![GameDev Breakdown](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/anchor-generated-image-bank/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/26462039-1675889186403-781b4dcc54037.jpg)
GameDev Breakdown
By CodeWritePlay
![Currently playing episode](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
GameDev BreakdownJul 22, 2021
![Red Panda Derailed](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1675889185222-abd33e6059c99.jpg)
Red Panda Derailed
A second virus in less than a month ravages the Mitchell household as GDC goers discover a privacy policy so bad they thought there had been a data leak. We discuss the status of the Red Panda project, Todd's favorite getting-things-done methods, and what to do when you have an actual gamedev breakdown.
For articles, show notes, and more, visit CodeWritePlay.com
![Red Panda Mechanics](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1675889185222-abd33e6059c99.jpg)
Red Panda Mechanics
This one is all about the progress we've made in taking our red panda archaeology game concept and bringing it to life. It's a look at the implications of the game's concept, the philosophy of the art and character design, our intention to develop a simple map system with Godot's tilemap tools (prior to the recent release of version 4.0), implementation of basic RPG controls and collisions, and the UI work so critical to a story-driven game.
For show notes, articles, and more, visit CodeWritePlay.com
![New Trailer, Who Dis?](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1675889185222-abd33e6059c99.jpg)
New Trailer, Who Dis?
Todd just wants to make video games with his friends.
![Let's Design a Game with Boss Fight Author Sebastian Deken](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1675889185222-abd33e6059c99.jpg)
Let's Design a Game with Boss Fight Author Sebastian Deken
Boss Fight author Sebastian Deken returns to the show to be our first guest co-designer. We discuss city living, echoes of the Satanic Panic, and more. Finally, we pull up the design whiteboard and ask, what secrets would an abandoned Animal Crossing village leave behind?
Find show notes, articles, and more at CodeWritePlay.com
![Illegal FOMO](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1675889185222-abd33e6059c99.jpg)
Illegal FOMO
A foreign government reached out, and what they said may pertain to you. Seriously.
Also, an update on production for the game co-design episodes!
![Let's Try Something New (Twitter Is Burning)](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1675889185222-abd33e6059c99.jpg)
Let's Try Something New (Twitter Is Burning)
Here's news about a fun new thing we're going to try in future episodes. Real game development ahead! Also, maybe social media is falling apart?
![Actually, Publishers Aren't Parents](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1655398695207-c3dfd7d0cdaf4.jpg)
Actually, Publishers Aren't Parents
We gathered Intellivision Amico news from all directions so you don't have to.
![State of the Podcast 2022](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_nologo/26462039/26462039-1655398695207-c3dfd7d0cdaf4.jpg)
State of the Podcast 2022
An end-of-year look at how GameDev Breakdown is doing and what to expect in 2023.
![Streamer Bill Duhr](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1671832685518-623e0cd8cbb35.jpg)
Streamer Bill Duhr
Variety streamer and longtime personal friend Bill Duhr drops in to talk about our trip to St. Louis' new dedicated VR center, Sandbox VR. Topics include how to make a car bed for adults, the worst hit-and-run attempt of all time, and why WWF No Mercy is one of the greatest video games of all time.
Check out our full Sandbox VR review.
Bill's links:
![Talking Industry Legal Issues with Game Dev Lawyer Jon Loiterman](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1669068426571-e5c88be54e7a7.jpg)
Talking Industry Legal Issues with Game Dev Lawyer Jon Loiterman
Jon Loiterman stops by to discuss what we can learn from recent stories like the Doom dispute between Bethesda and composer Mick Gordon, the Superman Demo on Steam story, and more. Catch this chat if you're an indie developer with legal questions and concerns.
Show notes, articles, and more: https://CodeWritePlay.com
Jon's links:
- @ProtonPerson on Twitter
- Read Jon's industry coverage and schedule a free consultation on LinkedIn.
![Talking Potionomics with Disney Composer Greg Nicolett](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1667773928560-220a9419a795e.jpg)
Talking Potionomics with Disney Composer Greg Nicolett
Potionomics composer Greg Nicolett discusses his work with Disney, how he learned the game composer's process, and Shia LeBeouf's unexpected influence on his career.
