The GameMakers podcast publishes current, entertaining, and in-depth discussions on F2P game development. Topics that we cover include the business of games, F2P monetization, liveops, game design, game development processes, team structure, and more.
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Nov 13, 2026 · 1:14:58
The full conversation with BisectHosting co-founders Max Podkidkin (CEO) and Andrew Blatchford (CTO). Two Minecraft players turned a market gap, unreliable game hosting and…
Oct 22, 2026 · 54:21
Pedro Esparza, Head of Growth at Bisect Hosting, has spent about 20 years on the business side of game servers (MC Pro Hosting, Tebex, Overwolf). We dig into his community…
Sep 1, 2026 · 51:13
Ask ChatGPT for the best mobile puzzle game and it does not say Candy Crush. It says Monument Valley, a game from 2014 that is not on any top grossing chart.Kalie Moore has spent…
Jul 14, 2026 · 43:06
Unity just made direct-to-consumer payments free for every developer on its IAP SDK. No take rate, no fees. So what's the catch? I sat down with Steve Ganem, VP of Product at…
Jun 16, 2026 · 1:57:53
Epic spent five years and over $100M breaking the platforms' 30% tax — then cut V-Bucks by 20% to "pay the bills." If the company that won the fee war still gets squeezed, what…
Mar 31, 2026 · 1:10:29
AI is making it cheaper to build games. It's doing nothing for the cost of building the right game. That distinction is about to crush more studios than any technology shift in…
Feb 10, 2026 · 15:53
Last month, I sat on a panel about where the gaming industry is headed. The conversation was good — but there was one thing I didn't say out loud. In this episode, I break down…
Dec 30, 2025 · 1:51:20
AppLovin just crossed $250 billion in market cap. Stock up 127% YTD. EBITDA margins at 82%. Is this the beginning—or the top? We assembled the most qualified panel possible to…
Nov 17, 2025 · 27:54
Most game studios either skip validation entirely or waste hundreds of thousands on academic testing that doesn't move the needle. Both approaches kill products. In this episode,…
Oct 29, 2025 · 46:18
Most game studios waste weeks of runway on the wrong analytics decision—here's how to avoid that mistake. Traditional analytics SDK vendors like Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Braze…
Oct 24, 2025 · 55:21
Most game studios think they have a talent problem. They don't. They have a structure problem. Chris Casanova spent 15+ years as a producer across Microsoft Xbox, Mojang…
Oct 20, 2025 · 59:16
Western AAA development is not dead. Battlefield 6's 7 million unit launch proves it. This episode deconstructs how EA and Vince Zampella reversed the "disaster" of Battlefield…
Oct 13, 2025 · 59:56
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund just closed the largest gaming acquisition in history—$55 billion for Electronic Arts. But this isn't the typical private equity playbook.…
Oct 9, 2025 · 1:08:48
Why is your ad revenue flat even when your game's traffic is growing? Margins are getting squeezed by hidden fees, and old strategies of yelling at partners no longer move the…
Oct 6, 2025 · 57:11
This week, we're breaking down the end of an era: the historic $55 billion acquisition of Electronic Arts. Go inside the deal to hear the likely banker's pitch that sold EA's…
Oct 2, 2025 · 1:41:41
Is your game only available in English? You could be ignoring over 80% of your potential players. In this deep dive, I sit down with Alexander Murauski, CEO of localization…
Sep 29, 2025 · 26:52
On this episode of Game Makers, we explore three critical topics: how Delta Force's mobile revenue soared past PUBG's by 75% , why the "Take-Two Mafia" thesis is a myth centered…
Sep 23, 2025 · 51:40
In this episode, we explore the major headwinds facing the games industry, from publisher-developer tensions to the viability of long-standing business models. We start with a…
Sep 16, 2025 · 1:29:21
Alpha: Clash Royale 5x Revenue, Understanding the Illegible Margin GameDev: The Problem with Product Validation Happy MAG-nificent Monday! 3-Macro : 3 stories impacting the…
