Steve Curran

In this week's newsletter, Valve corporation cracks down on third-party CS2 skin traders as sponsors, Team Falcons gets a new esports lead, and OverActive Media's ActiveVoices lands a major deal. https://lnkd.in/ezcKCezz

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Why did Sony shut down one of the greatest remastering studios of all time? Bluepoint's closing got some spicy opinions on Gamified

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The open secret back in the IDFA days was that publishers were contacting their biggest spenders to purchase currency in bulk via bank transfer to avoid the 30% Platform fee and get currency at a more favorable rate. “VIP services”

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Roblox announced major policy changes amid mounting pressure from multiple fronts 🚨 Louisiana (yes, the state) filed a lawsuit alleging the platform enables predator networks, while the #FreeSchlep controversy continues over their ban of a creator who helped arrest 6 predators. Now they're rolling out significant changes: - Explicit ban on "implied sexual content" (major expansion from previous rules) - Social hangouts with bedrooms/bathrooms restricted to ID-verified 17+ only - Nightclubs, bars, dance clubs limited to 17+ verified users - Unrated experiences blocked for most users -Automated real-time detection systems for inappropriate behaviour These aren't minor policy updates - they represent fundamental changes to content moderation. The "implied sexual content" expansion suggests previous policies had significant gaps that community investigators were exposing. Louisiana's lawsuit specifically cited "lack of safety protocols" while demanding platform shutdown. These changes appear designed to address those exact concerns. Roblox is making necessary but overdue changes under intense scrutiny. The platform clearly needed stronger safety measures, but the timing - amid legal action and community backlash - makes these look reactive rather than proactive. They're a step in the right direction, I hope more is to come!

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Brett Nowak tells me some games are seeing up to 50% of revenue coming from DTC web stores on mobile. Obviously that's on the high side. But he also points out none of the reports groups really have a handle on this revenue. It could be that the games industry is less depressed than we've convinced ourselves because we have a big data blind spot around the new reality of post-App Store monetization.

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There is too much negativity around the Entertainment Industry right now. Here are 6 positive stories/trends for your feed 📈 Studios are buying again Eight spec scripts sold in August 2025, the biggest month since 2017. For context only 11 specs sold in all of 2023. 📈 New Jersey production is booming Film & TV spend hit $402M in the first half of ’25, up 200% YoY. 📈 Disney is increasing content spend They’re adding $1B to their content budget next year for a total of $24B 📈 Tubi is doubling down on creators After launching Tubi for Creators in June, they’re already rolling out a slate of creator-led originals. 📈 Creator economy remains hot TikTok x iHeartMedia just signed a major multiplatform partnership, including creator-hosted podcasts. 📈 Florida expects a production surge Expanded 2026 tax incentives + a new below-the-line certification program are set to bring fresh business into the state. The collapse narrative is lazy. The industry is evolving, not dying. If you are open to pivoting and being malleable, you can thrive in this Industry.

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The "Fractional Executive" is becoming the secret weapon for scaling studios. Not every studio needs a full-time, high-cost C-suite member from day one, but every studio needs executive-level strategy. Hiring "fractional" leadership allows studios to access top-tier talent for critical growth phases without the overhead. It’s the ultimate surgical recruitment move for the modern, agile studio. #GamingIndustry #Startups #Leadership #FractionalExec #GameRecruiter

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“Roblox’s advantage is not just UGC, it is that the platform is structurally compatible with how China consumes games: mobile-first, social-first, creator-led, and infinitely local.” I’ve been thinking about this a lot and what it means for the future.

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The Real Scaling Problem The hardest thing to scale in entertainment isn’t talent. It’s trust. Allocators don’t need better stories — they need repeatability, comparability, and downside visibility. Most independent productions reset the clock every time: New entity New controls New reporting New risk profile That’s not entrepreneurship. That’s reinvention. Real scale comes from systems that remember, not teams that improvise. #ScaleProblems, #InvestorTrust, #RiskDiscipline, #EntertainmentInvesting, #InstitutionalThinking, #OperationalExcellence

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PROJECT UPDATE: UNIT 7 // SYSTEM ADVISORY ⚠️ ​Body: At RATED F GAMING LLC, our focus is on high-fidelity digital storytelling and immersive world-building. We are currently navigating a tactical narrative shift for our upcoming project, "UNIT 7." ​We’ve encountered a "signal disruption" in our data stream, pushing our primary extraction and full reveal to March 13th, 2026. This "Intel Corrupted" phase allows us to further refine the cinematic experience for our community. ​Pushing the boundaries of the Division universe requires more than just gameplay—it requires a commitment to narrative quality and strategic branding. ​Operational Date: 03.13.26 ​#DigitalMedia #ContentStrategy #RatedRFGGamingLLC #TheDivision #GameDev #CreativeDirection

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Arcosa just closed the $450M barge deal to Wynnchurch. Everyone saw the headline. No one saw the trapdoors. I ran it through the new Raven Advisory engine this morning. Flagged in seconds: → $1.5B debt acceleration on Change of Control → OBBBA 2028 tax credit cliff → Net debt cash netting trap ($150M) → Excess cash flow “voluntary” prepayments that aren’t voluntary This is why Associates & VPs at boutiques are still doing 4AM clause checks while Big Law ghosts $5-100M deals. Full 7-page Raven Advisory report is in the document above. Comment TRAPDOOR and I’ll DM you the 60-second Loom showing exactly how it caught everything on your next deal (free, no pitch). Who else is staring at one of these in their current pipeline right now? #M&A #ChangeOfControl #PrivateEquity #CarveOut #LMM #DealRisk #InvestmentBanking

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Monopoly Go revenue seems to be growing via webshop – data services say IAP revenue is flat, but Hasbro’s licensor earnings are rising

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What I’m seeing in the marketplace right now feels like a split screen. On one side: AAA publishers. EA just went private at a $55B valuation, big capital doubling down on IP, sports franchises, and predictable cash flows. Safe bets, multi-year cycles, global reach. On the other hand, UGC breakouts. Roblox reporting shows games like Plants vs Brainrots, a 4-week-old title that peaked at 3.3M CCU and nearly 200M visits. Simple loops, community-driven, algorithm-fueled. Zero to millions overnight without a massive marketing budget. Two completely different models. Both are shaping the same audience: 9–34 years old, global, and spending more time (and money) within digital economies. This is the dichotomy brands, agencies, and investors need to understand.  • AAA = reach, prestige, longevity  • UGC = speed, culture, explosive upside The EA news and Roblox data together tell the same story: the future of gaming isn’t one or the other. The real opportunity is in connecting the worlds. Where do you see the next billion-dollar franchise coming from: a AAA publisher or a Roblox dev team?

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