E93: The Collapse of the Games Industry with Trent Kusters

Building Better Games

How will the game industry adapt? Are we hurtling towards a gig economy?

In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Trent Kusters, co-founder and studio head of League of Geeks, to talk about the future of our industry. Trent takes us on a deep, honest exploration of the game industry’s current state, from platform power struggles and algorithmic curation to the erosion of full-time game dev careers.

This vital conversation goes beyond just metrics, delving into the human element, sustainability, and the legacy we're creating for the next generation of talent.

Here's what we'll learn in this episode:

- The emergence of a game dev gig economy - Full-time game dev jobs are becoming more rare - How power is consolidating with platform distributors - Indie success is now a scary prospect, with a lot less clarity - Why Leaders need sound financial foresight and tight governance - How algorithm-driven curation misses humanity and judgment - Why it takes 10 years to make a game studio

Resources mentioned:

Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth: https://www.amazon.com/Doughnut-Economics-Seven-21st-Century-Economist/dp/1603586741 Insomniac Games Founder, Ted Price | The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook Podcast: https://youtu.be/5NaHG3T35vs?feature=shared

Creating a Rhythm-Action Game with Hi-Fi Rush Director John Johanas | AIAS Game Maker's Notebook: https://youtu.be/eFtGxFnOwtY?feature=shared

Matthew Ball's Presentation: The State of Video Gaming in 2025: https://www.matthewball.co/all/stateofvideogaming2025

Shams Jorjani's "The Business of Video Games" featuring Xalavier Nelson Jr.: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-jyh9a-18333d4

Learn more about Trent Kusters:

League of Geeks Website: https://leagueofgeeks.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentkusters/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/trentkusters

Recommended games to check out!

I Am Your Beast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4RHkNCLtIU&ab_channel=IGN

Town To City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRY-RgWh6hg&ab_channel=IGN

Caves of Qud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c6burNvtsU&ab_channel=KitfoxGames

Want to know when you’ll be done? Master game and software estimation so you can make better decisions sooner. Learn more in our Advanced Estimation Course: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/advanced-estimation-course

Connect with us: Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/#

Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw

#GameDev #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GameStudio #GameIndustryInsights