29+ year game industry veteran John "JP" Podlasek interviews game designers, programmers artists, animators, and CEOs about working in the field. Whether you're an experienced an aspiring game developer you'll find useful, thought provoking, and sometimes funny advice from others in our game dev ind…
John 'JP' Podlasek: Game Development and Career Advisor
Listeners of Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast that love the show mention: career, listen.
The Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast is an exceptional podcast that caters to both new and aspiring game developers. Hosted by John, the podcast features engaging conversations, insightful content, and actionable advice that keeps listeners hooked from start to finish. With each episode, listeners gain valuable knowledge about the industry while also having the opportunity to hear firsthand experiences from influential game developers who have shaped the gaming world.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is its ability to provide a comprehensive understanding of the gaming industry. Whether you're already working in gaming or simply curious about the field, this podcast offers a wonderful way to learn about major players, career trajectories, and intriguing behind-the-scenes happenings. John's generosity as a host shines through in his approach; he allows guests ample space to share their favorite stories and provides guidance throughout the conversation to ensure listeners glean unique insights from each episode. As a result, every time you listen, you're guaranteed to learn something valuable.
Another standout feature of this podcast is its ability to inspire listeners. Many aspiring game developers or individuals who want to shift careers find themselves feeling lost or uncertain of their capabilities. However, with JP's great perspective on everything related to game development and the captivating conversations he has with his guests, listeners are left with a newfound belief that they too can be a part of this incredible world and truly enjoy it. The genuine human feel of each episode helps foster connection and fosters an environment where listeners can dream big and pursue their goals.
While it may be challenging to find any downsides to this podcast, one possible drawback could be that some episodes might lack diversity in terms of guest selection. This would only be a minor criticism as it does not diminish the overall quality of the content provided. Nonetheless, it would be beneficial for future episodes if there was an even wider range of perspectives from different backgrounds within the gaming industry.
In conclusion, The Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast is a must-listen for anyone with an interest in the gaming industry. With its engaging conversations, insightful content, and actionable advice, listeners are guaranteed to walk away with valuable knowledge and inspiration. Whether you're a seasoned game developer or someone looking to make a career change into game development, do yourself a favor and give this podcast a listen. You won't be disappointed!
In this interview, veteran game designer Stuart Maine shares his 28-year journey in the gaming industry, detailing his humble beginnings in a cyber café to becoming a senior designer at Two Desperados, a mobile games company in Serbia. Stuart recounts his early days at Bullfrog and his time at renowned companies like Acclaim and Blitz, working on notable projects such Warhammer Combat Cards, Epic Mickey 2, and Angry Birds Transformers. He offers insights on remote work, the importance of team dynamics, and the lessons he has learned about people skills and communication. Stuart also discusses his latest venture, a book titled 'Designing Video Games,' which aims to guide newcomers through the complexities of the industry. Alongside this, he has authored two books on the history of first-person shooters, 'I'm Too Young to Die' and 'Hurt Me Plenty,' with a third in the works. He touches on the challenges and rewards of game development, reflecting on the necessity of taking risks, the difficulties of maintaining work-life balance, and the evolving landscape influenced by technological advancements like AI. The conversation wraps up with Stuart sharing anecdotes from his career, advice for aspiring developers, and his excitement for current gaming projects, highlighting his ongoing passion for the industry. Bio: Stuart Maine has been a game designer and writer for 28 years across console, PC, and mobile. He's worked on licensed titles at studios large and small, and co-founded and later sold the indie studio Well Played Games. Stuart also writes books, including two on the history of first-person shooters (I'm Too Young To Die, 2022, and Hurt Me Plenty, 2025, with Bitmap Books) and Designing Video Games (2025, with White Owl), a guide for breaking into the industry. He also tutors on John Yorke's Story for Video Games course. Show Links: * Two Desperados: https://twodesperados.com * Well Played Games: https://www.wellplayed.games * John Yorke's Story for Video Games course (Stu's a tutor): https://www.johnyorkestory.com/course/story-for-video-games/ * White Owl Books: https://www.whiteowlbooks.co.uk/ * Designing Video Games: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1399038664 or https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Designing-Video-Games-Hardback/p/52503 * Bitmap Books: https://www.bitmapbooks.com * I'm Too Young to Die: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/video-game-history/products/i-m-too-young-to-die-the-ultimate-guide-to-first-person-shooters-1992-2002 * Hurt Me Plenty: https://www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/video-game-history/products/hurt-me-plenty-the-ultimate-guide-to-first-person-shooters-2003-2010 * Warhammer Combat Cards: https://www.combatcards.com * Atomfall: https://store.steampowered.com/app/801800/Atomfall/ * Love & Pies: https://www.loveandpies.com * G-Police: Weapons of Justice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-Police:_Weapons_of_Justice * Epic Mickey 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Mickey_2:_The_Power_of_Two * Blitz Games: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitz_Games_Studios * Bullfrog Productions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfrog_Productions Connect With Links: * Stuart Maine on Twitter/X: https://x.com/maine_stuart * Stuart Maine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-m-280155205/ Game Dev Advice Links: * Website: show notes, links, stuff - https://www.gamedevadvice.com * Patreon: career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership - https://www.patreon.com/gamedevadvice * YouTube: main channel link - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvkY8LxjGyOPqlQKuRlObhg * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733* Email: reach out - info@gamedevadvice.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, Adam Coster, CEO of Butterscotch Shenanigans, shares his unique journey of joining and growing the indie studio with his brothers Sam and Seth. Adam discusses their beginnings in 2012, the steep challenges they faced, and how a personal family crisis redefined their mission to bring joy through games. He then shares insights into their different projects, including the highly anticipated sequel Crashlands 2, set for release in April. Balancing roles at the studio, the evolving game industry, and the impact of subscription services, Adam offers a candid look at the realities of indie game development. He also provides useful, actionable advice for aspiring game developers and discusses the potential and limitations of incorporating AI into game dev. Join us as we explore the fascinating intersection of science, family, and grassroots game development to share joy. Bio: Adam Coster's love for science carried him through a PhD in Cellular & Molecular Biology. Turns out it wasn't science he was into, but solving hard problems in general. Building a company from scratch in the highly-competitive and rapidly-changing games industry certainly fit that bill, and so Adam joined the team immediately after defending his dissertation. Adam creates all of the web technology that powers Butterscotch Shenanigan's games and studio, crunches numbers to figure out how the industry works, leads our business development efforts, and makes sure that the team has what it needs to make great games. Show Links: * Crashlands 2 - trailer * Crashlands 2 - Steam * Global Game Jam - website * PopCon Indy - website * GameMaker game engine - website * Battle Chef Brigade Deluxe - Steam * Butterscotch Shenanigans - podcast * Scientists Warn Trump's NIH Cuts Will Drop ‘Atom Bomb' On Health Research - HuffPost * The Creator of ‘NBA Jam' Admits That The Pistons Are A Cheat - SBNation * What Is ‘Balatro' And Why Is Everyone Addicted To It? - Forbes Connect With Links: * Adam Coster - website * Adam Coster - LinkedIn * Adam Coster - Bluesky * Butterscotch Shenanigans - website * Butterscotch Shenanigans - games * Butterscotch Shenanigans - YouTube Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube Podcasts - check out this episode with a guarantee of 100% more video * Patreon - career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, industry veteran Adam Boyes discusses the complexities of the video games industry, from the challenges of sustaining AAA games to navigating market dynamics and the impact of large-scale layoffs. He shares insights from his journey founding Vivrato and highlights the importance of innovation and thoughtful leadership. The conversation also covers practical advice for aspiring game developers and industry professionals, emphasizing the need for strategic thinking and resilience. Hear behind-the-scenes stories, including memorable moments with celebrities like Sammy Sosa and Lawrence Taylor, and gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to thrive in the ever-evolving world of video games. The conversation also covers practical advice for aspiring game developers and industry professionals, emphasizing the need for strategic thinking, resilience, and curated searching. Bio: As co-CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios, Adam Boyes steered the company's strategic direction, partnerships, and commitment to a people-first culture. Prior, as Sony Interactive Entertainment America's Vice President of Third Party Relations & Developer Technology Group, he cultivated groundbreaking collaborations that propelled PlayStation's revenue to record levels. With leadership roles at Midway Games, Capcom, and his own consulting venture, Beefy Media, Boyes championed open communication, stable growth, and premium gaming experiences in a rapidly evolving industry. His deep passion for the games industry fuels his new journey with Vivrato, where he is focused on inspiring people and forging innovative solutions that transcend traditional boundaries. Show Links: * Adam interview - VentureBeat website * Chicago's Deep Tunnel (the flood story) - Slate website * MLB Slugfest: Loaded - wikipedia * DICE Summit - website * MDEV - website Connect With Links: * Vivrato - website * Vivrato - LinkedIn * Adam Boyes - LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with a guarantee of 100% more video * Patreon - career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I caught up with Alan Noon, founder and CEO of Drill Creative, Inc., to discuss his journey from decades in the game industry to launching his own studio. Alan shared how his work on UEFN at Epic Games, including shipping Deserted Domination and the big GDC reveal, plus his desire to return to hands-on game creation. After a layoff, he quickly turned the setback into an opportunity, forming Drill Creative to build games within Fortnite's ecosystem using UEFN's powerful tools for small, nimble teams. We explored the rise of user-generated content (UGC), which Alan likened to the early days of the iPhone App Store, when hobbyists had room to experiment and innovate. He highlighted challenges like monetization and platform restrictions, which can limit developers' ability to build sustainable businesses and lasting IP. Alan also reflected on the importance of empathy, collaboration, and creating opportunities, offering advice for developers to focus on tangible work, stand out, and take initiative in today's competitive market. Finally, Alan shared insights on industry trends like AR, VR, and AI, as well as his excitement for UGC's growing potential. With personal stories and sharp observations, Alan delivered a thoughtful look at the evolving game development landscape. Bio: From a career that spans AAA to indie dev and now UGC, Alan Noon is a cross-discipline game industry veteran, having shipped on all manner of platforms including arcade, console, PC, mobile, VR/AR/XR, and class 3 slot machines. Presently he leads Drill Creative, Inc. as CEO and Creative Director, building games for Fortnite with UEFN. Show Links: * Elimination Confirmed is Out! - Fortnite website * UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite) - website * Street Fighter (movie) - Wikipedia * Valley of the Ancient - Epic Games website * Deserted: Domination - Epic Labs website * Incredible Technologies - website Connect With Links: * Drill Creative, Inc. - website * Drill Creative, Inc. - LinkedIn * Drill Creative, Inc - Twitter/X * Alan Noon - Twitter/X Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with a guarantee of 100% more video * Patreon - career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary: Jeri Ellsworth shares her journey from childhood fascination with technology to becoming the CEO of Tilt Five. She describes her early interest in science and computers, fueled by her father's gift of a Commodore 64. Jeri recounts her experiences in racing, learning fabrication skills, and self-promotion to fund her racing career. Transitioning to computers, she opened several computer stores, experiencing both success and challenges. After a business failure, she moved to Silicon Valley, using her electronics skills to secure engineering roles. Jeri highlights her work on various projects, including chip design and collaborations with notable industry figures. Her time at Valve involved leading an R&D lab and facing internal cultural challenges, which eventually led to her departure. She acquired technology from Valve to start Tilt Five, focusing on multiplayer AR experiences. Jeri discusses the challenges and successes of running a venture-backed startup, including a successful Kickstarter campaign. She emphasizes the importance of mentors, continuous learning, and pursuing projects that spark joy and innovation. Bio: Jeri Ellsworth is an inventor, product creator, chip designer, and system-level engineer. Her love for invention began with building race cars before working with hardware design, creating a complete Commodore 64 system on a chip housed within a joystick, called C64 Direct-to-TV. Her combined passion for gaming and invention has fueled the creation of many cutting edge technologies, culminating in the creation of Tilt Five, the world's first augmented reality gaming system. Her vision for the future of gaming is driving innovation for the entire Tilt Five team. Show Links: * Tilt Five - website * Tilt Five - YouTube * Steve Wozniak - Wikipedia * C64 Direct-to-TV - Wikipedia * Valve Corporation - website * How two Valve engineers walked away with the company's augmented reality glasses - The Verge * Alan Alcorn - Wikipedia * Silicon Valley - HBO website * Stern Pinball - website * Nolan Bushnell - Wikipedia * Ham Radio - Wikipedia * 2019's Global Game Industry's 50 Over 50 List - website Connect With Links: * Jeri Ellsworth - Wikipedia * Jeri Ellsworth - YouTube * Jeri Ellsworth - LinkedIn * Jeri Ellsworth - website Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - for those who prefer video * Patreon - career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * website - show notes, links, etc. * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I speak with Brad Hendricks, CEO and Founder of Blind Squirrel Entertainment. Brad talks about his path from working with new game technologies to starting his own company after his previous job at Gamebryo ended. He shares how he and his team landed their first project with 2K Games, kickstarting their game development journey before even having a company name :) Brad then reflects on the ups and downs of being a CEO, stressing the need for flexibility and constant learning. We then share practical advice for newcomers, highlighting the importance of perseverance and staying in tune with industry changes. He touches on the challenges studios face, like dropping game dev budgets and the need to be creative and adaptable, plus thoughts on VR, AR, and how AI's evolving. Towards the end Brad gets into some favorite projects, like the highly praised BioShock Remastered, which dramatically boosted BSE's profile. He talks about recent work with Microsoft and Amazon and remains optimistic about the future despite current challenges. We wrap up urging listeners to support each other and stay strong as the game industry recovers through this dramatically difficult period. Bio: A gaming industry veteran with over 25 years of experience, Brad Hendricks is the CEO and Founder of Blind Squirrel Entertainment, a AAA game studio that creates original content and provides full game development services to various publishers and developers. Under his leadership, BSE has become the top collaborator for industry leading titles such as Disney Infinity 3.0, BioShock: Infinite, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Borderlands 2, Sunset Overdrive, and Evolve, to name a few. Show Links: * Gamebryo - website * Gamespy - Wikipedia * gamescon - website * BioShock Remastered - 2K website * New World - Amazon website * State of Decay 3 - website * Curt Schilling Lost His Entire $115 Million Career Earnings On A Video Game - Sportscasting website * Grackle HQ - website Connect With Links: * Brad Hendricks - LinkedIn * Blind Squirrel Entertainment - website * Blind Squirrel Entertainment - LinkedIn Bonus: * Midwest Games Discord Webinar: Paths in the Gaming Industry they Don't Teach in School - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeg3xKiiwJNSNI4HeYUyKWq6ObuqfolefrZIipv0LzO4dC0RQ/viewform Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with a guarantee of 100% more video * Patreon - career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I speak with Alex Gombos, a seasoned talent acquisition manager who shares her insights and career journey in the gaming industry. Most recently, she supported the game development studios at PlayStation. Alex highlights the importance of networking, building an online presence, and being proactive in pursuing career goals, whether you're aiming for your first job or looking to level up in your career. She also emphasizes the significance of having a clear, accessible portfolio for job seekers in game development. Alex reflects on the industry's current state, discussing the challenges of recent layoffs and studio closures, the rise of indie studios, and the potential shift towards AA games. She also explores the impact of emerging technologies like AR, VR, and MR, particularly their applications beyond gaming, such as in healthcare. Her excitement for the industry's future is evident as she shares her experiences in game development recruiting. Towards the end, Alex shares personal anecdotes about her involvement in non-digital games, including a memorable moment receiving a PlayStation 5, playing Wingspan, and being part of her first D&D campaign. We wrap up talking about her successful LinkedIn series, Ask Alex Anything, where she offers career advice for current and aspiring game industry people. Bio: Alex Gombos is an accomplished talent acquisition leader with over a decade of recruitment experience. She has led recruiting efforts and strategies for notable AAA studios including Firewalk Studios and PlayStation Studios Creative Arts, while also supporting hiring efforts at Santa Monica Studio, Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, and Bluepoint Games. A LinkedIn top voice, Alex shares her expertise and insights with the games community through her series, Ask Alex Anything. Show Links: * PlayStation Studios - website * ArtStation - website * Amir Satvat's Game Community - website * Magic Leap 2 - website * Brainlab - website * GameDiscoverCo Newsletter - website * The Last of Us - PlayStation * Man's Search for Meaning - Amazon * Wingspan - Stonemaier website * Product of Play Podcast - website Connect With Links: * Alex Gombos - LinkedIn * Asked Alex Anything - LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with a guarantee of 100% more video * Patreon - career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Level Ex Jobs - Current openings for advancing the practice of medicine through play * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I speak with Ben Kvalo, the Founder and CEO of Midwest Games. Discover how Midwest Games focuses on supporting underserved developers in overlooked regions, aiming for a more sustainable industry, and learn about the upcoming MDEV conference. Ben shares his journey into the game industry, starting with his transition from radio to an operations coordinator role at 2K. Hear his thoughts on the importance of persistence, patience, and leveraging transferable skills when breaking into the industry. He also advises aspiring game developers to be adaptable and continuously seek new opportunities, while encouraging current developers to stay ahead of industry trends and get involved in high-priority projects within their companies. Ben then discusses his decision to leave Netflix and start Midwest Games, highlighting the mental and emotional challenges of making a significant career change. Gain insights into the publisher-developer dynamic, emphasizing the importance of research and targeting the right publishers when pitching a game. Learn about the inherent imbalance in favor of publishers due to the high supply of games and limited publishers, along with his desire for more publishers. Hear his ideas on securing a publishing deal, such as reaching out directly to decision-makers, and how marketing efforts need to be authentic. Discover his thoughts on AI and AR/VR in the future of game development, noting the potential for increased efficiency and innovation, as well as the challenges with these technologies. We wrap things up with his passion for Skee-Ball and his work on some favorite projects, such as Borderlands 2, Mafia 3, and Into the Breach. Learn his key piece of advice on the importance of networking and building genuine connections within the industry for both new and existing game developers. Bio: Ben Kvalo is an entertainment and video games industry leader, most recently supporting the build-out of films and games at Netflix. Prior to Netflix, Ben has worked at two of the largest global video game companies, 2K and Blizzard, working across various roles in the publishing, marketing, and technology end of games and Esports. Ben has worked on some of entertainment's biggest brands across video games and film. He's led film campaigns for Bird Box, Extraction, Army of the Dead, and over 50 other titles. He has also worked on major game franchises like NBA2K, Borderlands, BioShock, Civilization, Mafia, and all of Blizzard's Esports brands, having helped to publish over 100 titles. Ben is originally from Wisconsin, having graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Connect With Links: * Ben Kvalo - LinkedIn * Ben Kvalo - X/Twitter * Midwest Games - website * Midwest Games - LinkedIn * Midwest Games - Instagram * Midwest Games - YouTube Show Links: * MDEV - website * Into the Breach - Subset Games website * Dark Sky - website * Hive Jump 2: Survivors - website * Feardemic - website * Ryan Reynolds Mint Mobile sale - Hollywood Reporter website * Borderlands movie - website * Mafia III - website * Skee-Ball - website Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with a guarantee of 100% more video * Patreon - career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Level Ex Jobs - Current openings for advancing the practice of medicine through play * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I spoke with Billy Basso, the sole developer behind the hit indie game ANIMAL WELL. Discover how he began working on the game as an after-work hobby 7 years ago, and his vision for creating a lush, 2D Metroidvania experience where players explore underground caves, solve puzzles, and encounter creatures with minimal guidance. Billy shares his game development journey, highlighting the initial challenges in both developing and marketing the game. Learn how he initially relied on Twitter/X for promotion until partnering with industry veteran Dan Edelman, which significantly boosted the game's visibility and led to a successful launch. Billy also dives into his development process, including the decision to create his own game engine, and building his technical skills at DePaul, as well as game studios like Phosphor, NetherRealm, and Level Ex. Reflecting on the industry, Billy expresses a preference for smaller, diverse games over massive live service ones. He also shares his thoughts on VR and his dislike for AI-generated assets. Emphasizing the importance of creating meaningful, well-crafted experiences and building things yourself, Billy offers valuable insights. We wrap up with his excitement around the community response to the game and his advice to aspiring developers. He encourages patience, embracing challenges, and seeking learning opportunities. Bio: Billy Basso is the sole developer of ANIMAL WELL. Prior to this he spent the past 10 years programming games at larger studios, including NetherRealm Studios, Phosphor Games, and Level Ex. He also has had graphics work featured in SIGGRAPH. Show Links: * ANIMAL WELL - website * ANIMAL WELL - Discord * ANIMAL WELL - Steam * ANIMAL WELL - Nintendo Switch * ANIMAL WELL - PlayStation Store * Limited Run Games ANIMAL WELL Collector's & Limited Editions - website * videogamedunkey - YouTube * videogamedunkey interview with Billy Basso - YouTube * Publisher BIGMODE - website * BIGMODE's Journey from YouTubers to Publishers - GameIndustry.Biz website * Billy Basso and Dan Adelman AMA - Reddit * In Living Color | Fire Marshall Bill - YouTube * DePaul | Software Engineering - website * Handmade Hero - website * Mr. Roper's Smiles at the Camera - YouTube * Hulk Hogan Racial Slur Scandal - ABC News * Analogue Duo - website * Wired's Analogue Duo Review - website * Crow Country - website Connect With Links: * Billy Basso - website * Billy Basso - Twitter/X Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with 100% more video * Patreon - 1:1 career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Level Ex Jobs - Current openings for advancing the practice of medicine through play * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I spoke with Roxanne Splitt, Associate Design Director at Insomniac Games. Hear their experiences and insights from working on various game projects, including collaborations with NASA and acclaimed games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Roxanne reflects on the educational and emotionally significant aspects of working on the NASA project, learning from experts and tackling challenges related to space and human physiology. Hear discussion about the significance of an amazing Metacritic score, sales data, and the impact of receiving recognition for working on successful game projects. We then get into the importance of emotional connection in game development, with them sharing excitement around the impact of player reactions from gamers and streamers. Hear as we stress the significance of developers' intentions to create games that evoke positive responses and resonate with players on a deep level. Listen to thoughts on changes happening in the game industry, live service games, player engagement, and the challenges of predicting elements that will resonate with both players and developers. Wrapping up we get into personal experiences and insights gained from navigating the game industry, offering advice on maintaining a long-term perspective in one's career. Roxanne shares the transformative impact of parenthood on their perspective, while JP reflects on lessons learned through experience and shifting perspectives. In conclusion, we share some personal anecdotes and professional reflections, and the need to focus on the long term perspective of your game development journey. Bio: Roxanne Splitt is a Game Designer at Insomniac Games with over 14 years of professional experience. They got their start working in Serious Games, leading teams to tackle critical, real-world challenges for a wide variety of audiences spanning from doctors to postal employees, and even astronauts. After over a decade working in games for learning they made the switch to AAA, joining Insomniac in 2021 and contributing to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as a Combat Designer. They are currently an Associate Design Director working on the upcoming Marvel's Wolverine. Show Links: * Halo 2 Documentary - YouTube * Billy Basso's Animal Well check it out! - website * IGDA - website * Level Ex's work with NASA - ZDNET website * Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on Metacritic - website * Helldivers 2 - website * Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Wikipedia * Everything is temporary - Reddit thread Connect With Links: * Roxanne Splitt - LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube Channel - check out this episode with 100% more video * Patreon - 1:1 career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Level Ex Jobs - Current openings for advancing the practice of medicine through play * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I spoke with Keith Plesha, Sr. Recruiter with Krafton Americas who offers valuable insights from his recruiting career. He emphasizes the significance of networking, continuous learning, and staying on top of industry trends for career success. Topics such as interpersonal skills, mentorship, and the impact of remote work on hiring are also discussed. The conversation transitions into challenges faced by current (and aspiring) game developers, including layoffs and the effects of mergers and acquisitions. Keith expresses interest in the decision-making processes behind job cuts and the metrics driving those. Additionally, we discuss the surge in gaming during the pandemic and its implications for industry growth and adaptation. We then get into topics around previous over-hiring, shifts in user acquisition strategy due to Apple privacy changes, and the repercussions of job cuts. The importance of proactive career management, financial readiness, using ArtStation, and maintaining an updated LinkedIn profile is also stressed. Hear some personal stories, playtesting mishaps, and favorite games, along with the importance of resilience and adaptability in this changing field. In conclusion, we talk more about the importance of financial preparedness, career flexibility, and proactive networking. He advocates for staying informed about industry developments, possessing a versatile skill set, and being open to temporary alternative career paths in this current industry climate. Bio: As a Recruiter with nearly 20 years of experience, Keith Plesha has spent the last decade focused on the games industry. He's currently serving as a Sr. Recruiter with Krafton Americas, supporting corporate roles in publishing as well as multiple studios including Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, and PUBG Madison. Prior to this role, Keith spent 7 years with Activision and Meta, and loves leveraging his experience to identify top talent and help shape the future of the gaming industry. Show Links: * M+DEV - website * GrackleHQ - website * ArtStation - website * Amir's 14 Games Jobs Resources - website * Meta Lays Off More Than 11,000 - CNBC website * What's Going On With All Of These Game Industry Layoffs - Polygon website * Richard King - LinkedIn * The Psychology of Money - Amazon Connect With Links: * Keith Plesha - LinkedIn * KRAFTON, Inc. - website Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with 100% more video * Patreon - 1:1 career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Level Ex Jobs - Current openings for advancing the practice of medicine through play * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, I spoke with Sam Glassenberg, Founder and CEO of Level Ex, as we dive into subjects encompassing the gaming industry, technology, and healthcare. Sam recounts his unexpected journey into gaming, beginning as an animator at LucasArts and eventually helping lead Microsoft's DirectX Graphics team. We then transition to discussing the critical importance of having a portfolio for job seekers, the interesting challenges of working in Tech Art, the foundational value of solid engineering principles, and the innovative ways Level Ex pushes Unity3D beyond its limits. Our conversation also touches on the essential qualities of empathy, adaptability, and curiosity in the gaming industry. Sam fondly recalls working on his two favorite projects, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter and Gastro Ex. We also explore the role of generative AI in skill enhancement, the unique challenges of movie-based games, and the exciting yet still maturing potential of AR/VR/XR technologies. Sam then shares an amusing story from a medical conference and emphasizes the need for improved medical training, along with his interest in casual and hyper-casual mobile games. As the episode nears its end, Sam provides insights from his recent trip to Kiev where Level Ex is helping assist the Ukrainian armed forces in medical training and his experiences presenting at NATO. He sheds light on the neuroscience behind game design and identifies professional video games as a burgeoning opportunity within the industry. We conclude with Sam encouraging game developers to embrace AI and where to find him online for further discussions and collaboration. Bio: Sam Glassenberg is the CEO and Founder of Level Ex - the world's first medical video game company. Sam leads a team of veteran game developers and designers who are establishing a new genre of medical games: pushing the limits of game design, physics, and rendering to capture the most terrifying challenges of medicine. Offering the only games certified to provide AMA Category 1 Continuing Medical Education credit, Level Ex's games are played by over a million medical professionals. 