GameDev Loadout | A Game Developer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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:

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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

Show notes

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

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71: Resume, Cover Letter, and Getting a Job with Sonia Michaels Dec 06, 2017

Show notes

Sonia Michaels - "There are a lot of really qualified people out there and so when I have three people that have similar degrees, similar qualifications, and similar experience. You're going to hire the one that seems like they're going to be the best to work with because no one wants to work with a jerk."

Sonia Michaels is a senior lecturer at Digipen where she helps students create outstanding career search materials, develop their professional networking skills, and launch their careers in the game industry. Under her guidance, students and alumni have earned positions at Blizzard, Riot Games, Bungie, Microsoft, Amazon, and many more.

Keypoints:

She didn't know there was a job opportunity for teaching communication within the game industry, until she began preparing her students at DigiPen to launch their careersThere is no awesome job called Game Idea GuyCritical thinking is essentialUsing custom resumes and cover letterHow to do phone interviews Important to explain how you will fit in with the company and what you will contributeAwesome people are helping to reduce crunch time practicesAvoid using a premade templateAdd your personal branding into your resumeNo one wants to work with a jerk!Excited about more narrative driven gamesAnd much moreConnect:

EmailL sonia.michaels@gmail.com / smichaels@digipen.eduTwitter : @soniaghm Linkedin DigiPen Institute of Technology Career Consulting - soyouwanttomakegames GDC Sonia Michaels: Get Noticed & Get Hired Resources:

GDC Conference Associate Chris Deleon Gamkedo Game developer Resources by David Arcila Trello Kate Edwards Former IGDA Exec. Director and now does Game Culturalization on Geogrify.comGDC Mata Haggis: Storytelling Tools to Boost Your Indie Game's Narrative and Gameplay PeopleRemember that knowledge is only Potential power, Execution is the game. I highly encourage you take what you learn and put it to good use. Don't let it go to waste. Connect with my guests and ask them questions, they are willing to help. Comment below to share your thoughts and experience because I read every single message. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more inspiring stories. Thank you for your time! www.gamedevloadout.com

70: Edible Games, Baking Cakes, and Good Game Design with Jenn Sandercock Nov 29, 2017

Show notes

Jenn Sandercock - "It's much better just to make, just to do. What you going to do is probably going to be wrong and need revisions. Don't spend ages on a game design doc. Just make something, show it, iterate. "

Jenn Sandercock found the independent mobile games studio called Inquisiment with the goal of creating experiences that foster friendship, curiosity, and challenge. She is also in the process of creating a series of edible games which we definitely got to get into later in the show lol because I love food. Her works include Thimbleweek Park, aglimpse: friends, and L.A. Noire.

We Discuss:

Giving yourself constraints in game designJoin meetups to network and get constructive feedbackIf the players enjoy the game, it's a good game design, simpleGot an award for Edible Games at Indiecade where you eat!Working on a cookbook in KickstarterWas told that she was jeopardizing her career by bringing cakes to peersKnowing your scale and limitationDidn't know there was an opportunity in the game industryAnd much more...Connect:

GDC Talk: Friendship, Curiosity & Challenge: focusing your career as an Indie Dev Personal Website: http://jennsand.com/index.phpCompany Website: http://inquisiment.com/Twitter: @JennSandercockResources:

Play a lot of other gamesTake influence from other median to use in your gamesBook: The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse SchellRemember that knowledge is only Potential power, Execution is the game. I highly encourage you take what you learn and put it to good use. Don't let it go to waste. Connect with my guests and ask them questions, they are willing to help. Comment below to share your thoughts and experience because I read every single message. Subscribe to the podcast to hear more inspiring professionals. Thank you for your time! www.gamedevloadout.com

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