The AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook

This episode is supported by Xsolla

Trent Kusters chats with Derek Yu, Jon Perry, and Eirik Suhrke. Together they discuss how they collaborated along with other legendary indie developers to brainstorm the 50 games found in the retro-inspired collection, UFO 50; how important it was to have a core vision for each game, the creative decisions they made to fit within the limitations of the era; when they knew a game was finished; and how the long development time allowed them to start a game only to revisit it years later with fresh eyes and new skills.

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Adam Orth chats with Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at Saber Interactive. Together they discuss Tim's long tenure at id Software and his work on the Quake series; why after 23 years he decided to leave and join Saber; the development of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2; the importance of "finding the fun" early; the creation of the swarm technology behind the Tyranids; and how the success of Space Marine 2 has been transformative for the entire company.

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Trent Kusters chats with Eric Monacelli, an executive producer at Marvel Games. Together they discuss his career working on the marketing and community side of some of gaming's biggest franchises including Bioshock, The Last of Us, and Call of Duty; the process of how development studios come to work with Marvel and what a successful collaboration looks like; the steps they take to maintain authenticity; and what it's like working with fan communities of established IP with high expectations. 

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Austin Wintory chats with composer Jon Everist. Together this discuss how he transitioned from a career path in economics to composing music; his work with Harebrained Schemes across their library of games and his most recent contributions on Star Wars Outlaws; and how the concept of constraint can lead to creative freedom. 

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Austin Wintory chats with award winning composer Mikolai Stroinski. Together they discuss his extensive work on the Witcher franchise for CD PROJEKT RED; his work on various projects both in and outside of games; the various influences that helped him score games across different genres; how his work on TV and film inform his compositions for games; and the tricks that composers and audio designers use to help guide players through their adventures. 

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Xbox's Jun Shen Chia chats with Kris Antoni, Founder of Toge Productions. Together they discuss the history of Toge including the release and reception of their hit indie game, Coffee Talk; what's next for the studio; the burgeoning development scene in Southeast Asia; and how Toge is working with studios in the region to help them reach audiences worldwide.

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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Alison Lührs, Narrative Director on Bungie's Destiny 2. Together they discuss her approach to writing for fantasy in the Dungeons & Dragons universe and now sci-fi for Destiny 2; the unique aspects of writing for live service games; how to start projects effectively; and how theater and improv have informed the way she writes.

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Trent Kusters chats with indie gaming business guru, Dan Adelman. Together they discuss his time at Xbox and Nintendo helping to start their digital content marketplaces; transitioning to working independently with game developers to help them launch and market their games; how he decides which developers and projects to work with; and his perspective on how the markets have shifted for indie games over his 20 years in the industry.

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Austin Wintory chats with longtime Valve composer and music designer, Mike Morasky. Together they discuss how he started his career outside of music in the visual effects industry working on film series such as  The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings; how he found himself pursuing music and then joining Valve; and his work across several of Valve's most memorable titles from Portal to Counter-Strike 2. 

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Trent Kusters chats with Tynan Sylvester, creator of RimWorld and author of Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences. Together they discuss his ideas around development concepts and processes; how crystalizing those ideas in book form led to the creation of RimWorld; his ideas around core systems and how they lead to successful games; generating human stories with elastic failure; and the fundamental theory on why people play games.

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Trent Kusters chats with brothers and co-founders of SFB Games, Adam & Tom Vian. Together they discuss how they began creating games in the early days of Flash and Newgrounds; transitioning to console development and working with Nintendo on the multi D.I.C.E. Award winning Snipperclips; the inspirations and development of Crow Country; and the secret to making games look and feel how we remember while avoiding the limits of the past.

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Greg Rice chats with Aggro Crab developers Nick Kaman and Caelan Pollock about their recently released undersea soulslike, Another Crab's Treasure. Together they discuss how the team got started as a game design club in college; their first commercial project in Going Under; the early ideas that led to Another Crab's Treasure; avoiding the pitfalls of difficulty that players expect in the soulslike genre; and the nuance of discussing climate change as a central narrative theme.

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Greg Rice chats with David Hellman, Nico Recabarren, and Nick Suttner of Furniture & Mattress, about their debut title as a studio, Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. Together they discuss how the team got together; the ground rules they established for the puzzle designs; decisions around scope; and how they balanced gameplay and narrative elements. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

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Adam Orth chats with Matt Wood and Micah Breitweiser from Double Dagger Studio about their first tile as a studio, Little Kitty, Big City. Together they discuss how Little Kitty, Big City began as a teaching opportunity for Matt's children; the iterative nature of development and having malleable design pillars; the importance of scope and restraint; the conscious decision to direct players as little as possible; and the process of bringing the kitty to life and how Micah's career outside of games helped make that a reality.

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Trent Kusters chats with Xalavier Nelson Jr., the studio head, writer, and creative director of titles such as El Paso Elsewhere, Space Warlord Orgran Trading Simulator, Clickolding, and the upcoming I Am Your Beast. Together they discuss Xalavier's ideas around sustainable game development such as the importance of prioritizing shipping projects on time and within scope; how giving players unique experiences keeps them coming back for the next game; and the challenges of their approach when pitching to potential partners.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Max and Nick Folkman. Nick is a writer at Insomniac Games and Max a writer at Riot Games who together also host the Script Lock podcast where they chat to fellow game writers. Together they discuss their ideas around writing for games; what it takes to get into the games industry; how to write for live service games versus single player games; and about their experiences interviewing fellow writers and what they've learned from them. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with writers Christal Rose Hazelton and Jaclyn Seto. Together they discuss the process and nuance of creating characters; the differences between creating for traditional narrative titles versus live service games; the importance of having a diverse group of voices in the writer's room; what it's like to work with a large development team; and their recent GDC talk, Creating Diverse Characters: Writing What you Know and Don't.

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Trent Kusters chats with Billy Basso about his solo-developed debut title, Animal Well. Together they discuss how the ideas and development of Animal Well first began; how he was able to work as a solo developer and the tools he created to help him along the way; how he went about designs the game's countless puzzles and animals; when he recognized he needed help with the business and marketing of releasing a commercial product; and the surreal experience of launching a title with an incredible critical and fan response.

Trent Kusters chats with Onat Hekimoglu and Ole Tillmann from Slow Bros. Together they discuss the 14 year journey of their debut title, Harold Halibut; the history of the Slow Bros and how they went from college friends to a full-time game studio; the homemade photogrammetry technology they created to craft the stop-motion inspired look; and what they learned from their first release to help prepare for the next project. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

We're on a break from new content this week, but check out one of our past episodes with Supergiant Games' Amir Rao and Greg Kasavin!

Originally released in Dec 20, 2020, Amir and Greg sit down with Ted Price to discuss creating Hades, and how launching in early access helped during development, the difficult task of tuning the complex game systems, the creative culture at Supergiant, and finding the right balance between work and life while making industry defining games. 

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Adam Orth chats with Stumbling Cat CEO and Creative Director, Renee Gittins. Together they discuss her journey to game development from starting in biotech engineering to working in VR; how work began on Potions: A Curious Tale as a side project; creating games that appeal to younger audiences rather than target them; her work with the IGDA and the important role they played during the pandemic; and the complexity of game releases.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with writer and narrative designer Whitney Beltrán. Together they discuss her background in environmental law and mythological studies that led to her work writing for RPGs; what it means to write inside the Dungeons & Dragons universe; focusing on what players feel after they put the controller down; the emergence of India as a leading market for players and hub for game developers; and thoughts on procedural generated narrative. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Adam Orth chats with legendary game developer Mike Mika of Digital Eclipse. Together they discuss his long career developing titles across multiple console generations; finding his creative spark at a young age and developing his first game on a store kiosk Commodore 64; the profound influence Atari had on his life; and how game preservation is an opportunity to share the human stories behind the games we love. 

