Rob Auten is a video game writer whose writing credits include Gears of War: Judgment (cowritten with Tom Bissell) as well as titles like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six. He is also the CEO and co-founder of Hexagram, an immersive “ambient experience” studio focused on immersive game experiences that blend reality and fiction in innovative ways. I caught up with Rob after a trip home to Dubai where he is currently based. We discussed his youth, his interest in narrative, toys, play, video games, VR, managing a studio and narrative.

—

Podcast Notes / Full transcription @ Leafbox.com

@5 Min - Childhood / College Experiences

@21 Min: Shifting into Hollywood / Music Video Production

@27: Shifting into Video Game Writing / Gears of War

@32: The Writer’s Room Experience

@38: Narrative Structures of Game Design

@44: Narrative Game Rails / Narrative Mechanics

@52: Writing the Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log

@56: Dubai Mall Gear of War Laser Tag

@58: Why did you start Hexagram?

@59 Cadillac Immersive Installation

@1:02: Role of Ai in Game Development

@1:10: Discussion on VR

@1:17 Dubai / Remote Work

@1:20 Comparative Game Literature

—

Full transcription @ Leafbox.com

More on Hexagram

Get full access to Leafbox at leafbox.substack.com/subscribe