GameDev Loadout | A Game Developer Podcast

"So too how a mountaineer has their safety line, a game team has their revision control system. If codes get messed up or something goes fubar, you have a RCS like a GitHub or Perforce that will help you recover NOT IF accidents happen but when IT happens especially as you start to scale up in development."

Blair Leggett leads a small indie studio with his wife called One More Story Games. With over 20 plus years in the game industry, they have built their own game engine specifically for authors to create narrative games and published 7 games in the last 3 years while building the engine. Their work includes Danielle's Inferno, Skycarver, and the upcoming Shakespeare's Landlord. 

Connect:

Website https://onemorestorygames.com/Game Engine Website http://storystylus.com/Game Shakespeare's Landlord http://www.lilybard.com/Twitter @1MoreStoryGamesYoutube https://www.youtube.com/user/OneMoreStoryGamesResources:

UNSUNG HEROES OF THE GAMES INDUSTRY: TOOLS PROGRAMMERSGitHubPerforce https://www.perforce.com/Subscribe to the podcast:

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"One of the key measures for when teams are communicating well is that their proactive in sharing information with each other. They don't waste too much time asking each other questions. They proactively tell people what they need to know when they need to know it."

Zachary O. Toups is an assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at New Mexico State University in the areas of game design and human-computer interaction. His research develops gameplay through which participants practice real-life skills, with an emphasis on disaster-response contexts and team coordination. His work incorporates ethnographic approaches to understanding existing practice; zero-fidelity simulations that capture abstract, human-centered aspects of practice; mixed reality computing that engages players in human-human, human-environment, and human-computer interaction; and mobile, collaborative technologies that support sensemaking in disaster.

Connect:

Pixl website: https://pixl.nmsu.edu/Twitter: @toupszEmail: [email protected]Resources:

The Design of Everyday Things by Donald NormanSubscribe to the podcast:

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Three P's Principle "You can take a project if it has any one of these three P's. Great Project if you think it's really neat and you love the work. Great People if you are working with awesome people and building great relationships. Great Payment if it pays well. It's amazing if you get two of the three."

Join Richard Ludlow of Hexany Audio as we discuss the importance of not writing overbearing scripts, learning to say "NO," following the three 'P's when choosing a project to work on, and much more. Richard Ludlow is the audio director at Hexany Audio, a Los Angeles-based sound and music studio specializing in audio for games and VR. Richard oversees both the creative and business aspects and has worked on projects for Disney, Activision, Ubisoft, Ford, Chevrolet, and many more. He regularly speaks about game music and sound at GDC, PAX, and more.

Connect:

Email: [email protected]Website: https://hexanyaudio.com/Resources:

Do internshipsSubscribe to the podcast:

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Teddy Bergsman - "I never seen a single person being fired over a tool helping them out or making their work faster. Not a single time and I work with gaming companies and filming companies in the world. And that just doesn't happen and I think that's what scares people to shy away from revolutionary type of tools. Embrace it, adopt it early as you can, get ahead of the curve."

Join Teddy Bergsman as he discusses how megascans work and why it's important, his obsession to help me the game industry workflow faster and efficient, how hiring the right person was key to his company, and much more. Teddy Bergsman is the CEO of Quixel which is the world's largest scan library. These scans include vegetation, debris to nature environments all across the globe.

Connect:

Facebook Quixel where you can send Teddy a message Website: Quixel Resources:

Marmoset Toolbag 3 Artstation Unreal Engine 4Subscribe to the podcast:

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Gary D. Nissenbaum - "Have you created a three-dimensional world in which the interaction of these characters is so unique that it's really not copying that of the other games, and have you created designs and elements that are so different than what's come before? That's where the rubber meets the road when it comes to the legal issues."

Gary D. Nissenbaum is the managing attorney of the Nissenbaum Law Group, a law firm that represents a wide range of business clients, from single person start-ups to multi-national corporations. One of the firm's focuses involves intellectual property matters, including entertainment law, apps, websites and video games. I should add that nothing that is discussed today should be considered legal advice or opinion on any specific matter. If any of our listeners have a legal matter, they should consult counsel of their choosing.

