Best GamesBeat Podcasts (2024)

1
How devs can more intelligently spend money to make money 25:45

3y ago25:45

25:45

Adam Lieb sits down with me to talk about GameSight, which is a performance marketing company for the rest of us. While performance marketing has dominated mobile gaming, it’s coming late to the traditional console and PC space. GameSight tries to connect data from various resources to determine how spending money can make developers and publishers…

1
How Serenity Forge ships physical games when China runs out of cardboard 29:53

3y ago29:53

29:53

I talk with Z and Kevin Zhang of Serenity Forge, which is here in Colorado. I met these fellas back at a Denver Comic Con a few years ago, and now they have found themselves in the business of publishing physical games. Most recently, they distributed Doki Doki Literature Club+ into Targets and Walmarts around the world. And they have plans for mor…

1
How empathy can make your game money 36:07

3y ago36:07

36:07

I talk to Steven Spohn and Dr. Chris Power from Able Gamers about their APX certification for game developers. This is a certification that teaches best practices for accessibility to game creators. Steven and Chris explain how those conversations with devs have changed over the last few years as well as the challenges they continue to face. APX Di…

1
How Plitch is trying to bring back game cheats 23:36

3y ago23:36

23:36

On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb speaks with one of the cofounders of Megadev, Robert Maroschik, about its game-cheat service Plitch. That is a subscription program that uses programs called "trainers" that can adjust the way games behave. But unlike similar programs, like Cheat Engine, Plitch takes out all of the guesswork.…

1
HOW SPLITGATE IS PREPPING FOR CROSSPLAY SUCCESS 22:46

3+ y ago22:46

22:46

Discord Patreon I speak with 1047 cofounder Ian Proulx. Ian helped build 1047’s Splitgate competitive shooter that combines combat with a futuresport aesthetic. Splitgate is already available on PC, where it has gained a lot of traction. But now it is headed to console as well, and we talk about that process, self-publishing, and a lot more.…

1
How to build a studio that builds a game about building cities 31:03

3+ y ago31:03

31:03

Discord Patreon On this episode, Jeff Grubb speaks with Colossal Order chief executive officer Mariina Hallikainen about the studio’s city-building simulator Cities: Skylines, which is now six years old. Mariina and Jeff talk about supporting a game for more than half a decade as well as how things change when a game immediately surpasses its sales…

1
How Intel is helping people fall in love with gaming laptops 21:11

3+ y ago21:11

21:11

Discord Patreon On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb has a conversation with Intel's Joakim Algstam about the new Tiger Lake-H CPUs. These chips are speedy, great for gaming, and great for creation, and Intel is working with OEMs to build laptops that can serve all of those needs.…

1
How Xbox will stream games to iOS with Rainway 22:24

3+ y ago22:24

22:24

Discord Patreon Rainway + Xbox news On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb speaks with the CEO of streaming-technology company Rainway, Andrew Sampson. Rainway revealed this week that it is working with Microsoft to power the Xbox streaming solution to browsers on mobile devices. Sampson explains how that deal works and why Rainwa…

1
How Gamefam built its business around Roblox 39:25

3+ y ago39:25

39:25

Discord Patreon On this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb talks to Joe Ferencz, chief executive officer of Gamefam, which is a studio that works exclusively on Roblox games. Ferencz started the company a few years ago with an idea of bringing traditional-game-development processes to the Roblox community. Now, Gamefam works directly with those creato…

1
How Jake Randall can help you find a next-gen console 29:02

3+ y ago29:02

29:02

Discord Patreon Jake Randall is a YouTuber who helps people get a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. His streams have resulted in a lot of success for people who just want to get into the next-gen but previously couldn't find the hardware. So now he sits down with Jeff Grubb to talk about what that is like.…

1
How to bring Frostbite Engine to Nintendo Switch 14:01

3+ y ago14:01

14:01

Support this show on Patreon.com/jeffgrubb Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/qktBHjGG8W On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks to PopCap Vancouver producer Melvin Teo. The team at PopCap is porting Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville to the Nintendo Switch, and Teo explains what that process was like. That include…

1
How making games has changed over 30 years (w/ David Whatley) 31:32

3+ y ago31:32

31:32

Support this show on Patreon.com/jeffgrubb Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/qktBHjGG8W David Whatley is the founder and chief executive officer of game developer Simutronics, which he founded out of his parents home in 1987. He built games back then that are still in active development today. Now, however, his team is working on a new mech shoot…

1
How PUBG creative director Dave Curd keeps the game fun 23:28

4y ago23:28

23:28

On this episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks to the new creative director on PUBG, Dave Curd. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is at a stage where it's continuing to build content for a loyal audience who have returned to the battle royale shooter for thousands of hours. But it also needs to appeal to any newcomers. Curd, however, do…

1
How Dead Cells lives on after the cooperative model 32:40

4y ago32:40

32:40

On this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb talks to Evil Empire chief executive officer Steve Filby about starting Evil Empire to take over development of Dead Cells. He also speaks about the advantages of the cooperative model and why Evil Empire is not using it.

