The games industry has a structural problem that most studios refuse to name: development and publishing have been at war for decades, and players are paying the price.

In this episode of Gaming Decoded, host Andrea Rene sits down with Jonathan Lander, CEO & Founder of Square Corners Consulting and a Vivrato Visionary with over two decades leading online games at CCP (EVE Online) and ZeniMax Online (Elder Scrolls Online). Jon makes the case that the siloed model most studios still operate under was designed for physical retail in the 90s and has no business running a live service game in 2025.

He also argues that the industry is still in its early stage of professionalization, roughly equivalent to where pharma was when it was still figuring out what medicine actually meant, and explains what it will take to grow up.

This episode covers:

• Why development and publishing silos actively damage the quality of games
• How to build an integrated studio model that actually works
• The live service chicken-and-egg problem: great game first, or great product first?
• Why listening too closely to your community might be hurting you
• Why you should make games for demographics you are not part of
• The untapped opportunity in making games for Gen Alpha

Glossary Decoded: Publishing

Timestamps:

00:00 – What It Takes to Launch a Live Service Game

01:22 – The Biggest Problems in the Game Industry Today

02:14 – Why “Anyone Can Make a Game” Changed Everything

03:20 – The Collapse of Traditional Publishing Models

08:56 – From Silos to Integration: The Future of Development

11:15 – Why Marketing Must Start Earlier

13:00 – The Real Challenge of Live Service Games

18:40 – Roblox, Fortnite & the Future of Engagement

21:19 – Why “One Game for Everyone” Doesn’t Exist

22:28 – Niche Games vs Mass Market Strategy

27:10 – Why Games Get Canceled Mid-Development

28:00 – The Danger of Dev vs Publishing Disconnect

28:54 – The Rise of Community Power

31:32 – The Right Way to Use Player Feedback

37:23 – Proof That Integration Works

39:12 – Advice for Future Game Leaders

41:22 – Glossary Decoded: What “Publishing” Really Means

Connect with Jon:Square Corners Consulting: http://www.squarecornersconsulting.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-lander-9364101/Learn more about Vivrato: http://www.vivrato.comConnect with Gaming Decoded: podcast@vivrato.comSubscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/teamvivratoConnect with Andrea Rene: http://www.andrearene.comInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/andrearene_LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andreareneX: http://www.x.com/andreareneBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andrearene.bsky.social