GameDev Loadout | A Game Developer Podcast

114 Get Voice Actors Early in the Project, Practice Emotional Agility, and Fix Your Website with Jay Britton Mar 16, 2020

Award-winning British voice actor, Jay Britton has done 50 titles and over 300 characters ranging from indie studios to AAA developers. Games include Divinity Original Sin 2, FIFA 17, Starcraft 2, and more.

We discuss:

Voice actors should be experts in creating characters
Get them involved in a project as soon as possible
Table reads is a great way to establish characters
90% of having a successful voice acting career is what you do outside the booth
Foster emotional agility because your lines will have an angry element to it, then the next line will be sad, then the next line will be happy.
On your website, have a video game demo and an email on the front page
Find people who will give you truthful criticism
Use a clicker to create spikes during recording so it’s easier to find that particular point when editing

***

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113 Trust Your Inner Voice When Composing Music with Mikolai Stroinski Mar 09, 2020

Mikolai Stroinski is a music composer that has worked on the Witcher 3, Dark Souls 2 trailer, Vanishing of Ethan Carter, and much more.

We discuss:

Think not just as a composer but as a video game maker as well. You don’t want to get too attached to your music because it might not fit the game.
Trust your inner voice because it's a sign to either continue or stop composing.
Study different music vocabularies and play lots of different games. Don't just study video game music.
Be a good human being because good karma ricochets back to you.
Don't think about just making money. Think about how you can contribute more and positively affect people's lives.
The challenges of getting a visa in America.

***

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112 Who Are Your Games For and What Are Their Needs with Jeremy Liu Mar 02, 2020

Jeremy Liu was the narrative design lead at NetEase Games, an intern at EA, and a technical designer at Rockstar Games. Titles include Red Dead 2, NBA Live Mobile, and Realm of Duels.

We discuss:

How to get into technical design
Why you need to study and plan ahead of time before taking action
His worst moment of working on a game that was destined to not be a commercial hit
Listening is a great quality of a leader
Do power naps, 20 minutes
How he becomes a walking exoticism in China because of his experience in the USA
The culture shock of working in the USA and China
Imagine ramming through a brick wall to join the game industry. You have to want it badly enough.
Market yourself as niche as possible, show how different you are to everyone else
Network with the people who you want to model

***

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111 Take Breaks, Get a Co-Producer & Co-Writer, Take Breaks Again with Gary Kings Feb 24, 2020

Gary Kings of National Insecurities is a lead game designer, writer, editor that has worked on games such as Once Upon a Crime in the West and 2000:1 A Space Felony.

We discuss:

Get a producer to optimize teamwork and productivity.
Before choosing a university, make sure it has the courses you want and need.
Get better at game design - play lots of games, have outside people play your games, figure out what’s have been done and what hasn’t been done before.
How Gary overcome his worst moment of not getting his game funded and his granddad passing away. He still found the motivation to make plans and finish his games.
Don’t get too excited if a publisher is excited about your game, it’s not a guarantee that they will fund you.
Take a proportional break based on your project to go on vacations, events and relax.
Keep making plans even when the last one fails. Keep a lookout for new opportunities.
Have an editor on board to improve the quality of writing.
Go to game jams to network and create quick games.
When you network, focus on making friends instead of just networking.

***

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110 Practicing Voice Over Involves 90 Percent Interpretation with Ivy Dupler Jan 20, 2020

Ivy Dupler is a NYC-based voice actress who can be heard in video games, commercials, and cartoons. Her recent work includes voicing protagonist Special Agent Vera Englund in Whispers of a Machine (Clifftop Games/Faravid Interactive), as well as several roles in Unavowed (Wadjet Eye Games) and Lamplight City (Grundislav Games).

We discuss:

Don’t get distracted by mistakes during voice recording. Take a deep breath and wait a few seconds then just go again. Focusing on the mistake can mess up future takes and use up the studio and the audio engineer time.
Take Improv and voice acting class.
BE ALERT. Don’t miss an opportunity or a deadline. Stay on top of your tasks.
Change your mindset in the audition, the employer is not looking out to get you, they are looking to you as a solution to their problems. They want you to succeed to help them.
Tips during recording: measure distance by putting your pinky on the mic and extending the thumbs towards your chin. Keep headphone volumes low to around 30 percent to avoid a sound leak.

***

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109 You Cannot Talk About Your Game Enough with Nic Rutherford Jan 13, 2020

Solo UK indie Nic Rutherford is working on a game called Fringe Plant.

We discuss:

His decision to go full indie after having a good amount of savings
Think about the accessibility of your games such as subtitles, sound effects, or controller inputs
Ask questions asap to get answers asap
External entities can be a waste of time such as responding to emails to people who never answer back or waiting on the phone
Take some downtime as soon as you notice you are not being productive
Stream your game development to talk to people and build a rapport
Games are positive for the world, you are creating something for people to enjoy, relax, and feel good
Use Twitter!

***

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108 Spend Less Time Developing Your Games with Xalavier Nelson Jr. Jan 06, 2020

IGF-nominated narrative designer Xalavier Nelson Jr. creates a morally-complex world with human emotion at the core of every scenario, where the individuals outside your squad matter as much as the rangers you deploy on each map.

