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The Game Dev Show

The Game Dev Show

By Kaley and Luke

Gaming Is the largest entertainment format In the world. Larger than both Music and Film combined. Yet, there are so few dedicated platforms for the Industries biggest and brightest contributors to tell their story. The Game Dev Show's objective Is to create a platform, a talk-show, for the video games Industry and the people who have helped make it what it is today.
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TGDS Ep 8/ Katie G/ Parenting in Games/ VR

The Game Dev ShowSep 01, 2020

00:00
01:07:60
TGDS S2E28 Alix Wilton Regan - Actor – Games Voiceover - Assassin’s Creed Origins – Cyberpunk 2077

TGDS S2E28 Alix Wilton Regan - Actor – Games Voiceover - Assassin’s Creed Origins – Cyberpunk 2077

For the final episode of the season, we were delighted to be joined by Alix Wilton Regan, who is of course, the brilliant actor / voice behind Aya in Assassin’s Creed Origins, Alt Cunningham in Cyberpunk 2077 and many others.

We talk about Alix’s early school days, Drama Studio London, creating the right environment in a voiceover booth, how gender plays a role in voice acting, and the importance of voice directors.

Alix leaves us with this round up of her career “one and only”. As with most of the stories our guests working in games have told, it is completely unique, there are massive highs and crushing lows but always beauty!

Mar 01, 202247:21
TGDS S2E27 Rasmus Poulsen - Franchise Art Director – IO Interactive – AAA Games – Art Direction – Hitman 2

TGDS S2E27 Rasmus Poulsen - Franchise Art Director – IO Interactive – AAA Games – Art Direction – Hitman 2

This week is our penultimate episode of The Game Dev Show and we are delighted to be joined by Rasmus Poulsen, Franchise Art Director for IO Interactive.  

Rasmus talks to us straight about his journey from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – School of Design, to being an Art Director on numerous AAA projects at several Studios.  He stresses the importance of establishing art direction early on and how aesthetics matter. 

We also chat about the creative process, how to activate your inspiration, Hitman, Star Wars and of course Bond, James Bond!

Feb 22, 202201:12:12
TGDS S2E26 Luis Antonio Director at Twelve Minutes - Art Director - Rockstar - Ubisoft - Indie - The Witness

TGDS S2E26 Luis Antonio Director at Twelve Minutes - Art Director - Rockstar - Ubisoft - Indie - The Witness

Join us for this week’s episode of The Game Dev Show with Luis Antonio, a master artist of games including Manhunt 2, Midnight Club, and The Witness, and the visionary director of Twelve Minutes.

We talk about life post Twelve Minutes release and four-day weeks, his start at Rockstar and move to Ubisoft, and his journey from Lead Artist to Art Director.

Luis shares the challenges of being an artist, where he gets inspiration from, the importance of personal development and of course we spend some minutes talking about Twelve Minutes!

Feb 15, 202201:16:60
TGDS S2E25 Jason Hayes Audio Director / Composer Imagendary Studios - World of Warcraft - Blizzard - Video Games Live

TGDS S2E25 Jason Hayes Audio Director / Composer Imagendary Studios - World of Warcraft - Blizzard - Video Games Live

On this week’s episode of The Game Dev Show we’re joined by composer and industry legend, Jason Hayes! You might know Jason from his incredible compositions for World of Warcraft and Dota 2.

Jason takes us through his journey, from his Cajun roots playing Text Adventures, to studying Music Composition at the University of North Texas. And of course, we get into Jason’s start in the industry working at Sierra Online, his move to Blizzard, and working on the incredible soundtracks he’s so well known for.

Jason also shares some insight into what it was like to create the iconic music of World of Warcraft.

Feb 08, 202201:03:05
TGDS S2E24 David Turley - Shoutcaster for League of Legends - Esports Commentator - Riot - Phreak - Warcraft 3

TGDS S2E24 David Turley - Shoutcaster for League of Legends - Esports Commentator - Riot - Phreak - Warcraft 3

This week on The Game Dev Show we host the legendary Riot and League of Legends Shoutcaster, and Content Specialist, David Turley.

David takes us through his journey from outcast at school, to being cheated as a Warcraft 3 Pro Player, joining Riot at the beginning of the League of Legends phenomenon, and going on to be synonymous with shoutcasting through his work with, arguably, the world's largest competitive game.