Show notes: CodeWritePlay.com
This episode was sponsored in part by Packt Publishing. Check out Unity 3D Game Development, available now!
Greg's links:
![Talking Hexahedra with Former RuneScape Developer, Chris Knowles](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1666794161308-56abbb207c275.jpg)
Talking Hexahedra with Former RuneScape Developer, Chris Knowles
Former RuneScape developer, Chris Knowles, discusses his time at Jagex, his design philosophy, and the one thing he refuses to do with his upcoming indie game.
This episode was sponsored in part by Packt Publishing. Check out Unity 3D Game Development, available now!
Chris Knowles Links:
- Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarrenam
- Hexahedra Demo on Steam: Hexahedra on Steam (steampowered.com)
- Hexahedra's Kickstarter campaign: Hexahedra by Sidequest Ninja — Kickstarter
![Alex Rushdy of 13AM Games](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1663980551210-1a3c0cd0c473c.jpg)
Alex Rushdy of 13AM Games
The CEO and creative director behind Runbow and Dawn of the Monsters discusses the recent discomfort of running a Unity team, his Godzilla ’98 VHS collection, and more.
![James D'Amato of The One Shot Podcast Network](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1659817066718-b6a19ed1a6072.jpg)
James D'Amato of The One Shot Podcast Network
Game Master James D'Amato calls in to discuss his latest book, The Ultimate RPG Character Backstory Guide - Expanded Genres Edition, how the One Shot Podcast Network became the tabletop RPG play powerhouse it is today, and how James' background in improv comedy serves his writing and his games.
Show links
- One Shot Podcast Network: https://oneshotpodcast.com
- James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/oneshotrpg
![Thomas Kildren of Fletcher Studios](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1658985462765-26b13d0cd0704.jpg)
Thomas Kildren of Fletcher Studios
Booper, Get Home! developer, Thomas Kildren, calls in to discuss his popular VR project, his experiences as a stay-at-home dad in the game dev space, his work toward autism awareness and acceptance, and more.
Thomas' links
- The Art of the Game | Gamedev, Art & Stay at Home Parenting (fletcherstudios.net)
- Fletcher Studios (@ThomasKildren) / Twitter
- Booper, Get Home! on Steam
You can read more about Thomas' incredible past and current work in the closing chapter of Inside Video Game Creation: Development Experts Share Their Stories by Todd Mitchell.
![Games Journalist Mat Bradley-Tschirgi Returns](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1658161413012-a3d60dc763e0e.jpg)
Games Journalist Mat Bradley-Tschirgi Returns
Author/developer/journalist/critic/friend of the show Mat Bradley-Tschirgi hangs out to discuss his work, surviving freelance work, what's going on around the industry, and how to survive both sides of live events.
Mat's links:
![Hollywood Publicist Dan Harary](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1656920613076-1b410820998a.jpg)
Hollywood Publicist Dan Harary
Dan Harary, founder of the Asbury PR agency, calls in to discuss his new book, Flirting with Fame, his experiences working and networking with practically everyone in Hollywood, and his no-nonsense approach to generating buzz. Listen in for old-school know-how and insight into the mindset of a PR pro who's seen it all.
Dan's links:
- Flirting with Fame by Dan Harary on Amazon
- DanHararyAuthor.com
![Roger Reichardt of Gamerheads and Pure Nintendo](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1656653329599-e9df778c6bfc9.jpg)
Roger Reichardt of Gamerheads and Pure Nintendo
Fellow games podcaster and journalist Roger Reichardt drops in to talk shop and share some laughs. We discuss the highs and lows of writing game reviews, designing games that facilitate learning, how to fix the industry with card catalogues, and more.
Roger's links:
![Jordan Mauriello of MoreYellow](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1655998696516-8b75a1023ffcc.jpg)
Jordan Mauriello of MoreYellow
MoreYellow CEO, Jordan Mauriello, joins to discuss corporate and personal brand management, what it takes to turn heads at game launch time, and what generating buzz may look like with the game industry's next set of big changes.
Jordan Mauriello's links
![Developer and Streamer Chris Gardner](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/26462039-1655396825650-b2a36996921b7.jpg)
Developer and Streamer Chris Gardner
The freestyle coder himself drops in to discuss the ups and downs of live coding, presenting at and organizing conferences, navigating the world of non-game commercial software development, and more. We also discuss what we're playing now and what games we're looking forward to getting our hands on.
