Deconstructor of Fun
596 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 84 ratingsDeconstructor 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 @mkatkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress @ekress
www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Laura Taranto @laurataranto www.linkedin.com/in/laurataranto/
Phillip Black @econosopher www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe @Jen_Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support
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Episodes
Finding Success with a Sex-Positive Game Hook Up
August 12, 2022 18:06 - 1 hour - 60 MBIt may be unthinkable for the Deconstructor of Fun audience, but people are still finding success with premium mobile games in 2022. It all depends on your aspirations and what your goals are. In this episode, Ethan Levy interviews fledgling game designer Sophie Artemigi whose freshman debut, the sex-positive Hook Up The Game found chart-topping premium game success on the App Store thanks to clever Tik Tok marketing and a Pride Month feature. We talk about the challenges Sophie faced along ...
TWIG #195 AppLovin's game of musical chairs I JamCity's infamous layoffs I Roblox misses estimates
August 11, 2022 05:59 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBSeufert is back from Europe and has a couple of words regarding last week’s analysis of the Hypercasual games' economy following Google’s ad changes. We’ll deep dive into AppLovin’s gangster move. JamCity’s massive layoffs and Roblox’s bookings miss. The gang also discusses why Blizzard and NetEase scrapped Warcraft Mobile and PlayStation Mobile’s hiring spree. hosts: Eric Seufert, Ethan Levy, Adam Telfer --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffu...
Art Directors Reveal the Secrets to Successful Art Outsourcing
August 08, 2022 06:11 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBArt outsourcing can become a game changer or a hopeless money sink. To discuss how to outsource art in the smartest and most effective way, the Deconstructor of Fun podcast was joined by Silver Saaremäel, co-founder and Art Director of a boutique art outsourcing studio Fantastic Vagabonds (ex-Wooga & Crytek), and Kshiraj Telang, Art Director from Moon Active (ex-King and Rovio). --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support
TWiG #194 The implications of Google's new ad policies / the 3-steps to make a successful free-to-play game
August 03, 2022 18:47 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBSpecial guest star, Matej Lancaric, a household name in the user acquisition circles and a podcaster extraordinaire (Two and a Half Gamers) joins the TWiG crew to give his view on Google’s latest Play Store policies and Apple’s new ad placements for advertisers. We also discuss whether Rockstar can get their culture less toxic and whether that will impact their super violent franchises. And we discuss if you really can make a great free-to-play game with just three steps... the Gamescom eve...
Tokenomics #13: How Hollywood star’s love of WoW led to creation of Armored Kingdom
August 01, 2022 12:28 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBYou know her from TV (That 70’s Show, Family Guy), Film (Book of Eli, Black Swan), and have probably even heard of her hit NFT collections (Stone Cats, The Gimmicks). But did you know that Hollywood star Mila Kunis is a closet World of Warcraft addict? And that her love of WoW has led directly to the creation of a brand new, Web3-powered gaming IP in the Armored Kingdom? Along with her raid party turned production and design team, she is working to build a new fantasy universe on the Near pr...
How a Games Industry Pro Leads Product at Peloton Interactive
July 29, 2022 05:25 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBAs you may guess from his dadtastic body, the host Ethan Levy is a big fan of Peloton’s bike and fitness platform. That’s why he literally jumped at the chance to speak with Jim Green of Peloton Interactive about the present and future of gamified fitness on the Peloton platform. The two discuss Jim’s background in Facebook and mobile free-to-play, his transition to a Product role within a non-gaming org, the testing, launch, and reception of Peloton’s first game, the Guitar Hero-inspired ...
TWiG #193 Lets talk about the Crypto Winter!
July 27, 2022 18:44 - 1 hour - 66.8 MBEthan Levy is back to talk about the crypto Winter giving us an update from his blockchain snow castle. In addition to the latest high-school basketball news, Eric Kress analyzes Snap’s shares plunge. Mishka Katkoff discusses the pros and cons of having a transparent salary structure in a gaming company. And we discuss Netflix Games once again after receiving some insights on what the future portfolio might look like… Signup for DoF x Phoenix Games x Naavik Gamescom party in Cologne on 25th...