We discuss:

How too much narrative can be detrimental to the game
Pre-production is one of the most important part of development
Make time for your health: spending time with loves one, exercise, eating right
Spend less time making your games so you can start early on building your foundation

***

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Happy Holidays Rerun 66 JUST DO IT! with Henrique Olifiers Dec 23, 2019

Henrique Olifiers has been in the game industry for more than 30 years working on web-based games, massive multiplayer games, and social games. He is currently the CEO of the award-winning Bossa Studios, which are the makers of Surgeon Simulator, Monstermind and I Am Bread. Now they are currently working on Worlds Adrift, a sandbox MMO with real-time physics where you band together to build sky ships and explore floating islands of a shattered world.

We discuss:

Made games since he was a kid in school in a third world country. The games were in cassette tapes! I didn’t know there was even such a thing.
Do 2-day game jams every single month at his company
There are no oversaturation of good games
Think about marketing from the beginning
It’s not the players job to know how hard game development is
Be wary of people that say or post something as gospel
Excitement for AI that changes the game experience for each type of player
and much more…

***

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https://www.outstandly.com/art_for_games/

107 Learn In-Demand Skills that Companies Need to Get Hired with Jordan Blackman Dec 16, 2019

Jordan Blackman has been writing, producing, and designing video games for over a decade. He is a mobile game design expert and an accomplished producer. He has designed, produced, and consulted on several 9-figure franchises for companies like Zynga, EA, and Ubisoft. Mr. Blackman brought CSI to Facebook with the smash hit, CSI: Crime City. He went on to Zynga where he led the design team on FrontierVille. Jordan has collaborated with top studios worldwide including Telltale games, Area/Code, Other Ocean, Zynga SF, Nickelodeon, EA Sports, Beeline, Facebook, Digit Games, AMC, and The Pokemon Company.

You will learn:

You have to focus on the core loop of your game. Prioritize working on the repetitive activity that players do the most and make it meaningful.
If you want to land a job at a company, research what they need and learn the skills to be their solutions.
Why you need to invest time into people who are better than you.

***

Sponsor Outstandly: Making a first great impression with your game visuals is critical. Even if the gameplay is great, if your game does not look catchy with intriguing visuals, potential buyers will not notice it or worse, never hit the buy button. If you have been listening to the podcast then you know the guests have been highlighting the importance of marketing. This is where Outstandly comes in. A creative agency that will help you create your brand identity, make engaging ads and showcase beautiful artwork. This is perfect if you are not great with artwork and need to outsource it to professionals. Focus on your strengths and let the professionals handle the rest. They are offering a bonus deal specifically to you, the Game Dev Loadout listeners. When you contact them, make sure you let them know that you heard about them from the podcast. They will offer a bonus production together with your order depending on the size. This could be extra characters/animations, user interface, user experience, and more. Go to Outstandly.com to get started on making your game look great to hook potential buyers. That is Outstandly.com.

***

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106 Show Your Game to the Potential Audience as Early as Possible with Liviu Boar Dec 09, 2019

Passionate about cartoons and games since a kid, Liviu Boar dreamt of making a point and click adventure game since first seeing someone play Day of the Tentacle and realizing interactive cartoons were a possibility. Twenty-odd years later, he started a studio called Stuck In Attic together with another artist and a programmer, Kickstarted Gibbous - A Cthulhu Adventure in 2016, releasing it on August 7, 2019, for PC on Steam and GOG.

You will learn:

Why it’s important to go out and network. Liviu met his programmer through a bad but at the same time fortunate event.
How he humanizes the game development process by constantly talking to his backers and keeping them up to date especially after a few major setbacks.
Why you need to show your work to a potential audience as early as possible. Use that feedback to improve early rather than later.

***

Sponsor Outstandly: Making a first great impression with your game visuals is critical. Even if the gameplay is great, if your game does not look catchy with intriguing visuals, potential buyers will not notice it or worse, never hit the buy button. If you have been listening to the podcast then you know the guests have been highlighting the importance of marketing. This is where Outstandly comes in. A creative agency that will help you create your brand identity, make engaging ads and showcase beautiful artwork. This is perfect if you are not great with artwork and need to outsource it to professionals. Focus on your strengths and let the professionals handle the rest. They are offering a bonus deal specifically to you, the Game Dev Loadout listeners. When you contact them, make sure you let them know that you heard about them from the podcast. They will offer a bonus production together with your order depending on the size. This could be extra characters/animations, user interface, user experience, and more. Go to Outstandly.com to get started on making your game look great to hook potential buyers. That is Outstandly.com.

***

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in ranking higher.

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105 How David Galindo Use Real-Life Experiences to Create a Unique Game Dec 02, 2019

David Galindo is the creator of the Cook, Serve, Delicious! series.

You will learn:

How David used his real-life experiences as a barista to make his games.
Why you need to study your competitors by checking their forums and customer reviews to see how they respond to their customers and to see what customers are saying about their game.
How outsourcing your weakness can make a big difference in your development process.

***

Sponsor Outstandly: Making a first great impression with your game visuals is critical. Even if the gameplay is great, if your game does not look catchy with intriguing visuals, potential buyers will not notice it or worse, never hit the buy button. If you have been listening to the podcast then you know the guests have been highlighting the importance of marketing. This is where Outstandly comes in. A creative agency that will help you create your brand identity, make engaging ads and showcase beautiful artwork. This is perfect if you are not great with artwork and need to outsource it to professionals. Focus on your strengths and let the professionals handle the rest. They are offering a bonus deal specifically to you, the Game Dev Loadout listeners. When you contact them, make sure you let them know that you heard about them from the podcast. They will offer a bonus production together with your order depending on the size. This could be extra characters/animations, user interface, user experience, and more. Go to Outstandly.com to get started on making your game look great to hook potential buyers. That is Outstandly.com.

