How Games Make Money
43 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -How Games Make Money is a podcast where host and GamesBeat editor Jeff Grubb talks to people in and around the business of video games. The purpose of each episode is to find out how different people are bringing in cash from games. Jeff talks with developers, publishers, executives, content creators, tool makers, and more.
Look for new episodes every Friday.
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Episodes
How devs can more intelligently spend money to make money
November 24, 2021 19:39 - 25 minutes - 29.5 MBAdam Lieb sits down with me to talk about GameSight, which is a performance marketing company for the rest of us. While performance marketing has dominated mobile gaming, it’s coming late to the traditional console and PC space. GameSight tries to connect data from various resources to determine how spending money can make developers and publishers even more money – but it brings in that data from places like television ads and other traditional avenues for marketing.
How Serenity Forge ships physical games when China runs out of cardboard
October 13, 2021 17:24 - 29 minutes - 34.2 MBI talk with Z and Kevin Zhang of Serenity Forge, which is here in Colorado. I met these fellas back at a Denver Comic Con a few years ago, and now they have found themselves in the business of publishing physical games. Most recently, they distributed Doki Doki Literature Club+ into Targets and Walmarts around the world. And they have plans for more projects like that in the future. Discord Patreon
How empathy can make your game money
August 31, 2021 15:51 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBI talk to Steven Spohn and Dr. Chris Power from Able Gamers about their APX certification for game developers. This is a certification that teaches best practices for accessibility to game creators. Steven and Chris explain how those conversations with devs have changed over the last few years as well as the challenges they continue to face. APX Discord Patreon
How Plitch is trying to bring back game cheats
July 26, 2021 19:50 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBOn this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb speaks with one of the cofounders of Megadev, Robert Maroschik, about its game-cheat service Plitch. That is a subscription program that uses programs called "trainers" that can adjust the way games behave. But unlike similar programs, like Cheat Engine, Plitch takes out all of the guesswork. But while Plitch is simple, it faces a complicated landscape where game cheats are no longer part of the norm. Megadev wants to change that. Pl...
HOW SPLITGATE IS PREPPING FOR CROSSPLAY SUCCESS
June 22, 2021 16:24 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBDiscord Patreon I speak with 1047 cofounder Ian Proulx. Ian helped build 1047’s Splitgate competitive shooter that combines combat with a futuresport aesthetic. Splitgate is already available on PC, where it has gained a lot of traction. But now it is headed to console as well, and we talk about that process, self-publishing, and a lot more.
How to build a studio that builds a game about building cities
May 27, 2021 18:46 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBDiscord Patreon On this episode, Jeff Grubb speaks with Colossal Order chief executive officer Mariina Hallikainen about the studio’s city-building simulator Cities: Skylines, which is now six years old. Mariina and Jeff talk about supporting a game for more than half a decade as well as how things change when a game immediately surpasses its sales expectations.
How Intel is helping people fall in love with gaming laptops
May 13, 2021 19:59 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBDiscord Patreon On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb has a conversation with Intel's Joakim Algstam about the new Tiger Lake-H CPUs. These chips are speedy, great for gaming, and great for creation, and Intel is working with OEMs to build laptops that can serve all of those needs.
How Xbox will stream games to iOS with Rainway
April 19, 2021 19:06 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBDiscord Patreon Rainway + Xbox news On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb speaks with the CEO of streaming-technology company Rainway, Andrew Sampson. Rainway revealed this week that it is working with Microsoft to power the Xbox streaming solution to browsers on mobile devices. Sampson explains how that deal works and why Rainway is well positioned to deliver on that promise.
How Gamefam built its business around Roblox
April 02, 2021 15:59 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBDiscord Patreon On this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb talks to Joe Ferencz, chief executive officer of Gamefam, which is a studio that works exclusively on Roblox games. Ferencz started the company a few years ago with an idea of bringing traditional-game-development processes to the Roblox community. Now, Gamefam works directly with those creators to build the best and most lucrative versions of their Roblox games. We talk about all of that and more.
How Jake Randall can help you find a next-gen console
March 24, 2021 21:40 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBDiscord Patreon Jake Randall is a YouTuber who helps people get a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. His streams have resulted in a lot of success for people who just want to get into the next-gen but previously couldn't find the hardware. So now he sits down with Jeff Grubb to talk about what that is like.
How to bring Frostbite Engine to Nintendo Switch
March 02, 2021 00:14 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MBSupport this show on Patreon.com/jeffgrubb Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/qktBHjGG8W On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks to PopCap Vancouver producer Melvin Teo. The team at PopCap is porting Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville to the Nintendo Switch, and Teo explains what that process was like. That includes the challenges of bringing the Frostbite Engine that powers PVZ to the Switch for the first time. Teo also talks about working with a porting ...
