At GamesBeat Summit 2026, host Andrea Rene sat down with Amir Satvat, Founder of Always Supporting the Games Community job board, and Adam Boyes, CEO & Founder of Vivrato, to examine the current state of the games industry job market through community-driven data and firsthand experience.

Amir shares insights from the ASGC community, including:

• Why 30% of laid-off developers have been out of work for over a year

• How the average job search peaked at nine months before improving slightly

• Why only 10–15% of listed game industry roles are even opened by applicants

• The importance of networking and long-term relationship building in today’s hiring environment

• Concerns around “brain drain” and the estimated 120,000 years of experience leaving the industry

The conversation also explores career transitions, executive engagement, benefits and stability in the evolving workforce, and how the ACC community has grown into one of the largest career support networks in games.

What should we decode next? Let us know in the comments!

Connect with Amir:

http://www.asgc.gg

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirsatvat/

Learn more about Vivrato: http://www.vivrato.com

Connect with Gaming Decoded: podcast@vivrato.com

Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/teamvivrato

Connect with Andrea Rene: http://www.andrearene.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/andrearene_

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrearene

X: http://www.x.com/andrearene

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andrearene.bsky.social

Most studio leaders don't realize they need help until it's already too late to act on it. In this episode of Gaming Decoded, Andrea Rene sits down with CEO and Founder of Syndicate of Play, veteran executive Mark Stanley. Drawing on 25-plus years across companies like Sega, PlayStation, GameStop, and Xbox, he explains why studios keep making the same avoidable mistakes at the worst possible time.Mark covers why power in the games business is concentrated in so few hands, how the shift from physical to digital changed developer leverage for good, and what trust-based publisher-developer relationships actually look like in practice versus the old top-down model.The conversation gets candid about the moments when outside perspective matters most -- and why so many studios wait until the train has already left the station before asking for it. In this episode:-Why developer-publisher trust is at a historic low and what rebuilding it looks like-How too many decision-makers pull a product apart before it ever reaches players-When to bring in outside strategic help, and how to find the right people-How indie founders can build an advisory network from day one-Why accessibility is a launch requirement, not a nice-to-haveGlossary Decoded: AccessibilityWhat should we decode next? Let us know in the comments!

Timestamps:00:00:00 - Introduction

00:01:56 - Mark's Background: Sega, PlayStation, Xbox and Beyond

00:02:46 - Locked by the Big Few: How Publisher Power Has Shifted

00:05:43 - The Trust Deficit Between Developers and Publishers

00:08:25 - Bringing Players Into the Process

00:10:22 - Too Many Cooks: Managing Feedback Without Losing Your Vision

00:12:00 - Why Large Studios Struggle to Pivot in Time

00:15:59 - When Should a Studio Bring in Outside Help?

00:16:41 - Building Your Network and Advisory Board Early

00:18:26 - The IGDA Indie Collective: Help When It Mattered Most

00:22:43 - Ask the Question: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

00:27:35 - Games 4 Change and Oceanic Society

00:30:49 - Balancing Social Impact With Commercial Reality

00:33:15 - Glossary Decoded: AccessibilityConnect with Mark: http://www.syndicateofplay.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markstanleyglobal/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/andrearene

Most games don’t fail because they’re bad. They fail because no one knows who they’re for.

In this episode of Gaming Decoded, Andrea Rene sits down with Tracey McGarrigan, founder and CEO of Ansible Comms and Tech Advisors, a strategic marketing and communications consultancy working with games studios and executives around the world.

They break down what actually drives success in game launches, and why so many studios get it wrong.

She also shares the real story of a game that went to the community and said: get us 100,000 Steam wishlists or we cancel this project, and what happened next.

They unpack:

-What a real go-to-market (GTM) strategy looks like

-Why defining your audience early is non-negotiable

-The biggest communication breakdowns inside studios

-How indie teams can do effective marketing without big budgets

-Why “launch day” matters less than ever

Glossary Decoded: Go-to-Market Strategy

Chapters:

00:00 What Is a Go-To-Market Strategy?

