Writing
Essays on game design, player psychology and the business of games, published in UX Magazine and in the Rigging the Games newsletter on LinkedIn. Each entry links to the original publication.
Series
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LinkedIn, 3 articles
The Chinese Mobile Gaming Playbook
Strategies from China's mobile gaming giants for global market success
Read the series -
LinkedIn, 5 articles
The Dealmaker's Playbook
What game design teaches about negotiation
Read the series -
LinkedIn, 6 articles
The Digital Art of War
Six chapters on LinkedIn
Read the series -
UX Magazine, 6 articles
Gamification 2.0
Beyond Points and Badges: Designing for Players, Not Metrics
Read the series
Writing
149 articles
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Series, LinkedIn
The Chinese Mobile Gaming Playbook
Strategies from China's mobile gaming giants for global market success
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When Your IP Lands in China: A Practitioner’s Playbook for Games & Digital Entertainment (2025) (opens in a new tab)
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The Psychology of Hot Streak Game Design: How to Keep Players Coming Back Every Day Without Shame (opens in a new tab)
Streaks draw on habit formation, loss aversion and social accountability, and they turn manipulative when they create anxiety or shame. Forgiving, transparent streaks build habits instead of compulsion.
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The Party Game Playbook: Why TV Platforms Need Something Very Different Than Halo or It Takes Two (opens in a new tab)
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The Quiet Power of Keeping Secrets in BizDev (opens in a new tab)
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Monument Valley comes to China (opens in a new tab)
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Business Development with Empathy: Focusing on Your Prospect's Needs (opens in a new tab)
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The Hidden Math of Free-to-Play: Pricing Psychology Without Exploitation (opens in a new tab)
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One Advisor, Many Publishers, and the Deals I Turn Down (opens in a new tab)
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Crouching Studios, Hidden Clauses (opens in a new tab)
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The Referral You’re Not Making (opens in a new tab)
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Bridging global games and the Chinese market - An interview with Monte Singman (opens in a new tab)
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Navigating Beyond Zero-Sum: A Guide to Enlightened Business Negotiations (opens in a new tab)
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Flow State Design: Applying Game Psychology to Productivity Apps (opens in a new tab)
Games reliably produce flow by balancing challenge and skill, setting clear goals and giving instant feedback. Productivity tools can use the same psychology, rather than surface rewards, to help people focus.
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Level Up: Harnessing Pleasure and Gamification to Become an Elite Achiever (opens in a new tab)
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Making Games with Heart: Embracing Empathy in Video Game Development (opens in a new tab)
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Making games with empathy (opens in a new tab)
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The matter of trust in a business negotiation (opens in a new tab)
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GDC 2026: How AI Is Reshaping Games, Creativity, and the Business Behind Them (opens in a new tab)
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The Zen and the Art of Game Making (opens in a new tab)
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The Inner Game of Making Games (opens in a new tab)
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Passion, Product, and the Quiet Craft of Making Games (opens in a new tab)
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Beyond Streaks: The Real EdTech Opportunity After K–12 (opens in a new tab)
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The Science of User Retention: Why Your First 7 Minutes Make or Break Your App (opens in a new tab)
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The Onboarding Paradox: Why Most Apps Get Their First User Experience Completely Wrong and How to Fix It (opens in a new tab)
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Generative Worldbuilding: Infinite Environments and the End of Manual Level Design (opens in a new tab)
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Understanding the "Feel" in Video Games: Breaking Down the Intangible Experience (opens in a new tab)
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Design with Intention: The Enlightening Role of Storytelling in Our Game Development (opens in a new tab)
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Behind the Screens: Insights into the Gaming Industry's Financial and Strategic Developments in Early 2024 (opens in a new tab)
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Unleashing Competitive Strategy in the Video Game Industry: An Insight into "7 Powers" (opens in a new tab)
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From Layoffs to Leadership: Rethinking Strategy in the Gaming Sector (opens in a new tab)
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Mobile Gaming's Ascendancy and China's Market Leadership in 2023 (opens in a new tab)
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Utilizing Behavioral Economics in Game Design (opens in a new tab)
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Why Gamification Fails and How to Fix It (opens in a new tab)
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The AI Spending Trap in Game Production (opens in a new tab)
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Most AI Companies Are Building Remarkable Technology Nobody Will Ever Buy (opens in a new tab)
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Community and Identity: How Gaming Has Become a Cultural Touchstone for a New Generation (opens in a new tab)
