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by 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 Eric Kress Phillip Black Jen Donahoe
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- 2 days ago1h 7m
TWIG #403: The Market Only Grew 2%, Friendslop Hits the PC Charts and China Drafts Off GTA VI
Strip out inflation and the games market has barely grown in a decade.This week we dig into Newzoo's latest numbers and what they say about where growth comes from: mature Western markets, existing players and five giant companies taking almost all of it. Then we look at how cheap social games like Big Walk and How to Fish cracked the top 10 PC revenue chart, what Naughty Dog's new Last of Us tease means, and why Chinese developers are rushing GTA-style mobile games out ahead of GTA VI.Topics Covered:• Mark Pincus and the $400M Supercell deal that almost happened• Why 2021 is the wrong benchmark for the market• Real growth after inflation is closer to 2% a year• Growth comes from mature markets and existing players• China's advantage at home and abroad• CPIs keep climbing while mobile installs fall• Five companies drove almost all of 2025's growth• Big publishers retreat to their core franchises• Friendslop games break into the PC top 10• Naughty Dog confirms more Last of Us• Chinese GTA-style games launch ahead of GTA VI• Why nobody can compete with GTA head onCHAPTERS:01:01 Ethan Returns Industry Layoffs01:34 Upcoming Events and Newsletter03:15 Mark Pincus Interview Scoop09:45 Newzoo Outlook Beyond COVID11:37 Growth From Mature Markets15:58 Inflation and Real Growth Math23:28 Mobile Revenue vs Installs CPI Surge27:03 Growth Concentrated in Five Giants29:49 Publishers Retreat to Core Franchises31:04 PC Market Reality Check32:53 Friend Slop Breakouts47:43 Last of Us Future Talk01:00:54 Why GTA Has No Rivals
- 4 days ago1h 2m
Shooter Monthly #10: War Dogs Sells 2.2M, Cash Economy Breakdown and the 1v1v1 Debate
War Dogs sold 2.2 million copies in four days and nobody saw it coming.This episode we break down Bulkhead's early access hit. A hardcore milsim with three teams, no matchmaking and a $40 price tag beat Helldivers 2's launch curve on Steam, and its peak concurrents grew every day of launch week. We get into the persistent cash economy that might be the teamwork fix Battlefield never found, why the 1v1v1 format splits the panel, and whether a sub-100 person studio can pull off a live service with extraction and PvE modes on the way.Topics Covered:• War Dogs launch numbers and who is playing• The persistent cash economy and how it kills gear fear• How cash rewards fix Battlefield's teamwork problem• The 1v1v1 format debate• Metal Gear Solid V and the lineage of in-round economies• The risks of a cross-mode economy with extraction• Marketplaces and gambling mechanics in shooters• Bulkhead's go-to-market and the 5,000 player promise• Where War Dogs ranks on Steam a year from nowCHAPTERS:00:00 War Dogs Shock Success01:42 Sales Metrics Breakdown08:03 Persistent Cash Economy16:19 Milsim Critiques and Vision33:46 Economy Lineage Discussion34:38 Progression Beyond Cosmetics35:25 CEO Vision And New Modes36:45 Cross Mode Economy Risks39:03 Stakes Gambling And Chaos40:36 Marketplaces In Shooters45:15 Launch Strategy And Trust51:20 Marketing Constraints And Nostalgia52:23 One Year Predictions Debate01:01:05 Wrap Up And Next Episode
- 6 days ago51 min
350. Zynga Founder Mark Pincus: Why Your Favourite Ideas Are Almost Always Wrong
Mark Pincus founded Zynga that was later acquired of $12.7B by TakeTwo and still thinks he misplayed the hand. On this episode he unpacks the playbook behind Life at the Speed of Play: why all new fails, how to run a company as a democratic dictatorship why anyone lecturing you about culture has a team rolling their eyes behind them.Life at the Speed of Play: https://www.lifeatthespeedofplay.com/Key timestamps:1:30 — Why Mark wrote Life at the Speed of Play8:49 — How to test instincts: proven, better, new15:45 — “Know your goal or suffer death by a thousand compromises”20:36 — The “democratic dictatorship” approach to leadership26:59 — Getting people to do the right things when you’re not in the room29:34 — Getting teams to take bold risks and innovate36:14 — Why CEOs should spend time on product39:15 — What Pincus would do differently at Zynga44:04 — Reflecting on the games industry and missed opportunities50:40 — ADHD as a feature for product makers, anchored by a singular vision52:14 — Why most MVPs don’t succeed