TWIG #192 Tesla enters gaming / Netflix latest gaming veteran hires / E3 returns on-site
July 21, 2022 19:58 - 55 minutes - 51.3 MBThe crew returns back to Unity’s merger with ironSource as Eric Seufert offers his view of the deal. There’s a conversation about the latest government ruling not to regulate loot boxes. Talk about Tesla’s new gaming initiative and Netflix’s latest batch of gaming veteran hires. We also talk about E3’s return to in-person events and what we can expect from it. Hosts: Eric Kress, Eric Seufert, Laura Taranto --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroff...
TWIG #192 Tesla enters gaming / Netflix latest gaming veteran hires / InnoGames publishes salary bands
July 21, 2022 19:58 - 55 minutes - 51.3 MBThe crew returns back to Unity’s merger with ironSource as Eric Seufert offers his view of the deal. There’s a conversation about the latest government ruling not to regulate loot boxes. Talk about Tesla’s new gaming initiative. InnoGame’s approach to publishing salary bands and Netflix’s latest batch of gaming veteran hires. We also talk about E3’s return to in-person events and what we can expect from it. Hosts: Eric Kress, Eric Seufert, Laura Taranto --- Send in a voice message: https...
Tokenomics #12 How UnCaged Studios combines Web3 and esports while building its custom platform
July 20, 2022 10:16 - 1 hour - 81.2 MBUnCaged Studios is pioneering AAA-quality Web3 gaming. Co-founded by seasoned Web3 and gaming experts, the studio has over a hundred years of combined experience designing and developing high production value, immersive gaming experiences with sustainable economies. Through its own platform, Game OS, the studio’s first release is an esports franchise called MonkeyLeague. In addition, UnCaged leverages Game OS to co-develop with and support game studios by providing core technical functionali...
TWiG 191 Is remote work killing your studio's efficiency? / HOT take on Unity x ironSource
July 14, 2022 19:51 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBWith so many new games delayed the crew has their long-awaited debate on what is the optimal way of working for game studios. On-site, hybrid, or fully remote. Eric Kress whales on GameStop, which went full “crypto bro” in the middle of the crypto Winter. And gives his hyperbolic analysis of Unity’s merger with ironSource. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xsolla, Recur Hosts: Laura Taranto, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Mishka Katkoff --- Support this podcas...
TWIG #190 What has happened to all the video games?
July 08, 2022 05:53 - 42 minutes - 39 MBIn this episode, Laura talks about why games are being delayed and whether mobile games suffer from it as much as PC and console games. We also discuss what the metaverse is. Analyze the impact of Samsung Gaming Hub coming to Xbox. And Eric Kress does doom and gloom updates on the mobile market. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xsolla, Recur Hosts: Laura Taranto, Eric Kress and Eric Seufert --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/...
What the heck is going on? Discussing the gaming megatrends with Hemal Thaker (Goldman Sachs) and Kartik Prabhakara (Aream)
July 04, 2022 18:40 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBConsolidation, IDFA, metverse, Web3 and now a recession… During just the last couple of years, we’ve seen some wild phenomena affect the games industry: First, lockdowns caused engagement spikes. Second, we saw a streak of consolidations with record-breaking deals. Third, the impact of the privacy changes started taking effect, all the while as the crypto boom turned into crypto winter... Today, the industry is influenced by some very interesting trends and headwinds: We are facing a globa...
TWiG #189 Is Blizzard back on track? Why did Miniclip acquire Sybo? Why standards for open metaverse is risky?
