The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

The traditional game publisher model is breaking, and indie developers are feeling it first.Today, I'm joined by Dino Patti, co-founder of Playdead, creator of Limbo & Inside, and CEO of coherence. Dino explains why publishers are losing relevance, how developers can build momentum without giving away 50% of their revenue, and what the future of multiplayer games really looks like.If you’re an indie game developer, studio founder, or thinking about working with a publisher, this episode will save you years of mistakes.Connect with Dino:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinopatti/X: https://x.com/DinoPattiWebsite: https://coherence.io/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouJoin our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Never run out of LinkedIn content ideas again: https://idea.phokou.com/c/systemGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro02:20 Why the old publisher model is breaking04:03 Publishers vs marketing agencies (hard truth)05:34 What publishers actually do (and don’t)08:09 Why VCs struggle to invest in games11:00 The real cost of giving up 50% revenue14:00 What developers need before asking for funding15:55 Marketability, “spark,” and why most games fail18:10 Feedback traps & why publishers aren’t validators20:36 Survivor bias in indie success stories22:44 Vampire Survivors multiplayer explained25:55 Making single-player games multiplayer fast27:12 The future of hybrid multiplayer games31:54 Selling a studio, regret, and loss of purpose37:09 Buying the studio back & what went wrong39:44 The biggest mistake when choosing co-founders43:25 Family businesses, trust & worst-case planning46:49 Who shouldn’t start a company47:39 Learning business without formal education55:29 What’s next for coherence57:04 Building companies that build companies58:50 Final thoughts & where to find Dino

What really happens when your game suddenly explodes to hundreds of thousands of players?Today, I sit down with Felix Oechsler, CTO and Managing Director at Nitrado, to unpack the brutal realities of launching and scaling multiplayer games. From Last Epoch’s massive launch to DDoS attacks, server costs, hyperscalers vs bare metal, and why most studios get infrastructure decisions wrong far too late.This episode is essential viewing for indie developers, studio leads, and anyone building multiplayer games who want to avoid costly launch disasters, downtime, and player frustration. We go deep into real-world war stories, backend failures, scaling strategies, and why infrastructure decisions should be made way earlier than most developers think.If you’re preparing for success or already feeling the pain of scale, this episode will save you time, money, and regret.Connect with Felix:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-oechsler-05589192/Website: https://gamefabric.com/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouJoin our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Never run out of LinkedIn content ideas again: https://idea.phokou.com/c/systemGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro00:19 What GameFabric is and why it exists04:02 What happens when a game unexpectedly blows up06:46 When developers should start thinking about infrastructure08:38 Load testing mistakes studios keep making09:55 Backend services developers forget to scale11:01 Hidden infrastructure failures (logging, monitoring, costs)13:16 Should developers even make multiplayer games anymore?17:17 Hyperscalers vs bare metal: real cost breakdown21:54 Why gaming-optimized infrastructure matters24:07 What a DDoS attack actually is (plain English)30:04 Is DDoS actually solvable?34:11 Queues, lag, and why Fortnite does it right37:17 Is there a limit to players on one server?40:00 What makes a platform truly developer-focused?44:08 Should studios build infrastructure in-house?48:03 Career lessons going from engineer to CTO50:38 Focus, leadership, and avoiding burnout55:14 Trust, delegation, and scaling teams58:32 Games Felix is playing right now59:11 How to connect with Felix