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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor turned game developer Abubakar Salim. Together they discuss his career including how he got his first gig in games with Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Origins; wanting to make his own game and starting his own studio; the lessons he learned from working with Ridley and Luke Scott that he applied to game development; how he wanted to tell a story of grief with his first title, Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU; and what the business side of games can learn from film. 

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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with writer Evan Narcisse. Together they discuss his work across video games and comic books; how starting as an outsourcer helped him get his start in the industry; how outsourcing let him observe game development practices across many different studios; how his game Dot's Home explores historical practices that made home ownership difficult for minorities; and what the games industry needs to do to provide avenues into development for people from marginalized backgrounds.

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Trent Kusters chats with Ironwood Studios' Alex Dracott and Seth Rosen about their hit sci-fi first-person driving survival game, Pacific Drive. Together they discuss their journey including their work on AAA games; what led to them creating their own studio and the hurdles they had to jump through to get started; the origin of Pacific Drive and what inspired them; and how the premise of a driving survival game allowed them to implement original ideas and add new levels of immersion.

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Trent Kusters chats with Hunter Bridges and Dave Padilla from Evening Star. Together they discuss their studio's debut title, Penny's Big Breakaway. Additionally they discuss their journeys into development and how the openness of developers helped get them started; how working with SEGA helped them prepare for future projects; the importance of documentation and avoiding knowledge silos; how developing their own engines influenced the type of studio they built; and how playtesting with a younger audience helped their development of Penny's Big Breakaway.

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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Senior Narrative Director at Insomniac Games, Jon Paquette. Together they discuss the craft of writing and working together on a writing team; how writers and designers collaborate to craft gameplay systems that fit within a game's narrative; and what it takes to create a dual protagonist story like that of Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

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Austin Wintory chats with Composer Lennie Moore. Together they discuss his work on the original Outcast and its sequel Outcast: A New Beginning which came recently, 25 years later; the ins and outs of the business of composing music for video games including tips for young composers entering the industry; and the profound effect Lennie had on Austin's own career being one of his formative teachers at USC. 

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Trent Kusters chats with multidisciplinary artist Niklas Åkerblad. Together they discuss his career leading up to his newest title, Ultros, including his early love of games and illustration; the revolutionary game development scene in Sweden; the profound impact Hotline Miami had on his career; the complexity of games as expressive and technical creations of art; and the philosophical and poetic storytelling inside Ultros.

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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Baldur's Gate 3 Actor Neil Newbon. Together they discuss his journey as an actor and the challenges he encountered that almost caused him to abandon his craft; finding an avenue for creative expression in video games including acting and directing; how social media warps expectations; and why he decided to start teaching.

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The audio version of this interview is entirely in Japanese. To watch the subtitled version, please visit our YouTube channel.

Shuhei Yoshida chats with longtime producer of the TEKKEN series, Katsuhiro Harada. Together they discuss Harada-san's journey from working at a Namco arcade to joining the development team for TEKKEN; how the series has evolved to target a global audience; the importance of live events to the growth of the fighting game community; and his thoughts on the future of the genre and game development in general.

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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor Nadji Jeter. Together they discuss his journey throughout games and traditional film and television; what it's like being Miles Morales for the past decade; what it takes to bring the characters inside Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to life; and the gravity of being a part of the Marvel universe. 

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Adam Orth chats with the Director of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Gabe Amatangelo. Together they discuss Gabe's journey to game development and how he found himself at CD PROJEKT RED; how the initial release of Cyberpunk 2077 affected the team and what steps they took to course-correct; the game design and story elements they emphasized to add weight to every decision; and being consciously nuanced with real-world allegories.

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Adam Orth chats with Roman Campos-Oriola, Eric Baptizat, and Philippe Ducharme from Motive Studio. Together they discuss what led to the decision to remake a beloved classic in Dead Space; which elements from the original release they decided to keep and what they thought they could improve; and the intricate balance between the tools, enemies, and environments that create Dead Space's tension filled gameplay. 

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Writer and Narrative Designer Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Actor Samantha Béart. Together they discuss the difficulty they faced attempting to enter the games industry; working together with the cast and crew at Larian; the intricacies of romance amidst an impending apocalypse; and the steps the industry still needs to take towards the path of diversity and inclusion.

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Austin Wintory chats with award winning composer Oleksa Lozowchuk. Together they discuss Oleksa's career across games, television, and film including writing music for hit games like Capcom's Dead Rising franchise and Sony's Horizon franchise; the pitfalls of self-referential compositions; transitioning to a creative director role and working on his own original IP; and what he learned throughout his career that can help young creatives navigate the unique challenges of games.

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Adam Orth chats with narrative designer Meghna Jayanth. Together they discuss Meghna's childhood moving around the world and how those experiences shaped her views; the unique aspects of writing for games; the habits, development woes, and finances of live service games; and how Thirsty Suitors takes players through an authentic and emotional journey. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel.

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Austin Wintory chats with the composing team collectively known as Ninja Tracks, Kaveh Cohen and Michael Nielsen. Together they discussed how they first met and what drove them to create a composing partnership; how they've worked together across various video games, TV shows, and films; and why they decided to add music publishing to their repertoire.

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Trent Kusters chats with Alex Ritchie and Joel Mason of Black Salt Games, developers of the indie hit, Dredge. Together they discuss their game development journeys; the original ideas around Dredge and what the early prototypes looked like in terms of art and design; balancing difficulty and consequence in the various zones; and how they introduced an aura of spookiness throughout the game.

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Austin Wintory chats with legendary composer Grant Kirkhope. Together they discuss his long career composing some of the most iconic music in gaming with titles and series such as GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong, World of Warcraft, and Mario + Rabbids.

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Austin Wintory chats with award-winning Composer Cris Velasco. Together they discuss his long and illustrious career working on some of the biggest franchises in gaming including Mass Effect, God of War, Darksiders, and Borderlands; and his love of painting and fine art and the ways his two passions inform each other. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Shuhei Yoshida chats with FINAL FANTASY XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida. Together they discuss his career and what led to him helping relaunch FINAL FANTASY XIV and eventually producing the newest entry in the series; the key decisions they made with FINAL FANTASY XVI with their approach to story and gameplay; how they navigated the pandemic and how it impacted development; and his thoughts on what young game developers looking to break into the industry can do to prepare themselves. The audio version of this interview is entirely in Japanese. To watch the subtitled version, please visit our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Trent Kusters chats with Sabotage Studio President and Creative Director, Thierry Boulanger. Together they discuss his journey into games including the early influences that led him towards development; founding Sabotage Studio and the design pillars they follow; key lessons they learned creating The Messenger that they implemented in Sea of Stars; and playing within the limits of retro games while creating modern experiences.

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Austin Wintory chats with Jakob Schmid, Co-Founder, Audio Director, and Music Director of Geometric Interactive. Together they discuss Geometric's debut title Cocoon including the way the audio works together with the gameplay to help players solve the games many puzzles; how his background in programming led to the generative systems that create the Cocoon's music; and his long relationship with Jeppe Carlsen who he worked with prior on the critically acclaimed Inside. 

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Ted Price chats with his colleague and Senior Creative Director at Insomniac Games, Bryan Intihar. Together they discuss Marvel's Spider-Man 2 including the important pillars that guided development; motivating teams to go beyond what they believe they're capable of; letting experts be experts; identifying the next generation of leaders; the importance of story and characters; and what he hopes players take away from their experience.