June 30, 2022 19:53 - 55 minutes - 51.8 MBHold on to your AirPods because we have more than a full house on this episode. There’s no more doom and gloom. Mishka and Seufert drop teasers for two upcoming parties. We analyze if Blizzard is “back”. Talk Stumbel Guys, Fall Guys, Sybo and Clash Quest. And take the episode home by talking about the master plan behind creating standards for open metaverse interoperability. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xsolla, Recur Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Adam Telfer, L...
TWiG #188 Surviving the mobile marketing winter / Netflix mobile titles seen only 13m downloads / return of the Crypto Corner
June 23, 2022 16:10 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MBThe team discusses Riot joining Microsoft’s GamePass. Talks about the $24M made by Diablo Immortal after the first two weeks. Reviews the abysmal number of downloads Netflix games has racked up to date. Dives deep into how to survive the mobile marketing winter. And with Ethan back on the podcast, covers your most essential crypto updates, as the wheels are coming off the first iteration of blockchain games. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xsolla, Recur Host...
Going Beyond User Acquisition - the Curious Case of Dice Dreams
June 21, 2022 21:40 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBEvery successful mobile games story is different and offers something unique for the industry to learn from, and the story of SuperPlay and Dice Dreams is no different. In this episode, I had the privilege of sitting down with Noam Banon, the CMO of Superplay, to talk about how their game Dice Dreams was able to find success in the highly competitive mobile games market. I was also lucky enough to get Sumit Chandel from Google to join the conversation and provide insights on how he’s seen ga...
Going Beyond User Acquisition - the curious case of Dice Dreams
June 21, 2022 21:40 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBEvery scaling story is different and offers something valuable for the industry to learn from. The story of Superplay and Dice Dreams is no different. We had the privilege to sit down with Noam Banon, CMO of SuperPlay, to talk about how their game Dice Dreams was able to find success in the highly competitive mobile games market of today. And we were lucky to get Sumit Chandel from Google to join the conversation to talk about the way that game developers unlock growth with Firebase’s wide ...
Tokenomics #11 Inside Illuvium’s $72m Land Sale with Economy Designer Khalid Alroumi
June 17, 2022 07:34 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBAgainst the backdrop of a crypto winter that has many a team re-evaluating their go-to-market plan, Illuvium pressed ahead with their land NFT sale, taking in over $72m in a well-organized, well run, low-gas fee land sale. In today’s episode, we go deep inside Illuvium with System and Economy Designer Khalid Alroumi. In this wide-ranging talk, we get an inside look at Illuvium and the many challenges the team faces as it works to forge a long-term sustainable, multi-game, token-based economy...
TWIG #187 Spending $100k in Diablo Immortal / Saudi Arabia's grab of Embracer
June 16, 2022 13:16 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBThis was a BIG week for console and PC games. We talk about Diablo 4, Modern Warfare 2, Overwatch 2, Stormgate... We got our first take on all of them. We also discuss Summer Game Fest, Saudi Arabia's $1B investment into Embracer, and how to optimally spend a massive stack of cash in Diablo Immortal. As always, we kick off the episode with corrections. Keep the (anonymous) feedback coming and we'll keep correcting ourselves. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xso...
TWIG #187 Discussing the announced PC/Console blockbusters / Spending $100k in Diablo Immortal / Saudi Arabia's grab of Embracer
June 16, 2022 13:16 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBThis was a BIG week for console and PC games. We talk about Diablo 4, Modern Warfare 2, Overwatch 2, Stormgate... We got our first take on all of them. We also discuss Summer Game Fest, Saudi Arabia's $1B investment into Embracer, and how to optimally spend a massive stack of cash in Diablo Immortal. As always, we kick off the episode with corrections. Keep the (anonymous) feedback coming and we'll keep correcting ourselves. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xso...
Building Supercell Under the Sun with Massimo Caporale, CPO at Bandai Namco Mobile
June 12, 2022 15:08 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBA couple of months ago we covered BANDAI NAMCO’s new studio in Barcelona assessing their 4-day work weeks, lack of hierarchy, and deadlines (you can read our analysis here). We concluded that it all sounded almost too good to succeed. Well, Massimo Caporale, who heads mobile publishing at the BANDAI NAMCO Mobile, heard our analysis and wanted to come on the podcast to elaborate more and share what they've learned thus far from building what many call the Supercell under the Barcelona sun. Ku...