00:50 Why Game Marketing Feels Like “Dark Arts”

02:15 The Biggest Communication Mistakes in Studios

05:15 Why Teams Ignore Marketing Until It’s Too Late

06:50 Start Here: Defining Success

08:00 The Real Meaning of “Target Audience”

10:15 Fixing Misalignment Inside Game Studios

13:20 Who Is Your Game Actually For?14:40 Why Developers Skip Audience Definition

17:15 How Indie Teams Can Do Marketing Without Budget

19:15 Events vs Digital: Where to Find Your Audience

21:05 Using Showcases (Steam Next Fest, etc.)

23:45 What Is a GTM Strategy? (Glossary Decoded)

24:50 What a Strong GTM Plan Actually Includes

27:10 The Risk of Undocumented Marketing Strategy

29:00 Real Story: Canceling a Game Before Launch

33:10 Why Failure Can Be a Strategic Win

Connect with Tracey McGarrigan:LinkedIn: http://www/linkedin.com/in/tamcgarrigan

Ansible Comms: http://www.ansiblecomms.com

Learn more about Vivrato: http://www.vivrato.com

Connect with Gaming Decoded: podcast@vivrato.com

Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/teamvivrato

Connect with Andrea Rene

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/andrearene_

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrearene

Website: http://www.andrearene.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andrearene.bsky.social

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

What do you get when you interview over 350 games industry leaders and ask them the same question? 173 different answers. That's the problem Adam Boyes set out to solve.In the inaugural episode of Gaming Decoded, host Andrea Rene sits down with Adam Boyes, founder and CEO of Vivrato Consultancy, to talk about why the games business is struggling despite more players and more money in the market than ever before. Adam explains the research behind Vivrato's Deck of Games Industry Challenges, why the era of the manufactured blockbuster may be over, and why the most important shift any aspiring studio founder can make is to understand they are building a business first, and a video game second.They also cover:- How to get noticed when breaking into the games industry- Why the industry needs to move from competition to community- The gardening model of game development and why it matters now- What it means to preserve the heart and soul of games in an AI age- Whether you're a studio founder, an investor, a developer trying to navigate the current climate, or someone who wants to work in games, this episode is your starting point.Glossary Decoded: DeveloperLearn more about Vivrato: http://www.vivrato.comConnect with Gaming Decoded: podcast@vivrato.comSubscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/teamvivratoConnect with Adam Boyes:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamboyes/Connect with Andrea ReneInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/andrearene_LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andreareneX: http://www.x.com/andreareneBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andrearene.bsky.social

What do you get when you interview over 350 games industry leaders and ask them the same question? 173 different answers. That's the problem Adam Boyes set out to solve.

In the inaugural episode of Gaming Decoded, host Andrea Rene sits down with Adam Boyes, founder and CEO of Vivrato, to talk about why the games business is struggling despite more players and more money in the market than ever before. Adam explains the research behind Vivrato's Deck of Games Industry Challenges, why the era of the manufactured blockbuster may be over, and why the most important shift any aspiring studio founder can make is to understand they are building a business first, and a video game second.

They also cover:

• How to get noticed when breaking into the games industry
• Why the industry needs to move from competition to community
• The gardening model of game development and why it matters now
• What it means to preserve the heart and soul of games in an AI age

Whether you're a studio founder, an investor, a developer trying to navigate the current climate, or someone who wants to work in games, this episode is your starting point.

Glossary Decoded: Developer

Learn more about Vivrato: http://www.vivrato.com

Connect with Gaming Decoded: podcast@vivrato.com

Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/teamvivrato

Connect with Adam Boyes:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamboyes/

Connect with Andrea Rene

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/andrearene_

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrearene

X: http://www.x.com/andrearene

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/andrearene.bsky.social

Welcome to Gaming Decoded: A Games Business Podcast from Vivrato Consultancy. Each week, we pull back the curtain on the strategies and stories that power the world’s most successful game makers and industry leaders.

Hosted by Andrea Rene and powered by Vivrato, each episode features industry operators, creators, and leaders sharing actionable lessons, market intelligence, and practical advice for developers, publishers, studio executives, VCs, and tech partners shaping games today and tomorrow.

Learn more at http://www.vivrato.com