***

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Rerun 02 How to Be Resourceful and Principles to Follow Toward Success with Angel Muniz Nov 25, 2019

Angel Muniz is a designer and art lead at IS Studios. She has experience with environment and prop creation for Unity and Unreal Engines. She co-organized 3D Learning Network on Facebook for industry vets, juniors, and recent grad artists. She also tutors in 3D art and lighting for games and films. Because of Angel, I’ve been able to network and meet amazing people. Some of my guests on the show is thanks to her. In addition, she has given us her time to tell her story and tips to become successful in the game industry.

You will learn:

Why you got to specialize in a field that companies need and make sure you don’t do something you will dread.
Mentors, communities, gaming events are all important to meet new people that can help you improve.
Have a good work/life balance and priorities the most important tasks to complete.

***

Bluehost Affiliate: If you want to join and succeed in the game industry then you should have a website that showcases your profile and games. This will build credibility and is a place for visitors to see your work. Nearly every guest on the show has their own website where they showcase their portfolio. Check out Bluehost for 3.95 a month to create your website. You’ll get a free domain, free security certificate, a 1-click Wordpress install, and great customer support. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind so there is no risk. You’ll also be supporting the podcast since I am an affiliate so I can keep bringing you more valuable content. Sign up with Bluehost, create your website, and build up your brand. Click the link to get started. www.bluehost.com/track/gamedevloadout

***

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104 The Decision to Finally Go Full-Time Indie with Nathan Hamley Nov 18, 2019

Nathan Hamley is the artist and designer at Sick Chicken Studios, creator of point and click adventure game Guard Duty. Nathan has been involved in game development as a hobbyist since the mid 2000's, making the step to full time development in 2017 whilst working on his first commercial game Guard Duty. Currently freelancing as a pixel artist on various game projects whilst working through pre-production for his next personal project.

You will learn:

How to create a point and click adventure game.
Why you need to go to game jams and conference. You need to engage with fans, build rapport, get their contact information, and constantly be in communication.
The reasons why Nathan went full-time indie.

***

Bluehost Affiliate: If you want to join and succeed in the game industry then you should have a website that showcases your profile and games. This will build credibility and is a place for visitors to see your work. Nearly every guest on the show has their own website where they showcase their portfolio. Check out Bluehost for 3.95 a month to create your website. You’ll get a free domain, free security certificate, a 1-click Wordpress install, and great customer support. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind so there is no risk. You’ll also be supporting the podcast since I am an affiliate so I can keep bringing you more valuable content. Sign up with Bluehost, create your website, and build up your brand. Click the link to get started. www.bluehost.com/track/gamedevloadout

***

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Techniques for You to Master Unity and Productivity with Roger Miller GDL 103 Nov 11, 2019

With 20 years in the technology industry, 10 in the game industry, on 4 continents, Roger Miller comes with a breadth of knowledge. Roger Miller has been on the leading edge of both server and client side technologies from factory automation to data cataloging to award-winning games. He has worked with leading advertising agencies such as Ogilvy One, been a vendor for entertainment companies such as Disney and HBO, created solutions for BMW and Deloitte and been nominated for awards such as the IMGA. He currently runs a small studio in Bend, OR where he crafts quality software with care.

You will learn:

How to effectively use Unity involving nested prefabs, ADB Logcat, package manager, and more. Download Unity for free to get started!
Use a time management technique called timeboxing where you give yourself a maximum time limit in advance and complete the activity within that time frame. Manage and complete small goals first, improve, then move on to bigger goals.
Just because you make a great game does not mean you will succeed. You must research marketing and advertising ahead of time.

***

Bluehost Affiliate: If you want to join and succeed in the game industry then you should have a website that showcases your profile and games. This will build credibility and is a place for visitors to see your work. Nearly every guest on the show has their own website where they showcase their portfolio. Check out Bluehost for 3.95 a month to create your website. You’ll get a free domain, free security certificate, a 1-click Wordpress install, and great customer support. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you change your mind so there is no risk. You’ll also be supporting the podcast since I am an affiliate so I can keep bringing you more valuable content. Sign up with Bluehost, create your website, and build up your brand. Click the link to get started. www.bluehost.com/track/gamedevloadout

***

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Become Self-Driven to Overcome Your Worst Moments with Alexander McDonald GDL 102 Nov 04, 2019

Alexander McDonald is a freelance game artist working primarily in pixel art and voxel art style. He has worked on games like Duelyst, Moonquest, Primal Carnage and Rivals of Aether. He has also collaborated with streamers and YouTubers making emotes, channel designs and stream graphics.

3 Top Advice:

A great pixel artist practice, practice, practice. If you are not practicing, others will.
Being self-driven is what helped Alex overcome his worst moments. You need to do what it takes to succeed.
Eating right will help you feel energetic and great. Try out his recipe in the episode.

***

For show notes and connect with the guest, please visit gamedevloadout.com/102.

