The Gaming Playbook with Harry Phokou

Gaming Industry Podcast

Conversations That Unpack the Playbook

Harry Phokou sits down with experts in the games industry who have never been interviewed before. Through these in-depth conversations, we unpack the "Playbook" that made them so successful.

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How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years | Johannes Mang
Game Development Leadership
February 19, 2026

How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years | Johannes Mang

How do you revive and regrow a 10-year-old mobile game in one of the toughest markets in gaming? Today, I’m joined by Johnny Mang, General Manager at Rovio, who breaks down how his team rebuilt Angry Birds 2 from the.

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How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years | Johannes Mang
Game Development Leadership
February 19, 2026

How Rovio Revived Angry Birds 2 After 10 Years | Johannes Mang

How do you revive and regrow a 10-year-old mobile game in one of the toughest markets in gaming? Today, I’m...

Ex-Team17 Executive: Why the Games Industry Is Playing It Safe | Charlotte Cook
Game Careers Leadership
February 10, 2026

Ex-Team17 Executive: Why the Games Industry Is Playing It Safe | Charlotte Cook

The games industry is changing fast, and not everyone is keeping up. Today, I sit down with Charlotte Cook (former...

Why Good Games Still Fail: Data from 690+ Game Launches | Robbie Ferguson
Game Development Gaming Investment Leadership
February 3, 2026

Why Good Games Still Fail: Data from 690+ Game Launches | Robbie Ferguson

Why do 90% of games fail, even when the game itself is good? Today, I sit down with Robbie Ferguson,...

Why Most Gaming Studios Fail to Build Teams That Actually Ship | Ionut Codreanu
Game Development Leadership
January 27, 2026

Why Most Gaming Studios Fail to Build Teams That Actually Ship | Ionut Codreanu

Building great teams is harder than building great products. Today, I sit down with Ionuț Codreanu, Head of Studio at...

Why Game Discovery Is Broken (And What Actually Works in 2026) | Frode Krisner
Game Development Gaming Investment Leadership
January 15, 2026

Why Game Discovery Is Broken (And What Actually Works in 2026) | Frode Krisner

How do you actually get your game discovered in 2026, without killing creativity? In this episode, I sit down with...

Game Publishers Are Failing Indie Developers (Here’s Why) | Dino Patti
Game Development Leadership
January 6, 2026

Game Publishers Are Failing Indie Developers (Here’s Why) | Dino Patti

The traditional game publisher model is breaking, and indie developers are feeling it first. Today, I’m joined by Dino Patti,...

What Happens When a Game Succeeds and the Studio Isn’t Ready | Felix Oechsler
Game Development
December 30, 2025

What Happens When a Game Succeeds and the Studio Isn’t Ready | Felix Oechsler

What really happens when your game suddenly explodes to hundreds of thousands of players? Today, I sit down with Felix...

20-Year AAA Marketer Breaks Down Game Branding 101 | Edward Newby-Robson
Game Development
December 23, 2025

20-Year AAA Marketer Breaks Down Game Branding 101 | Edward Newby-Robson

What actually is a game brand, and why do so many studios still get marketing wrong? Today, I sit down...

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Harry Phokou hosting The Gaming Playbook

The Gaming Playbook Host

Meet Harry

Harry Phokou is the host of The Gaming Playbook...