What actually is a game brand, and why do so many studios still get marketing wrong?Today, I sit down with Edd Newby-Robson, a senior games industry marketing leader with 20+ years of experience across EA, Codemasters, Avalanche Studios, and iconic franchises like Need for Speed, Dirt, The Hunter: Call of the Wild, and more.We break down what brand really means in games, why marketing should start at the beginning of development (not launch), and how studios can survive in a world where 18,000+ games launch every year on Steam.Whether you’re an indie developer, AAA marketer, producer, or founder, this episode is a masterclass in modern game marketing, positioning, and brand strategy.Connect with Edd:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardnr/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouJoin our industry events: https://hivemind.world/Never run out of LinkedIn content ideas again: https://idea.phokou.com/c/systemGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro02:08 What a “brand” actually means in games06:13 Need for Speed: when players define your brand10:04 Indie studios: brand mistakes to avoid14:14 Logos vs brand attributes (and why visuals aren’t enough)19:55 When should marketing start in game development?22:31 How to check if your game idea has a real market26:40 Why great games still fail commercially28:12 Moving from marketing into production at EA35:42 Who really owns P&L: marketing vs development38:40 How marketers earn trust with developers40:52 Overhyping games: Cyberpunk, No Man’s Sky & reality45:48 Hiring great marketers (and avoiding bad hires)52:19 Building community early: Discord & playtesting56:37 Battlefield Labs & community-driven development58:39 Avalanche’s Frontrunners program & early validation01:02:15 Tips for beginners in games

What does it really take to build and lead a game studio that actually ships, without burning people out?Today, I'm joined by Joni Lappalainen, CEO and Co-founder of Dreamloop Games, who breaks down 10+ years of studio leadership, risk management, sustainable growth, and why overwork culture quietly destroys teams.We dive into time tracking, “hero complex,” healthy crunch, service leadership, AI myths, mentoring, and what founders consistently get wrong about productivity and success in the game industry.If you're a game developer, studio founder, producer, or leader who want longevity, not just hype, this episode is for you.Connect with Joni:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joni-lappalainen-dreamloop/X: https://x.com/dlg_joniInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/joni_dlg_official/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro02:26 Joni’s unconventional path into games05:06 Starting a studio after 3 months as a junior dev08:39 Dreamloop’s risk-management philosophy13:18 What problem Joni is focused on solving today14:04 Why Dreamloop tracks employee work hours15:48 The “hero complex” and why overworking backfires18:15 Rest, creativity, and why productivity myths fail23:51 How to talk about burn out with your team25:48 996 culture vs sustainable careers32:38 Is crunch ever acceptable? How to do it safely35:37 Calendars, boundaries, and the “not-to-do list”39:25 What great leadership actually looks like41:51 Building trust so teams speak up early48:00 How to run effective 1-on-1s50:56 Loneliness, connection, and performance at work55:38 AI in game development: hype vs reality01:00:59 How not to use AI01:03:35 Hardest part of building Dreamloop01:05:15 Mentorship, asking for help, and learning faster01:09:36 Final thoughts and recommendations

Today's guest is Joe Hills, an expert game marketer, ex-Blizzard, Supercell, Meta, Riot, and now Head of Gaming & Partnerships at Once Upon a Time. Also newly joined the Advisory Board for Great Ormond Street Hospital.We break down why studios obsess over launch day, how long you should actually market a game, why gut instinct vs data is misunderstood, and what indie devs consistently get wrong. Joe explains how to find your audience, build long-term hype, create content players genuinely care about, and avoid the traps that kill campaigns before launch.If you’re an indie or AA studio trying to stand out in a brutal market, this episode is for you.Connect with Joe:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-hills/Website: https://www.onceuponatime.agency/Connect with Harry:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokouInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokouGet exclusive podcast recaps & industry insights:→ Subscribe to The Gaming Playbook Weekly at thegamingplaybook.comChapters:00:00 Intro02:40 Why Studios Obsess Over Launch Day03:35 What Studios Misunderstand About Marketing05:00 What Every Indie Developer Should Know07:14 Launch Timing, GTA6, and Market Windows09:16 Joe's Gaming Preferences12:46 Social Games, Roguelikes & Replayability15:42 What Joe’s Agency Actually Does17:35 How Devs Should Think About Clippable Moments19:20 Tools That Help Identify Your Audience22:59 How to Brief an Agency Properly25:44 How to Choose (and Evaluate) a Marketing Agency29:49 When Marketing Fails: Is It You or the Agency?33:12 Leadership, Hiring, and Hard Lessons36:33 Surviving Layoffs & Career Advice41:12 The Biggest Mistake Studios Make in Marketing43:52 Mojang, Dev Diaries & The Power of Human Stories46:41 How to Reach Joe & Closing Thoughts