Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast

+30 year game industry veteran John "JP" Podlasek interviews game designers, programmers, producers,

Episodes

Total: 70

Starting a Studio, Thriving Post-Layoff, Working at Epic Games, the Rise of UGC, Hiring Is Broken, Street Fighter: The Movie, Empathy, and Building Games for Fortnite with CEO Alan Noon of Drill Creative, Inc.

2024/12/18

In this episode, I caught up with Alan Noon, founder and CEO of Drill Creative, Inc., to discuss his

Working at Valve, Finding Mentors, Reinventing Yourself, Collecting Pinball, Grit, Nolan Bushnell, Working Under Pressure, Silicon Valley, The Enthusiasm Advantage, and Ham Radio with CEO Jeri Ellsworth of Tilt Five

2024/11/21

Summary: Jeri Ellsworth shares her journey from childhood fascination with technology to becoming th

Starting a Studio, Don’t Give Up, Self Publishing, Being a CEO, and the Gold Rush ‘90s with Brad Hendricks of Blind Squirrel Entertainment

2024/10/5

In this episode, I speak with Brad Hendricks, CEO and Founder of Blind Squirrel Entertainment. Brad

Navigating a Layoff, Importance of Networking, Working at PlayStation, Resumes and Portfolios, Mental Health, The Rise of Indies, Building a Brand, and Accepting Change with Alex Gombos

2024/9/4

In this episode, I speak with Alex Gombos, a seasoned talent acquisition manager who shares her insi

Starting a Game Company, Underserved Developers, New Opportunities, Finding a Publisher, Industry Sustainability, Networking, Navigating Change, MDEV, Being Authentic, and Skee-Ball with Ben Kvalo of Midwest Games

2024/7/10

In this episode, I speak with Ben Kvalo, the Founder and CEO of Midwest Games. Discover how Midwest

Creating ANIMAL WELL, Building a Game Engine, Finding Opportunities, Indie Games, Dunkey, Going to DePaul, Having Patience, Publisher BIGMODE, Disdain for Midjourney Assets and Crow Country with Billy Basso of Animal Well

2024/6/10

In this episode, I spoke with Billy Basso, the sole developer behind the hit indie game ANIMAL WELL.

Working on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Artist Turned Designer, Serious Games to Triple A, NASA, Learning to Lead, Player Reaction Videos, Communication Skills, and the Designer’s Journey with Roxanne Splitt of Insomniac Games

2024/5/2

In this episode, I spoke with Roxanne Splitt, Associate Design Director at Insomniac Games. Hear the

Recruiters Talk Hiring, Job Strategies, Plan B, Call of Duty, Networking, ATSs, The Industry Layoff Trend, Resume Tips, and LinkedIn’s Value with Keith Plesha of Krafton

2024/3/25

In this episode, I spoke with Keith Plesha, Sr. Recruiter with Krafton Americas who offers valuable

Working on Jedi Starfighter, Portfolios, DirectX’s Mission, Embracing AI, the Neuroscience of Play, Empathy, the Industry’s Next Growth Market, and Helping Ukraine with Founder and CEO Sam Glassenberg of Level Ex

2024/2/2

In this episode, I spoke with Sam Glassenberg, Founder and CEO of Level Ex, as we dive into subjects

Starting Bungie, UEFN, Teamwork, Making Halo, AI Concerns, Portfolios, UGC, Game Industry Optimism, Diversity, Building EQ, and the Fourth Curtain Podcast with founder and CEO Alex Seropian of Look North World

2024/1/8

I welcome Alex Seropian, founder and CEO of Look North World on this episode kicking off the 5th (w

From Improv to the Game Industry, Charting Your Path, Being Flexible, Consolidation Concerns, Working with Clients, Future Tech, the M+DEV Conference, and Taking Care of Yourself with Jennifer Javornik of Filament Games

2023/10/16

I welcome Jennifer Javornik, the Chief Partnerships Officer at Filament Games on this 60th episode.

Video Games Cause Violence Fallacy, Find Your Why, Indie Development, Mental Health Crisis, Neuroplasticity, Forgiveness Matters, VR Deep Dive, Creator Keys, Robotics and More with Ryan Douglas of DeepWell DTx, NeuFluent / Founder, Nextern

2023/9/6

I welcome Ryan Douglas, the Co-Founder at DeepWell DTx, NeuFluent / Founder, Nextern to this episode

How to Successfully Pitch to Publishers, Learning to Script, the Importance of Sound Design, Chance Encounters, Doing Great Work, Being Calm, FMOD and More with Jeff Linville of Ritual Studios

2023/7/24

I welcome Jeff Linville, the Co-Founder and Sound Designer at Ritual Studios to this episode. We dis

The Job Episode - Resume Strategies, Applying For Positions, Portfolios and Websites, Interviewing Tips, and Much More with John Podlasek

2023/6/12

I put this information together for a presentation at DePaul University in Chicago recently. The aud

Starting Your Own Studio, BioShock Infinite, Anti-Crunch Culture, Learning Patience, Rendering and Graphics, ChatGPT, and Shifting Business Models with Steve Anichini of Disbelief

2023/4/30

I welcome Steve Anichini, the CTO and Co-founder of Disbelief to this episode. We start off discussi

The Pinball Episode with Roger Sharpe from PINBALL: The Man Who Saved the Game

2023/3/17

I welcome Roger Sharpe, President and CEO of Sharpe Communications, and the star of the new movie -

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable, The Last of Us, ChatGPT, Uncanny Valley, Pizza Is Pizza, Compassionate Leadership, Halo 2 Double Team, No Jerks Policy, Document the Results, and Being Unflappable with Ray McCaffrey of Steel Wool Studios

2023/2/10

I welcome Ray McCaffrey, Executive Producer at Steel Wool Studios. Hear how he got started in the ga

Skywalker Ranch, Persistence, Game Designer Qualities, Working With Steven Spielberg, Being Bold, The Power of AR and VR, Not Being a Jerk, and Traveling the World with Noah Falstein of The Inspiracy

2022/11/27

I welcome Noah Falstein, a legendary Game Designer on this episode. Hear about his current work as a

Game Jams, Resiliency, Game Dev Resources, The Future, Mentors, Neurodiversity, Bodystorming, Tech Art, Networking, Art Automation, Anxiety, Mixed Reality, and AI with Angel Muniz

2022/10/14

I welcome Angel Muniz, a 3D Generalist and Technical Artist who shares about her transition into the

Making RPGs, Remote Manager Challenges, Porting GTA Vice City, How To Get Promoted, the Power of Messaging Apps, German Game Dev, Resident Evil Design, Working in Different Roles, and The Settlers with Jurie Horneman

2022/8/20

I welcome Jurie Horneman, senior gameplay programmer at Possibly Space, who shares about growing up