Playmakers - The Game Industry Podcast

In this episode:

Jordan interviews Lev Chapelsky, founding partner of Blindlight, a production company bridging the gap between Hollywood and the video game industry. Lev shares his insights into how game producers can collaborate with Hollywood talent, navigate complex industry differences, and avoid common mistakes in voice acting, writing, and production. Whether you’re a writer, voice actor, composer, or producer, this episode will give you a clear understanding of Hollywood's growing role in game development and how to best work with its talent.

Topics covered:

• The benefits of using team writing for video games.
• The role of voice directors in game production.
• Common mistakes game producers make with voice actors.
• How game producers can collaborate successfully with Hollywood.
• Navigating the differences between the gaming and Hollywood industries.

For more game industry tips:

• Learn more about Jordan & Bright Black
• Listen on iTunes | Spotify (Support the show and leave a review)
• Visit www.playmakerspodcast.com for the full blog post and more!

Timestamps:

02:07 How Lev started Blindlight

04:16 First Hollywood collaboration: writing for Hot Shots Golf

05:21 Team writing for video games

07:19 Difference between TV writers and Hollywood film writers in game writing

12:36 Common mistakes in game voice-over production

16:48 Differences between interactive and linear media in voice-over

18:58 Maximizing voice acting budget in games

20:06 Breakdown of the voice-over production pipeline

27:11 How Blindlight offers cost-effective writing solutions for games

28:35 How mobile games and working with celebrities have changed Blindlight

31:57 Lev’s work with GDC Narrative Summit

36:43 Tips for working with celebrities in video game production

Resources & media mentioned in this episode:

• Blindlight
• Pixar
• Naughty Dog
• Insomniac
• Rockstar Games
• Hot Shots Golf
• Oddworld
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Facebook game
• Frontierville
• Castleville
• Fallout 4
• Grand Theft Auto (GTA)
• Kardashian Mobile Games

Mike Mika has 20+ years game development experience. He helped launch NGMoco, pioneering some of the first free-to-play games for iPhone. He's run studios and played a major role in the shift to digital content distribution with Xbox Live and PSN. He has shipped over 190 games on every platform since the Game Boy, his most recent title, #IDARB was downloaded by over a million people in the first week of its release.

In this episode:

Jordan sits down with game development veteran Mike Mika, who has over 20 years of experience and has shipped more than 190 games. Mike has worked on iconic franchises like Street Fighter, Mega Man, and Tiger Woods Golf. He helped launch NGMoco, pioneering free-to-play games on the iPhone, and played a major role in the shift to digital distribution on Xbox Live and PSN.

Mike's passion and enthusiasm for game development offer inspiration to any game developer who wants to focus on fun and interactivity, spending less time on documentation and more time delivering fun to audiences.

Topics covered:

• How improv skills apply to game design, and how it makes for better games, faster.
• How he got over 1,000,000 downloads for his indie game in less than a week using social media.
• Tales from the development of classic games like Street Fighter and Mega Man.
• His viral appearance in the hit movie “Donkey Kong Dad” when he created his own modified version of Donkey Kong for his daughter.

For more game industry tips:

• Learn more about Jordan & Bright Black
• Listen on iTunes | Spotify (Support the show and leave a review)
• Visit www.playmakerspodcast.com for the full blog post and more!

Episode Timestamps:

03:35 Mike’s journey into game development

06:30 Turning a passion project into Yars' Revenge

11:08 Transition from journalism to game development

12:04 Working on 190 games across platforms

13:06 The Donkey Kong Dad story

15:32 Mike’s approach to game design (Martin Garrix oops.pizza)

22:07 Staying creative over the long haul

23:32 The story behind #IDARB

26:43 Reviving Digital Eclipse for game preservation (Mega Man Legacy Collection)

29:48 Mike’s game production process

33:33 Building a game on the Commodore 64

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Mike Mika’s Twitter
• #IDARB
• Digital Eclipse
• Martin Garrix oops.pizza tweet (game not available anymore)

Games mentioned:

• Yars' Revenge
• #IDARB
• Street Fighter
• Mega Man
• Tiger Woods Golf
• Martin Garrix oops.pizza
• Donkey Kong
• Doom
• NFL Blitz
• Flappy Bird
• Downwell
• Rayman
• GTA
• Spyro
• Dr. Seuss
• Puzzle Fighter
• Dark Void
• Death Jr.
• Kim Possible
• Spider-Man
• X-Men

ason Della Rocca is the co-founder of Execution Labs, a hands-on early stage investor for independent game developers. Prior, he served as the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) for nearly nine years.

