#54 – Dino Patti: Why Game Publishing Is Failing Indie Developers

The traditional game publisher model is breaking, and indie developers are feeling it first.

Today, I'm joined by Dino Patti, co-founder of Playdead, creator of Limbo & Inside, and CEO of coherence. Dino explains why publishers are losing relevance, how developers can build momentum without giving away 50% of their revenue, and what the future of multiplayer games really looks like.

If you’re an indie game developer, studio founder, or thinking about working with a publisher, this episode will save you years of mistakes.

Connect with Dino:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinopatti/
X: https://x.com/DinoPatti
Website: https://coherence.io/

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:20 Why the old publisher model is breaking
04:03 Publishers vs marketing agencies (hard truth)
05:34 What publishers actually do (and don’t)
08:09 Why VCs struggle to invest in games
11:00 The real cost of giving up 50% revenue
14:00 What developers need before asking for funding
15:55 Marketability, “spark,” and why most games fail
18:10 Feedback traps & why publishers aren’t validators
20:36 Survivor bias in indie success stories
22:44 Vampire Survivors multiplayer explained
25:55 Making single-player games multiplayer fast
27:12 The future of hybrid multiplayer games
31:54 Selling a studio, regret, and loss of purpose
37:09 Buying the studio back & what went wrong
39:44 The biggest mistake when choosing co-founders
43:25 Family businesses, trust & worst-case planning
46:49 Who shouldn’t start a company
47:39 Learning business without formal education
55:29 What’s next for coherence
57:04 Building companies that build companies
58:50 Final thoughts & where to find Dino