{"podcast":{"title":"Deconstructor of Fun","slug":"deconstructor-of-fun-223878","podcast_index_feed_id":223878,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/500026c/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://www.deconstructoroffun.com","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/738867/738867-1707997600386-9686d82cf1bc9.jpg","author":"Deconstructor of Fun","episode_count":793,"summary":"Deconstructor of Fun podcast is created by games professionals for games professionals. We explore the business side of the games industry with the goal of bringing listeners content that is relevant, insightful, and entertaining on a weekly basis. Hosts: Michail Katkoff www.linkedin.com/in/michailkatkoff/ Eric Kress www.linkedin.com/in/erickress/ Phillip Black www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-black-economist/ Jen Donahoe www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdonahoe","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T02:22:37.907775+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructor-of-fun-223878"},"episode":{"title":"The Epic Settlement: Google's \"Level Up\" Program & The Future of DTC","slug":"the-epic-settlement-google-s-level-up-program-the-future-of-dtc","published_at":"2026-03-23T11:33:58+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructor-of-fun-223878/the-epic-settlement-google-s-level-up-program-the-future-of-dtc","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructor-of-fun-223878","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/deconstructoroffun/episodes/The-Epic-Settlement-Googles-Level-Up-Program--The-Future-of-DTC-e3grio3","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/500026c/podcast/play/117344451/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-23%2F420586821-44100-2-0cd25b57f41e7.mp3","summary":"It's been 2030 days since Google pulled Fortnite, and the Epic vs. Google settlement is finally here. We sit down with AppCharge CMO Gil Tovly to read the fine print of Google’s new 15% fee, unpack the mandatory AI sidekicks in the "Level Up" program, and figure out if this is actually a win for developers going direct-to-consumer. Questions we answer in this episode: ● What is the real cost of Google's new 15% fee structure? ● What exactly is the "Level Up" program and why are top studios hesitating to join? ● Do developers really have to integrate an AI sidekick into their games? ● What does the settlement mean for existing users versus new users? ● Does this change the math on building direct-to-consumer web shops? ● When (if ever) will Apple follow Google’s lead and lower their App Store fees? ● Is the Epic settlement a monumental win for the industry or just an anti-climactic sellout? Michail Katkoff | Gil Tovly","meta_description":"It's been 2030 days since Google pulled Fortnite, and the Epic vs. Google settlement is finally here. We sit down with AppCharge CMO Gil Tovly to read the…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1882,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/deconstructor-of-fun-223878/episodes/the-epic-settlement-google-s-level-up-program-the-future-of-dtc/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/deconstructor-of-fun-223878/the-epic-settlement-google-s-level-up-program-the-future-of-dtc.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}