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