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This episode is sponsored by the Tech Academy, which offers cost-effective and self-paced online coding boot camps. Learn more at learncodinganywhere.com/GameMakersPodcast.

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Trent Kusters chats with Enrique Cabeza and David Erosa from The Game Kitchen. Together they discuss their hit series Blasphemous including how they designed the game around the art direction; their studio history and transitioning from work for hire projects to their own original IP; having a successful first original game and deciding to scrap it all and start from scratch for the sequel; and how they're using Blasphemous as a vehicle to share their local culture to the world.

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Trent Kusters chats with Ben Gabbard & David Adams of Remnant series developer Gunfire Games. Together they discuss their careers including their early work at Vigil Games on the Darksiders series; founding Gunfire Games and their early projects with Oculus; their early ideas for the Remnant series including key pillars; learning to be strategic given development restraints; and how Remnant II is a culmination of everything they learned from their previous projects.

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Adam Orth chats with CEO of Super Evil Megacorp, Kristian Segerstrale. Together they discuss Kristian's career and how he found himself on the cusp of several emerging platforms; his journey to becoming the CEO of Super Evil Megacorp and what they're doing to transform the studio; his ideas around best practices and methodologies for remote-first game development; and his efforts around climate change and what the games industry can do to become a positive force for change.

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Chris Charla chats with Director of Development for Double Fine Productions, Kevin Johnson. Together they discuss his intriguing journey within and outside of the games industry; teaching students the game production process from beginning to end; getting a life changing break at Double Fine; managing multiple projects and teams; and the impact of filming a documentary while developing a game. 

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Ted Price chats with Sam Lake, the Creative Director behind Remedy's recent release, Alan Wake II. Together they discuss crafting the world of the Alan Wake; what they learned from their past releases like Max Payne and Control; the nuances of writing for video games; the benefits and challenges of using live action film in games; and a brief detour into the world of Scandinavian horror.

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Chris Charla chats with Naughty Dog's Head of Culture and Communications, Arne Meyer. Together they discuss his early life playing games and getting his first break in PR working on the launch of the original Xbox; how his own personal work in fanzines led to his idea for grassroot ambassadorships inside the gaming community; his start at Naughty Dog around the launch of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves; and the complexities and processes of managing a development studio's internal culture. 

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Ted Price chats with Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games the makers of Eve Online. Together they reflect on 20 years of Eve Online; they discuss the social and economic forces that have developed inside Eve's virtual universe; the crucial partnership between CCP Games and the players; how seemingly small decisions can have galactic ripples throughout the Eve universe; and exciting news about the newest addition to the Eve universe, Eve Vanguard.

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Adam Orth chats with Ken Levine, the legendary creator behind the Bioshock series and the upcoming Judas. Together they discuss Ken's journey into game writing; using art as a healthy outlet for processing uncomfortable subjects; dealing with the pressure of following up the first Bioshock game due to its massive success and popularity; how to tackle complex narratives and concepts aimed at general audiences; his thoughts on AI; and how to avoid falling into the trap of arrogance.

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Ted Price chats with Todd Howard about Bethesda's much anticipated spacefaring RPG, Starfield. Together they discuss the early ideas that led to Starfield and what the first year of development looked like; how they go about designing multiple complex game systems; how their extensive experience in open world RPGs helped them prioritize goals and milestones; building lore for an expansive original IP; and how player creativity has far exceeded their expectations.

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Adam Orth chats with SVP of Production at Enhance, Mark MacDonald. Together they discuss Enhance's recently released game Humanity, including the origin of the surreal puzzle-action experience; how Mark and Tetsuya Miziguchi met experimental artist Yugo Nakamura, the game's designer; abstract narratives and how COVID influence their own story during development; and why they decided to leave the fate of humanity up to a Shiba Inu.

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Strange Scaffold's Xalavier Nelson Jr. chats with Adam Hines & Sean Krankel from Night School Studio. Together they discuss releasing their latest game, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals; how new tools are improving the development process; trying to stay unpredictable as a studio; identifying core principles during development; and writing authentic worlds and characters while working with the complex conversation system present in Oxenfree. Be sure to check out Xalavier and Strange Scaffold's newest game El Paso, Elsewhere on Steam.

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Adam Orth chats with Jaeho Hwang and Nolan King from MINTROCKET Games, the studio behind the hit sushi restaurant/deep sea exploration RPG, Dave the Diver. Together they discuss where the idea behind such a unique mishmash began inlcuding various influences inside and outside of games; forming the development team and pitching the game to the publisher; balancing all the gameplay systems including making diving fun and challenging; and how they went about creating an endearing and relatable main character in Dave. 

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Austin Wintory chats with actor Ben Starr, who played the lead role of Clive Rosfield in the latest entry to the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XVI. Together they discuss how he started acting and his early love of video games; his thought process behind when getting into character and bringing the writing to life; the psychological toll of performance art; and the difficult but freeing process of acting for video games.

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Adam Orth chats with Max "Larry" Fink, one of the 3 developers behind the smash hit online shooter, BattleBit Remastered. Together they discuss the history of BattleBit Remastered's development; how the team uses community feedback; being in the eye of the storm with the massive attention their game has garnered; and the unique design choices that help BattleBit Remastered stand out.

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Austin Wintory chats with actor Laura Bailey about her iconic work in games and animation. Together they discuss her early career and catching her first big break; her work in animation that led to a prolific career in video games; her process for getting into character; being a part of the highly popular Critical Role; and working together alongside the all-star cast of the recently released Stray Gods. 

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We're back with one of our past episodes with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Creative Director, Marcus Smith! 

Ted Price chats with his long-time colleague at Insomniac Games, Marcus Smith. Together they discuss their history at Insomniac Games; his experiences on the Resistance series and Sunset Overdrive; his thoughts on being a creative director; how to build consensus and foster collaboration on big projects; and the challenges the team faced on the newest entry in the Ratchet & Clank series. Marcus Smith is a Creative Director at Insomniac Games, with his most recent title being this year's PlayStation 5 hit, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Previously he worked on several of Insomniac's best known titles including Marvel's Spider-Man, the Resistance series, and Sunset Overdrive. 

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We're on a break from new content this week, but check out one of our past episodes with Bryan Intihar, Creative Director at Insomniac Games for Marvel’s Spider-Man!

Originally released in April 19, 2019, Bryan joins host Ted Price of Insomniac Games live on the D.I.C.E. Summit stage to talk about his journey from journalist to game developer, the challenges of working on an existing IP, and his perspective on what it takes to be a successful creative director. 

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Austin Wintory chats with longtime Star Wars franchise composer Gordy Haab. Together they discuss how Gordy found himself scoring more music for the space epic than even John Williams; creating music new music for an established franchise with your own voice and avoiding imitation; the complex approval process when working on Star Wars titles; and the fundamental differences between composing for video games and other types of media.

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Digital Eclipse LA's Adam Orth chats with John Johanas, the Game Director for the recently released rhythm-action game, Hi-Fi Rush. Together they discuss John's journey into development and how he landed himself in Japan and working with legendary game creator Shinji Mikami at Tango Gameworks; transitioning from design to leading his first full game project on The Evil Within 2; the personal weight of directing a sequel to a high profile game and earning your team's trust; how John's background in music lead to the creation of Hi-Fi Rush; and how the team balanced art, combat, and level design to guide players through the music enhanced gameplay. 

