In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Max Mraz of Moth Atlas to talk about the long road behind Tombwater, a handcrafted horror western action game built over four years while balancing full-time jobs. What started as a small experiment quickly became something much bigger, forcing the team to figure out scope, structure, production, and eventually, what kind of help they actually needed to get the game across the finish line.

The conversation digs into the reality behind indie development when you are not a full studio with departments, producers, and extra hands. Max shares how the team stayed organized, how they thought about what belonged in version one, and why building the game was only part of the challenge. The other half was everything around launch: QA, community, support, and the operational work that most people do not think about until it is staring them in the face.

They also get into one of the more honest questions indie developers wrestle with: when does self-publishing stop making sense? Max breaks down why working with a publisher mattered for a team like his, what support actually made a difference, and which parts of the process he was most grateful not to have to own himself.

If you are an indie developer, a publisher, or just someone who loves hearing how games actually get made, this episode is a great look at the gap between having a cool idea and getting a game into players’ hands.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Tombwater went from a small side project to a full commercial release
• What it looks like to build a game after work while holding a full-time job
• How a two-person team managed scope, production, and version one decisions
• What most indie teams underestimate about launching a game
• Why professional QA is very different from casual playtesting
• How publishing support helped remove major operational burdens
• The value of community support without forcing the developer to run everything
• What Max would tell other tiny teams trying to build something real

About Tombwater
Tombwater is a handcrafted action game that blends Soulslike, Zelda-like, and Metroidvania elements inside an Eldritch Horror Wild West setting. Players explore a cursed town, uncover hidden mysteries, and battle through dangerous enemies, bosses, spells, weapons, and secrets.

Links

• Wishlist / play Tombwater on Steam
• Learn more about Midwest Games
• More episodes at Player Driven

#PlayerDriven #IndieGames #GameDevelopment #IndieDev #SteamGames #GamePublishing #Soulslike #GameDesign

That model is starting to break.

In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Gil Tov-ly, CMO of Appcharge, to unpack one of the biggest structural shifts happening in gaming right now: the move toward direct-to-consumer (DTC).

Gil brings a unique perspective, having worked across adtech, UGC platforms, and now fintech infrastructure for game studios. He shares how rising user acquisition costs, platform restrictions, and regulatory pressure have pushed studios to rethink how they monetize and engage players.

What used to be an experiment is quickly becoming the backbone of the industry. 

🔑 What We Cover

•  Why the “30% platform tax” is no longer sustainable 
•  How DTC web shops are unlocking 20–25% more margin for studios 
•  The real reason DTC is about more than revenue — it’s about owning the player relationship 
•  How top studios are already driving 30–40% of revenue through web stores 
•  What actually happens to player behavior when you introduce off-platform payments 
•  Why trust (not tech) is the biggest barrier to adoption 
•  The rise of new roles like DTC managers and web shop leads inside studios 
•  How AI is reshaping marketing, product design, and creative workflows in gaming 

🎯 Key Takeaway

The biggest shift isn’t just saving money.

It’s control.

Studios are moving from renting their players through platforms… to owning the relationship, the data, and the monetization strategy end-to-end.

And once that happens, everything changes. 

🚀 Why This Matters

We’re entering an era where:

•  Growth is coming from efficiency, not just more playtime 
•  Margins are being reinvested into UA, LiveOps, and AI 
•  Direct player relationships are becoming a competitive advantage 

DTC isn’t a side channel anymore.

It’s becoming core infrastructure for modern game studios.

Links

• Appcharge - Payments Built for Mobile Games
• Player Driven Discord: https://discord.gg/zdwAqvgvfy
• Player Driven

The Q2 release window wars, Nintendo's dual-platform strategy, and whether the gaming industry actually understands its own audience.

Hosted by Greg Posner & Colan Neese | ~57 min

🎬 THE MARIO MOVIE (00:00) The Mario Movie: A Kids' Film That Actually Works (And Why Critics Miss the Point)

Greg and Colan return from spring break having both seen The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2. Their verdict: the "bathroom test" (did the kids stay seated?) is a pass. Colan gives it 8/10, appreciates the Bowser Junior dynamic, and criticizes Yoshi being cast purely as comic relief with zero plot relevance. Greg argues the film has a clear, accessible plot — critics are holding a children's movie to the wrong standard. Both note Sony Pictures Animation is pulling away as the most innovative studio, and the Star Fox comic-book sequence hints at what that IP could look like with the right treatment.

Also discussed: → Illumination vs. Pixar vs. Sony Pictures Animation — which studio's model wins? → Is Zelda a stronger film IP than Mario? → Is Pokémon replacing Mario as Nintendo's flagship mascot for younger audiences? → Mario as Mickey Mouse — beloved as a symbol, not a character

🎮 RELEASE WINDOW WARS (15:10) Q2's Shark Tank: Forza Horizon 6, 007: First Light, and LEGO Batman All Launch in 8 Days

Three AAA titles — Forza Horizon 6 (May 19), LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (May 22), and 007: First Light (May 27) — are stacked into a single week that used to be GTA 6's window. Colan breaks down the data: Forza is the undisputed winner. Bond is second but paid a real cost for moving its release date — demand share dropped after Forza entered the same window. LEGO Batman is tracking at 40% the volume of Lego Skywalker Saga at the same pre-launch point.

Also discussed: → Why Forza Horizon 6 setting Tokyo as its world is a smart bet on the largest racing audience → Bond's release window mistake: June was wide open and nobody was there → IO Interactive's best move: demo access for fence-sitters; Amazon should be co-marketing this → Bond as a franchise: the model of recasting across eras gives it more flexibility than Indiana Jones or Star Wars → LEGO Batman's upside case: it becomes the default summer game for kids once Forza attention fades

🏢 WB GAMING IN CRISIS (33:30) Warner Brothers Gaming: A Beloved Studio Trapped in a Hot Potato of Ownership

TT Games and the broader WB gaming portfolio have been handed from Time Warner to AT&T to Discovery — and now reportedly to Paramount — without anyone in the chain having meaningful gaming expertise. Colan's read: Rocksteady's Suicide Squad misfire wasn't a studio failure, it was the predictable output of a gaming division adrift. Greg pushes back to note the gameplay loop itself was solid — the live service model was the wrong wrapper. The prescriptive take: the LEGO Group should just acquire TT Games outright.

Also discussed: → Top 5 best-selling LEGO games of all time — Star Wars dominates, LEGO Batman (2008) is #2 AND the best-selling superhero game ever → LEGO Group's survival story: Star Wars, Batman, and Harry Potter licensing saved the company from bankruptcy in the early 2000s → Why the Paramount acquisition will likely mean more cuts, not a turnaround

🎯 NINTENDO STRATEGY (45:15) Nintendo's Quiet Genius: Two Cozy Sim Games, Two Platforms, Two Audiences

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is the second-largest game coming in Q2 — and it's a Switch (original) exclusive, not Switch 2. Colan spots a potentially intentional strategy: Pokémon Legends: Z-A serves Switch 2 owners while Tomodachi Life serves the 150M+ Switch install base without requiring a hardware upgrade. Greg argues this is smart portfolio thinking. The broader point: with Xbox and PlayStation reportedly pushing toward $1,000 hardware, Nintendo's af

What started as a conversation about Epic, Disney, and the state of the market quickly turned into something bigger… a discussion about systems.

From live service games to theme parks to parenting, the same core question shows up everywhere:

What behaviors are your systems actually driving?

We break down:

•  Why Fortnite’s evolution is less about content and more about system design 
•  The gap between Disney’s IP strength and product experience 
•  How Riot approaches game design through behavioral systems 
•  Why “day zero design” matters for community and retention 
•  And a personal story that brings all of this into a very real context 

This isn’t a trends episode. It’s a lens shift.

Key Takeaways

•  Systems shape behavior more than content ever will 
•  Engagement loops can work too well and create unintended outcomes 
•  Retention is a systems problem, not a content problem 
•  Community health is designed early, not fixed later 
•  The same behavioral patterns show up across games, platforms, and real life 

Why This Matters

For teams in player support, community, live ops, and trust & safety:

You’re not just reacting to player behavior.

You’re dealing with the output of systems that were designed upstream.

Understanding that changes how you:

•  Diagnose issues 
•  Prioritize fixes 
•  Influence product decisions 
•  Advocate internally 

Links & Mentions

•  Player Driven Workshop (Community + Day Zero Design) 
•  Lewis Ward’s GDC breakdown on Riot and system-driven design 
• Join the Discord

Andrew Wagner didn’t learn economics in a classroom first. He learned it inside a game.

Before managing investment portfolios, Andrew was running a guild in an MMO, experimenting with supply, demand, reputation, and player behavior in real time. What started as “just playing the game” turned into a full system for production, scaling, and market control.

And the wild part… it worked.

He built a network of players motivated by progression instead of profit, scaled production, and ultimately flooded the market to outcompete everyone else. 

Why This Conversation Matters Right Now

A lot has changed in the last few months across gaming:

• Teams are rethinking LiveOps loops to re-engage players instead of just shipping content
 • Community is being treated as a system, not a support function
 • Player behavior is becoming the core KPI behind retention and monetization

We talked about this in our recent Player Driven workshop:

👉 You can’t fix a community after launch. You design it from day zero. 

And we’re seeing it play out everywhere…

From LiveOps refresh strategies discussed at GDC to how games are trying to balance monetization with player trust.

What We Cover in This Episode

• How Andrew discovered economics through an MMO instead of school
 • Why game economies mirror real-world markets more than people realize
 • The role of reputation and perception in player-driven systems
 • How player motivation (progression vs profit) changes everything
 • Why most players don’t act “rationally”… and why that matters
 • How communities shape economies just as much as design systems
 • The fine line between optimization and exploitation in games

The Bigger Takeaway

Games are one of the best environments to understand human behavior.

Not because they’re simple…
 But because the feedback loops are fast, visible, and unforgiving.

If you work in:
 • Player support
 • Community
 • LiveOps
 • Trust & safety

You’re not just reacting to players.

You’re shaping the system they operate in.

What’s New at Player Driven

We’ve been doubling down on connecting the people working behind the scenes of games:

• March Workshop: Focused on building community from day zero
 • New breakdown with Laura Hall (Schell Games) on what player support actually looks like early-stage
 • Player Driven Live: GDC takeaways, LiveOps trends, and game breakdowns (including Crimson Desert and emerging titles)

If you’re working in these spaces and want to connect with others doing the same work, join us.

Final Thought

Andrew’s story isn’t just about one game.

It’s about understanding systems, incentives, and people.

And once you see it…

You start noticing it everywhere.

• Karin Johnson: Co-founder of Magic Potion Games (Veteran of Club Penguin and Fortnite)
• Hege Tokerud: CEO/Founder of Aiba (Cybersecurity and AI moderation specialist) 

Episode Summary

In this strategic primer for GDC 2026, we sit down with industry veterans to discuss why community is no longer just a marketing checklist—it’s the new competitive advantage. From the "social-first" origins of Club Penguin to the technical scaling of modern hits like Fortnite, we explore how to design communities alongside your game mechanics to ensure longevity, safety, and player loyalty.

Key Takeaways

• Community as Design, Not Reaction: Successful games like Club Penguin were built on "social loops" (e.g., Penguin Chat) rather than just adding multiplayer to existing mechanics.
• The "Grey Filter" & Social Engineering: Discover how "silent muting" and empowering players with roles (like the Club Penguin Tour Guides) can police toxicity more effectively than heavy-handed bans.
• The Business Case for Safety: Data from 2023 shows that "nice" games can generate up to 80% more revenue than toxic ones. Safety isn't just ethical; it’s a growth engine.
• Empowering the Flywheel: Learn how leaning into player-driven lore and "happy accidents"—like Fortnite’s accidental cross-play launch—can create massive spikes in retention and investment.
• Scaling Without Burnout: Why 2026 is the year to move from manual moderation to AI-assisted tools that allow small teams to focus on making the game "magical" rather than just policing it.

Notable Quotes

"You can’t really fix a broken community after it’s built. If you’re not building the foundation from day zero, you’re at risk." — Greg Posner

"I guarantee what your audience comes up with... is gonna be better than what the best game designers in the world can ever come up with in a room. Let them be the game designers." — Karin Johnson

"We shouldn't talk about safety as something very mystical. We should put numbers on it and show that this is really good business." — Hege Tokerud 

Resource Links

• Play Imagine Island: imagineisland.game 
• Connect with Aiba: Aiba.ai 
• Event: Visit the Community Clubhouse during GDC 2026 (Tuesday, March 10th).

In this episode, Greg sits down with Renee Gittins — studio founder of Stumbling Cat, former IGDA Executive Director, ex-General Manager of Phoenix Labs Vancouver, Forbes 30 Under 30 for Games, Reddit legend, and now a debut author. Renee unpacks her wildly non-linear path into the games industry, the lessons she learned shipping her indie game Potions: A Curious Tale, and her hard-won wisdom on community building, marketing, and navigating the chaos of game development.

Guest Bio

• 🌐 Website: Renee Gittins
• 📚 Free studio resources: gamedevfoundry.com
• 🎮 Game: Potions: A Curious Tale — available on Steam and all major consoles
• 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn

Key Topics

• From Biotech to Game Dev: A Winding Road – Before gaming, Renee built concussion detection sensors and early wearables, eventually pivoting to game development after realizing she could turn her passion into a career during her senior year of college.
• Going Viral on Reddit – As a "Reddit native" with a 15-year-old account, Renee leveraged her genuine community standing and knowledge of memes to host a verified AMA that reached millions of views.
• The Technical vs. Bureaucratic Reality of Porting – While Unity made the technical porting of Potions: A Curious Tale manageable, Renee found that the publishing paperwork and platform management took 10 to 20 times longer than the actual coding.

Key Takeaways & Advice

• Embrace Critical Feedback – While new developers often become defensive, Renee argues that experienced developers should actively beg for critical feedback to truly improve their craft.
• Simplify Your Call to Action (CTA) – To increase conversion, developers should remove barriers; for example, asking players to wishlist a game on Steam is often more effective than forcing them to join a Discord or sign up for an account.
• Research Before You Launch – Renee spent nearly a year researching Kickstarter by interviewing both successful and unsuccessful developers to avoid common pitfalls like underestimating the cost of physical rewards.

Resources Mentioned

• 🌐 gamedevfoundry.com — Free studio operations resources (marketing templates, HR guides, production best practices, pitch decks, and more)
• 🌐 Renee Gittins — Renee's personal site with links to talks, white papers, and more
• 🎮 Potions: A Curious Tale — on Steam and all major consoles
• 📖 How to Be Enough — self-help book for perfectionists and those with imposter syndrome (recommended by Renee)

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The CFIUS Investigation: Why the U.S. government is increasingly wary of Tencent’s influence over American gamer data.
• The "Privacy Myth": Colan breaks down the sobering reality of how our data is already bought, sold, and modeled in the ad-tech ecosystem.
• The Rise of Chinese IP: How games like Genshin Impact and Marvel Rivals are shifting the balance of global gaming power.
• Bungie’s Marathon: Our initial impressions of the "grimy" extraction shooter and why Bungie is pivoting away from its "simplified" gameplay roots.
• Sony vs. Steam: Analyzing Sony’s recent decision to slow down PC releases and the long-term threat of the Steam Deck and SteamOS.
• The Lego Takeover: A lighter look at the massive world of Lego-gaming crossovers and why your favorite IPs are being "blocked".

Featured Links:

• Join the conversation on our Discord: playerdriven.io
• Follow Colan's Newsletter: Patch Notes on Substack

Key Discussion Points

• The Evolution of Moderation: Sharon reflects on the shift from manual work and simple keyword blocking 17 years ago to today’s complex machine learning and contextual understanding.
• The Changing Role of the Moderator: Why the rise of AI doesn't mean the extinction of human moderators, but rather their transformation into data analysts who challenge bias and understand culture.
• The "Wild Wild West" of the Marketplace: Insights into why legacy moderation companies are phasing out while new, AI-first competitors like Checkstep are entering the space.
• Privacy vs. Safety: Addressing the pushback against age verification and the critical need for better communication and education for parents and caregivers.
• Bridging the Gap: How integrated technology can finally break down silos between customer support, marketing, and moderation to provide a holistic view of the user.
• Predictions for 2026 and Beyond: Sharon forecasts a year of "stress and adoption" as companies rush to reduce costs through technology, leading to a eventual search for balance in 2027.

About Our Guest: Sharon Fisher

Sharon Fisher is a leading voice in the trust and safety industry. With a career spanning roles at Disney (Club Penguin), Two Hat, and Keywords Studios, she now provides strategic consulting for gaming companies and technology firms like Checkstep. She is also a passionate advocate for digital literacy, frequently speaking to school districts to help parents protect their children online.

Notable Quotes

"The moderator role becomes even more important because they are who they are—they understand your community, they speak the language, and they live the culture every single day." 

"Think about that area of your city that you would not go on your own at night time... that's the same that translates into the internet. Know where your kid is playing."

Resources Mentioned

• Connect with Sharon: Sharon Fisher on LinkedIn 
• Featured Technology: Checkstep 

Join The Player Driven Discord

https://discord.gg/c9YgMctb

Why do we play the video games that we play? Is interest in the strategy game genre truly waning globally over time? Greg and Lewis sit down with gaming psychology pioneer and Quantic Foundry co-founder Nick Yee to answer these and many other questions. From dissecting the Proteus effect to comparing and contrasting the psychological motivations that drive GTA Online, Fortnite, and Europa Universalis players, Dr. Yee takes us on a whirlwind tour of his company's Gamer Motivation Model that contains insights from >1.75 million gamers.

What You’ll Learn

• The Proteus effect: How inhabiting an attractive or tall avatar can impact your real-world confidence level and negotiating tactics.
• The Strategy genre slump: Why interest in strategic thinking has dropped from the 50th to the 33rd percentile since 2015 in Quantic Foundry's gamer database, and how it appears to be linked to a global drop in conscientiousness (one of the "Big Five" personality traits).
• Gamer motivation models: What are some of Quantic Foundry's 12 psychological traits that drive video game play (i.e., Destruction, Power, Community, Strategy, Completion, Excitement) and how is this framework used to answer different questions than SDT (Self-Determination Theory).
• Industry Insights: How studios psychologically segment players to help guide their future content roadmaps, drive UA, and more.
• The RPG accident: Why the RPG genre is actually a bundle of two different player types.

Episode Timestamps

• 01:45 – The "wildly optimistic" era of mid-2000s MMOs .
• 02:35 – VR Lab Experiments: Putting people in bodies that aren't their own .
• 05:30 – Does the "virtual" you linger after you log off? .
• 08:50 – The 12-Factor Gamer Motivation Model explained .
• 11:50 – The "Bummer" Stat: The steady decline of strategy games .
• 14:50 – Is Social Media or AI "shortening" our collective attention span? .
• 18:50 – Why Balatro succeeds in a world that hates long-term planning .
• 21:10 – Quantic Foundry vs. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) .
• 32:10 – The hidden psychology of Idle Clicker games .
• 35:45 – Breaking down the player profiles of GTA Online vs. Fortnite .

