Podcast
Deconstructor of Fun
Hosted by Deconstructor of Fun · EN
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 www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/
Eric Kress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/
Phillip Black www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/
Jen Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe
80episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What Newzoo's 2026 PC & Console Report Actually Says
Apr 1301:15:59Tap to summarizeWe sit down with Ben Porter, Director of Consulting at Newzoo, to go through their 80-page 2026 PC & Console report page by page.Topics Covered:● Newzoo calls it an Inflection Point but we call it winner-takes-more on a flat engagement base● Roblox is the #1 most played franchise on PC & Console with 50%+ playtime growth YoY but is it even a game?● The Roblox generation actively avoids AAA narrative games and what that means for traditional developers● Free-to-play is dying on consoles while premium live service titles like Arc Raiders and Helldivers steal the spotlight● Game Pass is great for playtime, terrible for premium revenue and the data proves it● The $30-$50 mid-price sweet spot is quietly becoming the most interesting battleground in gaming● 43% of PC growth came from China which wasn't even in the report
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TWIG #378: Mario Smashes the Box Office, Take-Two Cuts AI, and Monopoly Go Goes Social
Apr 901:11:07Tap to summarizeThis week, we go two-on-two for a lighter, looser TWIG, but there’s nothing light about the topics.We break down the biggest shifts across film, platforms, AI, and where attention is really going. Topics Covered:● Don’t ever put Mario in the corner; he crushed it at the Box Office● Aream and Investgame report ● Take Two takes an Axe to its AI team and lets them go in advance of GTA6● Monopoly Go launches a chat App and it wasn’t an April Fools Day joke as it hits #2 in top social downloads in the US+Bonus: The life of a consultant vs. the life of a corporate employee
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Shooter Monthly #6: RADICAL Marathon Solutions, Deadlock’s Secret Design, & Fortnite Extraction Mode!?
Apr 701:04:00Tap to summarizeWhat to do, what to do about Marathon? The crew considers radical shock therapy with surprising answers and solutions. Deadlock pushes systems design to its logical extreme in a few shooters that are just starting to play with, but does it actually have an audience? Take bets now.We discuss:● Deadlock’s systems-first design philosophy◦ Layered stat architecture across weapon, vitality, and spirit◦ Scaling curves that turn every component into a progression vector◦ The role of the Action and X-Y-Z plane crosshairs● Marathon’s core tension: retention without acquisition◦ Strong engagement signals versus weak top-of-funnel growth◦ Why extraction shooters remain a constrained TAM◦ Arc Raiders reframing the genre through accessibility◦ Why tuning economy variables won’t solve an acquisition problem● Extraction as a product, not a feature◦ Why the loop requires full-system commitment, not a side mode◦ The importance of PvE readability and social cooperation◦ Session design, server economics, and continuous player insertion
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Can You Build a Real Business on Roblox?
Apr 600:59:36Tap to summarizeRoblox has over 150 million daily active users, a million concurrent hits, and some of the fastest game iteration cycles in the industry. So why do so many Roblox games still fail to become real businesses? We sit down with Nick Tornow, SVP of Engine and Creator Engineering at Roblox, and Zach Letter, CEO of WonderWorks, to unpack how discovery really works on the platform, why small teams are outperforming traditional studios, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable Roblox company in 2025.Questions we answer in this episode:● Is Roblox a place to build hits or a place to build real companies?● What do outsiders still misunderstand most about Roblox in 2025?● Why are small teams able to ship hit Roblox games in just 5–6 weeks?● How does Roblox discovery actually work, and which metrics matter most?● Why is user acquisition so different on Roblox compared to mobile gaming?● What kinds of games are working now that didn’t work a few years ago?● Can traditional mobile or AAA studios succeed on Roblox, or do they need to become “Roblox-native” first?● How important are community, influencers, and social co-play to growth?● Why is ad revenue still such a small monetization pillar for most Roblox studios?● What will a successful Roblox studio look like three years from now?Michail Katkoff | Nick Tornow | Zach Letter
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TWIG #377: Epic for Sale, Unity Cuts Deep, and Merge Keeps Printing
Apr 201:11:25Tap to summarizeThe industry isn’t slowing down. This week, we break down the biggest shifts across games.Topics Covered:● Disney and Epic: Why the speculation is picking up and what a bigger Disney move into games could look like● Unity’s latest shift: A strong earnings beat, the shutdown of Ironsource, and the sale of Supersonic● Studio closures and shutdowns: What the latest cuts across VR, live service, and Embracer say about the market● The Merge 2 rise: Why the category keeps growing and the debate over what’s really driving the revenue● Cookie Run’s next step: Franchise expansion and the challenge of turning one hit into something bigger● New soft-launch shooters: Ex-Supercell teams, familiar patterns, and questions about where action games fit on mobilePlus ++We also get into Tim Sweeney’s role in Epic’s future, Unity versus AppLovin in ad tech, card systems, soft-launch design, and Kress’s latest reality check on mobile.CHAPTERS: 01:14 Mario Movie Backlash03:45 Leroy Jenkins Capital06:52 Housekeeping And Corrections09:10 Disney Buying Epic Rumor12:12 Tim Sweeney Control Fight14:55 Entertainment Gaming Graveyard17:46 Unity Dumps IronSource23:22 Vector Versus AppLovin Scale26:35 Shutdowns And VR Reality Check30:46 Matthew Ball Metaverse Spat33:38 Embracer Wildland Canceled36:50 Merge Two Boom Explained42:29 Cards Drive Revenue Debate50:48 Cookie Run Franchise Bet56:50 Soft Launch Shooter Doubts01:00:22 Field Day Hands On Review01:06:06 Kress's Mobile Reality Rant01:10:16 Episode Wrap Up
