The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

This episode contains spoilers for the game 'Ghost of Yōtei'

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor and producer, Erika Ishii who stars as Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei. Together they discuss Erika's journey in acting and how they found themselves working in video games; working with Sucker Punch and their process working with performers; the advantages of bringing in the cast early in development; an...

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Oli Chance and Morgan Rushton from localization studio Shloc Ltd. Together they discuss how they got into the business of game localization; their long history working on massive IP like the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Death Stranding series; how they tackle challenges like translating cultural differences; and working with actors and directors to localize performances.

Trent Kusters chats with Dotemu CEO, Cyrille Imbert. Together they discuss Dotemu's work in licensed IP including how they pitch to license holders; the short-term financial and long-term relationship damage caused by releasing subpar products; how they inadvertently revived the beat 'em up genre with titles like Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge; and why and how they create...

Trent Kusters chats with creator of the cult classic Katamari Damacy and the recently released to a T, Keita Takahashi. Together they discuss how he went from sculpting to his first job at Bandai Namco; the origins and development of Katamari Damacy and his subsequent works; his philosophy on creating games with experiences not available in the real world; and how he hopes his newest game will help people open ...

Trent Kusters chats with creator of the cult classic Katamari Damacy and the recently released to a T, Keita Takahashi. Together they discuss how he went from sculpting to his first job at Bandai Namco; the origins and development of Katamari Damacy and his subsequent works; his philosophy on creating games with experiences not available in the real world; and how he hopes his newest game will help people open ...

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Josh Sawyer, Studio Design Director at Obsidian Entertainment. Together they discuss his thoughts on developing RPGs; what he learned from working at legendary studio Black Isle Studios; how to successfully adapt Dungeons & Dragons to video games; writing for games with dialogue stacks; parsing and implementing feedback while keeping true to your creative vision; and balancing RNG t...

Adam Orth chats with Jeff Gardiner from Something Wicked Games. Together they discuss his long history in the world of RPG development including titles in the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series; the trials and tribulations associated with starting your own studio; the perilous state of the games industry from funding to consolidation; and the lessons he learned in leading teams from some of the brightest minds in...

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Lis Moberly, Creative lead at 20th Century Games. Together they discuss how the path towards game development has changed over the years and the difficulties young people face with job placement; working with and helping junior writers join and stay in the games industry; the importance of institutionalized knowledge; and the value of collaborating with writers from mediums outside ...

Trent Kusters chats with Dave Oshry of New Blood Interactive. Together they discuss how he went from games journalism to publishing; navigating the ins and outs of publishing on PC and how they landed their first deal; how nostalgia meets modern in the boomer shooter genre; their approach to the publisher/developer revenue split; how they uplift individual creators; and why their slogan of "We hate money" has l...

Adam Orth chats with Focus Entertainment's Chief Content Officer, Yves Le Yaouanq. Together they discuss his journey and the lessons he's learned working for some of the biggest game developers and publishers in the industry; his work on the research and development side of games; the need for publishers to focus on quality of content and gameplay; and his advice to developers on pitching their projects to publ...

Trent Kusters chats with Sean Gorman (Lead Designer) and Mark Ranson (Art Director) from Void Interactive, creators of the tactical first-person shooter, Ready or Not. Together they discuss how the studio balances realism, tension, and storytelling without glorifying violence; their "fear every door" design philosophy; lessons learned from AAA development; and how they decide what to cut or keep to focus their ...

Log in to your account at www.escapefromtarkov.com and redeem the code NIKITAONGMNPODCAST to receive a special gift from Battlestate Games.

Trent Kusters chats with Nikita Buyanov, the COO, Founder, and Game Director at Battlestate Games, creators of Escape From Tarkov. Together they discuss his journey in games to the founding of Battlestate Games; the inspirations behind Escape Fro...

Trent Kusters chats with Brendon Chung, Tynan Wales, and Suzanne Will about their immersive first-person shooter, Skin Deep. Together they discuss the inspiration for Skin Deep and how it evolved from it's original design; their desire to create an accessible entry point for the immersive sim genre; their ideas around level design and player guidance; what they left on the cutting room floor and how they decide...