She Plays Games Podcast

Making the shift from Animation to Game Design

This episode, Abbie Willett, a game designer at Sumo Digital, joins us to talk about her experience working on popular titles such as Hitman 2 and Sackboy Adventures.

In this episode we discuss:

Abbie’s transition into game design from animation

Navigating the pressure of working on games with established franchise

Abbie’s love of all things crocodiles and PERSONA 5

This is episode 112 of She Plays Games.

Evolving Studios’ Accountability Through DEI Accreditation

Today we have the wonderful initiative Code Coven on the show to talk about their new DEI accreditation program, Evolve, which is designed to accredit studios and give them ratings based off of how closely they follow DEI policies and implement them in their work.

On the show I have the CEOs of Code Coven, Tara Mustapha and Cinzia Musio, to talk about the program and how exactly it will benefit the industry and highlight studios who are absolutely rocking DEI.

This episode we sit down with UK-based Game Audio Professional and Silver Script Games Studio Founder, Alyx Jones, known for her work on AAA titles like Elden Ring and Final Fantasy VII Remake. Alyx talks about her journey into games audio, her inspirations for composing, and the challenges of working on a game of Elden Ring's size. She also shares her experience as part of the BAFTA Breakthrough program and her new adventure developing her first game, “The Quiet Things”. Join us as we dive into the unique and collaborative world of game audio.

This is episode 110 of She Plays Games.

What Makes Failbetter A Place Where Diverse Talent Can Thrive

Welcome to the She Plays Games Podcast! In our latest episode, we have the pleasure of hosting two incredible women from Failbetter Games, Emily Short (Creative Director) and Lesleyann White (Principle QA Specialist). Join us as we delve into the world of Failbetter, an award-winning game company that has been recognized as one of GI Biz's best places to work five times.

Ever wondered how Emily and Lesleyann found themselves at Failbetter Games and what drew them to this exceptional company? We explore their personal journeys and discover the magnetic qualities that make Failbetter such an appealing workplace for talented individuals like themselves.

Creating positive spaces for asian women in the games industry

Join us for a special panel discussion with Project AWR, a diversity group dedicated to supporting and empowering Asian Women in the games industry.

Our panelists include:

• Marion Mỹ Anh Baxerres, founder of Project AWR and Global Community & Social Media Manager at Prime Matter/Plaion

• Karen Lee, co-founder of Project AWR and Senior Manager of the Global Core Community team on Apex Legends at Respawn

• Elisa Choi, mentor for Project AWR's mentorship scheme and Associate Producer at Epic Games

In this episode, we'll discuss:

• The importance of Project AWR existing

• Project AWR’s new Mentorship Program

• What a safe space for Asian women looks like on Discord

This is episode 108 of She Plays Games.

Breaking Barriers in Streaming: Gleaney is Helping the Next Gen of Streamers

Join us for an inspiring episode as we sit down with Twitch streamer Gleaney to discuss her streaming journey, from her acting background to her experience working with Twitch's diversity  Gleaney shares her best transferable skills and strategies, advice for negotiating sponsored streams and regaining momentum during long streams. We also delve into her TikTok Streaming Tips series, benefits of belonging to Twitch support groups, and her unique approach to creating a safe space for shy viewers.

This is episode 107 of She Plays Games.

Gaming for Everyone: Insights from Xbox's Tara Voelker

In this episode of She Plays Games, we talk to Tara Voelker, the Senior Xbox Game Studios Accessibility Lead, about her journey into the field of game accessibility, her experience working in the gaming industry, and her thoughts on the future of accessibility in gaming. Tara discusses the importance of staying up to date with the latest accessibility trends and how Xbox Game Studios approaches implementing new concepts. She also shares her thoughts on how the mindset around accessibility has shifted over the years and how it has become a more prominent topic in the gaming industry. Finally, she gives us a sneak peek of what to expect from her upcoming presentation at GDC 2023 with Brannon Zahand.

This is Episode 106 of She Plays Games.

Levelling Up Your Marketing Agency With Livestreaming

This episode we have Digital Producer Taya B from Etch Play. Taya has made her way into games marketing from a more general marketing agency. This episode we discuss what a digital producer in games does, her experience coming into the games industry, and her advice for anyone coming in!

This is episode 105 of She Plays Games.

Creating Games To Process Life's Challenges

We have Madison Karrh, an indie developer, on the show to talk about her latest title Birth. Madison’s games all share very unique art styles and themes reflecting her own life. Birth is a puzzle game about overcoming loneliness by building your very own friend. This episode we talk about Madison’s self discovery through game development and how she’s been able to feel fulfilled through the experience. 

This is episode 104 of she plays games.

How Belle Automata Found Its Voice With Wings Fund

This episode we have indie game dev Jessinia! Jessinia is the founder of the studio Jellyfish Parade, whose bio states that they create “ethnically diverse games that'll turn your heart to jelly!” In this episode we talk about Jessinia’s experience creating Belle Automata which releases on March 3rd! along with her journey into creating visual novels and how the support from the Wings Fund helped her to create her first ever full voice acted experience!

This is episode 103 of She Plays Games.