Chris Gardner's links
![News, State of the Pod, and Philip Molodkovets of Wargaming](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
News, State of the Pod, and Philip Molodkovets of Wargaming
Welcome back! Here are some updates--including the scoop on Inside Video Game Creation in the latest deal at StoryBundle--a word on the state of the podcast, and an exclusive interview with Philip Molodkovets, Wargaming's executive producer on World of Warships.
Show links
- Inside Video Game Creation and many more great books at StoryBundle
- World of Warships by Wargaming
![Triple-A Environment Artist James Brady](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Triple-A Environment Artist James Brady
Ireland-based freelance artist James Brady calls in to discuss his meteoric rise in the game industry, including contributions to major triple-A titles such as Halo Infinite, Red Dead Redemption 2, Rogue Company, Hitman 2, PUBG, Dying Light 2, and more.
Show notes
James Brady - Portfolio, contact, and more, BradyArt.xyz
![Our Extended Chat with Bestselling Halo, Star Wars, and Dungeons & Dragons Author Troy Denning](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Our Extended Chat with Bestselling Halo, Star Wars, and Dungeons & Dragons Author Troy Denning
Following the release of his latest novel, Halo: Divine Wind, we grabbed an hour of Troy Denning's time to talk about Halo, contributing to other legendary series including Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons, collaborating with 343 Industries, how tie-ins differ from other writing projects, his philosophy on productivity, and much more.
Show Links
![Star Citizen’s Senior Lead Gameplay Engineer Goes Indie – Chad and Curtis McKinney of Bit Rot](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Star Citizen’s Senior Lead Gameplay Engineer Goes Indie – Chad and Curtis McKinney of Bit Rot
Chad and Curtis McKinney, Ph. D. (yes, both) call in to discuss Chad's experience with Cloud Imperium working on Star Citizen and their collaborative indie efforts on Recursive Ruin, a "kaleidoscopic first-person narrative puzzle game" not quite like anything else you've likely seen.
Episode links
- Report: "The Upskill Ultimatum": https://immerse.io/upskill_ultimatum/
- RecursiveRuin.com
- @DrChadMcKinney on Twitter
- @DrCurtMcKinney on Twitter
![Exclusive Release Day Interview with Halo: Divine Wind Author, Troy Denning](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Exclusive Release Day Interview with Halo: Divine Wind Author, Troy Denning
Prolific bestselling author Troy Denning calls in on release day for Halo: Divine Wind. We discuss the book's place in the Halo universe, his experiences collaborating with 343 Industries, and the sentimental inspiration for his first Halo story.
For more with Troy, including discussion about his work on Star Wars and Dark Sun books, catch our full interview here on the podcast!
Troy's links
- Troy Denning on Twitter
- Halo: Divine Wind from Simon & Schuster
![Mat Bradley-Tschirgi Returns Again](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Mat Bradley-Tschirgi Returns Again
Industry author, journalist, and developer Mat Bradley-Tschirgi returns to discuss his indie game collaboration with notorious filmmaker Uwe Boll, his interview with legendary Sierra Online founder Ken Williams, getting his first article on Polygon, and more.
Support our sponsors
This episode was sponsored in part by Mudstack! Mudstack is the only asset management and collaboration platform custom built for game studios and digital artists! Get started for free in just a few minutes at https://mudstack.com
Episode links
- @MatWBT on Twitter
- MatWBT.com
![Richard Butler of RAGE Works](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Richard Butler of RAGE Works
Richard Butler, New York-based Editor-in-Chief of RAGE Works calls in to discuss the early days of podcasting, his journey through the geek culture world, and how none other than GaryVee nearly convinced him to give up on his dreams.
Support our sponsors
This episode was sponsored in part by Mudstack! Mudstack is the only asset management and collaboration platform custom built for game studios and digital artists! Get started for free in just a few minutes at https://mudstack.com
Episode links
- RAGEWorks.net (news)
- RAGEWorksNetwork.com (podcasts)
![Disasterpeace and Casey Lucas-Quaid of Dinosaur Polo Club](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Disasterpeace and Casey Lucas-Quaid of Dinosaur Polo Club
Co-host Matt Hill enters the chat! Community manager Casey Lucas-Quaid and famed composer Rich Vreeland (AKA "Disasterpeace") of Dino Polo Club hang out to discuss their hit indie games, Mini Metro and Mini Motorways. We discuss the Apple Arcade program, keeping the indie spirit alive, navigating Steam Workshop, and more.
