INSIGHTS / STEVE FOWLER
Ideas for growing games.
The Early Access launch IS the launch.
For nearly 80% of games, Early Access was the bigger commercial launch. Fund the first introduction to players, and treat 1.0 as a relaunch to an existing audience.
Read article ↗
Every trailer you ship this year is going to get checked for extra fingers. Plan for it.
Players are scrutinizing every trailer, screenshot, and social post for GenAI. Marketing teams need clear policies, careful reviews, and a response ready before launch.
Read article ↗
Steam and Google Play are not in the business of telling anyone your game exists.
Storefronts amplify demonstrated interest. Studios and publishers must build the audience that sends the first signal.
Read article ↗
No Way In for the Next Generation
Why business-track games students need portfolio evidence—and why studios must protect beginner roles and make internships easier to find.
Read article ↗
Blizzard has been listening for a long time. WoW Forever is the latest proof.
From WoW Forever’s player feedback to Hearthstone’s duplicate legendaries, a reflection on listening to fans and investing in community health.
Read article ↗
Read Jon Kimmich’s piece today on GamesBeat
What should an Xbox stand for? Reflections on Jon Kimmich’s plan for Xbox, brand positioning, and the promise players need to believe in.
Read article ↗
What Halo means to the people who were there
Reflections on Halo’s original launch, the conviction to protect the Warthog, and what a franchise means to the people who grew up with it.
Read article ↗
Do I Need a Publisher?
For studios that already have development funding, a publishing deal is also a decision about who controls the marketing budget, priorities, and revenue.
Read article ↗
What a storefront classification costs a studio that has not built an audience
A storefront decision can disrupt a launch overnight. Why studios need to build an audience before they need one.
Read article ↗
48% of game studio founders are currently operating at a loss.
When small teams cut marketing, what are their options? A look at internal hires, publishers, agencies, and embedded fractional support.
Read article ↗
California just signed AB 1709 – Game Industry Take Notice
Why game studios should audit their retention mechanics now—and prepare for platform changes that could reshape live-service roadmaps.
Read article ↗
Installs fell 12%. Retention is the only lever left.
Flat revenue can hide a concentrating market. Why player fit, retention and reactivation deserve more attention than cheap installs.
Read article ↗
Pokémon Pokopia and the Brand DNA Exercise
Your IP is more than its mechanics. Define the emotional promise that can carry a franchise into new genres.
Read article ↗
Make your soft objectives provable before someone cuts them
Give community and brand work measurable leading indicators before the budget review. Pick the numbers, then report against them.
Read article ↗
Amazon exits MMO publishing
Publishing a launch and operating a live world are different jobs. Ask what a partner brings to the community long after launch.
Read article ↗
A 2015 game is getting a 2027 expansion..... that's a marketing move, not a nostalgia play
Your back catalog is a warm audience. Before acquiring someone new, ask what would bring an existing fan back.
Read article ↗
Unity sells Supersonic for $40M - the arbitrage model breaks
Paid media amplifies demand. Lasting growth depends on building something players return to when the spending stops.
Read article ↗
When the money gets expensive, what do you stop funding?
When financial pressure rises, distinguish cash-flow protection from brand-building—and keep funding the fandom.
Read article ↗
Your Steam page is not a brochure
Treat your Steam page like living performance creative. Change one element a week and learn what converts.
Read article ↗