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How to Design a Positive Community and Tailor Messages to Your Targeted Audience with Victoria Tran GDL 101 Oct 28, 2019

Victoria Tran is the communications director at Kitfox Games, a small indie team in Montreal, Canada that is creating intriguing worlds like ‘Boyfriend Dungeon’ and ‘Moon Hunters’. They are publishing ‘Dwarf Fortress’ and ‘Six Ages’ to Steam. She has spoken at the game developer conference about Why You Should Care About Fashion and wrote a blog post about Designing Community for Kindness. She also does community consultations and co-organizes various local game events.

Top 3 Advice:

Create a positive environment for your community and enforce the rules to show that you care for your audience which will be trust and engagements.
Tailor each message of your game to a targeted audience such as the press, streamers, and people with specific interests because they all will respond differently.
When making decisions, do not overthink the worse case scenarios because most often it never happens.

***

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Podcast Relaunch and Five Tips I Learned from 100+ Experts to Help You Succeed GDL 100 Oct 21, 2019

We made it to episode 100! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to the podcast and supporting it. This episode is about my long absence, changes to the podcast, new partners, and five action steps I learned from interviewing 100+ experts to help you get started in the game industry. Here are five actions you can take toward success:

Make a plan - have a clear vision and timeline to accomplish your goals.
Build genuine relationships - Go to local meetups, events like game developer conferences, or online forums to engage with new people that will be long-life friends.
Invest in yourself - buy courses, get a mentor, exercise, use assets that will benefit your goal.
Asking questions - it is the quickest way to get answers. The game industry is full of great people that are willing to help, all you have to do is just ask.
Taking action - inaction will get you nowhere. Create powerful habits that will automatically make you take action regardless of how you feel.

***

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How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Gain the Confidence to Get Started Today with Jonathan Jennings 99 Oct 14, 2019

Jonathan Jennings is a software engineer from Relay Cars where he develops Automotive VR applications. He has over 8 years of game development experience and worked on titles that had over 2 million cumulative downloads. He’s a public speaker at the Blacks In Tech Conference, Urban Tech Connect, and Rio Hondo College.

Top 3 Lessons:

When you make extended reality games, you are asking players to get physically engage which can get them more into the experience but if you get them too tired, it could take them out of the experience.
Learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable so that you won't be afraid to explore new opportunities. Do not pass up on good opportunities!
You should build a strong portfolio that not only showcases your work but explains how you did it.

***

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Designing Levels for VR, Working Literally 90 Hours A Week, and the Courage to Act on Things with Andrew Abedian Episode 98 Jun 13, 2018

On this episode of the Game Dev Loadout podcast, I interviewed Andrew Abedian of Survios. His studio made the adrenaline platformer Sprint Vector and the critically-acclaimed Raw Data, the first VR-exclusive game to hit #1 on Steam's Global Best Seller list. You’ll learn how to make VR levels, Andrew experience of working 90 hours a week, and why you should have the courage to try out many things. Thanks again to Andrew for the awesome interview and I hope you enjoy.

Connect with Andrew Abedian

Andrew Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewabedian/Survios Website https://survios.com/Survios Twitter https://twitter.com/SurviosGDC 2018 Keynote: Sprint Vector's Fluid Locomotion VR Tech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzXisCEaud0Game Sprint Vector https://store.steampowered.com/app/590690/Sprint_Vector/Game Raw Data https://store.steampowered.com/app/436320/Raw_Data/

How You Can Use Accessibility as a Crowd Differentiator with Mark Barlet Episode 97 Jun 06, 2018

On this episode of the Game Dev Loadout podcast, I interviewed Mark Barlet of AbleGamers Charity. With 25 years of hands-on experience in the assistive technology field. You’ll learn how you can use accessibility as a crowd differentiator, what motivated Mark to help the world play video games and to help you realize the huge market of people with disabilities. Thanks again to Mark for the awesome interview and I hope you enjoy.

Connect with Mark Barlet

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/markbarlet/Mark Twitter https://twitter.com/markbarletWebsite http://www.ablegamers.org/Ablegamers Player Panel with Disabilities http://www.ablegamers.org/player-panels/Ablegamers Donation http://www.ablegamers.org/ways-to-give/Ablegamers Twitter https://twitter.com/ablegamersIncludification https://www.includification.com/Salvador Dali “Dreams of Dali” https://www.youtube.com/TheDaliMuseumXbox Adaptive Controller https://www.xbox.com/xbox-adaptive-controller

Why You Should Market Your Stories on How You Created Your Game with Michel Mony Episode 96 May 30, 2018

On this episode of the Game Dev Loadout podcast, I interviewed Michel Mony of Cathar Games Inc. He is actually the consultant of past guest Tommy Roekkum. He specializes in product management, project workflow, and business development. You’ll learn how Michel overcome his worst moment that lasted over TWO YEARS, why validating your idea first before doing a Kickstarter is important, and ways to market to the public using stories specifically on how you created your game. Thanks again to Michel for the awesome interview and I hope you enjoy.

Connect with Michel Mony

Email Michel.Mony@cathargames.comMichel LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelmony/Cathar Games LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cathar-games/Cathar Games Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cathargames/ Website https://www.cathargames.com/

At the End of Your Life, What Do You Want to be Known For with Darren Bacon Episode 95 May 23, 2018

On this episode of the Game Dev Loadout podcast, I interviewed Darren Bacon of 343 Industries. He is a concept artist that contributed to companies like Bungie, Disney, and Electronic Arts. You’ll learn why you need to tailor your portfolio, how Darren dealt with studio closers and relocation, and the benefits of adding meditation to your habit. Thanks again to Darren for the awesome interview and I hope you enjoy.