TWIG #186 Inside the decline of mobile games market / The impact of updates to Apple's SKAd Network
June 10, 2022 08:37 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBAdam does a light dive on Diabo Immortal after playing it intensively since launch. Eric Kress breaks down the decline of the mobile games market by looking at the performance of top genres and titles. Eric Seufert analyzes Apple's update to SKAd Network. The crew also talks E3, Pokemon Go passing $6 billion in lifetime revenue, and Summer Game Fest with Geoff Keighlye. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xsolla, Recur Hosts: Eric Kress, Adam Telfer, Eric Seufe...
Tokenomics #10 Writing a Kickass Whitepaper with Void Runners’ spacedog
June 07, 2022 15:28 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBThough veteran game designer spacedog chooses to remain anonymous, trust us, you've played some of the hit free-to-play games she has contributed to. As one of the developers behind the upcoming blockchain game Void Runners, spacedog recently authored the whitepaper for the game and iterated on it in public with her discord community. In this interview, we discuss Void Runners, the considerations behind writing a whitepaper for your game, and what it's like to work on your game’s design in ...
Battle Passes - Everything You Ought to Know and Then Some
June 06, 2022 10:18 - 1 hour - 80.4 MBThe most comprehensive breakdown of the Battle Pass system in games. This analysis discusses best practices, biggest fumbles, and optimal ways to price and balance Battle Pass in your game. Host and Guest: Mishka Katkoff & Javier Barnes Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xsolla, Recur --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support
TWIG #185 Analysis of Sony's investor day / The $222 billion gaming market vs. global rececession
June 02, 2022 20:31 - 54 minutes - 50.6 MBThis episode is all about headwinds. The crew discusses the global mobile gaming market, which is according to Data.ai set to hit $222 billion this year. Eric Kress dissects Sony’s investor day. The crew also predicts Apex Mobile’s success, marvels Diablo Immortal, and discusses Catalyst Black as an example of why MOBAs just don’t work in the West. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Xsolla, Recur --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sho...
In-Game Ads for Console and PC Games - Opportunity or Threat?
May 30, 2022 11:43 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBLately, there's been a lot of talk about Xbox building an advertising program and the implications this program may have on both business and players. We're joined by Dave Madden, President of PlayerWON, to discuss the best practices for in-game ads within PC and console games. Dave has plenty of insights to share as his company, PlayerWON, is the pioneer of in-game ads in the free-to-play console and PC games. Links: Dave Madden, PlayerWON, Deconstructor of Fun --- Support this podcast:...
TWIG #184 Why EA is not for sale / TikTok’s push into gaming / Snap’s lower guidance
May 26, 2022 19:06 - 1 hour - 64.2 MBEric Kress dismantles the rumors of EA being for sale. Eric Seufert analyzes Snap's multiple lowered guidances. Laura Taranto looks into TikTok's push into gaming. Team also discusses recent two big mobile launches: APEX Legends from EA and Dislyte from Lilith. And what would be a TWIG episode without hearing the latest of Kress' son's basketball life... Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsolla, Recur --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.sp...
Tokenomics #9 Understanding the WAX blockchain with gaming veteran Michael Rubinelli
May 25, 2022 19:21 - 55 minutes - 51 MBBefore he joined L1 solution WAX as their Chief Gaming Officer, Michael Rubinelli had a long and accomplished career in gaming. Spanning companies including EA, THQ, Midway, Take Two, Disney, and Kixeye, Michael’s career has taken him across many gaming platforms and business model transitions. In this interview, we talk about how WAX is the L1 solution purpose-built for gaming, the challenges of transitioning to blockchain gaming, the success WAX Studios has seen with Blockchain Brawlers as...