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Beyond the Comfort Zone: 'Burning the Boats' as a Catalyst for Business Transformation (opens in a new tab)
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Why Hyper-Casual Mobile Games Don't Work in the Chinese Market Anymore (opens in a new tab)
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AI in 2024: Moving Beyond Hype to Profitability and Enterprise Sales (opens in a new tab)
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The Definition and Dynamics of AAA Games in the Video Game Industry (opens in a new tab)
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Embracing Unconditional Creation in the Video Game Industry: A Pathway to Innovation and Authenticity (opens in a new tab)
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The Most Expensive Lesson Is the Wrong One (opens in a new tab)
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How Are We Feeling Today? (opens in a new tab)
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RIGGING THE GAME: Why I Stopped Betting on Fair Fights (opens in a new tab)
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Leveling Up Self-Esteem: The Positive Impact of Video Games (opens in a new tab)
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The Strategic Playbook: Winning When the Rules Keep Changing (opens in a new tab)
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Gaming market melts down after Google reveals new AI game design tool — Project Genie crashes stocks for Roblox, Nintendo, CD Projekt Red, and more (opens in a new tab)
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Designing “Policy-Ready” AI: Why Ohio’s New Model Policy Matters for Every Education App (opens in a new tab)
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Your Studio Doesn’t Have a Data Problem — It Has a Context Problem (opens in a new tab)
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Mobile Game User Acquisition: The Ultimate Guide to Key Terms and Tactics (opens in a new tab)
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The CEO's Dilemma: Winning vs. Being Right (opens in a new tab)
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Discipline vs. Strategy in Business: The Need for a Balanced Approach (opens in a new tab)
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On the Verge: Embracing Gaming Communities to Drive Commerce – My Analysis (opens in a new tab)
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Launching a Game: A Personal Playbook (opens in a new tab)
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The Paradox of Disruption: Innovation Without Immediate Profit (opens in a new tab)
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Mastering Business Dynamics: From Vision to Execution (opens in a new tab)
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Scaling the Summit: Your Guide to Startup Success (opens in a new tab)
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We ARE an Industry. Don't Let Anyone Tell Us Otherwise. (opens in a new tab)
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Shipping game products (opens in a new tab)
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"The most beautiful way compassion and love have been expressed is through video games" (opens in a new tab)
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Designing Games for Autistic Children, Without the Broccoli (opens in a new tab)
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The Game She Named in 1925 (opens in a new tab)
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The Cut That Makes the Game (opens in a new tab)
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Video Games Are Here to Stay. We Don’t Care What People Say (opens in a new tab)
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The hottest college major hit a wall. What happened? (opens in a new tab)
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Video games don't just show you a story. They make you live it. (opens in a new tab)
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From My Heart: The Industry Needs Builders, Not Bystanders (opens in a new tab)
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The Evolution of Video Games: LiveOps Versus Complete Experience Games (opens in a new tab)
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Bridging Worlds: The Art of Video Game Creation (opens in a new tab)
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Beyond Functionality: The Art of Empathetic Design (opens in a new tab)
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Navigating New Realities: Emerging Job Opportunities in the Gaming Industry (opens in a new tab)
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Optimizing Game Dev Time for Maximum Play Value and Production Cost (opens in a new tab)
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Insights on Management and Leadership: An Interview with Montgomery Singman (opens in a new tab)
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The Linguistic Hijacking of "Gaming" From Gambling to Video Games and Web3 (opens in a new tab)
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Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me? (opens in a new tab)
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On AI Flywheels: Why Everyone Has One on Paper, and Why Most Don’t Hold in Reality (A Product Leader’s Lens) (opens in a new tab)
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The Video Game Industry: Not Dead, Just Evolving — Why the Future Looks Brighter Than Ever (opens in a new tab)
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iPhone 17 Lineup: Strategic Leap for Mobile Gaming Executives (opens in a new tab)
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Nintendo Switch 2: Content, Hardware, and Marketing Strategy (opens in a new tab)
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Why Remakes, Reboots, and Big IPs Still Matter- Especially Now (opens in a new tab)
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Kingshot is Winning the 4X War—Here’s What It Gets Right (opens in a new tab)
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The Masks We Wear: Unveiling Authenticity in Leadership (opens in a new tab)
