Digiai.ACADEMY

What happens when your dream studio has to shut down? Here’s the honest truth from Julien Wera in a unique Part 2 follow-up of the Rise & Fall of Moon Rover.In our latest chat, Julien shares the raw realities of running Moon Rover and the challenges faced from market dynamics. After three years of passion and creativity, the studio halted operations due to funding struggles, leaving behind what could have been an incredible studio.Julien reflects on the importance of having a supportive environment for creators and how the industry needs to evolve to ensure stability for developers. Listen & Watch the full conversation and learn about the future of game development!

In this season premiere two-parter, Julien Wera shares his extensive journey through the gaming industry at companies like DICE, Paradox Interactive and Ubisoft. From marketing to studio leadership, emphasizing the importance of team size, creative pillars, research, and navigating industry challenges. Discover insights on building a studio culture, balancing innovation with risk, and leadership lessons learned along the way including his very own studio challenges. This part 1 was recorded November 2025.

This interview is suited for people wanting to better understand game development, marketing, live service, starting and running your own studio and more!

Events are coming back and with games now part of everyday life, one person is a big part of that change. Today we’re tapping into Shahin Zarrabi’s story how he got to work with the biggest gaming event brand in the world and will learn what the future holds for Dreamhack and how your game can connect with the players. Let’s dive in!

In this lesson, Hazelight COO Oskar Wolontis reveals how he ended up joining and climbed the ranks in a startup that would become the award winning studio it is today. Developers of Split Fiction, It Takes Two and A Way Out, all directed by Josef Fares who's first game Brothers: A tale of two sons set the foundation for a studio that keeps delivering on its promise. How do they do it? Oskar gives us the insights!

In this lesson, Geoff Glendenning shares his journey from struggling in school to becoming a pivotal figure in the marketing world, particularly with the launch of PlayStation in Europe. He discusses the importance of connecting with youth culture, the evolution of marketing strategies, and the impact of AI on the industry. Geoff reflects on his experiences, the challenges faced in the marketing landscape, and offers valuable advice for the next generation of marketers.

Chapters00:00 The Journey Begins: From Education to Marketing02:51 The world before PlayStation07:30 It began with Ridge Racer13:00 The Edgy Marketing Strategy: Targeting the 18-30 Demographic15:54 Cultural Influences: The Intersection of Music and Gaming18:50 The Evolution of PlayStation Marketing: From Underground to Mainstream21:41 Creating a Movement: The Role of Influencers in Brand Success29:34 The Evolution of PlayStation Marketing36:48 Navigating Corporate Culture and Autonomy42:45 The Nostalgia of the 90s and Brand Legacy52:14 The Shift to Data-Driven Marketing59:33 Lessons Learned from Marketing Risks01:03:28 Navigating Controversy in Gaming Marketing01:05:11 The State of the Gaming Industry01:11:15 Advice for Aspiring Marketers

In this lesson, Christofer Sundberg discusses his extensive journey in the gaming industry, from his early days at a young Paradox to co-founding Avalanche Studios and creating the Just Cause franchise. He shares insights on the challenges of game development, the importance of maintaining company culture, and the lessons learned from various projects, including Mad Max and theHunter. Christofer emphasizes the need for creativity, resilience, and the willingness to take risks in the ever-evolving gaming landscape.

00:00 The Early Days of Gaming and Christofer's Journey

06:53 Transitioning from Paradox to Rock Solid Studios

15:30 The Rise and Fall of Rock Solid Studios

21:33 The Birth of Avalanche Studios and Just Cause

29:54 Expanding Horizons: theHunter and New Ventures

38:40 Navigating Free-to-Play Models and AAA Games

48:22 The Disney Breakup and Project Cancellations

53:23 Pitching Mad Max: A Dream Come True

58:42 Navigating Creative Differences with Warner Brothers

01:04:08 Transitioning to New Projects and Self-Publishing

01:08:53 The Impact of Investment on Company Culture

01:14:37 Building Liquid Swords: An Improved Approach

01:23:33 Sustainable Game Development Philosophy

01:30:05 Advice for Aspiring Developers

In this first lesson, host André Persson is setting the foundation for the academy through valuable insights from various devs, marketing, research and tech. Guests: Zoran Roso - Ex PlayStation & Tencent, Mikael Svensson - AWS, Jos Hoebe - BlackMill Games, Tana Tanoi - Dead Teapot Games, Emmanuel Rosier - Newzoo, Mattias Bergqvist - Northify, Christian Szymanski - Second Stage

00:00 Intro & Zoran - marketing & brands

09:37 Jos Hoebe - running studio doing what they do best

14:47 Tana Tanoi - building new studio & expectations

17:23 Mikael Svensson - tech & live service

19:20 Emmanuel Rosier - research and industry trends

23:53 Mattias Bergqvist - QA

26:05 Christian Szymanski - performance marketing & live service

28:00 Closing remarks and future episodes

Discover how André Persson, host of the upcoming podcast Digiai.ACADEMY started in the industry producing TV and Streaming shows, his retail career at EB Games & GameStop and how he ended up in Publishing & Development, working on some of your favourite games!Digiai.ACADEMY is an upcoming podcast for people working in the video game industry. André interviews stars from the past and present, sharing insights of how we built the industry and how some of the best games of all time came to be and what lessons have been learned along the way.