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Austin Wintory chats with Composer Stephen Barton. Together they discuss his career inside and outside of games including his early work as part of the Metal Gear franchise; working with Infinity Ward on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise; and his recent projects with Respawn Entertainment on the Titanfall games, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars Jedi series including the recently released Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Trent Kusters chats with Sarah Northway and Colin Northway from Northway Games. Together they discuss both of their early careers and the path they eventually took which led them to develop games together; early projects including the Fantastic Contraption series and Rebuild; how their releases always seem to be at the zeitgeist of cultural and technological shifts in gaming; traveling the world while developing games; and the development of their latest hit, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist.

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Ted Price chats with Diablo IV Game Director, Joe Shely. Together they discuss the challenge of meeting expectations for such a beloved franchise; key decisions around classes, balance, and skill trees; their goals behind the end game; and how to design memorable bosses. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Trent Kusters chats with Ben Esposito, Game Director behind the Annapurna Interactive published Neon White. Together they discuss what sparked his interest in game development; his work at The Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch developer Giant Sparrow; the long development journey of his previous game Donut County; and how he followed that up by creating the "gamiest game" he could think of in Neon White.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Austin Wintory chats with award-winning composer Neal Acree, who has created music for several of Blizzard's most well known franchises including Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. Together they discuss his career inside and outside of games; how he first started working with Blizzard; the differences between composing music for an existing universe and creating for a completely new IP; and his work on Critical Role's The Legend of Vox Machina.

Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Austin Wintory chats with veteran composer Chance Thomas. Together they discuss his 20+ year career across video games, television, and flim and what ultimately led him to recently announce his retirement. They cap off their discussion exploring his final and most ambitious work, the procedural score for Ubisoft's The Settlers: New Allies.

Check out Chance's memoir here: https://hugesoundrecords.com/memoir

Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Trent Kusters chats with Shiny Shoe Co-Founder and CEO Mark Cooke. Together they discuss his journey in game development starting off as an intern at LucasArts; founding Shiny Shoe and the evolution of the studio; the conception and development of Monster Train; and their upcoming early access title Inkbound. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Trent Kusters chats with Benjamin Coquelle (Project Manager and Game Designer) and Bruno Laverny (Marketing Director) from Ishtar Games. Together they discuss the journey that led each of them to Ishtar Games; the development of The Last Spell; the features they felt were crucial to showcase to funding partners and potential customers; communicating with your community during early access; and their next game, Lakeburg Legacies.

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Trent Kusters chats with Phil Crifo, the Creative Director behind the recently released tropical open-world adventure game, Tchia. Together they discuss his path into game development; meeting his development partner and releasing their first game to little fanfare; finding the courage and inspiration to start the next project; and how his home island of New Caledonia became the inspiration and setting of Tchia. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Trent Kusters chats with Tarn Adams and Zach Adams, brothers who together created Dwarf Fortress. This is part 2 of an extended interview where they discuss the 20 year journey in creating the aforementioned title including the early inspirations that led them to learn programming; the games they developed before Dwarf Fortress; crucial creative and community milestones; working together with Kitfox Games on the updated version for Steam; and their favorite stories from their ever growing community. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Trent Kusters chats with Tarn Adams and Zach Adams, brothers who together created Dwarf Fortress. This is part 1 of a 2 part extended interview where they discuss the 20 year journey in creating the aforementioned title including the early inspirations that led them to learn programming; the games they developed before Dwarf Fortress; crucial creative and community milestones; working together with Kitfox Games on the updated version for Steam; and their favorite stories from their ever growing community. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

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Austin Wintory chats with Aurélien Piters (Audio Director) and Maxime Touchon (Sound Designer). Together they discuss developing the audio design behind Asobo Studio's A Plague Tale: Requiem including their influences; the process of casting the actors; what they learned from the previous entries; working together with composer Olivier Deriviere and the music team in creating the right mood; and what it takes to create the unsettling sound of a mischief of rats.  Listen to the full episode here or watch on our Youtube channel.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Min Kim from Bonfire Studios chats with Jeonghee "JJ" Jin, the CEO of Pearl Abyss America. Together they discuss how Korea's unique culture and environment has helped shape it's games industry; how Korean game companies are growing and evolving based on years of global expansion; and building experiencing for an ever growing global audience.  Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Austin Wintory chats with composer Stephanie Economou, who recently won the first ever Grammy for video game music for her work on Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök. Together they discuss her career in film and television; the differences between composing for traditional media versus games; the learning curve that comes with game development; and how Ubisoft allowed her to experiment with black metal and folk music on Dawn of Ragnarök's soundtrack. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

God of War Ragnarök and many other great titles from 2022 are nominated at the 26th Annual #DICEAwards! Tune in to see the winners in every category on February 23rd at 8pm PT on IGN

Ted Price chats with Eric Williams, the game director behind Santa Monica Studio's smash hit, God of War Ragnarök. Together they discuss being handed the mantle to a storied franchise; his leadership philosophy in guiding the team towards shared goals; the first steps they took when developing a such a highly anticipated sequel; and the key decisions they made when designing the combat, quests, and character development.

Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel. 

God of War Ragnarok and many other great titles from 2022 are nominated at the 26th Annual DICE Awards. Tune in to see the winners in each category LIVE on February 23rd at 8pm PT on IGN.com. For the full list of nominees, visit interactive.org.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Trent Kusters chats with Scott Chen of the Taiwanese independent studio Sigono. Together they discuss the early influences that led him to Carnegie Mellon where he met his Sigono Co-Founder, Brian Lee; their earlier titles and the lessons learned in narrative and scope that led to the Opus series; and the challenges and opportunities of the Taiwanese development scene. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Austin Wintory chats with composer and Emmy winner Nainita Desai. Together they discuss her early life in music and musical heroes; the process and challenges of composing for games versus television or film; her recent work with Sam Barlow on IMMORTALITY and Telling Lies; and the touchstones they developed for creating music for such unique games. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

The audio version of this interview is entirely in Japanese. To watch the subtitled version, please visit our Youtube channel.

Shuhei Yoshida chats with YOKO TARO, Yosuke Saito, and Keiichi Okabe about their work in the NieR series. Together they discuss the early development of the NieR series and its connections to the Drakengard series; the early development of NieR: Automata and critical decisions regarding the gameplay, story, and music; deciding to release a new version of NieR: Replicant for overseas fans; and their thoughts on current development both inside and outside of Japan

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Trent Kusters chats with Ben Brode, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer at Second Dinner whose debut title MARVEL SNAP has been recently nominated for multiple D.I.C.E. Awards. Together they discuss his early inspirations in board games; his career at Blizzard Entertainment and work on Hearthstone; the road that led him to start his own studio and landing the MARVEL license for their first game; and key decisions they made with MARVEL SNAP to keep players engaged.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Trent Kusters and tinyBuild CEO Alex Nichiporchik revisit Alex's presentation from D.I.C.E. Barcelona 2022 where he discussed "Development Under Siege," the efforts tinyBuild went through to evacuate their development staff leading up to and during the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. tinyBuild had over 180 developers across both Ukraine and Russia, and Alex details the mass mobilization efforts they undertook to get their employees to safety and the challenges they faced along the way.  Listen to the full episode here or watch on our Youtube channel.

This episode is sponsored by FusionAuth. For more information, go to FusionAuth.io/game.

Trent Kusters chats with Josh Sawyer, the Game Director behind Obsidian Entertainment's Pentiment. Together they discuss his long career in game development from his start at legendary studio Black Isle to his current work on projects like Fallout: New Vegas and the Pillars of Eternity series; how he successfully pitched a narrative-focused 16th-century murder mystery; how a small team created an experience full of historical detail and references; and how to have fun with fonts. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Trent Kusters chats with Mike Salyh and Wyatt Bushnell, Co-Founders of Coin Crew Games. Together they discuss their debut title, Escape Academy; how both of their game development journies began; developing for location-based games and the lessons learned from the arcade; and transferring the real-life escape room experience into a video game while also building a unifying narrative. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

This episode is sponsored by CleanSpeak. For more information, visit CleanSpeak.com/gaming.