- 1 weeks ago59 min
TWIG #402: Xbox Bets on Kojima, Halo Gets Handed to CoD and AppLovin Hits the Road
Xbox is cutting niche studios and signing a niche Kojima project in the same month. We try to make it make sense.Sony pulled funding on Physint after budget concerns, and Xbox picked it up as a franchise with film and TV rights attached. Meanwhile Microsoft keeps restructuring into clean verticals, with Halo moving under Activision and Obsidian joining Bethesda, which has us asking whether Xbox is getting organized to sell. We also look at Build A Rocket Boy closing after roughly $250M raised and one troubled launch, Apple's new ATT prompt in Europe, and why AppLovin's CEO is suddenly on every stage talking about a $50B mobile ad market.Topics Covered:• Apple rewrites the ATT prompt in five EU countries.• Sony ends Physint funding and Xbox picks it up.• The transmedia bet behind Xbox's Kojima deal.• Halo moves to Activision in the latest Xbox cuts.• Is Microsoft packaging Xbox to spin off or sell?• Build A Rocket Boy closes after MindsEye.• What big gaming losses do to investor sentiment.• AppLovin's buyback, Axon and the fingerprinting debate.• Why AppLovin's CEO is on a speaking tour.CHAPTERS:01:35 DICE Athens Hometown Events03:07 LA Games Conference Plug04:36 Roundtables and Global Meetups05:41 Newsletter and Founder Story Tease10:08 Apple ATT Prompt Changes EU13:30 Kojima27:41 Microsoft Restructure and Halo Shift30:06 CoD Studios Under Pressure33:45 Can Xbox Be Sold Off36:10 Halo Moved to Activision46:34 Build A Rocket Boy Collapse51:05 AppLovin Stock and Axon53:58 Fingerprinting Cheating Debate58:01 Why the CEO Is Touring01:02:25 Wrap Up and Sign Off
- 1 weeks ago41 min
Puzzle Monthly #6: Disney Solitaire's Big Win, Playtika's Earn-Out Trap and Solitaire vs Puzzle
Disney Solitaire is one of the biggest launches of the year, and it might be too successful for its own parent company.This episode breaks down how SuperPlay turned a solitaire game into a Disney-powered hit, why Playtika's debt and earn-out deal could push it to sell, and how Disney Solitaire stacks up against Tiki Solitaire, Grand Harvest and Candy Crush Solitaire. We also look at the full solitaire market, the live ops gap between Disney and everyone else, and whether solitaire can ever rival puzzle.Topics Covered:• Why games that scale in tier two and three markets struggle in tier one• Playtika's debt, the SuperPlay earn-out and a possible sale• Revenue dropping slower than downloads as a health signal• How big the solitaire market actually is• MobilityWare and the ad-only solitaire model• Disney Solitaire as a reskin of Domino Dreams• Why the second game in an IP is half the size of the first• The social casino pay-to-play economy in Tiki Solitaire• Candy Crush Solitaire's hold slot and card design choices• How Disney Solitaire handles its IP and meta• Near wins and a puzzle-style level funnel• Disney's 25 to 30 live events per week versus competitors• Why IP owners may not be the best builders of their own games• Is solitaire coming for puzzle?CHAPTERS: 0:00:00 Introduction & Tier 1 Market Performance0:03:12 Why Playtika May Have to Sell Disney Solitaire0:09:31 The History & Size of the Solitaire Market0:10:58 Why Solitaire Has Struggled to Monetize0:16:20 Disney Solitaire vs. Domino Dreams0:21:12 How Solitaire Games Monetize: The Casino Mechanic0:24:51 Tiki, Grand Harvest & Candy Crush Solitaire0:28:23 What Disney Solitaire Does Differently0:33:41 Live Ops, Streaks & the Disney Advantage0:36:51 Why IP Owners Struggle to Extend Their Games0:38:02 Is Solitaire Coming for Puzzle?0:40:00 Final Thoughts & Outro