How making games has changed over 30 years (w/ David Whatley)
February 05, 2021 19:58 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBSupport this show on Patreon.com/jeffgrubb Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/qktBHjGG8W David Whatley is the founder and chief executive officer of game developer Simutronics, which he founded out of his parents home in 1987. He built games back then that are still in active development today. Now, however, his team is working on a new mech shooter called Galahad 3093 that is getting an open test on Steam this Saturday, February 6.
How PUBG creative director Dave Curd keeps the game fun
December 14, 2020 23:25 - 23 minutes - 18.8 MBOn this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks to the new creative director on PUBG, Dave Curd. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is at a stage where it's continuing to build content for a loyal audience who have returned to the battle royale shooter for thousands of hours. But it also needs to appeal to any newcomers. Curd, however, doesn't view that as a two different goals. Instead, he thinks the answer is to make the game fun, and then listen to player feedback. He talks abou...
How Dead Cells lives on after the cooperative model
November 10, 2020 02:39 - 32 minutes - 44.9 MBOn this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb talks to Evil Empire chief executive officer Steve Filby about starting Evil Empire to take over development of Dead Cells. He also speaks about the advantages of the cooperative model and why Evil Empire is not using it.
Chris Person on saving Highlight Reel and going solo
October 21, 2020 00:30 - 40 minutes - 55.1 MBOn this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks to Highlight Reel host Chris Person about taking his show solo after Kotaku's owners nuked its video staff. Highlight Reel is now a YouTube channel that collects the most interesting and entertaining clips from the world of gaming and then presents them in a slick, Sportscenter-style package. It's great. Chris explains how he started the show and how he was able to take it with him when he left Kotaku. Support the show o...
How Tempo Storm is building the Bloomberg of esports
October 07, 2020 05:23 - 29 minutes - 27 MBOn this week's episode, host Jeffrey Grubb talks to Andrey “Reynad” Yanyuk, who is the chief executive officer of the esports organization Tempo Storm. He started out as a pro gamer, but he also equally embraced life as a content creator. Eventually, he started Tempo Storm and stepped into the CEO role to focus on creating a multimedia company that leverages the popularity of its talent both as competitors and as influencers. And now, after years of promoting other people’s games, Tempo Stor...
How Quadpay's payment plan works for buying Xbox and PS5
September 23, 2020 01:24 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBSupport the How Games Make Money Patreon Watch on YouTube Email: [email protected] (subject line: How Games Make Money) @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb Rate us on Apple Podcast Quadpay CEO Brad Lindenberg joins me to talk about hooking up with GameStop to help people pay off their purchases over time. As the name suggests, Quadpay enables customers to buy something online or in a store and then break up paying for those goods into four installments over a six week period. Quadpay is one of th...
Is the world's first PS4 owner ready for PS5?
September 14, 2020 21:48 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBSupport the How Games Make Money Patreon Watch on YouTube Email: [email protected] (subject line: How Games Make Money) @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb Rate us on Apple Podcast Joey Chiu joins the podcast as a guest this week. He is my friend and a gamer. He was also the first person to buy a PlayStation 4. If you go back to November 2013 and look for news stories from the launch of that console, you’ll find plenty about Joey waiting in line to get the first PS4 in New York City. I actua...
What it takes to run a game store and the Video Game History Foundation
September 02, 2020 14:29 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MBThank you for listening! Support the How Games Make Money Patreon Watch on YouTube Email: [email protected] (subject line: How Games Make Money) @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb Rate us on Apple Podcast Kelsey Lewin joins me to talk about running the Pink Gorilla game stores in the Seattle area. She explains what it takes to make that business work and how it has changed over the years. But Kelsey is also the co-director of the Video Game History Foundation, which dedicates itself to preservin...
Patreon and episode update
August 31, 2020 22:21 - 1 minute - 1.55 MBA quick update and the next episode and Patreon announcement. Please help support the show: https://patreon.com/hgmm
How security shaped gaming
August 25, 2020 00:10 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBOn this episode, host Jeff Grubb talks to ModernVintageGamer. He’s a YouTuber and game developer who works with Limited Run Games and Night Dive Studios. And he explains that weird amalgamation of job titles. But MVG also talks about homebrew and how security has shaped gaming since the NES.
