Best Gamemaker Podcasts (2024)

1
Economics & Advantages of Mobile Web Stores ft. Gil Tov-ly from AppCharge 43:07

13d ago43:07

43:07

We discuss the impact, economics, and advantages of mobile web stores in a deep discussion with Gil Tov-ly, the CMO of AppCharge, a company that partners with game studios to build optimized web stores.OUTLINE:0:00 Intro1:13 Motivation and economics of mobile web stores: Huge 20-30% total revenue lift3:42 Amount of transactions through web stores v…

1
Talking Galactic Wars and Live Service in Helldivers 2 with Maria Cornelius 1:06:00

20m ago1:06:00

1:06:00

This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Maria Cornelius, the Chief Product Officer for HELLDIVERS™ 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios. Together they discuss her life outside of games at Spotify and how she found herself at Paradox Interactive and then to Arrowhead; the profound impact mentoring programs have had on her career; …

1
Corinne Busche & John Epler, game directors, Dragon Age: The Veilguard. 1:18:06

40m ago1:18:06

1:18:06

Corrine and John are the director and creative director of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Corinne Busche majored in digital animation at the University of Utah. In 2006 she joined the studio now known as EA Saltlake, working through the ranks to become a Design Director for The Sims series. John Epler studied English language and literature at the Univ…

1
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Actor, Briana White 1:12:05

2h ago1:12:05

1:12:05

This episode is supported by Xsolla Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Final Fantasy VII actor Briana White. Together they discuss the casting process and how she originally auditioned for both Tifa and Aerith; respecting the original Japanese performance by Maaya Sakamoto; how localization transforms the creative process; how she dealt with insecurity a…

1
Life Changing Art Meets Tech with Ninja Theory's Dom Matthews 1:07:43

41m ago1:07:43

1:07:43

This episode is supported by Xsolla Adam Orth chats with Dom Matthews, Studio Head of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II developer Ninja Theory. Together they discuss the history of Ninja Theory as a studio and the unique DNA found in their games; their mission of crafting life changing art with game changing tech; avoiding making games for "everyone" and …

1
Sarah Elmaleh, voice actor (Fortnite, Halo Infinite, Gears of War 5). 1:21:36

6d ago1:21:36

1:21:36

My guest today is the American voice-actor and activist Sarah Elmaleh. As a student at Wesleyan University she performed in a variety of theatrical productions and radio plays, spending a portion of her studies at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford. After graduating she moved to Brooklyn, New York, and was working as a stage actor when sh…

1
Brainstorming 50 Games in 1 for UFO 50 1:40:25

3d ago1:40:25

1:40:25

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 m…

1
Matt Firor, founder of ZeniMax Online Studios (The Elder Scrolls Online). 1:10:34

17d ago1:10:34

1:10:34

My guest today is the founder and director of ZeniMax Online Studio, Matt Firor. After studying history at George Washington University, he co-founded the developer Interesting Systems Inc., where he created a MUD-style text adventure titled Darkness Falls. In 1995 he co-founded Mythic Entertainment, where he produced pioneering online games such a…

1
From Quake to Space Marines with Saber's Tim Willits 1:30:02

10d ago1:30:02

1:30:02

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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" ea…

1
Game Industry Hot Takes: Ubisoft's Struggles, Unity's Revival, and Microsoft's Game Pass Gambit 1:06:12

15d ago1:06:12

1:06:12

A deep dive into the most pressing topics in gaming with industry veterans discussing recent developments, challenges, and future outlooks.⏱️ Timeline/Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:05 - Ubisoft's Current State & Challenges14:35 - Unity's Turnaround Story31:20 - AppLovin Deep Dive39:15 - China Gaming Market Update49:40 - Microsoft-Activision Deal …

1
Pitof Comar, film director (Catwoman, Alien: Resurrection). 1:11:51

16d ago1:11:51

1:11:51

My guest today is a French film director and pioneer in the world of digital imaging. Born in Paris, he studied architecture and medicine at university before joining the film industry. He co-founded Duran Duboi, a postproduction house that created visual effects for music videos by artists including Prince, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, and Boy George. …

1
Marvel Games Executive Producer, Eric Monacelli 1:50:49

17d ago1:50:49

1:50:49

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 …

1
EXPOSING Mobile Performance Marketing Secrets! UA in 2024 and Beyond with Warren Woodward 57:37

21d ago57:37

57:37

Warren Woodward, co-founder and CMO at Upptic, provides real, no-nonsense advice about the current state of mobile performance marketing. What are the current problems and issues in the market and how can studios grow their player base through mobile user acquisition today?OUTLINE:0:00 Intro0:47 Why Warren is great to talk to about UA2:00 Current s…

1
Hannah Nicklin, playwright, narrative designer (Mutazione, Saltsea Chronicles). 1:16:10

23d ago1:16:10

1:16:10

My guest today is Hannah Nicklin, a British writer and narrative designer for video games. After studying Drama at Loughborough University, and Playwriting at the University of Birmingham, she returned to Loughborough for a doctorate in interactive design as anti-capitalist practice. After several years working as a poet, theatre-maker, and academi…

1
Finding Creativity within Constraint with Composer Jon Everist 1:49:17

24d ago1:49:17

1:49:17

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 creati…

1
Danny Wallace, writer & broadcaster (Yes Man, Assassin's Creed series). 1:06:48

1M ago1:06:48

1:06:48

My guest today is the award-winning humourist, writer, and presenter Danny Wallace. Born in Dundee, Scotland, he published his first professional video game review at the age of thirteen while conducting work experience for Sega Power, a magazine that subsequently offered him a job. At 22, after graduating from The University of Westminster, he bec…

