The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

Today I'm joined by Guy Costantini, Co-founder and CEO of Chaos Manufacturing, who's spent over 15 years in game publishing, marketing and studio leadership, including roles at Riot Games, CD Projekt Red and Skydance.
We talked about how the games industry has become a buyer's market, why publishers and investors increasingly want to see playable games and proven traction before committing funding, and what that means for developers trying to get their games made. Guy also shares how he's building SOL Shogunate while keeping costs under control, why getting the scope of your game right matters, and how to balance making something you believe in with making something people will actually buy.
If you're a game developer, studio founder or publisher navigating game funding and publishing, this episode offers a practical look at what it takes to get a game made and bring it to market.
Connect with Guy:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gcostantini/
Check out these games:
SOL Shogunate: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3219360/SOL_Shogunate/
Game of Thrones: War for Westeros: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2838950/_/
Mouse P.I. for Hire: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2416450/_/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtZBNcgtKJR2NtGct3-cFWg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
3:46 Building a Game Studio on a Lean Budget
6:29 Why Understanding Your Market Matters
10:12 The Risks of Game Funding and Overspending
14:30 Why Game Funding Has Become a Buyer's Market
17:03 Do Indie Developers Still Need Publishers?
23:41 What Publishers Look for Before Investing
26:27 Job Security and Leadership in the Games Industry
30:30 Why Publishers Cancel Games
32:39 How Game Publishing Deals and Milestones Work
38:14 Managing Risk in Game Development
41:30 Finding Alternative Sources of Game Funding
44:40 Equity Financing vs. Project Financing
46:23 What It Takes to Get a Game Funded Today
49:36 Why Investors Prefer Lower-Risk Games
51:14 Balancing Creative Vision With Commercial Success
53:36 Why Guy Had to Rethink His Game's Scope
55:07 Why Constraints Can Lead to Better Games
58:11 What Does It Take to Start a Game Publisher?
1:01:22 Why Game Marketing and Audience Building Matter
1:05:49 Alternative Game Publishing Models
1:08:07 The Future of the Games Industry
1:11:22 Finding Your Advantage in the Games Industry
1:13:16 SOL Shogunate and Closing Thoughts

Today I’m joined by Teemu Haila, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Metaplay. Teemu has spent more than 20 years in game development, co-founded PlayRiven before its acquisition by Rovio, and now works at the intersection of AI and live service game development.
We talk about how AI agents are already changing the way games are built and run, including a real example where work that previously took two engineering teams two months was completed by one developer using AI in two weeks. We also cover AI-powered game testing, faster iteration, how much smaller game teams could become, and why LiveOps needs to be designed into a game from the very beginning.
If you’re a game developer, studio founder or publisher trying to understand how AI will change the way games are built, tested and operated, then this episode is for you!
Connect with Teemu:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teemuhaila/
Website: https://www.metaplay.io/lp/multiplayer-live-service-game
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCtZBNcgtKJR2NtGct3-cFWg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:52 Teemu Haila joins the podcast
3:41 Why AI gives generalists an advantage
5:53 How AI is changing LiveOps
11:09 The 30x AI game development example
15:31 How AI could transform game testing
21:50 How much smaller can game teams become?
26:17 Why discovery becomes the bottleneck
29:55 How game developers can avoid being left behind
34:14 The best way to learn AI is to start building
40:33 Why marketers can now build games
43:48 Validating game ideas before building them
46:47 Why LiveOps must be designed from day one
52:33 What Metaplay actually does
56:05 Web games, playable demos and new ways to test ideas
1:00:59 Should Harry start a game publisher?
1:03:10 Finding profitable game niches big studios ignore
1:05:56 Harry's venture studio plan
1:10:51 How to connect with Teemu