Deep Dive into A16Z's GAMES FUND ONE
May 22, 2022 05:46 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBThe $600M GAMES FUND ONE, a16z’s inaugural fund dedicated to building the future of the games industry. A16Z has been investing in games for over a decade being the investor of the likes of Zynga and Oculus. We're joined by Jonathan Lai, General Partner at A16Z to discuss what makes GAMES FUND ONE stand out from the rest of the gaming and interactive media funds. Jonathan also breaks down what verticals the new fund is going after and how the fund evaluates founders. We also discuss the ...
TWIG #183 Ubisoft's bet on mobile / AppLovin's masterful earnings report / the problem with braintrusts
May 20, 2022 04:26 - 58 minutes - 54.2 MBWe discuss why Ubisoft shifts attention to mobile amidst declining sales. Kress provides a breakdown of the AppLovin quarterly review, where the company put on a show of the ages and got rewarded with a 35% growth in their stock price. We talk about Bethesda's delayed games and the implication of this. Adam breaks down why brain trust, which sounds so amazing on paper, rarely if ever works in real life. Links: Questions and Feedback Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsolla, Recur...
Tokenomics #9 The Collapse of the Terra Ecosystem Explained
May 18, 2022 19:54 - 51 minutes - 48.1 MBIf you’ve been following crypto news over the past few weeks, you’ve undoubtedly seen plenty about the dramatic collapse of the Terra ecosystem against the backdrop of the onset of crypto winter. 30 days ago, $LUNA was at $81.45 and is now under $0.0002. $UST was at $1.00. and is now $0.09. Today we are joined by special guest Kenrick Drijkoningen, General Partner at Play Ventures and an early investor in Terra to explain the collapse of Terra, and how this collapse should influence the choi...
How to Get Bang for Your Buck with Influencers featuring Chief Pat
May 17, 2022 06:51 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBPatrick Carney (aka. Chief Pat) is the founder and CEO of Tribe Gaming, an esports and influencer company for mobile games with over 100M monthly views on YouTube. Together with Pat, we talk about how to be successful with influencer marketing on YouTube. We discuss finding the right influencer for your game and how to get these influencers to talk about your game in an authentic way. Pat also analyzes the impact of IDFA on the demand for influencer marketing. Tribe Gaming works with the l...
TWIG #182 Crypto crash and blockchain gaming / Explaining FIFA's breakup with EA
May 12, 2022 14:57 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBWe discuss the crash of crypto and how it affects blockchain gaming. Dive deep into Space Ape's development process and compare it to the one Wooga used to unsuccessfully follow before the Playtika acquisition. Kress explains why FIFA is the one to lose out after the breakup with EA. Links: Questions and Feedback The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsolla --- Support this podcast: https...
Tokenomics #8 Premium Utility NFTs and How to Build a Tokenized Community
May 11, 2022 10:33 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBThe recent launch of Moonbirds is shaping up to be the best NFT drop of 2022 yielding up to $280M. In this episode, we dive into why it worked so well, as well as the lessons learned and actionable takeaways for gaming. The premium of Utility NFTs is growing rapidly, and we’re witnessing the growth in real-time with innovative projects like Moonbirds that build upon previous successful projects. Aligning communities, creators, tokens, and value is how you onboard people to crypto and build...
TWIG #181 Embracers shopping spree continues / Blizzard launches Warcraft Clash
May 05, 2022 20:06 - 1 hour - 60 MBWe discuss the mixed reviews of APEX Mobile. Congratulate Bernard Kim on his latest baller move. Doom Warcraft mobile. In this episode Kress also ponders why NewZoo keeps triggering him. Seufert updates us on the latest anti-trust charges Apple is facing. Links: Questions and Feedback The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsolla --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/p...
