ByteAction

ByteAction

By Tomas RamoskaLeisureVideo Games
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ByteAction episodes

  • Jesus Bosch: From Start-Up to Scale-Up, Building Gaming Studios

    This time I'm joined by Jesus Bosch.

    Jesus is a General Manager @ Product Madness, and previously a Founder & CEO at Starloop Studios.

    In the podcast we discuss Jesus experience of building a Starloop Studio from 0 to 70 people as well as his experience of growing Product Madness from 0 to 120 people, we also talk about today’s gamedev market, talk about the importance of choosing the right people for your company, and the definition of what makes a company successful.

    It was great meeting Jesus, and learning from him and his experience. Hope you will enjoy listening to it!

    00:00 Introduction & 2024 hiring market

    02:22 What do you do at Product Madness?

    05:20 How did you enter the industry?

    06:54 Starloop Studios

    14:58 What defines a successful company?

    16:44 When should you consider adding HR to the team?

    18:17 When should you pivot?

    22:19 What games do you play currently?

    23:25 Things you look for in people when hiring

    27:22 The impact of wrong hires

    30:45 Most challenging time in the career

    33:09 Being let go in Europe vs ROW

    34:31 How do you continue growing as a leader?

    38:21 Investment vs Publishing deals

    42:15 Finding work for hire gigs back in the day

    45:33 Advice for younger generations

    46:38 What the future holds for you?


    Product Madness: https://www.productmadness.com/

    Product Madness careers: https://aristocrat.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/AristocratExternalCareersSite?hiringCompany=410fe4438ac610086a9d308831790002


    49 min
  • Pasqual Batalla: Barcelona Gamedev Scene, Sandsoft & Game Publishing

    This time I'm joined by Pasqual Batalla. Pasqual is a COO @ Sandsoft, and previously he held a similar position at Socialpoint studio.


    In the podcast Pasqual talks about his experience with both studios, we also discuss Barcelona game development scene, scaling gaming studios and game publishing.


    Hope you’ll enjoy this one, and can take something from it.


    00:00 Introduction & a bit about football

    05:06 Let’s talk about video games

    07:45 Why this industry in particular?

    08:32 Startup vs Scaleup

    10:30 Beginnings of Socialpoint

    14:00 Barcelona gamedev scene

    15:45 Challenges @ Socialpoint

    22:00 Mergers & Acquisitions

    25:21 Working through Covid

    29:30 Effective communication

    32:00 Sandsoft

    39:00 How to cut through the noise?

    41:25 Choosing games to invest in

    44:25 Being both: investor & publisher

    47:00 What kind of leader are you?

    54:30 Building successful teams

    1:02:19 More about Barcelona gamedev scene

    1:11:40 Advice for younger generation


    Sandsoft: https://sandsoft.com/

    Sandsoft careers: https://career.sandsoft.com/jobs


    1 hr 19 min
  • Andrei Podoprigora: Systemic Games, VC Funding & Building Game Studios

    This time I'm joined by Andrei Podoprigora. Originally from Lithuania, Andrei currently runs Forklift Interactive - a video games publisher specializing in smart, systemic titles for PC & consoles. He's also a Venture Partner @ The Games Fund, and he was one of the first employees of tinyBuild, helping it transform itself from an indie games publisher to a huge global operation with 10+ internal studios.

    In the podcast Andrei discusses his experience with tinyBuild and Forklift Interactive, he also shares insights into the publishing and venture capital industries, including the changing landscape of project funding.

    We discuss the life in Barcelona & Andrei's predictions for the future of the games industry.


