Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Speeding Up Development, Interviewing Strategies, Game of Thrones, Beginner's Mind, Open Economy Games, The Metaverse, Humility, and Guilty Pleasure Games with Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

I welcome Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable who shares his inspiration behind starting the company. Hear how D&D and computer programming got him hooked on games, and the companies he’s created along the way. Learn how he began his entrepreneurial journey as a kid, along with advice for others who love games and have a passion to create.

We then discuss his thoughts around entrepreneurship, who to listen to, and who not to listen to. Hear why it’s important to have a portfolio, along with strategies for interviewing. Learn the value of having humility, a beginner's mind, not being afraid to throw things away, and getting player feedback.

Hear stories on the development of huge IP games like Star Trek Timelines, Game of Thrones Ascent, and his very first game, Legends of Future Past. Learn about his passion for understanding what makes shipping games so hard, different business models, and how big and diverse the industry really is.

Towards the end we discuss the lack of skilled people to fill roles, optimizing around creativity and reducing complexity, his broad definition of the metaverse, VR, AR, and making things more accessible. Hear a funny story about a party, his current favorite games, and wanting to hear from other developers. We then wrap up talking about how to reach out online, and doing research on new business models instead of being too cynical.

Bio:

Jon Radoff is CEO of Beamable, a Live Services platform for game developers. He is also the author of the "Building the Metaverse" blog, where he open-sources his thinking about the future of the internet. Jon is a lifelong entrepreneur who started making online games as a teenager before going on to build one of the first multiplayer commercial games on the Internet: Legends of Future Past. Since then, he's built businesses in Web publishing, ad networking and mobile games reaching tens of millions of consumers.

Show Links:

* Beamable

* Disruptor Beam

* Legends of Future Past

* Star Trek Timelines

* Game of Thrones Ascent

* Building the Metaverse

* Omni (Magazine)

* Stellaris

* The Office Somehow We Manage

Connect Links:

* Jon Radoff Twitter

* Jon Radoff YouTube

* Jon Radoff LinkedIn

Game Dev Advice Links:

* Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful

* Game Dev Advice Twitter

* Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com

* Game Dev Advice website

* Level Ex Careers page - we’re hiring for engineers and other roles

* Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733

* Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links

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Giving Back, Diversity, Self-Promotion, Cultural Revolution, People Skills, Immersive Experiences, and Game Jams with Renee Gittins of the IGDA Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

I welcome Renee Gittins who shares about her role as the Executive Director of the IGDA, along with her new position at Phoenix Labs. Learn about how Renee transitioned from biotech into game development, the various roles she’s had, along with making lifelong friends at Riot Games. Hear the importance of having confidence, starting your projects sooner, building a portfolio, and making connections.

We then discuss the importance of self-promotion and mentorship as keys to advancing your career, especially working with cross-discipline. Learn the importance of people skills, especially self-reflection and empathy, along with her favorite project, Potions: A Curious Tale. Hear about the cultural revolution going on in the industry, thoughts on the Metaverse, and an inspiring story.

Hear opinions on AR & VR, a surprising audience for her game project, and a wonderful story about her game’s impact. We wrap up talking about the importance of newer developers sharing and helping others, finding her online, and being kind to yourself during times like these.

Bio:

Renee Gittins is the Executive Director of the IGDA, and a multi-disciplinary leader with expertise in software engineering and creative direction. She is a passionate advocate and connector for developers and diversity in the game industry, with a background that spans across engineering, design, and production. She is outspoken about initiatives to increase diversity both within the game industry and gaming overall to help the game industry grow and improve for everyone.

Show Links:

*IGDA website

* IGDA Discord

* Creativity, Inc. book

* Crucial Conversationsbook

* Potions: A Curious Tale Steam

* Guide For Game Companies whitepaper

* Geek Girl Con website

* Dauntless website

* Dishonored wikipedia

Connect Links:

* Renee Gittins Twitter

* Renee Gittins LinkedIn

Game Dev Advice Links:

* Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful

* Game Dev Advice Twitter

* Game Dev Advice email: info@gamedevadvice.com

* Game Dev Advice website

* Level Ex Careers page - we’re hiring for tons of roles

* Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733

* Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links

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Work with Meaning, Unity, Treating PTSD, Magic Leap, AI, Healthcare Heroes, GDC, and the Future with Skip Rizzo from the USC Institute for Creative Technologies Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

I welcome Albert “Skip” Rizzo, a clinical psychologist and 25 year veteran of gaming technology and VR for clinical uses. Learn how a patient playing Tetris sparked his interest in gaming, and years later he joined USC to use VR to help kids with ADHD. Hear the critical importance of building content that engages and motivates patients, along with the differences between games and film.