Sep 9, 2025 · 1:03:49
3. Macro Top 3 Most Significant Gaming News From Last Week: Dreamhaven Games Hit by Layoffs ( GamesIndustry.biz ) : Dreamhaven, the studio founded by former Blizzard…
Sep 1, 2025 · 47:23
Top 3 Gaming News From Last Week: NetEase Shuts Down Another Western Studio ( Game Developer ): NetEase has closed T-Minus Zero Entertainment. This marks the third Western studio…
Aug 28, 2025 · 26:39
In an era where “good” isn’t good enough, this talk breaks down how to generate alpha—company-specific excess returns—by choosing the right game to play and going all-in on the…
Aug 25, 2025 · 1:07:59
GAME DEV REVIEW #1 NEWS: Top 5 Gaming News Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Officially Revealed ( GameSpot ): Activision has unveiled the next entry in its massive first-person shooter…
Aug 18, 2025 · 1:57:45
The games industry is in a state of flux. Layoffs are widespread, AI is disrupting hiring, and the future feels uncertain. To navigate this new landscape, we're joined by Keith…
Jul 29, 2025 · 1:16:16
Four years after Apple's ATT shook the mobile gaming world, measurement remains complicated—but not impossible. Airbridge CEO Roi Nam joins us for an unfiltered technical…
Jul 29, 2025 · 58:03
Join us for an eye-opening conversation about how AI is completely transforming the game animation industry. Viren Tellis, CEO of Uthana, shares how their technology is enabling…
Jul 21, 2025 · 1:15:59
What's the real cost of being a startup gaming founder? In this very off-topic conversation, my old friend Mishka Katkoff (Deconstructor of Fun) and I go deep on the topics…
Jul 13, 2025 · 1:21:14
Apple and Google are taking 43% more money from your game than you think – and your competitors are using web shops to capture that revenue instead. In this eye-opening…
Jun 13, 2025 · 1:10:39
The game development industry is in flux. From the intense pressure of the attention economy and global competition to the seismic shifts brought by Artificial Intelligence, how…
Jun 5, 2025 · 48:51
Is HTML5 gaming finally ready for prime time? After multiple failed attempts over the past decade, something fundamental has changed. In this episode, we sit down with Dmitry…
May 15, 2025 · 58:55
Why $200M games flop — and how LiveAware’s “always-on” player insight flips the odds.• Echo-chamber dev culture & launch disasters• Quant vs qual data gap killing velocity•…
May 14, 2025 · 49:17
Simon from Goat Gaming shares how his team is leveraging AI and Telegram to build games in just 2-3 weeks, reaching 5.5 million users. Learn why he believes AI will be an…
Apr 15, 2025 · 59:37
Alex Seropian (Bungie co-founder) shares his experience developing for Epic's UEFN platform in this exclusive interview. Discover insights on platform capabilities, economics,…
Apr 8, 2025 · 1:15:00
(0:00) Introduction (1:00) Overview of AppLovin vs Unity market situation since 2022(2:10) Discussion of current mobile UA market conditions(6:30) Introduction to AppLovin vs…
Apr 2, 2025 · 55:40
Dive into the future of AI in game development with this insightful panel from GDC featuring Aaron Farr (CTO at Jam and Tea Studios) and Liam Dean (Principal Analyst, Games at…
Mar 26, 2025 · 49:12
Join us for an in-depth discussion on the Game Developers Conference 2025 with industry veterans as they share their perspectives and what was learned during GDC on the current…
Mar 11, 2025 · 26:58
This week I share thoughts from my years in game development about why teams often struggle with addressing their most critical problems. I discussed this with Ben Carcich in a…
Mar 4, 2025 · 53:02
Dive deep into Battle Pass design with industry experts discussing Overwatch 2's approach, player psychology, and monetization strategies. Learn essential insights about…
Feb 18, 2025 · 2:06:36
In an industry where development costs have skyrocketed, and market success has become increasingly challenging, understanding the true drivers of successful game development has…