20 out of the top 40 medical device and pharmaceutical companies use Level Ex game technology to train and sell their products. Level Ex's games are used by leading medical societies - and NASA - to disseminate the latest guidelines and techniques for topics ranging from COVID to Space Health. Through their work, Level Ex is rapidly establishing 'play' as a fundamental force accelerating adoption in medicine. Show Links: * DirectX - Wikipedia * FarBridge - website * ArtStation - website * SIGGRAPH 2019 Real-Time Live! - YouTube * Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter - Wikipedia * Gastro Ex - website * ChatGPT - website Connect With Links: * Sam Glassenberg - LinkedIn * Sam Glassenberg - blog * Sam Glassenberg - X/Twitter * Level Ex - website * Level Ex - YouTube Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with 100% more video * Patreon - 1:1 career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * website - show notes, links, stuff * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Level Ex Jobs - Current openings for advancing the practice of medicine through play * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links * X/Twitter - not really using it to be honest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Alex Seropian, founder and CEO of Look North World on this episode kicking off the 5th (wow, 5th) year of the podcast. Hear as Alex shares insights about his current role, including hosting The Fourth Curtain podcast and his new studio, Look North World. Learn about the growing significance of user-generated content (UGC) in the gaming industry and the potential for UGC to become a major part of the industry in the coming years. Alex also reflects on his journey in the game industry, from his early exposure to video games to the founding of Bungie after college and working on games like Marathon and Halo. We then get into his curiosity about the future of the game industry, particularly in relation to the impact of technology, such as AI and virtual reality. He also raises concerns about job stability and diversity within our industry, emphasizing the importance of building a diverse workforce. Alex then shares his excitement about the Steam Deck hardware and highlights his ongoing passion for gaming. In closing, Alex offers a piece of advice for those working in the industry, expressing optimism about the future of the game industry, and the role of entertainment in people's lives. We acknowledge the fluctuations and challenges within the industry but maintain a positive outlook for its future. Bio: Alex Seropian is an entrepreneur and video game developer who has been creating video games for more than 30 years. He is currently the founder and CEO of Look North World, a developer of games & entertainment for creator communities. Alex started in the video game industry by founding Bungie (Halo, Marathon, Myth). He is also the founder of Wideload Games and Industrial Toys. Alex has held executive positions at Microsoft, Disney, and Electronics Arts. Along with starting companies, he is the host of The Fourth Curtain Podcast, a mentor and advisor to numerous startups, and serves as a board advisor to the Tumo Center in Armenia. Show Links: * The Fourth Curtain Podcast - website * UGC - GamesBeat * Bungie - Wikipedia * UEFN Game Engine - website * Steam Deck - Steam website Connect With Links: * Alex Seropian - LinkedIn * Look North World - website * Alex Seropian - X/Twitter Game Dev Advice Links: * YouTube - check out this episode with 100% more video * Patreon - 1:1 career coaching through the Gain Wisdom membership * website - show notes, links, stuff * X/Twitter - pretty dormant * info@gamedevadvice.com - reach out! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Level Ex website - Careers page for advancing the practice of medicine through play * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Jennifer Javornik, the Chief Partnerships Officer at Filament Games on this 60th episode. Learn about her current role, the company's connection with UW Madison, and how she transitioned from a traditional IT role into the game industry. Hear about being in improv comedy, learning to be less formal, and how the industry embraces being yourself. We then share advice about starting out, having content to show, testing, and being able to hit the ground running. Hear about the intricacies of doing client work, opportunities to work in marketing, and the importance of being flexible in this industry. We then get into teamwork, communication skills, and one of her favorite projects, iCivics.org. Learn about industry consolidation concerns, questions about the future, supporting VR/AR/MR, and hype cycles. Our discussion then pivots to a funny story about Minecraft, the NY Times Spelling Bee, and spending time away from games outside of work. As we wrap up, hear about some unusual projects she's worked on for dairy farmers and pediatric MRIs to help kids, taking care of yourself, keeping your skills current, and the upcoming M+DEV 2023 conference in Madison, WI. Bio: Jennifer Javornik is a video game executive who specializes in partnerships, business development, revenue growth, and entrepreneurship. She is currently the Chief Partnerships Officer for Filament Games, a video game studio that specializes in digital games, simulations, VR and AR experiences for positive impact. She is also a founding member and former Executive Director of the Wisconsin Games Alliance and currently serves on the Unity Global Education Board. Show Links: * What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy - Amazon * iCivics.org - website * Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard - The Verge * Magic Leap - website * M+DEV 2023: Nov. 10, 2023 - website Connect with Links: * Jennifer Javornik - LinkedIn * Filament Games - website Game Dev Advice Links: * Patreon - please support the the show if you find it useful or interesting so new episodes can keep coming out * website * Twitter * email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Level Ex Careers website * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Ryan Douglas, the Co-Founder at DeepWell DTx, NeuFluent / Founder, Nextern to this episode. Learn how DeepWell DTx is working to meld medical professionals, scientists, and game developers to create mental health digital therapeutics through play and neuroscience. Hear about the power of gaming to improve mental health, citing games like Tetris and Animal Crossing that have shown mental health benefits. Ryan then shares the value of creating experiences that make players feel better without consciously realizing it, along with potential negative effects around boundary conditions in medicine. We then get into the meteoric rise of the game industry, how it's still immature at times, and the need for individuals to understand their motivations to be successful. Ryan then shares about the importance of building a culture centered on individual passions and shared purpose, how “crunch” isn't unique to the industry, and work/life balance challenges. Hear about Ryan's diverse career journey, the mental health emergency, F2P issues, digital therapeutics, flow states, the problem with gamification, and finding the overlap between game mechanics and treatment mechanisms. We then go into his 5 Creator Keys, EQ, finding people you trust, social media, regulation, AI, and both the power and over-hype of VR and AR. As we wrap up, we hear an unusual story about his career, life changes, excitement around their upcoming game, video game violence fallacy, working with the FDA, improving mental health, medicinal media, sharing on LinkedIn, finding your why, avoiding toxicity, and listening to your gut. Bio: Ryan Douglas is a renowned expert and innovator in mental health, artificial intelligence, and surgical robotics with nearly 20 years of experience. Ryan is the co-founder of DeepWell DTx, a video game publisher and developer focused on creating medically therapeutic games with compelling gameplay. He has commercialized over 20 medical devices, including treatments for depression, hypertension, breast cancer survivors, women's health, chronic pain, and neurological conditions. Additionally, Ryan holds pivotal patents in medical AI and robotics and has achieved FDA clearance for breakthrough therapies. Show Links: * Simon Sinek - Find Your Why YouTube * Animal Crossing and Mental Health The Gamer * da Vinci Surgical System Website * Pistol Whip Oculus * 1941: Counter Attack Wikipedia Connect With Links: * Ryan Douglas LinkedIn * DeepWell DTx Website * DeepWell DTx Twitter Game Dev Advice Links: * Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful! * Twitter * Website * Email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Level Ex Careers website * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Jeff Linville, the Co-Founder and Sound Designer at Ritual Studios to this episode. We discuss topics like sound design, pitching your game to publishers, and the future of AR and VR. Jeff shares about the importance of your personal network, learning how to script and work in-engine, and maintaining a healthy mindset with the ups and downs of the industry. We then go into the importance of sound design, highlighting the transformative power of sound that enhances player experiences. Hear about the challenges faced by sound designers, such as time constraints and file size limitations, plus having content cut. Jeff shares why he's bullish on VR and thoughts around AR possibly replacing smartphones through spatial computing. We then get into the concerns about AI's impact on game development and copyright issues, along with ideas around the benefits. Hear how the team pivoted their game pitch to get better results by focusing on bite-sized call-to-action prompts, plus using gifs and game audio to create the game experience. Learn the importance for sound designers to be able to work in-engine and script, plus having an engineer connection to help implement ideas and tech. Jeff and I then talk about the importance of seizing opportunities, networking with peers, and maintaining a positive attitude through setbacks. We then wrap up discussing chance encounters, the abundance of good people in the industry, and the power of doing great work. Bio: Jeff Linville is Co-Founder of Ritual Studios, a Chicago based indie studio working on their first title, Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson. Jeff has been in the game industry for over 6 years as a Sound Designer and Composer working on various titles, including Fretless and Cardio Ex. Show Links: * Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson Reveal Trailer YouTube * Cardio Ex Game Soundtrack on Spotify * FMOD website * Apple's Vision Pro spatial computing Apple website * Guild Wars 2 website * Alien: Isolation App Store * The 2023 Hollywood Strike for Dummies Vulture Connect With Links: * Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson Steam page * Ritual Studios Twitter * Jeff Linville Twitter * Jeff Linville YouTube * Playdigious home page * Playdigious TikTok Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please support this work if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers - we're hiring for lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I put this information together for a presentation at DePaul University in Chicago recently. The audience found it helpful, plus listener Chris Hardin thought it'd make a great episode. So I made some tweaks and recorded it solo as a short episode :) While it's intended for folks looking to get their first job there are different ideas and strategies that should be helpful if you're already working in the industry. I cover strategies around resumes, applying for jobs, doing due diligence, interviewing strategies, following up afterwards, the importance of your portfolio/website, and other areas. It's not meant to be extensive, but tips and ideas to help in your game development journey. (Plus if you'd like to go deeper my Gain Wisdom Patreon level has monthly private coaching included.) Bio: John Podlasek is the Director of Talent Acquisition at Level Ex, bringing over 30 years of experience in the video game & technology sectors. He is known for recruiting top game development talent and has played key Production roles in successful game franchises such as Mortal Kombat and Marvel Avengers Initiative. With a deep background in team organization and growth, John's worked at companies like Midway Games, Disney, Zynga, Viacom, and others, plus is the host of the popular Game Dev Advice podcast with a global following. Resources: * Joe Hobbs Game Development Advice Contact List, also follow him on Twitter: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vRYveFAl_GuvBo0iuy3EvgPm0fWAGci-Z8e5CZ6hoYz9n8gcoK4dgE0RML-x0pWqRNjGqte-V7phtqB/pubhtml * GrackleHQ: www.gracklehq.com * GameDevMap: www.gamedevmap.com * Game Developer (formerly Gamasutra): https://www.gamedeveloper.com/ * GDC YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC0JB7TSe49lg56u6qH8y_MQ * Unity blog: https://blog.unity.com/ * Unreal Engine blog: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/feed/blog * 80lv: https://80.lv/ * Designer Notes: http://www.designer-notes.com/ * GameIndustry.biz: http://gamesindustry.biz * Game Industry News: https://www.gameindustry.com/ * Breaking the Wheel - Producers: https://www.breakingthewheel.com/ * VentureBeat's GameBeat: https://venturebeat.com/category/games/ * YouTube Why Level Ex? https://youtu.be/GsWoygM_r3Q * My interview about the TurboGrafx 16-bit gaming days and other things: https://youtu.be/U4BP-3GX2kc * My YouTube presentation Careers Beyond Traditional Game Development mentioned earlier: https://youtu.be/ib_MegZm5-4 Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please support this work if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers - we're hiring for lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Steve Anichini, the CTO and Co-founder of Disbelief to this episode. We start off discussing programming at a young age, taking a job after college, and then deciding to pursue a game development career with his first job at Jellyvision. Hear about working at Midway Games and Irrational Games and then starting Disbelief after layoffs. Learn advice about developing patience with yourself, others, project timelines, and not freaking out over deadlines. Steve then shares ideas for getting a first job, including the importance of debugging skills and learning more languages and game engines. We then discuss advancing as a programmer, including the importance of communication skills. Hear about some of his favorite projects, including Borderlands 3 and BioShock Infinite. We then dive into rendering and graphics technology, including real-time ray tracing and Unreal Five's Nanite. Hear about the threat and opportunity he sees in the industry, along with benefits and numerous concerns around AI. Steve then shares a funny story about a John Woo's Stranglehold press event, some games he's playing, the company's journey towards an anti-crunch culture, along with strategies for not getting into bad situations. At the end he shares advice about never being too late to strike out on your own, giving yourself enough runway, and getting in touch with him online. Bio: Steve Anichini has worked on many titles throughout his 24 year career, including Borderlands 3's PS5/XSX ports, Gears 5, BioShock Infinite, and John Woo Presents Stranglehold. He worked on tools and systems used in Blitz: The League, Psi-ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. At Disbelief, Steve focuses on systems and graphics programming, training, recruiting, and company strategy Connect With Links: * Disbelief website * Disbelief Career Page website * info@disbelief.com email * @solidangle@mastodon.gamedev.place Mastodon * Solid Angle blog Show Links: * Debugging: The 9 Indispensable Rules for Finding Even the Most Elusive Software and Hardware Problems Goodreads * Google Technical Writing Courses website * Nanite Virtualized Geometry in Unreal website * Lumen Global Illumination and Reflections in Unreal website * Midway's 2007 Game Event in Vegas website * Pentiment Xbox Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please support this work if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers - we're hiring for lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Roger Sharpe, President and CEO of Sharpe Communications, and the star of the new movie - PINBALL: The Man Who Saved the Game. Hear about his marketing agency and how the idea to turn his story into a movie started back in 2020. We then discuss how pinball used to be illegal in New York City, discovering pinball in college, working at GQ, being challenged to write a book, and testifying at City Hall it was a game of skill, not a game of chance. Learn about life choices, working in advertising, how others got their start in pinball, plus ideas how you could get into the industry now. Hear about home enthusiasts being a huge boost, going international, and thousands of events, tournaments, and leagues happening every year. We then dive into some of his favorite games and projects, including the ones he designed, along with his licensing work on Elvira, NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Terminator 2, Arctic Thunder, and other games. Learn about the growth of barcades, the explosion of the industry, the difference to video games, and cooperative play. Hear about his concern on the recent pricing of pinballs, not going too hardcore on the game design, and thoughts on licensing. Towards the end he shares a great story about Gary Stern, the legendary Harry Williams, his pinball book, and some current games he's playing or interested in. Learn about websites you can check out, the March 17th, 2023 release date, the irony of making pinballs in Chicago but not being legal years ago, and how this little indie movie is winning awards (go check it out). Bio: Roger Sharpe's demonstration of pinball as a skill-based game overturned New York City's thirty-five-year ban on pinball machines in 1976. His story, now a film, “PINBALL: The Man Who Saved the Game” came out March 17th, 2023. Roger is also the former Director of Marketing and Licensing at Williams Bally/Midway, a pinball historian, a player, and former pinball designer at Stern, Williams, and Game Plan. Show Links: * Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game website * Apple TV Movie link (U.S.) * YouTube Movies and TV link (U.S.) * Moving Picture Institute website * Vertical Entertainment website * Stern Pinball website * Jersey Jack Pinball website * IFPA website * Midwest Gaming Classic website * Texas Pinball Festival website * Scorebit website * James Bond 007 website * Bally Midway Wikipedia Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers - we're hiring for lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Ray McCaffrey, Executive Producer at Steel Wool Studios. Hear how he got started in the game industry through a friend by joining a band with some NetherRealm artists who later encouraged him to apply for a short-term Assistant Producer contract job. Learn about his transition from IT, working with industry legends, and wishing he'd known to be more quiet and listen better. We then discuss advancing your career in Production, the importance of documenting feedback and results, and providing context to the team to build trust. Hear about the value of being calm and centered for others and the value it brings to the team and a company. Learn about the critical skill of being comfortable being uncomfortable, accepting change in the search for fun, along with the role of acting as a confidant to team members. Hear about being honest with yourself about your flaws, putting constructive feedback into practice, plus sharing feedback without being a jerk. Listen about how insufferable it is working with jerks, ways we avoided it, and what a relief it is not to. We then dive into the uncanny valley of console hyper-realism, go deep into God of War Ragnarök, how accelerated