We then dive into the Bravemind program to help vets suffering from PTSD, how he's rebuilt their technology, added new locations, and created a pre-deployment program for soldiers. Learn how he expanded into helping with sexual trama around a civilian context and working on different types of civilian PTSD, along with teenagers who’ve grown up with abuse and difficult living conditions.

Learn Skip’s mission is to get the content into the hands of people who can benefit with ADHD, stroke rehab, pain management, and other areas. We then discuss the importance of mutual respect, a shared purpose, and curiosity. Hear about the need for meaning in one’s work, the heroes who work in healthcare, and the enormous stress they’re under in this COVID world. He then shares a new project for helping healthcare professionals dealing with stress using questions and dialogue.

Hear about his favorite projects around work for autism, ADHD, disadvantaged youth, resilience training for pre-deployment, the importance of narrative, and one of my favorite games I worked on. We then talk about technology, the future, metaverse concerns, and companies investing in VR. Learn how Brainlab is using AR to help neurosurgeons prepare for difficult surgeries and the value of the Magic Leap.

We wrap up with him sharing how he and others worked with a young Palmer Lucky, how he’s getting back into moderate gaming through VR, the challenges he’s had to overcome to gain acceptance in the traditional clinical psychology field, how AI is the next big frontier, and where to find him online.

Bio:

Albert “Skip” Rizzo is a clinical psychologist and Director of Medical Virtual Reality at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. He is also a Research Professor with the USC Dept. of Psychiatry and at the USC Davis School of Gerontology.

His career began as a clinician providing rehabilitative services for persons with traumatic brain injuries and stroke. Over the last 25 years, Skip has conducted research on the design, development and evaluation of VR targeting the areas of clinical assessment, treatment and rehabilitation across the domains of psychological, cognitive and motor functioning in both healthy and clinical populations.

This work has focused on PTSD, TBI, Autism, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and other clinical conditions. Some of his recent work has involved the creation of artificially intelligent virtual human (VH) patients that novice clinicians can use to practice skills required for challenging diagnostic interviews and for creating online virtual human healthcare guides, and clinical interviewers with automated sensing of facial, gestural, and vocal behaviors useful for inferring the state of the user interacting with these virtual human entities.

Show Links:

* How Video Games Are Saving Those Who Served article

* Full Spectrum Warrior Wikipedia

* My You’re Not Getting Any Younger; Learn How To Ride a Motorcyclearticle

* Level Ex website

* Brainlabwebsite

Connect Links:

* Skip Rizzo YouTube

* Skip Rizzo Twitter

* Skip Rizzo website

* Skip Rizzo email - rizzo@ict.usc.edu

Game Dev Advice Links:

* Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it entertaining/useful

* Game Dev Advice Twitter

* Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com)

* Game Dev Advice website

* Level Ex Careers page - we’re hiring for tons of roles!

* Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733

* Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links

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Game Dev People, Starting a Studio, Discord’s Power, Send the Resume, Steam’s Dead for Indies, and Dota 2 with Dan Nikolaides from Studio369 Dec 26, 2021

Show notes

I welcome Dan Nikolaides, CEO of Symmetric Games and the CTO of Studio369 on this episode. We begin discussing his current role leading development efforts on their game MetalCore, along with the studio’s first game, Rune II. Learn about the concepts in MetalCore, how they found investors, and how he started in the industry.

We then dive into switching over to game teams, having projects canceled, and leaving to join Phosphor. Hear about shipping a bunch of games, then starting his studio in 2016. Learn about not being intimidated by hard problems along with the importance of a growth mindset. We then talk about the importance of new engineers knowing a game engine, the preferred language behind it, and having a strong engineering foundation.

Learn Dan’s advice for current engineers who want to grow and have more responsibilities, along with the kind of work most working leads actually do. Hear about the importance of being a good listener, rubber ducking, and what kills a person’s morale. We then discuss some of his favorite old projects, blockchain gaming, NFTs, and the Metaverse, and how different companies are approaching this space.