We also discuss the power of data and automation in community management, what it's like to feature in The Simpsons and Ballers, off-meta picks, the importance of unpredictability in games and sports, and how David prepares for shoutcasting a world championship.


Feb 01, 202201:08:06
TGDS S2E23 Ben McCaw - Narrative Director at Guerrilla - Horizon Forbidden West - Ubisoft - Warner Bros - Prince of Persia

TGDS S2E23 Ben McCaw - Narrative Director at Guerrilla - Horizon Forbidden West - Ubisoft - Warner Bros - Prince of Persia

Join us on this week's episode of The Game Dev Show where we chat with the wonderful Ben McCaw, Narrative Director at Guerrilla, currently working on the soon-to-be-released Horizon Forbidden West. 

We get into everything from living and working in Amsterdam, through Ben's early years as a Producer, writing on Prince of Persia, his creative process, all the way up to his amazing work at Guerrilla on the Horizon series.

We also chat about Ben's love of Knights of the Old Republic, working with the Lord of the Rings licence, cancelled Assassin's Creed shorts, and of course D&D.


Jan 25, 202249:19
TGDS S2E22 Quinn Duffy - Design Director - Relic - Blackbird Interactive - Company of Heroes - Age of Empires 4 - Homeworld

TGDS S2E22 Quinn Duffy - Design Director - Relic - Blackbird Interactive - Company of Heroes - Age of Empires 4 - Homeworld

This week on The Game Dev Show we sit down with Quinn Duffy, Design Director on 2021’s Age of Empires 4, for an exclusive interview following his departure from Relic after 24 years’ with the studio.

Quinn takes us through his games career, from a Designer on Homeworld to Game Director on Company of Heroes 2 and Design Director on Age of Empires 4. We dive deep into the RTS genre, his first time seeing Homeworld, and the challenges and opportunities of working on the Age of Empires franchise.

We also chat about why Quinn left Relic, his move to Blackbird Interactive, what the future holds for strategy games, and we talk D&D...obviously


Jan 18, 202201:25:53
TGDS S2E21 James Batchelor Editor-in-Chief at Gamesindustry.biz - MCV - Develop - PC Gamer - Games Industry Journalism

TGDS S2E21 James Batchelor Editor-in-Chief at Gamesindustry.biz - MCV - Develop - PC Gamer - Games Industry Journalism

This week on The Game Dev Show we are joined by the (reluctantly titled) veteran industry journalist and Editor-in-Chief at Gamesindustry.biz, James Batchelor.

James takes us through his 15 years in games journalism, and how games coverage has changed during that time. We chat about his industry beginnings as an Intern at PC Gamer, his time at MCV and Develop, all the way up to his current role at Gamesindustry.biz.

With the ever-changing face of games coverage, James discusses journalistic neutrality, what Dungeons and Dragons alignment Journalists take, and the morals of game coverage. We also discuss the unique challenges of industry journalism, censorship, user reviews, and terrible game ideas..

Jan 11, 202201:02:13
TGDS S2E20 Abubakar Salim - Founder & CEO Silver Rain Games - EA - Raised by Wolves

TGDS S2E20 Abubakar Salim - Founder & CEO Silver Rain Games - EA - Raised by Wolves

Happy New Year!

On 2022's first episode of The Game Dev Show we host the brilliantly talented Abubakar Salim, Founder of Silver Rain Games.

Abubakar takes us through his unique journey from playing the lead role as Bayek in Assassin's Creed Origins, to creating Silver Rain Games while starring in Ridley Scott's acclaimed Raised by Wolves.

We discuss the challenges and opportunities of starting a studio with EA Origins through a less trodden path, balancing the the growth of a young studio, the human side of development, and innovating the narrative experience of games.


Jan 04, 202247:02
TGDS S1E1 Andreas Gschwari - CCO Modern Wolf - Splash Damage - nDreams - Indie Innovation

TGDS S1E1 Andreas Gschwari - CCO Modern Wolf - Splash Damage - nDreams - Indie Innovation

This is the official launch of The Game Dev Show! We are incredibly excited to share our work telling the stories of the greatest game creators in the world. Our First guest is Andreas Gschwari who is the CCO of Modern Wolf. We talk about how he started playing games, his favorite commodore game, lateral game design, and he asks the question: why are we leaving innovation to the Indies? 

