Gamified

Should Roblox go Private?

Xbox turned down Netflix's $500m offer for IP.

Wardogs is stepping away from its game for a month due to GTA VI.

Selling your dead game to an AI lab?

Change My Mind: Never hire a head of AI!

CHAPTERS:

2:51 - Should Roblox Go Private? | Buy or Sell?

20:08 - Xbox Rejects Netflix $500M | Over/Under

44:09 - Taking a Month Off for GTA VI | Buy or Sell?

52:14 - AI Labs Buy Dead Games | What’s the Word?

1:02:26 - Never Hire a Head of AI | Change My Mind

1:11:51 - Love or Hate in Gaming | Hype or Gripe

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5CD01Chym0

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Wills Spangler - GameCred - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wills-spangler/

Gnoc - Digital Collectors Club - https://x.com/itsGnoc

Tony Valcarcel - Makko.ai - https://x.com/Tvalc

Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

Tim Sweeney is going after Valve again over Steam's rule that developers disclose generative AI use

Indie developers say AI has made cloning a game fast enough to become a racket

What's the word you'd use to describe a studio screening job applicants by what they've liked on social media?

What’s your sentiment score on a scale of 1-10 on Xbox charging by the hour to stream games you already own?

Wardogs banned Summit1G by mistake, and the CEO put the employee on blast

What are you loving or hating about the games industry right now?

CHAPTERS:

2:37 - Steam’s AI Label is BS | Change My Mind

14:31 - Valve’s Answer to AI Clones | Red / Green Flag

31:36 - Screened by LinkedIn Likes | What’s the Word?

44:30 - Fair Cloud Gaming Price | Sentiment Score

53:11 - Wardogs CEO Crash Out | What’s the Word?

1:00:05 - Get On Your Soapbox | Gamer Rants

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qOorLJfKVs

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Joe Ferencz - Gamefam Founder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeferencz/

Tony Valcarcel - Makko.ai - https://x.com/Tvalc

Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

EA closes BioWare and cancels the next Mass Effect

How many successful games will AI 2027 produce in 2027?

Can Xbox sell a $1,200–$1,800 next-gen console?

Is Supercell finally showing signs of mortality?

Street Fighter and the good, bad, and ugly of video game movies

CHAPTERS:

3:07 - EA Shuts Down Bioware | Autopsy

30:13 - 2027 Successful Games | Finish the Sentence

49:56 - Xbox $1200/$1800 Console | Bullish or Bullshit?

1:11:09 - Supercell’s Future | Buy or Sell?

1:27:44 - Video Game Movies | GOATs vs WOATs

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVIyQpvVr-0&t=2s

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Robin Boyar - thinktank / Ex-EA - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-boyar/

Colan Neese - Screen Engine / mindGAME Data - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colanneese/

Gnoc - Digital Collectors Club - https://x.com/itsGnoc

Tony Valcarcel - Makko.ai - https://x.com/Tvalc

Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

Cross-game mashups: Pokémon football, World of Warcraft with Vampire Survivors, Minecraft systems inside Skyrim...are these game projects a green flag for game creativity, or a red flag for creators and rights holders?

Tim Sweeney demands his company go all-AI... is it the right call?

What are you loving / what are you hating in gaming right now?

What’s your one-word reaction to Xbox XP that was announced on Oct 8?

Will browser gaming take a meaningfully larger share of gaming revenue over the next five years?

CHAPTERS:

2:23 - Cross-game Mashups | Red or Green Flag?

18:08 - Tim Sweeney’s AI Strategy | Sentiment Score

29:08 - Get On Your Soapbox | Gamer Rants

45:27 - Xbox XP | What’s the Word?

54:08 - Browser Gaming Breakout | Bullish or Bullshit?

1:04:48 - The Future of VR + MVP

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQoL7FesidE

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

Oliver Maroney - OpenSea - https://x.com/OliverMaroney

Will the iPhone Duo do anything meaningful for gaming?

Is Xbox turning around, or just getting better at Public Relations, and Gears of War backlash.

Would China's $7.65 billion mini-game boom work in America?

Is it reasonable for a game company to sell a player's competitive behavior data if the player knowingly opts in and receives a meaningfully cheaper game?

Wizards of the Coast are unionizing - will this lead to the outcome the workers are looking for, or just speed up layoffs? THIS ONE GOT SPICY

CHAPTERS:

3:03 - Is iPhone Duo a Gaming Device?

22:36 - Gears of Woke | Sentiment Score

45:18 - China’s Game Strategy | Would This Work?

57:05 - Sell Data for Cheaper Games? | Buy or Sell?

1:08:56 - Game Devs Unionizing | Sentiment Score

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtipggD97p8

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Robin Boyar - thinktank / Ex-EA - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-boyar/

Wills Spangler - GameCred - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wills-spangler/

Oliver Maroney - OpenSea - https://x.com/OliverMaroney

Gnoc - Digital Collectors Club - https://x.com/itsGnoc

Tony Valcarcel - Makko.ai - https://x.com/Tvalc

What's the biggest deal in WoW Forever currently? And how important is it for games to listen to streamers being that streamers are not technically normal players?

Will it be over or under $200 billion for global games revenue in 2027?

Minecraft waited 14 years for a new dimension, was Mojang's restraint strategic discipline, or failure to invest in the game's biggest opportunity?

Is November going to be the greatest month in gaming history with WoW Forever, Ocarina of Time, and GTA 6?