technology is now, and some thoughts on ChatGPT, AI art, and the futility of trying to predict the future. Hear why he's bearish on AR, and bullish on VR for the entertainment value, plus the way it's changed how we interact with each other at times. Towards the end we talk about a game cancellation that taught him how to be a compassionate leader, the importance of an open dialogue with your team when in a position of authority, the genius of The Last of Us, other game licensed content, Halo 2 Double Team, pizza, and accepting that nothing is ever final. Bio: Ray McCaffrey is the Executive Producer at Steel Wool Studios, an independent studio based in Oakland, CA. Ray's been in the game industry for almost a dozen years and has worked on games like Injustice: Gods Among Us, Batman: Arkham Origins, Mortal Kombat X, WWE Immortals, Cardio Ex, Pulm Ex, Five Nights at Freddy's and more. Show Links: * God of War Ragnarök website * ChatGPT website * TRIPP VR website * The Room VR: Dark Matter website * STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor website * The Last of Us website * Halo 2 Double Team Fandom Connect Links: * Ray McCaffrey Twitter * Steel Wool Studios website Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers - we're hiring for lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Noah Falstein, a legendary Game Designer on this episode. Hear about his current work as a Designer and Consultant, along with how he began straight out of college at Milton Bradley before going to Williams and to create arcade games. Learn about being an early employee at Lucasfilm Games, and working on the amazing Indiana Jones titles along with others. We then discuss what he's learned reflecting back to the beginning of his career, moving to California, and advice to expand your horizons beyond triple-A games when starting out. Discover the importance of persistence, curiosity and other key qualities for Game Designers to have, along with learning psychology to understand yourself, co-workers, and players. Learn about digital therapeutics to treat diseases and disorders, AR, Google Glass, and being bullish on the future. Hear about the one trillion dollar world health market, esports, web3, and threats to the industry being localized versus global. We then talk about the Wii Fit and dive deeper in VR and AR, including Pearl the interactive movie, and Skip Rizzo's important work. Hear about working with (gamer) Steven Spielberg, working at Skywalker Ranch, for Google, and new technologies impacting games and healthcare. Towards the end we talk about merging his love of travel by presenting at conferences, where to find Noah online, the differences between the games, movies, and TV industries, plus why you shouldn't be a jerk. Bio: Noah Falstein was one of the first 10 employees at Lucasfilm Games/LucasArts where he led projects including PHM Pegasus, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and co-designed Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. After serving as Google's Chief Game Designer Noah's been focusing primarily on games for healthcare. Show Links: * Milton Bradley Wikipedia * Lucasfilm Games website * WMS Industries Wikipedia * Monkey Island Games Wikipedia * Akili Interactive website * E.T. Cartridges Buried in New Mexico PCMag * Pearl VR and Fun * The Dig Wikipedia * Skywalker Ranch Wikipedia * Level Ex website Connect Links: * Noah Falstein Google * Noah Falstein website, The Inspiracy * Noah Falstein Wikipedia * Noah Falstein Twitter Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful :) * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers - we're hiring for lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe with your favorite player and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Angel Muniz, a 3D Generalist and Technical Artist who shares about her transition into the game industry, talking with Bungie, getting her first job, and going back to school. Hear career advice about how the art field is changing, creating automation, learning integration, and getting your first position. Learn about knowing your value, having mentors, passion & curiosity, and advancing your career. We then discuss hackathons, growing your skills, her VR portfolio, and her love of learning. Hear about emotional intelligence, politics, listening, bodystorming, and how we process information. Discover AI machine learning, building an experience to help with anxiety, XR, wearables, aerospace, and NASA. Learn about integrating XR into education, roles outside of triple-A, different projects she's worked on, challenges around hiring, toxic environments, and thoughts on being neurodivergent. Hear about overwhelming job descriptions, changing skills, the metaverse, wantrepreneurs, reading the room, and not being critical when playing games. Towards the end we talk about networking, connecting with the IGDA, Global Game Jam, the value of GDC, and the game dev community in Houston. Hear about games like Graveyard Keeper, kind words for this podcast, where to connect online, new tech battles, keeping your skills sharp, her mentor's advice on making progress each day, and info on my YouTube presentation about careers outside of traditional game development. Bio: Angel Muniz is originally from Texas, a former NASA JSC - Animation & Graphics Lab 3D Intern, who worked on growing the game industry in Houston —mainly in the XR field. Angel served as a Co-PI for a National Science Foundation Grant & Adjunct Professor for the Dynamic Reality Technology program (AAS in XR) at Coastal Alabama College. With a background in public speaking for high-performance art/PBR & optimization, she was a keynote speaker for the University of Pennsylvania, a guest lecturer at the University of Houston - Computer Science, Microsoft's HoloAcademy in Redmond, Immersive Tech Conference, IGDA, and more. For over 7 years, Angel has worked as a 3D Generalist and Technical Artist - CGI for Amazon AWS, TenGun, TYM Studio, Practical VR, Ong Innovations, and served as a consultant to many more. She's been a professional mentor for the game developer community co-creating and participating in boot camps, hackathons, and one-on-one sessions with artists and developers. She is currently building an application in XR and plans to apply for her 2nd NSF grant to fund her research in behavioral health, communication, and technology. Angel is an advocate for neurodiverse individuals in the field as she continues her work in the game industry. She is an avid learner and seeks to build and utilize new tools in automation for game art in the industry. Show Links: * Substance Designer website * SMU Guildhall website * Digipen website * NSF Grants website * Rain on Your Parade Steam * IGDA website * Global Game Jam website * GDC website * Graveyard Keeper website * The Survivalists Steam * Detroit: Become Human Wikipedia * Joowon Kim SMU Guildhall * Careers Options Beyond Traditional Game Development me on YouTube Connect Links: *Angel Muniz LinkedIn *Angel Muniz website Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon: please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers: I'm hiring lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Jurie Horneman, senior gameplay programmer at Possibly Space, who shares about growing up in the Netherlands and his passion for wanting to make games that led to his first job. Learn about making Amberstar, answering calls from players, and making Ambermoon, which still has a dedicated fan base. Hear about moving to Blue Byte, Albion being overly ambitious, learning C, and having your shipping platform changed because of bankruptcy. We then discuss source code, the importance of completing personal projects, and needing to shift your perspective to think as a hiring manager or department lead. Learn about pitching in, how game dev is different from film, and working on Watch Dogs: Legion. Hear thoughts for working in games now, developing interpersonal skills, and why it's important to enjoy the process of making games versus only focusing on the results. Discover his favorite games to have worked on, passion around dynamic storytelling, game engines. game AI, and game design. Hear about working remotely, the impact of video conferencing, the need to communicate more as a manager, the value of in-person serendipity, and the power of messaging apps. Towards the end we talk about how the GTA: Vice City Xbox U.S. update almost shipped with all of the globally controversial settings accidently turned off, working Manhunt 2, The Settlers, Incubation: Time Is Running Out, and interesting games out now. We wrap with Resident Evil, how to connect, enjoying the process, accepting change, and being a good person. Bio: Jurie Horneman is originally from the Netherlands, and has made games in Germany, France, Austria, and now Canada. He got started in 1991 as a programmer before becoming a game designer, producer, and now senior gameplay programmer again, plus has worked at Ubisoft, Rockstar Games, Blue Byte Software, and many other studios. Show Links: * Demoscene Wikipedia * Ambermoon Wikipedia * Albion Wikipedia * Splinter Cell Wikipedia * Weird West website * Emily Short blog * GTA Controversies KeenGamer * Manhunt 2 Wikipedia * The Settlers Wikipedia * Incubation: Time Is Running Out Wikipedia * Stray website * The Quarry website * Robo: The Allectric Idventurer Steam * Robo: The Allectric Idventurer Twitter * Robo: The Allectric Idventurer Discord Connect Links: * Jurie Horneman Twitter * Jurie Horneman website Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers: we're hiring lots of roles! * Game Dev Advice hotline: (224) 484-7733 * The Meditations: An Emperor's Guide to Mastery current audiobook * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Carl Leducq, Games Producer at Altered State Machine and the popular Zero to Play podcast who shares about his new role and recently shipped game for Rocketwerkz. Learn how he transitioned from film into the game industry and working in QA changed his perspective. Hear how he transitioned from QA to Production, his passion around the game development community and the NZGDA. We then discuss advice for getting into the industry, doing game jams, and advancing your career. Hear about the importance of communication skills, ideas for working remotely, and developing interpersonal skills. Learn about his favorite project, his interest in Web3, and the parallels to early F2P games. We then pivot into AR, VR, and potential threats, like Play To Earn and the massive Axie Infinity hack. Towards the end we talk about his podcast Zero To Play on YouTube, the awesomeness of Valorant, how to get in contact, and his parting advice around having an open mind. Bio: Carl Leducq is a NZ games advocate & experienced Games Producer who's shipped titles on mobile, AR & PC (and now Web3). Carl is busy understanding and exploring the games industry from every angle, always learning, and growing more passionate about it every step of the way. Currently he's working as a Games Producer with Altered State Machine, helping to deliver engaging and innovative interactive media experiences to their community using their IP partners. He also helps local game devs in New Zealand through the work he does as the Vice-Chair of the NZGDA. Plus every week Carl has an in-depth chat with a Game Developer over on his podcast Zero To Play which can be found on YouTube, Spotify and all other podcast services. Show Links: * Rocketwerkz website * Clinton Keith Amazon * Breaking The Wheel website * Web3 Wikipedia * Magic Leap website * Axie Infinity CNN Connect Links: * Carl Leducq Twitter * Carl Leducq YouTube * Carl Leducq LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers page - we're hiring for engineers and other roles * Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links * Current Audiobook: The Practice of Groundedness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Jae Lin, the Hotline Director of the ‘Games and Online Harassment Hotline' who shares about their current role running the hotline, along with the new Culture Shift project. Learn about when they're available, who it's helping, and how you can text “support” to 23368 within the U.S. for help. Hear about the new Culture Shift program launched with Take this that goes into game studios and works with top leadership to create custom programs for companies. We then discuss gender-based harm, why it keeps happening, and the culture around it. Hear ideas around accountability, changing behaviors, and how the program just launched in March of this year. Learn about Jae's experience being pushed out of esports, doing volunteer work in Austin, and getting involved with the hotline, along with how they define gender-based harm. Towards the end we discuss Signs of the Sojourner, Alto's Odyssey, where to find these services online, and advice about practicing accountability, even in the smallest ways. Bio: My guest is Jae Lin, the Hotline Director of the ‘Games and Online Harassment Hotline' and a mental health advocate for video game spaces. They have a background in queer community health and suicide prevention, with roots in collegiate esports. Jae is also a Community Organizer around trans liberation, queer arts, and racial justice based in Austin, TX. Show Links: * GameIndustry.biz article * Take this. website * Signs of the Sojourner Steam * Alto's Odyssey website * Text “support” to 23368 Connect Links: * Gameshotline website * Gameshotline on Twitter * Gameshotline YouTube * FemFreq website * FemFreq Twitter * FemFreq YouTube Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers page - we're hiring for engineers and other roles * Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable who shares his inspiration behind starting the company. Hear how D&D and computer programming got him hooked on games, and the companies he's created along the way. Learn how he began his entrepreneurial journey as a kid, along with advice for others who love games and have a passion to create. We then discuss his thoughts around entrepreneurship, who to listen to, and who not to listen to. Hear why it's important to have a portfolio, along with strategies for interviewing. Learn the value of having humility, a beginner's mind, not being afraid to throw things away, and getting player feedback. Hear stories on the development of huge IP games like Star Trek Timelines, Game of Thrones Ascent, and his very first game, Legends of Future Past. Learn about his passion for understanding what makes shipping games so hard, different business models, and how big and diverse the industry really is. Towards the end we discuss the lack of skilled people to fill roles, optimizing around creativity and reducing complexity, his broad definition of the metaverse, VR, AR, and making things more accessible. Hear a funny story about a party, his current favorite games, and wanting to hear from other developers. We then wrap up talking about how to reach out online, and doing research on new business models instead of being too cynical. Bio: Jon Radoff is CEO of Beamable, a Live Services platform for game developers. He is also the author of the "Building the Metaverse" blog, where he open-sources his thinking about the future of the internet. Jon is a lifelong entrepreneur who started making online games as a teenager before going on to build one of the first multiplayer commercial games on the Internet: Legends of Future Past. Since then, he's built businesses in Web publishing, ad networking and mobile games reaching tens of millions of consumers. Show Links: * Beamable * Disruptor Beam * Legends of Future Past * Star Trek Timelines * Game of Thrones Ascent * Building the Metaverse * Omni (Magazine) * Stellaris * The Office Somehow We Manage Connect Links: * Jon Radoff Twitter * Jon Radoff YouTube * Jon Radoff LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers page - we're hiring for engineers and other roles * Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Renee Gittins who shares about her role as the Executive Director of the IGDA, along with her new position at Phoenix Labs. Learn about how Renee transitioned from biotech into game development, the various roles she's had, along with making lifelong friends at Riot Games. Hear the importance of having confidence, starting your projects sooner, building a portfolio, and making connections. We then discuss the importance of self-promotion and mentorship as keys to advancing your career, especially working with cross-discipline. Learn the importance of people skills, especially self-reflection and empathy, along with her favorite project, Potions: A Curious Tale. Hear about the cultural revolution going on in the industry, thoughts on the Metaverse, and an inspiring story. Hear opinions on AR & VR, a surprising audience for her game project, and a wonderful story about her game's impact. We wrap up talking about the importance of newer developers sharing and helping others, finding her online, and being kind to yourself during times like these. Bio: Renee Gittins is the Executive Director of the IGDA, and a multi-disciplinary leader with expertise in software engineering and creative direction. She is a passionate advocate and connector for developers and diversity in the game industry, with a background that spans across engineering, design, and production. She is outspoken about initiatives to increase diversity both within the game industry and gaming overall to help the game industry grow and improve for everyone. Show Links: * IGDA website * IGDA Discord * Creativity, Inc. book * Crucial Conversations book * Potions: A Curious Tale Steam * Guide For Game Companies whitepaper * Geek Girl Con website * Dauntless website * Dishonored wikipedia Connect Links: * Renee Gittins Twitter * Renee Gittins LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers page - we're hiring for tons of roles * Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Albert “Skip” Rizzo, a clinical psychologist and 25 year veteran of gaming technology and VR for clinical uses. Learn how a patient playing Tetris sparked his interest in gaming, and years later he joined USC to use VR to help kids with ADHD. Hear the critical importance of building content that engages and motivates patients, along with