Resources Mentioned

• Quantic Foundry: quanticfoundry.com
• Gamer Motivation Profile: Take the 5-minute survey here .
• Games Discussed: World of Warcraft, Civilization VI, Europa Universalis V, Balatro, GTA V, and Fortnite.

Connect with our Guest:

• Nick Yee: LinkedIn

Call to Action

Discover your "Gaming Posse": Take the Gamer Motivation Profile to see which of the 2 million surveyed gamers share your psychological DNA and get custom game recommendations.

Join the Player Driven Discord: https://discord.gg/kPS6yPrB

Amir shares his incredible journey from finance at Goldman Sachs to gaming in his late 30s, offering a practical playbook for career pivots. He breaks down his disciplined, non-negotiable approach to balancing a high-stakes job with being a present father and husband, and reveals why true networking is a 12-month game of building relationships, not a last-minute job hunt. This conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone looking to build a sustainable and impactful career in games.

Timestamps

• (01:55) The Pivot: Amir details his unconventional path from banking and healthcare into the games industry.
• (11:00) The Non-Negotiable Framework: How Amir uses rigorous time-blocking to protect family time and avoid burnout.
• (25:49) Confronting Ageism: Amir discusses the industry's challenge with retaining and valuing older talent.
• (32:25) The #1 Networking Mistake: Why you need to build relationships long before you need them.
• (39:40) The Financial Modeling Trap: How a finance-first mindset can be both a powerful tool and a creativity killer in game development.

Guest Bio

Amir Satvat is a leader in Business Development and Strategy at Tencent and the founder of a professional gaming community that has helped thousands of people. Known as one of the industry's most important connectors, his work is driven by a deep passion for helping others succeed.

• LinkedIn: Amir Satvat
• Community Hub: ASGC's Games Jobs Resources | WELCOME

Key Topics

• Breaking into the games industry mid-career
• Effective networking strategies for long-term success
• Balancing a demanding career with fatherhood and family life
• Transferable skills from other industries (finance, tech, healthcare)
• Community building and the power of trust
• Continuing education and staying relevant
• Industry challenges: ageism, the future of consoles, and business models

🎙️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

• [00:50] Introducing Joost Vervoort: Background in ecology, political science, and 10 years of "action research" at the intersection of games and sustainability.
• [04:13] Formative Gaming: How the labyrinths of Doom and the emergent storytelling of Vampire: The Masquerade shaped Joost’s view of games as "imagination factories".
• [09:00] Project STRATEGIES: An EU-funded initiative exploring how the game industry can decarbonize while using games as a cultural phenomenon to influence societal discourse.
• [12:34] "All Will Rise" Deep Dive: A courtroom deck-builder inspired by Ace Attorney where you take billionaires to court for environmental destruction.
• [24:57] The "Dark Souls of Politics": Why high-difficulty games like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Elden Ring teach "perceived self-efficacy"—the belief that you can tackle messy, complex real-world challenges.
• [37:21] Examples of Excellence: Discussing Wolfenstein’s explicit anti-fascism and Citizen Sleeper’s focus on community resilience.
• [50:00] What’s Next for 2026?: The All Will Rise Kickstarter, visiting schools to promote game literacy, and Joost’s new research into "infrastructures of mystery".

🧠 Key Themes & Learnings

⚖️ The Power of the "Speculative"

• Moving Beyond "Goody Two-Shoes" Design: Joost argues that games about climate change often fail because they are "too polite." All Will Rise embraces a "wild, poetic, and slightly naughty" vibe to make activism feel dangerous and exciting rather than like a lecture.
• Local Over Global: Instead of abstract "climate change," the game focuses on a burning river in a fictionalized South India (Kerala) to make the stakes concrete and personal.

🛠️ Games as "Action Research"

• Self-Efficacy through Play: Beating a difficult boss in Dark Souls or Silksong can fundamentally change a player's relationship with reality, giving them the confidence to engage with "messy" politics in real life.
• Culture Building: Change doesn't happen through information alone; it happens by creating a gaming culture that normalizes new identities and standards.

🏗️ Challenging the Industry

• The Publisher Paradox: Publishers often avoid "politically threatening" or narrative-heavy games for fear of backlash, driving innovative, "courageous" projects toward platforms like Kickstarter.

🔗 Related Links

• Join the Community: Jump into our Discord to discuss the episode!
• Speculative Agency: Check out the upcoming All Will Rise Kickstarter.
• Project STRATEGIES: Learn about sustainable transition in the game industry.

Hill shares her journey from data analyst to GTM leader in trust and safety, how Checkstep is building on top of the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem rather than competing with it, and why “build vs buy” decisions are becoming existential for modern studios.

They explore:

• What trust and safety really means for multiplayer games and UGC platforms
• Why content detection is replacing traditional moderation language
• How large language models are changing speed to value for studios
• Where humans still matter in AI driven workflows
• Detecting grooming and harmful behavior without exposing moderators to trauma
• Why keystroke detection and behavioral patterns are becoming new signals
• The real ROI conversation studios want proof on
• Promoting positive player behavior instead of only policing bad actors
• Parenting in a gaming household and how Greg thinks about kid safe play
• Why balance beats bans when raising young players
• Continuous learning, newsletters, and staying sharp in fast moving industries
• What success looks like for startups scaling with investors
• Hill’s 2026 goals and growing meaningful industry partnerships

The conversation blends operator level insight with personal stories, from renovating bathrooms at night to Wordle streaks and Goat Simulator family sessions.

If you care about LiveOps, community health, AI in CX, or building safer game ecosystems at scale, this episode is for you.

Key Discussion Points

• The Buyback: After Riot Games effectively shuttered the project, the original founders bought back the rights and launched into Early Access.
• Market Dominance: Within its first weeks, Hytale ranked #4 in search and #9 on Twitch, commanding roughly 2.5% of the total gaming market.
• The China Factor: Colan highlights the massive "opportunity cost" for Riot/Tencent, noting that Hytale could have been a native competitor to Minecraft in a Chinese market with over 700 million accounts.

• The Golden Era (2019-2020): Riot enjoyed a historic run with "heaters" like Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Legends of Runeterra.
• The "Trapped" Success: Colan argues that Riot is now bloated by the weight of its own success; the immense resources required to maintain massive live-service hits prevents them from taking bold risks on new IP.
• Riot Forge Lessons: Why Riot’s attempt to release smaller "love letters" to the community failed to act as a funnel for new players.

• Cancellations & Restructuring: Ubisoft has canceled six games, including the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, while mandating a 5-day return-to-office policy.
• The Global Shift: An analysis of why game development is shifting from expensive hubs like California to subsidized regions like Riyadh.

• Highguard’s Attention Deficit: Despite viral memes, the game lacks measurable player attention, making it a high-risk launch in a genre dominated by Apex and Overwatch.
• The Case for Marathon: Colan remains "bullish" on Bungie’s Marathon, predicting it will successfully claim a "bronze medal" spot in the extraction shooter hierarchy.

Featured Quotes

Resources & Links

• Colan’s Newsletter: Subscribe to "Patch Notes" on Substack or LinkedIn for the full dissertation on Riot's publishing history.
• Player Driven Workshop: Sign up for next week’s player experience session at PlayerDriven.io.
• DICE Summit 2026: Catch Greg and Colan live in Las Vegas next month.

Is the gaming industry entering a "negative flywheel"? This week, we dive into the staggering reports of Black Ops 6 underperforming and what it means for the future of Microsoft Gaming and potential layoffs. We also tackle Jeff Bezos’ controversial take on the death of the PC and why "anti-appliance" gaming is the future—even if latency remains our biggest enemy. Plus, we explore the "Whales of Gaming": why middle-aged millennials just dropped $650 on Pokemon Legos and how nostalgia is driving a new premium tier in the industry.

Join the Community: https://discord.gg/ycdYB3mUUm

Key Takeaways

• The Microsoft Dilemma: If the biggest game of the year reportedly loses $300M, how does the industry pivot to save costs without a "tailspin" of layoffs?
• The Cloud vs. The Box: Why Jeff Bezos thinks your local PC is going away, and the "speed of light" problem holding back cloud gaming for competitive players.
• Nostalgia as a Business Model: How Pokemon and Lego are "teaming up" to capture the high-disposable income of adult collectors while the younger generation sticks to free-to-play.
• Crypto Farmers' Last Laugh: Why the hardware once used for mining is now the most valuable asset in the AI revolution.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the $300M Microsoft "Loss"
• 02:55 – Jeff Bezos vs. PC Gamers: Is the hardware era ending?
• 04:40 – The Latency Problem: Why cloud gaming can't beat the speed of light
• 08:20 – The $1,000 Gaming Machine: Why hardware costs are skyrocketing
• 11:30 – Lego Pokemon & The "Whale" Audience: Why we can't let go of childhood
• 18:30 – The Five-Headed Dragon: How Pokemon conquered every medium
• 24:30 – Personal Faves: Our "Mount Rushmore" of Pokemon

Connect with the Show

• Greg Posner: Playerdriven.io
• Colan Neese: SVP of Gaming at Screen Engine ASI. Find him on LinkedIn or subscribe to his newsletter, Patch Notes, on Substack.
• Join the Community: https://discord.gg/ycdYB3mUUm

Laura shares her unconventional journey from managing communications at a zoo to building player support and trust & safety systems for games like Among Us 3D and I Expect You to Die. Along the way, she breaks down how studios should think about moderation, community feedback, AI, and player trust not as reactive systems, but as core product infrastructure.

This is a practical, behind-the-scenes conversation for anyone building or operating live games, platforms, or digital communities.

🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

🧠 Transferable Skills & Career Growth

Laura explains why soft skills, empathy, and cross-team communication often matter more than industry-specific experience, and how a growth mindset enabled her transition into game development.

🎮 Player Support as Product Intelligence

Player support isn’t just about closing tickets. Laura walks through how player feedback becomes:

• Early bug detection
• LiveOps prioritization
• Internal advocacy for players
  And why every report deserves due diligence until proven otherwise.

🔊 Voice Moderation, Trust & Safety at Scale

The conversation dives deep into:

• Why Schell Games implemented voice moderation post-launch
• How AI-powered tools reduced toxicity by over 60%
• Why bans alone weren’t enough and how muting changed player sentiment
• The challenge of moderating reclaimed language and contextual speech

🏠 Private Lobbies & Player Consent

Laura shares lessons learned from player backlash around moderation in private spaces and how Schell Games introduced opt-in unmoderated private lobbies with clear guardrails for safety and youth accounts.

🤖 AI as an Accelerator, Not a Crutch

Rather than chasing hype, Laura talks about using AI responsibly to:

• Learn faster
• Validate sources
• Improve response quality in player support
  While still maintaining human judgment and nuance.

🔮 Looking Ahead: Community, AI, and 2026

The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on:

• Where AI fits into player experience next
• How studios should think about trust, safety, and community long-term
• Why listening systems will matter more than moderation systems alone

🔗 Learn More

• Schell Games: https://www.schellgames.com
• Follow Player Driven for more conversations on the business of games, community, and player experience

In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Chris James, CEO of Steel Media and the force behind Pocket Gamer and Pocket Gamer Connects, to break down two decades of hard-earned lessons at the intersection of games, media, business, and live events.

Chris shares how Steel Media evolved from traditional games journalism into a global conference platform, why focus beats scale early, and why in-person connections still matter in a Zoom-first world. This conversation is packed with practical insights for founders, operators, and anyone building a long-term business in games or tech.

Whether you are running a studio, launching a startup, or trying to scale a media brand, this episode cuts through hype and gets real about what actually works.

Key Topics Covered

• Building a focused media business instead of trying to do everything
• The hardest moments of running a company and knowing when to cut losses
• Why live events still drive trust and real business outcomes
• Hiring decisions that unlock the next stage of growth
• The long-term outlook for games despite short-term industry negativity

Key Takeaways with Timestamps

1) Focus beats ambition early
Trying to be everything to everyone kills momentum. Sustainable growth starts with doing one or two things exceptionally well.
⏱️ 00:00 – 02:45

2) Knowing when to shut things down matters
Sunk cost fallacy is real. Closing projects, even good ones, is often the most responsible leadership decision.
⏱️ 02:55 – 05:15

3) The games industry is bigger than the doom narrative
Despite layoffs and turbulence, gaming continues to grow as both a business and a creative medium.
⏱️ 06:30 – 08:40

4) In-person events still create trust faster than digital
Meetings, shared spaces, and real conversations remain critical for deal-making and long-term relationships.
⏱️ 11:00 – 15:30

5) Hiring should remove bottlenecks, not add comfort
Your first hires should unlock growth by covering gaps, not cloning your own skill set.
⏱️ 35:15 – 37:45

If you care about the business of games, the future of media, and how to build something that lasts longer than the current hype cycle, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and join the Player Driven community for more conversations like this.

In this special encore presentation, we revisit one of our earliest and most popular conversations. Originally recorded two years ago, Greg Posner sits down with Beau Button, the visionary CTO and Co-Founder of Atlas Reality.

Beau breaks down how Atlas Reality is merging the digital and physical worlds through a "virtual real estate" metaverse that actually drives foot traffic to brick-and-mortar retail. From the transition from enterprise software to gaming to the "guerrilla warfare" of shipping a product, Beau offers a transparent look at the highs and lows of building a location-based gaming powerhouse.

Key Takeaways:

• The Bridge to Physical Retail: Discover how Atlas Reality uses a patent-pending, card-linked reward system to motivate players to shop at physical stores, turning gaming into a powerful marketing engine for retail.
• A Pragmatic View of Web3: Why Atlas Reality identifies as a Web2 game inspired by Web3 tenets. Beau explains why "ownership" and "equity" matter more than buzzwords like blockchain or NFTs.
• The Reality of Startup Growth: Beau shares the "hard way" lessons of scaling from a 12-person startup to a 30+ person company, including the transition from "just get it out the door" to sustainable engineering.
• Community as a Founder: The mental health toll and strategic value of a founder personally managing Discord and Reddit communities during the first six months of a launch.
• The Future of Work: Why low-code, no-code, and generative AI aren't threats to engineers, but tools that turn great developers into "rockstars" by handling the boilerplate work.

Memorable Quotes:

Links & Resources:

• Atlas Reality: atlasreality.com
• Connect with Beau Button: LinkedIn
• Connect with Greg Posner: LinkedIn

In this episode, Greg sits down with Jack Burrows to unpack how level designers think, work, and stay motivated across massive franchises and creative constraints. From AAA pipelines to indie dreams, this conversation explores how great games are built through framing, intention, and small wins, not ego or crunch culture.

Jack shares firsthand insight from working on major titles, breaking down how big ideas flow from leadership to designers, how constraints actually unlock creativity, and why great level design is more about flow and emotion than visuals alone. Along the way, they dig into ambition, burnout, discipline, and those rare “wow moments” that stick with players for life.

This episode is a must-listen for level designers, game developers, creative leaders, and anyone curious about how worlds are shaped to guide players without ever saying a word.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

• How developers learn to “turn off” their designer brain and play like real players
• Why ambition can fuel creativity or become a curse if unmanaged
• The difference between freedom and guidance in level design
• How studios pass big ideas down while still empowering individual creativity
• Why constraints are essential for great design
• How small wins build long-term momentum
• Using environment, flow, and shape language to tell stories without dialogue
• What aspiring designers actually need to learn before entering the industry

⏱️ Key Takeaways & Timestamps

00:02:40 – Willpower Is a Limited Resource
Jack explains why creative energy must be managed intentionally and how small daily wins help sustain long-term ambition.

00:14:30 – How Ambition Shows Up in Level Design
Ambition isn’t about scale. It’s about taking something familiar and flipping it just enough to reignite player curiosity.

00:21:05 – Why Constraints Create Better Designers
Great leadership gives creatives a frame, not half-finished ideas. Knowing the box is what allows designers to thrive inside it.

00:27:25 – Teaching Players Without Telling Them
Jack breaks down how games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution use visual language to guide players naturally.

00:48:00 – Letting Environments Tell the Story
Using examples like BioShock and Halo: Combat Evolved, Jack explains how emotion, scale, and atmosphere replace exposition.

🎮 Games & References Mentioned

• Metroid Prime
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Marvel Rivals
• Gears of War
• Skyrim
• Balatro

🎧 Why This Episode Matters

This conversation isn’t about tools or engines. It’s about craft.

It’s about understanding players as humans, designing with intention, and finding joy in progress rather than perfection. Whether you’re building worlds, managing teams, or just trying to stay motivated in a creative industry, this episode offers grounded insight from someone deep in the work.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• 01:22 – Starting with Sound: Jim shares his journey from composing for anime at Funimation to learning code through game jams.
• 07:27 – Founding Devhouse: Why starting a co-dev studio wasn’t a single moment, but a gradual realization built from side projects and passion.
• 09:32 – Hiring to Solve Pain: Early hires were engineers just like Jim, generalists who could help him scale his overloaded client work.
• 14:18 – Specialist vs. Generalist: How Devhouse learned to brand and position its skills clearly as the business matured.
• 20:30 – First Clients Came from Network: Jim leveraged relationships with former collaborators and positioned himself affordably as a solo founder.
• 26:29 – Why Build Original IP Now: Diversification and creative satisfaction. Jim didn’t want Devhouse to only live or die by service contracts.
• 29:02 – Trash Heist — Devhouse’s New Game: A phone-based party game with competitive chaos and second-screen play. Inspired by Jackbox, built to bring people together.
• 32:54 – Distribution Strategy: WebGL makes cross-platform play possible. Steam is the starting point, but smart TVs and casting are in the conversation.
• 35:33 – Balancing Client Work and Passion Projects: Dedicated internal teams and careful scoping allow for parallel development of games and service work.
• 37:16 – Founder Lessons: Sales and people management were the biggest curveballs. Learning to lead and let go is a continuous process.
• 40:10 – Where Gaming is Headed: Shrinking AAA budgets, a rise in small studio bets, and the growing importance of authentic community building.
• 45:19 – Call to Action: Trash Heist is dropping soon — Jim encourages listeners to check it out and support indie innovation.

🙌 Thanks for Listening!

Check out our Discord by Clicking Here

Summary

The discussion defines the metaverse as a vast, immersive virtual world with five core features, including highly customizable avatars and a link to the real-world economy . Au argues that to succeed, a platform must be fun immediately in a multiplayer context, operating as a "third space" where socialization is easy . He contends that Mark Zuckerberg's approach damaged the ideal of the metaverse by focusing too much on hardware and ignoring crucial lessons on community and regulation . The history of Second Life (SL) serves as a critical case study, showing that while strong community allows a platform to survive economic crises and bad onboarding, financial stability requires tightly regulated markets, learned through scandals like the implosion of virtual banks and the ban on unregulated gambling . Ultimately, the key to a thriving metaverse is prioritizing community, fostering diversity, and making creation easy .

Key Points

Core Metaverse Definition

• A true metaverse is defined by Immersiveness, Customization (avatars/tools), Scale (millions of people), a Real-World Economy Link, and Off-World Tech Integration (for accessibility) .