Hear about the industry’s challenge around content overload, Steam being dead for indies, and why it’s better to partner with a console. We then pivot into VR, their VR game in development, and how it’s a few years away from being a breakout platform. Towards the end we discuss working from home, game industry people, Dota 2, the struggles of starting a studio, how to contact Dan, and why now is the best time ever to be looking for a new job.

Bio:

Dan Nikolaides graduated from the University of Illinois in Computer Science,

and has been in the gaming industry for over 15 years. He’s well known for being an Unreal Engine guru, and has worked for companies like - Midway Games, Warner Brothers, Day 1 Studios, Phosphor Studios, and Symmetric Games.

His game credits include - Mortal Kombat, Stranglehold, Man of Steel, Gears of War, NBC’s Heroes, World War Z, WWE Immortals, Nether, Outpost Zero, and more. Dan’s currently the CEO of Symmetric Games and the CTO of Studio369 where he’s leading the technical and design direction of the studio’s game production for MetalCore, their upcoming release.

Show Links:

* Rune II Steam

* PlanetSide 2 Steam

* BattleTech Centers wikipedia

* Phosphor Studios website

* Unreal Engine website

* Simon Sinek YouTube

Connect Links:

* Dan Nikolaides Twitter

* MetalCore website

* MetalCore Discord

* MetalCore Trailer YouTube

Game Dev Advice Links:

* Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it entertaining/useful

* Game Dev Advice Twitter

* Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com)

* Game Dev Advice website

* Level Ex Careers page - we’re hiring for tons of roles!

* Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733

* Subscribe and go to the website for full show notes with links

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Working on Uncharted, 4-Day Work Week, Crunch, XTC, Psychology in Design, Sustainable Game Development, and the USC Games Program with Richard Lemarchand Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

I welcome Richard Lemarchand from the USC Games program tonight. We begin by discussing his Associate Professor role in the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the recent release of his book, A Playful Production Process, for Game Designers (and Everyone). Hear about how he got his first job at MicroProse, the importance of psychology in game design, along with wishing he’d known how to manage projects better when starting. We discuss the effects of crunch, the importance of managing projects, and how his book is a textbook of his class covering intermediate level design and production.

We then share stories of outdated GDDs, Mark Cerny’s Game Design Macro format, and moving over to Crystal Dynamics in the mid-90s to work on the Gex and Soul Reaver series. Hear about going over to Naughty Dog to work on Jax, the critically acclaimed Uncharted series, and how the game industry is really more like a dozen industries.

Learn Rich’s advice for game designers to understand psychology, systems dynamics, along with having T-shaped skills. Hear how soft skills were taught back at Crystal Dynamics, cultivating empathy, and treating others with respect. We then discuss Uncharted 2, his favorite game to work on, how well the team worked together, and the quality of the storytelling and the cast.

Hear about his interests in VR, immersive design, narrative design, and storytelling that doesn’t involve violence as a core mechanic. We then discuss how crunch is the biggest threat to the industry, how it’s getting better, and studios moving to the 4-day work week. Towards the end we get into a great story about promoting Uncharted 3, trivia about Jake’s journal, and his recommended games - Subnautica, Boyfriend Dungeon, Beast Breaker, Jett, and Ring Fit Adventure. At the end we discuss music, the band XTC, the importance of audio, his book, how to get in contact with him, along with his parting advice.

Bio:

Richard Lemarchand is an Associate Professor in the USC Games program at the University of Southern California, where he teaches game design, development, and production, and is working on a series of experimental virtual reality game design research projects as part of the USC Game Innovation Lab.

Previously he was a lead game designer at Naughty Dog and led the design of all three PlayStation 3 games in the Uncharted series, including Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, winner of ten AIAS Interactive Achievement Awards, five Game Developers Choice Awards, four BAFTAs, and over 200 Game of the Year awards. He also worked on Jak 3 and Jak X: Combat Racing for Naughty Dog, and helped to create the game series Gex, Pandemonium, and Soul Reaver at Crystal Dynamics. He is also the author of a new book, A Playful Production Process, for Game Designers (and Everyone), published by the MIT Press in October 2021.

