The Business of Video Games Podcast

Episode 63 - Gamescom was good

Welcome back dear listener and sorry to keep you waiting! Fernando and Shams are fresh (+ one week give or take) off the Gamescom floor and ready to share a little bit o

Episode 62 - People don't buy new games

It's Friday and we are back to to tackle two major industry deep-dives, but not before touching base on Microsoft and EA, comparing BBC quotes  and teasing a Patreon-excl

Episode 61 - Basically too many games - Jon Shafer

Shams and Fernando bring on their buddy Jon Shafer (former Lead Designer on Civ V) from Conifer Games to cut through the noise and break down the actual state of PC gamin

Episode 60 - 14 layers

It's Friday! And what do you expect? After our last conversation unexpectedly blew up and wormed its way into the gaming news cycle for a day or two (or three?), we are

Episode 59 - Basically institutionalized crunch

It's Friday and what a show we got for you today! Shams and Fernando are tearing into the harsh new realities of the games industry where Microsoft’s new leadership has

Episode 58 - A reflective optimist - Tim Bender

While Fernando is off enjoying Italy, Shams is flying solo and holding down the fort for today's episode.  Today, our dear friend Tim Bender returns to talk about the in

Episode 57 - We need to drop out of college now - Johan Pilestedt Pt. 2

Did you ever wonder what happens when a bunch of cocky college students decide they're going to take over the games industry? Spoiler alert: it involves immediate debt, p

Episode 56 - From the ass end of nowhere - Johan Pilestedt Pt. 1

It's finally time for the first round of our exclusive deep-dive series with Arrowhead Game Studios CCO & Founder Johan Pilestedt! In this kickoff episode, we take a clo

Episode 55 - Recoup is self-destructive - Tim Bender Pt. 2

We are back with the second part of our conversation together with our good friend Tim Bender as the we dive deeper into the weeds of some of the most surprising moves in

Episode 54 - 100 plus years - Tim Bender Pt. 1

In the first part of our two-parter, Shams sits down with Tim Bender from Hooded Horse to pull back the curtain on one of the currently most talked-about trajectories in

Episode 53 - "Blizzard of Oz" - Trent Kusters Pt. 2

Sorry for being late! After a not so welcomed water leakage at our producers studios, we are back with the second part of our conversation with Trent Kusters, the visiona

Episode 52 - Just get published - Trent Kusters Pt. 1

Imagine what happens when a new episode of The Business of Video Games Podcast all of a sudden release on a Monday! Almost as mindwrecking as if one accidentally started

Episode 51 - Vibes based publisher - Sam de Boeck and Daniel Lyozov

Time for a one off with the great folks at Oro Interactive who currently is on a real victory lap with 300k units sold of Roadside Research within two weeks(!) and 400k u

Episode 50 - Keeping a business alive - Agostino Simonetta Pt. 2

50 episodes! Imagine that! We are back again with our dear friend Agostino Simonetta in the second part of our two part interview. This time with Fernando taking the lea

Episode 49 - Ask for forgiveness, not permission - Agostino Simonetta Pt. 1

Friends! It's 2026 and we're back! In this first part of a two-episode conversation, Shams and Fernando sit down with none other than industry veteran Agostino Simonetta

Episode 48 - Shams and Fernandos Holiday Wrap Up 2025

It's Fri... Monday! In this end-of-year episode, Shams and Fernando look back on 2025. From personal wins to the industry-wide turbulence that affects everyone. They bot

Episode 47 - Let them Cook - Adam Boyes Part 2

It's Friday! In the second half of their conversation with Adam Boyes, Shams and Fernando go far beyond career anecdotes and dig into what truly drives fulfillment in th

Episode 46 - The man from the memes - Adam Boyes Part 1

Do we got another great conversation for you here friends? Yes we do! In this episode, Shams and Fernando sit down with industry veteran Adam Boyes to explore his remark

Episode 45 - The Emotional Battle - Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman Pt. 2

It's time to continue our conversation with Chris and Tyler som Red Hook Studios! In this second half of our interview with Red Hook Studios founders Chris and Tyler, we

Episode 44 - Releasing Darkest Dungeon - Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman Pt. 1

We are back! And what a time to be alive when we start of Season 4 with two real bangers. Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman are the creative minds behind Darkest Dungeon