    00:00 Introduction

    03:53 Living in Barcelona

    14:39 Andrei's Journey in the Games Industry

    20:37 Starting Forklift and the Importance of Original IPs

    27:49 Balancing Work for Hire and Original IPs

    33:49 Market Conditions for Work for Hire Studios

    37:04 Building a Team of Producers

    39:57 Success of Systemic Games

    55:25 Rise of Project Funding

    01:14:17 Importance of having a clear Creative Vision

    01:21:25 Future of Forklift Interactive


    Forklift Interactive: https://www.forklift.gg/

    The Games Fund: https://www.gamesfund.vc/

    1 hr 23 min
  • Mathias Royer: Publishing, Team Building & Studio Development
    In this episode, I'm joined by Mathias Royer - Chief Studios Officer and a founding member of Tilting Point Barcelona.
    We discuss the challenges of setting up a new studio, the importance of building a cohesive team and the significance of cultural fit in hiring. We also talk about the evolving landscape of mobile gaming, and how the industry looked like when Mathias was first starting out in games back in 2009.
    Hope you’ll enjoy this!
    0.00 - 4:00 What brought you to Barcelona?
    4:00 - 8:00 Growing up in France
    8:00 - 12:00 First job in the industry
    12:00 - 14:00 Benefits of living abroad
    14:00 - 17:00 Favourite project
    17:00 - 20:00 Being a Producer vs being a GM
    20:00 - 25:00 Culture fit in hiring
    25:00 - 33.00 Building Tilting Point
    33.00 - 38:00 Communication systems
    38.00 - 40.00 Importance of long term vision
    40.00 - 44.00 How do you handle stress?
    44.00 - 48.00 If you were building a new game studio from scratch?
    48.00 - 52.00 As a Publisher - what do you look for in games?
    52.00 - 56.00 How different is the market now to how it was a few years ago?
    56.00 - 59.00 Advice for younger generation
    58 min
  • Dima Pinchuk: Mobiles Games, Marketing & Emerging Trends in the Industry
    In this episode, I'm speaking with Dima Pinchuk, the former VP of Marketing at SocialPoint studio in Barcelona and the ex-Global Marketing Director at Wargaming.
    Dima joined Wargaming when it was a small studio of just 60 people and experienced firsthand its remarkable transformation into the global gaming powerhouse it is today.
    We delve into the challenges of Marketing in games, the strategies behind successful game launches, and the importance of building trust within a team.
    Dima also shares his experiences at PokerStars and SocialPoint, and we explore the future of marketing in the video game industry.
    Hope you’ll enjoy this!
    0.00 - 3:00 Where did you grow up?
    3:00 - 5:00 Did you always know you’re going to work in video games?
    5:00 - 8:00 Witnessing the Wargaming transformation
    8:00 - 14:00 Wargaming’s marketing strategy
    14:00 - 16:00 Growth & struggles
    16:00 - 20:00 What do companies get wrong in marketing when launching a game?
    20:00 - 24:00 Monetization
    24:00 - 25.00 Do you need a lot of investment in order to launch the game successfully?
    25.00 - 26:00 Premium games
    26.00 - 28.00 PokerStars
    28.00 - 30.00 Moving to Barcelona
    30.00 - 33.00 Covid
    33.00 - 42.00 SocialPoint
    42.00 - 46.00 How to build a great team?
    46.00 - 48.00 Common denominator that all great companies have
    48.00 - 52.00 The future of video games
    52.00 - 54.00 - Your personal future
    54 min
  • Elias Lozano Garcia: Pixel Art, Omnidrone & Making a lasting Impact
    In this episode, we dive into the inspiring story of a Barcelona-based game developer who transitioned from a childhood passion for drawing to founding successful video game companies.
    We discuss Elias's past of building, scaling and selling 2 game development studios and also his interest in Pixel Art - something he managed to turn into a successful social media venture. 
    Whether you're a game developer or someone who is just interested in learning about the behind-the-scenes of game creation, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Hope you will enjoy it.
    0.00 - 7:00 Early beginnings and Java games
    7:00 - 13:00 Starting the first company
    13:00 - 20:00 The world before and after the App store
    20:00 - 28:00 Starting Omnidrone
    28:00 - 31:00 Managing people & building teams
    31:00 - 34:00 How do you develop an art style for a game?
    34:00 - 37:00 Pixel Art
    37:00 - 42.00 Becoming a successful content creator
    42.00 - 47:00 What are you working on now?
    47.00 - 51.00 Today’s game investment landscape
    51.00 - 56.00 Thoughts on AI
    56.00 - 1.00.00 Creating a team culture & sustainable work environment
    1.00.00 - 1.04.00 Advice you’d give for aspiring young artists
    1 hr 4 min
  • Rich Barham: From Launching the Biggest Game on the Planet to Building and Scaling an Indie Studio
    In this episode I'm speaking to Rich Barham - an experienced Studio Lead, Executive and a GM. We talk about his journey from helping to launch a wildly successful World of Warcraft franchise to his experience with building Antimatter Games and his impact in building studios for Riot Games and Zenimax.
    We also discuss the current state of the industry, the hoops that indie studios need to jump through in order to sign a publishing deal and the difficulties that the current generation of young developers is facing.
    0.00 - 6:00 First encounters with video games
    6:00 - 22:00 Blizzard days
    22:00 - 29:00 What’s going on with the games industry today?
    29:00 - 36:00 How different was the games industry 5-10 years ago?
    36:00 - 26:00 What challenges are the young people in the games industry facing?
    41:00 - 55:00 Building Antimatter Games
    55:00 - 1:01:00 Building a successful studio from scratch nowadays. What would it take?
    1:01:00 - 1:05:00 Who were your mentors during your journey?
    1 hr 5 min
  • Joe Currivan: The Journey from Game Master to Lead Producer
    In this episode I'm speaking to Joe Currivan - an accomplished Producer within the gaming industry. We talk about the importance of building great teams, the future of the mobile games industry and his life and game development journey.
    The episode is full useful advices on hiring practices, team leadership, and cultivating a positive work environment.
    We also talk about nurturing innovation in teams, fostering risk-taking abilities, and staying consistent in your work. Lastly, we touch upon web3 technologies, and the effect of monetization protocols on player habits.
    0.00 - 8:00 Barcelona, Austin & Family
    8:00 - 16:00 How did you get started in the games industry?
    16:00 - 22:00 Becoming a Producer
    22:00 - 24:00 Why Production?
    24:00 - 26:00 ADHD
    26:00 - 30:00 Bioware days
    30:00 - 35:00 What’s happening with the industry nowadays?
    35:00 - 39:00 Do you have any regrets?
    39:00 - 45:00 What games are you playing currently?
    45:00 - 49:00 The future of Games
    49:00 - 52:00 The project you enjoyed working on the most
    52:00 - 56:00 What makes a good Producer?
    56:00 - 1:00:00 What frustrates you most?
    1:02:00 - 1:08:00 The art of interviewing and hiring
    1:08:00 - 1:11:00 Leading teams
    1:11:00 - 1:21:00 Difference between mobile and other platforms
    1:21:00 - 1:27:00 Web3 & Blockchain
    1 hr 27 min
  • Antti Makkonen: Mobile Games, Free2Play, Building Successful Teams & Products
    In this episode I am speaking to Antti Makkonen. We discuss the future of the mobile games, f2p market, how to build great teams and Antti's game development journey.
    We also talk about his time working at companies like Rovio & SocialPoint, he shares his takes on the F2P industry and the challenges of building successful teams and products.
    The episode concludes with a peek into in-car gaming's potential and how it can enhance gaming experiences. Hope you will enjoy this one :) 
     
