エピソード

  • How Free-to-Play Games Master the Metagame

    How Free-to-Play Games Master the Metagame
    2026/06/08
    Free-to-play games are everywhere, but what separates hits like 'Genshin Impact' and 'Fortnite' from the thousands that fail? Lucas and Luna unpack the hidden design layer known as the metagame: the progression systems, daily quest loops, and social mechanics that convert casual players into long-term spenders. They dissect how miHoYo engineered a two-year content cadence that keeps whales active, how Epic's Battle Pass created FOMO without pay-to-win, and why Supercell kills games that don't hit a 30 percent day-30 retention target. Specific metrics, concrete studio decisions, and one uncomfortable truth about player psychology — all in twelve minutes. #FreeToPlay #Metagame #GenshinImpact #Fortnite #Supercell #miHoYo #EpicGames #BattlePass #PlayerRetention #GameDesign #LiveService #Whales #FOMO #MobileGaming #F2P #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • How Game Studios Use Player Data to Cut Development Risk

    How Game Studios Use Player Data to Cut Development Risk
    2026/06/08
    Episode 38 of Gaming Business with Fexingo dives into how studios like Riot Games and Supercell use live player data to shrink development cycles and avoid flops. Lucas and Luna explore the shift from gut-feel design to data-informed iteration, revealing how metrics like session length and retention curves shape everything from character abilities to monetization. They discuss the tension between creative vision and player feedback, and how small studios can apply these techniques without a billion-user base. A concrete look at the business of building what players actually want. #PlayerData #GameDevelopment #RiotGames #Supercell #DataDrivenDesign #IterativeDevelopment #GameMetrics #SessionLength #RetentionCurves #LiveService #Playtesting #GameDesign #Business #Technology #GameStudioEconomics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #GamingBusiness Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • How Game User Research Saves Studios Millions

    How Game User Research Saves Studios Millions
    2026/06/07
    Lucas and Luna dive into the economics of game user research, exploring how studios like Riot Games and Ubisoft use playtesting data to catch costly design mistakes before launch. They break down the cost of a single usability bug versus a pre-launch fix, and discuss why the biggest studios now run dedicated labs. A specific look at how data-driven iteration is reshaping game development budgets. #GameUserResearch #Playtesting #RiotGames #Ubisoft #GameDevelopment #GamingEconomics #UsabilityTesting #GameDesign #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LiveServiceGames #GameStudio #PlayerMetrics #GameIndustry #CostSaving #DataDrivenDesign Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • How Game Soundtracks Became a Standalone Revenue Stream

    How Game Soundtracks Became a Standalone Revenue Stream
    2026/06/07
    Episode 36 of Gaming Business with Fexingo explores the economics of video game music. Lucas and Luna break down how studios like Riot Games and Bandai Namco have turned soundtracks into multi-million-dollar businesses through streaming, vinyl pressing, and concert tours. They examine the numbers behind the Final Fantasy VII Remake orchestral tour, the rise of game music on Spotify, and why indie composers are increasingly negotiating for royalty splits instead of flat fees. A focused look at a revenue stream that's tripled in five years. #GameMusic #SoundtrackRevenue #RiotGames #BandaiNamco #FinalFantasy #SpotifyRoyalties #VinylRevival #GameComposers #MusicLicensing #ConcertTours #IndieStudios #IntellectualProperty #BusinessStrategy #GamingIndustry #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Technology #InteractiveEntertainment Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How Game Remasters Became a Billion-Dollar Strategy