What Xbox is doing to help the next generation of indie games
August 17, 2020 17:16 - 44 minutes - 36 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb (Let me know this week if you would be open to supporting a Patreon!) gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Chris Charla, the director of ID@Xbox, joins me to talk about bringing indie games onto the Xbox platform. Chris explains where that program is headed, but we also dive into how far it has come since the days of 50MB limits and publishing requirements on the early Xbox 360. I loved this conversation, and I hope you will to.
How games PR agents help developers protect themselves
August 10, 2020 04:49 - 58 minutes - 47.1 MBStephanie Tinsley joins me to talk about running public relations for a number of video game developers and publishers. Stephanie has her own shop where she provides a much-needed connection between the people who make games and the media as well as consumers. During our conversation, Stephanie and I talk about what it’s like to miss E3, teaching developers how to avoid big mistakes, and the similarities she sees in herself as a mom and a PR person. [email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrub...
How Thatgamecompany uses data to build a loving relationship with players
July 20, 2020 19:42 - 29 minutes - 23.3 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Tim Nixon, the director of online experience at Thatgamecompany, joins host Jeff Grubb to talk about designing Sky, which is the studio’s followup to Journey and Flower. Unlike those previous games, though, Sky is a live-service game that is meant to run for months and years. It has already had six seasons of content, and Tim explains how Thatgamecompany uses behavioral data to understand and buil...
How a GIF can sell a game
July 09, 2020 23:25 - 26 minutes - 21.2 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks with Stuart Morton, publishing director of indie publisher The Irregular Corporation. Morton and Irregular focus on producing simulation and tycoon style games. That includes PC Building Simulator and Balse Model Flight Sim from some of the creators of Kerbal Space Program. Morton explains how important it is to find a game that...
How a bootstrapping games startup makes money
June 26, 2020 19:07 - 30 minutes - 24.2 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts I talk to Jeffery Thompson, Jr. who is one of the founder of Epoch Media. Epoch is a gaming startup that is currently part of the ReaktorX accelerator program in Poland. And it is Jeff’s goal to become the first black American to get venture-capitalist funding in that country. We also talk about the racial biases he faces and whether we should have strong alternatives to the VC-funding system.
How Tonic Games Group Plans To Thrive On Live-Service Games
June 20, 2020 02:24 - 30 minutes - 24.4 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts This week I’m talking with Paul Croft and Dave Bailey from Mediatonic, which is sort of morphing into Tonic Games Group. Paul and Dave are cofounders of Mediatonic, which is an indie developer that does a lot of work-for-hire business. But now, the pair are building Tonic Games Group as an overarching publishing company to oversee multiple game-making labels. In our conversation, we talk about wha...
How does PC Gamer puts together its PC Gaming Show for E3?
June 12, 2020 08:02 - 31 minutes - 25.1 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts This is the How Games Make Money podcast. On for this episode, host Jeff Grubb speaks with PC Gamer editor-in-chief Evan Lahti about The PC Gaming Show. Every June for the last several years, PC Gamer packages together announcements from the world of PC gaming into one, slick presentation. But how does that work? Is it a big effort? And does it even make money? Evan and Jeff talk about all of th...
Why Brazil needs an indie game festival
June 01, 2020 21:15 - 30 minutes - 24.1 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts BIG Festival is Brazil's indie game celebration. It started eight years ago, and it's moving online for BIG Digital this year due to COVID-19. On this episode, host Jeff Grubb speaks with Eliana Russi and Gustavo Steinberg about running BIG Festival. They also explain what it's like to move it online and why Brazil needs something like BIG to establish its own voice.
How publishing indie games is like building a band
May 22, 2020 18:38 - 33 minutes - 26.5 MBGuillaume Jamet is the VP of publishing and marketing at Dear Villagers, which is the indie-publishing division of game-distribution company Plug-In Digital. Guillaume joins How Games Make Money host Jeff Grubb to talk about the kinds of studios he wants to work with. He also explains what Dear Villagers looks for in games. Join us, won't you?
How gaming YouTubers make money
May 15, 2020 14:15 - 30 minutes - 24.1 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts YouTuber and video producer Jake Baldino of Gameranx joins host Jeff Grubb this week to talk about that job. Jake explains how he came to accept the "YouTuber" job title over time. He also explains the back-and-forth relationship that Gameranx has with YouTube's algorithm, viewer expectations, and sponsorships. Join us, won't you? Theme music: Blippy Trance by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://inco...
How developers can still squeeze opportunity from a crowded mobile gaming market
May 08, 2020 00:08 - 25 minutes - 20.4 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb talks with Idil Canal, the general manager of Max at AppLovin. She oversees a product that enables developers to monetize their games with ads. She also explains how that process has improved over time and whether there's still room for innovation in mobile gaming. Join us, won't you? Theme music: Blippy Trance by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech...