Show Links:

* A Playful Production Process, for Game Designers (and Everyone) MIT Press

* USC Games program website

* Jason VandenBerghe’s 2013 GDC Talk YouTube

*Soul Reaver 2 wikipedia

* Game Design WorkshopAmazon

* Mark Cerny wikipedia

* Naughty Dog website

* Jax X: Combat Racing wikipedia

* Uncharted wikipedia

* Thinking in Systems Amazon

* T-Shaped Skills wikipedia

* Young Horses website

* The Well-Played Game Amazon

* Subnauticawebsite

* Boyfriend Dungeon website

* Beast Breaker Nintendo

* Jett: The Far Shore website

* Ring Fit Adventure Nintendo

* XTC Spotify

Connect Links:

* Richard Lemarchand Twitter

* Richard Lemarchand email

* Richard Lemarchand website

* Richard Lemarchand LinkedIn

Game Dev Advice Links:

* New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful

* Game Dev Advice Twitter

* Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com)

* Game Dev Advice website

* Level Ex website - we’re hiring

* Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call!

* Subscribe and go to the website full show notes

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Marathon Not A Sprint, ArtStation Is Key, Seizing Opportunities, Virtual Boy, Paying It Forward, Working In Mexico, Personal Projects, and My Origin Story with Glenn De Leon Garza Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

I welcome Glenn De Leon Garza, a talented 3D artist on this episode. We begin by talking about the impact of COVID in Mexico, along with his responsibilities now as an art director. Then hear about his transition from being a 3D artist into an art director and management role, plus his thoughts on giving good direction.

We then transition to getting his first job as a 3D artist, the challenges of working in the industry from Mexico, and differences in salaries with the U.S. Hear what his first years were like as a new artist and his secret for getting better.

Learn what Glenn wishes he’d known when starting in the industry, advice he gives new artists, and needing to understand your weaknesses. Hear about the importance of finding a mentor and his secret to attracting people to his portfolio. We then discuss the importance of ArtStation, always having your portfolio ready, and advice on progressing through personal projects.

Learn Glenn’s thoughts on managing others, his favorite two projects to work on, and excitement around this new generation of PlayStation and XBox hardware when it’s truly next gen. We then discuss concerns around too many sequels, thoughts around VR, plus Nintendo's failed Virtual Boy.

Towards the end we examine the different communication styles with Eastern European developers, his current favorite game and the upcoming one he’s excited about. Then Glenn turns the table and interviews me about what I’m playing, working on Mortal Kombat, and how I got my start in the game industry. After being interviewed we wrap up with how to get in contact with him, along with his one piece of parting advice to others.

Bio:

Glenn De Leon Garza is a talented 3D artist heading up creative teams that have developed games including Star Wars: The Old Republic, Borderlands 3, Friday the Thirteenth: The Game and The Sims. He’s currently working from his home in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and welcomes other artists to reach out since he’s passionate about helping others level up their skills and finding their way in the industry.

Show Links:

*Devoted Studios website

*CGBot website

*Star Citizen Wikipedia

*ArtStation website

*Nintendo Virtual Boy Wikipedia

*Fire Emblem: Three Houses Nintendo

*My TurboGrafx-16 Interview YouTube

*GameShark Wikipedia

Connect Links:

*Glenn on ArtStation

*Glenn on Instagram

*Glenn’s LinkedIn

Game Dev Advice Links:

*New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful

*Game Dev Advice Twitter

*Game Dev Advice email (info@gamedevadvice.com)

*Game Dev Advice website

*Level Ex website - we’re hiring

*Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call!

*Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Startup Principles, Working on StarCraft II and Fortnite, Burnout, Empathic Design, UI is Key, Tools Development, VC Ecosystem, Mental Health, and Crossplay with Matt Schembari Sep 05, 2021

Show notes

I welcome Matt Schembari, CEO of Lightforge Games. We begin by discussing his lifelong love of games and how he got his first job in the industry, followed by the other studios he’s worked at. Our discussion pivots into burnout and the effects it has on a person, along with a crisis of identity, and thoughts on mental health. We then discuss the industry turnover rate and constant loss of talent that’s happening, along with the key principles Lightforge Games has been founded on.