the differences between games and film. We then dive into the Bravemind program to help vets suffering from PTSD, how he's rebuilt their technology, added new locations, and created a pre-deployment program for soldiers. Learn how he expanded into helping with sexual trama around a civilian context and working on different types of civilian PTSD, along with teenagers who've grown up with abuse and difficult living conditions. Learn Skip's mission is to get the content into the hands of people who can benefit with ADHD, stroke rehab, pain management, and other areas. We then discuss the importance of mutual respect, a shared purpose, and curiosity. Hear about the need for meaning in one's work, the heroes who work in healthcare, and the enormous stress they're under in this COVID world. He then shares a new project for helping healthcare professionals dealing with stress using questions and dialogue. Hear about his favorite projects around work for autism, ADHD, disadvantaged youth, resilience training for pre-deployment, the importance of narrative, and one of my favorite games I worked on. We then talk about technology, the future, metaverse concerns, and companies investing in VR. Learn how Brainlab is using AR to help neurosurgeons prepare for difficult surgeries and the value of the Magic Leap. We wrap up with him sharing how he and others worked with a young Palmer Lucky, how he's getting back into moderate gaming through VR, the challenges he's had to overcome to gain acceptance in the traditional clinical psychology field, how AI is the next big frontier, and where to find him online. Bio: Albert “Skip” Rizzo is a clinical psychologist and Director of Medical Virtual Reality at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. He is also a Research Professor with the USC Dept. of Psychiatry and at the USC Davis School of Gerontology. His career began as a clinician providing rehabilitative services for persons with traumatic brain injuries and stroke. Over the last 25 years, Skip has conducted research on the design, development and evaluation of VR targeting the areas of clinical assessment, treatment and rehabilitation across the domains of psychological, cognitive and motor functioning in both healthy and clinical populations. This work has focused on PTSD, TBI, Autism, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, stroke and other clinical conditions. Some of his recent work has involved the creation of artificially intelligent virtual human (VH) patients that novice clinicians can use to practice skills required for challenging diagnostic interviews and for creating online virtual human healthcare guides, and clinical interviewers with automated sensing of facial, gestural, and vocal behaviors useful for inferring the state of the user interacting with these virtual human entities. Show Links: * How Video Games Are Saving Those Who Served article * Full Spectrum Warrior Wikipedia * My You're Not Getting Any Younger; Learn How To Ride a Motorcycle article * Level Ex website * Brainlab website Connect Links: * Skip Rizzo YouTube * Skip Rizzo Twitter * Skip Rizzo website * Skip Rizzo email - rizzo@ict.usc.edu Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it entertaining/useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com) * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers page - we're hiring for tons of roles! * Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Dan Nikolaides, CEO of Symmetric Games and the CTO of Studio369 on this episode. We begin discussing his current role leading development efforts on their game MetalCore, along with the studio's first game, Rune II. Learn about the concepts in MetalCore, how they found investors, and how he started in the industry. We then dive into switching over to game teams, having projects canceled, and leaving to join Phosphor. Hear about shipping a bunch of games, then starting his studio in 2016. Learn about not being intimidated by hard problems along with the importance of a growth mindset. We then talk about the importance of new engineers knowing a game engine, the preferred language behind it, and having a strong engineering foundation. Learn Dan's advice for current engineers who want to grow and have more responsibilities, along with the kind of work most working leads actually do. Hear about the importance of being a good listener, rubber ducking, and what kills a person's morale. We then discuss some of his favorite old projects, blockchain gaming, NFTs, and the Metaverse, and how different companies are approaching this space. Hear about the industry's challenge around content overload, Steam being dead for indies, and why it's better to partner with a console. We then pivot into VR, their VR game in development, and how it's a few years away from being a breakout platform. Towards the end we discuss working from home, game industry people, Dota 2, the struggles of starting a studio, how to contact Dan, and why now is the best time ever to be looking for a new job. Bio: Dan Nikolaides graduated from the University of Illinois in Computer Science, and has been in the gaming industry for over 15 years. He's well known for being an Unreal Engine guru, and has worked for companies like - Midway Games, Warner Brothers, Day 1 Studios, Phosphor Studios, and Symmetric Games. His game credits include - Mortal Kombat, Stranglehold, Man of Steel, Gears of War, NBC's Heroes, World War Z, WWE Immortals, Nether, Outpost Zero, and more. Dan's currently the CEO of Symmetric Games and the CTO of Studio369 where he's leading the technical and design direction of the studio's game production for MetalCore, their upcoming release. Show Links: * Rune II Steam * PlanetSide 2 Steam * BattleTech Centers wikipedia * Phosphor Studios website * Unreal Engine website * Simon Sinek YouTube Connect Links: * Dan Nikolaides Twitter * MetalCore website * MetalCore Discord * MetalCore Trailer YouTube Game Dev Advice Links: * Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it entertaining/useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com) * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex Careers page - we're hiring for tons of roles! * Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 * Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Richard Lemarchand from the USC Games program tonight. We begin by discussing his Associate Professor role in the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the recent release of his book, A Playful Production Process, for Game Designers (and Everyone). Hear about how he got his first job at MicroProse, the importance of psychology in game design, along with wishing he'd known how to manage projects better when starting. We discuss the effects of crunch, the importance of managing projects, and how his book is a textbook of his class covering intermediate level design and production. We then share stories of outdated GDDs, Mark Cerny's Game Design Macro format, and moving over to Crystal Dynamics in the mid-90s to work on the Gex and Soul Reaver series. Hear about going over to Naughty Dog to work on Jax, the critically acclaimed Uncharted series, and how the game industry is really more like a dozen industries. Learn Rich's advice for game designers to understand psychology, systems dynamics, along with having T-shaped skills. Hear how soft skills were taught back at Crystal Dynamics, cultivating empathy, and treating others with respect. We then discuss Uncharted 2, his favorite game to work on, how well the team worked together, and the quality of the storytelling and the cast. Hear about his interests in VR, immersive design, narrative design, and storytelling that doesn't involve violence as a core mechanic. We then discuss how crunch is the biggest threat to the industry, how it's getting better, and studios moving to the 4-day work week. Towards the end we get into a great story about promoting Uncharted 3, trivia about Jake's journal, and his recommended games - Subnautica, Boyfriend Dungeon, Beast Breaker, Jett, and Ring Fit Adventure. At the end we discuss music, the band XTC, the importance of audio, his book, how to get in contact with him, along with his parting advice. Bio: Richard Lemarchand is an Associate Professor in the USC Games program at the University of Southern California, where he teaches game design, development, and production, and is working on a series of experimental virtual reality game design research projects as part of the USC Game Innovation Lab. Previously he was a lead game designer at Naughty Dog and led the design of all three PlayStation 3 games in the Uncharted series, including Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, winner of ten AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards, five Game Developers Choice Awards, four BAFTAs, and over 200 Game of the Year awards. He also worked on Jak 3 and Jak X: Combat Racing for Naughty Dog, and helped to create the game series Gex, Pandemonium, and Soul Reaver at Crystal Dynamics. He is also the author of a new book, A Playful Production Process, for Game Designers (and Everyone), published by the MIT Press in October 2021. Show Links: * A Playful Production Process, for Game Designers (and Everyone) MIT Press * USC Games program website * Jason VandenBerghe's 2013 GDC Talk YouTube *Soul Reaver 2 wikipedia * Game Design Workshop Amazon * Mark Cerny wikipedia * Naughty Dog website * Jax X: Combat Racing wikipedia * Uncharted wikipedia * Thinking in Systems Amazon * T-Shaped Skills wikipedia * Young Horses website * The Well-Played Game Amazon * Subnautica website * Boyfriend Dungeon website * Beast Breaker Nintendo * Jett: The Far Shore website * Ring Fit Adventure Nintendo * XTC Spotify Connect Links: * Richard Lemarchand Twitter * Richard Lemarchand email * Richard Lemarchand website * Richard Lemarchand LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: * New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful * Game Dev Advice Twitter * Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com) * Game Dev Advice website * Level Ex website - we're hiring * Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! * Subscribe and go to the website full show notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Glenn De Leon Garza, a talented 3D artist on this episode. We begin by talking about the impact of COVID in Mexico, along with his responsibilities now as an art director. Then hear about his transition from being a 3D artist into an art director and management role, plus his thoughts on giving good direction. We then transition to getting his first job as a 3D artist, the challenges of working in the industry from Mexico, and differences in salaries with the U.S. Hear what his first years were like as a new artist and his secret for getting better. Learn what Glenn wishes he'd known when starting in the industry, advice he gives new artists, and needing to understand your weaknesses. Hear about the importance of finding a mentor and his secret to attracting people to his portfolio. We then discuss the importance of ArtStation, always having your portfolio ready, and advice on progressing through personal projects. Learn Glenn's thoughts on managing others, his favorite two projects to work on, and excitement around this new generation of PlayStation and XBox hardware when it's truly next gen. We then discuss concerns around too many sequels, thoughts around VR, plus Nintendo's failed Virtual Boy. Towards the end we examine the different communication styles with Eastern European developers, his current favorite game and the upcoming one he's excited about. Then Glenn turns the table and interviews me about what I'm playing, working on Mortal Kombat, and how I got my start in the game industry. After being interviewed we wrap up with how to get in contact with him, along with his one piece of parting advice to others. Bio: Glenn De Leon Garza is a talented 3D artist heading up creative teams that have developed games including Star Wars: The Old Republic, Borderlands 3, Friday the Thirteenth: The Game and The Sims. He's currently working from his home in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and welcomes other artists to reach out since he's passionate about helping others level up their skills and finding their way in the industry. Show Links: *Devoted Studios website *CGBot website *Star Citizen Wikipedia *ArtStation website *Nintendo Virtual Boy Wikipedia *Fire Emblem: Three Houses Nintendo *My TurboGrafx-16 Interview YouTube *GameShark Wikipedia Connect Links: *Glenn on ArtStation *Glenn on Instagram *Glenn's LinkedIn Game Dev Advice Links: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com) *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we're hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Matt Schembari, CEO of Lightforge Games. We begin by discussing his lifelong love of games and how he got his first job in the industry, followed by the other studios he's worked at. Our discussion pivots into burnout and the effects it has on a person, along with a crisis of identity, and thoughts on mental health. We then discuss the industry turnover rate and constant loss of talent that's happening, along with the key principles Lightforge Games has been founded on. Hear Matt's thoughts on empathic design, targeting tool development as a career choice, the importance of UI, and ideas around focusing your career. We then discuss the need to be a team player, mentoring others, and developing as a leader. Listen to the most important skill he thinks people should have and the importance of learning and developing. We then pivot into his experience working on StarCraft II and FortNite, including the development of crossplay, along with the rise of Twitch players. Hear about threats to the industry around big companies needing to get their shit together, the rise of startup studios working together and sharing ideas collectively, and the VC ecosystem. Listen to his excitement around AR and a funny story about a trip to Korea to promote StarCraft II. Towards the end we discuss thoughts about being all-remote, how the studio was founded on not asking people to move, and working asynchronously with employees in different parts of the world. We then wrap up talking about the importance of empathy and the belief in it creating better games. Bio: Matt Schembari has spent his career in the video games industry with a resume that spans both Blizzard Entertainment and Epic Games. He is currently the CEO of Lightforge Games. Show Links: *Lightforge Games website *StarCraft II Wikipedia *FarSide Cartoon JPG *Crossplay Fortnite The Gamer *StarCraft II expansion pack Korean news *Miro website *Notion website *Tangle website Connect Links: *Lightforge Games Twitter *Lightforge Games website *Matt Schembari LinkedIn *Matt Schembari Twitter Game Dev Advice Links: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we're hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Marta Svetek, a London-based actor working in video games, film and TV. We begin by discussing the state of COVID-19 in London and how her roles of acting and other work are centered around creating digital characters. Learn about her passion of playing games from a young age, Lord of the Rings, and how she landed her first game VO role working for Creative Assembly. Hear about how her work has dramatically picked up over the last year, including as a lead character in the upcoming Battlefield 2042. We then discuss the actual process of doing VO in a recording studio, protecting your voice, along with what she'd wished she'd known when younger. We talk about a key mentor, the business of agents and talent representation, and working on her own terms. Learn the importance of asking advice, types of typical contracts, and how actors can work from anywhere now. We then get into the need of meeting people, why more work is moving to the UK because of buyouts, and sticking to your rate. Hear about the dicey world of talent agents, how to connect with people when networking, using Twitter as a resource, and how to connect with people. Towards the end we talk about the importance of understanding the gaming medium if auditioning, what to never say during the casting, and her favorite projects to work on. Learn about the importance of the collaboration process, her thoughts on indie development, and what it's like doing “efforts” for games. Hear about our anger and frustration with the recent news, again, of toxic abuse in the industry, how crunch contributes to this, and a personal experience of hers. We then wrap up with the games she's playing, how to connect online, parting advice on making friends, and the value of the Games Industry Gathering network. Bio: Marta Svetek is a London-based actor working in video games, film and TV. Specialising in Voice and Mocap work she has worked on a variety of popular titles, including lead roles in Total War: Warhammer 2 and the newly announced Battlefield 2042. She is represented globally by Audere Talent Management and The Mocap Agency. Show Links: *Will Tidman interview *Total War: Warhammer *Aranessa Saltspite character *Battlefield 2042 *Beavis & Butt-Head's Weiner Takes All *Tom Keegan *Audere Talent *The VoiceOver Network *Rokoko Mocap Suits *Activision Blizzard on GamesRadar *Valheim *Raft by Redbeet Interactive *Outriders *Mordhau *Games Industry Gathering *The Mess on Soundcloud (drums) Connect Links: *Marta Svetek on Twitter *Marta Svetek website *Marta Svetek on YouTube *Marta Svetek voice reels on Soundcloud Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful *Game Dev Advice Twitter *info@gamedevadvice.com *Game Dev Advice website *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Level Ex website - we're hiring, check it out *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Justin Fischer, Lead Development Director at Industrial Toys of EA. We begin by discussing the state of COVID-19 in LA and how his scrappiness landed him an internship at Chicago's Wideload Games. Learn about how he cut his teeth at Wideload Games and Disney Interactive working on projects with tight budgets, like Hail to the Chimp, Guilty Party and Marvel XP. Hear about the challenges and life lessons of tieing too much of your identity into being a game developer, going through