Identity and Design

• Avatars and Identity (05:51): Highly customizable avatars are critical for users to experiment with identity and personality . The Proteus Effect shows that an appealing avatar can boost real-world confidence.
• The "Fun First" Rule (15:40): Metaverse experiences must be fun immediately in a multiplayer setting (the Third Space concept) . This is why Roblox and Fortnite succeed.
• Meta's Misstep (10:26): Mark Zuckerberg caused "tremendous damage" to the concept by defining it around the Quest headset and ignoring lessons on managing toxic behavior, like the initial sexual harassment incidents on Horizon Worlds .

Economics and Stability

• Community Precedes Commerce (29:44): Platforms must succeed as communities first. Focusing only on profit (the "Cryptoverse" issue) causes virtual worlds to fail .
• Second Life's Stability (22:31): SL's active user base is stable at 600,000. The paradox is that if a user survives the long onboarding, they "never leave" due to the community.
• Regulation is Necessary (40:53): SL's banking and gambling scandals forced Linden Lab to impose tight regulation . This proves that a tightly regulated economy is essential for user trust and stability.

Timestamps

• 03:30 The Five Core Features of the Metaverse
• 05:51 Avatars and the "Proteus Effect"
• 10:26 Why Meta Damaged the Metaverse Concept
• 15:40 The Critical Rule: Why Metaverse Must Be Fun First
• 22:31 Second Life's Paradox: Why users never leave

References

Making a Metaverse That Matters
Wagner James Au
Lewis Ward
Greg Posner

Check out Player Driven

Key Takeaways & Discussion Points

• Beyond Architecture: Willem, a former level designer at Velan (Knockout City) and Zynga (Star Wars Hunters) , defines level design not as architecture, but as the execution of the game's intent and vision. You are the "great implementers" who build the playground for the core mechanics.
• Finding the Fun: Execution requires risk-taking. Good levels break the traditional norms—like the restrictive three-lane structure in some shooters —to find unexpected fun and keep the experience fresh.
• Inspiration Outside the Engine: To avoid creative blocks, step outside your comfort zone. Willem found inspiration for a level in Knockout City (Rooftop Rumble) by listening to Pink Floyd and used JFK assassination podcasts to conceptualize Darth Vader's Castle.

• Be Proactive & Self-Taught: The number one required mentality is knowing that no one will hold your hand. You must be passionate and proactive in your job search and skill development.
• Master the Editors: Don't just be proficient in Unity or Unreal Engine 5. Learn multiple, even difficult, editors like Hammer (Source SDK). Experience with proprietary tools (like those used for Knockout City) is invaluable.
• Go Primal: Start creating content immediately. Use basic primitives and geometry (like brushes and gizmos) to block out your ideas. Don't get stuck in tutorials.

• Why Start a Studio Now? Willem felt the Western game industry was approaching development wrong, relying too much on "new coats of paint" over true R&D. He seeks to optimize costs and focus on brand new, innovative products.
• The "Cocktail Game" Strategy: This is OCI's business model. Instead of reinventing a genre (e.g., Gin + Tonic), they take the components that made a genre successful and combine them with an entirely different, unexpected element. This approach is versatile and cost-effective.
• The Ideal Team: OCI looks for people who are agile, passionate about making games more than playing them, and aren't scared of any new editor or software.
• The AAA Reset: Willem is optimistic, predicting the era of the $700 million-dollar budgeted game is over. The power is shifting back to smaller, agile creative teams, like Respawn and Media Tonic, where passion and risk-taking lead to great games.
• AI as a Tool: AI is exciting and should be embraced, but it will not replace the unique vision and creativity of a human mind (e.g., Kojima, Ken Levine, Todd Howard).
  
  Connect
• Willem Kranendonk on Linkedin
• Odyssey Cocktail Interactive (OCI): Check out their website at OdysseyCocktailInteractive.com. They will be present at GDC!

Forget the old ways of game development. The Roblox platform isn't a sandbox—it's a brutal, high-frequency, algorithmic battleground.

In this deep dive, we break down why traditional "AAA" development strategies are being crushed by low-fidelity, quick-to-market viral hits. We analyze the metrics that Roblox’s discovery algorithm actually cares about (it’s not just downloads), the new pressure on developers, and the commercial gold rush driving this new age of digital product. If you're building software, an app, or a game, this is a masterclass in platform leverage and virality.

Key Takeaways for the Tech Professional

• The Algorithm as a Gatekeeper: Understand the core metrics that determine success on Roblox (Retention, Monetization, and Engagement) and how they reflect the priorities of any major platform (Apple App Store, Google Play, YouTube).
• The Two-Tiered Development Strategy: Contrasting the high-budget, polished approach with the fast, data-driven methodology of viral developers—and why the latter often wins.
• Minimal Viable Fun (MVF) > Minimum Viable Product (MVP): How the "low-poly, high-concept" trend proves that speed and novelty often beat engineering polish when facing a discovery-focused algorithm.
• Monetization as a Discovery Signal: Why high-ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) games are disproportionately rewarded by the algorithm and what that means for your product's design.

Chapter Markers (Jump to the insights you need)

• 01:30 The 'Gold Rush' Archetype: Why Roblox is the Wild West of modern game dev.
• 05:45 The Core Algorithm: What Roblox's discovery engine actually measures. (Hint: It’s all about the money flow).
• 12:10 Case Study: Viral Low-Fi vs. AAA Polish—The data behind the death of the polished demo.
• 18:05 Designing for the Metrics: The blueprint for building a game that the algorithm will push.
• 24:45 Takeaways for SaaS/App Developers: Applying the Roblox virality playbook to enterprise and consumer products.

🙏 Call to Action

Did the Algorithm reward this episode? Hit Subscribe and leave us a 5-star review on your favorite podcast app!

In this episode, Greg sits down with Julie Banta, Director of Engineering for Build & Release at Respawn, to break down what it actually takes to keep a massive live game like Apex Legends running day after day.

Julie pulls back the curtain on the real machinery behind live service games: shipping updates across six platforms, reacting to hotfixes in real time, balancing player satisfaction with business realities, and what happens when millions of players discover a bug before telemetry even catches it.

Whether you’re building an indie title, supporting a AAA LiveOps team, or just curious how Apex stays online season after season—this is a masterclass.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

1. What Build & Release Really Does at Respawn

• How content actually gets from dev environment to players
• What happens during season launch week
• Why shipping across PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC is pure chaos

2. Fast Feedback Loops & Storm Response

• How Respawn monitors crashes, spikes, and player reports
• When Reddit finds the bug before telemetry does
• The internal “bat signal” that triggers Build & Release into action

3. Balancing Technical Debt With Season Cadence

• Why live service code turns into “six years of hacks”
• The tension between cleaning tech debt and keeping seasons on schedule
• The brutal truth about maintaining legacy systems while shipping new content

4. Leadership, Culture & Mental Health Inside LiveOps

• How Respawn avoids burnout during crisis moments
• Why great teams protect each other’s off-hours
• What good management looks like in a 24/7 operational environment

5. What Great LiveOps Looks Like

• The KPIs that actually matter
• What a “quiet weekend” is for Build & Release
• Why listening to players beats every dashboard

6. Julie’s Career Path & Advice for Getting Into Games

• From USAA → EA IT → Respawn
• How to “connect your dots” when shifting industries
• Her perspective on diversity and belonging in modern game development

📣 Call to Action

If you enjoyed this breakdown of Apex’s LiveOps brain, follow Player Driven for more conversations with the people shaping the future of gaming.

What does it really mean to design a game — and what can that teach us about culture, creativity, and even our daily lives? In this episode, Greg is joined by Lewis Ward and Eric Zimmerman, legendary game designer, professor at NYU’s Game Center, and author of The Rules We Break. Eric’s career spans from pioneering web-based multiplayer with Sissy Fight 2000 to co-founding GameLab and shaping Diner Dash, one of the most influential time-management games ever made.

We dig into the fundamentals of game design, the ethics of addictive mechanics, the surprising history of Monopoly, and why prototyping isn’t just for developers — it’s a mindset for anyone building systems or communities.

Joining us for this conversation is Lewis Ward, long-time industry analyst, who helps unpack Eric’s insights with both sharp questions and nostalgia for 90s game culture.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Iteration as a Superpower – Why prototyping is the start of design, not the end.
• Feedback Everywhere – How observing body language and engagement rhythms tells you more than analytics.
• Sissy Fight 2000 & Early Multiplayer – The “flame wars” era and lessons for today’s online communities.
• Diner Dash’s Secret – How a “casual” game ended up brutally difficult — and why that mattered.
• Loops Within Loops – What makes Balatro so compelling, and how game design patterns keep players hooked.
• Ethics & Addiction – Dark design patterns, dopamine hits, and the responsibility of game creators.
• The Rules We Break – How Eric uses hands-on exercises to teach design as a 21st-century literacy.
• The Real Monopoly Story – Why one of the world’s most iconic games is often misunderstood.

Resources & Links

• Eric Zimmerman’s book: The Rules We Break
• Classic text: Rules of Play (Zimmerman & Salen)
• NYU Game Center: gamecenter.nyu.edu
• Follow Player Driven for more conversations: playerdriven.io

Episode Chapters

00:00 – Intro & Eric’s background
03:30 – Teaching game design & iteration
13:30 – Sissy Fight 2000 & the flame war era
21:00 – Diner Dash and the rise of “casual” games
26:30 – Feedback loops, dopamine, and ethics
42:00 – The Rules We Break: learning design through play
50:30 – Monopoly, culture, and closing reflections

Call to Action

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Player Driven on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube for more conversations at the intersection of games, business, and community. And visit playerdriven.io to explore more resources, clips, and insights from the show.

What if the biggest leaps in gaming don’t happen at global mega-conferences, but in regional rooms where developers, vendors, and communities connect in a meaningful way? In this episode of Player Driven, host Greg speaks with Jason Lepine, Founder & CEO of XP Gaming, about the real impact of local events and why they’re foundational to the future of the industry.

✅ What You’ll Get From This Episode

• A clear look at why local gaming conferences matter and how they differ from the big expos.
• A behind-the-scenes story of how XP Gaming and the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) were built and evolved.
• Insight into how vendors, sponsors, and local hubs create real value for studios and creators.
• Career lessons from Jason’s journey and how showing up to local events changed lives.
• A forward-looking discussion on how these grassroots gatherings shape the next era of gaming.

🧭 Episode Outline & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: Why local events matter
03:15 – The origin story of XP Gaming
07:40 – What MIGS is and how it’s evolved
13:05 – The vendor and sponsor role in local conferences
18:30 – Stories of impact: community, careers and connection
23:55 – Looking ahead: how local events will build the industry’s future
27:10 – Wrap-up and key takeaway

(Note: Timestamps are illustrative; please adjust to the final edited version.)

🎤 Guest Bio

Jason Lepine
Founder & CEO, XP Gaming
Jason Lepine is the driving force behind XP Gaming, a company dedicated to growing and connecting Canada’s game ecosystem through community-building, education and events. Under his leadership, XP Gaming has re-energized the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) and helped transform local industry gatherings into powerful growth platforms.

🔗 Resources & Links

• XP Gaming: xpgaming.biz
• Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS): migs.biz
• Follow Jason Lepine: LinkedIn
• Previous Episode on Game Community & LiveOps: [Link to Episode #XX]

🎯 Call to Action

If you found value in this episode, please hit Subscribe, leave a review in your podcast app, and share with a friend who works in gaming, dev, or community-building. Also, check our blog at Player Driven for related show notes and links.

What does it take to build a shooter that can handle millions of players and still keep people coming back for more?

In this episode, Greg is joined by Thad Sasser, a veteran designer whose career has touched some of the most iconic shooters ever made, including Battlefield, Call of Duty, PUBG, and Rivals. Together, they dive into the realities of scaling franchises, balancing innovation with player expectations, and the leadership lessons learned from building at AAA scale.

Topics Covered

• Thad’s journey from QA to designing levels showcased at E3
• Why community is the hidden feature that keeps shooters alive
• The balance between innovation and expectation (and why not every player voice should shape the vision)
• Leadership lessons in delegation, trust, and building creative teams
• How global studios are reshaping game development and what the West can learn

About the Guest

Thad Sasser has spent over two decades in game development, contributing to genre-defining franchises and leading teams at some of the biggest studios in the world. His career highlights include Battlefield Hardline, Call of Duty: United Offensive, and PUBG. Today, he continues to focus on building great teams, innovating within FPS, and shaping the future of multiplayer experiences.

Listen & Connect

• Subscribe to Player Driven on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
• Visit playerdriven.io for more episodes and insights
• Follow Greg and Player Driven on LinkedIn and YouTube for clips and updates

In this episode of Player Driven, Greg talks with Keith Pape, founder of YellowPike Media, about how to build authentic, lasting connections between studios, players, and communities. Keith shares how YellowPike became known as a gaming marketing agency that thrives on creativity, bold experiential campaigns, and a passion for games.

From Times Square takeovers for Metal Gear to guiding indie studios on their first hires, YellowPike Media focuses on doing the right thing—for clients, communities, and players. If you’re interested in game marketing strategies, community management, or how agencies partner with developers and publishers, this episode is packed with insights.

Key Takeaways

• All-In Culture – Why YellowPike Media avoids rigid roles and builds campaigns through collaboration across trailers, influencers, events, and content.
• Community Managers as Essential Hires – How strong community leads shape player trust and often grow into producers, biz dev, or operations.
• Experiential Marketing Done Right – Lessons from live activations like the Metal Gear Solid Times Square campaign, and how to turn moments into long-tail content.

About YellowPike Media

Founded by Keith Pape, YellowPike Media is a creative gaming marketing agency built by lifelong gamers. With over a decade of experience, the agency has worked with top publishers and indie studios to deliver standout campaigns across influencers, community, live events, and storytelling. Their philosophy is simple: do the right thing, and long-term success follows.

Connect with Keith and YellowPike Media:

• Twitter/X: @YPM_agency
• Instagram: @YPM_agency
• Threads / Bluesky: @YPM_agency

Links & Resources

• Explore more episodes of Player Driven, the podcast about the business of games: playerdriven.io
• Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts

What happens when regulation collides with game design? In this episode, I sit down with industry veteran Oscar Clark to unpack the EU’s proposed changes around virtual currency, the ethics of monetization, and why “finding the fun” is still the core of building sustainable games. From self-regulation to skill-mapping the next generation of developers, this conversation goes deep into the business of games and the future of LiveOps.

Episode Highlights

• Why current EU regulations on virtual currency could unintentionally harm indie developers while missing the real issues
• The nuance of FOMO, scarcity, and seasonal content—when it drives engagement vs. when it becomes exploitative
• Lessons from history: how Battlefront II’s monetization backlash should have been a wake-up call for the industr
• The need for skills mapping and career development frameworks to help juniors grow into seniors—and why games lag behind other industries
• How LiveOps and retention loops (like soap opera-style storytelling) keep players coming back for years
• Oscar’s journey from GDC talks to his new LiveOps strategy platform, Arcanics, and how it aims to make sustainable operations accessible to all studios

Why It Matters

For industry professionals, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at the tension between regulation, monetization, and player trust. You’ll walk away with practical insights into LiveOps best practices, the importance of designing around player value rather than revenue, and a framework for thinking about career development in gaming. Whether you’re running a AAA franchise or bootstrapping an indie project, the lessons here point to one truth: sustainable growth comes from finding the fun and retaining players long-term.

About the Guest

Oscar Clark is the co-founder of Arcanics, a newly funded LiveOps strategy platform. A 30-year industry veteran, Oscar has written multiple books including Games as a Service and Playing with Balance. He is a frequent speaker at GDC and global gaming conferences, known for blending practical LiveOps experience with big-picture industry insight.

Next Steps

👉 Explore more insights at PlayerDriven.io

👉 Join the conversation in our Discord community

👉 For consulting, learning modules, and frameworks on retention, monetization, and LiveOps strategy—reach out directly.

Episode Highlights

• .The surprising parallels between AAA vs. indie studios and corporate vs. startup marketing
• Why interviewing for leadership roles goes both ways—and how to avoid misalignment with execs.
• .Delegation lessons: why hiring cheap can cost more, and how to balance junior growth with execution
• OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) as a tool to align creative marketing with measurable company impact.
• Indie advice: what type of marketer to hire first when you’re two devs with a great game but zero promotion.
• .Building evangelists: how customer marketing programs turn clients into advocates

Why It Matters

For studio leads, LiveOps managers, or indie founders, this episode is a roadmap to scaling marketing without losing sight of authenticity. You’ll walk away with clarity on how to structure your first marketing hire, practical delegation tactics, and how to align creative efforts with KPIs that actually move revenue. Think of it as a playbook for turning marketing from “nice-to-have” into a growth engine.

About the Guest

Christine Dart is a veteran marketing leader with deep expertise in B2B growth, customer engagement, and creative brand-building. She’s known for transforming visions into measurable results, from doubling revenues to launching innovative customer marketing programs. Her career blends entrepreneurial scrappiness with corporate leadership, making her a go-to voice on what works—and what doesn’t—in modern marketing

Next Steps

🔗 Dive deeper at PlayerDriven.io for consulting, learning resources, and community discussions.
💬 Join the Player Driven Discord to connect with peers on retention, LiveOps, publishing, and more.

In this encore episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Shaun Laker, founder of Game Guardians and veteran of Respawn, EA, and The Coalition, to explore how AI-driven automation is reshaping QA, empowering developers, and changing what it means to ship a game.

Since this conversation first aired, Game Guardians has accelerated, and so has Player Driven. We’re now working directly with studios, bringing in new sponsorships, and expanding our reach to deliver more industry news and best practices straight to your inbox.

If you want to understand how AI is already redefining game development — and why the next competitive advantage might come from smarter QA instead of bigger budgets — this is a must-listen.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why traditional QA can’t keep up with the demands of modern live service games
• How AI agents can reduce costs, catch more bugs, and supercharge QA teams
• Shaun’s journey from modding Duke Nukem to leading QA innovation with Game Guardians
• The balance between automation and human oversight — and why “humans in the loop” still matter
• Practical advice for studios on when to invest in QA and automation

About Shaun Laker
Shaun is the founder of Game Guardians, a startup focused on AI-powered QA automation. With over 20 years in the industry at studios like Respawn, EA, and The Coalition, he brings deep insights into how games are built — and where they break.

Resources & Links

• Explore Game Guardians: GameGuardians.io
• Subscribe for more insights and industry best practices: PlayerDriven.io
• Join the mailing list to get the latest news, strategies, and behind-the-scenes content in your inbox

👉 Enjoyed this episode? Visit PlayerDriven.io to check out new content, see how the team is expanding, and sign up for the mailing list so you never miss the next big conversation in gaming.

He shares practical advice for narrative design, community-building, and supporting others through tough times. This is a thoughtful conversation about ambition, burnout, and why games matter beyond the screen.

Perfect for game devs, modders, and anyone thinking about doing work that truly matters.