Today, I’m joined by Magnus Lysell, co-founder of Light Up Games and a former product manager at Paradox Interactive, where he worked on games including Cities: Skylines and Surviving Mars. He now helps developers and publishers launch games globally, with a particular focus on China.
We talked about why game developers often think about China too late, how publishing and marketing games there actually works, and what developers need to know about localization, Steam, Bilibili, Heybox, pricing and local partners.
If you’re a game developer, studio founder or publisher looking to reach more players, understand the Chinese games market or build a smarter global publishing strategy, then this episode is for you!
Connect with Magnus:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magnuslysell/
Website: https://lightup.games/en
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorld
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:45 Magnus Lysell and Light Up Games
03:10 What game developers get wrong about publishing
03:56 Why studios treat China as an afterthought
05:49 Why a launch trailer isn’t enough in China
06:40 How early should you prepare for China?
08:02 Do you need an ISBN to publish in China?
09:20 Can you sell PC games through Steam in China?
10:11 Which games perform well in China?
11:24 A 3-step strategy for entering the Chinese market
12:08 How important can China be for game revenue?
13:19 How poor localization can hurt your game
14:17 From Paradox to game publishing
15:44 How to price games for the Chinese market
17:18 Magnus’s advice for game developers
18:15 Why game developers should know about Heybox

Today, I’m joined by Mikkel Weider, the new CEO of Everplay Group, home to Team17, astragon Entertainment and StoryToys, with hundreds of games across its portfolio.
We talked about what publishers look for in games, how developers can stand out in an increasingly crowded market, and why understanding your audience and market matters just as much as making a great game.
If you’re a game developer, running an indie studio, or trying to understand how publishers think about games, then this episode is for you!
Connect with Mikkel:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikkelweider/
Pitch your game:
Simulator games: https://www.astragon.com/
Indie, party & selected shooter games: https://www.team17.com/
Kids games: https://storytoys.com/
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorld
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:
→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:49 Inside Everplay, Team17, astragon & StoryToys
03:22 Mikkel’s first months as Everplay CEO
05:20 The growing game discovery problem
07:04 Building direct relationships with players
08:26 Should studios stick to the genres they know?
10:42 What publishers look for in new games
12:57 How much innovation does a game need?
14:51 Leading and operating a games group
17:46 Delegation, trust & accountability
21:13 Firefighting vs pursuing opportunities
22:21 Technology, AI & the future of games
26:13 Building a culture of ownership
28:59 Publishing vs game development
30:02 Should games launch on every platform?
31:48 How to pitch your game to Everplay

How do game studios actually get funded, and when should you choose VC, a publisher, project financing, or another route?
Today I’m joined by Ali Farha, Investment Associate at Behold Ventures, to break down how game funding actually works from the investor side, and what developers need to understand before raising money.
We talked about the difference between VC, publishers and project financing, when each funding route makes sense, what games VCs actually look for in a studio, how the investment process works, and why your pitch should change depending on who you’re raising from.
If you’re an indie developer, studio founder, or game developer trying to fund your next game, understand your financing options, or make your studio more investable, then this episode is for you.
Connect with Ali:
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifarha/⁠
Website: ⁠https://behold.vc/⁠
Listen to Ali’s previous episode: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OEtoYIT1n1m1bjiBu5dDD?si=814233edcdf145f2
Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phokou/⁠
YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@HivemindWorld⁠
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/⁠
Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/
Get exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at https://join.thegamingplaybook.com
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:34 How games VC works
05:35 Bootstrapping, friends & family, angels and VC
07:11 VC vs project financing
08:24 Why founders should look for “smart money”
10:16 The value of a VC network
11:48 How should an indie studio fund its game?
13:01 How the VC investment process actually works
16:28 Do VCs take control of game studios?
18:43 Questions founders should ask investors
19:23 What makes a game studio investable?
20:09 How to pitch a VC vs a publisher
21:32 Combining VC, publishers and other funding
22:47 Mobile games and UA financing
24:06 Could UA financing come to PC and console?
27:35 The future of AAA, AA and indie games
30:30 Final fundraising advice for game developers