Game Hugs

This week brings to a close our episodes recorded during Game Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) 2017, with none other than the departing organiser of the event, Liam Esler.

Liam is a bizdev, narrative, and production specialist about to dive into the terrifying world of entrepreneurship. He was formerly the Event Manager for GCAP, and co-founder of GX Australia.

Join our host Jason Imms as he and Liam discuss what GCAP has become and where it came from, and how it was both shaped by, and itself shapes the Australian games industry and community.

This week, our host Jason Imms is joined (in a Melbourne French for breakfast) by digital copywriter, freelance journalist and professional writer, Patrick Stafford.

Patrick is currently a digital copywriter for MYOB, as well as providing his services on contract under his own brand Stafford Content, and working as a freelance journalist for The Atlantic, Polygon, Eurogamer, Kotaku, and more.

Join Jason and Patrick for insights into the life of a freelance journalist, Patrick's thoughts on a journalist's role in the modern games industry, and what it takes to turn an interesting lead into a widely read long-form feature.

Matt Trobbiani is an indie game designer and developer, and head at Team Fractal Alligator. Matt created Hacknet, a critically received and popular game released in 2015, which saw players taking on the role of a hacker, penetrating systems, avoiding detection, and madly typing realistic commands in to a virtual console interface.

Join Matt and our host Jason Imms as they took some time for an interview during the otherwise hectic Game Connect Asia Pacific conference, and hear Matt's thoughts on burnout, the pressures of success, and what it takes to get noticed in a saturated marketplace.

Rami Ismail is the business and development half of Vlambeer, the indie studio responsible for hits like LUFTRAUSERS, Ridiculous Fishing, Nuclear Throne, and more.

He's also well known for supporting the growth of independent game development by travelling the world, speaking at events, and working with and promoting communities in underrepresented regions.

Rami sat with our host Jason Imms during Game Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) to discuss his history at Vlambeer and combative relationship with his business partner Jan Willem Nijman, having a powerful voice within an industry, and the "industry built on ruins" we have in modern day Australia.

Adam ‘Pez’ Perry is the host of the Twitch-broadcast You Game Bro? podcast, and founder of the Australasian Gaming Podcast Network. Pez's broadcasting work has led to him securing brand ambassador roles with Lenovo and Intel in Australia and New Zealand, and allowed him to land major sponsorships to support the ongoing creation of the You Game Bro? podcast.

Join Pez and your host Jason Imms as they discuss the benefits and challenges of one-on-one interview-based podcasts, passion-driven media work, and life on the ground as a community manager for Final Fantasy XIV in ANZ.

David Gaider is a game designer, writer, and narrative designer, with a long and storied history at RPG powerhouse Bioware. Today, David is the creative director at Beamdog, helping to bring enhanced editions of some of the games he worked on back in his Bioware days to modern hardware and audiences.

David recently sat with our host Jason Imms at the Game Connect Asia Pacific conference in Melbourne to talk about his work on Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, and Knights of the Old Republic, being a reluctant spokesperson for gay representation in games, and what it's actually like to write for a living.

We have a very special episode for you this week, friends: The inaugural Game Hugs Live, recorded on-stage at PAX Australia 2017!

Joining our host Jason Imms on the stage was Square Enix Montreal creative director Teddy Dief(pronounced “deef,” despite Jason’s horrendous mispronunciations), discussing life as an indie, Glitch City LA, the anxieties of success, and moving away from a lifelong goal of working at Naughty Dog to take a risk on the Kickstarter-funded Hyper Light Drifter.

This week we welcome Tim Colwill, editor in chief of the hilariously satirical Point & Clickbait to the guest chair. Join him and our host Jason Imms for a trip down memory lane as the pair relive the shuttering of beloved Australian games outlet games.on.net, discuss the dodgy closure of Interzone Games, and come to understand the strange parallels between poking fun at the games industry, and working for the Australian Meat Industry Employees Union.

In this week's episode, host Jason Imms spoke with excellent GameSpot host and video producer, Jess McDonell about joining one of the biggest games journalism outlets in the world, what to do with your hands on camera, and what it means to work for a truly global outlet.

Wyld is a Twitch streamer, Minecraft modpack creator, and internet personality who has made a huge career change through entertaining his audience and creating content live on the internet.

Join Wyld and our host Jason Imms as they discuss how a life can change through getting into livestreaming, the challenges and joys of playing games on the internet for a living, and the ethical side of publisher relations and junkets.