Blockchain Gaming with the Web3 Pioneer, Shahaf Bar Geffen
May 01, 2022 15:30 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBShahaf started a company called ominously Web3 back in 2006. Since then he has been at the forefront of the adaptation of blockchain technology first within finance and now within games as the President of UnCaged Studios. In this episode, we discuss the reasons why blockchain and crypto broke into the mainstream last year. Why do investors remain bullish about blockchain gaming despite massive security hacks and lack of audience growth? As well as what is the most important part when asses...
Blockchain Gaming with the Web3 OG, Shahaf Bar Geffen
May 01, 2022 15:30 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBShahaf started a company called ominously Web3 back in 2006. Since then he has been at the forefront of the adaptation of blockchain technology first within finance and now within games as the President of UnCaged Studios. In this episode, we discuss the reasons why blockchain and crypto broke into the mainstream last year. Why do investors remain bullish about blockchain gaming despite massive security hacks and lack of audience growth? As well as what is the most important part when asses...
TWIG #180 Why private equities are eying Ubisoft / Epic Games CEO's take on the metaverse, crypto, and antitrust
April 28, 2022 16:32 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBKress gets triggered by Newzoo's new report about the state of esports and live streaming. The team discusses ex-Riot and ex-Blizzard founding teams. Recap of why advertising in console games is not a good idea. Our take on Diablo Immportal coming to mobile and PC and analysis of why private equities are eying Ubisoft. Links: Questions and Feedback The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsol...
How a gaming executive Chris Heatherly red-pilled on crypto and joined Recur
April 25, 2022 09:23 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBChris Heatherly’s long and accomplished career in the games industry spans toys, MMOs, mobile, free-to-play, and VR and includes work on some of the biggest brands in the world. He spent over 14 years at Disney where he worked on everything from leading smash-hit kid’s MMO Club Penguin, to leading their mobile initiative, to leading their toys business. After Disney, he joined NBCU to launch their games business where he developed games using world-famous brands including Jurassic Park, foll...
TWIG #179 Xbox games get ads, Huuuge Games gets a co-CEO and World of Warcraft receives a new expansion
April 21, 2022 09:18 - 58 minutes - 54.2 MBHeated take on the mobile market downturn. Discussion about Microsoft's move into the in-game ads business. What does a co-CEO mean for Huuuge games and why does the newest World of Warcraft expansion matters. Links: Questions and Feedback The Newsletter The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, Xsolla --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/support
TWIG #178 Why mobile games spending dropped in Q1/22
April 14, 2022 15:30 - 1 hour - 60 MBNews: Meta’s Horizon worlds monetization Sensor Tower: Q1 2022 mobile games spending dropped 7.1% to $21 billion Metaverse Articles (NFT Avatars, DOgs, and Epic + LEGO Metaverse) Check out: Avatar Platform for Cross-App Metaverse with Timmu Tõke, CEO of Ready Player Me, and Javier Barne's exquisite talk on game economies Links: Questions and Feedback The Newsletter The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponsors: Google, ironS...
Inside Overwolf with Uri Marchand, co-founder and CEO of Overwolf and Lee McNeil founder and CEO of Tebex
April 11, 2022 18:14 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBI'll be honest. Before sitting down with Uri Marchand the most I knew about Overwolf is the ridiculous story that the company is going full remote and setting up their offices in the metaverse of Roblox. Based on that Roblox story I knew we'd hit it off. After all, I too love pranking Web3 fanatics. I'm happy I got to talk to Uri and Lee McNeil. There are simply no better people to discuss user-generated content. These two gentlemen have been a vital part of the modding industry that is no...
TWIG #177 E3 is canclled / Why Netflix should sell ads / the latest from the EA's Glu merger
April 07, 2022 10:02 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBNews: With E3 2022 Canceled, Is It Time to Cancel E3 for Good? Gaming agency Loaded raises $20M in funding Why Netflix Should Sell Ads Links: The Istanbul Event Questions and Feedback The Newsletter The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon HELP UKRAINIANS: For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, or the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assista...
