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Joost van Dreunen

@superjoost.bsky.social
381 followers 40 following 133 posts

Subscribe: superjoost.substack.com (over 14,000 subs!) Academic and entrepreneur with expertise in video games • Author of ONE UP • Advisor @ Makers Fund • Teaches @NYUStern • Hosts @UNBOXINGpod

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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 9h
Now, a decade later, esports is both more prominent and an entirely different animal. The category has come a long way from its initially outsized valuations. Both the pandemic and the irrational exuberance around key financial moments have taken the wind out of its sails.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Even so, I expect this to sell out faster than you can say "franchise and merchandise synchronization." If nothing else, I'm as excited as ever to see if they can pull it off.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Did I mention it costs roughly four times as much as Red Dead Redemption 2's collector's box? By comparison, Cyberpunk 2077's collector's edition included the game and more items for £100 less.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
What you do get: a Macca the Gator figure with a stash compartment, GTA VI-branded Oakley sunglasses, a New Era snapback, a razor blade keychain, a shot glass, and a poster map of Leonida.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I'd be tempted to call it Rockstar's answer to the broader anxiety about the industry going discless, if it weren't for the fact that it excludes the game. 🤦🏻‍♂️
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Introduced as a premium collectible set, the GTA VI merch is coming in hot. Inspired by the in-game TV show Macca the Gator, the set is available only through Rockstar's store and in limited supply.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Rockstar's $399 collector's box is a marvel. In a way, it is the first tangible evidence yet of the scope of Take-Two's ambition and commercial expectations.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Aside from the annual spike around the holiday season and the temporary jump in May after the April price cut, sign-ups for Xbox's Game Pass service have remained largely flat for a year.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It also leaves its most passionate fans feeling completely unheard. Physical media represents more than distribution. It makes entertainment tangible and consumption a ritual.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Getting rid of physical discs makes perfect business sense for firms like Sony. It improves margins, reflects how consumers have been buying video game software for years, and removes several important friction points.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Starting in November, Game Pass Ultimate buys you fifteen hours of cloud play a month, Premium gets ten, and Essential gets five. That last one works out to an average of ten minutes a day. And if you want more, Microsoft will now gladly sell it to you by the hour.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
After decades as the dominant retailer in gaming, GameStop is now clearly exiting the market. Video game sales, as part of GameStop’s total revenue, have been declining for years. It tells you everything you need to know about the next generation of console gaming. Link in the comments.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The question that comes to mind is whether this will lead to another acquisition. Following the WB acquisition fiasco, it is clear that digital media platforms have plenty of gunpowder. Is it possible that Netflix buys Take-Two Interactive?
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Its recent exclusive premiere of GTA VI's Extended Play is likely the first of many examples to come as big publishers compete for attention.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
After exhausting Clayton's classic approach to disruption by acquiring and hoping to develop casual entertainment, especially Netflix, has switched its approach to becoming a distributor instead.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Big Tech players are shifting from buying and developing content themselves to becoming distribution hubs.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Promoting the new is great, but what if people prefer to buy the old? In the first half of 2026, Steam generated $11.1 billion in revenue, up $1.41 billion from the previous year. Yet none of that growth came from new releases.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
31.1 million views within the first four days of GTA VI's Extended Look on Netflix. Wild. Source: www.netflix.com/tudum/top10
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Stoked to see that Substack has finally added a separate Games category. Now I can finally tell my mom that studying video games was all worth it. ❤️
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Reposted by Joost van Dreunen
Achim Fehrenbach @achimfehrenbach.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Gaming hardware prices are rising. What are the options for console manufacturers, developers, and retailers? Here's what experts say. #games #gaming #gamesindustry #hardware #AI #retail igmonline.de/story/igm-09... @superjoost.bsky.social @georgeosborn.bsky.social @bitkom.org @pcghde.bsky.social
igmonline.de
Was die steigenden Hardware-Preise mit der Games-Branche machen
Die Preise für Gaming-Hardware steigen unaufhörlich – vor allem bei Arbeitsspeicher, Grafikkarten und ganz allgemein Konsolen. Dass das mit dem KI-Boom zu tun hat, ist klar. Nur: Wie lange machen die ...
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Looks like this year's Gamescom was a hit with attendance up 3% from last year.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
It's giving Nam June Paik. Seen at Gamescom.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
GTA VI looks beautiful. Really enjoyed yesterday‘s preview. Felt like a cross-breed between GTA, Red Dead, and Max Payne. Can‘t wait. Will have some thoughts on it when I get back to Brooklyn.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Long tail or blockbusters? Digital entertainment offers unique affordances and constraints. To understand the shifting economics, gaming has an answer. superjoost.substack.com/p/revenge-of...
superjoost.substack.com
Revenge of Steam's mid-market
Gamers are spending more on games than ever. They're just not new ones.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Thanks @jamesbatchelor.bsky.social I think thats a fair qualifier for especially the big GaaS titles.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
The gospel is spread in a multitude of ways.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I just don’t think I have that many more emails left in me.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Madrid issues first statement after Spain beats Argentina in the 2026 World Cup.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
shoutout to all my Dutchies staying up past their bedtime to watch the game 🇳🇱⚽️
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Full interview: www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...
bloomberg.com
Watch Will Gamers Ignore GTA VI’s Hefty $80 Price Tag? - Bloomberg
Grand Theft Auto VI’s $79.99 launch price marks a new high for mainstream video games and signals a potential shift in industry pricing power. This segment examines how Rockstar’s strategy could resha...
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Some of us out here doing live interviews at midnight about the #GTA6 launch that’s happening literal months from now. ❤️🕹️ #eatplaylove
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
took him long enough but Messi finally beat my record of world cup goals scored.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
reams of material for our next episode!
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
south africa beat mexico 2-1 in red cards tho
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
also, this labeling,”the retired people,” makes me sad
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
that ought to do it.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
shoutout to the electric company asking me if I want to pay my monthly bill 8 days early. appreciate you.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
have i got a book for you
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
babyface card never declines
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Reposted by Joost van Dreunen
Thomas BIDAUX 👁️ 🔜 DICE Europe @icotom.icopartners.com · 05/02/2026
I have put together the numbers for video games on Kickstarter last year and the blog post is going over them. Short summary as a thread medium.com/icopartners/...
medium.com
Kickstarter & Video Games in 2025
After a few years of hiatus, I am bringing back the review of the numbers for video games on Kickstarter. Last year, I did a talk at GDC…
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
we must go deeper
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
mamdani. no notes.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
ok back to work
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
taking the rest of the year off. #startuplife #riseandgrind
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
yes, the answer is yes.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Ah yes, so helpful.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Happy mandatory OS device update to all those who celebrate
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
end of semester grading is going to be lit
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Reposted by Joost van Dreunen
Joost Rietveld @gjrietveld.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
What happens to ecosystem diversity and #platform match quality after a platform introduces paid #discovery tools (e.g., Apple's search result ads)? @kai-zzzzzz.bsky.social and co-authors share insights from #Goodreads introduction of paid book giveaways. platformpapers.substack.com/p/the-price-...
platformpapers.substack.com
The Price of Platform Participation
Goodreads’ introduction of paid giveaways reveals how charging for discovery affects ecosystem diversity and match quality.
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Joost van Dreunen @superjoost.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
thanks laine! next time i’ll save you a seat at the front ❤️
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