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The GameDiscoverCo Show

Simon Carless & Chris Plante

How do PC and console games get popular? Hosted by GameDiscoverCo founder Simon Carless & Polygon co-founder and Post Games/The Besties co-host Chris Plante, this companion to GDCo's popular newsletter talks about the latest game platform & discovery news trends, weekly.

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9 episodes
weekly
Avg 42 min
English

Episodes 9

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#9
Tuesday · 44 min
Steam's biggest genres have changed a ton since 2021
We talk about Valve's 30 year anniversary and the inexorable (?) rise of Steam as a platform, ruminate on Battle.net getting more third-party game additions with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunter - Remastered, examine a change to more personalized midweek deals on Steam, and discuss how hit PC game genres have changed since 2021, according to a GDCo analysis of tags for popular new games.
#8
August 25 · 39 min
'Advance Access' games - why should you pay more?
We talk about changes for GDC 2027 (and the history of the event), why pre-orders and Advance Access for many games seem increasingly to be 'pay to get access early', why some PlayStation 'shovelware'-adjacent publishers are being kicked off (and then re-instated!) on the platform, and discuss Big Walk's success and the future of the 'co-op only' game genre.
#7
August 18 · 49 min
How long should a game wait to enter PlayStation Plus?
We talk about Helldivers 2 finally making it onto Sony's console subscription service, the state of paid mods/UGC in 2026, how AI interfaces may (or may not!) change how people pick out their media, and discuss which game showcase might be right for devs.
#6
August 11 · 45 min
Is Miyamoto right: console specs don't matter?
We talk about Roblox's market-disappointing financial results, how to think about Steam 1.0 releases vs. Early Access, Shigeru Miyamoto's recent comments on console tech specs being less relevant, and get into Simon's 30 years (!) in the game biz.
#5
August 4 · 37 min
Too many 'compulsion loops' in PC games?
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.
#4
July 28 · 41 min
Do Steam player reviews matter for your game?
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.
#3
July 21 · 42 min
How much AI do players want in their games?
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.
#2
June 30 · 36 min
Should devs center their plans on Next Fest?
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?
#1
June 22 · 40 min
Summer Game Fest: worth it for devs?
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.

Showing 1–9 of 9 episodes