Tokenomics #7 Axie Infinity’s $625m Hack Explained
April 06, 2022 09:23 - 52 minutes - 48 MBIt’s the biggest hack in crypto history. As reported in The Verge et all, a hacker stole $625 million from the blockchain behind NFT game Axie Infinity. In this episode, we wanted to really dig into the mechanics of the Ronin sidechain, the Ronin bridge, and the likely form the attack took in order to explain the hack in simple, easy to understand terms. We end up referencing Ocean’s 11… a lot. We also bring crypto-gaming news updates from the past two weeks, including fundraising rounds fr...
TWIG #176 LIVE from Istanbul featuring a Special Guest Star
April 03, 2022 17:45 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBThis episode was recorded live at the end of the first Deconstructor of Fun event. Major thanks for Google for powering the event. All the videos from the event can be found here: (www.deconstructoroffun.com/blog/2022/4/3/deconstructor-of-funs-istanbul-event-highlights) News: Sony officially unveils its revamped three-tier PlayStation Plus subscription service Apple struggles with Netherlands court could lead to a major shift Links: The Istanbul Event Questions and Feedback The Newsle...
How Wooga's Switchcraft Aced the Soft Launch!
March 29, 2022 09:58 - 1 hour - 85.2 MBMany of us know how to develop a game. Many of us are experienced in running live operations. Yet only a few of us truly know how to successfully navigate through a soft launch and ship a modern mobile game. In this episode, Annelie Biernat (Game Director at Wooga) and Aaron Hiscox (Business Development Manager at Google Play) shared their insights and learnings on how to successfully complete a soft launch in today's market. Links: Questions and Feedback The Newsletter The Slack Group ...
Tokenomics #6 The Bored Apes $450M Pitch Deck for an MMO
March 25, 2022 07:29 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBIf you’ve been following the blockchain space, the “blue chip” NFT project Bored Ape Yacht Club is inescapable. And as BAYC owner Yugalabs has progressed, it is clear that gaming is central to their future ambitions. There’s been a flurry of news recently, from their partnership with Animoca Brands to P2E game Benji Bananas to the launch of ApeCoin and the leaked investor deck pitching their big metaverse play. In today’s episode, we go deep on the investor deck, look into our crystal balls,...
TWIG #175 Bored Ape Yacht Club raises $450M for an MMO / Are fully remote studios just a fad?
March 24, 2022 08:12 - 1 hour - 62.3 MBNews: Bored Ape Yacht Club creator raises $450 million to build an NFT metaverse CD Projekt confirm The Witcher is coming back for a new game Sony Interactive Entertainment To Acquire Haven Entertainment Studios Inc. Links: The Istanbul Event Questions and Feedback The Newsletter The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponsors: Google, ironSource, Appsflyer, PlayerWon HELP UKRAINIANS: For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Hu...
The Secret Sauce of Scaling Successfully with Joshua Wilson, CEO of SciPlay
March 22, 2022 19:18 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBJoshua Wilson is the CEO of SciPlay, a publicly-traded gaming company with a strong social casino portfolio. In this episode, we discuss the CEO's role in building a culture and how to successfully continue scaling an organization with hundreds of employees worldwide. We also get to talk about what's the best and the worst thing about being a CEO of a publicly-traded games company. Links: The Istanbul Event Questions and Feedback The Newsletter The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff S...
TWIG #174 Daddy's Back!
March 17, 2022 07:07 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBHELP UKRAINIANS: For refugees fleeing to Poland: Polish Humanitarian Action, or the Polish Center for International Aid. For medical assistance on the ground in Ukraine: Médecins Sans Frontières or the Ukrainian Red Cross. News: NFT game sales hit $5.17B in 2021 FIFA Ultimate Team cards aren’t gambling, Dutch court says Links: The Istanbul Event Questions and Feedback The Newsletter The Slack Group Hosts: Mishka Katkoff, Eric Kress, Adam Telfer and Ethan Levy, Eric Seufert Sponso...