’s State of Gaming

    Xbox is at a strategic inflection point. The question now is why, how, and what comes next. We break down the massive Xbox leadership shakeup, what it reveals about Microsoft’s real strategy, sharp critiques of the new CEO, and exactly what the brand must do to survive. Fresh off a hockey loss and curling cheating allegations, Adam returns to the podcast with a lot to answer for. We unpack PlayStation’s shutdown of Bluepoint Games and the broader consequences of its live service overreach. Sweden is apparently now going to run Asian MMOs, Tencent shuts down Teamy, Nexon promotes Sutherland, Gossip Harbor dethrones King, and no one can solve why this studio didn’t sell out. We tackle the Overwatch Rush debate, dive deep into Matthew Ball’s State of the Gaming, and close with one of the most unexpectedly uplifting self-care talks the game industry has heard plus a fiery argument over what the metaverse actually means. Be sure to listen closely for our upcoming GDC plans and live show announcements! CHAPTERS:00:00 Welcome and Agenda 01:43 Adam Returns and Olympics Banter 03:17 Puppy Update and AI Obsession 04:57 GDC Plans and Live Show 08:13 Corrections 10:19 Xbox Leadership Shakeup 12:45 Crest Rips the New CEO 21:48 What Xbox Should Do Next 27:44 Phil on Microsoft Motives 31:48 Jen on Leadership Brand Competition 38:38 PlayStation Shuts Bluepoint 42:41 Live Service Overreach 43:04 Tencent Shuts Teamy 45:59 Nexon Promotes Sutherland 50:03 Gossip Harbor Beats King 52:04 Overwatch Rush Debate 01:01:07 Matthew Ball Report 01:14:35 Metaverse Definition Fight 01:18:35 Wrap Up And Farewell

    1h 20m
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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
    764
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Deconstructor of Fun
  • Show Website
    Deconstructor of Fun

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