Support our sponsors
This episode was sponsored in part by Mudstack! Mudstack is the only asset management and collaboration platform custom built for game studios and digital artists! Get started for free in just a few minutes at https://mudstack.com
Episode links
- Mini Motorways and Mini Metro at DinoPoloClub.com
- Rich Vreeland at Disasterpeace.com
- Early info about the upcoming Streets of New Capenna expansion for Magic: The Gathering
![Fay and Martyn Maillardet of Imaginary Friends Games](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Fay and Martyn Maillardet of Imaginary Friends Games
Former Nintendo employees Fay and Martyn Maillardet call in to discuss life after the pro industry and the creation of their first proper indie release, Shindig.
Show links
![now.gg CEO, Rosen Sharma](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
now.gg CEO, Rosen Sharma
Former McAfee CTO Rosen Sharma--now CEO of BlueStacks, now.gg, and Game.tv--discusses his transition into gaming and where software distribution in the industry may be headed, including his thoughts on a future beyond mobile app stores. It may come sooner than you think.
Show links
![Comedian Steven Morgan](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Comedian Steven Morgan
Steven Morgan--accomplished Netherlands-based comedian, actor, musician, and writer--joins to discuss comedy in the pandemic times, embracing your introversion, navigating unexpected viral attention, and more.
Show links
- Steven Morgan on the web - https://stevenmorgan.wales
- Steven on Twitter - https://twitter.com/flavaadit
- Steven on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ma0sm/
- Steven on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/stevenmorganhero/
- Steven on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/ma0sm
- easylaughs improv comedy - https://www.easylaughs.nl/
Video show segments
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlksjQzzbTBendd_JSVBI0tc2FNLQ1xwB
![Rygar Book Author Brian Riggsbee](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Rygar Book Author Brian Riggsbee
Brian Riggsbee calls in with loads of insight about the arcade classic Rygar and the scoop on the upcoming second edition of his sold-out book, The Legend of Argus: The complete history of Rygar.
Show links
![Hacked: No Facebook, No Oculus Quest](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Hacked: No Facebook, No Oculus Quest
Over half of the VR market is controlled by a social media platform with no clear process for human support. What happens when something goes wrong? In this episode, Todd goes over a hack on his Facebook profile that resulted in a bricked Quest headset and nowhere to turn. Here's how it ended up.
Show notes
![Pontus “Zlapped” Mähler of Global Top Round](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Pontus “Zlapped” Mähler of Global Top Round
Indie accelerator GTR's director of business development calls in to discuss his time as a pro eSports competitor, his transition into the business of making and publishing games, and what indies need to know about marketing themselves, attracting funding and business partners, and more.
Show links
![Remembering Our Friend Abel Wang](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Remembering Our Friend Abel Wang
To celebrate the life of community rockstar Abel Wang, we revisit our 2018 discussion with him at GDC joined by Microsoft cloud advocate Jessica Deen.
Show links
- Support Girls Who Code in memoriam
![Buildbox Leadership Answers Your Questions](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Buildbox Leadership Answers Your Questions
Buildbox CEO, Jonathan Zweig, and Design SVP, Doug Manson, call in to address questions about the company, its game development products and services, and concerns raised in the development community about recent revenue changes for developers.
Show links
- CodeWritePlay coverage - Buildbox to claim up to 70% of user revenue soon
- CodeWritePlay coverage - Our 5 unanswered questions for Buildbox* Buildbox.com
![Games For Change President, Susanna Pollack](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Games For Change President, Susanna Pollack
Susanna Pollack calls in as Games For Change kicks off its 18th annual festival exploring the impact of games on education, healthcare, research, civics, and social issues.
Festival highlights
- Nsé Ufot (New Georgia Project) - The Grassroots Game: New Media for Voter Engagement
- Josh Shen (State Dept) - Can Governments Help Grow the Gaming Community?