Austin Wintory chats with the composer duo collectively known as The Flight, Joe Henson and Alexis Smith. Together they discuss their journey into game development; what led them to becoming a composing duo; the advantages of working together and relying on each others strengths; and their recent work in titles like Horizon Forbidden West and Gotham Knights.

Listen to the full episode here or watch on our YouTube Channel

Trent Kusters chats with Massive Monster's Julian Wilton. Together they discuss developing the smash indie hit Cult of the Lamb; Julian's early work on Newgrounds; how local government funding kickstarted the establishment of Massive Monster; how the pitching process with Devolver manifested; and developing a title from the ground up with marketing at the forefront.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Austin Wintory chats with 2 of the creators behind the Monkey Island series, Ron Gilbert and Dave Grossman on their return to the series. In addition, together they explore their journey into game development; developing the Monkey Island series at LucasArts; the creative choices they made throughout the series; balancing the old and new in Return to Monkey Island; and tackling controversial endings.  Listen to this full episode now or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Ted Price chats with PlayStation London Studio Co-Studio Heads, Tara Saunders and Stuart Whyte. Together they discuss studio culture including the values the studio created to guide them; their approach to supporting team well-being; and what their studio is doing to embrace diversity both inside and outside the studio. Listen to the full episode here or watch the full episode on our Youtube channel.

This episode is sponsored by FusionAuth. For more information, go to FusionAuth.io/game.

Trent Kusters chats with Game Director at Half Mermaid, Sam Barlow. Together they discuss how his career began; his early studio work and getting to work on the Silent Hill franchise; his decision to go indie; his experiences that led to his first indie project; the intricacies of creating games that require a full film crew; and looking at his newest title Immortality through the lenses of both Her Story and Telling Lies. 

Listen to the episode here or watch the full episode on our YouTube.

We're on a break from new content this week, but check out one of our past episodes with recent GMN host, Chris Charla of ID@Xbox!

Originally released in Nov 11, 2019, Chris Charla joins Ted Price at the past D.I.C.E. Dubrovnik conference.

Chris discusses his journey from journalism to game development, his work overseeing Xbox’s independent projects, challenges facing independent developers, opportunities available for independents in today’s development environment, and his thoughts on the future of games.

Chris Charla is best known for leading ID@Xbox and now ID Productions, where he oversees the independent publishing program for Xbox One and Windows.

Chris Charla chats with Chelsea Blasko and Adam Boyes while at D.I.C.E. Barcelona. Fresh off their discussion on the D.I.C.E. stage, they discuss what being Co-CEOs of Iron Galaxy means; their history with Iron Galaxy and what led to their current roles; how their respective strengths compliment each other; working together with founder Dave Lang to make key studio decisions; the predatory nature of treating a workplace as a "family"; and their company values focused on improving employee quality of life while helping them evolve as a studio. Listen to the full episode now or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

This episode is sponsored by FusionAuth. For more information, go to FusionAuth.io/game.

Ted Price chats with Ilari Kuittinen, Studio Head & Co-founder of Housemarque. Together they discuss the ups and downs of Housmarque's 30 year history in game development; growth, how their company philosophy has evolved over the years leading up to their latest release, Returnal; company culture, and managing a work/life balance; and Ilari's strategic advice for new companies starting out in games today.  Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

This episode is sponsored by CleanSpeak. For more information, visit CleanSpeak.com/gaming

Ted Price chats with Christian Linke and Alex Yee, two of the creative leads and executive producers of the Emmy award winning Netflix series, Arcane. Together they discuss what it was like creating a wildly popular and critically successful TV show based on one of the most popular video game IPs in the world; the ups and downs of the initial pitch process and early production; what they learned going from games to linear media; their advice for anyone who wants to take their game IP and build a new reality for it outside of games; and how key it is to make sure every creative decision is in service to the fans.  Listen to the full episode now or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

This episode is sponsored by FusionAuth. For more information, go to FusionAuth.io/game.

Trent Kusters chats with Raphaël Colantonio, the President and Creative Director of WolfEye Studios, who recently developed Weird West. Previously, Raphaël was also one of the Co-Founders of Arkane Studios. Together they discuss how Raphaël got his start working at Electronic Arts; founding Arkane Studios and working on their early projects like Arx Fatalis; deciding to leave Arkane after 18 years and beginning anew with WolfEye Studios; how they approach accessibility and challenge in an immersive sim; and the wins and near misses they identified after their first game as a new studio.  Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel

Ted Price chats with Guerrilla's Mathijs de Jonge. Mathijs is the Game Director for both the Horizon series and Killzone series. Together they discuss building a sequel to a highly successful first entry in a new series; balancing fresh new features with existing ones that were crucial to fans of the first title; and Guerrilla's approach to building a massive and ambitious title like Horizon Forbidden West.  Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Trent Kusters chats with Polyarc's Chris Alderson (Art Director, Co-Founder) and Josh Stiksma (Design Director). Together they discuss founding Polyarc and deciding to develop for VR; developing the first Moss and first announcing at E3; how the early feedback shaped the overall design of the series; the art and design choices they made to help the player connect with Quill, the game's protagonist; and finding the balance between VR experiences and traditional gameplay when designing Moss' dioramas.  Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Ted Price chats with Joseph Staten, the Head of Creative at 343 Industries and Halo Infinite. Joseph has been a part of the Halo franchise since the beginning and shares his insights on why Halo has had such broad, long-lasting appeal; how 343 Industries has tackled the challenge of developing an evolving single player campaign alongside a live-service experience; and his advice for creative leaders, designers, and writers. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on your Youtube channel.

Austin Wintory chats with Composer Tom Salta. Together they discuss his career journey before games working in various aspects of the music industry; working with Arkane Studios on the Wolfenstein series and eventually Deathloop; assembling a score rooted in the 60s to support the various dynamics of Deathloop; and how his experiences in game development have helped establish his creative workflow. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on your Youtube channel.

Trent Kusters chats with Johnny Galvatron, the Creative Director behind the BAFTA award winning game, The Artful Escape. Together they discuss his transition from rockstar to game developer and how his experiences helped shape the narrative in The Artful Escape; building his first studio (Beethoven & Dinosaur) and searching outside of game development to find the right talent for the team; and working together with Annapurna Interactive who helped them put together a star-studded cast.

Listen here or watch the full episode on YouTube.

Ted Price chats with New World Game Director, Scot Lane. Together they discuss how he and Amazon Games designed the various systems from crafting to combat; lessons they learned from building a such a massive game; how their team handles the live content pipeline; how they analyze internal and external feedback to make key decisions; and his advice for other developers working on live service games.

Listen now or watch the episode on our YouTube Channel

Trent Kusters chats with Gregorios Kythreotis (Creative Director, Shedworks) and Martin Kvale (Sound Designer) about their 2021 game collaboration, Sable. Together they discuss how Gregorios and his business partner Daniel Fineberg started their development studio Shedworks; how the idea for Sable developed; brining in Martin to design the audio; working together with Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast on the soundtrack; infusing British humor into the cast of characters; and how Sable is an expert exercise in restraint. 

Ted Price chats with Bungie's Luke Smith. Together they discuss the Destiny Universe; designing repeatable gameplay for live services; balancing a massive experience like Destiny for veterans and new players; ensuring a player friendly experience; and how live service experiences can benefit the games industry as a whole. 