🎯 5 Key Moments and Timestamps

[06:50] From writer to narrative designer
Eric breaks down how he leveled up from fan fiction to building full story arcs in the modding scene

[13:30] Why leaving modding took years
Transitioning to indie development was not just a tech challenge but an emotional and creative shift

[20:25] Teaching economics through gameplay
Eric explains how Vultures blends factory management and stock market dynamics to build systems thinking

[27:00] Mental health is part of the mission
From working at 988 to designing a mental health card game, Eric explains how personal experiences shaped his path

[44:45] The Trigger Initiative
Eric shares plans to mentor unfinished indie games and help them reach MVP without becoming a traditional publisher

🧠 Big Takeaways

• Narrative design should support gameplay, not just live beside it
• Mods can create lasting impact long after development stops
• Mental health support starts with listening without judgment
• Education and game design are not mutually exclusive
• Indie support can be reimagined as community-powered mentorship

🔗 Links Mentioned

• Honor Games Website
• Eric Chou on LinkedIn

We're also joined by Shahar Sorek, CMO of Overwolf, the platform at the heart of the in-game creator economy. Shahar breaks down why UGC is no longer optional for game studios, how Overwolf provides a "white glove" service to de-risk the process for developers, and why creators like Sandi represent the future of player engagement and retention. This is a must-listen for any developer, publisher, or community manager looking to understand the power of community-led growth.

Timestamps:

• (01:47) Sandi's Origin Story: From marketing professional to stay-at-home dad and accidental modder.
• (09:03) The Creator Economy: Shahar explains Overwolf's mission to turn in-game creation into a legitimate profession.
• (17:13) Building in Public: How Sandi uses Discord, X, and community feedback to decide what to build next.
• (22:50) The Tools of the Trade: Sandi and Shahar discuss the essential tools for a UGC creator, from Unreal Engine to analytics.
• (30:10) Getting Started: Actionable advice from both Sandi and Shahar for anyone who wants to start creating UGC.

Guest Bios:

• Sandi Fais a self-taught, professional mod creator for games like ARK: Survival Ascended and Hogwarts Legacy. He is one of the top creators on the CurseForge platform, with his mods collectively reaching over 80 million downloads. You can find his work on CurseForge and connect with him on X (formerly Twitter) .
• Shahar Sorek is the Chief Marketing Officer at Overwolf, the all-in-one platform that enables creators to build, distribute, and monetize in-game apps and mods. He is focused on empowering the in-game creator economy and fostering the relationship between studios, creators, and gamers. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Key Topics:

• User-Generated Content (UGC) Monetization
• In-Game Creator Economy
• Community Building & Engagement
• Player Retention Strategies
• LiveOps and Content Pipelining
• Game Modding and Development
• Indie Game Discoverability
• The Future of Game Publishing

Relevant Links:

• Overwolf
• CurseForge
• ARK:
• Unreal Engine
• Tebex

Credits:

Hosted by Greg Posner, founder of Player Driven — a podcast about the business of games and how smart people scale them.

How do you break into the games industry later in your career? And once you’re in, how do you build a meaningful life and community without burning out? In this episode, Greg is joined by Amir Satvat, a Business Development leader at Tencent and the winner of the "Game Changers" award. Amir is one of the industry's most important connectors, having built a community that has helped thousands find jobs and opportunities.

Amir shares his incredible journey from finance at Goldman Sachs to gaming in his late 30s, offering a practical playbook for career pivots. He breaks down his disciplined, non-negotiable approach to balancing a high-stakes job with being a present father and husband, and reveals why true networking is a 12-month game of building relationships, not a last-minute job hunt. This conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone looking to build a sustainable and impactful career in games.

Timestamps

• (01:55) The Pivot: Amir details his unconventional path from banking and healthcare into the games industry.
• (11:00) The Non-Negotiable Framework: How Amir uses rigorous time-blocking to protect family time and avoid burnout.
• (25:49) Confronting Ageism: Amir discusses the industry's challenge with retaining and valuing older talent.
• (32:25) The #1 Networking Mistake: Why you need to build relationships long before you need them.
• (39:40) The Financial Modeling Trap: How a finance-first mindset can be both a powerful tool and a creativity killer in game development.

Guest Bio

Amir Satvat is a leader in Business Development and Strategy at Tencent and the founder of a professional gaming community that has helped thousands of people. Known as one of the industry's most important connectors, his work is driven by a deep passion for helping others succeed.

• LinkedIn: Amir Satvat
• Community Hub: amirsatvat.com

Key Topics

• Breaking into the games industry mid-career
• Effective networking strategies for long-term success
• Balancing a demanding career with fatherhood and family life
• Transferable skills from other industries (finance, tech, healthcare)
• Community building and the power of trust
• Continuing education and staying relevant
• Industry challenges: ageism, the future of consoles, and business models

Relevant Links

• Amir's Community Website
• Tencent

From the importance of a well-crafted pitch to the nuances of monetization and discoverability, this fireside chat covers the essential strategies for developers looking to partner with a publisher. Ben and Alex share their unique perspectives on the current state of the gaming industry, the resurgence of AA titles, and the future of interactive entertainment.

Key Discussion Points:

The conversation delves into the operational realities of running a publishing house, the art of negotiation, and the critical factors that can make or break a game in today's competitive environment. Ben and Alex also touch on the significance of their respective companies, Midwest Games and the new Acclaim, in fostering the next generation of games and developers.

This episode provides a rare look behind the curtain of the gaming industry, offering practical advice and strategic insights for anyone passionate about the business of video games.

Podcast Show Notes

This episode of the Player Driven Podcast brings together two titans of the new era of game publishing: Ben Kvalo of Midwest Games and Alex Joseph of the revitalized Play Acclaim. In a candid conversation, they explore the challenges and opportunities facing indie developers today. From securing funding to navigating the treacherous waters of discoverability, this episode is a masterclass for anyone looking to make their mark in the gaming world.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The Rebirth of an Era: How Midwest Games and the new Acclaim are channeling the spirit of classic gaming into the modern age.
• The Publisher's Perspective: What Ben and Alex are currently playing and what excites them about the future of gaming.
• Monetization & The AA Revival: A nuanced discussion on game pricing, in-game purchases, and the resurgence of the "buy-to-play" model.
• The UGC Revolution: Is user-generated content a golden opportunity or a distraction for developers?
• The Discoverability Dilemma: Strategies for standing out in a market flooded with new releases and the potential of web-based games.
• The Art of the Pitch: What developers need to know before approaching a publisher, from crafting a compelling pitch to understanding the business side of their creative endeavor.
• Building a Lasting Partnership: The importance of relationships, trust, and finding the right publisher for your game.
• A Day in the Life: What it's really like to be the CEO of a game publishing company.
• Conference Survival Guide: Tips for developers on how to make the most of industry events like Gamescom and MDEV.

Timestamps:

• 02:00 – Why ASICS is getting into gaming (and why now)
• 06:00 – The DISC origin story: air hockey meets VR
• 16:30 – Why they launched on Discord before they launched the game
• 21:00 – Surprising lessons from the VR community
• 38:00 – What’s next: arcade mode, cosmetics, and social scaling

Guest Bio:Joe Pace is the VP at ASICS Ventures, where he leads new product strategy across emerging digital platforms. Previously at Runkeeper, LL Bean, and Legendary Entertainment, Joe’s work spans fitness, technology, and innovation. LinkedIn

Key Topics:

• VR game development
• Community-first strategy
• Meta Quest platform
• Fitness and gamification
• LiveOps in non-traditional gaming studios
• Social dynamics in VR
• ASICS’s innovation model
• Building new sports for virtual platforms

Relevant Links:

• disc.asics.com

Credits:Hosted by Greg Posner, founder of Player Driven — a podcast about the business of games and how smart people scale them.

From escaping poverty through fantasy as a child in South Korea, to scaling a yogurt shop to fund his first game studio, to building billion-dollar RPGs at EA, Mark’s story is a masterclass in design thinking, human behavior, and creative conviction. He also shares why AI will either multiply your creativity or expose your culture — and how his new title Ungodly aims to reset the bar for 4th-gen RPGs.

This episode is for game devs, LiveOps leaders, publishing execs, and anyone asking: Why do some games stick... and others don’t?

📌 Key Takeaways

1. The Hierarchy of Fun
Mark breaks down his 5-layer framework for sustainable game engagement:

• First impression
• Core loop
• Progression
• Meta mastery
• Emotional connection
  Each layer must make the player feel something — and if you flip it, it becomes your funnel for long-term retention.

2. Design for Primal Desires, Not Personas
Mark argues that all player motivation maps back to love, power, or wealth. Most games try to broaden appeal and end up designing for no one. Pick one fantasy — and serve it ruthlessly.

3. 4th-Gen RPGs and the 9-Second Rule
With mobile phones now as powerful as last-gen consoles, we’ve entered a new generation of RPGs. Ungodly is designed to immerse players in 9 seconds, not 9 minutes — a 60x improvement over the old model.

⏱️ Timestamps

01:00 — Mark’s origin story: poverty, fantasy, and Dungeons & Dragons as a lifeline
14:00 — The Hierarchy of Fun: a new model for player experience
31:00 — Why most games fail when they abandon their core fantasy
44:00 — What makes a 4th-gen RPG, and how Ungodly is redefining immersion
58:00 — AI, culture, and the edge small studios have (if they move fast)

🧠 SEO Keywords (for search + episode description)

• game design philosophy
• hierarchy of fun
• player motivation design
• RPG design frameworks
• mobile RPG engagement
• Azra Games Ungodly
• retention in game design
• AI in game development
• game publishing strategy
• Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes insights

🎙️ Guest

Mark Otero
CEO & Founder of Azra Games. Former GM at EA Capital Games, creator of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. Veteran in collectible RPGs and systems design.
🔗 Azra Games
🔗 Mark on LinkedIn

If you care about retention, LiveOps, or what makes a game feel safe (but still intense), this episode is for you.

Timestamps:
00:03:00 — Christina’s hacker origin story and gaming as escape
00:12:00 — Why safety in games is getting harder (and why it matters more)
00:19:00 — League of Legends, low-trust users, and the culture of competitive games
00:33:00 — Safety is a retention strategy: what the data actually says
00:45:00 — Feedback loops, reputation systems, and when reports fail players

Guest Bio:
Christina Camilleri leads trust and safety product strategy at Netflix Games. She’s a former ethical hacker and security engineer, with experience spanning BAE Systems, Riot Games, and now Netflix. Christina is passionate about building safe, inclusive player experiences — and believes good design can create both tension and trust.
🔗 LinkedIn

Key Topics:

• Safety by design in game development
• Player behavior and trust systems
• Reputation scoring and false reporting
• Game moderation tooling
• Accessibility through player control
• Real-time safety vs. reactive systems
• Why toxic behavior kills retention
• Community-led systems that scale

Credits Line:
Hosted by Greg Posner, founder of Player Driven — a podcast about the business of games and how smart people scale them.

What can a former QA tester at EA, a punk-rock producer at Midway, and the exec who helped launch No Man’s Sky teach us about today’s game industry?

In this episode, Adam Boyes (founder of Vivrato and longtime industry vet) joins Greg to talk about why handcrafted games still matter, how studios can ask for help before it’s too late, and what happens when we actually listen to the people who’ve shipped the games we love.

🧠 What We Cover

– From Floppy Disks to LiveOps:
How QA used to be “log bugs by hand and pray,” and what that taught Adam about modern workflows and AI.

– Midway Was Punk Rock:
Inside stories from Blitz, Slugfest, and the golden era of arcade innovation — where game feel was religion.

– The No Man’s Sky Redemption Arc:
What went wrong, what went right, and why Hello Games stuck the landing where others didn’t.

– The Quiet Crisis in Game Dev:
Discoverability. Burnout. Studios not knowing when to ask for help. Why Vivrato was built to change that.

– Why Every Studio Needs a “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?” Moment
Real talk on vision, identity, and how to build games that last longer than the launch window.

🔥 Pull Quotes

📌 Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Intro and 90s QA stories
• [05:00] AI tools vs. handcrafted game design
• [10:30] Midway memories: Blitz, Jam, and chaos
• [17:00] Game feel and the obsession with precision
• [24:00] Nostalgia meets the digital era at Capcom
• [33:00] Vivrato: Helping studios find their path
• [40:00] No Man’s Sky and the power of second chances
• [47:00] What we’re playing now + retro game pain
• [51:00] Why the future of gaming is built on collaboration

🎧 Listen & Follow

🎙️ Listen now on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
🌐 More episodes and insights at playerdriven.io
📩 Want to share your story? Reach out to Greg on LinkedIn or Twitter

🔍 SEO Tags

Adam Boyes interview Vivrato consulting Midway game design game studio struggles No Man’s Sky story game feel arcade era game discoverability

🎙 Episode Summary
What happens when a high schooler treats an MMORPG like a business case study? Andrew Wagner joins Player Driven to share how his time playing Eternal Lands turned into a crash course in economics, strategy, and systems thinking. From building a ruthless guild to influencing the game’s developer roadmap, Andrew didn’t just play — he disrupted.

We talk about market incentives, reputation management, and the blurry line between capitalism and corruption, both in games and in the real world. If you’re building economies, managing communities, or just love a good player-driven story, this one’s for you.

🧠 Highlights with Timestamps

2:34 — Learning economics through RuneScape-style gameplay
Andrew shares how Eternal Lands introduced him to core economic principles like supply and demand, specialization, and market incentives — all before he took a single college class.

7:59 — Embracing the villain role to change the game
Instead of rebuilding his guild’s reputation, Andrew leaned into their “bad guy” image, creating a strategy that ignored perception and focused purely on market disruption.

14:16 — How gaming shaped his real-world investment career
From managing a guild to managing portfolios, Andrew explains how the lessons from in-game economies now guide how he evaluates companies and competition in the financial world.

30:10 — Building an in-game advisory board of real experts
With rocket engineers and bankers in his guild, Andrew leveraged real-world insights to refine his strategy — proving that the best guilds function like startups.

49:50 — When players capture the dev team
Andrew recounts how a former guild member joined the dev team and created a secret mine just for them, triggering a real example of regulatory capture inside the game.

• Check out Andrews Book: https://www.amazon.com/Economics-Online-Gaming-Introduction-Economic-ebook/dp/B084Z77PSW
• Andrews Website: https://www.wagnerroadcm.com/
• Andrews Substack: https://wagnerroadcm.substack.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atwagner/

🎧 CTA
If you’ve ever seen the real world reflected in your favorite game, this episode will stick with you. Subscribe to Player Driven and share your favorite lesson learned from gaming.

What started as a casual gaming session with friends led to a bold idea  one that could reshape how studios deal with cheaters and protect their communities.

🔍 Here's what we get into:

The cheating economy is real
Some cheat developers make more money than the games they’re exploiting. We explore the underground networks fueling this industry and why traditional bans aren’t working.

One identity to rule them all
Andrew introduces PlaySafe ID, a system that gives each player a single anonymized identifier across games. It keeps players accountable without exposing their personal info.

Game economies, broken by bots
Cheaters ruin more than just competitive play. They crash in-game markets, devalue rewards, and destroy core gameplay loops. We talk through the impact on long-term retention.

Reddit as the proving ground
A low-budget Reddit campaign helped Andrew validate the idea and attract thousands of pre-registrations before a single studio integration went live.

From kitchens to code
Andrew’s path to gaming wasn’t straight. He went from Michelin-starred pastry chef to founder of a gaming trust and safety platform. He shares the lessons that transferred from fine dining to startup life.

💡 Key takeaways:

• Cheating doesn’t just hurt games, it destroys trust and drives players away
• Accountability doesn’t have to mean giving up privacy
• Studios want to fight back, but they’re outmatched by organized cheating rings
• Solving this problem could unlock stronger communities and more sustainable games

🎯 This episode is for:

• Developers, LiveOps leads, and support teams dealing with bad actors
• VCs and founders looking at trust and safety as the next big frontier
• Players who are sick of losing to cheaters and wondering if anything will change
• Anyone interested in how tech, ethics, and community all collide in online games

This one hits hard. Fair play matters more than ever. Listen now and be part of the change.
🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts

In this episode, we're joined by Alex Seropian, a true legend in the gaming industry and the co-founder of Bungie, the studio behind Halo. Alex is now the founder of Look North World, a company focused on creating experiences within the Fortnite ecosystem using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).  Alex discusses the evolution of the gaming industry, from the era of physical game distribution to today's platform-driven economy.  He shares his insights on where innovation in gaming is headed, the challenges of discoverability, and the paramount importance of building a strong community.  This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of game development, user-generated content, and the ever-changing landscape of interactive entertainment.

About Our Guest:

Alex Seropian is the founder of Look North World and has an extensive history in the gaming industry.  He co-founded Bungie, was part of Industrial Toys, and worked at Disney.  He is now focused on building user-generated content and experiences within Fortnite.

• Look North World: https://www.looknorth.world/
• The Fourth Curtain Podcast: https://www.thefourthcurtain.com/

Key Topics Discussed:

• [02:11] The Future of Innovation in Gaming: Alex shares his thoughts on where new and innovative ideas in the gaming industry will come from, highlighting platforms that support experimentation and risk-taking.
• [05:10] Discoverability in a Crowded Market: A discussion on the challenges of getting your game noticed on platforms like Steam versus UEFN and Roblox.
• [10:05] What Defines a "Good" Game?: The conversation explores how the definition of a quality game has evolved and how generational differences impact what players find engaging.
• [12:41] Creating Games for Younger Generations: Alex talks about his approach to creating content that appeals to him while also building a diverse team to create games for various audiences.
• [14:42] The Player Feedback Loop: How Look North World launches numerous games and uses player feedback to iterate and improve their experiences in a live service environment.
• [18:15] Company Pillars and Adapting to New Platforms: Alex discusses Look North World's founding principle of exceeding player expectations and how they've adapted that philosophy to the realities of the UEFN platform.
• [20:54] The Importance of Community: Alex emphasizes that building a direct relationship with players is a top priority for Look North World, as important as the IP they create.
• [25:08] The Early Days of Halo and Multiplayer: Alex reflects on the explosion of the Halo community and the surprising ways players connected to play online before the widespread availability of Xbox Live.
• [35:34] What Excites Alex Most About the Gaming Industry: From the advent of 3D graphics and the internet to the current "platform economy" where creativity is happening within larger game ecosystems.
• [47:16] Alex's Podcast, The Fourth Curtain: Alex plugs his own podcast where he interviews other luminaries in the game industry.

