by Max Albert
Gaming has become the world's most valuable entertainment industry, eclipsing movies and music combined. That's why we're launching "Game Jam," where we're reinventing how the gaming industry discovers and develops the next generation of innovation. Gaming has evolved from niche hobby to cultural cornerstone. It's now the primary stress relief outlet for millions. Yet while the industry's dominance is clear, what fascinates us most are the unexpected ways technology is reshaping not just how we play games, but how we connect, create, and express ourselves through them.
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🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/18/2025
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April 29, 2025
<p>Moody Mattan, Founder and CEO of BrandXR, joins Max Albert to break down where augmented reality is actually working—and where it’s just hype.</p><p><br /></p><p>From activating 3-minute ad experiences in Miami to building military-grade training tools and retail tech for tattoo parlors, Moody walks through real-world AR use cases that are solving real business problems today.</p><p><br /></p><p>This isn’t a conversation about the metaverse. It’s a tactical, on-the-ground look at:</p><p><br /></p><ul><li>Why AR murals outperformed traditional ads</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>How BrandXR raised capital by doing cool shit (not just pitching decks)</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>Why the best AR apps will be invisible, not immersive</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>What startups are fundable in 2025 (and what’s still 10 years out)</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>The most promising AR products coming down the pipeline</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>We even play <strong>AR Shark Tank</strong>, pitching Moody wild concepts like memory-enhancing glasses and virtual wardrobe filters.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you’re a founder, investor, or operator building in the gaming, spatial tech, or adtech ecosystem—this is required listening.</p>
April 15, 2025
<p>Is the future of game publishing being built in the Midwest?</p><p><br /></p><p>In this episode, Game Jam host Max Albert sits down with Ben Kvalo, founder of Midwest Games and former Netflix Games executive, for one of the most honest, insightful, and eye-opening conversations about the state of game publishing today.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ben is not just building a new publisher. He’s rebuilding the entire model—with a developer-first approach, a new monetization structure, and a commitment to supporting talent in underrepresented regions like the Midwest.</p><p><br /></p><p>This episode covers it all:</p><p><br /></p><ul><li>Why 1.74% of games are earning 90% of the revenue</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>How most publishers are still stuck in a broken, extractive model</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>What “shadow publishing” is and why it might be the future</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>Why Netflix Games is really about retention, not content</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>And what it means to build sustainable infrastructure for indies in 2025 and beyond</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>Whether you’re an indie dev, investor, publisher, or just someone who cares about the future of gaming—you do not want to miss this conversation.</p><p><br /></p><p>Topics Covered:</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 – GDC, VIP sightings, and post-conference chaos</p><p><br /></p><p>03:00 – Why the games industry still exploits developers</p><p><br /></p><p>06:00 – How game publishing is becoming more like indie film</p><p><br /></p><p>09:00 – Ben’s process for evaluating games at Midwest</p><p><br /></p><p>14:00 – What makes a game commercially viable</p><p><br /></p><p>17:00 – Shocking revenue stats: publishers vs. everyone else</p><p><br /></p><p>20:00 – Inside Netflix Games: retention, IP strategy, and churn</p><p><br /></p><p>26:00 – Why gaming needs better curation platforms</p><p><br /></p><p>33:00 – The rise of Shadow Publishing</p><p><br /></p><p>40:00 – Building a sustainable publishing model for 2025</p><p><br /></p><p>44:00 – Overrated vs. underrated: AI art, live service, UGC</p><p><br /></p><p>50:00 – Publishing in the Midwest and funding overlooked talent</p>
April 2, 2025
<p>Is the gaming industry broken—or just evolving?</p><p><br /></p><p>In this wide-ranging episode, Max Albert sits down with Justin Berenbaum, VP Strategic Planning at Xsolla & GM Xsolla Funding Club, to unpack the massive shifts happening across game development, funding, publishing, and player behavior.</p><p><br /></p><p>Whether you’re building your first indie game, fundraising for your studio, or just trying to make sense of this weird post-pandemic gaming economy—this episode is your founder’s field guide.</p><p><br /></p><p>Justin has nearly 30 years of strategic development experience in the video game industry. As part of his role at Xsolla, Justin travels the globe, speaking at events on topics such as funding, investment, strategic partnerships, and the broader video game industry. Justin has worked with thousands of developers and publishers across the globe, and brings an unfiltered perspective of someone who’s actually read the pitch decks, fielded the builds, and seen what works (and what definitely doesn’t).</p><p><br /></p><p>🎯 We dive deep into:</p><p><br /></p><ul><li>Why you should build your game like you’ll never get funded</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>What publishers actually want to see before they take a meeting</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>How indie devs are failing to think like businesses</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>The truth about market oversaturation and content fatigue</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>Why wishlists ≠ players (and what matters more)</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>The rise (and risks) of UGC and platform-driven development</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>Why “games with purpose” are attracting smart money</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>The biggest mistake devs make when copying breakout hits</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>How to pitch like your survival depends on it—because it might</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>From Steam oversupply to building community before building hype—this conversation is the realest talk on game development and publishing you’ll hear all year.</p>
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