Feb 10, 2025 · 1:05:30
Join gaming industry veterans as they break down the unprecedented transformation of mobile 4X games. Featuring insights from Joseph Kim (Lila Games), Justin Yau (Wharton MBA),…
Feb 4, 2025 · 15:35
Learn the insider strategies from industry legends Frank Yan (Brawl Stars), Dafna Ben Onn (SciPlay), and Ivan Trancik (Superscale) on mastering mobile game operations! 📍…
Jan 30, 2025 · 1:04:58
Leading mobile gaming experts break down everything you need to know about Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs) in 2025. Get insider perspectives from AppsFlyer, Wildcard Games,…
Jan 30, 2025 · 46:07
Join us as we explore the future of user-generated content (UGC) in gaming with Playmakers, diving into why community-created content converts 30% better than studio content and…
Jan 7, 2025 · 1:17:40
The gaming industry experienced seismic shifts in 2024, from record-breaking layoffs to China's rising dominance. In this comprehensive analysis, we break down the five key…
Nov 1, 2024 · 43:07
We discuss the impact, economics, and advantages of mobile web stores in a deep discussion with Gil Tov-ly, the CMO of AppCharge, a company that partners with game studios to…
Oct 30, 2024 · 1:06:12
A deep dive into the most pressing topics in gaming with industry veterans discussing recent developments, challenges, and future outlooks. ⏱️ Timeline/Chapters: 00:00 -…
Oct 24, 2024 · 57:37
Warren Woodward, co-founder and CMO at Upptic, provides real, no-nonsense advice about the current state of mobile performance marketing. What are the current problems and issues…
Aug 18, 2024 · 1:00:55
We dive deep into the fierce competition between Tencent and NetEase—two titans shaping the global gaming landscape. Discover how these companies are navigating the challenges of…
Aug 16, 2024 · 59:12
Anton Bernstein, CEO of Pocket Worlds, discusses the intricacies of cosmetics monetization in free-to-play games. Learn about player motivations, game design considerations,…
Jul 21, 2024 · 53:37
We partnered with Liquid & Grit to discuss the Brawl Stars Godzilla event, which had a massive impact on Brawl Stars' revenue and downloads. - Highest weekly revenue ever - 59%…
May 31, 2024 · 54:43
0:00 Intro 1:42 Background on FunPlus 2:35 Embracer Group - Historical context and current status, including breakup 6:06 Why did Embracer break up? What form of game industry…
May 11, 2024 · 1:06:02
Purnendu Mukherjee, CEO of Convai, shares insights into innovative approaches to developing human-like AI characters that can intelligently interact with users, perform actions,…
Apr 20, 2024 · 1:18:49
We compare two major gaming companies, Embracer and Ubisoft, on this episode of Pixels and Profits. ✅ Business performance ✅ Valuation ✅ Future outlook of both companies We…
Mar 30, 2024 · 1:16:32
We discuss key themes & trends, critical takeaways, GDC panels/talks, and rumors from GDC 2024. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 2:35 VC, publisher investment in gaming is down 3:50 Moving to…
Mar 21, 2024 · 48:09
Ludovic Bodin is an entrepreneur, investor, and now author of the book Atomic Scaling. Ludovic has learned lessons from the titans of the games industry and created a framework…
Mar 20, 2024 · 27:12
Eve Chang shares her invaluable experiences and lessons from working on iconic mobile games like Temple Run and Bejeweled Blitz. Get ready for a session full of actionable…
Mar 15, 2024 · 52:57
Matthew Kanterman, Joseph Kim, and Brian Peganoff discuss Nvidia as well as gaming related offerings from the company: Nvidia business overview Future growth drivers Valuation…
Mar 5, 2024 · 50:16
We are seeing severe impacts around privacy and the ability to measure any post-device ID kind of fingerprinting world. So, we wanted to put together a five-part series helping…
Feb 27, 2024 · 15:08
Doom loops are a cycle of self reinforcing negative decisions and behaviors that lead to bad outcomes. In this episode I talk about my own experience trying to break my doom loop…
Feb 20, 2024 · 22:07
