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
TWiG #370: Supercell’s Annual Letter, Reading Between the KPIs
Feb 1201:04:48Tap to summarizeSupercell’s annual CEO blog post reads equal parts culture memo and a recruiting pitch. We break down what is behind the PR spin before zooming into Clash Royale’s Lil Wayne halftime show as a case study in where “brand” ends and product-led fandom begins.From there, we triangulate the broader market: Newzoo’s year-end PC/console recap as a reminder that attention is consolidating, not expanding; Roblox’s growth story as it starts acknowledging gravity; and an update on Budge and PE as capital keeps rewriting the rules of what “good” looks like. We close by wishing the best to the team impacted by Riot’s 2XKO layoffs.00:31 Podcast Overview and Today's Topics00:58 Market News: Roblox Earnings and More02:14 AI and Gaming Industry Insights03:25 Unity's Financial Struggles04:43 Community Engagement and Volunteering20:44 Game Industry Updates: Budge Studios Acquisition24:23 Roblox Q4 Earnings Analysis32:19 The Challenge of Monetizing Young Audiences32:33 Roblox's Strategy to Age Up33:02 Advertising Challenges for Under-18 Demographics33:26 Negative Margin Users on Roblox35:19 Upcoming Episode Teaser: Roblox's Algorithm Changes38:23 Supercell CEO's Annual Blog Post39:05 Clash Royale's Rebound and Marketing Strategies44:14 Squad Busters: A Postmortem44:54 Supercell's Future and Industry Insights49:01 The Role of PR in CEO Letters52:18 Supercell's Innovation vs. LiveOps Debate01:02:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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321. Art Directing in the AI Era with SciPlay's Peter Franco
Feb 901:02:12Tap to summarizeThe evolution of art direction, the integration of AI in creative processes, and the balance between creativity and business acumen. That's on the menu as SciPlay's Sr. Art Director, Peter Franco, joins Michail Katkoff on the podcast.Read more about Peter's work on modernizing a top-grossing game: https://tinyurl.com/mn2bdwebTimestamps:2:12 - Peter's journey into Social Casino4:42 - Evolution of art direction roles7:13 - Balancing creativity and business9:23 - User feedback in design12:07 - Importance of seamless UX15:44 - Player behavior insights20:28 - Benefits of using IPs25:16 - AI in art pipelines30:18 - Future skills for art directors35:33 - Maintaining stylistic consistency40:49 - Future of art direction45:07 - Personal influences and career advice53:25 - Advice for aspiring art directors59:25 - AI and creativity
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TWIG #344 Battlefield’s Big Comeback, AppLovin’s Record Quarter and Moon Active’s New Games
Aug 14, 202501:02:43Tap to summarizeWe kick things off with “midlife Kress-ises” before diving into the headlines you can’t ignore: Tencent’s latest controversy, AppLovin’s monster quarter, and Blizzard’s leadership shuffle.From Storm Gate’s rough launch runway to the brutal math of market fit, we unpack why good games still fail. We break down Duolingo’s surprise move into music games, and why Playtika’s doubling down on direct-to-consumer could be the smartest—or riskiest—bet they’ve made yet.Then it’s guns out for Battlefield’s comeback, a hard look at Moon Active’s new portfolio plays. As always, plenty of spicy takes, questionable analogies, and insights you won’t find anywhere else.00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions01:34 Upcoming Game Releases and Industry Updates02:58 Midlife Kress-is06:05 Event Announcements + DOF Talent Acquisition08:19 Data Analysis and Market Trends09:22 Tencent's Game Controversy17:16 AppLovin's Impressive Growth21:12 Blizzard's Leadership Changes25:19 Storm Gate's Launch Challenges27:19 Financial Engineering and Tim's Struggles28:28 Market Fit and Game Quality Issues33:32 Duolingo's Acquisition of Beat Star36:50 Playtika's Direct-to-Consumer Strategy43:20 Battlefield's Comeback and Market Impact54:58 Moon Active's New Games and Portfolio
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299. The Hiring Shift No One’s Talking About with an Executive Headhunter, Miklos Blasko
