Is Discoverability Dead? Two Publishers Break Down the Steam Crisis

Описание: Is the game publishing model broken? With nearly 25,000 games expected to launch this year, discoverability has become an uphill battle, forcing indie developers into a vicious cycle of fighting for attention and funding. In this deep-dive conversation, we sit down with the founders of two new publishing houses, Ben Kvalo of Midwest Games and Alex Joseph of the revived Play Acclaim, to break down how developers can navigate this chaotic landscape. They reveal what publishers actually look for in a pitch, the hard truth about game monetization and pricing, and the strategies you need to build a sustainable studio.

Guest Spotlight
-Ben Kvalo, Founder of Midwest Games: [Link]
-Alex Joseph, CEO of Play Acclaim: [Link]

Timestamps / Chapters
00:00:00 - The Rebirth of an Era: Midway & Acclaim's Legacy
00:06:41 - When Your Hobby Becomes a Chore: How Publishers Actually Play Games
00:11:25 - The Monetization Dilemma: Finding the Balance Between Fun & Profit
00:14:47 - The Hard Truth: Why Gamers Will Pay $60 for a Movie but Not $30 for a Game
00:20:25 - Is User-Generated Content (UGC) Secretly Harming the Games Industry?
00:25:41 - The Discoverability Crisis: Can Indie Devs Still Succeed on Steam?
00:43:30 - What Do Publishers Actually Do? (And Are They Worth It?)
00:52:07 - The "Shadow Publishing" Model That Lets You Keep Your IP
01:04:50 - The Real Reason We Revived Acclaim
01:10:39 - Where Does Publisher Funding Really Come From?
01:18:41 - How to Pitch a Publisher & Get Them Excited About Your Game
01:26:07 - Are You Ready for a Publisher? Key Signs & Red Flags

Resources Mentioned

Companies: Midwest Games , Play Acclaim , Midway , Acclaim , Steam , Netflix , Discord , itch.io

Games: NFL Blitz , NBA Jam , Mortal Kombat , Turok , Shadow Man , Joust , NCAA Football , RimWorld , Fortnite , Tetris , Tomb Water , The Legend of Babu

Hardware: Mod Retro Chromatic
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About The Show
Player-Driven is the leading podcast at the intersection of the video game industry and business. We interview CEOs, VCs, founders, and indie developers to uncover the strategies and data behind the world's most profitable entertainment medium.


#gamepublishing #indiedev #videogameindustry #acclaim #gamedev #indiegames #steam #midway

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