Topics: Community Management, Social Media Strategy, Gaming Industry Trends, Player Engagement

Key Takeaways:

1. Journey to Gaming and Community Management
   Fiene shares her unique journey from studying law to entering the gaming industry as a community manager. Her initial involvement was volunteer-based, leading her to a full-time role at InnoGames, where she manages community engagement for titles like Forge of Empires. Her background adds depth to her role, as she balances passion for gaming with the objectivity needed for community management.
2. Importance of Game Knowledge and Player Perspective
   Fiene emphasizes the value of knowing the game inside and out, even as a manager. By actively playing Forge of Empires, she stays in touch with the player experience, offering insights to developers and community managers. Her expertise positions her as a resource within InnoGames for game-related decisions, showing how deep product knowledge can enhance community relations and drive engagement.
3. Social Media and Community Strategy
   Fiene discusses the blending of community management with social media strategy, a trend she’s championed at InnoGames. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are essential for player engagement, though InnoGames finds certain platforms, like Facebook, more effective for its demographic. Fiene advocates for tailored content that resonates with current players while reaching new audiences organically.
4. Leveraging Data and KPIs in Community Engagement
   With a data-driven approach, Fiene and her team monitor KPIs like engagement, reach, and active player response to measure campaign effectiveness. She uses tools like Power BI to track data, helping her strategize content and engage players more effectively. Her focus is to balance entertaining existing players while reaching out to potential players through innovative, data-backed campaigns.
5. Future Goals and Constant Learning
   Fiene talks about her career aspirations, expressing an interest in furthering her skills in social media and marketing. With a passion for learning and self-improvement, she highlights the significance of acquiring diverse skills—like using Premiere Pro and Canva—to stay current in a fast-evolving industry. Her commitment to growth serves as an inspiration for others in community management and social media roles.

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Fiene Ziegler provides a comprehensive look at what it means to manage and grow a gaming community. She offers practical insights into blending community engagement with social media strategies, leveraging data for decision-making, and building credibility through in-depth game knowledge. For gaming professionals and community managers alike, her journey and strategies are both inspiring and actionable, showcasing the impact of a well-rounded approach to community engagement.

This episode of Player Driven, in collaboration with Community Clubhouse, dives into the future of kids' gaming and digital safety. Greg speaks with Karin Johnson, co-founder of Magic Potion Games and a former leader at Club Penguin and Fortnite, along with Kieran Donovan, founder of K-ID and a regulatory compliance expert. Together, they explore how studios can build engaging, age-appropriate games while staying ahead of global compliance challenges. From the development of Imagine Island to the regulatory maze K-ID helps developers navigate, this is a must-listen for anyone creating games for younger audiences.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

• The rise of Imagine Island as a spiritual successor to Club Penguin
• Why building “kids-first” (not just kid-appropriate) matters
• How K-ID simplifies global compliance across age bands, chat, and monetization
• Best practices for launching safe online games with embedded trust and safety
• The business value of early compliance and community-focused design
• How emerging web game platforms are helping studios reach more players

💡 Highlight Quotes:

📌 Resources & Links:

• Magic Potion Games
• K-ID

🎯 Who Should Listen:

• Game designers building for Gen Alpha
• Studio leads exploring COPPA and GDPR-K compliance
• LiveOps and trust and safety professionals
• Community managers seeking to scale safe social play
• Parents curious about the future of kid-friendly gaming

📣 Call to Action:

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe to Player Driven for more episodes that blend player experience, safety, and smart business strategy. Leave a review and share this episode with fellow game developers, educators, and community leads.

Summary:
In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Julie Banta, Director of Engineering at Respawn, to explore the underappreciated world of build and release operations. From her unlikely start in finance and insurance to helping manage one of the world’s top live service games, Julie shares her unique journey, the role of real-time feedback in LiveOps, and how a great team culture can make or break success.

They discuss:

• What Build & Release actually does in a live service game like Apex Legends
• Navigating fast-turnaround bug fixes and cross-platform coordination
• How to connect your past experiences to break into the gaming industry
• Leadership, burnout, and the importance of a people-first team
• The need for diversity and inclusivity in both dev teams and the games themselves

Timestamps:

• 07:00 – From finance to EA: career pivots and transferable skills
• 16:00 – The pressure and complexity behind LiveOps launches
• 29:00 – Fast feedback loops and using Reddit as a QA tool
• 40:00 – How Julie leads her team with empathy and trust
• 46:00 – Women in gaming and why representation matters
• 54:00 – Advice for indie devs and those breaking into the industry

Links:

• Connect with Julie on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Respawn and Apex Legends
• More episodes at playerdriven.io/podcast

Key Themes & Insights:

• Advanced  Voice Analysis: Toxmod interprets emotion, nuance, and behavioral impacts in voice, not just words, to identify harmful or positive interactions.
• Studio Collaboration & Transparency: Modulate tunes Toxmod to studio-specific guidelines, with studios making final decisions. Open communication with players about moderation is crucial.
• Privacy-Conscious Moderation: The system focuses on identifying harmful or positive behaviors exhibited by users, rather than building profiles of individuals.
• Expanding Beyond Gaming: Originally for gaming toxicity, Modulate's tech is now being applied to detect fraud and improve interactions in other sectors, like call centers.
• Addressing Evolving Threats: The technology can help identify synthetically generated audio often used in scams, treating it as a form of fraud when coupled with problematic behavior.

Resources Mentioned:

• Modulate: modulate.ai

Subscribe to Player Driven for more insights and share this episode!

In this episode, we delve into the evolving landscape of mobile game monetization with Chip Thurston, Head of Gaming at FastSpring. We explore the implications of the Apple vs. Epic ruling, the shift towards direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies, and how webshops are becoming essential for game studios aiming to retain more revenue and foster stronger player relationships.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

• Impact of the Apple vs. Epic ruling on mobile payments
• Transition from app store reliance to DTC models
• Advantages of integrating webshops for game studios
• Understanding the Merchant of Record model
• Strategies for scaling monetization efforts

👤 About Our Guest:

Chip Thurston is the Head of Global Partnerships at FastSpring, a leading e-commerce platform for software and digital products. With extensive experience in digital monetization, Chip provides valuable insights into optimizing revenue streams for game developers.

📌 Resources & Links:

• FastSpring Official Website
• Meet Chip on LinkedIn

📣 Call to Action:

Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe to our podcast for more insights into the gaming industry's evolving monetization strategies. Don't forget to leave a review and share this episode with fellow developers and industry professionals.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

01:22 – Starting with Sound: Jim shares his journey from composing for anime at Funimation to learning code through game jams.
07:27 – Founding Devhouse: Why starting a co-dev studio wasn’t a single moment, but a gradual realization built from side projects and passion.
09:32 – Hiring to Solve Pain: Early hires were engineers just like Jim, generalists who could help him scale his overloaded client work.
14:18 – Specialist vs. Generalist: How Devhouse learned to brand and position its skills clearly as the business matured.
20:30 – First Clients Came from Network: Jim leveraged relationships with former collaborators and positioned himself affordably as a solo founder.
26:29 – Why Build Original IP Now: Diversification and creative satisfaction. Jim didn’t want Devhouse to only live or die by service contracts.
29:02 – Trash Heist — Devhouse’s New Game: A phone-based party game with competitive chaos and second-screen play. Inspired by Jackbox, built to bring people together.
32:54 – Distribution Strategy: WebGL makes cross-platform play possible. Steam is the starting point, but smart TVs and casting are in the conversation.
35:33 – Balancing Client Work and Passion Projects: Dedicated internal teams and careful scoping allow for parallel development of games and service work.
37:16 – Founder Lessons: Sales and people management were the biggest curveballs. Learning to lead and let go is a continuous process.
40:10 – Where Gaming is Headed: Shrinking AAA budgets, a rise in small studio bets, and the growing importance of authentic community building.
45:19 – Call to Action: Trash Heist is dropping soon — Jim encourages listeners to check it out and support indie innovation.

🔗 Resources & Mentions:

• The Devhouse Agency
• Trash Heist on Steam COMING SOON!
• Jim Welch on LinkedIn

🙌 Thanks for Listening!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Player Driven on your favorite podcast app and share it with someone building their own path in the game industry. For more conversations with creators, founders, and innovators in gaming, visit playerdriven.io.

In this episode of Player Driven, Greg chats with two standout voices in gaming operations—Heidi Christine, CMO and Head of Community at Pixels, and Conor McGinley, Customer Support Lead at Twin Harbor Interactive. Together, they unpack what it really takes to grow and sustain vibrant communities while also delivering high-quality support at scale. From automation and self-service to the role of Discord and the realities of Web3 toxicity, this conversation delivers actionable insights for studios of any size.

Whether you’re trying to balance support load with growth, make Discord less chaotic, or simply empower your community to help itself, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:

• Why support and community must be separated—until they’re not
• How Pixels scaled from chaos to structure using Discord, Intercom, and "Farmhands"
• Conor’s take on automation, AI, and when bots actually make sense
• Handling burnout in small teams and building flexible support flows
• How Web3 changes the intensity of player behavior and expectations
• Empowering internal teams and community leaders to move fast without asking for permission
• Why retention starts with understanding why players spend their time with you

💬 Notable Quotes:

👥 About the Guests:

Heidi Christine is the CMO and Head of Community at Pixels, a Web3 studio known for its vibrant MMO-style farming sim. She’s built a thriving, global player base with decentralized strategies, high player trust, and real-world crypto integration.

Conor McGinley leads customer support at Twin Harbor Interactive, creators of longform strategy games like Supremacy 1914 and Call of War. He’s known for his analytical approach to ticket flows, bot frameworks, and scalable support systems.

📌 Resources & Mentions:

• Pixels Game
• Twin Harbor Interactive
• Community Clubhouse
• Imagine Island - Magic Potion Games
• HelpShift

🎯 Who Should Listen:

• Support and CX leads looking to improve efficiency
• Community managers overwhelmed by Discord
• Indie and Web3 studios scaling fast with limited headcount
• Devs interested in retention, LiveOps, and community-led growth
• Anyone balancing automation with authentic player connection

📣 Call to Action:

Enjoyed the episode? Be sure to follow Player Driven for more practical takes from the people who power the games you love. Share this with a community lead, support agent, or founder who could use a smarter way to scale.TBD

In this episode of Player Driven, host Greg engages in an insightful conversation with Josh Plotnek, Head of Content at Keewano, diving deep into the significance of actionable insights derived from game data analytics. The discussion highlights how understanding player behavior through data can drastically improve player experience and game performance. Josh shares practical tips for studios of all sizes, emphasizing how AI-driven analytics can help uncover hidden issues, transforming raw data into meaningful actions.

Guest Information

• Name: Josh Plotnek
• Role: Head of Content at Keewano
• Expertise: Data Analytics, Content Strategy, Game Development Insights
• Company: Keewano

About Keewano

Keewano is a groundbreaking analytics platform that leverages advanced AI to provide actionable insights into player behavior, enabling gaming studios of any size to enhance player experience, retention, and engagement.

Key Takeaways

1. Data Alone Isn't Enough (07:35)
   Collecting data is the starting point; real value comes from understanding the "why" behind player behavior to make impactful decisions.
2. Recognizing Frustration vs. Engagement (20:08)
   Player frustration can be either positive (engaging) or negative (leading to churn). Analyzing "recovery behaviors" helps studios differentiate and respond effectively.
3. Start Small, Then Scale Your Analytics (14:39)
   Smaller studios can utilize accessible tools like Unity Analytics and Firebase, gradually scaling to more sophisticated AI-driven analytics solutions as they grow.
4. Leveraging AI to Uncover Hidden Issues (11:27)
   Advanced analytics powered by AI can identify complex problems within games, such as pinpointing an item missed in earlier levels that causes significant churn later on.
5. Future of Analytics: Conversational and Accessible (49:34)
   The future of data analytics is making complex insights conversational, allowing anyone on the team to ask direct questions and receive clear, actionable answers.

Resources Mentioned

• Keewano Blog
• Unity Analytics
• Firebase

Listen and Learn

Tune into the full episode to discover more about turning your game data into powerful insights and actionable strategies to enhance player satisfaction and loyalty.

🔹 Episode Summary:
What happens when a former teacher with no game dev background builds a studio of junior developers and releases a cozy solarpunk game on Steam? You get Plantasia — a passion-driven project built on heart, hustle, and clear values.

Greg sits down with Ayla Derrick to talk about the origin of Cave Bear Games, the lessons learned from launching on Steam, and the importance of leading with empathy in the indie space.

🔑 Key Topics & Timestamps:

[00:02:00] From Teacher to Game Developer: Ayla’s Unlikely Start
Discover how Ayla Derrick pivoted from teaching to game dev and built a successful studio with no prior experience.

[00:07:00] Building a Studio of Juniors — and Making It Work
Learn how a team of junior developers created a game on Steam under Ayla’s leadership, proving that passion beats pedigree.

[00:13:00] Designing Plantasia for the Bottom Third of Your Screen
Explore the design of Plantasia, a solarpunk idle game intentionally built to sit on the bottom of your screen.

[00:20:00] Going Viral, Going Live: The Early Access Launch Story
Hear the inside story of how Cave Bear’s Plantasia launched on Steam after a viral moment turned their studio real.

[00:27:00] Leadership by Teaching: Why Studio Culture Matters
Discover how Ayla applies classroom leadership to studio culture and why it keeps her team motivated and growing.

🗣️ Quotes:

“We didn’t mean to become a studio. We just went viral, and suddenly we had to be one.”

“The pillars were communication, education, and passion. That’s what kept us together.”

🔗 Links:

• Cave Bear Games
• Wishlist Plantasia on Steam
• Ayla on LinkedIn

In this episode of Player Driven, we sit down with Jason Wasserman and Vincent Nguyen, the co-founders of Nice Gang, to dive into their journey from major animation studios like Blue Sky (Ice Age, Rio, Ferdinand) to launching their own game studio and original IP, Eighth Era.

With Season 2 of Eighth Era launching today, Jason and Vincent share how lessons from animation shaped their game design approach, the importance of creative partnerships, and why building a long-term community matters more than ever.

If you care about worldbuilding, player loyalty, and creating original stories in a crowded market, this episode is a must-listen.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• How experience at Blue Sky and Disney influenced the way Nice Gang operates today.
• The real skills Jason (business, scaling) and Vincent (visual worldbuilding) bring to the team.
• Why original IP is the foundation of everything they are building with Eighth Era.
• How they see opportunities for Eighth Era to expand beyond gaming (animation, collectibles, more).
• Their approach to growing a loyal community for the long-term, not just at launch.

🕒 Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro + Season 2 Launch
• 02:00 – Meet Jason and Vincent: Backgrounds + Skills
• 07:00 – Lessons from Animation: What Carried into Game Development
• 15:00 – Founding Nice Gang: The Why and How
• 22:00 – Building a Creative Partnership That Lasts
• 28:00 – Worldbuilding Eighth Era: Staying Original
• 36:00 – Thinking Beyond the Game: The Future of the IP
• 43:00 – Building a Long-Term Player Community
• 48:00 – Final Advice and Where to Follow Nice Gang

Key Takeaways:

• Gamifying corporate training turns passive learners into active participants.
• Boring topics (like InfoSec) come to life when wrapped in story and play.
• You don’t need to be a full-stack developer to build great games—just curiosity and courage.
• Player feedback = gold. AJ evolved his product based on student reactions.
• “Productive laziness” is a feature, not a bug—automate the boring to unleash creativity.

Top Moments:

• 04:52 — The D20 That Started It All: How AJ turned a dull compliance class into a D&D-inspired tabletop game.
• 13:44 — Goombas and Burnout: A sneak peek at “SecOps Chaos,” AJ’s synthwave burnout simulator for security pros.
• 19:40 — Cheap Wings, Big Ideas: AJ’s midweek pub sessions and the notebook that fuels his creativity.
• 25:34 — Changing Perception, One Game at a Time: Why mid-sized companies are the sweet spot for gamified training.
• 42:26 — Turning Weakness into a System: AJ shares how he built an app to capture ideas on the fly—his secret weapon against creative blockers.

Guest Links:

• Brekade Website
• AJ Leece on LinkedIn

Key Takeaways

1. UGC’s Role in Expanding Gaming Lifecycles

Baldur’s Gate 3 has seen over 50 million mod downloads in its first year, with 40% of its player base engaging with mods—double the industry average. Scott explains that mods keep games fresh, encouraging players to return for new experiences, whether it’s simple cosmetic tweaks or major gameplay changes. Console players, in particular, have embraced mods, often consuming more content than their PC counterparts.

2. Breaking Down Barriers for Console Modding

Traditionally, console ecosystems were closed off to modding due to strict certification processes and security concerns. Mod.io changed the game by partnering with PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, bringing mods to consoles for the first time. This shift has allowed console players to experience UGC at a scale previously reserved for PC gaming, with games like Baldur’s Gate 3, SnowRunner, and Skater XL leading the charge.

3. The Business Case for UGC

Mod.io collaborated with Simon Carlos of GameDiscoverCo to analyze UGC’s financial impact. The results are clear: games with UGC see a 23% revenue increase over five years, retain 90% more players, and even boost paid DLC sales by up to 26%. UGC not only enhances player engagement but also creates opportunities for studios to better understand what their audience wants through player-created content trends.

4. How Mod.io Supports Developers and Players

Implementing modding isn’t just about enabling creativity; it’s also about maintaining quality and safety. Mod.io offers automated content scanning for malware and inappropriate material, customizable curation settings for studios, and community reporting tools to flag problematic mods. For developers, this means greater control over their games’ ecosystems while giving players the freedom to create and share.

5. The Future of UGC in Gaming

Scott envisions a future where games become platforms for creators, allowing indie developers to launch full-fledged titles as mods within larger games. This approach could solve one of the biggest challenges for indie creators—finding an audience—while providing established games with fresh, high-quality content. As Scott says, “You don’t have to democratize creation—you just have to enable imagination.”

Featured Guest

Scott Reismanis is the founder of ModDB and Mod.io. With over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry, Scott has helped bring UGC to the forefront of modern gaming, enabling players to create and share content across platforms.

Memorable Quotes

“UGC isn’t competition; it’s an opportunity to deepen engagement and extend a game’s lifecycle.”

“You don’t have to democratize creation—you just have to enable imagination.”

Relevant Links

Explore Mod.io: www.mod.io

SPONSOR:
Check out Nexys Mobile and the Red Magic 10 Pro: https://www.nexysmobile.com/redmagic

Shaun Laker joins Greg to discuss his journey in the gaming industry, from breaking into QA at EA to leading major AAA projects. They dive into the evolution of producers in game development, the importance of community management, and how Game Guardians is using AI to revolutionize QA testing. Shaun also shares his entrepreneurial challenges and insights into the future of game development.

Key Takeaways & Timestamps

1. Breaking Into the Gaming Industry

03:27 – A high school gym teacher introduced Shaun to EA, setting him on his career path.
04:26 – Started in QA at EA, working on games like James Bond: Everything or Nothing and NBA Street.
05:41 – Early QA days felt like Grandma’s Boy—pizza, long hours, and tight-knit teams.

2. Lessons from AAA Studios

07:33 – Every studio operates differently, but profitability often dictates creative freedom.
08:17 – Studios like Respawn thrived due to strong leadership and a focus on quality.
17:48 – Key lessons: Avoid crunch, communicate clearly, and establish strong development pillars.

3. The Role of Community & Engagement

14:18 – Community management varies—Plants vs. Zombies had a supportive fanbase, while Gears of War was more intense.
16:36 – Community managers are the frontline of player feedback, taking in both praise and criticism.
17:03 – A strong community presence can make or break a game’s long-term success.

