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

    3 HR AGO

    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
  2. TWIG #381: Xbox Loses the Plot, Ubisoft on Life Support & Western Gaming's Darkest Take

    30 APR

    TWIG #381: Xbox Loses the Plot, Ubisoft on Life Support & Western Gaming's Darkest Take

    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 departures, Assassin's Creed Hex in trouble, and why Tencent might be the only real solution● Marvel Rivals vs Overwatch 2● China vs the West: The structural advantages nobody talks about and what Western developers can actually do about it● The doom post: 10 reasons western gaming is structurally uninvestible, and where the guys agree and push backCHAPTERS:00:20 Show Intro and Agenda01:35 Boys Only Banter02:56 Shills04:03 Istanbul Trip Plans04:38 Division Resurgence Update07:59 Xbox Memo Breakdown17:33 UK Games Subsidies23:45 Fortnite Shampoo Ads26:55 Habi's New Game30:58 PC Pivot Reality Check32:06 China Publishers Paper Tigers32:42 Marvel Rivals vs Overwatch34:47 Blizzard Momentum Update37:24 Ubisoft Canada Shakeup43:59 Why China Dominates Mobile46:29 Creativity vs Pragmatism50:23 Game Industry Doom List

    1hr 2min
  3. Puzzle Monthly #2: Match-3 Is Broken, Pixel Flow Clones, and Royal Kingdom’s Rise

    28 APR

    Puzzle Monthly #2: Match-3 Is Broken, Pixel Flow Clones, and Royal Kingdom’s Rise

    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 Hay Day Match, and why timing might be wrong● Is Match-3 innovation dead? The debate on risk vs scale in today’s market● Pixel Flow clone gets taken down. Are copycats finally under pressure?● The real monetization strategy: UA costs, clones, and ad funnels explained● Royal Kingdom’s explosive growth and whether it can ever reach Candy Crush level● Why most new puzzle games fail, and what it actually takes to win todayCHAPTERS: 01:35 Turkish Seed Funding Wave02:13 Cheer Games and Hexa Sort Playbook05:23 Supercell Tries Heyday Match09:45 Why Match Three Is Stuck10:47 Innovation vs Scale Debate12:52 King Sequels and Meta Lessons15:56 Farm Heroes Saga Hits $2B21:08 Pixel Flow Clone Takedown23:27 Trade Dress And Platform Rules24:57 Why Copycats Make Money26:54 Clone Ads As Strategy29:52 Royal Kingdom Relaunch Story31:39 Growth Charts And Celebrity UA33:13 Can It Beat Candy Crush33:30 Paid Installs Profitability Math35:00 Organic Fame And Payback Window37:08 Cannibalization Versus Incremental38:42 Live Ops Similarities And PVE43:14 Wrap Up And Next Episode

    44 min
  4. TWIG #380: Game Pass Gets Cheaper, China's Mobile Dominance & Division Resurgence Reviewed

    23 APR

    TWIG #380: Game Pass Gets Cheaper, China's Mobile Dominance & Division Resurgence Reviewed

    Game Pass just got cheaper, China is rewriting the mobile market, and Ubisoft ships one of the most polished mobile games in years. Topics Covered: ● Xbox drops Game Pass Ultimate by 23% and pulls Call of Duty from day one, but none of it actually fixes what's broken ● Chinese, Hong Kong, and Singapore publishers now own 30% of Western mobile revenue, up from 16% in 2019 ● Pokémon Go surged 52% in downloads during its 30th anniversary, and why it's bigger than just one marketing event ● Why the US should stop competing on mobile content and start owning platforms like Roblox, Steam, and Unreal instead ● Division Resurgence is a genuinely great game with no audience in the West and one last hope, China ● Disney quietly pulls 30 licensed games from Steam with no explanation CHAPTERS: 01:56 Phil’s China Trip Takeaways 04:19 Joachim Shoutout and Sponsor 06:52 Xbox Game Pass Price Cut News 10:55 Call of Duty Math Debate 15:52 Mobile Market Q1 Snapshot 19:53 Top Games and Pokemon Spike 22:49 China Dominance and New Hubs 36:43 EU: Stop Killing Games 41:21 Does Preservation Matter 43:55 Division Resurgence Numbers 45:18 Why Shooters Need China 49:42 PC Port and Controls 51:02 Mobile vs Console Culture 53:29 What Makes a Platform 54:16 Mods Create Mega Hits 59:21 Japan Builds Game IP 01:01:53 Licensing vs Hybrid Bets 01:03:09 Disney Steam Purge 01:04:01 Hasbro Hybrid Critique 01:06:33 Final Wrap and Thanks

    1hr 7min
  5. TWIG JR: Gen Alpha's Honest Take on Roblox, Brain Rot & Growing Up as a Gamer

    22 APR

    TWIG JR: Gen Alpha's Honest Take on Roblox, Brain Rot & Growing Up as a Gamer

    Two kids. Zero filter. All the takes. Rocky and Mickey are back for Twig Jr., and they didn't hold back. From aging out of Roblox to explaining brain rot to calling out in-game money grabs, this is how Gen Alpha actually thinks about games. Topics Covered: ● Roblox's highs and lows and what's actually gone downhill ● Friend Slop and how it's replacing traditional multiplayer ● Brain-rot games and why kids are starting to walk away ● Why Rocky and Mickey have mostly quit mobile gaming ● Discord vs iMessage and how Gen Alpha talks while gaming ● Graphics vs style and why fidelity isn't everything

    51 min
  6. UA Monthly #3: Freecash Ban, Unity Kills ironSource & Vector’s Rise

    22 APR

    UA Monthly #3: Freecash Ban, Unity Kills ironSource & Vector’s Rise

    The mobile gaming ecosystem is shifting fast this month. We break down the shocking deplatforming of Freecash, a $500M+ rewarded ad network, and what it signals for the future of user acquisition. Then we dive into Unity’s major strategic pivot: shutting down ironSource and going all-in on Vector. Is Vector actually working, or just great marketing? Topics Covered: ● Freecash ban: what happened and why it matters ● The future of rewarded ad networks ● Unity shutting down ironSource ● Vector performance, growth, and real-world results ● The ongoing battle with AppLovin

    1hr 20min
  7. Left VC to Become a Founder Again. Here's What They Don't Tell You About Running a Fund

    20 APR

    Left VC to Become a Founder Again. Here's What They Don't Tell You About Running a Fund

    We sit down with Joakim Achren, serial entrepreneur, former GP at F4 Fund, and now AI-first founder, to talk about why he walked away from venture capital and what he's building next.Topics Covered:● The founder-turned-VC trap: why it sounds like a natural progression but has a flaw nobody warns you about ● Micro-fund economics: a $10M fund pays you less than a startup salary, and you spend half your time fundraising for the next one ● Why industry clout doesn't move LP capital, and the relationship mistake that cost him the raise ● Gaming VC right now: why LPs burned in the COVID boom aren't writing new checks ● The three-legged stool of VC — LPs, founders, co-investors — and why you're competing and cooperating with the same people simultaneously ● How Claude Code became his entire publishing company and let him ship a book solo ● Distribution is the last human moat: why creativity and authenticity are what AI keeps failing at ● The AI productivity trap: working 18-hour days, thinking less, producing more mediocre output faster ● Why he wrote a sleep book for founders, and what chronic bad sleep does to your brain in the long term Joakim's new book available now: https://sleepagain.co

    1hr 5min
  8. TWIG #379: Roblox's Age Problem, Xbox Game Pass & Pokemon's 30th Takeover

    16 APR

    TWIG #379: Roblox's Age Problem, Xbox Game Pass & Pokemon's 30th Takeover

    A lot happened this week in games. Kids are outsmarting Roblox's age verification, Xbox is cracking under its own pricing, and Pokémon is running laps around everyone else's marketing. Topics Covered: ● Roblox age tiers: Three new segments, parental controls, and why lawsuits from 8 states still aren't the biggest threat● AAA dominance debate: Is the top 20 really losing ground, or is Newzoo misleading everyone?● Xbox Game Pass: A leaked memo, two price hikes in 15 months, and ad-supported tiers on the horizon● Borderlands Mobile: A surprise US stealth launch with no monetization and onboarding straight out of 2018● Pokémon's 30th: Five games in nine months, a Super Bowl ad, Tiffany collabs, and a masterclass in franchise marketing● Destiny Rising: NetEase guts its monetization after an 80% revenue drop - too little too late? CHAPTERS: 02:26 Boss Mode Nomination 04:49 Twig Jr Roblox Shill 09:04 AAA Dominance Debate 15:47 Roblox Age Tiers 18:21 Roblox Safety and Workarounds 22:45 Roblox Stock and Regulation Risk 28:50 AI Tools and Kids Next 32:01 Xbox Internal Memo Leak 37:57 Borderlands Mobile Stealth Drop 42:21 Gameplay Praise Franchise Doubts 46:29 Pokemon Champions Cross Platform Push 51:20 Pokemon 30th Marketing Blitz 55:57 Destiny Rising Monetization Pivot 58:14 Wrap Up Life Updates Florida

    1hr 2min
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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
    780
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Deconstructor of Fun
  • Show Website
    Deconstructor of Fun

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