In this short intro, host Jordan Blackman explains the genesis of the podcast, discusses who will get the most out its programming, and briefly outlines his own game industry experience.

Learn More About Jordan & Bright Black

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Listen to it on iTunes.

In this short intro, host Jordan Blackman explains the genesis of the podcast, discusses who will get the most out its programming, and briefly outlines his own game industry experience. This show is designed to be valuable to ambitious game industry professionals. We cover how to make better games, build better studios, and have better careers. The way we do that is by bringing on top industry experts and achievers and interviewing them for useful know-how and insights. This show is for you if: You want creative and business success in the game industry. You're an ambitious indie developer who wants to make a great game that's also received by a big audience. You care about great game design and game stories. You're a lead at a studio looking to learn from the industry's top creators. You work at a publishing company and want to understand what today's business leaders are doing to drive brand successes. You want to understand how Free to Play gaming works. This show is not for you if: You don't think the business aspect of making games is important. You are looking for the latest industry news. You're looking for subjective opinions about various game platforms. You're looking for "hacks" or quick fixes to make your game or company a success. About your host, Jordan Blackman: Jordan has been writing, producing, and designing games for over a decade. He is a mobile game design expert, an accomplished producer, and an instructor of Game Design. His work for Novalogic, Zynga, and Ubisoft has generated several hundred million dollars. Jordan has produced and designed for numerous million-selling franchises, including FrontierVille, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, Joint Operations, CSI:, and CastleVille. Jordan is the industry leader who brought CSI to Facebook with the smash hit, CSI: Crime City. He went on to Zynga where he led the creative team on FrontierVille, one of the most popular and profitable games of all time. Jordan has collaborated with top studios worldwide including Telltale games, Area/Code, Other Ocean, Buzzmonkey, Ubisoft Shanghai, and Zynga SF. Partners Jordan has worked with include CBS, Ogilvy, Sony, American Express, and many more. He currently serves as a consulting designer and producer for leading organizations inside and outside the game industry. His clients include Nickelodeon, EA Sports, Beeline, AMC Networks, the Pokemon Company, and others.

In this episode:

Jordan sits down with Jason Della Rocca, co-founder of Execution Labs,  a hands-on early stage investor for independent game developers. Jason shares insights into venture funding for game studios. He discusses the phases of venture capital, common pitching mistakes, and essential factors investors look for in gaming startups. If you're a game designer or programmer considering creating a studio, this interview will help you get started on a path of success and sustainability.

Topics covered:

• How to create a clear road map of your project plan for your funding investors
• How to *not* do revenue share deals. 
• The mindset you need to succeed as an indie game developer.
• Jason’s journey into venture funding in the gaming industry.
• The mission of Execution Labs and its evolution over the years.

For more game industry tips:

• Learn more about Jordan & Bright Black
• Listen on iTunes | Spotify (Support the show and leave a review)
• www.playmakerspodcast.com for the full blog post and more!

Episode Timestamps:

03:14 Jason’s entry into the game industry

06:28 Running the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)

09:49 The birth of Execution Labs

12:12 Key lessons from early-stage investments

16:29 Balancing creative, business, and technical leadership

22:10 Incubators vs. accelerators

30:20 Understanding the early stages of game studio funding

37:40 Angel investors and venture capital

40:11 Stages of funding

46:16 Common mistakes in pitching for venture funding

52:17 The entrepreneurial mindset for indie developers

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• @JasonDellaRocca
• Execution Labs
• Gameplay Space
• Core Design
• Matro
• Ubisoft
• International Game Developers Association (IGDA)
• Tomb Raider
• John Carmack

A quick intro to what this show is all about.