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Deconstructor of Fun

Deconstructor of Fun
Gaming Industry
Roblox
Mobile Gaming
Supercell
User Acquisition
Game Development
Xbox
Applovin
Unity
Appsflyer
Call Of Duty
Epic Games
Ubisoft
Cyprus
Fortnite
Game Monetization
AI In Gaming
Sensor Tower
Venture Capital
Hybrid Casual Games

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-ec... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes814Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Video GamesLeisure

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Artwork for Deconstructor of Fun

Latest Episodes

Crew breaks down another packed week in games. Roblox faces mounting pressure over child safety as Congress launches an investigation, Apple rewrites its EU App Store economics while Germany forces changes to ATT, and Netflix Games keeps shrinking wi... more

Jen sits down with WEBTOON and Square Enix to break down a channel that reaches mobile, PC, and console at once.UA is saturated and everyone is hunting for new reach. WEBTOON has 160 million MAU, about 90% under 34, and roughly 69% of its readers pla... more

Affan Butt has advised on 110+ gaming M&A deals worth $40 billion. He breaks down how game studios actually get sold, what acquirers pay for, and why earnouts wreck founders.

We go through a studio acquisition from the founder's side of the table. ... more

Crew breaks down a packed week in mobile and games. AppLovin's stock craters despite the SEC closing its inquiry with no action, Unity sells Supersonic to Tripledot for a shockingly low $40 million, and Take-Two's GTA VI presales are on fire even as ... more

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Recent Guests

Eden Chen
From First Look, presenter of creators.gg launch
First Look
Episode: TWIG #395: Xbox Prices Explode, Roblox's Worst Day Ever, and Merge Eats Puzzle
David Nelson
Puzzle enthusiast; casual games expert
Unspecified in transcript
Episode: Puzzle Monthly #5: The Secret Behind Toon Blast's Success
Tom Storr
Experimenter at Experimentation Group; puzzle nerd
Experimentation Group
Episode: Puzzle Monthly #5: The Secret Behind Toon Blast's Success
Thomas Lehr
Built the AI system for InnoGames Sunrise Village
InnoGames
Episode: 339. The Most Honest AI Adoption Story in Gaming
Adam Smart
Global Director of Product for Gaming at AppsFlyer
AppsFlyer
Episode: 338. The Mobile vs Web User Acquisition: What Nobody's Talking About
Zoe Bell
Executive Producer of Games at the New York Times
New York Times
Episode: 337. Inside New York Times Games: Why Killing 96% of New Ideas Is the Win
Matt Kaufman
Chief Safety Officer at Roblox
Roblox
Episode: 335. My Wife Uninstalled Roblox. Then I Talked to Their Safety Team.
Eliza Jacobs
Vice President of Safety Products at Roblox
Roblox
Episode: 335. My Wife Uninstalled Roblox. Then I Talked to Their Safety Team.
Laura Charanto
Puzzle Queen with analytical history on Merge
Microsoft at Minecraft
Episode: Puzzle Monthly #3: Merge vs Match-3, Gossip Harbor's Rise, and the Future of Merge

Hosts

Jen Donahoe
Host with marketing and publishing leadership; connected to Deconstructor of Fun.
Eric Kress
Strategy and investing-focused host; long-time contributor.
Phillip Black
Monetization-focused host; provides industry monetization perspectives.
Michail Katkoff
Host of Deconstructor of Fun; sustainability advocate; regular panelist.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 537 ratings
  • woof

    Some of the most insufferable personalities in podcasting, unsubbed after Eric started casually dropping the r-slur.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    nickfourtimes
    Canada5 months ago
  • Ever wonder what the far right thinks about gaming?

    From promoting authoritarian states in unmarked ads, to mocking the homeless as not real people, to blaming Joe Biden for the EU existing (?!?) and now finally to Ai not succeeding in gaming not because it doesn’t work but because of “left wing artists”.