Aug 11, 202501:15:05Tap to summarizeFull-time execs are out, and fractional leaders are in? In today’s episode, we break down the growing trend of founders building companies like modular tech stacks, swapping in CMOs, Product leads, and other execs *only* when they’re needed.But here’s the catch: done right, fractional hires can supercharge growth. Done wrong, they can kill momentum before you even hit scale. I’m joined by executive headhunter Miklos Blasko to unpack when fractional actually works, when it backfires, and the hiring mistakes even experienced founders make.00:00 The Rise of Fractional Work in Gaming and Apps04:31 Understanding Fractional Work vs. Freelancing08:56 The Popularity of Fractional Roles13:51 Company Perspectives on Fractional Hiring19:28 Talent Perspectives on Fractional Work26:22 When Fractional Work Doesn't Work38:19 Key Considerations for Hiring Fractional Talent41:41 Wartime Leadership vs. Peacetime Leadership45:17 Ruthless Execution and Stakeholder Management47:58 Incentive Structures for Fractional Roles51:54 Charging Models and Engagement Structures57:44 Common Mistakes in Fractional Roles65:51 Advice for Founders and Fractional Executives
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TWIG #343: Match Villains' Monster Raise, the Sydney Sweeny Effect, and the Lost A of AAA
Aug 7, 202501:04:49Tap to summarizeThis week, the TWIG crew goes full galaxy brain. We kick things off with the real effects of celebrity cringe marketing. Then it’s onto the real news: Probably Monsters' search for $220M ROI, Match Villains' monster raise, Lilith's search for growth, and Roblox's unstoppable growth. 00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions02:46 Episode Overview and Key Topics03:32 Celebrity Gaming League and Brand Marketing04:56 Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle Partnership05:54 Review Bombing and Gamer Activism08:00 Gamescom Event Announcements09:15 Medica and Multi-Arm Bandit Experimentation13:11 FIFA Online and Free-to-Play Discussion16:39 Probably Monsters and AAA Development21:51 Epic vs Google Lawsuit Update26:55 Atari Acquires Thunderful Group30:42 Good Job Games Raises $60 Million31:58 Analyzing Revenue Per Download32:32 Hypothesis on Grand Games' Rapid Fundraising34:05 Match Villains' Market Performance34:28 VC Funding vs. Non-Dilutive Funding36:36 Investment Trends in Turkey's Gaming Market37:42 Challenges in Scaling Puzzle Games41:47 Farlight 84: A Relaunch Story45:37 Lilith Games' Portfolio Performance49:33 DC Worlds Collide and the Squad RPG Market54:02 Roblox's Monetization and Engagement Strategies
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298. Segmentation Is Dead. Long Live Personalization!
Aug 4, 202500:51:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we unpack how today’s biggest mobile publishers are ditching segmentation in favor of experimentation at scale, what Apple’s privacy-first approach means to running LTV-focused live ops, and why personalization is no longer a “nice to have” but a competitive weapon.Who better to answer the questions than the founding team of Metica, Phil Mohr, Puli Liyanagama, and Justin Stolzenberg?These aren’t your average startup bros. We’re talking about the same crew that built Comify (acquired by King), then DataTiger (acquired by Apple), and now they’re back with a third act: Metica, a machine learning-powered platform tackling LiveOps personalization, blended ROAS optimization, and bid floor automation.Check out the STATE OF CREATIVES: https://tinyurl.com/393d9rum03:27 The Evolution of Data Analytics in Gaming 11:00 Metica and Its Purpose15:24 The Growth Loop24:44 Personalization at Scale: The Future of Gaming 33:21 Practical Applications in Game Development 43:08 Timing and Strategy 44:53 Future Roadmap
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TWIG #342 Scopely Meltdown, Crazy Anime Story and One SHOCKING Game Recipe
