In this episode of ByteAction, I sit down with Miikka Luotio, VP Europe at Appcharge and a games industry operator with more than 20 years across development, production, publishing, partnerships and D2C commerce.

We talk about the early days of mobile games, why Finland produced such a strong generation of studios, and what has changed now that the market is more crowded, more expensive and harder to break into. Miikka shares a frank view on publishing deals, why studios need proof rather than a polished pitch deck, and why chasing the latest trend rarely beats building something players genuinely want.

We also get into D2C, what Appcharge is building for game publishers, and why a direct-to-player strategy is about much more than putting up a web shop.

Finally we touch on discoverability, direct-to-consumer gaming, payments, AI and where he thinks the games industry is heading next.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:32 Growing up in Finland and discovering games

03:41 Quake modding, game school and the early Finnish games scene

07:54 First games role at Frozenbyte

09:46 Learning to make mobile games at Digital Chocolate

16:10 Career moves and the boom years of mobile free-to-play

22:23 Discoverability, attention and the appeal of simple games

28:55 From production to publishing

34:00 What a healthier publisher-developer relationship looks like

40:08 Funding game studios: data, product and avoiding hype cycles

44:50 Why Turkey has become a games hotspot

48:45 The industry reset: consolidation, cost and discoverability

55:54 Appcharge and the case for D2C

01:04:50 Why D2C is about more than a web shop

01:10:39 The future of distribution, discovery and game business models

01:21:17 Persistence and relationships: career advice from Miikka

01:26:00 Close

In this episode of ByteAction, I sit down with Guillaume Rambourg, a true operator of the games industry who’s quietly helped shape some of the biggest brands in gaming. Guillaume started his career in a QA department at CD Projekt during the final stretch of The Witcher 1, went on to help build GOG, opened CD Projekt’s US office, he then moved to Riot Games to launch their Paris office and get the company closer to players across Europe. Most recently, he was brought into Respawn (EA) to build a European publishing team for Apex Legends.We talk about what it’s actually like to build teams and offices from scratch, why Riot’s long hiring process actually makes more sense than people think, and why self-awareness and a growth mindset matter more than raw talent. Guillaume shares what “player-first” really means in practice, and why a lot of live service games fail.We also talk extensively about leadership, hiring, esports, community building, novelty in games, and where the industry is heading next. This one is part career story, part leadership masterclass, and part honest reflection on what it takes to build things that actually last in games.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Guillaume

03:00 Guillaume's Journey in Gaming

05:58 Early Influences and Career Switch

09:14 The Growth of CD Projekt

11:48 Cultural Shifts at CD Projekt

15:01 The Launch of The Witcher 3

17:50 Establishing the US Office

20:50 Transition to Riot Games

23:57 Building the Paris Office at Riot

27:06 Understanding Player Needs at Riot

30:04 Conclusion and Future Aspirations

34:03 The Evolution of eSports Management at Riot

37:10 Recruitment Standards and Criteria at Riot

41:39 Diversity and Team Chemistry in Hiring

46:39 Leadership Style and Clarity in Decision Making

51:45 Keys to Successful Live Service Games

57:28 The Future of Gaming: Trends and Predictions

01:01:42 Advice for Aspiring Game Industry Professionals

In this episode of the ByteAction Podcast, we sit down with Christian Gascons, COO and co-founder of Games for a Living (GFAL), to explore the journey of building sustainable gaming studio, their upcoming launch of Diamond Dreams, and how their team is redefining the match3 space.From Christian’s start at Blizzard Entertainment, to co-founding a studio in Barcelona, to building highly player focused games, this episode dives into the realities of the gaming industry today➡️ If you’re into gaming, startups, Web3, or entrepreneurship, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.0:54 – Welcome to the Podcast1:18 – Announcing the early launch of Diamond Dreams2:20 – Why launch now? Timing & market conditions2:28 – Who is Christian Gascons?3:20 – Early career: from Blizzard to VR studies6:25 – Founding Games for a Living & the vision8:30 – Building infrastructure before launching Diamond Dreams9:35 – The founding team & creative leadership11:45 – Raising $1.2M with just a PowerPoint13:00 – Making Web3 gaming accessible & optional14:10 – Why “game first” matters in blockchain gaming15:01 – Physical jewelry linked to in-game collectibles16:45 – How the gameplay & collectibles work18:20 – Digital collectibles vs NFTs20:20 – Building community, influencer program & Proof of Lux campaign23:35 – The hardest challenges: legal, compliance & iteration27:05 – Free-to-play, user acquisition & market realities28:18 – Gaming industry downturn & layoffs30:22 – The role of a COO in a gaming startup33:37 – Leadership style & company culture36:12 – Lessons from 13 years as an entrepreneur39:35 – Why fun matters more than graphics42:19 – Retention & what makes players come back44:00 – Future vision for Games for a Living45:02 – Leaving a mark in Web3 gaming46:10 – Advice for young people entering the gaming industry-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------https://gfal.com/