Deconstructor of Fun

• TWIG #354 Google's New Payment-Link Era and Rovio's End of an Era

  Jen Donahoe makes her triumphant return. She's joined by Eric Kress and special guest Stan Kwon from BetaHat.We dig into:Battlefield 6 corrections, marketing takeawaysAndroid’s new payment-link era Unity’s cross-platform paymentswhat General Intuition’s $134 M seed means for spatial reasoning and game dataRovio’s restructuring Football Manager deal with FIFA00:00 Welcome03:12 Jen's Update09:17 Industry Insights and Trends14:56 Battlefield Six Analysis23:05 Marketing Strategies and Success26:12 Marketing Choices and Target Audience27:13 Epic vs Google: Legal Battle Update36:42 Unity's New Commerce Management Product41:53 AI and Gaming: General Intuition's Ambitious Plans49:16 Rovio's Restructuring and Industry Trends52:40 Football Manager's Success and Future Plans

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• 308. The 8 Trends That Will Redefine Gaming in Asia (and Beyond)

  Mishka Katkoff is joined by Daniel Ahmad (Director of Research & Insights, Niko Partners) and Lisa Hanson (CEO & Founder, Niko Partners) for a deep dive into the latest trends and insights from the Asian, MENA, and Indian gaming markets. We cover regulatory changes in China, the rise of India as a gaming powerhouse, the evolving MENA landscape, and much more. If you want to stay ahead in the global games industry, this episode is packed with actionable intelligence!01:30 China’s Gaming Market: Policy Shifts & Opportunities09:00 Entering the Chinese Market: Risks & Strategies23:39 India’s Gaming Market: Growth & Monetization25:36 Western Success in India & Market Insights41:33 MENA Region: Female Gamers & Genre Trends42:50 GTA V & Mature Content in MENA44:15 Southeast Asia: Monetization & Generative AI1:10:02 Closing Thoughts

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• TWIG #353 Netflix Goes Couch Co-op, PlayStation 6’s AI Ambitions, Supercell’s Open Letter

  Supercell’s CEO releases a rare open letter calling for more industry collaboration, while Ubisoft’s nepotism controversy reignites debates around leadership culture. Netflix Games kicks off its Battle for the Living Room with a push into Smart TV party games, and early buzz around PlayStation 6 points to an AI-driven leap in graphics and efficiency. Meanwhile, Battlefield’s launch performance goes head-to-head with Call of Duty once again, and Disney enters the overcrowded match-3 market with Magic Match. All that and more, as we unpack the business behind the biggest moves in games this week.00:00 - Intro & Guest Welcome07:17 - China’s Gaming Policy Shifts & Market Access22:00 - Sponsor: Sensor Tower23:55 - China’s Game Development & Publishing Landscape38:35 - India’s Gaming Market: Growth & Monetization55:00 - Sponsor: AppCharge55:45 - India: Western Success Stories & Localization1:12:20 - MENA Region: Female Gamers & Genre Trends1:28:10 - Sponsor: AppsFlyer1:28:45 - MENA: Cultural Sensitivities & Mature Content1:47:30 - Southeast Asia: Monetization & Payment Trends2:05:00 - Southeast Asia: Generative AI in Gaming2:15:00 - Final Thoughts & How to Access Asian/MENA Markets2:20:00 - Outro & Community Call-to-Action

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• TWIG #352 EU Regulations, Epic Shops, and the AI Slop Machine Is this goof?

  This week in games: Ilke’s open letter to the EU stirs the industry pot, AppLovin faces an SEC probe, and Epic drops its new Web Shops like it’s 2012 all over again. Ubisoft’s management drama continues, Istanbul’s gaming boom is no joke, and we wrap with a spicy take on the new wave of AI business slop.00:00 Welcome01:00 Intro & Shills07:58 Ilke's Open Letter on EU Regulations21:38 AppLovin Under Fire: SEC Probe and Stock Volatility29:19 Epic Games' Web Shops Launch36:50 Ubisoft's Management and Future41:47 Istanbul's Gaming Industry Boom51:32 AI Business Slop01:01:00 EOS

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• 307. How Balatro Became a 7-Million-Copy Indie Hit | Harvey Elliott, CEO of Playstack

  A one-person poker roguelike sold seven million copies and outperformed studios with hundred-million-dollar budgets. In this episode, Playstack CEO Harvey Elliott joins Michail Katkoff to break down how they discovered Balatro, what makes a modern indie publisher truly valuable, and why the next wave of hits will come from focus—not funding.02:07 Understanding Bellatro's Success: Metrics and Engagement04:50 The Indie Developer vs. Publisher Dynamic08:11 Finding the Right Fit: Indie Publishers and Developers17:20 Standing Out in a Crowded Market: Indie Publishing Strategies23:22 AI in Game Development: Opportunities and Challenges33:26 Post-Launch Support: Keeping Games Alive38:15 Creative Game Integrations and Developer Relationships41:05 Royalty Structures and Developer Support47:09 Negotiating Publisher Agreements and Revenue Shares50:41 Funding Models and Developer Financial Security56:27 Budgeting for Indie Games and Financial Viability

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