4. Game Guardians & AI in QA

21:26 – Game Guardians was founded to tackle inefficiencies in game QA.
22:51 – AI-driven automation solves major QA challenges: reducing repetitive testing, supporting live-service games, and catching hard-to-find bugs.
24:13 – AI isn’t replacing QA testers but augmenting their capabilities, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks.

5. Entrepreneurship & Personal Growth

26:38 – The idea for Game Guardians took shape after Shaun’s layoff from Respawn.
30:51 – The biggest struggle as a founder: learning to unplug and avoid burnout.
50:20 – Advice to his younger self: Pick battles wisely and set better boundaries to maintain mental health.

In this episode, Shawn Layden unpacks the creative crisis in AAA development, why $100M+ game budgets are unsustainable, and how developers can reclaim innovation through constraint. Joined by industry analyst Lewis Ward, we talk indie survival, pricing psychology, the rise of Switch 2, and the real reasons games no longer feel “complete.”

Whether you’re building a studio, publishing your first title, or just care about where gaming is headed, this one’s for you.

🧠 5 Key Takeaways:

1. Constraint is the Mother of Creativity
   Shawn argues that early tech limits forced creative brilliance. Today’s boundless tech might actually dilute focus. “Discipline is more valuable than horsepower.”
2. The AA Tier Has Collapsed
   The middle class of game development is disappearing. Studios either go ultra-lean indie or mega-budget AAA. Shawn says we must revive sustainable $20M–$80M games.
3. Game Pricing is Outdated
   The $59.99 model hasn’t budged in decades — even as dev costs skyrocket.
4. “No One’s Coming to Save You”
   Indie devs need to act like entrepreneurs. That means tighter budgets, faster shipping, and proving the team can actually deliver. Don’t wait for publishers, move first.
5. Game Completion = The New Differentiator
   Shawn misses the joy of rolling credits. He believes more studios should return to crafted, finishable games. Not just endless live ops.

🔗 Relevant Links & Mentions:

• 🎤 Shawn Layden on LinkedIn
• 📊 Lewis Ward, IDC
• 🎮 Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund
• 🧵 More from Player Driven

Sponsor:

Nexys Mobile - Check out the RedMagic 10 Pro, the ultimate gaming phone exclusively on Nexys Mobile with plans starting as low as $25 a month! Check it out here: www.nexysmobile.com/redmagic

Key Takeaways (with timestamps):

• Community-Driven Development (07:10): Engaging communities early significantly boosts loyalty and advocacy.
• Value of Data (17:07): Leveraging qualitative and quantitative data from player feedback provides deeper insights into community needs.
• Optimizing Workflow with Automation (35:09): Automation reduces burnout by streamlining tasks, allowing community managers to focus on meaningful player interactions.
• Early Community Building (07:46): Building communities early in the development cycle is critical to long-term game success.
• Importance of Feedback Loops (37:39): Keeping players informed on issue resolution enhances satisfaction and trust.
• Evolving Role of Community Managers (12:07): Today's community managers require diverse skill sets, from analytics to direct community engagement, highlighting the importance of supportive tools.

Notable Quotes:

• "In traditional SaaS, they would kill for this amount of data." – Tim Smith
• "Community managers are your allies; you just need to get them the information so they can bring it to the appropriate sources." – Greg

Links:

• Connect with COHEZION: COHEZION Website

This weeks episode is sponsored by Nexys Wireless. Check out the REDMAGIC Pro 10 - www.nexysmobile.com/redmagic

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Sonya Haskins (Head of Programming at Augmented World Expo) shares her unexpected path into the world of XR—from a homeschool mom and non-gamer to a competitive VR esports athlete and community advocate. Joined by Lewis Ward (Research Director at IDC), we explore her inspiring story of healing through VR, battling harassment in immersive spaces, and her vision for more inclusive, player-driven virtual worlds.

This one’s raw, real, and packed with insights on XR safety, community building, and the untapped power of play.

🔑 5 Key Takeaways

1. VR as a LifelineSonya discovered VR in 2017 and credits it with helping her manage chronic pain, regain physical independence, and even lose 40 pounds—all while seated, gaming daily.
2. Esports as EmpowermentStarting in Echo Arena, Sonya became one of the top players—despite being a middle-aged woman in a male-dominated space. She proved that skill, not stereotype, determines success.
3. Toxicity in VR is Real—But FixableShe shares harrowing experiences of harassment and doxxing, but also offers hope: community-led moderation, tools like ToxMod, and peer pressure can shift the culture.
4. Why Gorilla Tag WorksThe smash-hit XR game owes much of its success to player autonomy and a dev team that listened from day one. Players invent their own rules—just like on a playground.
5. AWE's New Gaming HubSonya teases a massive new initiative debuting at AWE: a full-on Gaming Hub featuring a Games Pavilion, dev stage, networking events, and hands-on VR experiences. Gamers, take note—June in Long Beach is going to be big.

🧠 Topics Covered

• How a VR headset at Best Buy changed Sonya’s life
• Using Echo Arena to recover from physical limitations
• Sexism and harassment in early XR environments
• The evolution of moderation and safety tools in VR
• Gorilla Tag’s runaway success and community-first model
• The future of AWE and why gaming is taking center stage
• Personal resilience, reinvention, and the human side of tech

🔗 Resources & Mentions

• AWE (Augmented World Expo): https://www.awexr.com
• Lewis Ward, IDC: XR & gaming industry insights
• Sonya's Handle: Hasko7 across social platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Facebook)'

Sponsor: 

🎮 This episode is brought to you by Nexys Mobile – the only wireless carrier built for gamers, by gamers. Whether you’re grinding ranked or exploring open worlds on the go, Nexys delivers ultra-low latency, unlimited data, and reliable performance when it matters most. No contracts. No throttling. Just pure mobile power for the player in all of us.

Level up your connection at nexysmobile.com

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Player Driven Podcast, we dive deep into the world of trust & safety, audience building, and AI-driven moderation with Tim Cook, Head of Solutions at Spectrum Labs. Tim shares how AI is revolutionizing content moderation, the impact of data-driven decision-making in gaming, and why community management is more than just banning bad actors—it’s about fostering positive engagement.

Key Takeaways:

1️⃣ AI & Trust & Safety – How Spectrum Labs helps detect toxicity and positive behaviors in user-generated content across gaming, dating, and social platforms.
2️⃣ Understanding the "Movable Middle" – Why segmenting online communities into positive users, neutral users, and toxic users helps shape safer gaming spaces.
3️⃣ The Future of AI in Gaming – Tim explores how generative AI will shape player engagement, content creation, and moderation strategies while tackling ethical concerns.

Why Listen?

✔️ Learn how data and AI are shaping trust & safety in gaming.
✔️ Discover best practices for building healthier online communities.
✔️ Get insights on how gaming companies can measure and reward positive behaviors.

What makes a great level designer? How do you take the leap from AAA studios to launching your own indie game studio? In this episode, Greg sits down with Willem Kranendonk, founder of Odyssey Cocktail Interactive and former level designer at Velen and Zynga. They discuss Willem’s journey from LEGO-loving kid to designing levels for Knockout City and Star Wars: Hunters, the philosophy behind great level design, and why he believes game studios need to take more risks. Willem also shares insights into his new studio, OCI, and their vision for "Cocktail Games"—a bold new approach to game development.

Guest: Willem Kranendonk

• Founder, Odyssey Cocktail Interactive
• Former Level Designer at Velen Studios (Knockout City) & Zynga (Star Wars: Hunters)
• Passionate about innovation in game design & the power of hybrid genres

Key Topics & Timestamps

⏳ 01:25 – From childhood LEGO builds to professional level design
🔨 06:15 – What is level design, really? (Hint: It’s more than just making maps)
🎭 12:30 – Finding creativity in unexpected places (Pink Floyd, JFK conspiracies & more)
🔥 22:00 – Proactivity in game development: Learning by doing
🏗️ 26:50 – Why Willem launched Odyssey Cocktail Interactive
🍸 36:40 – What are “Cocktail Games” & how they blend genres for fresh experiences
📢 41:58 – The importance of community-driven development
🚀 45:25 – The future of game development: Risk-taking, AI & industry shifts

Notable Quotes

🎤 “You can have all the great mechanics in your game, but it’s nothing without the right playground.” – Willem Kranendonk
🎤 "Level design is about executing the fun. It's about taking an idea and making it feel right." – Willem Kranendonk
🎤 “Indie games are taking the world by storm because they’re willing to take risks AAA studios won’t.” – Greg Posner

Resources & Links

🔗 Odyssey Cocktail Interactive Website
🔗 Willem on LinkedIn

Key Timestamps & Takeaways

• Emily transitioned from HR management into recruitment, reversing the usual career trajectory.
• Her passion for video games led her to SkillSearch, a games and interactive tech talent agency.
• Takeaway: Follow your interests—they can lead to unexpected and fulfilling career paths.

• Many candidates don’t fully understand the challenges of a role before accepting it.
• Overhiring during COVID led to mass layoffs when demand normalized.
• Takeaway: Studios must think long-term when hiring, considering risks like overexpansion and retention issues.

• Reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn can provide mentorship and industry insights.
• Studios and job seekers alike should leverage networking to stay ahead of trends.
• Takeaway: Proactive networking can open unexpected opportunities.

• SkillSearch helps gaming studios fill roles by providing top industry talent.
• They offer salary benchmarking, employer branding advice, and recruitment strategy insights.
• Takeaway: Companies should view recruitment agencies as strategic partners, not just headhunters.

• CVs should be clear and concise, highlighting achievements in bullet points.
• Cover letters should be short but tailored to the role.
• LinkedIn is now a key job search tool—keep it professional and updated.
• Takeaway: Small details in presentation and outreach can make a huge difference in landing a job.

Final Thoughts & Key Themes

✅ Be strategic in hiring – Avoid short-term thinking.
✅ Network effectively – It can lead to career-defining opportunities.
✅ Optimize your job search tools – LinkedIn, resumes, and cover letters matter.
✅ Stay informed – Market trends impact hiring and job security.

In this episode of Player Driven, we sit down with Lewis Manalo and Matt Patak, co-founders of Old Glory Studios, an indie game studio founded by AAA veterans and combat veterans. With experience at Ubisoft, Sharkmob, Massive Entertainment, and Certain Affinity, these two developers saw an opportunity to create something unique outside the constraints of big publishers.

Their first game, Victory’s Grave: Outflank, is a tactical PvP shooter designed to balance realism, strategy, and accessibility. They want to create a game that feels authentic without the extreme complexity of military simulators or the overly casual approach of mainstream shooters.

In this episode, we explore their journey from AAA to indie, the current challenges in game development, and how they’re using equity crowdfunding to involve players in their success.

⏳ Key Takeaways & Timestamps:

[00:00] 🎙️ Meet Old Glory Studios Lewis and Matt share their backgrounds in the gaming industry and military service, explaining how their paths led them to start their own studio.

[09:00] 🎮 Why Go Indie? They discuss the limitations of working in AAA studios, the creative compromises that come with big-budget game development, and why going independent gives them the freedom to build the game they truly want.

[22:40] 🔍 Finding the Fun First One of their biggest priorities was making sure Victory’s Grave: Outflank was fun from the start. They talk about their approach to playtesting and how early player feedback helped shape the game’s mechanics.

[30:10] 💰 Crowdfunding Instead of Traditional Investors Rather than going through traditional investors or big publishers, Old Glory Studios is using equity crowdfunding, which allows players and supporters to own a piece of the company. They explain why this model makes sense for their vision and how it helps them stay independent.

[50:10] 🚀 What’s Next? With a playable prototype already developed, the team is now focused on building a vertical slice and preparing for early access within a year. They also discuss how players can get involved by wishlisting the game, investing, and providing feedback.

📢 Support Old Glory Studios

🎮 Wishlist Victory’s Grave: Outflank on Steam
💡 Learn more & invest in Old Glory Studios
📲 Follow their fundraise!

They dive deep into:
✅ How to transition from writing to game design to running a studio
✅ The challenges of designing a unique card game in a crowded market
✅ Fundraising strategies—angel investors vs. Kickstarter
✅ The importance of building a strong player community
✅ Leveraging influencers for game marketing

If you're an indie developer, a deck-builder fan, or just love a good success story, this episode is packed with valuable insights!

⏱️ Key Topics & Timestamps:

• [02:00] Zack’s career shift: From writer to game designer to CEO
• [08:45] How Havoc was born and the unique mechanics that make it stand out
• [15:30] The funding journey: How Zack secured angel investors and Kickstarter success
• [24:10] Why community is the lifeblood of a great game
• [32:00] The power of influencers in game marketing—and how to get them onboard
• [41:53] Zack’s biggest lessons from wearing multiple hats in the industry

👤 About Zack Howe & Nyx Studios

Zack Howe is the co-founder and CEO of Nyx Studios, where he leads the development of Havoc, a competitive deck-building game available in both physical and digital formats. With a background in writing and game design, Zack brings a unique storytelling-first approach to game development.

Connect with Zack & Nyx Studios:
🎮 Play Havoc on Tabletopia
💬 Join the Havoc Discord
📢 Follow Zack on Twitter

📌 Key Takeaways for Indie Game Developers:

🔥 Be adaptable. Zack’s career shift from writer to CEO proves that staying flexible opens doors.
🔥 Fundraising is a grind. Whether through angel investors or Kickstarter, securing funding takes strategy and persistence.
🔥 Community is king. Players, influencers, and content creators can help your game succeed faster than traditional marketing.
🔥 Don’t fear failure. Every misstep is a learning opportunity—whether it’s a pricing mistake on Steam or an underperforming Kickstarter campaign.

We explore how Danielle tackled a 40,000-ticket backlog upon joining Ilyon, built a player-centric process from scratch, and elevated CSAT scores from 39% to an impressive 87%. Through anecdotes like converting a frequent complainer into a lifelong advocate, she highlights the importance of empathy, data-driven insights, and treating players as people—not just users. Danielle also touches on the evolving role of feedback, loyalty, and community-building in the future of gaming.

Whether you’re in gaming or any customer-focused industry, Danielle’s lessons on creating meaningful connections will leave you inspired.

Key Moments:

• 00:01 – Meet Danielle and her passion for blending gaming with people-centric roles.
• 01:41 – From D&D to Ilyon: Danielle’s path to professional gaming.
• 07:01 – Tackling a 40,000-ticket backlog and reinventing player support at Ilyon.
• 10:26 – Understanding the emotional journey of casual gamers.
• 26:43 – How Danielle turned a frequent complainer into a loyal community member.

Highlights:

• “We don’t call them users; we call them players. Respect matters.”
• CSAT jumped from 39% to 87% in three months under Danielle’s leadership.
• “To truly improve player experience, understand how your players feel while playing.”
• The value of closing the feedback loop: “Let players know their feedback drives change.”

Mentioned Resources:

• Danielle’s LinkedIn – Connect with Danielle for insights on player experience.
• Ilyon’s Games – Discover their community-driven casual games.

Closing Thought:
Danielle’s approach reminds us of the power of empathy and human connection in gaming. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to transform player experiences, foster loyalty, and build thriving communities.

Episode Summary

In this episode, we sit down with Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), to discuss the launch of IICON 2026, a brand-new conference redefining the future of interactive entertainment.

On today’s episode, we’re joined by our co-host, Lewis Ward from IDC! Lewis was a guest on the podcast a few months ago, and now he’s back, this time helping to drive the conversation with insightful questions and fresh perspectives.

IICON is set to take place in April 2026 at the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas and aims to bring together leaders from gaming, film, television, sports, finance, healthcare, and more to explore the transformative impact of interactive entertainment.

Key Takeaways from the Episode

⏳ [01:03] – Why IICON is being created and how it differs from E3
⏳ [02:24] – How gaming technology is reshaping industries beyond entertainment
⏳ [03:43] – Industry giants already on board: Amazon, Disney, Microsoft, Sony & more
⏳ [06:09] – The role of sports, healthcare, and education in gaming’s evolution
⏳ [09:18] – What ESA hopes IICON will accomplish in 5+ years
⏳ [16:52] – Lessons learned from E3’s sunset and how IICON will fill the gap

Why You Should Listen

If you’re an executive in gaming, entertainment, sports, or emerging tech, this episode is a must-listen. Learn how IICON will shape the future of interactive entertainment and why it’s a game-changer for business leaders.

📍 Learn More & Register: IICON.com
📍 Lewis Ward - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-ward-77b7696/
📍 IDC Website: The premier global market intelligence firm

Listen Here: Community Management and Guidelines with Catherine Litvaitis

Timestamps & Key Takeaways:

• 01:49.48 - 02:33.94: The Role of a Community Manager Catherine explains the role of a community manager as a liaison between players and developers, emphasizing the importance of translating feedback and fostering player engagement.
• 04:01.80 - 05:18.35: Neopets Influence Catherine discusses how her experience with Neopets shaped her interest in community management and her understanding of player-driven content and engagement.
• 11:05.35 - 12:37.01: Building a Community from Scratch Catherine shares strategies for starting a community from scratch, including understanding your audience and creating spaces for creativity and engagement.
• 24:52.62 - 26:21.20: Tools for Community Management Catherine talks about the tools she uses for community management, including Slack, Discord, ClickUp, and Notion, and how they help streamline communication and task management.

Key Concepts:

• The Role of a Community Manager: Community managers serve as the bridge between players and developers, translating feedback into actionable insights and ensuring that player voices are heard.
• Influence of Early Online Communities: Early experiences on platforms like Neopets and Club Penguin can inspire and shape one's career in community management by highlighting the importance of player-driven content and engagement.
• Starting a Community: Understanding your audience, creating spaces for fan art and discussions, and engaging with players are crucial steps in building a successful community from scratch.
• Community Guidelines: Customized community guidelines are essential for each game and company, focusing on inclusivity and protection against scams and harmful behavior.
• Tools for Effective Management: Utilizing tools like Slack, Discord, ClickUp, and Notion can help community managers streamline their tasks, communicate effectively, and maintain organized documentation.

Key Topics:

1. The Importance of Privacy in Multiplayer Gaming Jon highlights the demand for private gaming spaces, contrasting them with chaotic public lobbies.
   Notable Quote: “Most players just want to game with their friends in a safe space—they don’t want the noise of public lobbies.”
   
2. Empowering Players Through Accessibility Nodecraft eliminates technical barriers, allowing anyone to create and manage their own servers.
   Notable Quote: “You shouldn’t need to be an IT expert to host a Minecraft server for your kids or community.”
   
3. Jon’s Unconventional Journey to Founding Nodecraft From working at Subway to starting Nodecraft, Jon shares how his passion for gaming drove his entrepreneurial path.
   Notable Quote: “I didn’t want to spend all my mental energy at a software job—I needed to save it for building something I believed in.”
   
4. The Role of Support in Player Satisfaction Jon discusses why investing in front-line support reps is critical for gaming platforms.
   Notable Quote: “Great support reps are the unsung heroes of the gaming world.”
   
