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The GameDiscoverCo Show

Simon Carless & Chris Plante 5 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

The GameDiscoverCo Show explores how PC and console games gain popularity and succeed in a crowded market. Hosted by GameDiscoverCo founder Simon Carless and Polygon co-founder Chris Plante, each weekly episode covers the latest trends in game platforms, storefronts, and discovery. The show serves as a companion to the GameDiscoverCo newsletter, offering analysis and commentary on what makes games take off.

Episodes

The next Steam Next Fest is going to be how busy? Oct 13, 2026 00:44:40 We talk the different structure and the amount of games currently lined up for October's Steam Next Fest, how making 'regular' trailers vs. short-form video influencer output differs, whether Xbox is going to be making Minecraft more commercially minded in the medium term, and how video games need to compete in the 'attention economy' with the inexorable rise of gambling.Join Simon Carless & C

Can a Bad Name Hurt a Good Game? Oct 6, 2026 00:38:53 We talk about the most generic names for games on Steam and whether it really matters what your game is called, a PvE mode in extraction shooter standout ARC Raiders, a lawsuit in Roblox exposing the (lack of) contracts behind many Roblox successes, and the question of Xbox/PS platform split on GTA VI getting spicy…Join Simon Carless & Chris Plante in the latest GameDiscoverCo Show as they loo

Where's Xbox going, and what happens when it gets there? Sep 29, 2026 00:47:25 We talk about the next part of the Xbox re-org, how a media smart guy says 'the relationship between time and value is breaking down' in media, the rise of Steam demos whose saves transfer to the full game, and Meta's announcements of a revamped, AI-centric Horizon game creator and the latest iteration of Meta's VR plans.Join Simon Carless & Chris Plante in the latest GameDiscoverCo Show as th

Could Game Pass get a tier with ads soon? Sep 22, 2026 00:45:00 We talk about a rumor around a dual-tier Game Pass system with and without ads (but without Day 1 games), the switch-up of the Triple-I Initiative streaming showcase to twice per year, the Roblox announce that it's allowing standalone app for all its games on PC, console and mobile, and the latest 'AI in games' controversies (around a Steam festival and the Independent Games Festival AI disclosure

Why is Xbox betting big on Kojima? Sep 15, 2026 00:45:50 We talk about how Xbox doubling down on Hideo Kojima after PlayStation decided to drop Physint, Ubisoft's move away from its intrusive Ubisoft Connect PC launcher on Steam, smaller Steam games getting better personalized visibility on the front page of the site, and CliffyB talking about how AAA should 'faceplant for a while' in this new PC/console game creation paradigm.Join Simon Carless & C

Xbox and PlayStation Go Back To Their Old Ways? Sep 8, 2026 00:46:27 We talk about how PC game hardware increases might also stretch the game biz in similar ways to console, discuss how Xbox and PlayStation are in some ways getting 'less multiplatform' - or at least signaling that they are. And we also look at some great points from Arrowhead's CEO and chat about August's top new PC & console games. Join Simon Carless & Chris Plante in the latest GameDiscov

Steam's biggest genres have changed a ton since 2021 Sep 1, 2026 00:44:30 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. Join Simon Carl

'Advance Access' games - why should you pay more? Aug 25, 2026 00:39:20 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. Join Simon Carless & Chris Plante in t

How long should a game wait to enter PlayStation Plus? Aug 18, 2026 00:49:28 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. Join Simon Carless & Chris Plante in the latest GameDiscoverCo Show as they look at these questions and more. Mentioned in this episode: - PlayS

Is Miyamoto right: console specs don't matter? Aug 11, 2026 00:45:45 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. Join Simon Carless & Chris Plante in the latest GameDiscoverCo Show as they look at these questions and more. Mentioned in this episode: - Roblox’s res

Too many 'compulsion loops' in PC games? Aug 4, 2026 00:37:02 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.link

Do Steam player reviews matter for your game? Jul 28, 2026 00:41:23 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.

How much AI do players want in their games? Jul 21, 2026 00:42:50 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.

Should devs center their plans on Next Fest? Jun 30, 2026 00:36:55 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?

Summer Game Fest: worth it for devs? Jun 22, 2026 00:40:54 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.

The GameDiscoverCo Show

Episodes

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