Hear Matt’s thoughts on empathic design, targeting tool development as a career choice, the importance of UI, and ideas around focusing your career. We then discuss the need to be a team player, mentoring others, and developing as a leader. Listen to the most important skill he thinks people should have and the importance of learning and developing.

We then pivot into his experience working on StarCraft II and FortNite, including the development of crossplay, along with the rise of Twitch players. Hear about threats to the industry around big companies needing to get their shit together, the rise of startup studios working together and sharing ideas collectively, and the VC ecosystem. Listen to his excitement around AR and a funny story about a trip to Korea to promote StarCraft II.

Towards the end we discuss thoughts about being all-remote, how the studio was founded on not asking people to move, and working asynchronously with employees in different parts of the world. We then wrap up talking about the importance of empathy and the belief in it creating better games.

Bio:

Matt Schembari has spent his career in the video games industry with a resume that spans both Blizzard Entertainment and Epic Games. He is currently the CEO of Lightforge Games.

Show Links:

*Lightforge Games website

*StarCraft IIWikipedia

*FarSide Cartoon JPG

*Crossplay Fortnite The Gamer

*StarCraft II expansion pack Korean news

*Miro website

*Notion website

*Tangle website

Connect Links:

*Lightforge Games Twitter

*Lightforge Games website

*Matt Schembari LinkedIn

*Matt Schembari Twitter

Game Dev Advice Links:

*New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful

*Game Dev Advice Twitter

*Game Dev Advice email

*Game Dev Advice website

*Level Ex website - we’re hiring

*Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call!

*Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links

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Creativity is a Business, LotR’s Inspiration, Toxic Workplace Cultures, Using Agents, Defining Your Terms, Twitter For Connecting, Asking For Advice, and Creating Friendships with Marta Svetek Jul 31, 2021

Show notes

I welcome Marta Svetek, a London-based actor working in video games, film and TV. We begin by discussing the state of COVID-19 in London and how her roles of acting and other work are centered around creating digital characters. Learn about her passion of playing games from a young age, Lord of the Rings, and how she landed her first game VO role working for Creative Assembly.

Hear about how her work has dramatically picked up over the last year, including as a lead character in the upcoming Battlefield 2042. We then discuss the actual process of doing VO in a recording studio, protecting your voice, along with what she’d wished she’d known when younger. We talk about a key mentor, the business of agents and talent representation, and working on her own terms.

Learn the importance of asking advice, types of typical contracts, and how actors can work from anywhere now. We then get into the need of meeting people, why more work is moving to the UK because of buyouts, and sticking to your rate. Hear about the dicey world of talent agents, how to connect with people when networking, using Twitter as a resource, and how to connect with people.

Towards the end we talk about the importance of understanding the gaming medium if auditioning, what to never say during the casting, and her favorite projects to work on. Learn about the importance of the collaboration process, her thoughts on indie development, and what it’s like doing “efforts” for games.

Hear about our anger and frustration with the recent news, again, of toxic abuse in the industry, how crunch contributes to this, and a personal experience of hers. We then wrap up with the games she’s playing, how to connect online, parting advice on making friends, and the value of the Games Industry Gathering network.

Bio:

Marta Svetek is a London-based actor working in video games, film and TV. Specialising in Voice and Mocap work she has worked on a variety of popular titles, including lead roles in Total War: Warhammer 2 and the newly announced Battlefield 2042. She is represented globally by Audere Talent Management and The Mocap Agency.

Show Links:

*Will Tidman interview

*Total War: Warhammer

*Aranessa Saltspite character

*Battlefield 2042

*Beavis & Butt-Head’s Weiner Takes All

*Tom Keegan

*Audere Talent

*The VoiceOver Network

*Rokoko Mocap Suits

*Activision Blizzard on GamesRadar

*Valheim

*Raft by Redbeet Interactive

*Outriders

*Mordhau

*Games Industry Gathering

*The Mess on Soundcloud (drums)

Connect Links:

*Marta Svetek on Twitter

*Marta Svetek website

*Marta Svetek on YouTube

*Marta Svetek voice reels on Soundcloud

Game Dev Advice:

*New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful

*Game Dev Advice Twitter

*info@gamedevadvice.com

*Game Dev Advice website

*Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call!

