What's up and coming in the world of game development? 

Tune in to this episode as we discuss upcoming trends in the game development industry with James Lo, CEO of Taktyl Studios and President of the Game Development Association of the Philippines.

• What's up and coming in the game development sphere
• How emerging and current developers can use these predictions to stay on top of their game 
• Ways AI and Blockchain are changing the in game development scene
  
  

Taktyl Studios is a gamification company that utilizes human-centered design principles to turn ideas, systems, and processes into fun and meaningful experiences.

Find Taktyl Studios online
https://taktylstudios.com/

https://www.facebook.com/taktylstudios

https://www.linkedin.com/company/taktylstudios/

This episode features the head of Buko Studios, Cherry Boase. She joins us in this episode to share her inspiring journey in game development starting from scratch and climbing to the top, becoming the leader she is today.

Key Takeaways:

• The strength of putting yourself in the shoes of your employees, creating support around personal problems and truly pushing for work-life balance
• Empathy is a key skill for effective leadership and creating resilient teams
• Assertiveness is a key trait for every leader to ensure their team's success 

Buko Studios is a Philippine-based game development studio specializing in Concept and Visual Design, Animation for 2D Game Art and 3D Assets, FX and Motion Graphics, and Full Game Project Development. They are the studio behind Synapse, Ghost Busters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, The Pirate Queen, and Vidiyo by Lego.

Find Buko Studios Online at:
https://www.bukostudios.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BukoStudios/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bukostudios

In this episode, Andreas Betsche, Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of Virtual SEA brings in his media expertise to talk about Media Kits for game launches – why it is important and how you can make one that stands out to give your game the best chance to be showcased online and reach a wider audience.

• What is a PR Kit, what it looks like, and what role it plays in your game's success
• When should you start creating your PR Kit in the game development process
• How to create a pitch that makes an impression
• Andreas' PR Kit tips to create a PR kit that stands out to media outlets

Virtual SEA is an online gaming magazine dedicated to video games from Southeast Asia. They feature reviews, news, interviews, and curated lists of the latest indie games in the region.

Find Virtual SEA online
https://virtualseasia.com/

https://www.instagram.com/virtualseasia/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualseasia/

In this episode, Synergy 88’s Studio Director and GDAP chairman, Alvin Juban, joins the podcast as we dive into the evolving career paths in the game development industry and what we need to equip the next generation of creators to help them thrive in this line of work. 

Key Takeaways:

• How game development roles came about in the Philippines and the slow bloom that attracted talents to move to this industry.
• The not-so-sexy aspects of Game Development necessary for a business to stay afloat and grow.
• The evolution of roles and career trajectories for aspiring game developers today.
•  The importance of STEM programs in developing intuitive coders and programmers in the future.

Synergy88 Digital is an animation studio and digital business solutions company in the Philippines.

Find Alvin and Synergy88 online:

https://www.synergy88.media/

https://facebook.com/synergy88/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/synergy88

We kick off this year's episode with an interview with ThinkBit's President, Lord Gosingtian. He shares his company's journey from taking on small projects to designing their games for themselves and their clients.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Creating game concepts from scratch: Lessons learned from shifting from an individual playing games to an entrepreneur creating games for a living
• The importance of market research, understanding the market, and staying on top of trends
• How to keep a game engaging in a saturated market
• Testing what works and what doesn't with your game and how to iterate
• Finding a balance between creativity and budget constraints

ThinkBit Solutions is an IT Solutions company based in Manila, Philippines. They provide software development and design services including mobile app development, web apps, mobile games, branding, design, and digital marketing.

Find ThinkBit Solutions online at

https://thinkbitsolutions.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thinkbit

https://www.linkedin.com/company/thinkbitsolutions/

In this session, King Montecillo, Managing Director of FizzBuzz Inc., brings their A-game and gives us some hard advice on creating project scopes and employing good project management skills to ensure project success and client satisfaction - all while keeping your team happy. 

• Creating a Bible: The importance of documentation to protect all parties create clarity for all members of the team, and provide clear expectations for clients
• Project Managers: Why you need skilled members to look out for potential problems and make sure the project is moving smoothly
• How to address changes and revisions after the project scope has been made and how that affects cost and timelines
• Setting milestones and mapping out each stage of the development cycle 

FizzBuzz Inc. is a Cebu-based development studio that specializes in web and mobile app development, 2D/3D animation, and Stop-Motion animation. They are the minds behind Stikbot Studio, Hyperstrike,  and Monster in the Woods.

