Premium: Driving Back Catalogue, DLC, and the Long Tail
About this episode
The episode discusses strategies for independent game studios to manage premium games and their back catalogs effectively.
Most premium games are treated like opening-weekend businesses: if they do not spike, studios cut losses and move on. This episode challenges that instinct. Alexandra Takei , VP of Platform Revenue at Medal , sits down with Ian Fielding , CEO of Super Evil Megacorp , to discuss how studios can build durable premium games, manage back catalogs, and survive as independent AA companies in a market that increasingly punishes the middle. The conversation traces SEMC’s evolution from Vainglory and Catalyst Black to its current cross-platform, IP-driven chapter with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate and Bloodline . Ian explains why SEMC moved away from large-scale PvP free-to-play, how it operates a fully remote mid-size studio across multiple live titles, and why proprietary tech still gives the company an edge. The core case study is TMNT: Splintered Fate , which has grown years after launch through disciplined platform expansion, meaningful DLC, free updates, cross-play, bundles, and smart use of licensed IP. The episode ultimately explores a harder question: what does it take for an independent, multi-project studio to keep games alive, grow audience over time, and avoid…
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