What's the word that you'd use to describe enjoying a game until you find out it uses AI?

CHAPTERS:

3:27 - WoW Forever | What’s the Biggest Deal?

23:50 - Devs Listening to Streamers | Red or Green Flag

30:41 - Gaming’s Growth in 2027 | Over/Under

47:49 - Minecraft: The Sift Dimension | Board Room

58:30 - WoW, Zelda, GTA VI | Dump, Date, Marry

1:08:58 - Aniimo Triggers AI Haters | What’s the Word?

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukyA4JoMfQI

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Craig Allen - CEO @ Snackshop - https://www.linkedin.com/in/4craigallen/

Colan Neese - Screen Engine / mindGAME Data - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colanneese/

Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

Gnoc - Digital Collectors Club - https://x.com/itsGnoc

Kate Irwin - writer/journalist - https://x.com/kateirwin

After so many failed attempts, can a new MMO offer enough financial upside to justify the risk again, or does the business case only work for established companies like Blizzard and Riot?

How confident are you that Bungie's apology puts the studio on a sustainable path back, and how long do we have to wait?

Red flag or green flag: watching an advertisement to earn your next block of uninterrupted gameplay?

AI letting players choose a game's visual style? Is this a use case that will gain lasting traction, or a filter people try once?

Is Resident Evil a 10/10 video game movie?

Is Halo getting better leadership, or is Xbox admitting its previous structure failed?

CHAPTERS:

3:16 - MMO Comeback | Bullish or Bullshit?

17:31 - Bungie Redemption? | Sentiment Score

30:37 - Microsoft Ads | Red or Green Flag?

42:30 - Choose Your Art Style | What’s the Word?

52:03 - Halo + Activision | Buy or Sell?

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbafRdQNAAU

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Wills Spangler - GameCred - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wills-spangler/

Colan Neese - Screen Engine / mindGAME Data - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colanneese/

Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

Tony Valcarcel - Makko.ai - https://x.com/Tvalc

A review telling people not to buy the new Wolverine game got more views than the official trailer

What was the biggest announcement from BlizzCon 2026? Is Blizzard so back?

Highlights of the Roblox Developer Conference

PlayStation tried to cancel Kojima, but Xbox picked him up - did Xbox steal a system-selling creator, or rescue an expensive project Sony was right to abandon?

CHAPTERS:

1:48 - Wolverine Launch | What’s the Word?

21:12 - The Best Blizzcon Announcement was…

33:58 - Is Blizzard So Back? | Buy or Sell?

41:15 - Highlights of Roblox Developer Conference

54:24 - Kojima leaves Sony | Big, Little, No Deal

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUB6pbdbMdM

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Wills Spangler - GameCred - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wills-spangler/

Joe Ferencz - Gamefam Founder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeferencz/

Gnoc - Digital Collectors Club - https://x.com/itsGnoc

Kohji Nagata - Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

The new Halo had 2100+ names credited to it's development. Has AAA development become catastrophically complicated?

Xbox is testing a system that lets players insert a supported Xbox One or Series X disc and claim a digital entitlement for that game.

Paddle Paddle Paddle is a $2.99 co-op rage game made by solo developer Mateo Covic, known as Zoroarts. It has a 90% positive Steam rating and more than 55,000 total refunds.

Does grading create meaningful digital collectability, or just multiply artificial scarcity?

CHAPTERS:

3:35 - Halo Remake Needing 500 People | Over/Under

28:09 - Xbox Disc to Digital | Sentiment Score

39:25 - Beat it, love it, refund it | What’s the Word?

46:57 - PSA Grades for Digital Cards | Bullish or Bullshit?

1:09:06 - The Day Players Proved You Wrong | Storytime

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmATaGqojww

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Sam Steffanina - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsteffanina/

PANEL:

Chris Heatherly (Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

Oliver Maroney (OpenSea) - https://x.com/OliverMaroney

Kohji Nagata (Parallel) - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

Tony (Makko.ai) - https://x.com/Tvalc

Is this year’s Gamescom a bust and is the entire industry on hold until GTA VI?

Is the sour sentiment on gaming really just the XBOX implosion?

Ubisoft's $10 Heroes of Might and Magic Complete Edition shadowdrop shipped a broken 23KB dummy exe instead of the game, souring Steam reviews before the real files appeared 11 hours later

Are we witnessing the death of a dynasty and the end of CoD’s reign as the king of console?

How do you make the Epic Games Store stop sucking?

CHAPTERS:

2:42 - Gamescom Showcase | Sentiment Score

24:11 - Gamespocalypse Finally Over? | Buy or Sell?

57:07 - Ubisoft’s Big Oops | What’s the Word

1:07:37 - Call of Duty’s Shooter Dominance | Sentiment Score

1:31:48 - How Does Epic Games Win? | Board Room

Watch instead of listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJSzLrSYA5A

Get the weekly breakdown in the Gamified newsletter at gamified.beehiiv.com

HOST:

Chris Heatherly - Ex-Disney / Ex-NBCUniversal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisheatherly/

PANEL:

Joe Ferencz — Gamefam Founder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeferencz/

Colan Neese - Screen Engine / mindGAME Data - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colanneese/

Robin Boyar - thinktank / Ex-EA - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-boyar/

Kohji Nagata -Parallel - https://x.com/ParallelTCGpod

Gnoc - Digital Collectors Club - https://x.com/itsGnoc

Tony Valcarcel - Makko.ai - https://x.com/Tvalc