Jul 31, 202501:07:22Tap to summarizeHola! Greetings from Spain. Mishka here, tanned, confused by dinner hours, and tragically absent from today’s pod. But fear not, Eric questions the rise of private equity in games and reports back from an anime convention while giving Andrew Wilson a new mobile crown. Phil wants a recount on a couple of Scopley acquisitions, while Jen channels Kate Hudson into top-of-funnel awareness. Gundam demands attention while the crew debates scaling the Drive to Survive treatment of One Piece.00:00 Introduction and Host Banter02:06 Today's Agenda and Topics Overview02:50 Nintendo Direct and Market Trends05:29 Unity's Challenges and UA Discussion08:22 Gamescom Parties and Community Engagement09:20 Economic Theories and Gaming Experiments17:32 Convoy Report and Market Analysis26:29 Sony's Strategic Moves and IP Partnerships30:12 Anime's Mainstream Status in America37:16 Crafton's Acquisition of 11th Hour Games39:13 Scopely's Portfolio Performance48:32 EA's Quarterly Earnings and Mobile Strategy56:23 Sony vs. Tencent: The Horizon Knockoff Controversy01:03:30 Ruckus Team's New Game: The Holdouts
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297. Mobile Marketing in 2025: What Still Works (and What’s Dead)
Jul 28, 202501:27:35Tap to summarizeIn this Deconstructor of Fun podcast, Mishka Katkoff sits down with three of the sharpest minds in growth: Josh Chandley (Wildcard Games), Warren Woodward (Uptick), and Paul Bowen (StreamElements) to dissect the state of user acquisition in 2025.STATE OF CREATIVES Report: https://tinyurl.com/393d9rumChapters: 02:00 Is UA Dead or Just Evolved?07:00 The Real Impact of IDFA Deprecation13:00 Time Spent vs Installs: The New Market Reality18:00 AppLovin: Apex Predator of Ad Tech27:00 Attribution Fraud and Click Link Hijacking34:00 Why AppLovin Keeps Winning39:00 Can Unity’s Vector Compete?48:00 Unity’s Strategy, PR Games & Technical Hurdles57:00 Building a Modern Growth Org01:06:00 Creative Production as the Last Lever01:13:00 Fake Ads, Clickbait, and Mad Men01:19:00 Closing Advice for Growth Teams in 2025
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TWIG #341 Ubisoft Tries “Succession” while Battlefield Attempts a Comeback
Jul 25, 202500:50:30Tap to summarizeMiska’s usual jetset life hits a snag when he misses Kress’ Subnotica correction. Adam calls in from his cottage to lay down the law on Merge history, while Phil gushes over $500m in capital deployment. Eric details Ubisoft’s reality TV show attempt at Succession, and Jen delivers the 411 on Apple’s hypercasual attempt. The group pours one out for a very special Candy Crush anniversary.01:58 Gaming News Highlights02:42 Personal Updates05:33 Remembering the Mario Lopez Candy Crush Show07:52 Subnautica and Crafton Legal Drama10:37 App Charge Sponsorship and Insights14:40 Ubisoft Earnings and Family Drama22:44 Battlefield 6 Trailer and Expectations24:57 Call of Duty's Tech Debt and Battlefield's Response26:24 Battlefield 6 Release Date and Editions Leak28:31 Challenges and Risks for Battlefield 638:03 Supervi's Full Launch and Market Challenges40:05 Splitgate 2's Struggles and Relaunch43:09 Wild Gate's Launch and Marketing Issues46:58 Apple's Emoji-Based Puzzle Game49:39 Conclusion and Sign-Off
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296. From Crying Alone in Bangalore to Panic Attacks at Gamescom with Joseph Kim, CEO of LILA Games
Jul 21, 202501:18:16Tap to summarizeFrom crying alone in Bangalore to panic attacks at Gamescom, this is a brutally real look at what it actually costs to chase a vision. Mishka Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun) and Joseph Kim (Lila Games) reunite for the rawest, most honest founder-to-founder conversation you’ll hear this year. They dive deep into the sacrifices, suffering, and stress of building companies from scratch, away from the LinkedIn highlight reels.5:00 – Suffering vs. Sacrifice: Is Work Just Avoidance?10:45 – Why Founders Trade Family for Vision15:30 – Would You Let Your Kids Follow Your Path?20:00 – Lessons from Building (and Breaking) a Startup27:30 – The #1 Mistake Founders Make: The Team31:50 – Fractional Work, Focus, and Saying No36:30 – Redefining Success Without Losing Yourself41:00 – What a Billion-Dollar Exit Really Means47:15 – How We’ll Judge Ourselves on Our Deathbeds52:00 – Life in Phases: When to Grind, When to Let Go56:00 – AI, Ambition, and the New Have vs. Have-Nots1:02:00 – The Hidden Cost: Panic Attacks, Crying, and Total Burnout1:12:00 – What’s Next for Mishka and Joe
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