- Jenny Wu (Understood - festival’s support of accessibility and usability) - Raising Good Gamers: Youth, Safety, and Diversity
- John Hanke (Niantic) - Keynote - Building Real World Communities with Niantic
- Katie Salen (RGG) - Well-Played / Raising Good Gamers: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at 3 Families’ Experience in Minecraft
Show links
- GamesForChange.org
- G4C on Twitter
- G4C on Facebook
- The Games For Change Newsletter
![Retro Space Ball Developer Rik Oclon](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Retro Space Ball Developer Rik Oclon
3D Generalist Rik Oclon calls in to discuss his project Retro Space Ball, how he navigated a huge debacle with a major games publisher (and received no payment), and he gives us some great data about his player base as well as some insight into his marketing and community management research.
Support our sponsors
This show was sponsored by Appfigures! Appfigures is all about giving game makers the tools they need to reduce risk and get more downloads. To find out more, head to https://appfigures.com/on/GameDevBreakdown to try Appfigures for free. If you like it, use our special code GDB3030 to get 30% off for the next 3 months.
Show links
- Retro Space Ball on itch.io
- Dodge People VR on itch.io
- RikOclon.com
- @RikOclon on Twitter
![Triple-A Veteran Luis Alonso](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Triple-A Veteran Luis Alonso
Luis Alonso of Recombobulator Games calls in to walk us through his experiences contributing to series like Need For Speed and Mass Effect--or if you prefer, Hannah Montana and VeggieTales--before going indie with his wife (accomplished writer Michelle Franklin) to realize a creative vision that's stayed with him since childhood.
Show links
- Space Boat on Steam
- Recombobulator Games
- Luis Alonso / Space Boat on Twitter
![The Virtual Book Tour Continues](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
The Virtual Book Tour Continues
Todd promotes--and in one case, absolutely does not promote--his new book, Inside Video Game Creation, in three more chats with industry podcast hosts at Moonlight Game Devs, What Else Do You Do?, and GamerHeads.
Show links
- Inside Video Game Creation on Amazon
- The Moonlight Game Devs podcast
- The What Else Do You Do? podcast
- The GamerHeads podcast
![Boss Fight Books Author Sebastian Deken](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Boss Fight Books Author Sebastian Deken
Sebastian Deken calls in to discuss his book, Final Fantasy VI from Boss Fight Books, and how his musical background led to his unique approach in covering the game. We go over the Final Fantasy series' history in the US and how the games have progressed over time. There is almost no gotcha journalism.
If you're already a fan of the Boss Fight Books series, you know that each author tends to bring a unique approach to their installment. Some books revolve around deeply personal stories while others are a result of incredibly thorough investigative journalism. In Final Fantasy VI, Deken introduces yet another approach: a music-first exploration of one of the most popular RPGs of all time.
Deken brings the perspective of a well-studied professional musician to the challenge of capturing what makes Final Fantasy's metronome tick, and he's been reflecting on the magic of the third/sixth installment (we refresh this timeline in the episode) since the day fate placed a knowledgeable toy store sales associate in his father's path just after the game's North American release. His verdict? Final Fantasy VI's music is much more than background noise.
"I pitched it as sort of a look at the game through the music and how the music functions within the game to advance the drama and to hold the game together, because the script is a disaster," Deken joked during our discussion. "It's just--it's a trainwreck. There's so much going on that it's hanging by a thread, the story."
During our chat, Deken explains how music helps move the game's narrative throughout its notorious twists and turns in gameplay. The book explores these choices, the soundtrack's later transition to live performances, and the composer's achievements in bringing video game music into its own as a legitimate genre.
Final Fantasy VI is available in ebook format from Boss Fight Books with a paperback edition coming this summer.
Show links:
- Final Fantasy VI from Boss Fight Books
- Sebastian Deken on Twitter
![Adam Fligsten of Silen Audio](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Adam Fligsten of Silen Audio
Adam Fligsten of Silen Audio calls in to discuss his process, his projects, and his path into music and audio composition for TV, film, and games. His credits include Marvel vs. Capcom, Saturday Night Live, NBC Olympics, and much, much more.