Connect with Darren Bacon

Personal Website https://darrenbacon.com/His Artstation https://www.artstation.com/darrenbaconTwitter @baconsbytesInstagram https://www.instagram.com/baconsbytes/

You Should Follow Up with Important Contacts to Get Their Attention with Jay Powell Episode 94 May 16, 2018

On this episode of the Game Dev Loadout podcast, I interviewed Jay Powell, founder of the Powell Group. He specializes in business development, licensing, and marketing with over 20 years of experience. You’ll learn why following up with important people is crucial, how Jay got ropey dope while working with another developer, and reasons to disengage from work. Thanks again to Jay for the awesome interview and I hope you enjoy.

Connect with Jay:

Website: http://powellgroupconsulting.com/Company Twitter: https://twitter.com/PowellGrpMy Twitter: https://twitter.com/Powell_JayLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaypowell/Indie Game Business on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/indiegamebusinessYouTube Playlists:

Powell Group YouTube page: http://bit.ly/PowellGroupYouTubeIndie Game development playlist - http://bit.ly/IndieGameDevelopmentVideosIndie game marketing playlist - http://bit.ly/IndieGameMarketingVideosIndie game law and business playlist - http://bit.ly/IndieGameLawandBizVideosSelf publishing playlist - http://bit.ly/IndieSelfPublishingVideosSignup for Jay's guides/newsletter

Free indie developer business guides - http://bit.ly/FreeBusinessGuides

Why You Need to Evaluate Your Opportunity Cost with Michael Futter Episode 93 May 09, 2018

On this episode of the Game Dev Loadout podcast, I interviewed Michael Futter, the author of The GameDev Business Handbook. He has 8+ years of experience in the game industry. A former editor at Game Informer. You’ll learn why opportunity cost is important, reasons to avoid the founder’s syndrome, and understand what is fair use. Enjoy!

The GameDev Business HandBookMike Website

92: Cultivate and Maintain Long-Term Relationships with Chris Remo from Campo Santo May 02, 2018

On the Game Dev Loadout podcast, we discuss how to communicate your game to the audience, cultivating long-term relationships, and absorbing user feedback. Chris Remo is the designer and composer over at Campo Santo which created the highly praised game Firewatch. He also co-hosts many podcasts including Import If True, Idle Thumbs, The Idle Book Club, and more. Currently, they are working on In the Valley of Gods.

Items Mentioned:

Chris WebsiteChris TwitterIn the Valley of Gods WebsiteCampo Santo WebsiteIdle Thumbs ShowsArticle “Analysis: System Shock 2“Gamasutra

91: How to Showcase Your Game at Events with Kelly Wallick from IndieMEGABOOTH Apr 25, 2018

On Game Dev Loadout, we discuss how IndieMEGABOOTH was started, how to showcase your game at events, and the cost of inaction. Kelly Wallick is the founder of Indie Megabooth which mission is to bring indie games to the forefront of the gaming community. Game devs go to this event to network with fans, colleagues, and even publishers. She also is an IGF(indie games festival) chairman and co-organizer of BitSummit.

Items Mentioned:

Kelly TwitterEmail contact@indiemegabooth.comIndie Megabooth WebsiteIndie Megabooth FacebookIndie Megabooth TwitterBitSummit TwitterIGF TwitterFinal Games Podcast Kelly Wallick Episode 63

90: Seek Comfortability to Increase Productivity with Katharine Neil Apr 18, 2018

We discuss the importance of being comfortable, why crunch needs to be avoided, and how her old office was full of holes. Katharine Neil has 19 plus years of experience in the game industry working on a variety of genres including racing games, third-person shooters, management sims, and more. She blogs and speaks at GDC. Currently, she is the narrative designer for Nyam Nyam Games currently working on a project called Astrologaster.

Items Mentioned:

Katharine TwitterKatharine EmailKatharine GDC Talk Game Design ToolsKatharine Gamasutra Blog How We Design Games Now and WhyGame Website AstrologasterCompany Website NyamNyamGamesMark Brown Game Maker’s ToolkitBook The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell Pomodoro Technique GDC Vault

89: Change Your Life with an Aeron Chair, Cliff Harris from Positech Games Apr 11, 2018

On the Game Dev Loadout podcast, join Cliff Harris from Positech Games as we discuss AI programming, interpersonal skills, buying a great chair for comfort, and much more. He is an indie game developer from the UK, behind strategy and sim games such as Democracy and Gratuitous Space Battles. His company also published games such as Big Pharma and Political Animals. Cliff is a big blogger writing about game development and his thoughts on the game industry.

Items Mentioned:

Cliff WebsitePositech Games WebsiteCliff TwitterCliff YoutubeGame Production Line Aeron Chair C++ books

88: Join a Great Community for Inspiration with Jason Canam from Household Games Apr 04, 2018

On the Game Dev Loadout podcast, join Jason Canam from Household Games Incorporation as we discuss making games accessible, taking timeline seriously, benefits of being in a community, and much more. He found his company in 2016 which is focused on creating high-quality and stylized original IP content for consoles and PC. He used to be the game designer for DrinkBox Studios working on Guacamelee! Championship Edition and now his current game The Way of the Passive Fist is out now.

