We kick things off with “midlife Kress-ises” before diving into the headlines you can’t ignore: Tencent’s latest controversy, AppLovin’s monster quarter, and Blizzard’s leadership shuffle.
From Storm Gate’s rough launch runway to the brutal math of market fit, we unpack why good games still fail. We break down Duolingo’s surprise move into music games, and why Playtika’s doubling down on direct-to-consumer could be the smartest—or riskiest—bet they’ve made yet.
Then it’s guns out for Battlefield’s comeback, a hard look at Moon Active’s new portfolio plays. As always, plenty of spicy takes, questionable analogies, and insights you won’t find anywhere else.
00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions
01:34 Upcoming Game Releases and Industry Updates
02:58 Midlife Kress-is
06:05 Event Announcements + DOF Talent Acquisition
08:19 Data Analysis and Market Trends
09:22 Tencent's Game Controversy
17:16 AppLovin's Impressive Growth
21:12 Blizzard's Leadership Changes
25:19 Storm Gate's Launch Challenges
27:19 Financial Engineering and Tim's Struggles
28:28 Market Fit and Game Quality Issues
33:32 Duolingo's Acquisition of Beat Star
36:50 Playtika's Direct-to-Consumer Strategy
43:20 Battlefield's Comeback and Market Impact
54:58 Moon Active's New Games and Portfolio
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