I think that people put these tools on a pedestal and they shouldn't. It should be accessible to everybody...- Adam Fligsten
Adam Fligsten has been composing music for decades. After working in the music industry in both New York and Los Angeles, he's leveraging his incredible resume including tons of highly visible work in TV and film to get more heavily involved in video game sound design and composition.
While Adam is presently under a number of NDAs, his recent contribution to the Marvel vs. Capcom series suggests that, once again, he's making a beeline for the coolest projects around. When the pandemic kept most of us in isolation, he turned to Twitch where he streamed the entire process of composing Ceres Station, a Super Metroid tribute album.
Make no mistake: Silen Audio would love nothing more than to provide music and audio services for just about any game in development, but Adam maintains a refreshing philosophy about approachability and fun when it comes to making music.
"You shouldn't be afraid to mess up," he says. "That's what practicing an instrument is. You just keep doing it over and over again until it sounds good. If you're trying to record something, you usually have enough time to get it right. I think that people put these tools on a pedestal and they shouldn't. It should be accessible to everybody. Just pick it up, make some noise until it sounds the way you want it to sound, and that's it. That's making music."
Silen Audio was founded in 2016 in Los Angeles, California, and provides both sound design and composition services for indie and AAA studios.
Show Links
![Jesse Attard of Tactic Studios](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Jesse Attard of Tactic Studios
Tactic Studios developer and CEO, Jesse Attard (BioShock, BioShock 2, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (2006)), calls in for a podcast chat about the studio's new Portal-style puzzle adventure game, Claire de Lune. We discuss his transition from major AAA teams to heading up an indie studio, parenting at publish time, best pandemic home office purchases, and more.
A "Fantastic" Transition to Indie Development
It's difficult to imagine a triple-A veteran more optimistic than Jesse Attard. Since 2005, he's contributed to major projects at Ubisoft, Capcom, and Digital Extremes, putting him in the right places at the right times to work on everything from old flip phone games up to the BioShock series and even a late port of Street Fighter II. You'd be right to anticipate a story about burnout and the evisceration of hope in a notoriously brutal industry, yet Attard simply describes the move to indie development as a nice change of pace.
"Oh, it's fantastic. It's great. I love doing it," Attard says about the move from the major-budget studios. "I love having my own engine. I loved working on [Digital Extremes'] engine as well...because you have a lot of flexibility in terms of what you can do and add to it."
Tactic's upcoming title, Claire de Lune, uses the studio's own proprietary engine that the team started building back when the major game engine terms weren't nearly as inviting as they are now. The graphics and gameplay seen in the game's trailers look right at home alongside just about any modern title.
Attard has stories about why game engine freedom is important to him.
"BioShock was on [Unreal Engine]," he says. "And so we worked on BioShock, and you're terrified about touching any of the Epic code because if Epic decides to change that code, now you've got to merge them and it's just a big nightmare. Having your own engine, you have 100% flexibility. You can make it do exactly what you want. It's much easier to work with, from our standpoint. So that's been great."
Beyond leveraging his technical experience, Attard is enjoying the additional creative influence he has as part of a small team. He wrote and took care of the full sound design for Claire de Lune.
Tactic Studios is targeting a June 14th release date for Claire de Lune.
Show Links
![Christopher Arnold of Crowned Daemon Studios](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Christopher Arnold of Crowned Daemon Studios
Christopher Arnold of Crowned Daemon Studios calls in to talk about the studio's mental health-focused game, Syntherapy, the inspiration behind its development, and its reception in the community.
Crowned Daemon Studios wants to guide you through an exploration of therapy and mental health issues unique from just about any other. Its visual novel adventure game, Syntherapy, places you (a therapist) in charge of the diagnosis and treatment of an artificial intelligence in a story with over 30 possible endings. This is not your average visual novel; Crowned Daemon leveraged publisher support to put together a fully voice-acted experience, and the sense of dramatic immersion is real.
While you'll interact with an artificial patient in the game, the story's influence is both real and personal.
"A lot of it's just personal history," says Arnold. "This actually started as sort of a cathartic exercise of sort of externalizing thoughts and feelings and things that I was trying to figure out in a format where I could read it back a little bit later and it wasn't just on my mind all the time." He says the idea of making the game's patient an AI came from the realization that we look at mental health in terms of functionality, much the way we tend to troubleshoot technology.