At most companies doing the hard thing is uncomfortable and we avoid addressing some of the most critical issues that can mean the difference between success and failure. This is…
Feb 12, 2024 · 34:52
Dive into the future of game development with Joseph Kim as he interviews Ben James, CEO of Atlas, a groundbreaking company at the forefront of integrating AI into the creative…
Feb 6, 2024 · 1:06:49
Supercell's Brawl Stars recently had a huge surge in downloads and daily revenue. How did they do it? We discuss with Matej Lancaric and Jakub Reimar from 2.5 Gamers and Ken…
Jan 29, 2024 · 4:48
We explore AI's significant impact in tech, especially game development. Let's discuss adapting to AI as a major technological shift, a technological change potentially as big as…
Jan 28, 2024 · 9:14
3 days before launching Palworld, Takuro Mizobe from Pocket Pair, published a blog post with the riveting story behind Palworld. Mistakes, lessons learned, and much more. Check…
Jan 22, 2024 · 4:08
Livestreaming trends: 1. Which genres are the best? 2. Nostalgia for Baldur's Gate and Fortnite "OG" 3. Indies benefit 4. Multi-platform simulcasting e.g., Ninja Esports: 1.…
Jan 22, 2024 · 3:39
Will games become more like movies and music with focus on subscription rather than ownership? An Ubisoft director thinks so.
Jan 22, 2024 · 4:34
Epic vs. Apple articles: The house always wins Apple to collect fees from Epic Games Supreme Court denied both sides' appeals of Epic v. Apple antitrust case. iOS will not have…
Jan 22, 2024 · 3:59
Pocketgamer reported on GDC's State of the Industry report held every year before GDC. 3,000 game devs input about various topics. We cover: Concerns about AI Where AI is being…
Jan 22, 2024 · 1:38
What happened? Brawlstars after years of doing well, grew massively from December to January!
Jan 22, 2024 · 10:11
More Layoffs: Layoffs confirmed at Choices: Stories You Play maker, Pixelberry Studios Google lays off 1,000+ employees in stealth as AI takes on the workload Report: Behaviour…
Jan 15, 2024 · 1:03:26
Arthur Trusov and Joseph Kim discuss the latest gaming news from the past week. Layoffs: Unity to lay off 1,800 staff as it continues company reset Twitch is cutting one-third of…
Jan 12, 2024 · 53:43
In this podcast episode, Joseph Kim, Matej Lancaric, and Summer Liu discuss the profitability of the game Monopoly Go. They explore the controversy surrounding the game and the…
Jan 11, 2024 · 53:31
Recorded mid December 2023. We discuss the current and future outlook of Roblox with a focus on financials. OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 1:11 Overview of the business 5:00 Being a social…
Jan 9, 2024 · 1:08:58
Discussion with Kylan Gibbs, Chief Product Officer at Inworld AI and Travis Boatman, CEO at Carbonated. We discuss Inworld's AI services around AI NPCs / conversational AI for…
Jan 9, 2024 · 59:37
Joseph Kim and Arthur Trusov talk top game charts, game industry news, and games we're playing. Savvy Games Group: “Approximately 75 percent of our capital allotment has not yet…
Jan 2, 2024 · 1:11:41
We discuss game industry news for the past week: Joseph Kim and Arthur Trusov. 0:00 Intro - New Years Eve 2:52 Top Steam charts - Baldur’s Gate 3, Lethal Company, Elden Ring and…
Dec 28, 2023 · 41:12
Joseph Kim (Oldie but Goodie) and Arthur Trusov (Young Blood) discuss top charts and gaming news. 0:00 Intro 2:22 Top Steam charts 5:05 Top mobile charts 7:45 China to curb…
Dec 19, 2023 · 44:16
Game over podcast Episode #3. Joseph Kim and Arthur Trusov talk top game charts, gaming news, and games we're playing. Overview: 0:00 Intro 2:19 Top Steam charts 4:32 Top Mobile…
Dec 12, 2023 · 50:33
From Game Over podcast. Dual publishing here until we get a bigger audience. Joseph Kim and Arthur Trusov talk top games by market charts, gaming news, and games we're playing.…
Oct 21, 2023 · 58:05
If you were going to start a new games studio, how would you design the organization, the work environment, and work culture and values for the company? We speak with the…
