The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou

On The Gaming Playbook, Harry Phokou sits down with experts in the games industry who have never been interviewed before. Through these in-depth conversations, Harry unpacks the "Playbook" that made them so successful. Skip the line on Tuesdays and download the real-life cheat codes every gaming industry pro needs to know. LinkedIn: @hphokou Instagram: @hphokou Newsletter: https://join.thegamingplaybook.com/ Business and guest inquiries: playbook@phokou.com

The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 80 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts The Gaming Playbook w/ Harry Phokou, a business show with 80 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #81

  #81 - Teemu Haila: How AI Is Changing How Games Are Built, Tested & Run

  Oct 1, 20261h 12mS2

  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

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  Episode #79

  #79 - Mikkel Weider: What It Takes for a Great Game to Succeed (Publishing, Discovery, Market Demand & More)

  Sep 10, 202633 minS1

  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/hphokou/ 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

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  Episode #78

  #78 - Ali Farha: How Game Funding Works (VC, Publishers, Project Financing & More)

  Sep 1, 202631 minS1

  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/hphokou/⁠ 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 How game funding is changing02:34 How games VC works05:35 Bootstrapping, friends & family, angels and VC07:11 VC vs project financing08:24 Why founders should look for “smart money”10:16 The value of a VC network11:48 How should an indie studio fund its game?13:01 How the VC investment process actually works16:28 Do VCs take control of game studios?18:43 Questions founders should ask investors19:23 What makes a game studio investable?20:09 How to pitch a VC vs a publisher21:32 Combining VC, publishers and other funding22:47 Mobile games and UA financing24:06 Could UA financing come to PC and console?27:35 The future of AAA, AA and indie games30:30 Final fundraising advice for game developers

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  Episode #77

  #77 - Adam Jaffe: Why Mobile Game Growth Has Changed and Where the New Opportunities Are

  Aug 20, 20261h 11mS1

  Today I’m joined by Adam Jaffe, a mobile gaming marketer with nearly two decades in the industry. He was Playtika’s 10th employee and Head of User Acquisition, and later served as VP of Marketing at Social Point. We talked about why organic growth in mobile gaming has become so much harder, where studios should be looking for new users now, and why pouring more money into marketing won’t save a product that isn’t ready to scale. If you’re building, marketing or running a mobile game business and want a clearer picture of where the market is heading, this episode is for you. Connect with Adam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adjaffe/ Website: www.trofeo.io Live Trofeo demo: play.trofeo.io/play Connect with Harry: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/ 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 04:14 How mobile gaming changed from the early days 08:14 How ATT and IDFA changed mobile user acquisition 13:32 Why organic growth and virality disappeared 19:30 Why media platforms now hold the power 23:25 Why mobile game studios have less room to fail 29:19 Risk aversion, layoffs and the cost of playing safe 32:25 Where mobile games get users in 2026 35:33 How rewarded traffic actually works 41:26 How to make rewarded user acquisition work 44:54 CTV as the next mobile marketing frontier 46:37 Mobile game monetization beyond traditional ads 56:53 Premium vs free-to-play mobile games 59:43 Why marketers need to understand the game itself 01:01:29 Aligning product and marketing around ROAS 01:05:16 Don’t let marketing get ahead of your product

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  Episode #76

  #76 - Doug Pennant: How to Build a Career That Lasts in the Games Industry

  Aug 6, 20261h 14mS1

  Today, I'm joined by Doug Pennant, a Senior Producer at Infinity Ward, drawing on 16 years across Alien: Isolation, Total War, and Call of Duty, who explains how game developers can build resilient, long-term careers in an industry shaped by layoffs, changing technology, and increasingly project-based employment. We talked about transferable skills, difficult managers, networking before you need a job, adapting your CV to the market, and why MobyGames could become an important hiring tool for game developers. If you're a game developer, producer, or an industry professional who wants to build a career that lasts, this episode is for you. Connect with Doug: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-pennant/ Substack: https://dougpennant.substack.com/ His book: https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Mentor-Production-Mentors-Careers/dp/1032785608 Connect with Harry: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou 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 01:46 Why personal resilience matters in the game industry 04:02 Why growing game studios struggle with management 11:56 What new developers should know about difficult bosses 20:31 What career resilience actually means 23:05 The producer interview test for adaptability 25:42 Why investing in skills creates career security 29:45 Why game industry jobs for life are disappearing 31:55 What caused the game industry layoffs 40:17 Smaller studios and the future of game development 43:43 Why networking matters before you need a job 45:26 Job hunting and the hidden game industry job market 51:01 When your skills no longer match the market 55:06 Codev and outsourcing as more durable career paths 56:09 Using MobyGames to get discovered by recruiters 1:02:24 What a producer does 90 days before launch 1:04:26 Why game teams must stop adding features 1:08:30 Why every visionary needs strong brakes 1:10:53 Self-care and staying optimistic about games 1:12:20 How cultural grants can fund video games 1:13:20 Doug’s book, Substack, and where to follow him

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