If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast: Family games, with Thumbfood's Simon Smith

The latest episode, discussing the growing opportunity for kids games on console, is available to download now

You can now download the latest episode of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast, which takes a closer look at the market for family games.

For this week's discussion, we're joined by Simon Smith, managing director of family games publisher Thumbfood. The company is looking to specialise in titles targeting a mainstream market, and will be starting with the multiplayer game Wordhunters on PlayStation 4 and PlayLink in November.

Smith joins us to discuss why the family and kids games market needs "a kick up the arse" on consoles, and why a wider audience is the key to driving PlayStation 4 past 100 million sales.

We also touch on how to avoid the mistakes made by previous publishers with an interest in family games, how to compete with the flood of free-to-play kids titles on mobile, why educational titles might stand a better chance of breaking through the noise, and why Crash Bandicoot's ongoing success indicates there is demand in the mainstream for more family-friendly games.

You can listen to our latest episode below, subscribe to our RSS feed, or download the file directly here. It is also available via iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Overcast, Player FM, TuneIn and other widely-used podcast platforms.

All our previous episodes can be found here.