Jan 04, 202244:36
TGDS S2E19 Dr. Jo Twist - CEO at UKIE - Commissioning Editor Channel 4 - Commissioner at the BBC

TGDS S2E19 Dr. Jo Twist - CEO at UKIE - Commissioning Editor Channel 4 - Commissioner at the BBC

On this week’s episode of The Game Dev Show, we sat down with the brilliant Dr. Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE, the UK’s independent Trade Association for Interactive Entertainment.

Jo takes us from her time at University up to now, where she leads UKIE’s efforts to help the UK games industry continue to prosper. We talk internet cafés, dissertations, the inception of the internet, games, the BBC, and commissioning games at Channel 4.

Looking to her time at UKIE, Jo discusses the steps they’re taking to inspire and educate the next generation of developers, whilst keeping an eye on what’s next for the games industry.

Jo’s episode is the 50th, so thanks to all our listeners and followers for every listen, like, share, and your continued support. We can’t wait to share the next 50 incredible guests with you all!

We also talk about cats…

Dec 21, 202101:11:55
TGDS S2E18 James Brooksby - CEO Absolutely Games - Kuju - Doublesix - Born Ready Games - Warhammer 40k - Firewarrior

TGDS S2E18 James Brooksby - CEO Absolutely Games - Kuju - Doublesix - Born Ready Games - Warhammer 40k - Firewarrior

This week on The Game Dev Show we are joined by the fantastic James Brooksby, CEO @ Absolutely Games.

James talks about being CEO at several games companies, the indie games space, and the emotional cost of acquisitions - with a brilliant metaphor.

We also discuss floods, evolving game studios, Warhammer 40k and company culture. 

[Apologies for the sound quality of my mic, there were technical issues that have now been resolved]

Dec 14, 202153:04
TGDS S2E17 Ambre Lizurey - Director of Operations at EA Motive - Star Wars: Squadrons - Ubisoft - Assassin's Creed - Prince of Persia

TGDS S2E17 Ambre Lizurey - Director of Operations at EA Motive - Star Wars: Squadrons - Ubisoft - Assassin's Creed - Prince of Persia

This week on The Game Dev Show we had the pleasure of sitting down with Ambre Lizurey, Director of Operations at EA Motive.

Ambre walks us through her path into the industry, to Ubisoft and now at EA Motive, and how her role supports the people and project to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals whilst staying happy!

We cover everything from how data and qualitative testing impacts design decisions, the importance of well-being, supporting your community, STEM, mentorship...and cool t-shirts


Dec 07, 202150:53
TGDS S2 Lorne Lanning pt.2 - Oddworld Inhabitants Co-founder and CCO - Abe's Oddysee - Oddworld: Soulstorm

TGDS S2 Lorne Lanning pt.2 - Oddworld Inhabitants Co-founder and CCO - Abe's Oddysee - Oddworld: Soulstorm

What defines ‘indie’? This week on TGDS we pick back up with the wonderful Lorne Lanning, creator of Oddworld Inhabitants, in part two of our special feature.

Lorne continues the story of Oddworld as he discusses the perils of developing Oddworld: Soulstorm during the pandemic, managing feedback, the expectations of players and shareholders, and the emotional toll of game development.

We also cover the healing properties of games, Elon Musk, and the dangers of censorship.

Nov 30, 202101:07:23
TGDS S2E15 Lorne Lanning - Oddworld Inhabitants Co-founder and CCO - Abe's Oddysee - Oddworld Soulstorm - Badgers and Fake Glasses

TGDS S2E15 Lorne Lanning - Oddworld Inhabitants Co-founder and CCO - Abe's Oddysee - Oddworld Soulstorm - Badgers and Fake Glasses

This week's episode of The Game Dev Show is the first of a two-part special with the legendary Lorne Lanning, founder of Oddworld Inhabitants, and creator of the Oddworld series.

On the episode, Lorne discusses the early days of his career, the challenges of changing tech and art, and finding his way in an ever-evolving creative landscape, all while always looking ahead to see how he can keep his head above water.

Lorne covers the pivotal moment in his career that led to him creating Oddworld Inhabitants and the incredibly successful Oddworld series.

