Secret Stash The Secret to Reviving a Game Giant: Frank Gibeau
Apr 23, 2025
Frank Gibeau, the CEO of Zynga and a former leader at Electronic Arts, offers an optimistic outlook on the gaming industry. He shares insights on transforming company culture and the challenges of mobile gaming. Discussing lessons from his extensive career, he reflects on navigating failures like Shaq Fu and the potential of AI in gaming. Gibeau also highlights strategic shifts in revenue and the importance of direct player engagement, revealing his big industry secret at the end.
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Episode notes
Product Management is the Hub
- Product management at EA was the best job because it gave holistic insight into games and market feedback.
- The role involved being the customer's voice to optimize game features, messaging, and market fit.
The Shaq Fu Failure
- EA's "Shaq Fu" was a major flop because Shaquille O'Neal appeared as a tiny fighter on Sega Genesis, ruining the experience.
- Postmortems involved rapid, hard-hitting research, customer interviews, and competitor analysis to learn from failures.
How to Fix Toxic Culture
- Fix a failing company culture by bringing in A-player leaders who recruit more A-players and promote internal talent.
- Immediately confront unacceptable behaviors through corrective interviews; tolerate no politics or misalignment.