1
Chris Person on saving Highlight Reel and going solo 40:07

4y ago40:07

40:07

On this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks to Highlight Reel host Chris Person about taking his show solo after Kotaku's owners nuked its video staff. Highlight Reel is now a YouTube channel that collects the most interesting and entertaining clips from the world of gaming and then presents them in a slick, Sportscenter-s…

1
How Tempo Storm is building the Bloomberg of esports 29:32

4y ago29:32

29:32

On this week's episode, host Jeffrey Grubb talks to Andrey “Reynad” Yanyuk, who is the chief executive officer of the esports organization Tempo Storm. He started out as a pro gamer, but he also equally embraced life as a content creator. Eventually, he started Tempo Storm and stepped into the CEO role to focus on creating a multimedia company that…

1
How Quadpay's payment plan works for buying Xbox and PS5 21:21

4y ago21:21

21:21

Support the How Games Make Money Patreon Watch on YouTube Email: jeff.grubb@gmail.com (subject line: How Games Make Money) @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb Rate us on Apple Podcast Quadpay CEO Brad Lindenberg joins me to talk about hooking up with GameStop to help people pay off their purchases over time. As the name suggests, Quadpay enables customers to buy …

1
Is the world's first PS4 owner ready for PS5? 14:43

4y ago14:43

14:43

Support the How Games Make Money Patreon Watch on YouTube Email: jeff.grubb@gmail.com (subject line: How Games Make Money) @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb Rate us on Apple Podcast Joey Chiu joins the podcast as a guest this week. He is my friend and a gamer. He was also the first person to buy a PlayStation 4. If you go back to November 2013 and look for news…

1
What it takes to run a game store and the Video Game History Foundation 37:59

4y ago37:59

37:59

Thank you for listening! Support the How Games Make Money Patreon Watch on YouTube Email: jeff.grubb@gmail.com (subject line: How Games Make Money) @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb Rate us on Apple Podcast Kelsey Lewin joins me to talk about running the Pink Gorilla game stores in the Seattle area. She explains what it takes to make that business work and how …

1
Patreon and episode update 1:40

4y ago1:40

1:40

A quick update and the next episode and Patreon announcement. Please help support the show: https://patreon.com/hgmm

1
How security shaped gaming 37:19

4y ago37:19

37:19

On this episode, host Jeff Grubb talks to ModernVintageGamer. He’s a YouTuber and game developer who works with Limited Run Games and Night Dive Studios. And he explains that weird amalgamation of job titles. But MVG also talks about homebrew and how security has shaped gaming since the NES.

1
What Xbox is doing to help the next generation of indie games 44:59

4y ago44:59

44:59

jeffgrubb@gmail.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb (Let me know this week if you would be open to supporting a Patreon!) gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Chris Charla, the director of ID@Xbox, joins me to talk about bringing indie games onto the Xbox platform. Chris explains where that program is headed, but we also dive into how far it has come since…

1
How games PR agents help developers protect themselves 58:50

4y ago58:50

58:50

Stephanie Tinsley joins me to talk about running public relations for a number of video game developers and publishers. Stephanie has her own shop where she provides a much-needed connection between the people who make games and the media as well as consumers. During our conversation, Stephanie and I talk about what it’s like to miss E3, teaching d…

1
How Thatgamecompany uses data to build a loving relationship with players 29:02

4y ago29:02

29:02

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Tim Nixon, the director of online experience at Thatgamecompany, joins host Jeff Grubb to talk about designing Sky, which is the studio’s followup to Journey and Flower. Unlike those previous games, though, Sky is a live-service game that is meant to run for …

1
How a GIF can sell a game 26:24

4+ y ago26:24

26:24

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks with Stuart Morton, publishing director of indie publisher The Irregular Corporation. Morton and Irregular focus on producing simulation and tycoon style games. That includes PC Building Si…

1
How a bootstrapping games startup makes money 30:11

4+ y ago30:11

30:11

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts I talk to Jeffery Thompson, Jr. who is one of the founder of Epoch Media. Epoch is a gaming startup that is currently part of the ReaktorX accelerator program in Poland. And it is Jeff’s goal to become the first black American to get venture-capitalist fundin…

1
How Tonic Games Group Plans To Thrive On Live-Service Games 30:27

4+ y ago30:27

30:27

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts This week I’m talking with Paul Croft and Dave Bailey from Mediatonic, which is sort of morphing into Tonic Games Group. Paul and Dave are cofounders of Mediatonic, which is an indie developer that does a lot of work-for-hire business. But now, the pair are b…

1
How does PC Gamer puts together its PC Gaming Show for E3? 31:21

4+ y ago31:21

31:21

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts This is the How Games Make Money podcast. On for this episode, host Jeff Grubb speaks with PC Gamer editor-in-chief Evan Lahti about The PC Gaming Show. Every June for the last several years, PC Gamer packages together announcements from the world of PC gamin…