    How daft are they? They used to have an entire series dedicated to the “inevitable” rise of NFTs and web 3 gaming.

    Philip black may be known as the stupidest man in gaming for a reason… but please hire them as consultants!

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    BigBetter
    United States10 months ago
  • Underwhelming

    For such a good newsletter the hosts are actually pretty weak in podcast form. Chore to listen to.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Jrd929
    United Statesa year ago
  • Entertaining and useful

    Great host and guests covering all holistic industry topics and deep dives on topical events

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BigDave1092
    Swedena year ago
  • Fun and insightful

    Need to drop Ethan though

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NC099
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A common critique mentions audio quality and host dynamics being inconsistent.
Some listeners praise strong content and guest variety, balanced takes, and industry-depth insights.
Several reviews highlight high entertainment value and actionable industry discussion, with occasional polarizing moments.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

341. Why the Best Founders Are Neither American nor European
Q: What was the version of you, the French Emmanuel, who moved to Silicon Valley? How did that change you as a founder?
The shift required living in the ecosystem for years, adopting a more ambitious mindset, and learning to balance European groundedness with US-level ambition so you can persuade investors and customers alike.
339. The Most Honest AI Adoption Story in Gaming
Q: What was the hardest step in the Sunrise Village AI pipeline, and which part was easiest to implement?
The hardest part was ensuring the end product had quality and fun, which required continuous human input to craft story, balance, and cinematics; the easiest wins came from automating repetitive, data-heavy tasks like transforming game design definitions from wiki to Unity-ready formats and automating early-stage storytelling drafts.
TWIG #387: LiftOff IPO, Xbox pulls out the bangers, and The Simpsons take over Monopoly GO!
Q: Josh, where does Liftoff sit within the ecosystem and what impact will this have on the mobile game industry?
Liftoff is positioned at the edge of the ecosystem with a strong non-gaming ad focus inside mostly gaming, which could pressure competitors like AppLovin; the IPO reveals exposure and the need for strategic partnerships, but it's still early to gauge sustained impact.
335. My Wife Uninstalled Roblox. Then I Talked to Their Safety Team.
Q: When will Kids Accounts and Select Accounts launch globally and how do they change access?
Kids Accounts (ages 5-8) and Select Accounts (ages 9-15) launch globally in June; these accounts restrict chat and content to age-appropriate levels and require age verification to access more features, with further improvements in parental controls and visibility for parents.
335. My Wife Uninstalled Roblox. Then I Talked to Their Safety Team.
Q: What's the feedback from parents and policymakers about these safety features?
Feedback has been largely positive from parents and policymakers, with approval of proactive age checks and the ability to ensure that communication is age-appropriate and restricted to peer groups, along with a recognition of Roblox's transparency and scale of safety efforts.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Deconstructor of Fun

What is Deconstructor of Fun about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A roundtable-style show focused on the business and monetization side of the games industry, with regular hosts offering high-velocity takes on platform economics, live ops, and marketing strategies. Episodes dissect industry trends, investor narratives, and strategic moves by publishers and platforms, often supported by data-focused guests and insiders from studios, media brands, and analytics firms. Notable strengths include strong host dynamics, candid critique, and a willingness to tackle controversial topics; occasional friction and variable audio quality are mentioned as recurring listener feedback. The show is likely valuable for listeners who want practical industry context, deal-making perspectives, and a pulse on how decisions at ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Deconstructor of Fun?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Deconstructor of Fun:

1. Naavik Gaming Podcast
2. Gamecraft
3. two & a half gamers
4. GameMakers
5. Decoder with Nilay Patel

How many episodes of Deconstructor of Fun are there?

Deconstructor of Fun launched 9 years ago and published 814 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Deconstructor of Fun?

Recent guests on Deconstructor of Fun include:

1. Eden Chen
2. David Nelson
3. Tom Storr
4. Thomas Lehr
5. Adam Smart
6. Zoe Bell
7. Matt Kaufman
8. Eliza Jacobs

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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