    How Game Remasters Became a Billion-Dollar Strategy
    2026/06/06
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the economics behind video game remasters and remakes. They break down how studios like Naughty Dog, Capcom, and Rockstar have turned revisiting older titles into a reliable revenue stream — with The Last of Us Part I, Resident Evil 2, and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy as case studies. Lucas explains the cost structure: a full remaster typically runs $10–$20 million, a ground-up remake can exceed $100 million, but both carry far lower risk than a new IP. Luna questions whether the trend cannibalizes original creativity and whether players are getting fair value. They also look at the subscriber data: on Game Pass and PS Plus, remastered titles see 30–50% higher engagement per dollar than new releases. The episode closes on a forward-looking note about AI-assisted upscaling and how that might shrink costs and accelerate the remaster pipeline even further. #GameRemasters #RemakeEconomics #NaughtyDog #Capcom #Rockstar #TheLastOfUs #ResidentEvil2 #GrandTheftAuto #GamePass #PSPlus #BusinessStrategy #VideoGameIndustry #AIUpscaling #NostalgiaMarketing #PlayStation #Xbox #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    14 分
  • How Voice Actors Are Negotiating AI Rights in Game Contracts

    How Voice Actors Are Negotiating AI Rights in Game Contracts
    2026/06/06
    Episode 34 of Gaming Business with Fexingo digs into the contract battle over AI voice replication in video games. Lucas and Luna break down the specific clauses now appearing in SAG-AFTRA interim agreements, how studios like Ubisoft and EA are approaching synthetic voice rights, and what the landmark 2024 voice actor strike means for interactive entertainment. They examine the economics of AI voice production—fifty thousand dollars for a full game's voiceover versus three thousand for a perpetual AI license—and why indie developers are caught in the middle. The conversation covers the 'digital replica' definition in the 2023 AMPTP deal, how smaller studios are using voice-matching tools like ElevenLabs legally, and why the next negotiation cycle could reshape union rates for an entire generation of performers. If you're a game developer, publisher, or talent manager, this episode gives you the specific contract language and market numbers you need to navigate the AI voice era. #VoiceActing #AI #SAGAFTRA #GameContracts #Ubisoft #EA #ElevenLabs #InteractiveEntertainment #LaborRights #Business #GamingBusiness #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #VoiceReplication #UnionNegotiations #DigitalReplica #IndieGames #MotionCapture Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    14 分
  • How Cloud Streaming Could Remake Indie Game Distribution

    How Cloud Streaming Could Remake Indie Game Distribution
    2026/06/05
    Episode 33 of Gaming Business with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna explore how cloud gaming platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce NOW are reshaping the economics of indie game distribution. They discuss the 'discoverability tax' on Steam, how streaming reduces consumer friction, and why studios like Larian and Devolver Digital are testing cloud demos. Specific data: 40% of Steam library purchases go unplayed; cloud trials can double conversion rates. Also: a look at how cloud-native game design might emerge by 2027. Plus: the hosts explain why the show is ad-free and how listeners can support it at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. #CloudGaming #IndieGames #GameDistribution #Steam #XboxCloudGaming #GeForceNOW #LarianStudios #DevolverDigital #GameDiscoverability #StreamingTech #GameEconomics #Business #Technology #InteractiveEntertainment #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #GamingBusiness #IndieDev Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 分
  • How Game Developers Use Steam Early Access to Fund Titles

    How Game Developers Use Steam Early Access to Fund Titles
    2026/06/05
    In this episode of Gaming Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the economics of Steam Early Access — how developers use pre-release sales to fund completion, manage community feedback, and de-risk launches. They examine a specific case: the 2024 survival hit Enshrouded, which sold over 2 million copies in its first four weeks of Early Access, raising $50 million before its 1.0 release. The hosts break down the revenue split (Steam takes 30% initially, dropping to 20% after $50 million in sales), the average Early Access duration of 14 months, and the failure rate of roughly one in three Early Access titles that never reach full release. They also discuss how studios like Coffee Stain and Redbeak Interactive navigated the model with games like Satisfactory and Valheim. Finally, they contrast Early Access with traditional publisher funding and Kickstarter, showing how the model reshapes studio economics for mid-sized teams. #SteamEarlyAccess #GameDevelopment #Enshrouded #SurvivalGame #Valheim #Satisfactory #CoffeeStainStudios #RedbeakInteractive #KeenGames #GameFunding #IndieStudio #RevenueSplit #Steam #BusinessModel #Business #GamingBusiness #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    13 分