1
Why Brazil needs an indie game festival 30:07

4+ y ago30:07

30:07

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts BIG Festival is Brazil's indie game celebration. It started eight years ago, and it's moving online for BIG Digital this year due to COVID-19. On this episode, host Jeff Grubb speaks with Eliana Russi and Gustavo Steinberg about running BIG Festival. They als…

1
How publishing indie games is like building a band 33:04

4+ y ago33:04

33:04

Guillaume Jamet is the VP of publishing and marketing at Dear Villagers, which is the indie-publishing division of game-distribution company Plug-In Digital. Guillaume joins How Games Make Money host Jeff Grubb to talk about the kinds of studios he wants to work with. He also explains what Dear Villagers looks for in games. Join us, won't you?…

1
How gaming YouTubers make money 30:01

4+ y ago30:01

30:01

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts YouTuber and video producer Jake Baldino of Gameranx joins host Jeff Grubb this week to talk about that job. Jake explains how he came to accept the "YouTuber" job title over time. He also explains the back-and-forth relationship that Gameranx has with YouTub…

1
How developers can still squeeze opportunity from a crowded mobile gaming market 25:28

4+ y ago25:28

25:28

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb talks with Idil Canal, the general manager of Max at AppLovin. She oversees a product that enables developers to monetize their games with ads. She also explains how that process has improved over time and whether there…

1
How Xbox Game Pass freed Microsoft to make Gears Tactics 27:42

4+ y ago27:42

27:42

Microsoft is releasing Gears Tactics for Windows 10, Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Steam next week, so host Jeff Grubb sits down with the company to talk about it. How did The Coalition settle on a PC-first Gears game? And what does Games Pass enable the studio to do that it otherwise wouldn't? We talk about all that and more. Join us!…

1
How to make an indie game that can survive (with Rootpew) 30:41

4+ y ago30:41

30:41

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb talks with developer Rootpew, who is the creator of prisoner's-dilemma simulator Split or Steal. While Split or Steal has found an audience, it's not a huge source of income for Rootpew. And he t…

1
Rami Ismail on why games aren't "recession proof" 40:26

4+ y ago40:26

40:26

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Over the last three weeks, 17 million people filed a jobless claim in the United States. The country is certainly in a recession (or even a depression) -- as is the rest of the world. But hey -- at least video games are "recession proof," right? That's the li…

1
How Amber makes money as a work-for-hire studio during a global recession 34:58

4+ y ago34:58

34:58

games+podcast@venturebeat.com @HGMMShow @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts This week host Jeff Grubb talks with Amber chief executive officer Mihai Pohontu. Amber is a game-development agency that produces its own games but also works with external companies to provide support services. That includes art assets, game design, enginee…

1
How do designers create games that make money? 29:26

4+ y ago29:26

29:26

Email: games+podcast.com @HGMMShow My twitter: @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Mobile gaming is a massive business that makes billions of dollars worldwide each year. On this week's episode, host Jeff Grubb speaks with Metamoki chief game designer Mitch Zamara (@IMakeDotFun). Mitch provides perspective on what it's like to work a…

1
How Spawn On Me makes money talking about people of color in gaming 35:25

4+ y ago35:25

35:25

Email: games+podcast.com @HGMMShow My twitter: @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts On this week's episode of the How Games Make Money podcast, Kahlief Adams of Spawn On Me (@kahjahkins) swoops in to talk about scraping by in the world of content creation. Kahlief makes a podcast about people of color in gaming. He's worked on Spawn O…

1
How does Kinda Funny make money talking about video games? 37:09

4+ y ago37:09

37:09

Email: games+podcast.com @HGMMShow My twitter: @JeffGrubb gamesbeat.com Rate us on Apple Podcasts Making money in video games isn't just about developing games and tools. Sometimes it's about developing an audience that wants to hear you talk about PlayStation, Xbox, and more. That's exactly the business that Kinda Funny cofounder Greg Miller is in…

1
How do sports-management games make money? 41:04

4+ y ago41:04

41:04

On this week's episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeff Grubb speaks with Out of the Park Developments chief operating officer Rich Grisham. Out of the Park is the name of the studio as well as its beloved baseball-management simulator, which has had a new release every year for the last two decades. While OOTP has always relied on selling their …

1
How do hypercasual games make money? 25:24

4+ y ago25:24

25:24

On the pilot episode of How Games Make Money, host Jeffrey Grubb talks with Ironsource chief financial officer Omer Kaplan about serving up ads in hypercasual games. Do those ads really make money? And why are those ads always for other games? We talk about all of that and more, so listen, won't you? Theme music: Blippy Trance by Kevin MacLeod Link…

1
How Games Make Money: It's A Podcast! 2:41

4+ y ago2:41

2:41

This is going to be the How Games Make Money podcast. It isn't that, yet -- but it will be! For now, this is just a quick intro to explain what the show is. If you don't want to listen, here's the short version: How Games Make Money is a podcast where I ask smart people how they make money in the games industry. That's it. Each episode is about 30 …

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