Oct 3, 2023 · 1:09:07
There's a lot of context behind Unity's recent run-time fees and the big changes they rolled out on pricing. Find out more about Unity's business, issues & problems, and future…
Aug 30, 2023 · 53:47
Epic's Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) potentially presents a huge new platform rivaling Roblox. Why are some of the most experienced developers in the world like Alex Seropian…
Aug 22, 2023 · 41:20
IDFA deprecation and the end of fingerprinting *in theory* would end targeting and the ability to do user acquisition as well as in the past. What is the current state of the…
Aug 1, 2023 · 57:33
The Pixel bros are joined by Eric Kress from the Deconstructor of Fun podcast to talk everything Take-Two Interactive! OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 2:45 Take-Two Fundamentals 6:25 The…
Jul 24, 2023 · 55:57
Mukul Deora is a modern-day Renaissance man. He has found success in business, music, movies (as the producer for The White Tiger), and today he's tackling tech entrepreneurship…
Jul 18, 2023 · 1:16:58
OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 1:13 3x3 format explanation 2:40 To JK: How to balance work and family between SF and Bangalore? 11:00 How do you evaluate sacrifice to the potential gain?…
Jul 17, 2023 · 1:12:47
How do hit games use persona analysis to optimize feature design, do product validation, live ops, etc. Josh Rivers used data-oriented persona analysis while working on Eve…
Jul 9, 2023 · 12:45
Does a gaming smartphone make sense? Can a gaming publisher or other company launch a successful phone that competes with iPhone or Android phones? What do you think? OUTLINE:…
Jul 9, 2023 · 38:51
Welcome, everyone; this week, we are doing a new format called What If? We want to speculate on several scenarios and evaluate the pros and cons and potential strategic and…
Jul 6, 2023 · 51:08
I spoke with Brewed Games, an 8-person indie PC game dev studio based in Bangalore, India, making a souls-like action RPG game. We cover their origin story, challenges, and…
Jun 26, 2023 · 1:48:35
Feedback and performance evaluation for employees is one of a company's most challenging, political, and sensitive topics. However, without this practice done well, it will be…
Jun 24, 2023 · 1:35:51
We speak to Serkan Toto to get his take on the top Japanese and Korean game companies. Serkan is considered by many to be the foremost expert on the Japanese video games space.…
Jun 20, 2023 · 1:31:23
From Wargaming, Anton Kolkovskiy founded Bulberry Studio to build mid-core F2P mobile games. As war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, Anton was unable to raise a follow-on…
Jun 15, 2023 · 54:40
Everyone's saying mobile is dead. Then how do you explain these 5 blow-out mobile game launches over the past year? Lol. Matej Lancaric from 2.5 Gamers and I reviewed the data,…
Jun 13, 2023 · 37:03
The market dynamics, strategy, and future outlook of console gaming: Sony vs. Microsoft vs. Nintendo. Microsoft is all in on Game Pass. Is this the last generation of Xbox?…
Jun 6, 2023 · 4:07
Excerpt from GameMakers full interview: Pixels & Profits #2. Watch the full discussion here: https://youtu.be/fi0RCUiCnfE SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Newsletter:…
Jun 6, 2023 · 46:17
The Pixel & Profit bros discuss the long history of the console market and the primary players in the market today: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. We trace back the history from…
Jun 2, 2023 · 5:46
Taken From: Mobile Growth: IDFA Deprecation Scapegoat or Reality? Podcast YouTube
Jun 1, 2023 · 5:20
Excerpt from GameMakers full interview: Pixels & Profits #1. Watch the full discussion here: https://youtu.be/2G539NGHfVI SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Newsletter:…
May 31, 2023 · 4:26
Excerpt from GameMakers full interview: Pixels & Profits #1. Watch the full discussion here: • Where is the Game... SUBSCRIBE TO GAMEMAKERS: - Newsletter:…
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