a layoff, and the hidden value shown over time. We then pivot into advice for aspiring designers, artists, engineers and producers, along with how to advance in production, and what it means to view it as a service role. Learn about the value of seeking to understand before being understood, validating someone's viewpoint, and his excitement around working on Battlefield Mobile. Hear about the other favorite game he's worked on, the industry's challenge of so few mid-tier publishers, along with thoughts on AR. Towards the end we talk about the power of the mobile and tablet platforms, a challenging interview story, and the current games he's playing. We then wrap up sharing how to connect with Justin online, along with parting advice on working with others. Bio: Justin Fischer has worked in one form of production or another for almost 20 years - in music, television, software development and, primarily, games. He is currently the Lead Development Director for Industrial Toys, an EA studio in Pasadena currently working on Battlefield Mobile. He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University. Show Links: *Wideload Games *Marvel XP *Guilty Party *Stubbs the Zombie *Disney Interactive Layoff *Pareto Principle *Atlassian Jira *Metroid 3DS *Industrial Toys *Battlefield Mobile Connect Links: *Justin Fischer Twitter *Breaking The Wheel website *Better Development Through Science: How Aliens, Odysseus, and Toyota Can Help Improve Production GDC Talk on YouTube Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we're hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Scott Millard, Managing Director at Feardemic. We begin discussing his Krakow, Poland location, and the country's forward-thinking and vibrant game development industry. We then shift to COVID-19's impact, plus his current role as a Managing Director at Feardemic working on horror games. Listen to his origin story starting at Sega's Oziesoft followed by lots of acquisitions, a controversial perspective on big companies, and his advice to finding your own way when starting out. Hear his idea on the most important skill to learn, what publishers are looking for in developers, and helping distribute classic games like DOOM II, Tomb Raider, and Command & Conquer. We then talk about game classification ratings, a time-intensive mistake, and what's happening with Stadia and Xbox in the console wars. Hear about Game Pass, niche markets, the music industry's approach to streaming, plus the chip shortage. Towards the end we talk about the challenges around AR/VR, an AK-47 meeting room, current games he's excited about, Israel's game dev scene, where to find online, and the importance of being thankful. Bio: Mr. Millard is Managing Director of FEARDEMIC sp. z o.o, a wholly owned subsidiary of BLOOBER TEAM S.A, a publisher of computer games and their related entertainment products. Previously Mr. Millard had held various positions in the games industry. Most notably the Asian distribution of Bethesda games including the Award winning Elder Scrolls Skyrim and Asia versions of The Elder Scrolls Online. Previously Mr. Millard served as Managing Director of Namco Bandai Partners Singapore Pte Ltd and Namco Bandai Partners Korea Ltd, a post he held for near 7 years that saw him oversee the releases of dozens of triple A titles. Mr. Millard was co-founder of a Korean Games Association that represents the interests of foreign and local publishers operating in the packaged games sector in the Korean domestic market. In 2005 Mr. Millard held the post of Vice President, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Committee, European Union Chamber of Commerce Korea. He consults for several games industry organisations and companies, and is a regular blogger and producer of opinion pieces for various publications. Show Links: Feardemic Games Bloober Team Unfold Games Dark Fracture DOOM II In Sound Mind Grim Deadhouse Sonata Connect Links: Feardemic website Feardemic Twitter Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support if you find this useful *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we're hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I welcome Norman Morse, Triage Engineer at Perforce Software. We begin by discussing COVID-19’s impact, and his current role helping game developers. Hear thoughts on the importance of git and Perforce, how a previous job led to his current one, and the challenge of layoffs. Listen to his origin story around doing kernel development, building a team, and getting absorbed into EA. Learn his theory for success, going door-to-door for a job, teaching himself languages, and the importance of Linux and enthusiasm. We then talk about the importance of GDC and social skills, Toastmasters, studying NLP, along with learning technical skills. Hear about working in Unity back in 2008, supporting P4, and how GitHub is an engineer’s resume. Learn about favorite games he worked on, thoughts on the future, concerns about how studios fill roles, ageism, sharing a game engine, and crunching. We then wrap up talking about triple-A dev concerns, missing co-workers during COVID-19, commuting, a bad air conditioner, connecting with people, engineering tips, and how the industry is finally evolving. Bio: Norman Morse is an Engineer and 25+ year veteran of the game industry who’s worked both within game studios and tool companies. EA, Sega, Crystal Dynamics, and Stormfront Studios are some of the bigger game companies he’s been at along with many others, plus ten years as a Triage Engineer at Perforce Software. He’s also a life-long learner and self-taught engineer, Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming, Toastmasters advocate, and personal coach. Show Links: Perforce Swarm git WorldsAway Stormfront Studios Quake GitHub No Man’s Sky Surviving Mars Perforce Software JetBrains Connect Links: Norman on Twitter Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support if you find this useful *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Kate Edwards, game industry pioneer at Geogrify and Executive Director of the Global Game Jam. We start by discussing COVID-19 totally changing everything for her speaking and traveling work along with the Global Game Jam (recorded before the event). We then talk about her culturalization consulting and public speaking projects keeping her even busier now. Listen to her origin story about arcades, wanting to be an astronaut, Star Wars, going into Industrial Design, and grad school at the HITLab in Seattle. Hear how being a Cartographer started her career at Microsoft and translated into a new role as a Geopolitical Specialist. We then talk about consulting for Google, joining then leading the IGDA, Gamergate threats, 50 over 50 list, and mental health advocacy. We reflect on lessons learned over time, marketing yourself, imposter syndrome, networking, finding a mentor strategy, and future meetups. Listen to ideas for those working now, parallel career paths, autonomy, bad managers, and her love for Halo. Hear about working on Age of Empires, BioWare projects, the long road left with Diversity and Inclusion, and developer leverage against being exploited. We then explore games as human narrative, VR’s challenges, democratized dev tools, Tehran game dev, and the global game community. We then wrap up with a challenging situation back on Halo 2, games she’s playing now, how to find online, Mark Twain, not always comparing yourself to others, mentors, and having that creative drive to always get better. Bio: Kate Edwards is a 27+ year veteran and an outspoken, award-winning advocate of the game industry and the Executive Director of the Global Game Jam, as well as the former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). She is also a professional geographer and corporate strategist who pioneered and specializes in content culturalization. Following 13 years at Microsoft, she has consulted on many game and non-game projects for BioWare, Ubisoft, LEGO, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other companies. She was also profiled in the December 2018 publication Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play, and was most recently honored with the Ambassador Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards at GDC 2020 Show Links: Global Game Jam IGDA Thomas Furness interview Cartography Encarta Steve Baller “Developers!” Gamergate ‘50 Over 50’ Take This Safe In Our World Age of Empires Google’s Union Tehran Game Event Halo 2 Whirling Dervish Cloudpunk Connect Links: Kate on Twitter Kate on LinkedIn Geogrify website Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Adam Boyes, game industry veteran and Co-CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios. We start by discussing COVID-19 and thoughts on staying mentally healthy along with his current position. Adam then shares his passion for games and journey for getting in through QA. Learn how Canada’s grown their game industry through tax incentives, plus Adam’s perspective and advice on building a career. We then discuss him leaving the industry for entrepreneurial pursuits, moving overseas, coming back to Vancouver for Next Level Games, then going to Midway Games. Learn about his inspiration from an EVE Online event to create the PlayStation Experience, plus working on Blitz: The League. Adam shares about working with linebacker Lawrence Taylor, what he’s excited about, and the value of games for kids. Learn how mobile games have grown the industry and his inspiration for the infamous Red Shirt Gang. Learn what he’s playing right now and tips to help your odds for getting in the industry. We then wrap up with recruiter horror stories, how to connect with Adam, and parting thoughts about how to treat others - be present and pleasant. Bio: As Co-CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios, Adam Boyes is responsible for the Company’s finances, strategic development, partnerships and alliances. Most recently, Boyes was Vice President of Third Party Relations & Developer Technology Group at Sony Interactive Entertainment America where he oversaw Publisher & Developer Relations, Portfolio Strategy, Financial Strategy, Partner Alliance, Technical Account Management, Developer Technology Group and the 3rd Party Production team - driving them to record revenue and profitability numbers consistently year over year. Previously, Boyes was Executive Producer and Director of Product Development at Midway Games and Capcom respectively. Timeline: [02:05] Discussion about COVID-19’s impact [04:10] Hear how Adam got started in the industry [07:15] Learn the tax advantages for Canadian game dev [08:15] Thoughts on getting started in the industry then leaving [15:25] Hear about going to Next Level Games then Midway Games [20:40] Learn about EVE Online inspiring PSX conference [25:00] Hear about working on Blitz: The League and Lawrence Taylor [32:00] Discussion about new games, tech, and the value of play [40:15] Shares a favorite industry inspired story, the Red Shirt Gang [46:30] Learn about some of his favorite games right now [48:20] Hear tips for getting a first job and stacking the deck in your favor [52:45] Cold solicitors and recruiter horror stories [55:00] Learn how to find him online and final thoughts on how to treat people Show Links To Check Out: EA Vancouver Dot-com Bubble Next Level Games PlayStation Experience Blitz: The League Lawrence Taylor Sahara Level Ex Castaways Chicago Grackle HQ Connect With: Adam on Twitter https://twitter.com/amboyes Iron Galaxy on Twitter https://twitter.com/IronGalaxy Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
I welcome Patrick Moran, game industry veteran and GM at Kongregate’s Tonic division on this episode. We start by discussing COVID-19 and his current role. Learn how his team’s spread over the globe, plus the unique business model he’s leading around LiveOps and buying games. Patrick then shares what it was like trying to break into the industry and the method used for getting his first job. Hear about life crunching in QA on Deus Ex, making mobile and DS games as a Designer, and the importance of patience. Learn what people to reach out to and how to get your first job, along with the importance of mentorship. Hear the culture challenge he faced at Wideload as it was coming to terms with being owned by Disney and later getting laid off. Hear thoughts on how Design is always changing and what to do for advancing your career. Patrick then shares about being resourceful, knowing your audience, working at Amazon, at BioWare, and the importance of boundaries. Hear thoughts on the advantages of working remotely, how it’s been accelerated, and forced some people to change. Hear about LiveOps, metaverses and communities, how Garena grew into a massive company in SE Asia, plus growth markets like Latin America and Africa. Learn his opinion about the industry’s lack of mentorship being the root cause of crunch, sexism, burnout, and other huge issues. Patrick then shares about meeting an executive coach and learning how they help people in leadership roles, along with concerns around VR and excitement around AR. Hear a hilarious story about New York Comic Con, Deadpool, Stan Lee, and drinking. Thoughts on RimWorld, deep interest in A.I., and amazement for MS Flight Simulator. We then wrap up with more thoughts around mentorship, final advice, and how to find online. Bio: Patrick Moran is an award-winning video game business leader and entrepreneur, with developer and publisher experience across mobile, console, and PC platforms during his almost 20 years in the industry. He’s currently the General Manager of Kongregate’s Tonic division, and has held various roles at BioWare, Ion Storm Austin, Amazon Games, Disney Interactive, MobilityWare, and other studios. Timeline: [02:00] Discussion about COVID-19’s impact [03:30] Talk about his GM role at Kongregate and how they’re evolving [05:37] Patrick shares about his distributed global team and their business model [08:20] Hear about the game industry in 2000 and the unusual way he got his first job [15:40] Patrick shares about his first role as a Designer after working in QA [20:35] Learn his advice around patience and ambition [25:25] Who you should reach out to for getting a first job [31:35] How your career will evolve based on your network of peers [37:50] Learn about his favorite games worked on and the importance of your audience [41:00] How his career trajectory changed after working on Mass Effect [44:30] The advantages of working remotely and how games can have massive growth [47:50] LiveOps, metaverses, and markets like SE Asia, Latin America, and Africa [55:40] Belief a lack of mentorship is the root cause of many ongoing industry issues [1:05:30] Hear concerns around VR and interest around AR [1:08:10] Funny story about New York Comic Con, Deadpool, and Stan Lee [1:18:25] Hear about Rimworld and Flight Simulator [1:21:50] Learn how to find him online and final thoughts Show Links: Wideload Games Wikipedia New World website Surviv.io website Garena Wikipedia Avengers Initiative YouTube Total MK Interview YouTube RimWorld website MS Flight Simulator Steam Connect: Patrick Moran Twitter Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give a call! *Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes and more links
On this episode, I welcome Joshua Tsui, game industry veteran and creator of the new documentary, Insert Coin. We start by discussing his current role in experiential design at Edge Experiential, then dive into his journey in developing Insert Coin, detailing his inspiration behind it, the research and interview process, and the many challenges he encountered along the way. Joshua describes working with Kenny Fedesna and others from Midway Games on the documentary, plus shares candid thoughts on whether or not he’s going to make a sequel of Insert Coin or even continue making films. Hear how much harder it is to make a game than a movie, SXSW, and Covid-19’s impact on film festivals. Learn how Midway Games changed in the 2000s and thoughts on the Oculus Quest, Nintendo Switch, Magic Leap, and the HoloLens platforms. Joshua then shares about how to connect with him and the movie through social media, and then I wrap up with a recommendation – go stream this movie. Bio: Joshua Tsui spent over two decades working in video game development as a director on key franchises such as Mortal Kombat, Fight Night, and Tony Hawk. Having studied film in college, he accidentally got into games development and put his Filmmaking career on hold to join Midway Games. His new documentary, Insert Coin, brings him back to his roots with a subject he holds dear. It was released on November 25th and is available for streaming and viewing at selected theaters right now. Timeline: [00:59] Introducing Joshua Tsui [02:23] About his role in Experiential Design [03:38] The inspiration behind Insert Coin [06:14] Joshua’s experience with Kickstarter [08:36] How he did the research for Insert Coin along with lessons learned creating a documentary [10:36] Working with Kenny from Midway on the documentary [15:10] Challenges Joshua had to overcome while making his film -- including his struggles with editing [20:51] How interviewing went easier than expected [23:09] A funny story about interviewing Ernest Cline, Author of Ready Player One [26:47] Discussions of a movie sequel and what’s easier -- making a game or a film? [29:45] The impact of Covid-19 on film distribution and film festivals [31:20] Joshua’s candid thoughts on continuing to make films [33:01] Rumors of Midway in the 2000s along with the weirdness of game development then [35:23] The most used gaming devices in his household, plus thoughts on AR and VR [40:08] How to connect with Joshua and stream Insert Coin [43:06] Outro Links: Insert Coin Edge Experiential Midway Games Polygon article Kickstarter WrestleMania Ready Player One SXSW Virtual Cinema at Alamo Drafthouse Viacom New Media Oculus Pokémon GO HoloLens 2 Connect: Insert Coin Twitter Insert Coin Instagram Insert Coin Facebook Joshua’s Twitter Joshua’s Instagram Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon – check it out *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give me a call with a question! *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links.
