From the SEGA Nomad to the Virtual Boy, gaming history is littered with devices that stumbled at launch but paved the way for the future. In this episode, we dive into the tech that was “half-baked but ahead of its time” - motion controls before Wii, VR before Oculus, cloud gaming before Stadia. We share stories of quirky peripherals, failed handhelds, and bold experiments from SEGA, Nintendo, and more. Sometimes failures, sometimes forgotten gems, these experiments helped shape how and where we play today. 

In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Tsao, a fellow Sega veteran. Before her time as a creative director at SEGA, Jennifer was managing editor for Electronic Gaming Monthly and Next Generation, and she later contributed to VentureBeat and GamesBeat.

Jennifer shares insights from her unique path: what people often misunderstand about casual games, what it takes to run a magazine, and how the early days of 1UP Yours and The 1UP Show helped launch the podcast and YouTube gaming generation we take for granted today. 

We talk with David Wood, who has been working on video games since the Genesis era. At SEGA, he helped drive business development by signing titles across Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. His portfolio ranged from licensed blockbusters like The Golden Compass and Iron Man to SEGA-branded PSP and iPhone games. David later brought his expertise to Sony’s mobile division and Bandai Namco, navigating the unique challenges of working with Japanese teams.  He also shares some interesting stories about working for the flash publisher Addicting Games and more recently, Meta. 

Michelle Vuckovich’s career in gaming traces a path from licensed console titles to the cutting edge of cloud gaming. She began at SEGA, contributing to projects like The Incredible Hulk and the trend-chasing Daisy Fuentes Pilates on Wii, before moving into the fast-paced world of social games at Zynga. In this conversation, we reflect on SEGA’s experiments with Marvel properties, explore the creative tension of casual game development, and dive deep into Google Stadia, where Michelle offers candid insights into the platform’s ambitions, its growing pains, and the challenges of launching a new paradigm in game streaming. Along the way, she shares what it’s like to navigate sharp disagreements in the industry, and what those moments reveal about collaboration under pressure.

From Phantasy Star IV to Elder Scrolls IV, RPGs have a way of enduring. In this conversation, we celebrate the genre’s persistence, from the grind that comforts casual players to the progression systems that now define almost every game. Alongside that, we explore remakes as both art and business: when they succeed (Last of Us, Resident Evil) and when the shine wears off. Some bonus historical content around Switch pre-order frenzy.  

Andy Alamano’s career spans two decades of game development across some of the industry’s most storied studios. He began at LucasArts, with Bounty Hunter as an early highlight, before moving to SEGA to work on titles like Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz, Captain America, and cult favorite Alpha Protocol. In this conversation, we revisit LucasArts’ creative peak, dive into SEGA’s brand experiments, and explore what it was like navigating the rise of free-to-play at Kabam. Andy also reflects on the challenges of assembling resources for a $100+ million independent project, and how it feels to have that five year project become unplayable. 

Remember when SEGA and Nintendo were sworn enemies? In this episode, we trace the unlikely journey from the 16-bit console wars to the modern era of cooperation. From Sonic on GameCube to the wild success of Mario & Sonic at the Olympics, SEGA’s shift from hardware maker to Nintendo ally changed the industry. We share behind-the-scenes stories from working at SEGA during this transition, favorite cross-platform titles, and why Switch 2 may be the ultimate home for SEGA fans.

Afsal Kuner’s career has traced the evolution of online gaming. He helped shape the early days of SEGA’s online presence, navigated bold experiments like Nokia’s N-Gage, and brought his technical and leadership skills to PlayStation. In this conversation, we explore the birth of networked play, the unexpected breadth of licensed titles on N-Gage, and what it means to be too early with technology. Afsal also shares stories about the quirkiest peripherals, and insights into the battle between DENA and GREE for early mobile market dominance. 

From studio founder and CEO (Demiurge Studios) to bedroom game developer, Al Reed has always taken an entrepreneurial approach to mining the gaming landscape for pockets of opportunity. His success has come from his commitment to creating game experiences that really know their intended audiences. Join us as Al shares the highs, lows, and pivotal moments of his career, including how a passion for player-driven experiences shaped his approach to design and leadership. We dig into the art of small-team development, the challenges of scaling, and why the best game ideas often come from unexpected places.

We sit down with Klay Vorlick to explore the cross-cultural complexities of game development and publishing. Klay shares stories from his time at SEGA and Sony, diving into what it was like helping bring Japanese titles like Panzer Dragoon Orta and Skies of Arcadia to Western audiences. We talk about the surprising challenges of working with Japanese developers while based in the US, what it means to be Japanese-speaking in an American office, and how principles of design can clash across territories. Plus: what player behavior research really looks like behind the scenes.