The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

Virtual reality, at Develop:VR - The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Nov 10, 2017

Show notes

This week, we're joined by a quartet of VR pioneers: Dave Ranyard, founder of Dream Reality Interactive and former Sony London developer; Stuart Whyte, director of VR product development at SOny London; Anna Hollinrake, senior artist at Climax Studios; and Simon Barratt, director and founder of Cooperative Innovations.

Recorded during this week's Develop:VR conference, this episode discusses the next steps for virtual reality, the ongoing hunt for that killer app, the importance of social aspects in VR titles, the evolution of out-of-home VR and advice on how to best get started when developing for the technology.

As always, you can find all your industry news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Getting Lucky on Xbox One X, with Playful's Paul Bettner - The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Nov 02, 2017

Show notes

We're joined by Playful CEO Paul Bettner to discuss his studio's forthcoming release – colourful platformer Super Lucky's Tale – and more.

During the episode, we talk about the potential for family-friendly titles on the traditionally hardcore Xbox One, how less realistic art styles might benefit from the power of Xbox One X and the leap from VR to standard 3D gaming for Playful's Lucky franchise.

We also touch upon recent pessimism surrounding virtual reality, why Playful isn't about to give up on the technology, and how it hopes to break new ground for VR with its upcoming adventure Star Child.

As always, you can find all your games industry news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Composing for Early Access, with Gareth Coker - The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Oct 03, 2017

Show notes

This week, we're joined by games composer Gareth Coker to talk about his work on titles like Ori and the Blind Forest and most recently Ark: Survival Evolved.

In our interview, Coker discusses the challenges of composing for a game that's constantly evolving through the process of taking an Early Access game like Ark to launch, as well as the varied community feedback he received throughout the project.

He also talks about conveying the game's thematic mix of prehistoric beasts and science fiction through the music, as well as his work on the Ori series and why he has published the entire Ark soundtrack to YouTube for all to enjoy freely.

As always, you can find all your news, analysis and insight into the business of video games at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Indie Publishing, with Good Shepherd Sep 25, 2017

Show notes

Recorded during the GamesIndustry.biz Investment Summit at last week's EGX 2017, we're joined by Good Shepherd's business and product development consultant Ben Andac.

Our latest discussion explores the realm of indie publishing, touching on how firms like Good Shepherd decide whether or not to invest in a new studio, what developers should expect from their publisher and why even a one-game deal has repercussions for your business going forward.

As always, you can find all your news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Enhancing games education, with PlayStation and Next Gen Skills Academy - The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Sep 15, 2017

Show notes

This week, we're joined by Luke Savage (senior academic development manager at Sony Interactive Entertainment UK) and Marcia Deakin (games partnership manager at Next Gen Skills Academy).

The discussion focuses on the relationship between the games industry and academia – not just universities, but Higher Education and schools as well. With the oft-pondered 'skills gap' making it harder for studios to find the talent they need, what more can the industry be doing to help educational institutes train better potential recruits.

As always, you can find more news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Women In Games – The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Sep 07, 2017

Show notes

Recorded during this year's European Women In Games Conference, James is joined by Dovetail Games' VP of HR and facilities Gemma Johnson-Brown, Space Ape Games' content marketing boss Deborah Mensah-Bonsu and Nyamyam co-founder Jennifer Schneidereit.

Together they discuss the various challenges involved in not only recruiting more women into the games industry – thus balancing the current gender split of the workforce - but also highlighting the accomplishments of those already established and ensuring their talents are recognised.

We also cover the lack of diversity when it comes to leadership positions, the media, games writing and more.

As usual, you can find all your regular news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Examining Xbox - The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Aug 21, 2017

Show notes

After a disappointing showing at Xbox's Cologne showcase, GamesIndustry.biz editor-in-chief Matt Handrahan, UK editor James Batchelor and publisher Chris Dring unite to discuss the struggles facing the platform holder.

The delay of Crackdown 3 has unquestionably damaged the launch line-up for the Xbox One X, but it also exposes a more severe problem in the lack of system-selling first-party IP. Similarly, the confusion as to who the target audience is for this extremely powerful device throws the future strategy of Xbox into question.

We ponder all this and more in the latest episode of The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast. As usual, you can find all our news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Charting Southeast Asia with Ubisoft - The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

Recorded during a recent press trip to Ubisoft's Singapore studio, we're joined by three of the publisher's regional studio heads: Singapore's Olivier De Rotalier, the Philippines' Chip Go and Chengdu's Jean-François Vallee.

The trio discuss the various unique aspects of the games industry in Southeast Asia, the differences in consumer tastes, and the wealth of stories and cultural influences available that can inspire games. They also discuss the talent pool in each of their areas and how they work with local institutes to help grow the games industry in the region.

As always, you can find more news, insight and analysis at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Beating the bootlegs, with Harbottle & Lewis – The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Aug 02, 2017

Show notes

This week, we are joined by Kostya Lobov of legal experts Harbottle & Lewis to discuss IP protection. Before you cancel your download, bear with us - this is an essential guide for indie and new developers on not only how to protect your rights, but also how to avoid infringing on other people's.

Within less than 45 minutes, Kostya attempts to summarise the differences between copyright, patents and trademarks, offers advice on best practices when it comes to setting up a studio and choosing names for either your business or your games. He also touches on how to defend yourself if you're accused of copying the work of another developer, and what to do if you discover your own projects have been cloned.

As always you can find more news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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Catching up with the Romeros – The GamesIndustry.biz Podcast Jul 19, 2017

Show notes

This week, James Batchelor is joined by the games industry's power couple: John and Brenda Romero.

In a year where both development veterans are picking up multiple awards - including a BAFTA for Brenda – we discuss whether the duo faces the perception that their careers have peaked, and what they intend to do about it.

We also discuss how Donovan Brathwaite-Romero is coping with the success of Gunman Taco Truck, how the other Romero children are expressing their creativity, and the highlights and lowlights of both John and Brenda's respective careers.

As always you can find more news, analysis and insight at www.gamesindustry.biz.

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