The GameDiscoverCo Show

We talk about whether your target PC/console device, technically, should always be the PC, chat about vertical video taking over the Internet, the rise of 'compulsion loops' in games, and analyze new Steam demo hit Guildrun.

Mentioned in this episode of the GameDiscoverCo Show: 

- Simon Carless on Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls & the rise of PC games as the 'lead' platform for tech: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/simoncarless_with-the-rise-of-pc-games-as-the-key-pc-ugcPost-7487147115043844096-ziP-/ 

- Kirill Oreshkin on why “The main source of [Steam game] traffic is influencers… for strategy games, tactics & roguelikes - long-form influencers first.": https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kiroreshkin_whats-the-single-biggest-source-of-traffic-share-7481283246438346753-DaRG/

- The Verge on the rise of vertical video: https://www.theverge.com/column/970756/vertical-video-tiktok-youtube-instagram-streaming-facebook

 - Mathew Kumar on hit PC game ‘compulsion loops’ and Vampire Survivors: “It’s getting disturbingly transparent to see the slot machine and scratch card[-ish gameplay].. ‘come join us in the machine zone. [it] doesn’t even need you to spend all your money. Your time is good enough for us, here.’” - https://expzine.com/2026/07/21/vampire-survivors-poncle-2022/ 

- GameDiscoverCo's story on the demo success of roguelike autobattler Guildrun: https://newsletter.gamediscover.co/i/208717522/how-guildrun-genre-mashed-its-way-to-300k-demo-players-in-10-days

We talk about GDCo's survey around how Steam fans treat player review when they buy games. Also: an academic's view on the 'deprofessionalization' of games, Gamescom 2026's role in the industry, and improvements to Steam gifting and wishlist categorizing.

We talk about GDCo’s recent player survey of AI in games, whether Steam refunds for short games are bad news & how the Apple Arcade catalog has settled in over time. Plus, we discuss where Meccha Chamelon fits in the Steam ecosystem.

How does Steam Machine's pricing reflect the new reality of hardware costs? What's the state of physical video game sales in the U.S. in 2026? And what is Next Fest's relative importance for marketing your game?

In a pilot episode, Simon & Chris talk about Summer Game Fest & its discovery ramifications for devs, as well as GTA VI's release, Epic's State Of Unreal showcase and UK social media-related legislation that may affect games.