In this episode of Player Driven, Greg talks with Joe Pace, VP at ASICS Ventures, about the company’s surprising leap into virtual reality with DISC, a brand-new competitive sport built for Meta Quest. They explore what it means to build community before code, how fitness and gaming are converging, and what studios can learn from a 70-year-old brand embracing LiveOps. If you're thinking about building something new — or building it differently — this episode is for you.

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.