Listen to this episode now or watch on YouTube

Chris Charla chats with Andrew Shouldice, the game developer and designer behind Tunic. Together they discuss his journey into game development and the decision to go indie; the influences behind Tunic; the pressure of debuting your first project; the joy of mystery and discovery; and building a world full of secrets. 

To watch this episode, visit our YouTube channel.

Xalavier Nelson Jr. chats with writer and content creator Alanah Pearce. Together they discuss how her love of writing and video games began; creating content across a variety of mediums; getting her start in game development; cleared misconceptions after leaving media and joining development teams; and the importance of creating accessible games for all people and her venture the Video Game Accessibility Awards. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Trent Kusters chats with ManaVoid Entertainment's Christopher Chancey. Together they discuss designing an RPG without traditional combat in Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan; tackling difficult subjects in video games; the delicate nature of creating games suitable for children; and about his work with Indie Asylum and the burgeoning Montréal development scene.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel: "Official_AIAS"

Corey May speaks with the Oliver Lewin and Graham Parkes, two of the developers behind Before Your Eyes. Together they discuss how they created the blinking mechanic in game jams; the process of "learning by doing and learning by failing"; the technical and narrative challenges that arose from the game's central mechanic; and their experience releasing their first title to wide acclaim including winning a BAFTA.  Listen now or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Austin Wintory chats with Maclaine Diemer, one of the composers behind ArenaNet's long-running MMO, Guild Wars. Together they discuss his insightful presentation at GDC 2022; his career path from sound design to composing music; and the importance understanding nuance when creating music that references foreign cultures while also being open to having tough discussions about appropriation. Watch the full interview on our Youtube channel.

Trent Kusters (Co-Founder and Studio Director of League of Geeks) chats with Wren Brier and Tim Dawson, two of the developers behind the indie hit Unpacking. Together they discuss their journeys into game development; how the idea for Unpacking came about; important milestones during development; how clever marketing helped keep their game in the gaming zeitgeist; and important lessons they learned working on their first game as a couple.

This episode is also available on YouTube.

At the 2022 D.I.C.E. Summit, Austin Wintory chats with Philp Eriksson, Lead Sound Designer at Hazelight. Together they discuss his transition from music into game development; the incredible challenge of designing all the audio for the various worlds and themes of It Takes Two; and what steps the team took in order to tackle such a tremendous project. Philip Eriksson is the Lead Sound Designer on It Takes Two. Prior to his work at Hazelight, Philip was a part of the sound team at EA DICE and worked on games such as Battlefield V and Star Wars Battlefront II.

Robin Hunicke chats with Tyler Sigman, Co-Founder of Red Hook Studios. Together they discuss his journey into board games and video games; his start making table top games; his first steps into video game design; the difficulties of navigating funding for an indie studio in an emerging market; and the decisions that led to founding Red Hook Studios with Chris Bourassa. Tyler Sigman is one of the Co-Founders of Red Hook Studios, who are best known for releasing Darkest Dungeon and Darkest Dungeon II, which is currently available in early access.

@tylersigman

@hunicke

Ted Price chats with Dinga Bakaba, the director behind the critically acclaimed Deathloop. Dinga shares his unique journey into game development; getting team buy-in for difficult development decisions; understanding the why and how of player decision-making in games; the connections between game themes and the impact they have on our real life; and why representation is important in games and what that means to him. Dinga Bakaba is the Studio Head and Co-Creative Director at Arkane Lyon. In addition to his work on Deathloop, Dinga is well known for the Dishonored series.

Robin Hunicke chats with the duo behind Unsighted, Studio Pixel Punk's Tiani Pixel and Fernanda Dias. Together they discuss their journey leading up to developing their first game; the challenges of game development in the emerging Brazilian game dev scene; what inspired the look and feel of Unsighted; and the importance of diverse viewpoints in games.  Unsighted is the first game by Studio Pixel Punk which is comprised of the two-person team of Tiani Pixel and Fernanda Dias. Published by Humble Games, Unsighted is a top-down action-adventure, tasking players to explore a world ruined by war. Alma must traverse the vast city of Arcadia before the life force of her friends and herself withers away, turning friend to foe. Time is ticking, and every moment matters.

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Austin Wintory chats with audio engineer, architect, and programmer Buzz Burrowes. Together they discuss his early career at Sony, developing many tools and techniques still used in game audio as well as his recent work in exploring interactivity with music in games like FUSER. Buzz Burrowes is currently an Audio System Architect at Epic Games, which recently acquired Harmonix Music Systems where he helped develop titles such as FUSER. Previously, he was the Chief Audio Engineer at Sony Computer Entertainment America (now Sony Interactive Entertainment America) where he is credited on several classic series such as God of War, Syphon Filter, and Twisted Metal.

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Robin Hunicke chats with Art Director Lisette Titre-Montgomery of Double Fine Productions. Together they discuss her career trajectory into video games; advocating for a work-life balance; navigating sensitive complex issues in Psychonauts 2; how art and gameplay influence each other during development; and her work with Gameheads, a Game Development Accelerator program for Oakland youth. Lisette Titre-Montgomery is an Art Director with over twenty years of industry experience and 13 shipped titles. Specializing in creating studio cultures where artists and creatives thrive. Lisette has contributed to some of the industry’s highest profile games, including Tiger Woods Golf, The Simpsons, Dante’s Inferno, Dance Central 3, SIMS 4, South Park, and Transformers Age Of Extinction for Android and iOS. Her most recent project is Psychonauts 2 with Double Fine Productions.

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Austin Wintory chats with composer and sound designer Martin Stig Andersen. Together they discuss his thought process behind designing the music behind the intense action packed scenes of Back 4 Blood; how much his classical music background informs his current work; his work on Playdead's LIMBO and INSIDE; and his performance work outside of video games. Martin Stig Andersen is a composer and sound designer with a background in the fields of acousmatic music, sound installations, electroacoustic performance, and video art. He is best known for his work in audio and music across several award winning titles including LIMBO, INSIDE, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and the recently released Back 4 Blood. 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Ted Price chats with brothers Mike and Josh Grier, co-founders of Ember Lab who developed the recently released Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Together they discuss Ember Lab's genesis in the advertising and film industries; their transition into game development; Kena's mechanics and design; Ember Lab's studio culture; and ways for the games industry to increase diversity.  Together, Mike and Josh founded Ember Lab, an animation and digital content studio. Mike is the Chief Creative Officer and Josh the Chief Operation Officer. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a story-driven action adventure set in a charming world rich with exploration and fast-paced combat. In addition to Kena, Ember Lab is best known for the short films Dust and Majora's Mask - Terrible Fate.

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year.

The nominees include: +Crusader Kings III +Desperados III +Microsoft Flight Simulator +Monster Train +Per Aspera

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to the nominees for the 24th Annual #DICEAwards Fighting Game of the Year chat with one another in intimate roundtable sessions, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams.

The nominees include: +EA Sports UFC 4 +Granblue Fantasy Versus +Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate +Them's Fightin' Herds

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Austin Wintory chats with audio director, Eduardo Vaisman. Together they discuss his journey from film to video games; their focus on authenticity when designing the audio for the fictional island nation of Yara for Far Cry 6; integrating the score and music to give the locale a distinct feel; and how his own experiences growing up in Argentina helped define his artistic viewpoint. Eduardo Vaisman is an Audio Director at Ubisoft Toronto, having recently released Far Cry 6. He is also known for several other titles in the Far Cry series as well as Splinter Cell: Blacklist. 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction.

The nominees include: +Ghost of Tsushima +Hades +Half-Life: Alyx +Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition +The Last of Us Part II

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Racing Game of the Year.

The nominees include: +Dirt 5 +F1 2020 +Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Austin Wintory chats with luminary composer Peter McConnell. Together they discuss his long pioneering journey through the games industry from LucasArts to his latest work on Double Fine's Psychonauts 2. Peter McConnell has composed award-winning scores for a diverse range of video games including Broken Age, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, the Sly Cooper series, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Psychonauts, Brutal Legend and Grim Fandango. Before working independently, Peter composed in-house at LucasArts contributing to beloved franchises such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Monkey Island.

Ted Price chats with the writer and director behind Twelve Minutes, Luis Antonio. Together they discuss Luis' transition from working at large AAA studios to creating his own independent game; his organic development process; the challenge of developing a branching narrative; and how one can tackle production stress and transform it into a joyous journey.  Luis Antonio is the writer and director behind Twelve Minutes, which was published by Annapurna Interactive. Prior to becoming an independent developer, Luis was an artist at Ubisoft and Rockstar Games. Additionally, he was also the artist for Jonathan Blow's The Witness. 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game.

The nominees include: -Coffee Talk -Hades -If Found… -Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition -Noita

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Online Game of the Year.

The nominees include: +Animal Crossing: New Horizons +Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War +Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout +Ghost of Tsushima +Tetris Effect: Connected

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Character.

The nominees include: +Eivor, Assassin's Creed Valhalla +Zagreus, Hades +Abby, The Last of Us Part II +Ellie, The Last of Us Part II +Miles, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Robin Hunicke chats with Adam Volker and Bohdon Sayre of Flight School Studio. Together they discuss building traditional and non-traditional indie games; growing a studio and hiring and learning from developers of different backgrounds; issues with discoverability; and how engaging in a wide range of creative activities can enhance and enrich the development process.  Flight School Studio is a studio of artists and technicians. Collectively, the studio’s creative team boasts top creative accolades, such as Academy, Emmy, Annie, Cannes Lion and Lumiere Awards. In addition to developing self-released titles (Manifest 99, Island Time VR, Creature in the Well, and Stonefly), the team collaborates on innovative entertainment with agency and brand partners (Oculus, Google, Lionsgate, Sony, Dell, American Express, GM, SAP, Verizon, AT&T). 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Sports Game of the Year.

The nominees include: +EA Sports FIFA 21 +MLB The Show 20 +NBA 2K21 +PGA Tour 2K21 +Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at Twitter.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Immersive Reality Game of the Year.

The nominees include: +Down the Rabbit Hole +Half-Life: Alyx +Paper Beast +The Room VR: Dark Matter +The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS at @Official_AIAS.

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Animation.

The nominees include: +FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE +The Last of Us Part II +Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales +Ori and the Will of the Wisps +Spiritfarer

Make sure to watch the full 24th Annual #DICEAwards on YouTube and stay up-to-date on all things AIAS @Official_AIAS.

Robin Hunicke chats with Asaf and Eyal Geva, the brothers behind the three person development studio Peanut Button. Together they discuss the early VR prototypes that led to their first release, The Secret of Retropolis; how VR gives the players presence; and the challenges of adding characters and storytelling to VR experiences. Peanut Button is an independent studio, founded and run in Tel Aviv by brothers Asaf and Eyal Geva. The Secret of Retropolis is a VR adventure game with a sci-fi detective story. It debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and was recently released on SteamVR and Oculus platforms to critical acclaim

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Immersive Reality Technical Achievement.

The nominees include: +Half-Life: Alyx +Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit +Museum of Other Realities +Paper Beast +Tempest

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Watch our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Family Game of the Year.

The nominees include: +Animal Crossing: New Horizons +Astro's Playroom +Dreams +Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout +Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design.

The nominees include: +Dreams +Ghost of Tsushima +The Last of Us Part II +Ori and the Will of the Wisps +Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Ted Price chats with Arcade Berg and Tor Frick, Co-Founders and Creative Directors behind Neon Giant who recently released The Ascent. Together they discuss what it was like building a massive AAA title with a small team; how they balanced procedural construction with bespoke flourishes to create a rich and immersive detailed world; how constraints can be a key problem solving tool; and their advice for future game entrepreneurs.  Neon Giant is a Swedish video game studio founded in 2018. The Ascent is a solo and co-op Action-shooter RPG set on Veles, a packed cyberpunk world.

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Mobile Game of the Year.

The nominees include: +Carrion +Ghost of Tsushima +Little Orpheus +Ori and the Will of the Wisps +The Pathless

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.

The nominees include: +Ghost of Tsushima +Hades +The Last of Us Part II +Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales +Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Technical Achievement.

The nominees include: +Dreams +Ghost of Tsushima +The Last of Us Part II +Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit +Microsoft Flight Simulator

Austin Wintory chats with Phillip Kovats, the Senior Director of Sound for the PlayStation Studios Creative Arts team. Together they discuss his long career working on some of the biggest titles in the games industry; learning to tell stories and finding your voice as an artist; using audio to marry visuals and music to help the player's emotional journey; and giving teams agency to explore their creative vision and find solutions.  Phillip Kovats has been in games since 1999, helping create the sound and direction for the God of War series, flOw, flOwer, Journey, and Uncharted 1 & 2. In 2010, he joined Naughty Dog as audio lead, helming games such as The Last of Us, Left Behind, Uncharted 4, and Uncharted: Lost Legacy. Now, Phil works as the director of sound for the PlayStation Studios Creative Arts team, overseeing talent, facilities, operations, and creative for titles such as Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, Marvel's Spider-Man, Demon’s Souls, Ratchet & Clank and many others under the PlayStation Studios banner.

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Mobile Game of the Year.

The nominees include- -HoloVista -Legends of Runeterra -Little Orpheus -Song of Bloom -South of the Circle

Listen to our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Action Game of the Year.

The nominees include-

-DOOM Eternal -Hades -Half-Life: Alyx -Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales -Nioh 2

Listen to the nominees for the 24th Annual #DICEAwards Outstanding Achievement in Story chat with one another in intimate roundtable sessions, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams.

The nominees include-

-13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim -Ghost of Tsushima -Hades -Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition -The Last of Us Part II

Ted Price chats with Guha and Karthik Bala, brothers who founded both Velan Studios and Vicarious Visions. Together they discuss their incredible journey in games beginning with the founding of Vicarious Visions while they were both in high school and into their new venture at Velan Studios; their approach to problem solving; how failure leads to positive outcomes; and what they learned at MIT that helped them think in unexpected ways.  Guha and Karthik founded Velan Studios which is known for Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and the recently released Knockout City. They also founded Vicarious Visions which developed the Skylanders series as well as several titles in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, and Crash Bandicoot series.

Listen to the nominees for the 24th Annual #DICEAwards Adventure Game of the Year chat with one another in intimate roundtable sessions, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams.

The nominees include-

-Assassin's Creed Valhalla -Ghost of Tsushima -Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition -The Last of Us Part II -Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Watch our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design.

The nominees include- -Ghost of Tsushima -Hades -Half-Life: Alyx -The Last of Us Part II -Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Brought to you by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the 24th Annual #DICEAwards is an annual awards celebration by game makers for game makers, honoring the games that connect us around the globe. These awards honor our fellow creators and the very best in interactive entertainment.

Watch our extended roundtable conversations from the 24th Annual #DICEAwards, moderated by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams, with candid conversations and insights from the nominees for Role-Playing Game of the Year.

The nominees include-

Cyberpunk 2077, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, Persona 5 Royal, Wasteland 3, Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Ted Price chats with Matt Firor, Founder and Studio Director at ZeniMax Online Studios and Game Director on The Elder Scrolls Online. Together they discuss how his team built and continues to expand on a giant online world; the balance between systems and hand created content; the importance of engagement metrics in order to maintain the health of the game; and the potential of online worlds in the future.  Prior to his work at ZeniMax Online Studios, Matt was a designer and producer on one of the most influential massively multiplayer online role-playing games in the genre, Dark Age of Camelot.

Austin Wintory chats with Mark Mothersbaugh about his long career in music including his band DEVO; his work in film and television; his transition into video games; his thoughts about game development and interactive systems; and how his family has affected his thoughts on music. Mark Mothersbaugh is a celebrated composer, musician, singer, and songwriter best known for being one of the founders of the rock group DEVO. As an award winning composer, his credits include Moonrise Kingdom, 21 Jump Street, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Enlightened, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, and the hugely successful Rugrats television, stage and film franchise. He has composed music for several hit video game franchises including the Jak and Daxter Series, the Crash Bandicoot series, the Sims series, and the recently released Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. 

Ted Price chats with Harvey Smith of Arkane Studios. Together they discuss developing emergent mechanics, the importance of research to underpin creative decisions during development, and the importance of representation in games both culturally and creatively.  Harvey Smith is the Studio Director of Arkane Studios and Co-Creative Director on the upcoming Redfall. He is also known for his work on the Dishonored series, Deus Ex series, Prey, and Thief: Deadly Shadows.

In this special 100th episode of the Game Maker's Notebook, we turn the tables on longtime host Ted Price. Guest host Tim Schafer (Founder, Double Fine Productions) chats with Ted about life before game development, starting Insomniac Games and the challenges of developing their first game, the values and principles that have guided his company along the way, joining the PlayStation family of studios, learning to accept feedback, and how embracing new ideas and change can help studios evolve into more welcoming places to work. Ted Price is the President and Founder of Insomniac Games, best known for several successful franchises including Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, Spyro the Dragon, Sunset Overdrive, and Marvel's Spider-Man. 

Ted Price chats with Blizzard's President, J. Allen Brack, about his start in gaming and game development; Blizzard's diversity and inclusion initiatives and how it affects the company culture and its games; lessons for live ops and player feedback experiences; and best approaches to building effective leaders. J. Allen Brack is the President of Blizzard Entertainment. J. joined Blizzard in January 2006 and held multiple leadership roles prior to being named president in October 2018. Before joining Blizzard, he also held multiple roles at Origin Systems, Inc., working on the Wing Commander franchise, and at Sony Online Entertainment LLC, working on Star Wars Galaxies.

Ted Price chats with his long-time colleague at Insomniac Games, Marcus Smith. Together they discuss their history at Insomniac Games; his experiences on the Resistance series and Sunset Overdrive; his thoughts on being a creative director; how to build consensus and foster collaboration on big projects; and the challenges the team faced on the newest entry in the Ratchet & Clank series. Marcus Smith is a Creative Director at Insomniac Games, with his most recent title being this year's PlayStation 5 hit, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Previously he worked on several of Insomniac's best known titles including Marvel's Spider-Man, the Resistance series, and Sunset Overdrive. 

Ted Price chats with Housemarque's Harry Krueger about their recently released game Returnal. Together they discuss how Housemarque embraced an organic creative process, what effect their gameplay design decisions had on the procedural construction and combat, keeping the arcade spirit alive, and about the challenge of randomness.  Harry Krueger is a Game Director at Housemarque best known for his work on Returnal and Nex Machina. At Housemarque, he has also been a part of the development of titles such as Resogun, Alienation, Outland, and Dead Nation.

Austin Wintory chats with Composer Brian D'Oliveira about his music "laboratory" and using its space as a tool for music creation, how he began his career as a composer and learned to have zero limitations, his unique improvisational approach to composing, creating the soundtrack of his childhood in Papo & YO, and about his most recent work on the Resident Evil franchise.  Brian is an award winning composer best known for his work on several best-selling titles including Papo & YO, Shadow of the Tomb Raider; Tearaway, Resident Evil 7, and the recently released Resident Evil Village. 

Ted Price chats with Hazelight's Josef Fares about his move from film directing to game development, their focus on delivering a large amount of gameplay variety, their dedication to two-player coop experiences, and the pros and cons of replayability.  Josef Fares is the founder, writer, and director of Hazelight Studios, who are best known for A Way Out and the recently released It Takes Two. Josef also helped develop Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons for Starbreeze Studios; and was a celebrated film director prior to his start in games.

Robin Hunicke chats with Arshea Bimal about her first big break into games; the journey of a producer in the industry; working on systems that help increase diversity and inclusion in design; making sure everyone on the team has a voice; and what she hopes to accomplish in the future.  Arshea is a producer at Funomena and was previously a software engineer trainee at Zynga. Arshea was also selected as an WomenIn Scholar by the AIAS Foundation.

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Austin Wintory chats with composer Lena Raine about starting her games career as a designer and not in music, the distinct lessons she learned from game design that helped her begin composing for games, stepping outside of games to release a personal solo album, how Celeste changed her career trajectory, and being yourself on social media while using it as a productive communication tool. Lena Raine is an award-winning & BAFTA-nominated composer most well-known for her work on Celeste, Minecraft, and Guild Wars 2. She also releases electronic music under the name Kuraine, as well as her own solo music such as her debut album Oneknowing.

Ted Price chats with Moon Studios founders Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol. Together they discuss the Ori series, Moon Studios' culture and approach around remote development, creating a workplace of respectful honesty and openness, and how to make a flat hierarchy work.  Thomas and Gennadiy are the co-founders of Moon Studios, the development studio behind Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps. 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Robin Hunicke chats with Chelsea Blasko about her long and varied path towards the games industry, learning via trial by fire at her first job in games, organic growth and diversity in projects and partners to increase stability, finding the confidence to make decisions, stepping out of the shadows into a front-of-house leadership role, the importance of feedback and support, and how culture and values can help a studio come together.  Chelsea is the Co-CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios, who are best known for developing Killer Instinct, Divekick, and the recently released Extinction. Additionally, Iron Galaxy has helped studios finish and port titles, with over 60 games shipped worldwide. 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Ted Price chats with David Cage about maintaining balance at an independent studio while juggling multiple responsibilities, his philosophy on writing and directing video games, Quantic Dream's new publishing arm, and what they look for when evaluating pitches from independent developers. David Cage founded Quantic Dream in 1997, with the ambition of using interactivity as a new means of expression. Quantic Dream has released several award winning titles including Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls, and Heavy Rain. Recently, Quantic Dream began to publish titles such as Jo-Mei's Sea of Solitude. 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Ted Price chats with Jonathan Blow about the personal nature of game development; the intricacies of puzzle design and what it means to players; creating his own programming language; ways the games industry can improve moving forward; and what's next on the horizon for him and Thekla.  Jonathan Blow is an independent game designer and programmer, most notable for creating Braid and The Witness. 

Follow us on Twitter @Official_AIAS, Facebook or visit us at interactive.org.

Robin Hunicke chats with Dr. Mitu Khandaker about her journey around the world and into the games industry, finding her feet at teaching, building games from the ground up rooted in diverse cultural experiences, and about representation issues facing the games industry and ways to help financially support creators of color.

Dr. Mitu Khandaker is CEO & co-founder of Glow Up Games, a new mobile free-to-play games & creative tech studio building systems-driven games for diverse audiences. She is also Assistant Arts Professor at the NYU Game Center, where she teaches game design and development. She holds a PhD on designing games for immersive interfaces such as VR, and has a background in computer engineering.