Michael Futter
Business analyst, author, and founder of F-Squared LLC video game industry consultancy. Podcast host, video game producer, and former journalist with a passion for helping developers make amazing video games.
About Michael (Mike) Futter - He/Him
Mike has spent more than a decade in the video game industry as a leader, consultant, business analyst, critic, and journalist. He is the co-founder of F-Squared, a boutique video game industry consultancy.In November 2022, Mike and his partner Amanda Farough took brief career detours to work for Thunderful Games' Robot Teddy consultancy as co-directors of the company's Strategic Partnerships pillar. Mike also spent nearly two years as the Director of Business Development for Leviathan Core, an influencer marketing company.Now, Mike and Manda are finally back to working together at F-Squared. The duo have worked with more than 150 independent developers and AAA publishers to help get their games ready for release through all phases of the development process, including market research, pitch review, go/no-go feedback, pre-alpha project review, trade show and media prep, and mock previews and reviews.Both also serve as producers at Xalavier Nelson, Jr.'s studio, Strange Scaffold. There, Mike served as the licensing producer on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown as well as the lead producer for porting and post-launch roadmap. Mike supports the business operations at the studio on an ongoing basis. This work wooed Mike back to working with developers full-time both on contract and as a fractional leader.He's currently working with Causeway Studios to help secure funding and provide business support. He'll have a formal title eventually, but for now, he's just Business Guy. :)Prior to co-founding F-Squared, Mike was news editor at Game Informer and a freelance writer for Polygon, Variety, GameDaily, and GamesBeat. He is also the author of The GameDev Business Handbook and The GameDev Budgeting Handbook, designed to help demystify foundational business concepts for those starting their own studios.You can read Mike's full CV on LinkedIn.
My Work
You can read my full CV on LinkedIn.My career began in nonprofit arts adminstration, where I spent a decade raising funds for mid-sized and large cultural organizations. In 2010, I took the plunge into the video game industry. I began writing about games as a hobby, but quickly discovered a passion for the business side of gaming.Journalism
In 2013, I joined Game Informer as the news editor, where I made it my mission to give video game fans the tools to engage in conversations about complex business topics.After leaving Game Informer in 2016, I used my experience writing detailed, approachable explainers and easy to follow financial coverage to write two books about the business of independent game development. The GameDev Business Handbook and The GameDev Budgeting Handbook are available for purchase via Gumroad and Amazon.After the books were completed, I returned to freelance writing for Polygon, Variety, GamesBeat, GameDaily, and other sites before beginning consulting work.Consulting
In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, my partner, Amanda Farough, and I founded F-Squared, a video game industry consultancy. Since then, we have worked with dozens of independent developers and AAA publishers. Giving back is a pillar of our business, and we are always delighted to offer pro bono work for pre-funding studios.In November 2022, Manda and I accepted full-time positions as Co-Directors of Strategic Partnerships at Thunderful Games' Robot Teddy consultancy. A corporate reorganization prompted us to make a planned exit.In October 2023, Mike joined Leviathan Core as Director of Business Development. There, he was responsible for managing client relationships, securing new business, and helping drive influencer marketing strategy for brand campaigns.In July 2025, after shipping Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, it was clear that Mike's heartwork was supporting developers in-studio. He's returned to consulting with F-Squared and fractional leadership, including supporting Causeway Studios as the studio seeks funding for its next project.Podcasting
Part of that work is our podcast, Virtual Economy (a podcast about the business of games... for the rest of us). Each week, we digest the biggest news stories and explain the business relevance through incisive analysis.
Social Media and Networking
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