Deconstructor of Fun

• TWIG #361 WB Games’ Fate, CoD’s Apology Tour & the UA Financing Trap

  FNaF 2 crushes box office expectations, proving (again) that game IP owns Hollywood. We break down Matthew Ball’s take on the EA/PIF deal, why 93% ownership signals a sports-media empire play, not an LBO, and why the press got the story wrong.Then: the Nex Playground, a $200 kids’ console that quietly outsold PS5 in November. Is this the next underserved frontier in family gaming?We also tear into UA financing schemes masquerading as “cohort funding.” Spoiler: the effective interest rates rhyme with credit-card debt, and studios have died using them.Call of Duty launches an apology tour for Black Ops 7 and vows to stop annualized crunch. We assess the odds.And we close with AppLovin beating Google on Android e-commerce ads, inside Google’s own OS. A massive signal for the future of UA as e-comm competition starts eating the gaming pie.

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• 314. Hard Truths About Co-Founders, Capital, and Competition with Appcharge's Founders Roei and Maor

  The dynamics of co-founder relationships, featuring Appcharge co-founders Roei Barassi and Maor Sason. They share insights on building a robust team, the significance of mentorship, and the importance of celebrating success. Learn about the challenges and strategies of scaling a company, raising capital, and maintaining a strong culture across global offices. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with invaluable lessons on leadership, teamwork, and innovation.00:00 The Importance of Co-Founder Relationships02:56 Handling Conflicts with Respect09:39 Balancing Personal Life and Startup Demands24:40 Raising Funds and Building Momentum31:57 Navigating Early Rejections and Negotiations32:28 Turning Nos into Yeses33:25 The Importance of Positive Mindset34:52 Hidden Risks of Too Much Capital35:44 What Founders Should Avoid Between Rounds38:52 The Evolution of Web Stores41:56 App Charge's Unique Value Proposition51:32 Building a Global Team53:40 Scaling and Maintaining Company Culture57:45 Leadership Challenges in Rapid Growth01:01:58 Final Advice for Founders01:05:15 Conclusion and Farewell

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• TWIG #360 The Story of Two Steam Games, Where Winds Meet & The 4X Shake-Up

  This week in games, the money moves got messy: Dream Games recalibrates everyone's ambitions while the Saudi shopping spree continues. We take a look at Where Winds Meet and what it really says about China’s next wave of global ambitions, and ask the uncomfortable question: how are indie studios actually surviving right now? Finally, we zoom out to the battlefield of 4X strategy, the genre’s current health, the growing wave of female players, and whether a fresh face like Tile Survive can rewrite the rules. 00:00 Welcome00:22 Introduction and Shills04:26 Dream Games Budget Correction14:06 Bite Dance's Mobile Investments19:22 Arc Games Independence20:52 Where Winds Meet: A New Chinese Game29:17 The South Korea Deal and Blizzard's Business Model31:21 Success and Challenges of Indie Game Studios33:38 VC Investments in Gaming: A Tough Landscape36:12 PlayerUnknown Productions and Their New Game47:37 The State of 4X Strategy Games51:24 The Rise of Female Gamers in 4X Strategy55:48 Tile Survive: A New Contender in 4X Strategy59:56 Conclusion and Future Topics

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• 313. The Complete Guide to Gaming's Fastest-Growing UA Channel

  Loyalty platforms have evolved from sideline UA channels to commanding 25-50% of major studios' media budgets. In this deep dive, VYBS founder Ido Raz breaks down everything game developers need to know about loyalty apps—from the basics to advanced strategies for maximizing player quality and LTV.We cover the biggest misconceptions about incentivized traffic, why casual games benefit the most, and how to avoid the common mistakes that kill campaigns. Plus, Ido shares the single most overlooked KPI that changes how you evaluate traffic quality.CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction02:39 How Loyalty Apps Differ from Offerwalls03:33 Business Model: From CPI to ROAS Optimization05:28 Can Loyalty Be a Primary UA Channel?11:25 Best Genres for Loyalty Platforms12:29 The Magic Myth: Why Loyalty Requires Specialization13:45 Are Loyalty Users Different from Traditional Players17:20 When Should Studios Start Using Loyalty Apps?18:54 The Cash Flow Advantage: 4 Months vs 2 Years21:00 Timeline to Success: 1 Week to 7 Weeks22:35 Patience vs Pressure: Learning Cycles26:30 Using Loyalty to Amplify Live Events27:53 Common Mistakes Studios Make29:52 The Unrealistic KPI Problem34:58 Loyalty vs App Store Competition36:07 AI's Impact on Loyalty Platforms40:36 Best Way to Spot Low-Quality Users44:46 What's Next for VYBS?

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• Shooter Monthly #2: Call of Duty Flops, Battlefield Hops, and Arc Raiders Pops

  Call of Duty’s worst launch in a decade collides with the rise of extraction shooters, and the balance of power inside the genre shifts. We dig into why Black Ops 7 cratered, how Battlefield 6 stole the spotlight, and why Arc Raiders is suddenly the most important new IP in shooters. Chris Sides and Feras return to map the fault lines, spar over SPMM, and weigh whether Tarkov’s disastrous Steam debut marks the ceiling for the genre’s original heavyweight.We discuss:Black Ops 7’s collapse and why marketing, futurism, and CPI pressure all convergedBattlefield 6’s surge, the RedSec flop, and why innovation is still missing in BR designThe extraction boom: Arc Raiders as the “PUBG moment” and its long-term retention risksPvE as the emerging driver of mainstream extraction demandSkill-based matchmaking as an economic problem, not a matchmaking oneTarkov’s failed 1.0 launch and what its country-mix reveals about stagnant reachWhether Embark should kill The Finals and move every resource into Arc Raiders

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