The GameDiscoverCo Show

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:

- PlayStation just surprise dropped Helldivers 2 onto PlayStation Plus Game Catalog, about 2 and a half years after its OG debut.  https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/12/helldivers-2-joins-playstation-plus-game-catalog-today-devoid-of-liberty-update-out-now/

- Paid mods? Mod.io is making a bigger push into the space, with PC/console games like BMX Streets claiming a $10 ARPPU. (There’s also been The Sims’ move into paid UGC and Curseforge’s previous work with ARK, tho hardcore community reactions can still be mixed at times?) https://mod.io/blog/2026-half-year-update-marketplace-going-live

- Another vital (partially paywalled) Doug Shapiro mega-trends piece is on why “in recent years, almost all the value created in media has accrued to those who distribute content, not create or package it”, but “AI may partially uncouple distribution and coordination in media by introducing a new intermediary layer.” - https://dougshapiro.substack.com/p/coordination-is-king

- Discussing our game showcases overview data - https://newsletter.gamediscover.co/i/210617721/5-key-things-to-ask-before-putting-your-game-in-a-showcase - so we talk about which showcases are the most popular, key things to ask before putting your game in there, etc...

- Also discussed: last week and this week's new Steam releases, and Chris' surprise question of the week for Simon.

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 results late last week weren’t stellar for the platform, as “daily active users (DAUs) fell 7% sequentially to 123 million in the second quarter:  https://srnnews.com/roblox-forecasts-quarterly-bookings-below-estimates-as-safety-features-dampen-engagement/ 

- Steam 1.0 watch: survival sandbox-er Scrap Mechanic hit 38k CCU (its highest for 6 years!) at 1.0, and 3 million LTD units since 2016; cozy farm sim Fields Of Mistria just hit 27k CCU (all-time high!) at 1.0; first-person sim Waterpark Simulator (13k CCU) and action roguelite Sephiria (30k CCU) are also having super-strong 1.0s. 

- A new interview with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto has him saying: “I was happy that the Switch lasted for 8 to 9 years. I think that customers are no longer just looking for specs. I think the ideal is that ‘if you buy the software, you can play it on the device you have at home.’”   https://nintendoeverything.com/shigeru-miyamoto-believes-that-people-are-no-longer-just-looking-for-specs-with-gaming-systems/ 

- What Simon has learned from 30 years in games, looking at a dinosaur-based evolution model (lol!) across three different stages of growth: https://newsletter.gamediscover.co/i/210082715/game-discovery-lessons-from-30-years-in-biz

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.linkedin.com/posts/simoncarless_with-the-rise-of-pc-games-as-the-key-pc-ugcPost-7487147115043844096-ziP-/ 

- Kirill Oreshkin on why “The main source of [Steam game] traffic is influencers… for strategy games, tactics & roguelikes - long-form influencers first.": https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kiroreshkin_whats-the-single-biggest-source-of-traffic-share-7481283246438346753-DaRG/

- The Verge on the rise of vertical video: https://www.theverge.com/column/970756/vertical-video-tiktok-youtube-instagram-streaming-facebook

 - Mathew Kumar on hit PC game ‘compulsion loops’ and Vampire Survivors: “It’s getting disturbingly transparent to see the slot machine and scratch card[-ish gameplay].. ‘come join us in the machine zone. [it] doesn’t even need you to spend all your money. Your time is good enough for us, here.’” - https://expzine.com/2026/07/21/vampire-survivors-poncle-2022/ 

- GameDiscoverCo's story on the demo success of roguelike autobattler Guildrun: https://newsletter.gamediscover.co/i/208717522/how-guildrun-genre-mashed-its-way-to-300k-demo-players-in-10-days

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.

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.