We Discuss:

The importance of having the proper intellectual property documentationDefinitions of trademark and copyrightHow attorneys are helping us stay creativeWhat to do when you get a cease and desistThree concepts to keep in mind: Idea-Expression, First Sale Doctrine, and Fair UseWhy the developer should create scenes a faireThe way to utilize a private investigator on IP workCreate a game design document and show it to a lawyer before developing the gameConnect:

WebsiteGary's Email: [email protected]BiographyIntellectual Property PageResources:

Copyright.gov Uspto.gov DaVinci vs Ziko Games Tetris Holding vs Xio Interactive Brown vs Entertainment Merchants 

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We discuss the importance of backing up your data, getting in the game industry with a unique degree, the benefits of identifying human emotions, and much more. Lennart Nacke is an associate professor and research director for the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Games Group at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He focuses on evaluating our physiological signals while we play games. His research include gamification, user experience, health and wellness, and affective gaming.

Connect:

TwitterPersonal WebsiteHCI Game Group WebsiteBook: Games User ResearchResources:

SpideroakOwncloudDropboxIGDA User Research SIG Mentoring ProgramIndie GoldmineSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

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Wing Cho - "You should really have a dialogue. Always talk because if you don't then you will have a big issue and it's going to take more time to deal with it when you could of dealt with it immediately.

He is a Ex-Nintendo and ex-Rockstar lead game designer with 20 years of experience. With over 17 shipped titles and selling over 12 million units, his work include the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, Midnight Club 2, Red Dead Revolver, and more. Currently he is the senior game designer at Recurrence Inc where they help transform boring classrooms into engaging games.

Key points:

Mantra - "Always be kind to your audience"Embrace working in limitationsHow overworking himself affected his life and learning to take breaksThink about your self-worth instead of working for freeDoing stand up meetings first thing in the morningAnd much more...Connect:

Twitter @naMofNi About Me page Resources:

Unity Playmaker Mischief Makers N64 Smuggler's Run Balsamiq Play all type of gamesVizeoPowerpointSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

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Duncan Watt - "The fastest way to work with someone to break the ice and get the ball rolling, it's just be honest. Be honest, be excited, and tell the truth."

Duncan Watt is the founder of the Fastestmanintheworld Media which provides custom scoring, audio outsourcing and consulting for the digital games industry. His work include Bioshock Infinite and League of Legends which is one of the biggest game in the world. He also speak at events such as GDC and teaches on the side at Berklee College of Music.

Key points:

How to hire a composerGet to know everyone on the team to produce successful resultsUniversal lawyer called him and said "this needs to be gone in the next six hours or we going to take everything you have"Get your legal stuff in order and find out ahead of time if you have questionsStrive for excellence, learn the basic of business, and document everythingFind the people you relate to and listen to what they sayAnd much more... Connect:

Website: FastestmanintheworldThe Muse Podcast - Description: Each episode, we invite an artist to play something new, something unreleased to the public - a new song, something different, maybe a work-in-progress - then we dive in and talk about the writing process, the story behind the piece, where it comes from, directly from the artist. Recorded live and uncut.Contact pageGame: The StationResources:

Last Man Sitting - See how KevKev use twitter to showcase his gameTwitchUnityAmazon LumberyardSocial mediaGame jamsSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

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Sebastien Dussault - "It's really rare that we just sit down and think about what we do and just try to do one thing at a time, even if it's for 15 minutes, those 15 minutes can count."

Sebastien Dussault is the lead animator at Meduzarts and worked at Ubisoft Quebec before that. At Meduzarts, his focus is on high-end cinematics, scripted events, and video game trailers. His credits include such as For Honor and Assassin's Creed.

Key points:

Don't move rapidly into production until everyone is on the same pageAsk yourself, "What is the main focus of that animation?"Add buffer time to scope to avoid crunchtimeAdding boundaries and limits with clear objectives produces better resultsMovies are great example of how to smoothly transition from scene to sceneHis reasons for leaving UbisoftAnd much more...Connect:

His websiteLinkedinInterviews with Creatives Youtube ChannelHis company website MeduzartsResources:

iAnimate - Online Animation SchoolBook: Creativity Inc by Ed CatmullBook: Directing Actors by Judith WestonYoutubeUnityUnrealTake notes while reading books, playing games, and watching movies.SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

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Join Matthew Carl Earl as he discusses the six core values of his company, letting composers be early in the process of the game idea, making bold moves, and so much more. He is the lead composer at Hexany Audio which specializes in original music, sound, and voice over for games, VR, and interactive media. They have developed audio for both Triple-A and indie titles such as Moonlight Blade, Iron Knight, King's Quest, and more.

Connect:

FacebookEmail: [email protected]Website: Hexany AudioLinkedInResources:

GDC 2018Pro ToolsBook: The Art of CounterpointSUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

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