Deconstructor of Fun

Mishka takes a break from his Chatty Cat Euro Tour and joins the podcast with the fabulous, Jen Donahoe, Laura Taranto, Phillip Black, and Eric Kress. The crew discusses the legacy of John Riccitiello's, who stepped down as the CEO of Unity. We also talk about how EA is doing after getting rid of FIFA and deconstruct TakeTwo's latest mobile game, Top Troops. Donate to those impacted by the war: ht...

Needless to say, the games industry is going through a rough patch after a decade of booming growth. That is why this episode, with a16z’s Jordan Mazer, is very relevant both for companies and individuals.  Jordan has unrivaled experience scaling high-performing teams at Amazon, Scopely, and Riot. He has interviewed thousands, if not tens of thousands professionals, Jordan shares invaluable insigh...

Join us in Tel Aviv > LINK The fabulous four discuss Epic's massive layoffs, Netflix's Love is Blind, Fortnite's price increases, and Unity CEO, John Riccotello's Hosts: Jen Donahue, Laura Taranto, Eric Kress and Philip Black Thanks to our world-class sponsors: AppsFlyer, Heroic Labs, Data.ai and Xsolla

Co-host of TWIG, Jen Donahoe, kicks off her one-on-one deep dive series of podcasts designed to give listeners actionable tips from experts in the game industry across marketing, publishing, media, and more. First up, Robin Gray from Gray Media, founder of Gayming Magazine, the world's only LGBTQ video game magazine, and creator of the Gayming Awards, coming April 2024. They discuss the benefi...

Join us in Tel Aviv > SIGNUP We have the full crew back in the house Together we analyze the latest turns in the Unity saga and most importantly (or least importantly) tell what we'd do should we be running the company. We also debate the role of Big Tech in the game industry's future.

SPEEDRUN >>> application link Do you have 15 minutes, a strong core team, and an idea you dream about pursuing? If you said yes three times, you're in for an opportunity of a lifetime, also known as SPEEDRUN . SPEEDRUN is a program for game startups, unlike anything you've seen before: All teams accepted to the program receive 500k funding from a16z. That’s one of the best venture...

Tel Aviv Game Executive Brunch > SIGN UP With Mishka multiple Spritz's deep in Italy and Laura somewhere in a Turkish Hot Air Ballon, Jen, Eric, and Phil get to the meat and potatoes: Go-DOT or GOD-oh? Unity’s proposed runtime response is public, while Eric uncovers buried AppLovin news… You can’t hide from the Kress! Jen reminds us that Privacy Manifest is here, and it’s coming for your fi...

Tune in for a captivating exploration of AI's impact on the gaming industry with Pieter Kooyman, CEO and Founder of Half Moon Studios. We discuss the role of AI from the perspectives of new and established organizations, C-level executives, individual contributors, and the ethical and emotional dimensions of this transformative technology. Don't miss out on this discussion!

Let's not mess around. You're here to hate listen as we dissect the PR firestorm coming out of Unity this week. We know it. You know it. Let's get into it!

We dive deep into the ever-evolving world of gaming, exploring the latest trends, successes, and challenges in the global gaming market. We start by dissecting the landscape of mobile, PC, and console gaming. Tackle the question of what's working in the gaming industry, dissecting the impact of AI, the rise of handheld consoles, the promise of transmedia experiences, and the growth of cloud ga...

This week, Ethan sits down with Kayla Kinnunen , Executive Producer for the Minecraft Creator Platform. She explains how the platform empowers Minecraft creators to craft amazing content and share it with millions of players around the world. To date, Minecraft Creators have earned payouts of over $500 million crafting content for the worldwide sensation's still massive audience of over 140 MA...

In this podcast episode, we dive into the remarkable success of the Nintendo Switch and what lies ahead for Nintendo. The Switch has surpassed Wii's total US sales and is closely trailing the Xbox 360 and PS2 in worldwide sales. We explore why it has thrived, including its handheld/console hybrid design, an impressive lineup of first-party games, broad demographic appeal, and Nintendo's st...

In this power-packed episode, Joe Schaeppi shares his secrets of success for business leaders, founders, and innovators. From mastering board meetings to becoming the ultimate hub for innovators, building cultural diversity, nurturing empathy, and cracking the code on tricky interviews, this episode is a goldmine of invaluable insights to sharpen your entrepreneurial skills and propel your company...

We have a full house! Phil and Mishka are back from Gamescom reminiscing their flourishing bromance causing Kress to gag (he’s just jealous). We talk about the recently announced slate of games. Jen and Laura debate Netflix Stories. And we summarize the latest market insight report from Data.ai. Link > Helsinki VIP Happy Hour

A $55M seed round for a mobile gaming company sounds like a mistake until you talk to Rina Onar, the CEO of the company that raised it. Rina is the co-founder of Peak Games, which sold to Zynga for nearly 2 billion Dollars. But instead of taking it easy after 13 grueling years growing Turkey's first unicorn games company, Rina hopped back on the grind mobile with her ex-Peak co-founders and is...

With Mishka and Phil living it up with all our lovely listeners at Gamescom, and Ethan to busy building to play pundit this week, it's everyone's three favorite hosts - Kress , Jen and Laura - holding down the fort without any deadweight dragging them down :) This week the crew goes deep on cozy games following the successful beta for cozy MMO Palia as well as discussing Gossip Harbor and...

Brett Nowak, founder of insights platform Liquid & Grit joins the podcast to answer and ask three questions with Mishka Katkoff. The fellas talk about Brett’s grind from bootstrapping his company to where is today, a team of 45. They chat about Mishka’s immigrant mentality and debate about remote work. In this episode, Mishka also talks about his favorite and least favorite job from his 14-yea...

Join the Deconstructor of Fun Talent Collective! > for Talent > for Companies After two weeks of no correction, Mr. Kress returns back to the show to correct us all. The crew deconstructs the cannibalization of Genshin Impact by the publisher’s newest title Honkai. Talks about Roblox’s burning business and what the company should do about it. Analyzes Netflix’s foray into streaming. Talks ab...

The crew debates Netflix’s Games strategy after the company announces its new controller to play games on TV.  Jen goes into a full on Kress mode after Assasin’s Creed beta test rejection. Phil shares his praises to Baldur’s Gate and the team discusses the importance of community when gearing up for the launch. The crew also discusses Nintendo’s mobile plans. To cap it off, Mishka is back from his...

In this episode, Mishka Katkoff hosts a conversation with Tim Bennison , COO of Hot Head Games and a leader with over 25 years of experience in game development, creative product development, and more. They discuss the nuances of moving into work-for-hire projects, client engagement, and strategies for success for a co-development studio in a rapid games industry. Tim provides essential qualities...

Jen covers the hottest brand reveal of 2023 while Phil checks in on Tim Sweeney’s chess board. Laura designs a roadmap for Epic Games; you’ll never guess what lands first. The crew tries to match up Match Master’s $200M success and marvels Pikimin 4’s monster success. Eric and Mishka DM pictures of their vacation and promise to return soon.

Web Shops for free-to-play mobile games are a topic we bring up regularly on This Week in Games. The ability to monetize your most engaged players outside of Apple and Google's walled garden's is an invaluable tool in maximizing a successful game's potential and one the TWiG crew doesn't have enough first hand knowledge of. In the spirit of learning, Ethan is very excited to be joi...

With Eric and Miska cruisin’, Ethan makes a return to host an Eggy Party. Shells are broken as Phil and Ethan debate the cost of Roblox and mobile “reskins”, but it’s unclear if everything is scrambled or sunny-side up. Jen revisits the 10th anniversary of Dota 2’s battle pass while Laura spills the deets on King’s new pass. Phil does his best Eric impression for Exoprimal’s Premium Plus launch. L...

In an era of AAA company consolidation, as independent studios and mega-publishers alike are gobbled up in a war for exclusive content, storied British game developer Rebellion remains stridently independent. Thanks to 25 years of hard work, and the success of franchises Sniper Elite and Nazi Zombie Army, the company now fully controls its fate as it funds and publishes its own games, comics and m...

Discover the intriguing dynamics of remote work at Playrix, one of the industry’s leading gaming companies. Did remote work help them become a top mobile publisher, or are there hidden pitfalls that should be taken into account? Tune in as Maxim Kirilenko, Chief Business Development Officer at Playrix, divulges their strategies, challenges, and triumphs in navigating their large-scale remote and h...