In this episode fresh from the GDC Showcase archives, Bryant sits down with Ben Brode, Chief Development Officer at Second Dinner (Marvel Snap) to discuss the importance of expertise in your own game, exploring the limits of your design space, striking the balance between "functional" and "understandable," thinking like a game designer, and much more.

Learn More about GDC: https://gdconf.com/?_mc=hsad_gdcsf_gamdev_le_x_x_2025

Similar Talks @ GDC 2025: https://gdconf.com/conference/game-design?_mc=hsad_gdcsf_gamdev_le_x_x_2025

More From Ben Brode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjhsY2Zuo-c

Danielle is joined by Deborah Chantson, Writer and Narrative Designer at Sticky Brain Studios Inc., to discuss her multifaceted career writing for games, interactive media, TV and short films, as well as her gorgeous forthcoming folklore adventure game, Rooster.

Wishlist Rooster on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1834220/Rooster/

Stay on top of the latest news: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/latest-news

Danielle sits down with legendary adventure game designer Charles Cecil, cofounder of Revolution Software, to discuss the upcoming remake of Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars, the difference between classic and modern adventure gamers, the infamous "goat puzzle," finding that hint system sweet spot, and a lot more.

Learn more about GDC Showcase: https://showcase.gdconf.com/

Check out Broken Sword - Shadow of the Templars: Reforged on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2544110/Broken_Sword__Shadow_of_the_Templars_Reforged/

Hot off the heels of major unionization wins at Blizzard Entertainment and Bethesda Game Studios, Senior Editor Bryant Francis is joined by Emma Kinema of the CWA, as well as Autumn Mitchell and Chris Lusco of Bethesda Softworks, to discuss the ongoing surge of organizational efforts sweeping the video game industry.

Read more about the new unions at Blizzard and Bethesda: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/over-500-blizzard-entertainment-workers-form-wall-to-wall-union

SAG-AFTRA performers call strike against major game studios over AI: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/production/sag-aftra-authorizes-video-game-actor-strike-over-ai

Read Bryant's piece on Project 2025 and its potential impact on game developers: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/how-will-project-2025-impact-game-developers-

With Summer Game Fest 2024 and its commingling events safely behind us, it’s finally time for everyone’s favorite part of video game announcement season: the post-show analysis! Danielle is joined by Senior Editor Bryant Francis and News Editor Chris Kerr for an in-depth discussion of everything that Sony, Microsoft and Geoff Keighley brought to the table, as well as our favorites from Day of the Devs and a few choice words on raw incompetence.

Read Phil Spencer's controversial defense of Xbox layoffs: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/phil-spencer-deems-xbox-layoffs-very-hard-but-needed-for-sustainable-business-

Scope the rest of our SGF 2024 coverage: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/keyword/summer-game-fest

Get the latest from our newsletter: https://gd-resources.gamedeveloper.com/free/w_gamf01/prgm.cgi

Danielle is joined by GDC Content Marketing Manager Beth Elderkin and Conference Producer Sam Warnke to discuss the secret, year-round work that goes into orchestrating everyone's favorite developer-focused conference.

Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@official_gdc

Check us out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Official_GDC

In this two-part episode of the Game Developer Podcast, Editor in Chief Danielle Riendeau finds the answers to these questions (and others!) by speaking with Rez Graham, senior AI programmer and Director of Game Programming at the Academy of Art University’s School of Game Development, as well as Game Developer Senior Editor Bryant Francis.

Find Rez on Twitter at https://twitter.com/rezibot

Peep his GDC talk on rolling your own game engine at https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/independent-games-summit-a-case-for-making-your-own-engine/901862

Danielle is joined by veteran indie beat journalist Joel Couture to discuss his annual "Road to the IGF" series. With every 2024 Independent Games Festival finalist interviewed, which conversations stick out the most? And how can you, our beloved developers, best prepare for an interview? Find out!!

Complete Road to the IGF coverage can be found at https://www.gamedeveloper.com/keyword/road-to-the-igf

Find Joel at https://twitter.com/Joel_Couture

Learn about the IGF at https://igf.com/

Discover the rest of GDC 2024 at https://gdconf.com/

Danielle is joined by John Warren, CMO of hardware startup GLYDR, to discuss accessibility in video games, GLYDR's new foot-based controller, the hardware Kickstarter meta, filming fake VR accidents with your wife, weathering a tumultuous industry, and of course, Peanut Butter the Speedrunning Dog.

For more on GLYDR, check out http://www.feetlegal.com/

Submit a post to the Game Developer Blog at https://reg.gdconf.com/blog-submission

And GDC 2024 is just around the corner; March 18-22! https://gdconf.com/

On Episode 39 of the Game Developer Podcast, we’re digging into this year’s GDC State of the Game Industry Report. Join host Danielle Riendeau and a rotating cast of editors, analysts, and experts as they share the key takeaways from the 2024 report and discuss how those factors will impact the game industry moving forward.

This month we’re joined by senior editor Bryant Francis and community editorial coordinator Holly Green from the Game Developer team, games tech research director Dom Tait and principal analyst Liam Deane from the Omdia team, and content marketing manager/State of the Game Industry project lead Beth Elderkin from the GDC team.

Listen to the episode to hear data and commentary on topics like industry layoffs, game engine trends and switch ups, unionization and studio conglomeration concerns, generative AI ethics and usage, and more. Be sure to check out the full report on the GDC website for deeper looks at the data, commentary from developer participants, and many more important topics beyond the above.

Useful Links:

GDC 2024 State of the Game Industry Report

https://reg.gdconf.com/state-of-game-industry-2024

Game Developer State of the Game Industry Coverage

https://www.gamedeveloper.com/keyword/state-of-the-game-industry-report

Game Developer Blog Submissions

https://reg.gdconf.com/blog-submission

GDC 2024 (March 18-22, 2024)

https://gdconf.com/

Omdia

https://omdia.tech.informa.com/advance-your-business/media-and-entertainment/games-tech-intelligence-service