⚽️ Only 8 matches remain. @mitchlasky and @blakeir are back with another special edition of the World Cup Consumer Guide. We revisit our biggest knockout-stage takes, break down all four quarterfinal matchups, and make our updated picks to lift the trophy.

⚽️ @mitchlasky and @blakeir are back with another special edition of the World Cup Consumer Guide. This time: the Round of 32. We break down every matchup, our biggest surprises from the group stage, and the games we are most excited to watch in the knockout rounds.

“Holy Grail or Poison Chalice?” is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir close Season 4 with a discussion of AI-enabled UGC game platforms, the old dream of casual game portals, and the challenge of turning infinite creation into lasting value.

“Funding & Founding” is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir discuss why the old game studio funding model is breaking, what AI changes about team size and capital needs, and why the next great games company may look very different from the last one.

“A Theory of Fun” is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir discuss how games got better at progression and worse at fun, why moment-to-moment play still matters, and what Nintendo continues to understand better than almost anyone.

“Navigating the AI Future” is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir discuss the games industry’s AI backlash, the collapse in prototyping costs, and what still matters when anyone can create more, faster.

“How Istanbul Won the Mobile Puzzle Wars” is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir discuss how one city came to produce 4% of global gaming revenue, and whether the moat behind it is durable or just a set of compounding arbitrages.

“The Attention Drain” is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir discuss how games might have lost their monopoly on interactive entertainment, and what happens now that the rest of consumer software has learned the games playbook.

A well deserved, dedicated episode to one of the most important and interesting companies in games: @Roblox. Now live on all platforms.

Gamecraft is back for Season 4! 👾 Episode 1, "2026 Trends & Specific Predictions," is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir kick things off with six trends & six predictions.

A rare, special edition episode of Gamecraft is now available on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir discuss the $55bn EA "LBO"

Season 3 of Gamecraft is complete! It might be our most important one yet. From mobile to Valve to China to AI, @mitchlasky and @blakeir tried to make sense of where games are headed. All 8 episodes are now live! 🎧

🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨 Hasbro & LEGO (S3E6) @blakeir & @mitchlasky dive into how two toy giants fumbled their first shot at gaming, then returned stronger as IP powerhouses. From LEGO Star Wars to Monopoly Go to Baldur's Gate 3… we unpack it all. Now live on all platforms!

🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨 The Venture Deadpool (S3E5) @mitchlasky & @blakeir dig into how and why venture-backed games fail. From treating equity like production financing to the “naked Series B,” we unpack the costly disconnect between venture capital and game development.

🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨 China (S3E4) @mitchlasky & @blakeir dive into how China's unique path, by skipping the packaged goods era, shaped its rise in gaming. From Tencent's global M&A to Genshin Impact, we explore why the Chinese market matters more than ever.

🚨 NEW EPISODE 🚨 Valve (S3E3) @mitchlasky & @blakeir dive into how Valve leveraged content innovation to become gaming's most powerful distribution platform. Valve is one of the most interesting private companies in the world. Now live on all platforms!

Distribution is the engine that pulls the train in games. Without it, even the best content and tech can only take you so far. We break down the industry's three core cycles of innovation and why all three are struggling right now. 🎙️ Gamecraft S3E1 — "Cycles & Survival"

🚨Gamecraft returns with Season 3! Episode 1, "Cycles & Survival," is now live on all platforms. @mitchlasky and @blakeir open the season with a framework for understanding how content, distribution, and technology continue to shape the long-term dynamics of the games industry.

🚨 NEW EPISODE Artificial Intelligence (S2E8) As Season 2 comes to an end, @mitchlasky & @blakeir take on the complex and highly speculative topic of AI + games! Now available on all platforms!

🚨 NEW EPISODE Intellectual Property (S2E7) @mitchlasky & @blakeir thoroughly examine the role of IP and video games. A wide ranging conversation on the topic — IP arbitrages, EA Sports/FIFA, Epic/Disney, and Transmedia! Now available on all platforms!