On this episode I welcome Mehran Torgoley, Director & Writer at Cult Cinema, LLC. We start by discussing a few projects he’s currently working on and how he began at a small game studio outside of Chicago. While sharing what he wishes he’d known when starting out in the industry, Mehran emphasizes the significance of commitment, pushing through hesitation, and passion. We reminisce on our days at Midway Games before diving into useful advice for people going into game development or film, as well as people looking to advance their careers. He touches on the importance of networking, having a great portfolio, being prepared, and keeping your skills current. Mehran speaks on the weirdness of auditions and why he doesn’t want to work on games he’d love to play, then shares how Unreal Engine’s being used in film and TV. He shares thoughts on the relevant threats to the game and film industries, such as massive game updates, COVID-19’s impact on theaters, thoughts on TV series, and the power shift in film. We conclude with some funny game and film industry stories, along with details on Mehran’s experience transitioning from an artist to a writer and filmmaker. Bio: Mehran Torgoley is a Director & Writer, originally from Chicago, IL. After over a decade working on AAA titles at Midway Games, Shiny Entertainment and Double Helix, Mehran transitioned to directing. His work includes feature films, music videos and commercial projects, including the award winning short film, Committed. He has contributed to projects for clients such as Justin Bieber, Fox Studios, and Image8nineteen. In 2019, he co-founded Cult Cinema, LLC. Curse of Aurore is Mehran’s feature film directorial debut, and is currently enjoying a successful theatrical release in Canada. Timeline: [1:00] Introducing Mehran Torgoley [2:04] How COVID-19 is impacting him [2:41] Mehran’s current role and projects plus pivoting from a game artist to film [4:43] How he got started in game development [9:16] What he wishes he’d known when starting out in the industry [13:02] Reminiscing on his times at Midway and making lifelong friends [14:48] Advice for someone looking to get a first job in game development or film [16:49] How he hires people for his films plus the challenges around auditions [21:27] Advice for someone looking to advance their career in game development or film [24:45] Using game engines to create hit TV series and how film and TV is now catching up with games [27:30] Mehran’s favorite games and movies [30:46] Thoughts on the success of Nintendo, the new consoles, and love for Ori and the Will of the Wisps [32:45] E3 and missing the “exhales” of the game industry [35:25] Frustration around massive game updates, COVID-19’s impact on theaters, thoughts on TV series, and power shift change [40:36] Mehran’s candid thoughts on AR, MR, and VR [41:26] A water bottle prank at Midway [43:00] One degree of separation from Bruce Willis meeting [45:05] Working on a mockumentary and a fun dinner with Rooster McConaughey [47:42] Star Wars, Quentin Tarantino’s influence, and his transition from an artist to a writer [56:07] How to connect with Mehran [56:35] Cut to outro Links: Terraglyph Interactive Studios MLB Slugfest Hash Animation:Master Softimage Curse of Aurore Unreal Engine Star Wars: The Mandalorian Metroid Psi-Ops Ori and the Will of the Wisps E3 Expo Prop Culture on Disney+ Water Sort Puzzle Room Enough Blender Connect: Curse of Aurore Twitter Instagram YouTube Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon – check it out *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give me a call with a question! *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
On this episode we welcome Jason VandenBerghe, VP Studio Creative Director at Level Ex. We start by discussing COVID-19, his excitement about making games for doctors, and thoughts about the future of game design. He shares his story of breaking into the industry with The X-Files Game and his transition from programmer to producer to creative director at EA. Jason then offers specific advice for people in the industry and those looking to break in while telling about the fastest hire ever made at Ubisoft. He shares intriguing stories on his favorite games so far, including the development of For Honor at Ubisoft and working with Van Halen on Guitar Hero. He speaks about his excitement for this golden age of design experimentation right now, along with threats that include a backlash to diversity and inclusion, engaging with players, and the dangers of self-defeating beliefs amongst developers. Before telling a few more hilarious industry stories Jason shares candid thoughts on AR & VR, and his love for Beat Saber. We wrap things up talking about his two current favorite games that include his must-play “Game of the Year”, along with parting advice to game designers. Jason VandenBerghe has led creative teams for over two decades, developing triple-A games for Ubisoft (For Honor), Activision (Call of Duty), and Electronic Arts (James Bond 007). At Level Ex, he employs game design methodologies, honed through extensive experience in the consumer games industry, to capture the greatest challenges of medical and surgical procedures as video game mechanics. Discussion Details: [01:10] Introducing Jason VandenBerghe [02:00] Thoughts about pandemic life [03:40] His passion around game design [09:51] The challenges and excitement of working at Level Ex [13:39] What it’s like to work with medical professionals [15:37] How he started in the industry on The X-Files Game [22:00] Going from Programming into Production then Creative Director at EA [24:49] When his annual reviews changed, he knew he was in the right path [26:21] What he wishes he’d known when starting out [28:38] Quality vs. Sales - his NPD discovery [32:14] Key advice for getting your first job and the fastest hire ever made [37:46] How to advice your current career [44:29] Favorite projects so far – For Honor and Guitar Hero: Van Halen [54:51] Excitement around Diversity and Inclusion, which is long overdue in the industry [1:00:36] Threats including the backlash about Diversity and Inclusion, triple-A player engagement, and self-defeating beliefs [1:05:20] Thoughts on AR & VR and love for Beat Saber [1:07:55] Funny stories about Mythic Quest roots and Red Steel 2 [1:16:57] Playing the game of spotting Creative Directors at GDC [1:18:36] His love for Spelunky 2 and obsession with Hades [1:21:18] Player psychology and motivation [1:23:19] Why he wanted to be a filmmaker [1:24:12] How to connect [1:24:49] Parting piece of advice – tear down the walls [1:26:28] Cut to outro Show Links: Noah Falstein Wikipedia Level Ex website Level Ex SIGGRAPH 2019 YouTube The X-Files Game Wikipedia James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing Wikipedia For Honor Wikipedia Playing Hard IMDb (on Steam) Guitar Hero: Van Halen IMDb Unity website Beat Saber website Red Steel 2 IGN Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet IMDb Spelunky 2 Steam Hades Steam GDC Engines of Play: Talk 3 YouTube Thoughts on Games for Change YouTube Connect with Jason: The_DarkLorde Twitter The_DarkLorde website Jason VandenBerghe Designing the Future at Level Ex Jason VandenBerghe YouTube videos Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give a call and ask a question *www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
On this episode we welcome guest Clark Stacey, CEO of WildWorks. We start by discussing the impacts of Coronavirus on his studio, how WildWorks came to be, and then rewind to discuss his journey into the game development industry. He gives powerful advice for people trying to get started along with those trying to advance their career, emphasizing the value of identifying and solving problems. Clark talks about some of his favorite games he’s worked on and what he’s curious about right now, including VR and his candid thoughts on Facebook’s gaming world. He shares his thoughts on MR and seeing the future in Asia. Clark speaks on potential threats in the gaming industry, like regulations and rapacious business models, as well as what he’s most excited about, especially the opportunity to create high-quality games for kids under 13 and the potential for use as educational tools. We reminisce on some of the outrageous industry parties, like Alex St. John’s surreal DirectX launch event. Then, Clark mentions some games he’s playing right now and shares the story of the (pretty hilarious) crisis WildWorks encountered after launching Animal Jam. Clark Stacey is the co-founder and CEO of WildWorks, and has over 25 years of experience in video game development. His company’s online playground Animal Jam blends social gameplay with STEAM-focused educational content and offline environmental conservation activities. Animal Jam has grown to become the largest MMO game for kids in the world, connecting over 130 million young players worldwide. WildWorks is headquartered in Salt Lake City employs over 100 developers and support staff worldwide. Discussion Details: [01:06] Introducing Clark Stacey [01:53] How COVID-19 has impacted production and prototyping [05:29] Clark’s current role as CEO and how WildWorks started [09:42] How Clark got his start in the industry [12:46] What he wishes he’d known when starting out [15:31] Advice for someone trying to break into the game development industry [20:57] Advice for someone trying to advance their career [24:29] Indie Game Jams [25:42] Clark’s favorite games he’s worked on [28:42] What he’s curious about right now and Facebook concerns [33:45] Challenges for platforms when publishers aren’t supporting it [34:44] Rebirth of Intellivision and classic consoles [36:51] Clark’s thoughts on MR [38:15] Pokemon and Taiwan arcades [40:19] Potential threats to the gaming industry [42:30] What he’s most excited about now [46:02] Privacy, COPPA & GDPR [47:29] The wild Alex St. John’s DirectX launch party [50:17] E3 party wars [52:41] Games he’s catching up on now [54:54] The essence of WildWorks and a crisis they faced after launching Animal Jam [56:59] Where to find Clark on social media [57:34] Clark’s last piece of advice for people in the game development industry [1:01:39] Outro Show Links: *Follow Clark on Twitter *Follow Clark on Instagram *Fer.al *WildWorks *Animal Jam *Unity *Redline *Pokémon Tretta *COPPA *GDPR *E3 Shrinks After Excess *Control *Borderlands 3 *DirectX Launch Party *The Last of Us Part II *Pokémon GO Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice Email *Game Dev Advice Website *Level Ex Website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give a call and ask a question *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
On this episode, we welcome guest Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla. We start by discussing Chris’s take on the effects of coronavirus, his new role at Xsolla, and how he got started in the game industry, offering insight into what he wishes he had known at the beginning. He then shares valuable advice for people entering the industry and for people trying to advance their careers in Design or Production – hint: bootstrapping your way in and learning emotional intelligence can help. Chris divulges a few of his favorite games he’s worked on and what he’s excited about, including the evolution of cross-platform play and games becoming their own social platforms. We discuss some potential threats to the game industry and share candid thoughts on AR/VR/MR technology. Some funny stories are shared, a few including odd pets, and Chris talks about his current game of choice keeping him up. The episode wraps up with an overview of Xsolla’s platform, along with some more powerful advice for people currently working in the game industry. “I wish I had known that sometimes there’s more power, not power in a control sense, but there’s more power in being able to move things forward by listening than there is by telling.” - Chris Hewish Chris Hewish is a multifaceted leader who's worked in both the developer and publisher sides of the business; having been directly involved in designing or producing over 50 Console, PC, Mobile, and VR games. His unique skill-set combines the design and production skills of a developer, with the business and strategic acumen of a publisher; all supported by a servant leader mentality. He’s managed individual game teams, operated multi-game studios, and run worldwide interactive business units at companies like Activision, DreamWorks Animation, Survios, and Skydance Interactive. He loves creating concepts, building prototypes, establishing roadmaps, managing production, owning P&L’s, and being a strategic thinking vision holder who brings the best out of the teams he works with. Visit Chris’s website Follow him on Twitter Discussion Details: [01:02] Introducing Chris Hewish [01:30] Dealing with COVID-19 both personally and professionally [04:08] Chris’s new role as President at Xsolla [05:19] How he got started in the industry [11:15] What do you wish you had known when you started? [14:48] Advice for someone looking for their first job in the industry [18:41] Advice for someone trying to advance their career in Design or Production [26:02] Chris’s favorite games to work on [28:38] What Chris is excited about [34:18] Potential threats to the gaming industry [38:08] Thoughts on VR/AR/MR technology [41:13] Some funny stories including one with a pet spider [49:02] Games Chris plays now [50:14] Some details about Xsolla [54:45] Best piece of advice for people working in the industry right now [57:12] Outro Show Links: *Games Workshop *Sid Meier *Bruce Shelley *Vampire the Masquerade *Travis Scott in Fortnite *Creating in Roblox *EQ *MicroProse *Apex Legends *Xsolla Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice Email *Game Dev Advice Website *Level Ex Website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give me a call and ask a question *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
On this episode we welcome guest Bill Roper, Chief Creative Officer at AuthorDigital and Adept Games. We start by discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on work and personal life and rising to the challenge of digitalizing our lives in completely unusual circumstances. Bill emphasizes the importance of taking time for yourself, focusing on mental health and being “family first”. “Games are an amazing way for people to connect via distance, it’s what videogames were designed to do.” - Bill Roper Bill then talks about bringing his vision of empowering storytellers and giving them the ability to bring their craft into new digital spaces into a reality. He shares about his new role as co-founder of AuthorDigital and his work with Blizzard. He reflects on what he wishes he had known when he started his journey in the game developing industry, as well as advice for people who are in it right now. Bill happily divulges some of his favorite games to work on, aspects of the industry that he’s currently curious about, and even threats he sees. He then shares thoughts on AR and VR, games he’s excited about, and tells a few hilarious stories that he’s collected over the years. “There is no greater return on your entertainment dollar, than a videogame.” - Bill Roper Bill Roper has been a well-known figure in the global gaming industry for 25 years. Since starting out at Blizzard Entertainment doing sound, music, and voice-over, he has basically done it all. From his nine years at Blizzard Entertainment dating back to 1994, to overseeing Design at Cryptic Studios, to the launch of Disney Infinity, he even co-founded multiple companies, including AuthorDigital. Bill is currently working on his passion of turning storytellers into game developers. Connect with him on LinkedIn Follow him on Twitter Discussion Details: [01:04] Introducing Bill Roper [02:19] Addressing COVID-19 and its impacts on work and personal life [05:35] Making the separation of work and personal life + taking time for yourself [08:13] Bill’s new role as co-founder of AuthorDigital [14:10] Work at Blizzard in the early days [20:04] Passion & Money [27:00] What do you wish you had known when you started? [33:29] Advice for people in the industry [38:58] Bill’s favorite games to work on [55:13] What are you curious about right now regarding the industry? [59:32] Threats to videogames [1:09:38] Thoughts on AR & VR [1:12:34] Games Bill is excited about [1:17:10] Funny and odd stories of working in the industry [1:27:20] Last piece of advice for people [1:28:30] Outro Show Links: *AuthorDigital *Adept Games *Blizzard Entertainment *Warcraft II *Diablo *Disney Infinity *Fantasia: Music Evolved *Animal Talking with Gary Whitta *Animal Crossing *Kards *Townscaper Game Dev Advice: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice Email *Game Dev Advice Website *Level Ex Website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give me a call and ask a question *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