87: Going Indie with Jake Birkett of Grey Alien Games Mar 28, 2018

Jake Birkett has been an indie developer since 2005 for his company Grey Alien Games. HIs work includes Shadowhand and Regency Solitaire. He also writes blogs about his experience. Join us as we discuss making games faster, how he took the huge risk of going indie, and much more.

86: Game Development is a Process, Identity, and Marketing Term with Nick Culbertson of Moby Pixel Mar 21, 2018

On the Game Dev Loadout podcast, join Nick Culbertson of Moby Pixel as we discuss the importance of updating your game as technology advances, turning negative experiences into positive, the meaning of game dev, and much more. He is the host of a new game developer podcast called Game Dev Deconstructed where he explores the process of game development providing you with an in-depth, tactical blueprint for navigating the game industry. He is also an indie developer and the founder of Moby Pixel that specializes in making music apps and rythmes games.

Items Mentioned:

Podcast WebsiteNick Email gamedevdeconstructed@gmail.comCompany WebsiteMoby Pixel Twitter Dallas Meetup Group NERDbody Pico-8

85: The Benefits of Having a Game Consultant with Tommy Roekkum of Trym Studios Mar 14, 2018

We discuss the benefits of having a game consultant, his experience of hiring a freelancer, how he got a publisher, and much more. Tommy is the Project lead and CEO of Trym Studios, hailing out of Norway, currently working on their first game, a 17th century trade sim! Tommy, coming from the oil industry made a big transition from a safe and well paid job over to creating his own game studio and going for a very ambitions game, getting a publisher at the start of development and funds to create a demo.

Items Mentioned:

Tommy TwitterCompany TwitterGame The Whaler TwitterGame The Whaler Website IndieDB Gamedev.net Tigsource Game Dev on Udemy

84: What Makes People Buy Games with Dan Schoenbaum of Cooladata Mar 07, 2018

We discuss the importance of gathering data on your audience, High LTV customers, CAC, and much more. Dan Schoenbaum is the CEO of Cooladata which specializes in helping clients understand their customer’s journey from discovery and conversion to retention and growth. Essentially they analyze customer behavior analytics to help you figure out what your audience is doing with your game and how you can optimize it.

Items Mentioned:

Dan Website https://www.cooladata.com/Dan Email dan@cooladata.comArticle The 19 Metrics Every Mobile Game Needs to TrackArticle Keep them hooked: 3 Steps to Increasing Player Retention In Online GamingArticle The Anatomy of the Perfect SaaS Analytics DashboardArticle How to Find Your Perfect SAAS CustomerArticle Online Gaming Google Analytics

83: Toolsmith, Rendering Gods, and Revision Control System with Blair Leggett of One More Story Games Feb 28, 2018

"So too how a mountaineer has their safety line, a game team has their revision control system. If codes get messed up or something goes fubar, you have a RCS like a GitHub or Perforce that will help you recover NOT IF accidents happen but when IT happens especially as you start to scale up in development."

Blair Leggett leads a small indie studio with his wife called One More Story Games. With over 20 plus years in the game industry, they have built their own game engine specifically for authors to create narrative games and published 7 games in the last 3 years while building the engine. Their work includes Danielle’s Inferno, Skycarver, and the upcoming Shakespeare’s Landlord.

Connect:

Website https://onemorestorygames.com/Game Engine Website http://storystylus.com/Game Shakespeare's Landlord http://www.lilybard.com/Twitter @1MoreStoryGamesYoutube https://www.youtube.com/user/OneMoreStoryGamesResources:

UNSUNG HEROES OF THE GAMES INDUSTRY: TOOLS PROGRAMMERS GitHubPerforce https://www.perforce.com/Subscribe to the podcast:

ITunes | Pocket Casts | CastBox | Other

Thank you for listening!

82: Information Distribution, Cooperative Communication Mechanics, and HCI with Zachary Toups of New Mexico State University Feb 21, 2018

"One of the key measures for when teams are communicating well is that their proactive in sharing information with each other. They don’t waste too much time asking each other questions. They proactively tell people what they need to know when they need to know it."

Zachary O. Toups is an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at New Mexico State University in the areas of game design and human-computer interaction. His research develops gameplay through which participants practice real-life skills, with an emphasis on disaster-response contexts and team coordination. His work incorporates ethnographic approaches to understanding existing practice; zero-fidelity simulations that capture abstract, human-centered aspects of practice; mixed reality computing that engages players in human-human, human-environment, and human-computer interaction; and mobile, collaborative technologies that support sensemaking in disaster.

Connect:

Pixl website: https://pixl.nmsu.edu/Twitter: @toupszEmail: z@cs.nmsu.eduResources:

The Design of Everyday Things by Donald NormanSubscribe to the podcast:

ITunes |Spotify |CastBox |Pocket Casts | Other

Thank you for listening!

81: Follow the Three P’s Principle When Choosing a Job with Richard Ludlow of Hexany Audio Feb 14, 2018

Three P’s Principle “You can take a project if it has any one of these three P’s. Great Project if you think it’s really neat and you love the work. Great People if you are working with awesome people and building great relationships. Great Payment if it pays well. It’s amazing if you get two of the three.”