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The Rise and Ebb of Hyper-Casual Games: Examining the Impact of IDFA Changes (opens in a new tab)
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Video Game Industry During Economic Downturns (opens in a new tab)
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The Dangers of Extortion in a Heart-Driven Industry: A Look at Unity's Recent Decisions (opens in a new tab)
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Worldwide mobile app/game data 2016-2022 trending analysis (opens in a new tab)
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Hopium (opens in a new tab)
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The Tell (opens in a new tab)
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The Animal Brain in the Boardroom: Why We Prefer Certainty Over Truth (opens in a new tab)
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The Perfectionist's Surrender (opens in a new tab)
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Stop Arguing With Reality (opens in a new tab)
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Your Willpower Is a Battery. Stop Pretending It Charges Itself. (opens in a new tab)
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The Dopamine Trap: What 39 Years in Gaming Taught Me About Addiction (And Why I'm Still Here) (opens in a new tab)
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The Power of Restraint: When Silence Speaks Louder Than Words (opens in a new tab)
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The Hidden Barrier to Growth: Overcoming Self-Blindness (opens in a new tab)
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The Intriguing Dunning-Kruger Effect and the Humility of Mastery (opens in a new tab)
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Three Masters, One Signature (opens in a new tab)
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The Fluency Trap - Mistaking the Interface for the Engine (opens in a new tab)
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Bossititus (opens in a new tab)
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"I Thought We Were Friends": On Clarity, Empathy, and the Relationships Worth Fighting For (opens in a new tab)
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Prompts set intent; context supplies situational awareness (opens in a new tab)
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A Job, A Career, or A Calling? The Question That Shapes Our Lives (opens in a new tab)
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The Real Job Search Predators (And They're Not Who You Think) (opens in a new tab)
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Checkmate in Five Moves: Recognizing Career Traps Before It’s Too Late (opens in a new tab)
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Stop Blaming, Start Growing: How Personal Responsibility Shapes Success (opens in a new tab)
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Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): Making AI Smarter and More Helpful (opens in a new tab)
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A laypeople's guide into the World of Large Language Models (LLMs) (opens in a new tab)
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The Empathy Imperative: Leading with Understanding in the Modern Workplace (opens in a new tab)
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Artificial Intelligence Agents: A New Perspective from a former game programmer (opens in a new tab)
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Teamwork (opens in a new tab)
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The Psychology of Hot Streak Game Design: How to Keep Players Coming Back Every Day Without Shame (opens in a new tab)
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Why “There’s a Will, There’s a Way” Is Not Always True (opens in a new tab)
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CES 2026, Day 3: When AI Gets Weird, Personal, and Very Real (opens in a new tab)
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AI’s Second Day at CES: When the Stack Gets Real (opens in a new tab)
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From Hype to Hardware: What CES 2026 Really Means for AI, Work, and Games (opens in a new tab)
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Chasing the Sun: The Cautionary Echoes of Icarus and Kuafu (opens in a new tab)
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The Bluetooth Infidelity: When Your Devices Have Affairs Behind Your Back (opens in a new tab)
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Personal responsibility (opens in a new tab)
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AI Index Report 2024 (opens in a new tab)
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Material Matters: The Shift from Work Ethic to Consumer Identity (opens in a new tab)
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Management with empathy (opens in a new tab)
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Expense reports (opens in a new tab)
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Transforming a Passive Aggressive Workplace (opens in a new tab)
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2024 Newzoo PC & Console Gaming Report (opens in a new tab)
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Unlocking the Language of AI: A Glossary of 100 Essential Terms Shaping Our Future (opens in a new tab)
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Understanding the Implications of the Recent OpenAI Data Breach (opens in a new tab)
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Unlocking the Enigma: Is GPT-4 the Gateway to True Artificial General Intelligence? (opens in a new tab)
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Google Bard vs. OpenAI ChatGPT: AI Chatbot Giants Battle for Supremacy (opens in a new tab)
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OpenAI releases GPT-4, a large language model that sets a new standard (opens in a new tab)
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Rigging the Games
Monte's LinkedIn newsletter on games, business and culture, read by more than 4,200 subscribers.
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