Deconstructor of Fun
Deconstructor of Fun
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 @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
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
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 11, 2024 • 58min
TWIG #277 Supercell goes Baby Shark and Kress goes missing
Topics discussed include Brawl Stars' Baby Shark collaboration, state of gaming market, inflation, interest rates, toy lines, and latest layoffs news. Kress is missing, Phil geeks out on inflation, Jen talks about toy lines, and Laura covers layoffs news.
Apr 8, 2024 • 58min
Kress's Corner #6 Matt Wyble, COO of Second Dinner, the creators of Marvel Snap
Matt Wyble, COO of Second Dinner, talks about Marvel Snap and the future of the studio with $100M in the bank. They discuss the state of Blizzard, industry trends, balancing gameplay and systems in games, marketing strategies, company building, and AI impact in game development. The conversation also touches on the state of the gaming industry, tech gadgets, and future possibilities in the gaming world.
Apr 4, 2024 • 1h 6min
TWIG #276 Embracer makes their last divestment while Discord goes into adds
Topics discussed include Lilith's decision to skip soft launch, Embracer's sale of Gear Box, New York Times entry into gaming, and Discord's ad business. The crew also covers legal issues, mobile game performance, Embracer's acquisition of Gearbox, and insights on DataAI and Heroic Labs. Country focus, game launch tactics, and marketing evolution in the gaming industry are also explored.
Apr 2, 2024 • 1h 19min
An Executive Guide for The Backend Jungle
Experts Rafael Cordoba and Chris Molozian discuss the decision-making process between custom back ends and back ends as a service in game development. They explore the evolution of game back ends, insights on Sensor Tower acquisition, infrastructure building challenges, cost estimation, collaboration between teams and service providers, scaling challenges, and navigating backend challenges towards success.
Mar 28, 2024 • 1h 9min
TWIG #275 Hit or Miss: Call of Duty Warzone & Travel Town
The podcast covers GDC reflections, challenges in game development, blockchain gaming, venture capital in Turkey, industry trends, mobile shooter games, success of Travel Town, and strategic game acquisition for growth.
Mar 25, 2024 • 1h 8min
Building a Cross-Platform Franchise with Sola Saulenko, CMO of Pixonic
Pixonic's CMO talks about building a game franchise, balancing organic growth and planning, challenges in transition to a franchise, and the importance of passion in brand-building. Insights on evolving marketing strategies, competitor analysis, user research, and game design trends.
7 snips
Mar 24, 2024 • 58min
What's Right and Wrong About Game Economies with Machinations CEO Mihai Gheza
Mihai Gheza, CEO of Machinations, discusses game economy simulations, AI balance, data-driven decision-making, blockchain in gaming, advanced AI technology for game balancing, Unity-Machinations relationship, and the evolution of modern game economies with examples from popular games like League of Legends and mobile games.
6 snips
Mar 22, 2024 • 59min
TWIG #274 THE GDC SPECIAL
The podcast crew discusses the chaos in San Francisco, Netflix Games confusion, Turkish subsidies for game companies, and Supercell's PR move. They explore the shift in audience at gaming events, challenges in gaming industry strategies, maximizing revenue in game development, government incentives for game developers in Turkey, and navigating strategic communication challenges in the gaming industry.
Mar 15, 2024 • 1h 21min
The Intricacies of Venture Capital Investments with Joakim Achren, F4 Fund
Explore the intricacies of venture capital investments in the gaming industry with seasoned entrepreneur turned VC, Joakim Achren. Learn about fundraising challenges, market conditions, managing communication across time zones, growth strategies, and navigating ownership in VC funds. Dive into the complexities of peacetime vs. wartime leadership in startups, profitability in tech investments, and the evolving gaming industry landscape.
Mar 14, 2024 • 57min
TWIG #273 Istanbul Recap, Embracer sells Saber, Epic's on iOS in EU
Recap of Think Games Istanbul Summit, Epic on iOS in EU, Embracer sells Saber for $500 million, Discord's new game SDK, state of startups in Finland, challenges in scaling international gaming companies, and difficulties faced by Istanbul game developers in talent acquisition and retention.