Join Richard Ludlow of Hexany Audio as we discuss the importance of not writing overbearing scripts, learning to say “NO,” following the three ‘P’s when choosing a project to work on, and much more. Richard Ludlow is the audio director at Hexany Audio, a Los Angeles-based sound and music studio specializing in audio for games and VR. Richard oversees both the creative and business aspects and has worked on projects for Disney, Activision, Ubisoft, Ford, Chevrolet, and many more. He regularly speaks about game music and sound at GDC, PAX, and more.

Connect:

Email: rludlow@hexanyaudio.comWebsite: https://hexanyaudio.com/Resources:

Do internshipsSubscribe to the podcast:

ITunes | Spotify | CastBox | Pocket Casts | Other

Thank you for listening!

80: Art Materials, Megascan, and Workflow with Teddy Bergsman of Quixel Feb 07, 2018

Teddy Bergsman - “I never seen a single person being fired over a tool helping them out or making their work faster. Not a single time and I work with gaming companies and filming companies in the world. And that just doesn’t happen and I think that’s what scares people to shy away from revolutionary type of tools. Embrace it, adopt it early as you can, get ahead of the curve.”

Join Teddy Bergsman as he discusses how megascans work and why it’s important, his obsession to help me the game industry workflow faster and efficient, how hiring the right person was key to his company, and much more. Teddy Bergsman is the CEO of Quixel which is the world’s largest scan library. These scans include vegetation, debris to nature environments all across the globe.

Connect:

Facebook Quixel where you can send Teddy a message Website: Quixel Resources:

Marmoset Toolbag 3 Artstation Unreal Engine 4Subscribe to the podcast:

ITunes | Pocket Casts | CastBox | Other

Copyright.gov Uspto.gov DaVinci vs Ziko Games Tetris Holding vs Xio Interactive Brown vs Entertainment Merchants

Thank you for listening!

79: How Lawyers are Helping us Game Developers Stay Safe and Creative with Gary Nissenbaum Jan 31, 2018

Gary D. Nissenbaum - “Have you created a three-dimensional world in which the interaction of these characters is so unique that it’s really not copying that of the other games, and have you created designs and elements that are so different than what’s come before? That’s where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the legal issues.”

Gary D. Nissenbaum is the managing attorney of the Nissenbaum Law Group, a law firm that represents a wide range of business clients, from single person start-ups to multi-national corporations. One of the firm’s focuses involves intellectual property matters, including entertainment law, apps, websites and video games. I should add that nothing that is discussed today should be considered legal advice or opinion on any specific matter. If any of our listeners have a legal matter, they should consult counsel of their choosing.

We Discuss:

The importance of having the proper intellectual property documentationDefinitions of trademark and copyrightHow attorneys are helping us stay creativeWhat to do when you get a cease and desistThree concepts to keep in mind: Idea-Expression, First Sale Doctrine, and Fair UseWhy the developer should create scenes a faireThe way to utilize a private investigator on IP workCreate a game design document and show it to a lawyer before developing the gameConnect:

WebsiteGary's Email: gdn@gdnlaw.comBiography Intellectual Property PageResources:

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Thank you for listening!

78: Human-Computer Interaction and Game Design with Lennart Nacke from the University of Waterloo Jan 24, 2018

We discuss the importance of backing up your data, getting in the game industry with a unique degree, the benefits of identifying human emotions, and much more. Lennart Nacke is an associate professor and research director for the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Games Group at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He focuses on evaluating our physiological signals while we play games. His research include gamification, user experience, health and wellness, and affective gaming.

Connect:

Twitter Personal Website HCI Game Group WebsiteBook: Games User ResearchResources:

Spideroak Owncloud Dropbox IGDA User Research SIG Mentoring Program Indie GoldmineSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Thank you for listening!

77: Always be Kind to your Audience and Embracing Limitation with Wing Cho Jan 17, 2018

Wing Cho - “You should really have a dialogue. Always talk because if you don’t then you will have a big issue and it’s going to take more time to deal with it when you could of dealt with it immediately.

He is a Ex-Nintendo and ex-Rockstar lead game designer with 20 years of experience. With over 17 shipped titles and selling over 12 million units, his work include the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, Midnight Club 2, Red Dead Revolver, and more. Currently he is the senior game designer at Recurrence Inc where they help transform boring classrooms into engaging games.

Key points:

Mantra - “Always be kind to your audience”Embrace working in limitationsHow overworking himself affected his life and learning to take breaksThink about your self-worth instead of working for freeDoing stand up meetings first thing in the morningAnd much more...Connect:

Twitter @naMofNi About Me page Resources:

Unity Playmaker Mischief Makers N64 Smuggler’s Run Balsamiq Play all type of gamesVizeoPowerpointSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Thank you for listening!

76: Hiring a Composer, Universal lawyer, and Being Honest with Duncan Watt of Fastestmanintheworld Media Jan 10, 2018

Duncan Watt - “The fastest way to work with someone to break the ice and get the ball rolling, it’s just be honest. Be honest, be excited, and tell the truth.”

Duncan Watt is the founder of the Fastestmanintheworld Media which provides custom scoring, audio outsourcing and consulting for the digital games industry. His work include Bioshock Infinite and League of Legends which is one of the biggest game in the world. He also speak at events such as GDC and teaches on the side at Berklee College of Music.

