Stefan Lampinen has been gaming's secret weapon for 40 years. He launched Xbox 360 in Russia when everyone said it was impossible. He watched the rise and fall of Nokia. He was in the room when Minecraft turned down buyers flying in with blank checks. Now he's breaking his silence on what's really coming in 2025 and why the industry's about to change forever.

This conversation reveals the shifts happening RIGHT NOW that will determine gaming's next decade.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 – The Gift from Bill Gates.

2:45 – 18 years old. Opens game store, becomes Nordic's gaming gateway.

8:30 – Xbox 360: How they beat PlayStation to digital.

15:20 – "Russia was impossible" - How he conquered it anyway.

22:15 – Nokia beat iPhone by 4 years (and still failed spectacularly. Why)

28:40 – Why Sweden is gaming's best sandbox.

35:10 – Inside Minecraft's war room (shielding them from the world's buyers).

42:30 – "The industry just hit maturity" - What that actually means.

48:15 – GTA 6 will eat EVERYTHING (The industry doesn't understand what's coming).

52:40 – Europe's studios are dying - The exodus nobody's discussing.

58:20 – The Last of Us changed the game (Hollywood finally gets it).

1:04:00 – Saudi Arabia's power play (it's not what you think).

1:08:30 – His #1 career lesson after 40 years.

KEY REVELATIONS

"People were flying in from all over the world wanting to buy Minecraft. My job was to shield them."

"GTA 6 is going to take enormous amounts of players and money from EVERYTHING. The industry doesn't understand what's coming."

"Sweden had 70% gaming penetration because we don't dub. We had to learn English. We had to think global from day one."

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🌍 Our website: https://www.purposemade.uk/

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“There was never a video game curse. Just bad producers who didn't play or respect or appreciate games.” – Dmitri M. Johnson, Story Kitchen

Hollywood’s video game curse? Total myth! Sonic and The Last of Us show adaptations thrive when creators respect games. With 3 billion gamers worldwide, game-to-screen hits are soaring. As an ex-EA gamer, I’m pumped to share this episode with Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson and Mike Goldberg (Sonic, Tomb Raider, Streets of Rage).

We unpack why game movies fail, Sonic’s 10-year saga, and 2025’s hottest adaptations. Subscribe for more gaming insights!

What You’ll Learn:

> 0:28 – Sonic’s 10-year fight to the screen

> 5:14 – Passion-driven IP picks

> 12:39 – Netflix’s adaptation boom

> 21:49 – Future game franchises to watch

> 28:31 – Tomb Raider’s evolution

> 33:31 – Keys to killer creative teams

> 46:32 – Next big game-to-screen hits

Love games or films? Comment your dream adaptation - Mass Effect, Payday, or A Plague Tale?

Watch on YouTube for the best experience

Share and subscribe!

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Deadpool’s co-creator Fabian Nicieza on storytelling's future, AI’s threat to creativity, and why characters still save lives.

In this powerful and wide-ranging episode, Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza joins Peter Bell on the Purpose Made podcast to talk about what it really means to build enduring characters and what’s being lost in today’s race toward AI-driven content.

Fabian reflects on four decades in storytelling, from Marvel's golden era to transmedia’s unrealised promise, and shares the emotional weight of creating characters that help people navigate trauma, cancer, and loss.

He also dives deep into the creative and moral challenge AI poses to future generations of artists. This isn’t just an industry conversation, it’s a human one.

Whether you’re a writer, founder, or fan of good stories, this is the episode that challenges you to ask: What kind of world are we building?

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: From Marvel to Deadpool

04:32 – Deadpool’s origin and emotional impact

12:15 – The evolution of storytelling (simplicity to complex simplicity)

18:40 – The Deadpool effect: humour + trauma = healing

28:55 – AI and the end of creativity

43:00 – Transmedia: Dream vs. Reality

55:15 – How creatives should handle fandom backlash

01:02:30 – Can stories still survive without storytellers?

Guest Bio:

Fabian Nicieza is a legendary writer and editor known for his iconic work at Marvel Comics, including X-Men, X-Force, and co-creating Deadpool. With a career spanning 40+ years, he’s also worked with DC Comics, Mattel, Acclaim, and Starlight Runner. His novels Suburban Dick's and The Self-Made Widow received critical acclaim, including an Edgar Award nomination.

Resource Links:

Fabian’s book: Suburban Dick's (https://amzn.to/4kF17BD)

Purpose Made website: www.purposemade.uk

Listen on Spotify: Purpose Made Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/66hrGrtDSwBJUzIGF6f5eg?si=4d7031600d3c433e)

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on purpose, creativity & the future: https://www.youtube.com/@UCftFt-Pd7xe1f0XY0K-dX4w

Connect with Fabian Nicieza:

• Twitter/X: @FabianNicieza

• Website: fabiannicieza.com

#Deadpool #FabianNicieza #Storytelling #AIandCreativity #PurposeMadePodcast #Transmedia #Marvel #CreativeProcess #FutureOfArt

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