Deconstructor of Fun

Ben Feder has done it all: CEO of Take-Two Interactive during the GTA and Red Dead years, President of Tencent’s International Partnerships, and board member at Epic Games and Bad Robot. Now he’s turned investor, running Tirta Ventures, a fund at the intersection of AI and gaming. In this conversation, Ben and Michail Katkoff explore what makes a great founder, why “operational VC” is a myth, and where the next billion-dollar gaming companies will come from. They discuss how AI is reshaping creativity, why talent is shifting away from the West, and what the next Walt Disney of interactive entertainment might look like. 🎮 Topics include: 00:00 From GTA to Venture Capital 06:00 VC vs. Private Equity in Games 15:00 The AI Bubble (or Opportunity?) 25:00 The Myth of the “Operational VC” 32:00 Where the Next Great Studios Will Emerge 45:00 The Future of Creativity and Intelligent NPCs 56:00 What the Next Wave of Gaming Giants Will Look Like

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 takeaways * Android’s new payment-link era Unity’s cross-platform payments * what General Intuition’s $134 M seed means for spatial reasoning and game data * Rovio’s restructuring * Football Manager deal with FIFA * 00:00 Welcome 03:12 Jen's Update 09:17 Industry Insights and Trends 14:56 Battlefield Six Analysis 23:05 Marketing Strategies and Success 26:12 Marketing Choices and Target Audience 27:13 Epic vs Google: Legal Battle Update 36:42 Unity's New Commerce Management Product 41:53 AI and Gaming: General Intuition's Ambitious Plans 49:16 Rovio's Restructuring and Industry Trends 52:40 Football Manager's Success and Future Plans

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

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

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 Welcome 01:00 Intro & Shills 07:58 Ilke's Open Letter on EU Regulations 21:38 AppLovin Under Fire: SEC Probe and Stock Volatility 29:19 Epic Games' Web Shops Launch 36:50 Ubisoft's Management and Future 41:47 Istanbul's Gaming Industry Boom 51:32 AI Business Slop 01:01:00 EOS