Key points:

How to hire a composerGet to know everyone on the team to produce successful resultsUniversal lawyer called him and said “this needs to be gone in the next six hours or we going to take everything you have”Get your legal stuff in order and find out ahead of time if you have questionsStrive for excellence, learn the basic of business, and document everythingFind the people you relate to and listen to what they sayAnd much more... Connect:

Website: Fastestmanintheworld The Muse Podcast - Description: Each episode, we invite an artist to play something new, something unreleased to the public - a new song, something different, maybe a work-in-progress - then we dive in and talk about the writing process, the story behind the piece, where it comes from, directly from the artist. Recorded live and uncut.Contact page Game: The StationResources:

Last Man Sitting - See how KevKev use twitter to showcase his gameTwitchUnityAmazon LumberyardSocial mediaGame jamsSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Thank you for listening!

75: What is the Main Focus of Your Animation with Sebastien Dussault of Meduzarts Jan 03, 2018

Sebastien Dussault - “It’s really rare that we just sit down and think about what we do and just try to do one thing at a time, even if it’s for 15 minutes, those 15 minutes can count.”

Sebastien Dussault is the lead animator at Meduzarts and worked at Ubisoft Quebec before that. At Meduzarts, his focus is on high-end cinematics, scripted events, and video game trailers. His credits include such as For Honor and Assassin's Creed.

Key points:

Don’t move rapidly into production until everyone is on the same pageAsk yourself, “What is the main focus of that animation?”Add buffer time to scope to avoid crunchtimeAdding boundaries and limits with clear objectives produces better resultsMovies are great example of how to smoothly transition from scene to sceneHis reasons for leaving UbisoftAnd much more...Connect:

His website Linkedin Interviews with Creatives Youtube Channel His company website MeduzartsResources:

iAnimate - Online Animation School Book: Creativity Inc by Ed Catmull Book: Directing Actors by Judith WestonYoutubeUnityUnrealTake notes while reading books, playing games, and watching movies.SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Thank you for listening!

74: Follow these Core Values to Compose Great Music with Matthew Carl Earl of Hexany Audio Dec 27, 2017

Join Matthew Carl Earl as he discusses the six core values of his company, letting composers be early in the process of the game idea, making bold moves, and so much more. He is the lead composer at Hexany Audio which specializes in original music, sound, and voice over for games, VR, and interactive media. They have developed audio for both Triple-A and indie titles such as Moonlight Blade, Iron Knight, King’s Quest, and more.

Connect:

FacebookEmail: mearl@hexanyaudio.comWebsite: Hexany Audio LinkedInResources:

GDC 2018 Pro ToolsBook: The Art of CounterpointSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

Thank you for listening!

73: How to Make Indie Games with a Low Budget with Oded Sharon Dec 20, 2017

Oded Sharon - “You need to use your strengths as a creative person and not necessarily as a production company. If you are a small team, buy pre made assets from the assets store that are within your scope. Don’t waste time building everything.”

Oded Sharon is the founder and ceo of two companies, Corbomite Games and Adventure Mob. With over 18 years of experience, he made games such as Zbang, Cocktail Run, and Bolt Riley. He is also the head of Israeli IGDA and give GDC talks.

We Discuss:

Don’t come in the game industry thinking that your first game is going to make you richJoin with passion, not for profitAngry Birds was the 49th game that saved Rovio from bankruptcyGoing out of scope and prototypingMake sure you're protected when working with publishersHis motivation for making games has changedGreat idea called “Awkward Simulator”An awesome GDC group that you, Game Devs, should joinConnect:

Patreon GDC Talk Twitter Adventure Mob Corbomite Games Israel IGDA Facebook IGDA Unity SIG Facebook The Fellowship of GDC parties Facebook Bolt Riley GameResources:

GDC Game Developer Conference Game Jams Pixel Prospector The Indie GoldmineSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

72: Gamification, Professor Game Podcast, and Reading with Rob Alvarez Dec 13, 2017

Rob Alvarez - “Every action you take has to help you build toward the objective, maybe not directly but even if it’s indirectly, you have to see a path. Whatever you are including, whatever you are introducing is helping your player feel some way so that you can achieve your business objective, or your fun objective, or your learning objective.”

Rob Alvarez studies gamification design for learning experience at the IE Business School which is a graduate school over at Spain. He also host a podcast called Professor Game, a weekly show where he interviews successful practitioners of games, gamification,and game thinking.

We Discuss:

Gamification that impact game design, user experience, rewards, and moreDon’t add random mechanics, be more thoughtful in adding featuresThink about the core loop of fun that keeps people coming backFelt crushed during one of his first projects in gamificationLearn from failures and keep pushing forwardBe wary of information in the worldDon’t keep ideas to yourselfHe use to do radio and now he does podcasting Professor GameGame getting a bad rep in the mediaReading is vital!And much more...Connect:

Professor Game Website Twitter @RobAlvarezB Email: professor@professorgame.comResources:

Yu-kai Chou Amy Jo Kim Andrzej Marczewski Jane McgonigalGaming can make a better world The game that can give you 10 extra years of life Book: Reality Broken Games Better Change Haiti Simulation: the main link isn’t working but you can learn more here Game: Papers, Please Simulation: 10 Downing Street Book: A Theory of Fun by Raph Koster Book: The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST