Deconstructor of Fun

With Michail out, and definitely not living a jetset life, Jen, Eric, Adam, and Phil huddle around the WWDC campfire to tell tales of Game Center. There’s a big change to Battlefield that threatens the franchise, while Delta Force rises as a threat to the East. Split Gate 2? Not so much. Jen defends Apple, marketing, and transmedia, all in one, while Adam claims a Marvel Rival bet and claps for the French. Eric certainly isn’t clapping for Game Pass and Doom, while Phil tries to Grow a Garden. 02:19 Rumors and Updates in the Gaming Industry 03:13 AI Kick-Off 07:32 TV Campaigns and Marketing Strategies 10:45 Off the Record Event and Industry Networking 16:54 Apple's 30% Fee and Game Center 2.0 25:10 Ubisoft's Legal Troubles and Workplace Culture 27:10 Jade Raymond's Career Moves 28:26 Breaking News: EA Shuts Down Black Panther Game 31:19 Expedition 33: A Small Team's Big Success 33:24 Doom the Dark Age: Game Pass Impact 34:57 Game Pass Debate: Success or Failure? 43:18 Splitgate 2: Struggling to Gain Traction 46:26 Fortnite iOS Relaunch: Lukewarm? 51:40 Battlefield 6 59:44 Roblox's Grow a Garden

Michail Katkoff and Rhys Elliott break down the widening gap between legacy studios bogged down by process and fresh teams building with urgency. From the slow death of bloated AAA games to the shaky economics of Game Pass, they explore why shorter, more creative games are winning hearts—and why team quality now matters more than genre. Plus: why subscription models are struggling, and how devices like Switch 2 and Steam Deck might reshape portable play. Rhys Elliotwww.linkedin.com/in/rhyselliott/Alinea Analyticswww.alineaanalytics.com 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:52 Fat Cats vs. Hungry Cats 22:05 Evaluating Game Development Teams 24:36 Investment Principles in Startup Life 26:31 The Shift from AAA to AA Games 33:25 The Demand for Shorter Games 39:45 The Challenges of Subscription Gaming 49:04 The Future of Game Pass and Subscription Models 53:35 The State of Subscription Services 55:50 Live Services vs. Premium Games 66:20 The Future of Portable Gaming

The BIG stories: 1. Finland’s game awards controversy (yes, it’s messier than you think) 2. Epic’s endless courtroom war with Apple 3. Supercell’s dual bet on transmedia and AI. The team also breaks down the implications of ChatGPT infiltrating development workflows, the battle brewing in the Solitaire segment, and what Roblox’s new in-game shopping means for UGC economies. Add in Take-Two’s financials and some spicy predictions on AI’s workplace takeover—and you’ve got a packed episode that hits strategy, creativity, and the future of the industry in one fatality-worthy sequence. 02:29 Industry News Highlights 04:24 Meta Horizon Worlds and Game Development Insights 05:25 Podcast and Blog Updates 07:00 Dreams TV Campaign Analysis 09:32 Finn Game Awards Controversy 13:36 Epic Games vs. Apple: A Legal Battle 21:45 Supercell's Transmedia Ventures 29:03 Supercell's AI Initiatives 29:55 AI's Impact on the Workplace 30:34 ChatGPT in Game Development 32:00 The Future of AI in Gaming 41:23 Solitaire Market Shake-Up 45:15 Take-Two's Financial Overview 53:41 Roblox's New In-Game Shopping 01:00:57 Conclusion and Outro

We are joined by George Ng, co-founder and CTO of GGWP, to dive deep into the world of bots in gaming. We explore the differences between game-created bots and player-created bots, the cat-and-mouse game of detecting and preventing bots, and regional differences in bot usage. We also look ahead at the evolving landscape of bots in gaming and discuss strategies that studios can adopt to stay ahead. 01:09 The Impact of Bots on Player Experience 13:21 Regional Trends in Bot Usage 14:57 The Future of Bots in Gaming 20:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Why are seasoned PMs, growth leads, and designers ditching games for fintech, wellness, or even dating apps? What do these companies see in game industry vets—and what blind spots do they have? In this episode, Mishka Katkoff talks with executive headhunter Gerard Miles about one of the most underreported shifts in tech: gaming talent is migrating to the app world. 03:14 Understanding Talent Migration and Skill Sets 12:20 Engagement and User Experience in Apps 18:17 The Future of Gaming and Consumer Apps 31:07 The Evolution of Game Marketing Strategies 37:04 Cultural Differences Between Game and App Industries 56:41 Career Transitioning: From Gaming to Broader App Ecosystem 01:03:47 The Future of Gaming Professionals in Diverse Sectors