GameDev Loadout | A Game Developer Podcast

Latest Episodes:

59: Marry the Effects to the Aesthetics and Emotions with Fred Hooper Sep 11, 2017

Show notes

Fred has been an artist in the video game industry making effects and real-time art for over fifteen years. He's the founder of Gentleman Fred FX creating effect assets for Unreal Marketplace. He has worked on several games the latest being 'Just Cause 3' where he made many explosions. And now, he's lead visual effects artist at Nvidia.

Adding visual effects helps to enhance the experience but it has to make sense. You can't have a realistic explosion in a stylish game because it would look out of place. The effects should marry the emotions and aesthetics of the game. We also talked about setting up boundaries for work so that you don't overwork and the importance of taking breaks.

58: Don't Alienate Your Players with Nicolas Reinhart Sep 10, 2017

Show notes

Nick is the live producer for Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes at EA. He helps to design the goals and strategy which includes significant character releases, monetization opportunities, and anticipating players' needs.

Key Points:

Spend a lot of time upfront in building the ways to mess with the game.

Engage with players so they know that you will make changes.

Don't alienate your players with a feature that makes no sense.

Have a second set of eyes that double check your work.

57: Tabletop Games are About the Social Experience with Geoffrey Engelstein Sep 09, 2017

Show notes

Geoff Engelstein is an award-winning tabletop game designer, whose titles include The Ares Project, Space Cadets, and The Dragon & Flagon. He is also a noted podcaster contributing to the Dice Tower and GameTek, and he hosts Ludology a weekly podcast on game design. Geoff has been an adjunct professor with the NYU Game Center, teaching Board Game design.

56: How Games Impact People with Ches Hall from +7 Intelligence Podcast Sep 08, 2017

Show notes

Ches Hall is the host of the +7 Intelligence podcast where he interviews game designers, psychologists, and everyday players to discuss how games influence their life and work. On this episode, we talk about how games affected our lives. Games can have many positive effects like making us more productive, be social, or do exercise depending on what we are playing. If you want to learn more about this subject, I highly recommend you check out his podcast.

55: The Sound That's Most Important Should Overtake Other Sounds With Guy Somberg Sep 07, 2017

Show notes

He has been developing audio engines for various platforms since 2002. He has worked on everything from slot machines to AAA titles to indies, and written audio engines for them all, Now he works at Echtra Incorporation.

Key points:

The sound that most important should overtake other sounds.

Don't tell the world sensitive information such personal names, companies, issues.

Find people that compliment your weakness.

Sponsor Giveaway:

I am doing a giveaway sponsored by Game Dev Underground, a marketing and connection platform for indie developers that helps you build, finish and launch better games. The winner gets a 1-hour long indie game marketing consultation with the founder, Tim Ruswick. This is over $1,000 in value, and it can be yours! All you have to do is go to gamedevloadout.com and sign up for the email list. That's it!

54: Don't Ask Someone To Do Something You Aren't Willing to Do with Justin Fischer Sep 06, 2017

Show notes

Justin Fischer is a veteran game producer and consultant at Agency Principle. He has worked on AAA games using IP from Disney, Marvel, and Pixar. He also blogs about how to improve video game production through better processes at www.breakingthewheel.com. We talk about agile development, Scrum, and being self-aware of how you make choices.

53: Don't Bank on Something Until It Comes Through with Matt Schoen Sep 05, 2017

Show notes

Matt is an engineer with Unity Labs, working primarily on EditorVR. He joined Unity last year to continue to work on VR authoring tools with Jono Forbes, his co-founder at Defective Studios. Schoen has worked on a wide gamut of projects, from PC games to mobile AR apps. Be wary of who you work with. Someone can make us believe they have the best intention but when it comes down to commitment and honesty, it's not there.

52: How Players Engage With Your Game with Jerry Belich Sep 04, 2017

Show notes

Jerry Belich, the creator of the award winning Choosatron, is an alternative game designer, using hardware, electronics, and software to create immersive interactive and storytelling experiences. He went independent in 2013 after a decade of professional software development, and in the summer of 2016, after touring the world exhibiting his work, giving talks, and putting on workshops, he joined Miami University as a Professor in Game Design. He hopes to use his experience in game design, narrative writing, and installation work to inspire a new generation in the field. Today we talk about how players engage with your game. For example, do they use a touchscreen to play your game, a controller, or mouse and keyboard? It can make a huge difference because of the way it feels and controls.

51: Define Your Passion and Take the Risk with Nicholas Britton Sep 03, 2017

Show notes

Nicolas is the author of the book "Children Know Success. Do You?" We talk about taking action on our dreams and passion, why it's important to be around positive people, and respecting time. It's scary taking risks but sometimes we have to in order to get the best rewards and results.

Sponsor Giveaway:

50: Be Hungry to Learn with Fakhra AlMansouri Sep 02, 2017

Show notes

Fakhra is the founder and CEO of Hybrid Humans, the first independent game studio in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Some of her titles include Hop Hop Away and Who Lurks. She also organizes game jams, and create workshops to introduce students to game design.

The incredible hunger, persistence, and passion Fakhra have for video games is truly inspiring. She worked hard to open her company, and I can't wait to see what other big accomplishments she will have in the future. My mind is blown on how she works at another job while running her own company, and still have time to help students learn about game design.

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