How Xbox Game Pass freed Microsoft to make Gears Tactics
April 24, 2020 20:27 - 27 minutes - 22.2 MBMicrosoft is releasing Gears Tactics for Windows 10, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Steam next week, so host Jeff Grubb sits down with the company to talk about it. How did The Coalition settle on a PC-first Gears game? And what does Games Pass enable the studio to do that it otherwise wouldn't? We talk about all that and more. Join us!
How to make an indie game that can survive (with Rootpew)
April 17, 2020 20:10 - 30 minutes - 24.6 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks with developer Rootpew, who is the creator of prisoner's-dilemma simulator Split or Steal. While Split or Steal has found an audience, it's not a huge source of income for Rootpew. And he talks about how he overcame the costs of keeping the game up and running.
Rami Ismail on whether games are "recession proof"
April 10, 2020 02:12 - 40 minutes - 32.4 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts This week on How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb speaks with Vlambeer developer Rami Ismail.
Rami Ismail on why games aren't "recession proof"
April 10, 2020 02:12 - 40 minutes - 32.4 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Over the last three weeks, 17 million people filed a jobless claim in the United States. The country is certainly in a recession (or even a depression) -- as is the rest of the world. But hey -- at least video games are "recession proof," right? That's the line Activision chief executive officer Bobby Kotick gave investors back in 2008. But indie developer Rami Ismail doesn't agree with that. Isma...
How Amber makes money as a work-for-hire studio during a global recession
April 03, 2020 14:07 - 34 minutes - 28 MB[email protected] @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts This week host Jeff Grubb talks with Amber chief executive officer Mihai Pohontu. Amber is a game-development agency that produces its own games but also works with external companies to provide support services. That includes art assets, game design, engineering, and more. Mihai gets into how that business works. He also provides insight into what coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic mean for th...
How do designers create games that make money?
March 27, 2020 21:28 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBEmail: games+podcast.com @HGMMShow My twitter: @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Mobile gaming is a massive business that makes billions of dollars worldwide each year. On this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb speaks with Metamoki chief game designer Mitch Zamara (@IMakeDotFun). Mitch provides perspective on what it's like to work as a game designer within the rapid-paced environment of mobile games. Join us, won't you!
How Spawn On Me makes money talking about people of color in gaming
March 19, 2020 23:28 - 35 minutes - 28.4 MBEmail: games+podcast.com @HGMMShow My twitter: @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode of the How Games Make Money podcast, Kahlief Adams of Spawn On Me (@kahjahkins) swoops in to talk about scraping by in the world of content creation. Kahlief makes a podcast about people of color in gaming. He's worked on Spawn On Me for the last six years. For this How Games Make Money, he talks about the costs involved with that project. Blippy Trance by Kevin Mac...
How does Kinda Funny make money talking about video games?
March 13, 2020 12:41 - 37 minutes - 29.8 MBEmail: games+podcast.com @HGMMShow My twitter: @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Making money in video games isn't just about developing games and tools. Sometimes it's about developing an audience that wants to hear you talk about PlayStation, Xbox, and more. That's exactly the business that Kinda Funny cofounder Greg Miller is in, and we talk about all of that and more on this week's episode of How Games Make Money. Blippy Trance by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://inco...
How do sports-management games make money?
March 06, 2020 16:24 - 41 minutes - 32.9 MBOn this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb speaks with Out of the Park Developments chief operating officer Rich Grisham. Out of the Park is the name of the studio as well as its beloved baseball-management simulator, which has had a new release every year for the last two decades. While OOTP has always relied on selling their game as a product, things are starting to change. Now, the studio is getting into subscription services like EA Access, and it has even introduced...
How do hypercasual games make money?
February 28, 2020 00:36 - 25 minutes - 20.4 MBOn the pilot episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeffrey Grubb talks with Ironsource chief financial officer Omer Kaplan about serving up ads in hypercasual games. Do those ads really make money? And why are those ads always for other games? We talk about all of that and more, so listen, won't you? Theme music: Blippy Trance by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5759-blippy-trance License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
How Games Make Money: It's A Podcast!
February 27, 2020 02:05 - 2 minutes - 2.49 MBThis is going to be the How Games Make Money podcast. It isn't that, yet -- but it will be! For now, this is just a quick intro to explain what the show is. If you don't want to listen, here's the short version: How Games Make Money is a podcast where I ask smart people how they make money in the games industry. That's it. Each episode is about 30 minutes. I'll be talking with publishers, developers, content creators, and more. And the conversations are really fascinating so far, and I t...