1
Scoring the Witcher and Beyond with Composer Mikolai Stroinski 1:14:23

1M ago1:14:23

1:14:23

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 fi…

1
Nainita Desai, composer (Immortality, Call of Duty, Tales of Kenzera: Zau). 1:14:12

1M ago1:14:12

1:14:12

My guest today is Nainita Desai, the British composer for film, television and video games. Born and raised in London by her Indian parents, she earned a degree in mathematics, then studied sound design at the National Film and Television School. She started her career as a sound designer on the films Little Buddha, Lessons of Darkness and Death Ma…

1
Talking Southeast Asian Game Dev with Kris Antoni, Toge Productions 1:19:54

1M ago1:19:54

1:19:54

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 …

1
Eugene Jarvis, gamemaker (Defender, Robotron: 2084, Smash TV). 1:16:25

2M ago1:16:25

1:16:25

My guest today is the American video game designer and programmer Eugene Jarvis. Born in California, he studied computer science at Berkeley, where, in the basement of the physics laboratory, he played the early video game Spacewar. After graduating he worked for Hewlitt Packard, but quit after three days to join Atari, where he began programming f…

1
Writing for Live Service Games with Destiny 2 Narrative Director, Alison Lührs 1:05:17

1M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 a…

1
Uwe Boll, film director (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, Postal). 1:13:24

2M ago1:13:24

1:13:24

My guest today is the German filmmaker Uwe Boll. Born in Wermelskirchen he decided he wanted to direct films at the age of ten, after seeing Marlon Brando star in Mutiny on the Bounty. It wasn’t until he was in his mid-thirties, however, that he directed his first major motion picture, Blackwoods, a psychological thriller that a critic for the New …

1
Navigating the Business of Indie Games with Dan Adelman 3:02:36

2M ago3:02:36

3:02:36

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 pro…

1
Derek Yu, gamemaker (Spelunky, UFO 50). 1:11:10

2M ago1:11:10

1:11:10

My guest today is the American video game artist and designer, Derek Yu. Born in Pasadena, California in the early eighties, he started mapping out games on graph paper when he was still a child. After graduating college with a degree in computer science, he moved to San Francisco to work as a freelance illustrator. In 2007 he developed a satirical…

1
From Portal to Counter-Strike 2 with Valve Composer Mike Morasky 2:01:35

2M ago2:01:35

2:01:35

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 h…

1
Correspondence Special #4: Clickbait? 35:20

2M ago35:20

35:20

In this special correspondence edition, host Simon Parkin reads out listeners' correspondence and answers your questions. Hear Simon discuss the recent, headline-making episode with former PlayStation President Chris Deering, listener responses to the controversy, as well as discussion of what term we should use to describe the genre formerly known…

1
Chris Deering, former President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. 1:14:25

2M ago1:14:25

1:14:25

My guest today is an American businessman and the former and first president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Chris Deering. Raised in Boston, Massachusetts to immigrant parents, my guest had a strict upbringing. Despite the disadvantages he faced, he graduated with distinction with a degree in computer science at Boston College, then studied…

1
Generating Human Stories with RimWorld Creator, Tynan Sylvester 2:05:26

2M ago2:05:26

2:05:26

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 h…

1
From Nintendo's Snipperclips to Crow Country with Adam & Tom Vian 1:57:22

2M ago1:57:22

1:57:22

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 deve…

1
Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat. 1:12:41

3M ago1:12:41

1:12:41

My guest today is Eliot Higgins, a British citizen journalist and founder of Bellingcat, a website that specialises in open-source intelligence. In 2012, while unemployed, he became involved in online discussions about the conflict in Syria, where few journalists were able to operate. Despite having little prior interest in the region, he began to …

1
Bonus: Game Club vs. The Messenger 34:44

3M ago34:44

34:44

In this special episode, Simon is joined by comedian Glenn Moore to discuss the subject of July's My Perfect Console 'Game Club', The Messenger. Throughout July 2024, Glenn and Simon, along with many of you, the listeners, played through the 2018 platformer The Messenger, a game chosen by Abu Salim during his episode of My Perfect Console. Glenn an…

1
Maddy Thorson, game-maker (Towerfall, Celeste). 1:08:51

3M ago1:08:51

1:08:51

My guest today is Maddy Thorson, a Canadian writer and designer for video games. At the age of 14, she obtained a copy of GameMaker, software on which she learned to make simple games. After studying computer science at Grande Prairie Regional College in Alberta, she moved to Vancouver and there rented a house in which she and her friends began wor…

1
Creating a Soulslike Under the Sea with Another Crab's Treasure 57:14

3M ago57:14

57:14

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 Cr…

1
Holly Gramazio, curator, novelist (The Husbands). 1:18:30

3M ago1:18:30

1:18:30

My guest today is Holly Gramazio, a writer, curator, and game designer. Born in Australia, she earned her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide, then moved to London where she founded the Somerset House-based games festival Now Play This, an annual celebration of experimental games. In 2019 she wrote the script for Dicey Dungeons, a…

1
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure with David Hellman, Nico Recabarren, and Nick Suttner 1:15:55

3M ago1:15:55

1:15:55

This episode is supported by Xsolla 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 b…

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