Justin Mohlman has many skills and projects. With over 17 years in the industry, he’s a seasoned game developer currently working as a Game Development Producer at Epic Games. Hear about his many positions ranging from art instructor, co-owner of a tattoo shop, to managing the social media of Metallica’s bassist. Learn how he got his start in the industry, his projects at Epic Games, Heavy Metal magazine, some advice for current 3D artists, and his favorite projects, like Tony Hawk and Mortal Kombat. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.) In This Episode We Discuss: [01:03] Introductions [01:13] Justin’s current projects at Epic Games [03:30] Artist career paths and Epic’s goal [05:46] Justin’s teaching roles [06:49] Code of conduct at the tattoo shop [07:14] Creative Director at The Rookies [11:46] Contributing Editor at Heavy Metal [12:59] Managing Robert Trujillo of Metallica’s social media [14:44] Finding a way to visually problem solve [15:28] Justin’s photography ventures [16:57] How Justin got started in game development [27:09] Advice for 3D Artists working in the field now [32:18] Justin’s favorite projects [36:03] What he’s curious in the game industry [39:40] Possible threats to the game industry [42:31] Funny game industry story [45:40] Games he’s excited about [47:27] Finding Justin online Resources: * Justin Mohlman Instagram * Justin Mohlman Twitter * Justin Mohlman LinkedIn Game Dev: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice Email *Game Dev Advice Website *Level Ex Website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give a call and ask a question *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
Johner Riehl, Vice President and PR Lebowski at Wonacott Communications joins me on this episode. Johner has been in the industry for over 23 years and shares about the Public Relations side of videogames. Hear about his PR experience doing launches for the Neo Geo Pocket Color, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Pokemon, Pikmin, working with Nintendo, Microsoft, and Midway, plus writing books and running a website. Learn how he got started in the industry, working at Wonacott, advice on getting PR for a game, working with influencers and streamers, and thoughts on future opportunities. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.) In This Episode We Discuss: [01:02] Introductions [01:10] Johner’s current role as Vice President and PR Lebowski [02:44] Working on PR for Polyarc [03:41] How to reach out for PR and spread the word on new games [05:31] Adjustments and challenges of work during COVID-19 [06:30] The impact of GDC, E3, and the PAXs cancelations on indie developers [07:11] Johner’s start in the industry and moving out west [11:25] What he wishes he’d known before getting in the industry [12:38] Advice for someone wanting game exposure and PR [14:37] The price of User Acquisition going through the roof [19:26] Working on console launches, Pokemon, Pikmin, and other games [23:12] What Johner is curious about right now in the industry [29:12] Opportunities around streamers and influencers [30:15] Positive effects of videogames during COVID-19 [31:51] Johner’s thoughts on VR and working on Moss [34:50] The importance of frame rate in games and VR [35:59] Funny stories from working in PR and live events [38:20] The games Johner is playing now [39:36] What it takes to make a podcast and run an editorial website [40:30] Supporting small game sites and treating people with respect [42:30] Finding Johner online and reaching out Resources: *Johner Riehl Twitter *Wonacott Communications Website *Wonacott Communications Email *Johner Riehl Hats *LA Times VR Article Mentioned Game Dev: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice Email *Game Dev Advice Website *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 – give a call! *Level Ex Website - hiring for all kinds of roles *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
Game industry veteran Richard Lico joins me on this episode to discuss his career. Hear how he got started in the industry going from SCAD’s 3D Computer Art program to now being the Studio Animation Director at Polyarc 20 years later. Richard talks about working on Triple-A games like Halo, Destiny, and more recently, the indie VR hit, Moss. Learn about working at Bungie, advice to fellow animators and artists, his excitement around VR, a few wild stories, and his online animation school. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.) In This Episode We Discuss: [01:07] Introductions [02:19] Richard’s current role as the Studio Animation Director [03:41] How Polyarc started and evolved [04:12] His story getting into the industry [07:47] What he wishes he’d known before getting started [10:47] Advice for someone looking to get a first job [14:42] Career advice for fellow animators on how to bring characters to life [18:11] Richard’s favorite project so far [19:16] What Richard’s curious about right now in the industry [19:44] Concerns around the industry and crunch culture [25:59] Thoughts on opportunities for the game industry [29:40] Glimpse into the VR creation process [32:34] Wild West game development and SWAT teams [37:38] Discussion about Final Fantasy 7, and the nostalgia that follows [38:16] The secret weapon of AR and VR, including Half-Life [40:40] Finding Richard online, including Animation Sherpa Full Bio: Annie and D.I.C.E nominated animation director at Polyarc with 20 years of experience making games. Previously animation lead at Bungie and Monolith Productions. Richard's latest adventures have been in VR, animating Moss. As well as opening an animation school, "Animation Sherpa". Resources: *Richard Lico Twitter *Richard Lico Vimeo portfolio *Animation Sherpa website *Polyarc website *Polyarc Twitter Game Dev: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 - give me a call and ask a question for the show *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
Richard Khoo, Co-Founder and Game Director of indie studio Khookey joins me on this episode. He shares how he went from a Modder to Designer to Co-Founder working at places like Blizzard, Riot Games, Wargaming, and Pocket Gems. We talk about being recruited by Blizzard in 2004, advice for getting into the industry, furthering your career after you’re in, favorite projects, a few funny stories, growing remote teams, COVID-19 and mental health, along with his upcoming game, Magehunter. Hosted by John ‘JP’ Podlasek (See gamedevadvice.com for in-depth show notes and links.) In This Episode We Discuss: [01:11] Introductions [02:11] Richard’s current role as Co-Founder and Game Director [03:47] Advantages of developing in Unity [04:30] Getting started in the industry [08:35] What he wishes he’d known before getting in the industry [10:44] Advice for someone looking to get a first job [13:34] The three tracks for advancing your current career [19:28] Richard’s favorite project so far [21:56] Thoughts on nostalgia and the game industry [23:54] Advantages around building remote teams [27:31] Concerns around the Free-to-play model and what can replace it [29:42] Thoughts on opportunities in the market [33:56] Working on Heroes of the Storm at Blizzard [39:35] Discussion about Animal Crossing, especially during times like now [43:02] Streaming recommendations [46:00] Mental health and personal development during COVID-19 [50:43] Finding Richard online Resources: *Khookey website *Magehunter website *Richard Khoo LinkedIn *Magehunter Twitter *Magehunter Discord Game Dev: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring for all kinds of roles *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links
GDA24 Timestamps: [01:11] Introductions [01:20] COVID-19 [02:50] What Are Your Current Roles in the Game Industry? [04:30] Pursuing VR [06:25] Immersive Meditation Experience Through VR [07:40] Babaroga [09:18] How Did You Get Started? [11:30] Video Game QA in the 90s [14:34] What Would You Have Liked to Have Known When You Started? [16:20] Imposter Syndrome as a Newbie Engineer [18:20] What Advice Would You Give to Someone Looking to Get Their First Job? [19:00] Rubber Duck Debugging [19:40] Any Advice for Someone Furthering Their Career? [21:36] Gaming Industry Always on The Edge of Innovation [22:48] What Has Been Your Favorite Project to Work On? [24:00] Working with Judas Priest [26:42] What Are You Curious About Right Now? [27:30] Concerns About the Industry [30:03] Any Funny Stories? [31:38] What Games Are You Playing Right Now? [32:05] Anything That I Should Have Asked You About That I Didn’t? [36:18] Where Can People Find You? [37:15] Meditation As a Tool For Stress [45:08] Closing Thoughts Description: Founder & CEO of Andreja Djokovic speaks on the recent events happening and the impacts it has on the gaming industry. Andreja talks about his current roles as the founder of Babaroga, and his newest project, Third Eye Center. Starting in QA, Andreja has worked his way through the industry and has shown his success with countless collaborations and whole project developments as well as running his company, Babaroga for over 18 years. Hear how Andreja believes that VR is worth pursuing. Even though VR has not seen the adaptation that was expected, he feels that it’s just a matter of time that a tremendous shift will be seen. With Third Eye Center, Andreja has brought meditation to VR. Third Eye Center is a live feed, VR experience that is described as being transformative and immersive. Learn how Andreja was able to get his start in the video game industry. From a witty newspaper ad starting out as a QA and what his first interview question was. You get a peek into what QA in the 90s looked like and learn something that Andreja would tell his younger self. With resilience and persistence, you have the first characteristics needed to succeed in the industry. Hear how even a successful name in the game, had beginnings that started with insecurity and a life lesson he learned that changed how he approached problems. Andreja gives his own advice to those who are looking to get their first job and those who are already in the industry who are wanting to further advance their career. Mentions of the Rubber Duck Debugging Method are explained and how the constant shift in innovation of the industry can excite you. Hear some of Andreja’s favorite games and projects, including working with the band Judas Priest. Talks of what he’s curious about and what concerns he has about the industry is discussed. See how working in the game industry has changed Andreja’s perspective on gaming over the years and his favorite interview question for potential candidates. Lastly, the discussion turns back to the importance of meditation as a tool to allow yourself to process situations and build a space between the stimulus and response in a challenging world. Resources: Guest: *Andreja Djokovic Babaroga website *Andreja Djokovic Twitter *Andreja Djokovic LinkedIn *Third Eye Center Website Game Dev: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Level Ex website - we’re hiring! *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 In the News: *The Many Ways the Video Game Community is Helping Coronavirus Relief Efforts GamesRadar+ *Gaming Companies Launch ‘Play Apart Together’ to Push WHO Messaging Insider *COVID-19 Global Case Map Johns Hopkins *XR Association Releases Results of Fourth Augmented and Virtual Reality Survey MarTech Series Book/Stories: *The Pragmatic Programmer Andrew Hunt & David Thomas *How an On-Air Panic Attack Improved My Life ABC News Dan Harris
Edwin McRae talks about his role as a narrative designer and the various projects he’s working on. Hear how housesitting in New Zealand allows him to move around and work remotely with clients in the U.S., Poland, Denmark, Germany, and locally. Learn how he was a writer for the #1 soap opera in New Zealand and how he made the jump into game development. Hear what he’d wished he’d know when starting in the industry and what it was like working on hugely popular Diablo II-style Path of Exile game. Learn how being a narrative designer is very different than writing for TV or film along with advice for someone trying to get into games. Learn about procedural generation and the with favorite projects he's worked on. Hear his thoughts on interactive fiction including some of his favorite games like A Dark Room, plus discussion on game engines and a book he’s written. Hear concerns about the ongoing toxic gamer culture and the potential backlash to shady engagement tactics. Learn a controversial opinion on AR, along with accolades for VR. Hear how designers are obsessed with post-apocalyptic storylines and sometimes break the 4th wall of design with continuity issues. Learn now quality TV shows are an inspiration for his narrative design work and what games he’s playing now that influence him. Hear how user experience is one of the most important aspects of narrative design, the importance of online beta play testing, and what happens in focus tests. Learn where to find Edwin online, thoughts on being in the industry now, along with how SIGGRAPH-winning Level Ex is excelling in a unique genre. Resources: *New: Game Dev Advice Patreon *Edwin McRae website *Narrative Design For Indies website *Books website *Facebook site *Game Writer Discord *Path of Exile website *Tencent Wikipedia *80 Days website *Guardian Maia YouTube *Ink Script from Inkle Studios *Project Haven Steam *Drugwars Wikipedia *A Dark Room Wikipedia *Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Wikipedia *Mad Max Wikipedia *Level Ex website *Top 15 Game Design Podcasts You Must Follow in 2019 website picked Game Dev Advice at no. 8! *Game Dev Advice Twitter *Game Dev Advice email *Game Dev Advice website *Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 *And thanks to Charles Dike Production podcast editing *Don't forget to subscribe and go to www.gamedevadvice.com for full show notes with links About My Guest Edwin McRae has been working as a writer and narrative designer in the games industry for ten years. He helps indie and mid-level developers create in-game narratives that work in harmony with game mechanics. More recently, Edwin has written three GameLit novels and a couple of non-fiction books on Narrative Design, the latest of which is coming out in March of 2020.
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