Find Fizzbuzz Inc. online at
https://fizzbuzz.ph/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/fizzbuzzinc/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fizzbuzz-inc/

Weng Bagadion, CEO and founder of WBagadion joins us in this episode to talk about how gamification can be used as a tool for efficient learning and recall as well as the best practices for applying gamification in different projects

In this episode, we cover:

• What gamification is and how it has found its way into the corporate setting
• How gamification can augment corporate training and increase information retention
• What are the elements of  well-gamified  initiatives, and how to measure success and the impact of the activities on your bottom line
• How to find a partner that can inject gamification to help meet your learning objectives and grow with your needs as a company

WBagadion is a digital creative agency that specializes in designing, developing, and delivering IMPACT e-learning projects for today’s generation of learners. 

Find WBagadion online at

https://www.wbagadion.com/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wbagadion

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/wbagadionconsulting

In this episode, Ben Banta, CEO of Ranida Games joins us to take a trip down memory lane from when the era of flash games paved the way for a lot of solo game developers.. We then fast-forward to the current industry of games that continues to evolve with where Ben has grown from being a solo dev getting scouted by brands, to someone who is now always on the lookout for fresh, passionate talents for his team.

Key takeaways in this episode:

• Pros and Cons of being a solo developer: Lessons learned doing everything solo and when  should you start hiring other people to grow and improve your game
• The Importance of planning for sequels and keeping the game fresh
• Growing Pains and responsibilities:  Creating pitch decks and prototypes for publishers, taking care of employees, and working with a team
• Finding the employees that are a good fit for your culture and building long-term relationships 

Ranida Games is an indie game developer based in Laguna, Philippines. They are the developers behind the 2D fighting game Bayani, PBA Basketball Slam, and Dunk Perfect.

Find more of Ranida Games online at
https://www.ranidagames.com/

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ranida-games/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ranidagames/

X/Twitter
https://twitter.com/ranidagames

Steam
https://store.steampowered.com/developer/RanidaGames

What does it take to make a video game come to life?

Coby Chan and Walter de Torres, co-founders of Pixel Mafia join us in this episode to give us a sneak peek of what the backstage of game development looks like, how the industry has evolved and created specific and special roles, and what it takes to bring a Triple-A game to life.

Key insights in this episode:

• Scaling complexity: The differences between Indie-Games and Triple-A Games from a development side
• Thriving as a service provider in the Triple-A games industry and the complex skills a company can offer
• What are the current roles that are and what does the future look like for these careers, specifically in the Philippine setting?
• How does someone looking for a career in the video game industry find a good company to share and grow their skills? 

Pixel Mafia is a premiere art service studio specializing in AAA video game content. They currently have two studios in the Philippines - one in Manila and a recently opened one in Cebu. Some of their notable projects include Apex Legends, Horizon Forbidden West, Cyber Punk 2077,  and The Sims. 

Find Pixel Mafia online at
https://www.pixelmafia.com/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pixelmafiacorp

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pixelmafia/

This time, we dive into another perspective inside game development as we talk to Carlos Valdes,  Senior writer for YangYang Mobile. He joins the show to give us an insight into a writer's thought process behind weaving worlds and creating memorable characters for visual novel games.

In this episode, we tackle:

• What differentiates visual novel games from reading a book and how does that affect the user experience?
• Understanding the kind of audience that visual novels appeal to and how to speak to that demographic 
• The challenges of writing for visual novels vs writing for other video games
• Best practices in creating narratives that make people stay engaged

YangYang Mobile is the development studio behind the visual novel games The Letter, Love Esquire,  Perfect Gold, Saint Maker, and High Times. The indie team is based in the Philippines and focuses on creating story-driven games.

Find YangYang Mobile online at
https://www.yangyangmobile.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/yangyangmobile/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/yangyang-mobile/

X/Twitter
https://twitter.com/yangyangmobile

Find their games here:
The Letter
https://store.steampowered.com/app/460430/The_Letter__Horror_Visual_Novel/

Saint Maker
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1785300/Saint_Maker__Horror_Visual_Novel

Perfect Gold
https://store.steampowered.com/app/578540/Perfect_Gold__Yuri_Visual_Novel

High Times
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2251220/High_Times__Cooking_Visual_Novel/