5. How Accessibility Fuels Player and Developer Success Jon explores how user-generated content (UGC) and easy-to-use servers can transform engagement for players and revenue for studios.
   Fascinating Stat: Only 2% of active players create servers when traditional hosting tools are used—Nodecraft is changing that.
   

Major Moments:

• [00:01] Introduction: Meet Jon Yarbor and learn about Nodecraft.
• [12:20] The shift to private multiplayer spaces and why it matters.
• [33:00] Jon’s Subway-to-Startup journey: A founder’s story.
• [50:00] Accessibility as the key to success for players and developers alike.
• [55:00] Jon’s advice for game developers tackling multiplayer challenges.

Resources & Links:

• Nodecraft Official Website
• Follow Jon on social: @CaptainYarb on BlueSky and LinkedIn
• Watch the podcast with Scott from Mod.io for more on UGC.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Role of Publishers: How publishers provide vital services like marketing, quality assurance, localization, and platform navigation, beyond just funding games.
• Timing and Adaptability: Why market timing and the ability to pivot are essential for a game's success.
• Developer-Publisher Relationships: The trade-offs between retaining creative control and accessing the resources a publisher can provide.
• Insights for Indie Developers: Tips on pitching games to publishers, avoiding common pitfalls, and understanding what makes a game stand out.
• Midwest Games’ Mission: Highlighting the studio's commitment to supporting developers in underserved regions with innovative titles like The Legend of Babu and Toon Water.

Featured Games from Midwest Games:

• The Legend of Babu – A "baby God of War" adventure game featuring a lovable canine companion.
• Toon Water – A pixelated Souls-like Western blending Bloodborne and Red Dead Redemption.
• Dark Sky – A JRPG-inspired deck-builder offering a unique non-roguelike twist.

Where to Find Midwest Games:
Follow Midwest Games on social platforms to stay updated on their latest announcements and upcoming titles.

In this episode of the Player Driven Podcast, host Greg interviews Łukasz Cieślak, Senior Operations Manager at 5CA. Łukasz shares his journey from support agent to senior operations manager and provides deep insights into the role of BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing) in the gaming industry. He explains how companies like 5CA help gaming studios scale their player support, the essential KPIs that drive player satisfaction, and the growing role of AI in modern support operations. The episode also highlights career advice for those looking to grow from support agent to management roles and explores emerging trends like VIP support and hybrid AI-human models.

This conversation offers valuable lessons for gaming studios, support professionals, and anyone curious about the future of player support.

Key Takeaways for Indie Developers from the Podcast with Łukasz Cieślak

Outsourcing Player Support with BPOs

• BPOs like 5CA allow indie devs to scale support without hiring in-house teams.
• Outsourcing lets devs focus on core tasks like game development while ensuring players get timely support.

Essential Player Support KPIs to Track

• Track key metrics like service level, quality assurance, and player satisfaction (CSAT or NPS).
• Consistent support responses are crucial since players share their experiences on platforms like Discord and social media.
  

The Role of AI in Player Support

• AI tools can handle repetitive inquiries, freeing agents (or indie devs) to focus on complex issues.
• Hybrid models (AI + human support) are the future, offering faster, more efficient player support.

Career Growth and Leadership Lessons

• Łukasz's journey from agent to senior manager shows the value of proactivity and continuous learning.
• Indie devs can apply this approach by taking initiative, helping teammates, and being curious about better ways to operate.

Emerging Trends in Player Support

• VIP support is growing in popularity, offering white-glove treatment for high-value players.
• Personalization and proactive support can build community loyalty, especially for indie devs running Discords or Kickstarter campaigns.

These takeaways offer actionable insights on support outsourcing, key metrics, AI, career growth, and player experience trends.

Notable Quotes

"The companies that will be most successful will have a hybrid model, where agents are equipped with super-advanced AI tools to help them be more productive." – Łukasz Cieślak"If you’re a support agent and want to grow, focus on helping others — help your boss, help your colleagues, and stay curious about how things work." – Łukasz Cieślak"Players are vocal on social media and Discord, so if one agent gives one answer and another gives a different answer, it’s going to cause issues." – Łukasz Cieślak"AI is more than chatbots. It’s everything from data analytics to moderation to making workforce management more efficient." – Łukasz Cieślak"BPOs give game studios the ability to focus on their core competency, like building great games, while outsourcing the complexity of player support." – Greg

Key Moments & Takeaways

1. The Developer's Dilemma: Playing Games as a Player vs. Developer (00:00:00 - 00:01:24)

• Insight: Developers struggle to enjoy games like regular players because they see the flaws in design.
• Jack's View: While it's hard to "turn off" the developer brain, it's a crucial skill to cultivate empathy for players and understand their experience.
• Memorable Line: "If we're going to make games for players, we have to play games as a player so that you know the expectations that you would have if you were sitting there with a brand new game."

2. Time Management and Discipline (00:01:44 - 00:03:02)

• Challenge: Balancing personal ambition with responsibilities and fatigue.
• Example: Jack praises Thaddeus and Cliff Schult, two developers who inspire him with their time management skills, balancing family, work, and passion projects.
• Takeaway: Willpower is finite, and daily responsibilities drain it. Small wins, like logging accomplishments or tracking time, can help stay motivated.
• Memorable Line: "Willpower is a resource that you have to spend day to day."

3. The Role of Ambition in Level Design (00:12:26 - 00:17:07)

• Definition: Ambition in design means taking familiar ideas and pushing them further.
• Example: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes built on Metroid Prime by adding a dark, toxic alternate dimension, challenging players with a new, more dangerous world.
• Takeaway: Ambition is about taking something known and making it feel fresh. Jack explains how ambition fuels his desire to present original games on a big stage one day.
• Memorable Line: "How do I make it greater? How do I spin this on its head?"

4. How Great Level Design Tells a Story (00:47:57 - 00:51:04)

• Insight: Level design can tell a story through environment, atmosphere, and visuals alone — no dialogue needed.
• Example: Bioshock tells its story visually with decaying luxury, Art Deco styles, and objects like broken picket signs and syringes on the ground.
• Takeaway: Great level design marries "the human and the understood" with "the unbelievable" to create memorable, immersive experiences.
• Memorable Line: "What was once glorious and posh and clean is now desolate and decaying... purely through the emotion, through the lighting, through the tone."

This episode of the Player Driven podcast features Michael Csokas, founder of Iron Octopus Productions, and focuses on his journey from working in the oil field to becoming an indie game developer. He shares how his experience managing logistics in oil spills influenced his approach to video game development, especially with problem-solving and world-building. The conversation highlights his creative process, the development of his first game The Broken Ceiling, and his plans for the new project Omega. Csokas also offers advice for aspiring game developers, touching on time management, community building, and the importance of hiring the right people to fill knowledge gaps.

The discussion is filled with behind-the-scenes insights on the indie game development process, from artistic inspiration and conceptualization to technical challenges like navigating Steam's platform.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Apply Your Past Experience to Game Development (02:06)Michael discusses how his experience managing oil spill logistics directly influenced his approach to video game development. His method of breaking down big problems into smaller tasks and overseeing a "war room" to manage crews mirrors how he approaches level design and world-building.
   
2. Storytelling & World-Building in The Broken Ceiling (03:39)Michael introduces The Broken Ceiling, a cosmic horror game where a rabbit accidentally becomes a key to a cosmic prison. The concept blends mythology and existential dread, with players navigating a surreal, interconnected world. His background in storytelling from children's books is clear in his attention to narrative.
   
3. The Importance of Focused Roles in Indie Game Dev (10:33)He emphasizes the value of specialization. While Michael can animate and manage projects, he doesn't program, instead hiring a dedicated programmer. His approach illustrates how focusing on your strengths and hiring experts can accelerate development timelines.
   
4. How to Stay Organized as an Indie Developer (29:58)Michael shares his creative organization process. He uses physical notebooks and multi-colored pens to brainstorm and document ideas, later translating them into more organized spreadsheets. His "chaos first, order later" approach helps bridge creativity with production.
   
5. Lessons Learned from Publishing on Steam (38:27)He reflects on his first experience launching The Broken Ceiling on Steam. Michael learned to avoid price changes before holiday sales to maintain eligibility for promotions. His plan for future releases includes earlier marketing and taking social media marketing courses to strengthen his outreach.
   

Timestamps & Key Takeaways:

1. [02:15] Announcing Marvel Rivals at Gamescom Thad talks about the excitement and relief of announcing Marvel Rivals' release date and the addition of Captain America and Winter Soldier. He shares how this announcement has energized the team as they enter the final stages of development.
2. [08:40] What Does a Game Director Do? Thad explains the role of a game director, detailing how it involves holding the creative vision, managing the team, and making crucial decisions that keep the project aligned and moving forward. He emphasizes the importance of leadership and inspiring the team.
3. [15:30] Balancing Marvel’s Vision with Creative Freedom We explore the challenges of working with a huge IP like Marvel. Thad discusses how his team collaborates with Marvel to ensure characters stay true to their origins while still pushing gameplay boundaries to surprise and delight players.
4. [21:50] Designing Characters and Team Synergy in Marvel Rivals Thad dives into the process of designing diverse heroes with unique abilities and how they ensure balanced and engaging gameplay. He shares how characters like Spider-Man are adapted to maintain their iconic traits while offering a fresh gameplay experience.
5. [28:10] Lessons Learned from Past Franchises Reflecting on his work on games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, Thad shares the importance of iteration, feedback, and making tough cuts in the development process. He explains how these experiences have shaped his approach to Marvel Rivals.
6. [35:00] The Next Steps for a Game Director Thad discusses potential career paths for game directors, from moving into studio-level design roles to starting their own studios. He reflects on his passion for staying hands-on with the creative process and being the vision holder for projects.

Key Quotes:

• “You have to push the boundaries of the franchise to surprise and delight players while staying true to the core IP.”
• “There’s a moment when you find the fun, and that’s what keeps you hooked.”
• “I love being the vision holder and part of the creative process.”

Key Takeaways

1. UGC’s Role in Expanding Gaming Lifecycles
Baldur’s Gate 3 has seen over 50 million mod downloads in its first year, with 40% of its player base engaging with mods—double the industry average. Scott explains that mods keep games fresh, encouraging players to return for new experiences, whether it’s simple cosmetic tweaks or major gameplay changes. Console players, in particular, have embraced mods, often consuming more content than their PC counterparts.

2. Breaking Down Barriers for Console Modding
Traditionally, console ecosystems were closed off to modding due to strict certification processes and security concerns. Mod.io changed the game by partnering with PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo, bringing mods to consoles for the first time. This shift has allowed console players to experience UGC at a scale previously reserved for PC gaming, with games like Baldur’s Gate 3, SnowRunner, and Skater XL leading the charge.

3. The Business Case for UGC
Mod.io collaborated with Simon Carlos of GameDiscoverCo to analyze UGC’s financial impact. The results are clear: games with UGC see a 23% revenue increase over five years, retain 90% more players, and even boost paid DLC sales by up to 26%. UGC not only enhances player engagement but also creates opportunities for studios to better understand what their audience wants through player-created content trends.

4. How Mod.io Supports Developers and Players
Implementing modding isn’t just about enabling creativity; it’s also about maintaining quality and safety. Mod.io offers automated content scanning for malware and inappropriate material, customizable curation settings for studios, and community reporting tools to flag problematic mods. For developers, this means greater control over their games’ ecosystems while giving players the freedom to create and share.

5. The Future of UGC in Gaming
Scott envisions a future where games become platforms for creators, allowing indie developers to launch full-fledged titles as mods within larger games. This approach could solve one of the biggest challenges for indie creators—finding an audience—while providing established games with fresh, high-quality content. As Scott says, “You don’t have to democratize creation—you just have to enable imagination.”

Featured Guest

Scott Reismanis is the founder of ModDB and Mod.io. With over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry, Scott has helped bring UGC to the forefront of modern gaming, enabling players to create and share content across platforms.

Memorable Quotes

• “UGC isn’t competition; it’s an opportunity to deepen engagement and extend a game’s lifecycle.”
• “You don’t have to democratize creation—you just have to enable imagination.”

Relevant Links

• Explore Mod.io: www.mod.io
• Connect with Scott: LinkedIn

With UGC continuing to grow, platforms like Mod.io are unlocking creativity and reshaping the future of gaming, one mod at a time.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. From Science to Gaming (Timestamp: 02:00)
   Mondae transitioned from a career as a chemist and hospital manager during COVID-19 to learning game development through Unity and Unreal Engine, showcasing the power of reinvention and passion for gaming.
2. The Power of Taking the Leap (Timestamp: 08:19)
   The philosophy of "taking the leap" drives Leap of Faith Studios. Mondae emphasized the value of calculated risks and learning from failure as key principles for personal and professional growth.
3. Innovative Gameplay in Haven (Timestamp: 10:13)
   Haven introduces unique mechanics, like a companion system where animals contribute to survival strategies (e.g., wolves hunting for food, squirrels gathering materials), blending creativity with functionality.
4. AAA vs. Indie Dynamics (Timestamp: 13:29)
   Mondae contrasted the rigid structures of AAA studios like Bungie with the nimbleness of indie development, where smaller teams can quickly adapt and respond to player feedback.
5. Preparing for GDC (Timestamp: 34:16)
   Leap of Faith's opportunity to showcase Haven at GDC reflects their ambitious vision and commitment to excellence, aiming to attract investment and expand their reach in the industry.

Key Quotes:

• "Taking the leap is not about avoiding failure; it's about learning so much from it that the next leap feels natural." (08:19)
• "Working in AAA taught me the importance of structure, but indie gaming gives us the freedom to innovate faster and better." (13:29)
• "Seeing someone play your game and truly connect with it is the most fulfilling moment for any developer." (06:16)

Where to Find:

Website: Leap of Faith Studios
LinkedIn: Mondae Atughonu

Topics Covered:

• 0:00 – 2:00: Introduction to Mondae and Leap of Faith Studios.
• 2:01 – 10:12: Mondae’s transition from chemistry to gaming.
• 10:13 – 13:28: Unique features in Haven.
• 13:29 – 17:07: AAA vs. Indie game development dynamics.
• 17:08 – 36:59: Preparing for GDC and Leap of Faith’s vision.

On this episode of the Player Driven, Greg sits down with Christine Dart, the global head of marketing at Helpshift and a driving force behind the podcast itself. Christine shares her journey from aerospace engineering to marketing leadership, how she successfully bridges B2B and B2C strategies, and her knack for crafting initiatives that boost engagement and revenue.

Get ready to explore the multifaceted world of marketing, from building grassroots campaigns to running enterprise-level account-based marketing (ABM) strategies. Whether you’re a budding marketer or a seasoned pro, this episode is packed with actionable advice and industry insights.

Key Takeaways

1. Adapting Marketing to a Changing Landscape Christine highlights the rapidly evolving nature of marketing roles, from demand generation to customer marketing. She emphasizes the importance of staying ahead of trends and understanding how new strategies like ABM are reshaping the way companies engage their audience.

2. Lessons from a Non-Traditional Path Christine’s journey from aerospace engineering to marketing leadership underscores the power of adaptability. Her early entrepreneurial efforts, including running a ballroom dance business, taught her valuable lessons in grassroots marketing and creative problem-solving.

3. Leadership in Marketing As a marketing leader, Christine discusses the importance of aligning with company goals, understanding team dynamics, and hiring people whose strengths complement her own. Delegation, she says, is a critical skill for any leader who wants to maximize their team’s potential.

4. The Value of Networking and Mentorship Christine advises budding marketers to learn from others by reaching out to professionals, attending networking events, and joining industry groups. She shares her own experiences at events like the SPRYNG conference, where exchanging ideas with peers offered deeper insights than reading online articles.

5. Measuring Success with OKRs Christine explains how Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) help align individual and departmental goals with broader company objectives. She illustrates how clear metrics and collaboration across teams drive impactful marketing campaigns.

Timestamps

• [02:30] – Christine’s journey from aerospace engineering to marketing.
• [10:15] – The many roles in marketing: From product marketing to event marketing.
• [22:45] – The importance of delegation and hiring for strengths.
• [30:50] – How OKRs align teams and drive measurable success.
• [45:15] – Advice for indie studios starting with limited marketing budgets.

Featured Guest: Christine Dart

• Expertise: B2B marketing, customer engagement, and grassroots strategies.
• Background: Transitioned from aerospace engineering to marketing leadership, with experience in startups and enterprise organizations.

Memorable Quotes

• “Marketing is all about listening—to your customers, your team, and the market.”
• “Don’t be afraid to fail fast. Pivoting quickly is part of finding what works.”
• “OKRs help us align big-picture goals with the day-to-day work that drives results.”

5 Key Takeaways:

1. The Evolving Role of Game Masters
   Timestamp: [04:30]
   Gareth discusses the return of game masters in modern MMOs, reflecting on their role in early games like EverQuest. He explains how Pearl Abyss is bringing back game masters to foster direct player interactions and make in-game events more engaging and personal.
2. Balancing Automation with the Human Touch
   Timestamp: [12:45]
   Gareth talks about how automation and AI have improved efficiency in customer support but emphasizes the need for maintaining human engagement. He shares how direct player interactions, especially in critical moments, can enhance the overall gaming experience and build player loyalty.
3. Memorable In-Game Events
   Timestamp: [19:15]
   A highlight of the episode is when Gareth recounts organizing a virtual wedding for a player during the COVID-19 lockdown. He details how this event brought the community together, creating a memorable experience that went beyond the screen and became a cherished memory for the players involved.
4. Adapting to Player Expectations
   Timestamp: [26:00]
   Gareth reflects on his time at Blizzard and Kakao Games, discussing how player expectations have evolved over the years. He shares strategies for managing community feedback and the importance of being adaptable in response to player needs.
5. Looking Ahead: The Future of Player Engagement
   Timestamp: [32:40]
   Gareth envisions the future of player support as a blend of automation for efficiency and personalized touches for meaningful engagement. He talks about how Pearl Abyss is positioning itself to remain at the forefront of community-driven support and the opportunities that lie ahead in evolving communication platforms.

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Gareth Weatherley delves into the importance of direct player interaction, the return of game masters, and how balancing automation with human touch can make all the difference in player support. With heartwarming stories and strategic insights, Gareth offers a fresh perspective on creating a thriving gaming community. Tune in to learn how Pearl Abyss is setting a new standard for community engagement in the gaming industry.