In terms of professional consulting and research, Arnold says the writing of psychologist blogger Scott Alexander provided an eye-opening look at the mindset of a practicing therapist. Arnold credits Alexander's work with his understanding of the field's complicated relationship to society and its problems that don't always have perfectly clinical answers.
Syntherapy is available now on Steam.
Show links
![AEXLAB CEO Jonathan Ovadia](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
AEXLAB CEO Jonathan Ovadia
Jonathan Ovadia of AEXLAB calls in to discuss the progress and the story behind the studio's upcoming virtual reality multiplayer competitive shooter, VAIL. He shares insight into a relatively new funding model for games, his team's vision for a connected, persistent VR experience, and more.
AEXLAB aims to bring competitive multiplayer tactical gunplay to VR
Jonathan Ovadia has been playing video games all of his life. What started as a love of Pokémon and other classic video games has resulted in his co-founding and leading AEXLAB, a virtual reality technologies and game studio. AEXLAB is currently aiming to bring the quality and polish of shooters like Halo, Call of Duty, and Counter-Strike to VR to create a truly immersive competitive multiplayer experience, and he wants to work with other gamers to do it.
The team funded VAIL VR out-of-pocket for years before seeking external funding and, eventually, allowing members of the game's community to become direct investors in the game. Since that time, AEXLAB has successfully raised a million dollars in funding toward the game's continued development.
"We're definitely not start-up guys," Ovadia says of his team. While he has an aggressive vision for the future of VAIL and AEXLAB, he says he prefers very slow and deliberate growth and that he doesn't care how long the game has to stay in development before it's ready.
Show Links
- VAIL VR on Steam
- PlayVAILVR.com
- VAIL VR Discord
![Virtual Book Tour: Podcast vs Player](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Virtual Book Tour: Podcast vs Player
The Inside Video Game Creation virtual book tour continues with a segment for the always-entertaining Podcast vs Player podcast crew. We discuss the book, unusual interview experiences, balance and sacrifice in the industry, and more.
Show Notes and Links
![Virtual Book Tour: Zero to Play](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo400/26462039/5d818e8f9920e931.png)
Virtual Book Tour: Zero to Play
Todd appears on Carl Leducq's podcast, Zero to Play, to discuss his new book, Inside Video Game Creation, indie game development, trends in the game industry, and more.
Show Notes and Links
Full Audio Show
https://open.spotify.com/show/13V48s0adPvEQRHHKPUU13
Full Video Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O89IVmOd7R0
![Inside Video Game Creation Is Out Now!](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/c1270dc71086ee85.jpeg)
Inside Video Game Creation Is Out Now!
At long last, Todd's Q&A interview book is out!
Inside Video Game Creation: Development Experts Share Their Stories at Amazon. Ratings and reviews are greatly appreciated!
![Michelle Franklin of Recombobulator Games](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/0c447e6eff7555aa.jpeg)
Michelle Franklin of Recombobulator Games
Accomplished writer Michelle Franklin of Recombobulator Games calls in to discuss cats, floods, and Space Boat, a shiny upcoming narrative adventure game being developed by a team of triple-A industry survivors with credits on Mass Effect 3, DeadSpace 2, Hannah Montana, and more.
Michelle Franklin, Recombobulator Games, and Space Boat
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw3lYYQVoBo
- Recombobulator Games on Twitter
- Recombobulator.ca
- Space Boat - Episode 1 on Steam
- Michelle Franklin on Twitter
If you enjoy GameDev Breakdown
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![GDC Showcase Check-In](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode400/26462039/59bedc12abcda5a5.jpeg)
GDC Showcase Check-In
Welcome to GDC Showcase week! This is your first podcast check-in from the event. Hear about the sessions so far, including great chats with the legendary Warren Spector and Sucker Punch Productions co-founder Brian Fleming, then get tips for the event and what to keep an eye on for the rest of the week!
If you enjoy GameDev Breakdown
- Sign up for our free game dev newsletter!
- Subscribe to the podcast on the platform of your choice
- Follow us on Twitter: @GameDevPod, @CodeWritePlay, @Mechatodzilla, Check show notes and articles at CodeWritePlay.com
- Join us on Discord!