We also chat about fake glasses, badgers, and some of the brilliant creators Lorne has worked with throughout his life

Nov 24, 202101:15:57
TGDS S2E14 Greg Kasavin - Supergiant Games Creative Director - Hades - Bastion - Pyre - Transistor

TGDS S2E14 Greg Kasavin - Supergiant Games Creative Director - Hades - Bastion - Pyre - Transistor

On this week's episode of TGDS, we had the pleasure of speaking with Supergiant Games Creative Director Greg Kasavin, about his incredible career in the games industry.

Greg takes us through his journey so far, including what it was like working at Gamespot during the exciting 00s, his work at EA on games like the inimitable Red Alert 3, before jumping into Supergiant and creating 2020 GOTY Hades!

Greg also covers the motivations behind Bastion’s narrator, RTS and its influence at Supergiant, how Audio makes the game, and much more.

Nov 16, 202101:15:08
TGDS S2E13 - Tracy Fullerton - University of Southern California - Game Innovation Lab - Professor - Director

TGDS S2E13 - Tracy Fullerton - University of Southern California - Game Innovation Lab - Professor - Director

On The Game Dev Show this week we sat down with the brilliant Professor, and Director, Tracy Fullerton from the University of Southern California.

Tracy takes us through twenty years of interactive entertainment education, how the industry has changed during this time, and the role of education in shaping our industry.

We also talk about a vegetable based game...

Nov 09, 202156:15
TGDS S2E12 Alisha Thayer - Crystal Dynamics - Senior Technical Designer - Tomb Raider - Max Payne

TGDS S2E12 Alisha Thayer - Crystal Dynamics - Senior Technical Designer - Tomb Raider - Max Payne

This week on the Game Dev Show I had the pleasure of sitting down with the wonderful Alisha Thayer, Senior Technical Designer at Crystal Dynamics. 

Alisha takes us through her impressive career in the games industry; from the initial challenges of getting into the industry to getting to work on some of her (and our) favourite IPs – Tomb Raider, Max Payne, and Red Dead.

We also go down the rabbit hole of systems design, DEI, reboots, Overcooked, and what to say and what not to say in an interview...

Nov 02, 202101:06:55
TGDS S2E11 Feargus Urquhart - Obsidian Entertainment

TGDS S2E11 Feargus Urquhart - Obsidian Entertainment

What do Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Knights of the Old Republic 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, Pillars of Eternity, and The Outer Worlds all have in common? Well that's simple, it's @Feargus Urquhart

Rarely is an individual as synonymous with a genre as Feargus Urquhart, Co-founder of Obsidian, is with RPGs.

This week on The Game Dev Show, Feargus takes us through his story, all the way from Interplay to founding Black Isle, and the eventual creation of Obsidian.

We also dive deep on isometric RPGs, D&D, character creation, game design!

Oct 26, 202101:03:13
TGDS S2E10 Warren Spector pt.2 - Otherside

TGDS S2E10 Warren Spector pt.2 - Otherside

Are character classes a liberating choice or a prohibitive cage?

This week on the game dev show we conclude the two part special with Warren Spector.

Warren discusses his current venture with Otherside, although, he avoids talking about System Shock 3…kind of.

We discuss how development has changed over the last two decades, Warren’s design ethos “choice, consequence, recovery”, and the many, many, nuances of game design.

Oct 19, 202101:02:36
TGDS S2E9 Warren Spector - Otherside Entertainment

TGDS S2E9 Warren Spector - Otherside Entertainment

This week on The Game Dev Show we’ve got the first part of our two-part interview with the legendary Warren Spector, Studio Director at OtherSide Entertainment and all-round industry veteran.

Warren and his teams have created some of the most iconic worlds in gaming, like Deus Ex, Ultima, System Shock, and even Epic Mickey. As the father of immersive sims, Warren takes us through the inspiration for Deus Ex and how he built an immersive, believable future that captured the minds of gamers then, and still does today.

We get a little philosophical as we talk about what success means in AAA and Indie, the emotional cost of selling a studio, discuss what has driven Warren throughout his career and discuss the Half Life 2 episode that never was...

Oct 12, 202101:07:19
TGDS S2E8 Curtis Cherrington - Electronic Arts (EA)

TGDS S2E8 Curtis Cherrington - Electronic Arts (EA)

Join us for this week’s episode of The Game Dev Show where we’ve been lucky enough to speak to Curtis Cherrington, Senior Manager of World-Wide External Development at Electronic Arts (EA). Curtis has been working in the games industry for nearly 30 years at some of the industry’s biggest companies.

Oct 05, 202101:04:05
TGDS S2E7 Celia Hodent - Phd in psychology and Game UX Consultant

TGDS S2E7 Celia Hodent - Phd in psychology and Game UX Consultant

On this week's episode of The Game Dev Show we had the pleasure of hosting UX Game Consultant, Phd in psychology, and author of The Psychology of Video Games and The Gamer's Brain, Celia Hodent.

We cover Celia's past experience as Director of UX at Epic Games, including the importance, impact, and state of User Experience.

Celia's experience and perspective provide a unique insight into player psyche and the psychology around video games...both fact and fiction.

Sep 28, 202101:01:54
TGDS S2E6 Yoan Fanise - DigixArt

TGDS S2E6 Yoan Fanise - DigixArt

On this week's episode of The Game Dev Show, we've had the chance to speak to DigixArt's Yoan Fanise about his career in games and the incredible Road 96!

We recorded the episode earlier in the year, so you can tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at Road 96 recorded before its release in August, as well as discovering more about what led to the game's inception.

We also get a chance to chat to Yoan about his early days as a DJ and making game audio for the PS2, as well as his work on renowned, hard-hitting titles like Valiant Hearts and 11-11: Memories Retold, and founding his own studio at DigixArt.

Sep 21, 202146:17
TGDS S2E5 Preston Watamaniuk - BioWare

TGDS S2E5 Preston Watamaniuk - BioWare

This week on The Game Dev Show we’ve been lucky enough to speak to Preston Watamaniuk, Game Director at BioWare, who helped design many of the industry’s most iconic RPGs, including Mass Effect 2 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Preston takes us through his love of Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars, his appreciation of authentic experiences, his beginnings working as a garbageman, and dives into how he got started in game and system design.

We also cover his work at BioWare, what 'RPG' means in 2021, how to inspire creativity, and his views on game design.

Sep 14, 202101:17:17
TGDS S2E4 Jorge Sanchez Magdaleno - Mediatonic Games

TGDS S2E4 Jorge Sanchez Magdaleno - Mediatonic Games

Delighted to have hosted Art Director Jorge Sanchez Magdaleno from Mediatonic Games / Epic Games .

Jorge takes us through his brilliantly travelled career in art. A journey covering Lionhead Studios , Rare Ltd , and Mediatonic Games .

We cover Jorge's love for Diablo, his WIP comic book and we get technical on all things art, including: the creative process, the power of colour and light, and the unsung heroics of environmental artists.

Sep 07, 202147:48
TGDS S2E3 Ville Rauma - Fingersoft

TGDS S2E3 Ville Rauma - Fingersoft

This week on The Game Dev Show we are joined by Fingersoft's COO Ville Rauma.

Ville takes us through many points in his unique career from Game Programmer to COO. We also discuss the Finnish development scene, its sense of community, mobile's relevance and validity as a genuine gaming platform and much more.


Aug 31, 202101:06:30
TGDS S2E2 Justin Ma - Subset Games

TGDS S2E2 Justin Ma - Subset Games

Season 2 of TGDS continues this week as we chat with the serene Indie genius, Justin Ma, co-Founder of Subset Games and co-creator of FTL and Into The Breach.

We cover Justin’s career at 2k, founding Subset Games, the philosophies on indie development and following up after FTL

Aug 24, 202159:24
TGDS S2E1 Michael Fridley - Squanch Games

TGDS S2E1 Michael Fridley - Squanch Games

For the first episode of season 2, Kaley and Luke are joined by Michael Fridley. Mike is the Studio Director of Squanch Games

Kaley and Luke explore Mike's journey in the games industry, his work at Squanch with Justin Roiland (co-creator of Rick and Morty), the challenges of humour in games, how un-funny Luke is and as always...a bit about DnD.

Aug 17, 202156:51
TGDS Season 1 Recap

TGDS Season 1 Recap

A short episode where Kaley and Luke discuss some of their favourite moments of season one, before the imminent launch of season 2. Features various guests from the games industry. 

Aug 06, 202119:26
TGDS Ep 31/ Marty O'Donnell/ Halo Trilogy Composer/ Games Music

TGDS Ep 31/ Marty O'Donnell/ Halo Trilogy Composer/ Games Music

We are nearing the end of season 1, but wanted to go out on a special episode. For our last guested episode of Season 1, we are joined by Marty O'Donnell who is, of course, the brilliant composer behind the Halo Trilogy music (stick around for Luke's rendition of the chanting... it's... something...). We talk about Marty's excellent friend, Sir Paul McCartney, Flintstone Vitamins, how to create art that is emotionally resonant without being derivative, and Marty leaves us with the advice to "Do the work and make friends." 

Feb 18, 202159:39
TGDS Ep 30/ Mike Wilson/ Devolver/ Cat Daddy/ Games Industry Founder

TGDS Ep 30/ Mike Wilson/ Devolver/ Cat Daddy/ Games Industry Founder

We are so thrilled to host Mike Wilson from Devolver this week! Mike is an absolute Games Industry godperson. He takes Luke and Kaley through his history in the Industry, including insider knowledge of John Romero's glasses through the ages. Mike has made a path for himself by being the bridge between creativity and business. Enjoy an hour of a cat daddy hanging with a guinea pig daddy! 

Feb 11, 202101:07:27
TGDS Ep 29/ Blazej/ Moon Studios/ Outsourced Art/ Producers/ Career Transitions

TGDS Ep 29/ Blazej/ Moon Studios/ Outsourced Art/ Producers/ Career Transitions

Our week 29 guest is THE Producer from Moon Studios, Blazej! Luke and Kaley talk about Blazej's career transition from telecom to games industry producer and how he has found success, how to navigate outsourcing art, and the alternate careers Blazej considered when he knew he was leaving telecom. Plus Kaley reveals her love of Blackberry... and this was recorded weeks before Blackberry got popular again thanks to Reddit. 

Feb 04, 202101:03:49
TGDS Ep 28/ Kassi O'Connor/ External Dev/ Machine Learning

TGDS Ep 28/ Kassi O'Connor/ External Dev/ Machine Learning

Our legend of a guest this week is Kassi O'Connor from Glu Mobile. Kassi has spent well over a decade in the industry carving out a niche for herself as the bridge between internal and external development. Beyond having the most positive energy of any guest we've ever had, Kassi is a wealth of knowledge about how to best incorporate external partners into your development process. We talk about how Machine Learning will impact external dev, XDS, excel hacks, and Kassi's days as a competitive Marion Kart player. Kassi is a true 'force for good' in the industry and a great guest. It's worth noting that the audio is a little spotty at times on this episode (the joys of recording at home), but we wanted to make sure it still got out as the content is so great. Enjoy! 

Jan 26, 202144:23
TGDS Ep 27/ Mike Rose/ No More Robots/ Indie Publishing

TGDS Ep 27/ Mike Rose/ No More Robots/ Indie Publishing

Our week 27 guest is Mike Rose from No More Robots who talks to us about his unique perspective on Indie Publishing, games Marketing and PR, game reviews, why he founded No More Robots, and even the Beanie Baby Battle game that started it all. Enjoy! 

Jan 19, 202101:02:29
TGDS Ep26/ Rami Ismail Pt 2/ How Culture is Reflected in Games

TGDS Ep26/ Rami Ismail Pt 2/ How Culture is Reflected in Games

Part 2 with Rami Ismail! If you haven't listened to part one yet, go back and start there (episode 25), and then join us back here for everything in Rami's journey post-Vlambeer. We talk about his process to become GDC ambassador, what he has misses during the pandemic, how he sees his role in the industry today, and the day he ate a fermented egg in China.  We wanted to start the year with this special 2 part episode in hopes that everything Rami shares will give you hope and inspiration for the new year. Onwards and upwards 2021!

Jan 12, 202146:07
TGDS Ep 25/ Rami Ismail Part 1/ Cookie Mutiny/ Founding Vlambeer

TGDS Ep 25/ Rami Ismail Part 1/ Cookie Mutiny/ Founding Vlambeer

We're starting 2021 with a special two part episode with the incredible Rami Ismail.  Rami has been such an influential part of the games industry from when he founded Vlambeer to becoming a GDC ambassador, to his current work in emerging territories.  For this week, we are hitting you with part one where Rami talks to Luke and Kaley about his early life and how growing up between two cultures led to him finding a home in games. He tells us about the cookie mutiny he staged in Kindergarten and how that spirit is still alive in his work today. We will be back next week with part two of our interview with Rami to talk about the current portion of his journey in the industry. For now, enjoy the absolute legend Rami Ismail. 

Jan 05, 202153:27
TGDS Ep 24/ Dr. Mick Donegan/ Special Effect/ Accessibility in Games
Dec 22, 202001:04:09
TGDS ep 23/ Jacquie Shriver Sladeck/ Games VO/ Cyberpunk 2077

TGDS ep 23/ Jacquie Shriver Sladeck/ Games VO/ Cyberpunk 2077

Our Cyberpunk 2077 theme continues this week with Jacquie Shriver Sladeck from SIDE who is our week 23 guest. Jacquie has been working in games VO since it's infancy and has truly been a pioneer in her field.  Jacquie takes us through her journey in the industry- from listening to Nathan Drake's efforts for 6 weeks, to maintaining audio studio delivery continuity during a pandemic, all the way through to SIDE's role in Cyberpunk 2077.  Jacquie also talks about what it means to bring her own creative energy to a project while still maintaining the original meaning of a game and what it actually takes to delivery great games dialogue.  Thanks for being our guest Jacquie! 

Dec 15, 202001:06:58
TGDS Ep 22/ Cherami Leigh/ Cyberpunk 2077 Female V/ Games Voice Acting

TGDS Ep 22/ Cherami Leigh/ Cyberpunk 2077 Female V/ Games Voice Acting

Cherami Leigh is our week 22 guest and she talks to us about what it meant to  provide the Female Voice of V on Cyberpunk 2077. Cherami has an incredible dossier of work including voicing Gaige on Borderlands 2, Niya on World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, and WLF Militia on Last of Us: Part II. We talk about what it took to voice V (it may not be exactly what you think), how she and Gavin (male V voice actor) worked together,  and V even speaks on the podcast for a bit.  Plus, Kaley and Cherami agree to do crimes post-COVID, Cherami tells us about her time on Walker Texas Ranger, and  Barney the purple dinosaur. 

Dec 10, 202001:04:08
TGDS Ep 21/ AJ Grand-Scrutton/ Beards/ Dlala Studios/Battletoads

TGDS Ep 21/ AJ Grand-Scrutton/ Beards/ Dlala Studios/Battletoads

Episode 20 features AJ Grand-Scrutton from Dlala Studios. We talk about his incredible beard, the advantages of having a Chief Dog Officer, what it's like to work with a sibling (AJ refuses to be Kaley's big brother), annoying marketing people, and what it was like to found a studio at a young age. AJ and Kaley chat about The Magic School Bus and how The Frizz still influences them, Luke refuses to spend 21 days in a van with Kaley, and AJ signs on to launch the newest, hottest Cousin Podcast on the market- Just Cuz

Dec 03, 202001:11:00
TGDS Ep 20/ Shelby M/ Oregon Trail/ Relaxing Games/ Creativity

TGDS Ep 20/ Shelby M/ Oregon Trail/ Relaxing Games/ Creativity

Our week nineteen guest is Shelby Moledina Co-founder, COO, and Game Director of Double Loop games. We talk about why creativity needs parameter (and accidently slam Star Citizen... sorry Chris Roberts), and emotional engagement with games. Shelby and Luke get to chat about the fact that they share the same favorite game and Kaley gets to thoroughly discuss Oregon Trail with Shelby (and why her sim family getting dysentery was more fun that it sounds). Enjoy! 

Nov 24, 202050:01
TGDS Ep 19/ Jess L/ Games, Beer, Marathons

TGDS Ep 19/ Jess L/ Games, Beer, Marathons

Jess Lebow from uGen is our guest for week 18 and he is an absolute delight. Not only is he the Founder and Chief Design Architect at uGen, he is a marathoner and beer-brewer extraordinaire. Jess started his career at Wizards of the Coast and we talk about how it is simultaneously hard and rewarding  to work on an IP that has such a dedicated fan base, and Kaley shares her personal mantra, "Even Taylor Swift has critics..." Jess gives tips for creative leadership and we discuss why creativity needs parameters... also why Luke has pedestrian taste in beer.  

Nov 17, 202036:47
TGDS Ep 18/ Mark S/ What Does A Producer Do?/ The Wikipedia of Games

TGDS Ep 18/ Mark S/ What Does A Producer Do?/ The Wikipedia of Games

For week 18, Luke and Kaley are thrilled to Host Mark Simmons from Freejam Games. Mark has accomplished incredible things in his time as the founder of Freejam, and we talk about how he has created the Wikipedia of Games, what a producer does (no one knows), and why Mark has gotten to where he is today by being bossy and good at organizing people (his words).  We rehash Luke's utter inability to play scary games and dive into Marks journey in the industry- from him having the best job during university of all time to his time at Mythos and Climax, and finally founding Freejam. 

Nov 10, 202001:07:37
TGDS Ep 17/ Robert B/ Games As Art

TGDS Ep 17/ Robert B/ Games As Art

Our Guest for week 17 is the incredible Robert Bäckström from Limit Break. We talk about how the punk music scene influenced his work in games, why long winters make for hard workers, and games as art. If you stick around until the end, you get the pleasure of hearing our new signature sign off and why Luke is the King of KFC. Hit us up for Luke's #KFChacks.  Stay crunchy, y 'all. 

Nov 03, 202050:59
TGDS Ep 16/ Tanya X. Short/ Indie Innovation/ Gender Minorities in Games
Oct 27, 202049:29
TGDS Ep 15/ Michael and Maxim/ Games Art/ Partnerships in Games/ XDS

TGDS Ep 15/ Michael and Maxim/ Games Art/ Partnerships in Games/ XDS

Now that we've made the mold for The Game Dev Show, it's time to break the mold. For week 15, we took on the challenge of interviewing two guests at once. Our guests were Michael Casalino and Maxim Miheyenko from 5518 Studios. We talk about each of their journey within the games industry and how they came together to form 5518. Their vision for what they have built, and how they view their responsibility to their teams is inspiring. Plus they have an incredible business partnership based on mutual respect and admiration. It was a joy to speak to them. We also talk about digital events (especially XDS which is coming right up in North America) and the game dev scene in Russia.

Oct 20, 202001:22:30
TGDS Ep 14/ Malek T/ Emerging Games Markets/ Esports

TGDS Ep 14/ Malek T/ Emerging Games Markets/ Esports

Sometimes our episodes linger with us for days after we record them. Episode 14 with Malek Teffaha from Ubisoft MENA is one of those. Malek runs comms, localization, and Esports for Ubisoft MENA. He fills us in on what it means to access the MENA market and how most people get it wrong (hint, it involves using native speakers for localization efforts...). We talk about Star Wars, we talk about our tattoo journeys, we talk about the difference between courage, bravery, and wisdom. Malek also shares which Pokemon most embodies him (and it's a shocker). Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making! 


Oct 13, 202001:20:34
TGDS Ep 13/ William B/ Billygoat Entertainment

TGDS Ep 13/ William B/ Billygoat Entertainment

Well, it had to happen at some point. William Barr from Billygoat Entertainment in Belfast is our week 13 guest, and our first guest to just troll Luke and Kaley the entire episode. Despite his resistance to answering a single question, William is a delightful guest who shares his insights gained from his decade plus in the games industry. During his time, he led the team that created Her Majesty's Spiffing and Supermarket Shriek.  As usual, Kaley tries to create a spin-off podcast with the guest and we cover Luke's resistance to all things scary. 

Oct 06, 202043:02
TGDS Ep 12/ Tyler S/ Darkest Dungeon/ Redhook Games

TGDS Ep 12/ Tyler S/ Darkest Dungeon/ Redhook Games

Welcome to week twelve of The Game Dev Show! Our guest this week is Tyler Sigman, one of the creative forces behind Redhook Games and Darkest Dungeon. Beyond talking about the creative process that led him to release this smash hit game, we talk about our individual hair journeys, why Luke is infectiously ginger, and Tyler's journey to being where he is today. Have a listen!

Sep 29, 202001:30:59