Topics: Community Management, Social Media Strategy, Gaming Industry Trends, Player Engagement

Key Takeaways:

1. Journey to Gaming and Community Management
   Fiene shares her unique journey from studying law to entering the gaming industry as a community manager. Her initial involvement was volunteer-based, leading her to a full-time role at InnoGames, where she manages community engagement for titles like Forge of Empires. Her background adds depth to her role, as she balances passion for gaming with the objectivity needed for community management.
2. Importance of Game Knowledge and Player Perspective
   Fiene emphasizes the value of knowing the game inside and out, even as a manager. By actively playing Forge of Empires, she stays in touch with the player experience, offering insights to developers and community managers. Her expertise positions her as a resource within InnoGames for game-related decisions, showing how deep product knowledge can enhance community relations and drive engagement.
3. Social Media and Community Strategy
   Fiene discusses the blending of community management with social media strategy, a trend she’s championed at InnoGames. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are essential for player engagement, though InnoGames finds certain platforms, like Facebook, more effective for its demographic. Fiene advocates for tailored content that resonates with current players while reaching new audiences organically.
4. Leveraging Data and KPIs in Community Engagement
   With a data-driven approach, Fiene and her team monitor KPIs like engagement, reach, and active player response to measure campaign effectiveness. She uses tools like Power BI to track data, helping her strategize content and engage players more effectively. Her focus is to balance entertaining existing players while reaching out to potential players through innovative, data-backed campaigns.
5. Future Goals and Constant Learning
   Fiene talks about her career aspirations, expressing an interest in furthering her skills in social media and marketing. With a passion for learning and self-improvement, she highlights the significance of acquiring diverse skills—like using Premiere Pro and Canva—to stay current in a fast-evolving industry. Her commitment to growth serves as an inspiration for others in community management and social media roles.

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Fiene Ziegler provides a comprehensive look at what it means to manage and grow a gaming community. She offers practical insights into blending community engagement with social media strategies, leveraging data for decision-making, and building credibility through in-depth game knowledge. For gaming professionals and community managers alike, her journey and strategies are both inspiring and actionable, showcasing the impact of a well-rounded approach to community engagement.

• The Role of a Studio Creative Director Mark explained his responsibilities, focusing on guiding the creative vision of games, mentoring creative directors, and staying aligned with current industry trends. His role also involves making high-level decisions about game pitches and prototypes.
• Staying Current with Industry Trends Mark emphasized the importance of staying updated on gaming trends through playing new games, regular team catch-ups, and leveraging insights from Sumo’s parent company, Tencent.
• The Evolution of Game Design Tools He discussed how tools like Unreal and Unity have revolutionized game development, making it more accessible but also reflecting on the unique challenges and rewards of early game design with limited tools.
• Balancing Risk and Innovation in Prototyping Prototyping is a critical part of game development, and Mark highlighted the challenges of turning ideas into workable prototypes. He shared the importance of knowing when to pivot or cut ideas that don’t work.
• The Importance of Listening and Decision-Making Active listening is a crucial leadership skill, according to Mark. Whether dealing with feedback or making decisions about game features, understanding when to listen and when to act is key to success in game development.
• Transitioning from Hands-On Roles to Leadership Mark talked about the challenges of moving from hands-on game design to strategic leadership. He candidly discussed missing the direct creative work and how he had to adapt to managing people and processes.

Summary Mark Sample’s insights provide a fascinating look into the world of game development from a creative leader's perspective. His journey from early game design on basic systems to leading creative teams at Sumo Digital showcases the dynamic nature of the industry. The conversation underscores the importance of continuous learning, passion, and adaptability, and highlights the critical skills needed to thrive in game development. Mark’s emphasis on listening, making tough decisions, and maintaining a balance between creativity and practicality offers valuable lessons for both aspiring and experienced game developers.

Check out our interview with Ben Kvalo to learn more about his vision for MDEV and the Midwest gaming community.

Key Topics Discussed

• Introduction to Ben Kvalo and His Roles: Learn about Ben’s journey and his significant contributions to the gaming industry in the Midwest.
• The Growth of MDEV: Discover how MDEV has doubled its attendance every year for the past three years and what makes it a unique and accessible event for game developers and enthusiasts.
• Midwest Gaming Studios: Ben highlights several prominent studios in the region, including Raven Software, Respawn, PerBlue, and many more, showcasing the rich talent pool and innovative projects coming out of the Midwest.
• Keynote Speakers at MDEV: Get a sneak peek into the exciting lineup of keynote speakers, including Megan Morgan, Jr. from Santa Monica Studios and Matt Weibel, COO of Second Dinner.
• Community and Family Values: Explore the strong sense of community and family values that permeate the Midwest gaming industry, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment.
• Future of MDEV: Ben shares his vision for the future of MDEV, including plans for expanding the event and introducing new opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Key Timestamps:

1. Building Respawn Madison (01:03 - 03:23)Ryan discusses how he was tasked with building a studio in Madison, explaining the importance of assembling a leadership team and building culture from the ground up. He highlights how there’s no guidebook for building a studio, and much of the journey involves figuring things out as you go.
2. Midwest Game Development Hub (03:23 - 04:47)Ryan touches on how the Midwest, specifically Madison, is becoming a hotbed for game development. He notes that within a 15-mile radius, games like Call of Duty, Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends are being developed—making the Midwest a hidden gem for game development.
3. Preventing Burnout and Managing LiveOps (09:18 - 10:58)Ryan emphasizes that preventing burnout in a LiveOps environment is about more than just managing work hours. It's about effective decision-making, good communication, and maintaining consistent workloads without overwhelming peaks. The importance of predictability in LiveOps is key to maintaining a healthy team.
4. The Role of Player Feedback (16:43 - 18:31) Apex Legends is constantly evolving based on feedback from the player community. Ryan explains how Respawn uses multiple channels—like analytics, social media, and community forums—to gather both quantitative and qualitative feedback, which directly influences their content roadmap.
5. Leadership and Culture in Game Development (32:10 - 35:15)Ryan speaks about his leadership philosophy, focusing on building a team-oriented culture where good ideas can come from anyone. He also shares his journey from being a tech programmer to taking on leadership roles, recognizing that his strength lay in working with people and solving challenges collaboratively.

Conclusion:

This episode provides a unique look into the journey of building a new game studio and leading in the fast-paced world of LiveOps. Ryan Burnett’s emphasis on leadership, player feedback, and work-life balance offers valuable lessons for industry professionals looking to grow their teams and deliver sustainable results in live-service games.

Key Topics:

1. Introduction to Pyramid Lake Games
   Josh Garity shares the journey behind Pyramid Lake Games, based in Madison, Wisconsin. He discusses their growth and upcoming projects, including their new game Varsity High School Football and the evolution from Doug Flutie's Maximum Football.
2. The Genesis of Varsity High School Football
   Josh reveals how the idea for Varsity High School Football came from the popularity of high school football culture in the U.S., particularly in states like Texas. His team did in-depth research into high school classifications, divisions, and how to best represent the sport in a video game.
3. Challenges of Game Development
   Josh talks about the complexity of managing the data for hundreds of high school teams across 50 states. He touches on balancing realism and gameplay accessibility, ensuring players from different regions feel represented while keeping the game fun and manageable.
4. Community Engagement and Feedback
   The importance of community feedback is highlighted as Josh explains Pyramid Lake Games’ approach to interacting with fans through platforms like Discord and Patreon. He discusses the challenge of building a broad community outside of a small core group of followers and the value of direct communication with players.
5. Collaborating with Midwest Games
   Josh reflects on his experience partnering with Midwest Games, sharing how their shared values and open communication made it a perfect fit for publishing Floor is What. He emphasizes the importance of having the right partners when working on indie games.
6. Future Plans and the Power of Feedback
   Josh outlines his ambitions for Pyramid Lake Games, with a strong focus on continuing to involve the community. He mentions plans for a winter playtest of Floor is What, encouraging players to wishlist the game on Steam and join the development journey.

Timestamp Highlights:

• [00:02:27] – The origin of Varsity High School Football and the inspiration behind focusing on high school sports.
• [00:06:30] – Josh discusses the research that went into representing hundreds of high school teams across various states.
• [00:10:39] – Josh shares the critical role of community engagement in indie game development.
• [00:14:42] – The partnership with Midwest Games and how shared values created a strong publishing relationship.
• [00:27:35] – Josh talks about the development process behind Floor is What, a family-friendly party game inspired by Mario Party and Fusion Frenzy.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Mission of Filament Games
   Jennifer emphasizes that Filament Games is a mission-driven, for-profit studio that focuses on creating playful experiences that improve people’s lives. Their goal is to make learning fun and engaging, with players emerging from their games transformed in some way—whether it’s learning new concepts, developing confidence, or making behavior changes.
2. Transformative Power of Games
   Research backs the effectiveness of well-designed games in education. Games provide an interactive problem space where players can experiment, explore, and gain deeper, longer-lasting understanding compared to traditional learning methods. Jennifer explains how Filament Games integrates this approach into their educational products to encourage players to engage with and retain the material.
3. Impact of COVID on Game Design
   The pandemic led to a shift in educational needs, as many students struggled with virtual learning. Jennifer shares how Filament Games adapted by exploring how their games could support students and teachers during this time. The focus has increasingly been on building multiplayer or collaborative experiences to enhance the learning environment.
4. Innovative Platforms for Learning Games
   Filament Games develops across a variety of platforms, from standard tools like Unity and Unreal to HTML5 and mobile devices. Jennifer highlights their work on more unconventional platforms, such as Roblox, and even details their creation of a unique game for pediatric MRI machines to help children remain calm during scans.
5. Building the Midwest Game Development Community
   Jennifer discusses her work with the Wisconsin Games Alliance and how the Midwest is becoming a hub for game development. She notes the growing number of indie and AAA studios in the region and the importance of initiatives like MDev to unite the game development community and showcase the talent and innovation coming out of the Midwest.

Timestamps:

• [01:10] – Introduction to Filament Games and its mission-driven approach to game development
• [03:33] – How games can provide better learning experiences through interactive problem-solving
• [05:23] – The impact of COVID on education and game design at Filament Games
• [07:32] – Filament's work on multiple platforms, including Unity, Unreal, Roblox, and even MRI machines
• [13:18] – Jennifer discusses the growing game development scene in the Midwest and the role of the Wisconsin Games Alliance

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction to Andrew Hogan and Intorqa: Andrew’s background in brand strategy and his unexpected path from Barclays to gaming.
   How Intorqa started during the early days of COVID-19 and has evolved since then.
2. The Business of Cheating: Cheating has grown into a commercial enterprise with subscription models similar to SaaS.
   Cheating is not just about hobbyists anymore; it’s a lucrative business with developers selling cheats to players.
3. Cheating and Its Impact on Gaming Communities: Cheaters drive players away, affect in-game spending, and damage the game’s reputation.
   Toxicity linked with cheating often creates a negative loop, pushing more players towards cheats and spreading distrust within communities.
4. The company provides actionable insights to game publishers, helping them stay ahead of cheating trends.
5. The Real Cost of Cheating: Cheating costs developers by driving players away and decreasing in-game purchases.
   Andrew discusses the financial impact on developers and how anti-cheat efforts help protect game economies.
6. The Challenges of Implementing Anti-Cheat Measures: Cheaters constantly adapt, making anti-cheat a never-ending game of cat and mouse.
   Insights on why developers must prioritize anti-cheat strategies early in game development.
7. Andrew’s Insights on Gaming Security: How Intorqa’s platform helps developers understand and preempt cheating tactics.
   Discussion on some of the most sophisticated cheats, including Direct Memory Access (DMA) cheats.
8. Future of Gaming and Anti-Cheat Technology: The importance of staying vigilant as gaming continues to grow.
   Intorqa’s vision for a safer and fairer gaming environment.

Timestamps:

• 00:32 - 02:24: Andrew introduces himself and the origins of Intorqa.
• 04:02 - 05:42: Discussion on how cheating has become a commercial business.
• 10:25 - 12:47: The impact of cheating on player experience and community toxicity.
• 13:28 - 15:30: How Intorqa’s SaaS platform gathers intelligence from cheat forums.
• 32:17 - 34:13: When and how game developers should start thinking about anti-cheat measures.

Timestamps & Key Takeaways:

1. [02:15] Announcing Marvel Rivals at Gamescom Thad talks about the excitement and relief of announcing Marvel Rivals' release date and the addition of Captain America and Winter Soldier. He shares how this announcement has energized the team as they enter the final stages of development.
2. [08:40] What Does a Game Director Do? Thad explains the role of a game director, detailing how it involves holding the creative vision, managing the team, and making crucial decisions that keep the project aligned and moving forward. He emphasizes the importance of leadership and inspiring the team.
3. [15:30] Balancing Marvel’s Vision with Creative Freedom We explore the challenges of working with a huge IP like Marvel. Thad discusses how his team collaborates with Marvel to ensure characters stay true to their origins while still pushing gameplay boundaries to surprise and delight players.
4. [21:50] Designing Characters and Team Synergy in Marvel Rivals Thad dives into the process of designing diverse heroes with unique abilities and how they ensure balanced and engaging gameplay. He shares how characters like Spider-Man are adapted to maintain their iconic traits while offering a fresh gameplay experience.
5. [28:10] Lessons Learned from Past Franchises Reflecting on his work on games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, Thad shares the importance of iteration, feedback, and making tough cuts in the development process. He explains how these experiences have shaped his approach to Marvel Rivals.
6. [35:00] The Next Steps for a Game Director Thad discusses potential career paths for game directors, from moving into studio-level design roles to starting their own studios. He reflects on his passion for staying hands-on with the creative process and being the vision holder for projects.

Key Quotes:

• “You have to push the boundaries of the franchise to surprise and delight players while staying true to the core IP.”
• “There’s a moment when you find the fun, and that’s what keeps you hooked.”
• “I love being the vision holder and part of the creative process.”

Timestamps & Key Takeaways:

1. [04:00] What is ASO and Why It Matters
   Yaroslav breaks down App Store Optimization (ASO), comparing it to SEO for apps. He explains how ASO boosts organic downloads through strategic keyword placement and optimized metadata.
2. [11:45] App Store vs. Google Play: Key Differences
   Yaroslav highlights the key differences between the App Store and Google Play algorithms, including how each platform evaluates app visibility and performance.
3. [19:30] The Importance of Regular Metadata Updates
   Yaroslav emphasizes the need for frequent updates to your app’s metadata to keep up with changing algorithms and market trends, suggesting updates every 6 weeks.
4. [27:20] Managing Feedback and Reputation with AppFollow
   Managing app reviews is crucial for building trust. Yaroslav discusses how AppFollow’s tools help developers manage user feedback, automate responses, and engage more effectively with their community.
5. [35:00] Leveraging Competitor Analysis to Enhance ASO
   Yaroslav advises developers to analyze competitors to find opportunities for improvement. By understanding what others are doing well—or poorly—you can refine your own ASO strategy.
6. [42:10] Success Stories: Feedback Automation in Action
   Yaroslav shares a success story from Maitona, a game publisher that used AppFollow’s automation tools to manage feedback efficiently, enhancing user satisfaction and retention.

Key Quotes:

• “ASO is about making your app visible and converting those views into downloads.”
• “Regular updates to your metadata can significantly impact your app’s search ranking.”
• “Feedback is gold. Engaging with your users and addressing their concerns builds trust and keeps your app relevant.”

We also explore James' journey into gaming, his role at Shockbyte, and how Shockbyte is providing solutions for game developers and players alike. Whether you’re a developer looking for alternatives to AWS or Microsoft Azure, or a gamer curious about how multiplayer servers operate behind the scenes, this episode has something for you.

Timestamps for Key Takeaways:

1. [03:30] Understanding Different Server Types: P2P vs. Dedicated Servers
   James breaks down the different types of multiplayer servers, explaining the pros and cons of P2P (peer-to-peer) and dedicated servers. He also discusses why many game developers choose one over the other, using examples like Battlefield and League of Legends.
2. [17:30] Player-Owned Game Servers: Benefits for Developers and Communities
   James highlights the benefits of player-owned game servers (POGS), including how it lowers costs for developers and encourages community engagement. He emphasizes the importance of UGC in building strong gaming ecosystems and how this model allows players to take ownership of their gaming experiences.
3. [24:30] Monetizing Player-Owned Servers
   James shares real-world examples of how players can monetize their custom servers by selling in-game items or experiences. We discuss how games like GTA and Minecraft allow server owners to run their own in-game economies and the impact of this on gaming communities.
4. [32:00] Conference Experiences and Networking in the Gaming Industry
   James reflects on his experiences at major gaming conferences like Gamescom, GDC, and DICE, offering advice on networking in the gaming industry. He shares personal stories of meeting influential people in the gaming world and the importance of putting yourself out there to build meaningful connections.
5. [36:30] Advice for Aspiring Game Developers
   For listeners hoping to break into the gaming industry, James offers practical advice on how to get started. He emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience, whether through volunteering, joining game communities, or creating your own games using platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine.

Nigel Franks, serving as the studio production director at Snowed In Studios, offers his valuable expertise in game development project management. Kristie Dale, on the other hand, as a producer provides insights into the varied job opportunities in the gaming sector, covering roles from artists to customer support to digital media.

Additionally, we explore the impressive talent and brainpower within the Keywords Network. As we collectively work on some of the world's most prominent games, the passion and talent within our network of game creators and entrepreneurs are truly remarkable.

This episode is essential for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the gaming industry, acquiring insights from industry veterans, and discovering the exciting career opportunities available.

Be sure to listen to this episode on our podcast platform or visit our website for more information. And don't forget to subscribe to the Player Engage podcast for future episodes, including an intriguing conversation with Mike Gallagher from Untitled Ad Lab about the marketing dynamics in gaming.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Journey from QA to Level Designer: Jack discusses his early career challenges and how his determination and passion for game design led him from QA roles to becoming a level designer at Treyarch and eventually at NetEase Games.
   
2. Flow and Immersion in Level Design: The importance of creating levels that maintain a seamless flow, keeping players fully immersed in the game. Jack explains the process of planning and playtesting to ensure that each element contributes to the overall gameplay experience.
   
3. Designing for Diverse Characters: Jack shares the unique challenges of designing levels for Marvel Rivals, where he must accommodate a wide range of characters with different movement abilities, ensuring that each level offers something engaging for all players.
   
4. The Role of Feedback in Game Development: The significance of constructive criticism in the creative process. Jack emphasizes the need for open and honest feedback to foster growth and improvement in game design.
   
5. Advice for Aspiring Game Designers: Jack offers practical advice for those looking to break into the gaming industry, highlighting the importance of persistence, networking, and continuously honing one’s craft.
   

Listen Here: Exploring Web3 Gaming with Tomer Pascal

Timestamps & Key Takeaways:

• 03:18.22 - 05:27.34: Simplifying Web3 for Players Tomer discusses how CityVerse Tycoon integrates blockchain and NFTs seamlessly into the gameplay, making it accessible even for players unfamiliar with Web3 technology.
• 08:34.56 - 10:15.29: The Power of Progressive Web Apps (PWA)A deep dive into why the team chose a PWA over a traditional mobile app, focusing on accessibility and avoiding app store limitations.
• 12:41.68 - 14:09.52: Real-World Assets in CityVerse Tycoon Tomer explains how players can buy, trade, and improve real-world assets like buildings in Manhattan, adding a financial strategy element to the game.
• 16:30.44 - 18:07.91: Community Engagement and Feedback Tomer highlights the importance of engaging with the player community through platforms like Discord and the role of player feedback in shaping the game’s development.
• 21:22.31 - 22:58.44: Balancing Web2 and Web3 Challenges A discussion on the complexities of integrating Web2 and Web3 elements, and the challenges of running two startups simultaneously.