- 1 weeks ago51 min
From Zero Offers To Record Revenue I Michael Martinez, CEO of FunCraft
Michael Martinez, co-founder and CEO of FunCraft, tried to sell his mobile game studio in 2025. Trusted people said "don't do it yet". He chose otherwise. A nanker pitched the company to 40 buyers. Zero offers. Then the company doubled to a $50M run rate with just 15 people.Rejection like that either breaks a founder or forces a better business. For FunCraft, it did the second.In this episode, Michael breaks down what went wrong in the M&A process, what a failed sale really costs, and how a 15-person team shifted its focus from valuation to profit.Essential viewing for founders thinking about selling, buyers looking at lean and profitable studios, and anyone in mobile gaming, UA, or ad monetization.00:00 — Funcraft’s failed sale attempt06:27 — Why Michael wanted to sell13:37 — Building a successful business first18:16 — Launching games in just six weeks23:20 — Platform and user acquisition risks29:14 — Balancing growth and profitability 34:45 — Building a high-trust remote culture 43:12 — Rebuilding the game engine with AI 46:18 — Staying focused while scaling
- 2 weeks ago53 min
TWIG #401: Blizzard Goes All In, Roblox Breaks Out of Its Own App and Aniimo Nails Launch Day
Gaming is back, and this week had a lot to talk about.BlizzCon delivered the biggest slate of announcements Blizzard has had in years, but the timelines and team sizes raise real questions about what Microsoft pressure is doing to the studio. Roblox used RDC to push standalone apps, browser play and a developer wallet, and we debate whether any of it actually improves discoverability. Plus Kojima's Physint moves from PlayStation to Xbox, a heated ad revenue argument over hybrid casual, a surprise 2 million sales hit from Wardogs, and first impressions of FunPlus's Aniimo as it passes 125K CCU on Steam.Topics Covered:• Roblox unveils standalone apps and browser play at RDC• Why Roblox standalone apps may struggle with UA• BlizzCon brings Diablo V, a StarCraft shooter and three WoW SKUs• Microsoft pressure behind Blizzard's bold timelines• Kojima's Physint jumps from PlayStation to Xbox• Savvy Games Group to oversee EA and PIF assets• The ad revenue debate around hybrid casual• WoW Forever and Blizzard's subscription strategy• Wardogs hits 2 million sales• Aniimo passes 125K CCU on Steam launch dayCHAPTERS:01:42 Industry Layoffs Talk02:59 Mishka Podcast Spotlight06:12 Roblox Standalone Apps Debate13:12 Blizcon15:17 Microsoft Pressure Concerns20:03 WoW Monetization Debate21:50 Kojima Physint Switch26:27 EA Merger39:47 Warcraft Forever43:44 War Dogs Surprise Hit47:11 Aniimo Launch51:31 Monetization and Wrap Up
- 2 weeks ago1h 2m
348. Why None of Us Saw Cyberpunk Coming Apart I Michal Nowakowski. joint CEO, CD PROJEKT RED
Cyberpunk 2077 sold 13 million copies in ten days, then Sony pulled it from the PlayStation Store. CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michal Nowakowski was the one taking the calls.He walks through what actually broke, why the investors weren't the reason, and how the studio went from a Polish box distributor to owning The Witcher outright. Plus the transmedia strategy, the move to Unreal Engine 5, and why Poland built the strongest gaming ecosystem in Europe.Chapters 00:00 From Polish distributor to a global studio 04:43 Buying The Witcher rights 08:15 Why owning the IP was non-negotiable 14:12 Poland's coding culture and the talent pipeline 18:54 Scaling to 350 developers on The Witcher 3 26:16 The Cyberpunk 2077 launch and the hardest week 34:03 The decision to fix the game instead of cutting losses 39:14 Unreal Engine 5 and rebuilding production 43:51 Transmedia, Netflix, and keeping games at the center 49:49 What makes the Polish gaming ecosystem work
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About 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 Eric Kress Phillip Black Jen Donahoe
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