    0.00 - 13:00 Skiing, Finland, Schools & Barcelona
    13:00 - 18:00 Career start, software engineering, and self awareness
    18:00 - 21:00 Why the games industry in particular?
    21:00 - 24:00 What are you playing right now?
    24:00 - 26:00 Rovio days
    26:00 - 32:00 Premium vs F2P model
    32:00 - 38:00 The future of mobile gaming
    38:00 - 39:00 Monument Valley
    39:00 - 42:00 App store vs Google play store
    42:00 - 44:00 Moving to Barcelona
    44:00 - 52:00 SocialPoint
    52:00 - 55:00 Smaller teams & projects is the way forward?
    55:00 - 1:00:00 Launch strategies
    1:00:00 - 1:02:00 The product you enjoyed working on the most
    1:02:00 - 1:08:00 What’s your leadership style?
    1:08:00 - 1:14:00 Building successful teams
    1:14:00 - 1:20:00 In-car games, what’s that?
    1 hr 20 min
  • Jamie Smith: The Art & Science of Video Game Design
    In this episode I'm speaking to Jamie Smith - Principal Game Designer at People Can Fly studio. We talk about the art and science behind the world of video game design and discuss the delicate balance game designers strike between historical accuracy and immersive gameplay as they transform regular game design into an extraordinary experience.
    We also talk about the BAFTA academy, the selection process for the games, and the responsibility of being a jury member. Lastly Jamie offers practical advice for young game enthusiasts embarking on their journey in the games industry.
    Hope you'll enjoy it!
    0.00 - 5:00 How you got into Games?
    5:00 - 8:00 How you entered the industry? 
    8:00 - 12:00 What do you look for in people when they apply for roles in your team? 
    12:00 - 15:00 Importance of historical context when designing a game
    15:00 - 19:00 Combat Design
    19:00 - 21:00 What games do you play? 
    21:00 - 25:00 What separates a good game designer from an average one?
    25:00 - 27:00 Pick rate
    27:00 - 30:00 Improving your knowledge library
    30:00 - 34:00 BAFTA Games Awards
    34:00 - 36:00 Experience of being a lecturer
    36:00 - 41:00 Advice for younger generation
    41:00 - 47:00 The current state of the games industry
    47:00 - 51:00 Experience that shaped you
    51 min

About ByteAction

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ByteAction Podcast is on a mission to bring you raw, unfiltered journeys of experienced and influential people in video games and creative tech industries. If you want to understand how games are…