Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast
+30 year game industry veteran John "JP" Podlasek interviews game designers, programmers, producers, artists, arcade owners, writers, CEOs and others about game development. Experienced or aspiring game developers alike will find useful, thought-provoking, and sometimes funny advice from others in the game industry. Find info at gamedevadvice.com and subscribe now!
Episodes
In this episode, Adam Coster, CEO of Butterscotch Shenanigans, shares his unique journey of joining and growing the indie studio with his brothers Sam and Seth. Adam discusses their beginnings in 2012, the steep challenges they faced, and how a personal family crisis redefined their mission to bring joy through games.
He then shares insights into their different projects, including the highly anticipated sequel Crashlands 2, set ...
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In this episode, industry veteran Adam Boyes discusses the complexities of the video games industry, from the challenges of sustaining AAA games to navigating market dynamics and the impact of large-scale layoffs.
He shares insights from his journey founding Vivrato and highlights the importance of innovation and thoughtful leadership. The conversation also covers practical advice for aspiring game developers and industry professi...
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In this episode, I caught up with Alan Noon, founder and CEO of Drill Creative, Inc., to discuss his journey from decades in the game industry to launching his own studio. Alan shared how his work on UEFN at Epic Games, including shipping Deserted Domination and the big GDC reveal, plus his desire to return to hands-on game creation. After a layoff, he quickly turned the setback into an opportunity, forming Drill Creative to build ...
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Summary:
Jeri Ellsworth shares her journey from childhood fascination with technology to becoming the CEO of Tilt Five.
She describes her early interest in science and computers, fueled by her father's gift of a Commodore 64.
Jeri recounts her experiences in racing, learning fabrication skills, and self-promotion to fund her racing career.
Transitioning to computers, she opened several computer stores, experiencing both success...
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In this episode, I speak with Brad Hendricks, CEO and Founder of Blind Squirrel Entertainment. Brad talks about his path from working with new game technologies to starting his own company after his previous job at Gamebryo ended. He shares how he and his team landed their first project with 2K Games, kickstarting their game development journey before even having a company name :)
Brad then reflects on the ups and downs of being a ...
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In this episode, I speak with Alex Gombos, a seasoned talent acquisition manager who shares her insights and career journey in the gaming industry. Most recently, she supported the game development studios at PlayStation. Alex highlights the importance of networking, building an online presence, and being proactive in pursuing career goals, whether you're aiming for your first job or looking to level up in your career. She also emp...
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In this episode, I speak with Ben Kvalo, the Founder and CEO of Midwest Games. Discover how Midwest Games focuses on supporting underserved developers in overlooked regions, aiming for a more sustainable industry, and learn about the upcoming MDEV conference. Ben shares his journey into the game industry, starting with his transition from radio to an operations coordinator role at 2K. Hear his thoughts on the importance of persiste...
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In this episode, I spoke with Billy Basso, the sole developer behind the hit indie game ANIMAL WELL. Discover how he began working on the game as an after-work hobby 7 years ago, and his vision for creating a lush, 2D Metroidvania experience where players explore underground caves, solve puzzles, and encounter creatures with minimal guidance.
Billy shares his game development journey, highlighting the initial challenges in both de...
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In this episode, I spoke with Roxanne Splitt, Associate Design Director at Insomniac Games. Hear their experiences and insights from working on various game projects, including collaborations with NASA and acclaimed games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Roxanne reflects on the educational and emotionally significant aspects of working on the NASA project, learning from experts and tackling challenges related to space and human physiolo...
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In this episode, I spoke with Keith Plesha, Sr. Recruiter with Krafton Americas who offers valuable insights from his recruiting career. He emphasizes the significance of networking, continuous learning, and staying on top of industry trends for career success. Topics such as interpersonal skills, mentorship, and the impact of remote work on hiring are also discussed.
The conversation transitions into challenges faced by current (a...
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In this episode, I spoke with Sam Glassenberg, Founder and CEO of Level Ex, as we dive into subjects encompassing the gaming industry, technology, and healthcare. Sam recounts his unexpected journey into gaming, beginning as an animator at LucasArts and eventually helping lead Microsoft’s DirectX Graphics team. We then transition to discussing the critical importance of having a portfolio for job seekers, the interesting challenges...
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I welcome Alex Seropian, founder and CEO of Look North World on this episode kicking off the 5th (wow, 5th) year of the podcast. Hear as Alex shares insights about his current role, including hosting The Fourth Curtain podcast and his new studio, Look North World. Learn about the growing significance of user-generated content (UGC) in the gaming industry and the potential for UGC to become a major part of the industry in the comin...
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I welcome Jennifer Javornik, the Chief Partnerships Officer at Filament Games on this 60th episode. Learn about her current role, the company’s connection with UW Madison, and how she transitioned from a traditional IT role into the game industry. Hear about being in improv comedy, learning to be less formal, and how the industry embraces being yourself. We then share advice about starting out, having content to show, testing, and ...
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I welcome Ryan Douglas, the Co-Founder at DeepWell DTx, NeuFluent / Founder, Nextern to this episode. Learn how DeepWell DTx is working to meld medical professionals, scientists, and game developers to create mental health digital therapeutics through play and neuroscience.
Hear about the power of gaming to improve mental health, citing games like Tetris and Animal Crossing that have shown mental health benefits. Ryan then shares ...
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I welcome Jeff Linville, the Co-Founder and Sound Designer at Ritual Studios to this episode. We discuss topics like sound design, pitching your game to publishers, and the future of AR and VR. Jeff shares about the importance of your personal network, learning how to script and work in-engine, and maintaining a healthy mindset with the ups and downs of the industry.
We then go into the importance of sound design, highlighting the...
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I put this information together for a presentation at DePaul University in Chicago recently. The audience found it helpful, plus listener Chris Hardin thought it’d make a great episode. So I made some tweaks and recorded it solo as a short episode :)
While it’s intended for folks looking to get their first job there are different ideas and strategies that should be helpful if you’re already working in the industry. I cover strateg...
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I welcome Steve Anichini, the CTO and Co-founder of Disbelief to this episode. We start off discussing programming at a young age, taking a job after college, and then deciding to pursue a game development career with his first job at Jellyvision. Hear about working at Midway Games and Irrational Games and then starting Disbelief after layoffs. Learn advice about developing patience with yourself, others, project timelines, and not...
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March 17, 2023 • 59 mins
I welcome Roger Sharpe, President and CEO of Sharpe Communications, and the star of the new movie - PINBALL: The Man Who Saved the Game. Hear about his marketing agency and how the idea to turn his story into a movie started back in 2020. We then discuss how pinball used to be illegal in New York City, discovering pinball in college, working at GQ, being challenged to write a book, and testifying at City Hall it was a game of skill...
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I welcome Ray McCaffrey, Executive Producer at Steel Wool Studios. Hear how he got started in the game industry through a friend by joining a band with some NetherRealm artists who later encouraged him to apply for a short-term Assistant Producer contract job. Learn about his transition from IT, working with industry legends, and wishing he’d known to be more quiet and listen better.
We then discuss advancing your career in Product...
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I welcome Noah Falstein, a legendary Game Designer on this episode. Hear about his current work as a Designer and Consultant, along with how he began straight out of college at Milton Bradley before going to Williams and to create arcade games. Learn about being an early employee at Lucasfilm Games, and working on the amazing Indiana Jones titles along with others.
We then discuss what he’s learned reflecting back to the beginning...
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