*Level Ex website - we’re hiring, check it out

*Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Battlefield Mobile, Gratitude, Getting Sh*t Done, Marvel XP, Bad Interview, Pareto Principle, Game Dev Identity, and Surviving a Layoff with Justin Fischer of Industrial Toys/EA Jul 01, 2021

Show notes

I welcome Justin Fischer, Lead Development Director at Industrial Toys of EA. We begin by discussing the state of COVID-19 in LA and how his scrappiness landed him an internship at Chicago’s Wideload Games. Learn about how he cut his teeth at Wideload Games and Disney Interactive working on projects with tight budgets, like Hail to the Chimp, Guilty Party and Marvel XP.

Hear about the challenges and life lessons of tieing too much of your identity into being a game developer, going through a layoff, and the hidden value shown over time. We then pivot into advice for aspiring designers, artists, engineers and producers, along with how to advance in production, and what it means to view it as a service role.

Learn about the value of seeking to understand before being understood, validating someone’s viewpoint, and his excitement around working on Battlefield Mobile. Hear about the other favorite game he's worked on, the industry’s challenge of so few mid-tier publishers, along with thoughts on AR.

Towards the end we talk about the power of the mobile and tablet platforms, a challenging interview story, and the current games he's playing. We then wrap up sharing how to connect with Justin online, along with parting advice on working with others.

Bio:

Justin Fischer has worked in one form of production or another for almost 20 years - in music, television, software development and, primarily, games. He is currently the Lead Development Director for Industrial Toys, an EA studio in Pasadena currently working on Battlefield Mobile. He also holds an MBA from Northwestern University.

Show Links:

*Disney Interactive Layoff

Connect Links:

*Justin Fischer Twitter

*Breaking The Wheel website

*Better Development Through Science: How Aliens, Odysseus, and Toyota Can Help Improve Production GDC Talk on YouTube

Game Dev Advice:

*New: Game Dev Advice Patreon - help support the show if you find it entertaining or useful

*Game Dev Advice Twitter

*Game Dev Advice email

*Game Dev Advice website

*Level Ex website - we’re hiring

*Game Dev Advice Hotline: (224) 484-7733, give a call!

*Subscribe and go to the website full show notes with links

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Horror Games, Career Strategies, What Publishers Want, Capital Is King, Poland and Israel’s Game Dev Scenes, and Finding Your Own Way with Scott Millard of Feardemic Jun 12, 2021

Show notes

I welcome Scott Millard, Managing Director at Feardemic. We begin discussing his Krakow, Poland location, and the country’s forward-thinking and vibrant game development industry. We then shift to COVID-19’s impact, plus his current role as a Managing Director at Feardemic working on horror games.

Listen to his origin story starting at Sega’s Oziesoft followed by lots of acquisitions, a controversial perspective on big companies, and his advice to finding your own way when starting out. Hear his idea on the most important skill to learn, what publishers are looking for in developers, and helping distribute classic games like DOOM II, Tomb Raider, and Command & Conquer.

We then talk about game classification ratings, a time-intensive mistake, and what’s happening with Stadia and Xbox in the console wars. Hear about Game Pass, niche markets, the music industry’s approach to streaming, plus the chip shortage.

Towards the end we talk about the challenges around AR/VR, an AK-47 meeting room, current games he’s excited about, Israel’s game dev scene, where to find online, and the importance of being thankful.

Bio:

Mr. Millard is Managing Director of FEARDEMIC sp. z o.o, a wholly owned subsidiary of BLOOBER TEAM S.A, a publisher of computer games and their related entertainment products.

Previously Mr. Millard had held various positions in the games industry. Most notably the Asian distribution of Bethesda games including the Award winning Elder Scrolls Skyrim and Asia versions of The Elder Scrolls Online.

Previously Mr. Millard served as Managing Director of Namco Bandai Partners Singapore Pte Ltd and Namco Bandai Partners Korea Ltd, a post he held for near 7 years that saw him oversee the releases of dozens of triple A titles.

Mr. Millard was co-founder of a Korean Games Association that represents the interests of foreign and local publishers operating in the packaged games sector in the Korean domestic market. In 2005 Mr. Millard held the post of Vice President, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Committee, European Union Chamber of Commerce Korea. He consults for several games industry organisations and companies, and is a regular blogger and producer of opinion pieces for various publications.

Show Links:

Connect Links:

Feardemic website

Feardemic Twitter