Deconstructor of Fun

Deconstructor of Fun
  • 4.4 (102)
  • 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. Puzzle Monthly #3: Merge vs Match-3, Gossip Harbor's Rise, and the Future of Merge

    2d ago

    Puzzle Monthly #3: Merge vs Match-3, Gossip Harbor's Rise, and the Future of Merge

    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 Candy Crush while Merge Mansion collapsed ● The no-fail-state problem and how live ops try to solve it ● Board clutter, storage frustration, and persistent board design ● Sensor Tower data: Travel Town vs Gossip Harbor vs Merge Mansion ● Hard order labeling and whether Match 3 lessons apply to Merge ● What the next Merge game should look like CHAPTERS: 01:07 Merge Takes Center Stage 02:07 Origins of Merge Games 02:38 Merge Two vs Three 03:48 Core Loop Explained 06:03 Merge Mansion vs Gossip Harbor 07:54 Live Ops Without Fail States 09:40 Why Merge Feels Boring 11:51 Progress and Board Order 15:45 Dog Quest and Board Clutter 17:45 Persistent Boards and Storage 19:24 Monetization Paradox 20:11 What's Next for Merge 21:28 Soap Opera and Generator Ideas 22:12 Persistence Makes UX Hard 22:48 Persistent Boards Shift 23:32 Making Merge Feel Dynamic 24:28 Separate Boards Live Ops 25:06 Lucky Catch Event Design 26:02 Battle Pass Segmentation 26:38 Why Gossip Harbor Won 28:17 Merge Engine Under Hood 36:24 Next Genre Innovations 39:00 Cannibalization By Sequels 40:53 Hard Labeling For Orders 43:13 Generator Overcharge Ideas 44:04 Future Focus Areas 44:48 Wrap Up And Farewell

    46 min
  2. TWIG #387: LiftOff IPO, Xbox pulls out the bangers, and The Simpsons take over Monopoly GO!

    5d ago

    TWIG #387: LiftOff IPO, Xbox pulls out the bangers, and The Simpsons take over Monopoly GO!

    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 back● Fable, Gears, Persona 6, and Minecraft Dungeons 2● Nintendo Direct's biggest announcements● The growing mystery of missing Mario● Why Nintendo investors are getting nervous● Paramount's new gaming division● TMNT, Star Trek, Avatar, and Marvel projects● Why Hollywood struggles to make games● The missing mobile strategy at Paramount● Apple IDFA rumors and what they mean for UA● The future of AppLovin, Meta, and Google adsCHAPTERS:01:36 Minecraft Summer Parenting03:22 Quick Correction Bond Sales05:18 Liftoff IPO Breakdown06:41 UA Ecosystem and AppLovin08:37 Private Equity Red Flags10:41 Simpsons Takes Monopoly Go11:53 Why the Crossover Works15:20 UA Reactivation and Celebs19:12 Apple’s App Store Purge21:54 Xbox Showcase and Strategy25:57 Xbox Margin Unlock26:38 Platform Strategy Risks27:29 Minecraft Sales Reality28:30 Nintendo Direct Highlights30:42 Where Is 3D Mario36:12 Paramount Games Revealed38:17 Execution Over Press41:48 Mobile Missing Piece43:19 IDFA Rumor Rant46:20 If IDFA Returned48:10 Rumor Season Noise50:24 Closing The Episode

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

    Jun 8

    $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

    Jun 5

    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. TWIG #386: CoD MW4 Revealed, Sony's State of Play, Bungie's End and 007 First Light

    Jun 4

    TWIG #386: CoD MW4 Revealed, Sony's State of Play, Bungie's End and 007 First Light

    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 female lead, and first-party sales in freefall ●  Why Sony killed PlayStation games on PC and whether that math makes sense ●  Xbox's content problem and why Matthew Ball won't fix it ●  Summer Game Fest and the new platform are trying to make marketing spend attributable ●  Niko Partners Asia and MENA report; 13 markets, $103B by 2030 ●  Why Western publishers still can't crack Asia ●  Female gamers now make up nearly half the market in regions that were 80% male five years ago ●  007 First Light, 1.5M units at launch, but does it pencil at $200M dev spend? ●  Bungie layoffs, end of Destiny 2, and what happens to the studio next ●  Forza 6 at 5M units and why the racing genre is basically spoken for CHAPTERS: 01:52 Banter 02:55 Roundtables And Updates 06:01 Modern Warfare 4 Reveal 09:11 Dropping Old Gen Support 11:56 GTA Pricing Side Debate 14:16 Branding And Korea Setting 16:25 State Of Play Highlights 18:18 Sony Sales Charts Breakdown 19:04 PC Ports And Platform Math 26:43 Xbox Strategy Argument 30:03 Microsoft Content Crisis 30:55 Summer Game Fest Schedule 31:46 Player.gg Marketing Hub 35:49 Niko Asia MENA Report 38:02 D2C Mini Games AI 40:56 China Growth Debate 43:28 Why West Fails Asia 47:58 Racing Market Locked 50:44 Bond Game Economics 55:11 Bungie Layoffs Fallout

    1 hr

  6. Jun 1

    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
  7. TWIG #385: $100M for Indies, Lilith Goes Casino, Google Play Changes and Toon Blast Breaks Bad

    May 28

    TWIG #385: $100M for Indies, Lilith Goes Casino, Google Play Changes and Toon Blast Breaks Bad

    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 studios closed, 80 projects canceled ● Google Play's AI-powered game discovery and what it means for your ASO strategy ● Why keyword stuffing is dead and how to write for Gemini ● Clash of Critters: Lilith's pachinko-core creature collector and the casualization of mid-core ● Why Chinese studios didn't invent advanced casual — they just perfected it ● Monopoly Go's decline and what levers Scopely has left ● Coin Master Board Adventure vs Monopoly Go, is there any real competition? ● Toon Blast's Gus Fring campaign and whether celebrity UA still moves the needle ● Why re-onboarding lapsed players matters as much as acquiring new ones CHAPTERS: 01:39 Banter Roblox and Xbox Takes 02:47 Roundtable Events and Consulting Talk 05:14 Quick Correction It Takes Two 07:20 Google I O Play Updates 10:58 ASO SEO for AI Debate 14:01 Griffin Fund for Indies 17:57 Why VC Math Broke 21:10 Embracer Splits Again 24:13 Embracer Fallout and Asset Timeline 29:02 Mobile Game Data Setup 29:30 Lilith Clash of Critters Deep Dive 30:25 Portfolio Reality Check 30:49 Grim Metrics Decline 31:33 Pachinko Creature Collector 32:35 Gacha And Meta Layers 35:27 Why It Works Now 38:01 Advanced Casual Debate 41:19 Graphics And Monetization 44:25 Coin Master Vs Monopoly Go 48:08 Franchising And Growth Levers 55:38 Toon Blast Celebrity UA 01:00:21 Wrap Up And Next Week

    1h 1m
  8. The Brutal Truth About Gaming Consulting Nobody Talks About

    May 25

    The Brutal Truth About Gaming Consulting Nobody Talks About

    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, and why it's harder than it looks● How to avoid "doing yourself out of a job" when you succeed● The pipeline trap: when to walk away from a lead● Equity vs. cash: the risk of taking options over fees● Why fractional work is the key to staying sharp● How to build your personal brand before you need it● Who consulting is NOT for

    1h 4m
See All (793)

4.4
out of 5
102 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
    793
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Deconstructor of Fun
  • Show Website
    Deconstructor of Fun

You Might Also Like