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TWIG #376: Epic Layoffs, Roblox Tax & Google’s New Strategy
Mar 2701:04:44Tap to summarizeThe games industry is hitting another inflection point, and the "old rules" of growth are being rewritten. This week, we’re unpacking:● Google’s "Level Up" Program: Is it actually a win for devs, or just more platform gatekeeping? We look at Sidekick and the new UA economics.● The Epic Pivot: Layoffs, the UEFN "platform" gamble, and what the future of Fortnite actually looks like.● Roblox’s New Play: Their latest brand integration strategy is a massive shift for creator monetization.● The Newzoo Reality Check: PC is back, player behavior is shifting, and "mid-priced premium" is the new sweet spot.Plus ++ We dive deep into UA multiplier theory, why CPIs are lying to you, and where real growth is actually hiding in 2026.CHAPTERS:00:26 Show Intro and Agenda01:36 Quick Shills and Updates04:05 Google Level Up Explained07:27 Messaging Mess and Sidekick AI09:06 UA Multiplier and CPI Debate11:55 Sidekick Skepticism Extortion14:39 Epic Layoffs Breakdown19:05 Why Epic Lost Focus26:14 Star Wars UEFN Toolkit33:36 Newzoo Report Key Trends37:31 Report Critique And TAM Reality42:29 Premium Mid Price Debate47:39 Roblox Brand Deal Revenue Cut51:14 Creator Backlash And Platform Control56:25 Why The Brand Tax Might Help01:01:04 Final Debate And Wrap Up
Transcribe →UA Monthly #2: AppLovin's Social Network, Google Fee Cuts & Unity D28
Mar 2501:00:54Tap to summarizeThe mobile ecosystem is experiencing some massive shifts this month. We dive into the real implications of Unity Vector's new D28 campaign, break down what Google’s recent fee cut actually means for your studio's growth trajectory, and unpack the wild news of AppLovin stepping out of the ad-network shadows to build its very own social network. Topics Covered:● Unity Vector's D28 campaign and its implications● Google's fee cut impact on growth● AppLovin's plans to build a social networkMichail Katkoff | Josh Chandley | John Wright
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The Epic Settlement: Google's "Level Up" Program & The Future of DTC
Mar 2300:31:22Tap to summarizeIt's been 2030 days since Google pulled Fortnite, and the Epic vs. Google settlement is finally here. We sit down with AppCharge CMO Gil Tovly to read the fine print of Google’s new 15% fee, unpack the mandatory AI sidekicks in the "Level Up" program, and figure out if this is actually a win for developers going direct-to-consumer.Questions we answer in this episode:● What is the real cost of Google's new 15% fee structure?● What exactly is the "Level Up" program and why are top studios hesitating to join?● Do developers really have to integrate an AI sidekick into their games?● What does the settlement mean for existing users versus new users?● Does this change the math on building direct-to-consumer web shops?● When (if ever) will Apple follow Google’s lead and lower their App Store fees?● Is the Epic settlement a monumental win for the industry or just an anti-climactic sellout?Michail Katkoff | Gil Tovly
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TWiG #375: GDC 2026 Post-Mortem, Epic’s Surrender & Google Play’s Legal Rebirth
Mar 2001:03:20Tap to summarizeThe Deconstructor of Fun crew is back from San Francisco, recovering from a whirlwind GDC week to break down the massive shifts hitting the industry. No prep, no scripts. Just the real conversation on whether the "lowest attendance since 2011" is a sign of a dying conference or just a more efficient executive retreat.Questions we answer in this episode:● What is the "one word" to describe the GDC 2026 vibe?● Is the 30% drop in attendance a death knell or a much-needed "senior-only" filter?● Did Tim Sweeney actually win his fight against Google, or is a 5% discount just "mice nuts"?● How will the new Google Play fee structure actually work?● Did anyone actually see a compelling AI-native game on the show floor this week?● Why is it so expensive to run real-time LLMs in a live game?● Why is a hardcore Korean MMO giant like NCSoft splurging $200M on a German rewarded-play platform?● What is the LinkedIn engagement "hack" that everyone needs to stop doing immediately?Jen Donahoe | Phil Black | Eric Kress | Mishka Katkoff
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TWIG #374 GDC 2025: The Honest Debrief
Mar 1900:59:22Tap to summarizeThe full Deconstructor of Fun crew, all six of us, recorded live and on-site in San Francisco at the end of GDC week. No prep, no scripts. Just the real conversations from a week of side events, back channels, and late nights.Questions we answer in this episode:What's the one word that captures the mood of GDC 2025?Is GDC still relevant?What's the wildest rumor that we heard?Why is everyone at GDC publicly obsessed with AI?Did anyone actually see a compelling AI-native game this week? Where is investment money actually flowing in games right now? What's the one thing the industry needs to hear right now that nobody is saying out loud?Mishka Katkoff | Jen Donahoe | Eric Kress | Adam Telfer | Laura Toranto | Phil Black
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