S1 EP18 How To Be A Holistic Leader Part 2: Working At Every Layer

E62: What Leadership Skills Matter Most in Game Development?: Are you leveraging the full potential of your leadership role in game development? Or are you stuck in the traditional tech-driven mindset? In this episode of the Building Better Games podcast, hosts Ben and Aaron dissect the common leadership... by Building Better Games

48 min listen

EP61: How to Get Promoted in Game Dev: Titles and seniority impact your ability to drive positive change. It’s worth knowing what promotion looks like so you can have the maximum impact possible. In this episode of the Building Better Games podcast, join hosts Ben and Aaron as they delve... by Building Better Games

48 min listen

EP60: Breaking Down GDC 2024 - Upcoming Trends, Triumphs, and Tribulations: In this episode of the Building Better Games podcast, join hosts Ben and Aaron as they recap GDC 2024, diving deep into the heart of game development, user-generated content (UGC), and the role of AI. Ben and Aaron dissect the changing dynamics... by Building Better Games

45 min listen

EP59: Should You Be a Servant Leader in Game Dev?: Is true leadership about wielding power, or is it the art of empowering others? In this episode, Ben and Aaron tackle the often misunderstood concept of servant leadership within the game development arena. They dissect the myths surrounding the... by Building Better Games

47 min listen

EP58 Why Your Favorite Games Are Getting More Expensive to Make: Why are your favorite games getting more expensive to make? In this episode, Ben and Aaron dive into the escalating dynamics of game development costs and the transformative shift towards user-generated content and indie gaming success. They explore... by Building Better Games

42 min listen

EP57 Addressing the Real Issues of Today's Games Industry: In this episode, Ben and Aaron navigate the intricate landscape of leadership within the gaming industry. They tackle the dichotomy between mobile and traditional gaming leadership, the economic shocks shaking the foundation of game studios, and the... by Building Better Games

43 min listen

E56 Solving Despair and Burnout in Game Development with Greg Street: Despair and burnout are commonplace in game development. As leaders, what can we do about that, both to prevent it and solve it when it’s present? In this episode, we're joined by Greg Street, a veteran in the game development industry, currently... by Building Better Games

46 min listen

E55 Fixing The Broken Relationship Between Creative & Production: In this episode, Ben and Aaron delve into the complex interplay between creative direction and executive production in game development. They explore the challenges and pitfalls of aligning creative vision with operational efficiency, emphasizing the... by Building Better Games

53 min listen

E54 How to Approach Game Design in a Live Service World with Andrei Van Roon: In this episode, Andrei Van Roon, the Head of League Studio at Riot Games joined Ben and Aaron to discuss the emergence of live service and gameplay in the gaming industry and how it has become the default expectation for players. Andrei shares... by Building Better Games

44 min listen

E53 How Often Should You Release in Game Dev with Josh Thaler: In this episode, Josh Thaler discusses the mindset and skills required to build successful live service games. He emphasizes the importance of total ownership, where every team member takes responsibility for the features they develop. Josh also... by Building Better Games

44 min listen

E52 How to do User Research in Game Dev with Steve Bromley: Steve Bromley, a games user research consultant, joins Ben and Aaron to discuss the importance of user research in game development. He emphasizes the need for teams to understand their target players and their needs, and to integrate player insights... by Building Better Games

44 min listen

E51 How to Spot a Great Product Manager with Paul Gebel: Paul Gebel, a product leader with over 20 years of experience, joins Aaron and Ben to discuss the importance of product management in game development. They explore the difference between good and bad product managers, the challenges of the role, and... by Building Better Games

44 min listen

E50 How to Launch a Live Service Game with Serge Knystautas: Join us in this enlightening episode where Serge Knystautas, a seasoned technologist with extensive experience in the gaming industry, dives into the art of crafting outstanding live services and assembling stellar technology teams. As a leader in... by Building Better Games

41 min listen

E49 How to Solve Communication Problems at Your Game Studio: Communication challenges are a common concern in game development studios, but are they the real root issue? In this episode, Aaron and Ben argue that the crux lies in collaboration and the intended outcomes of communication. It's not just about... by Building Better Games

43 min listen

E48 What You can do in a World Where Game Developers are Tired of Agile: In this episode, Aaron and Ben address the prevailing frustration and cynicism within the game development industry concerning Agile methodologies. They stress the importance of acknowledging the evolving landscape, characterized by a shift from... by Building Better Games

42 min listen

E47 The 3 Skills You Need to be a World-Class Game Producer: In this episode, Aaron and Ben delve into their winning model for exceptional game production, highlighting the skills that define successful production. Their perspective: leadership, influence, and systems building are the pivotal yet often... by Building Better Games

42 min listen

E46 The 3 Ways Game Producers Fail and How YOU can Avoid Them: In this episode, Ben and Aaron delve into the critical role of game production and shed light on common misconceptions and pitfalls often encountered by producers. The discussion uncovers three distinct categories of production traps: suboptimizers,... by Building Better Games

43 min listen

E45 How to Become an S-Tier Manager in Games: Aaron and Ben discuss the challenges of poor management practices in the gaming industry. They explore the lack of transparency, the flawed promotion system, and the need for managers to prioritize their role as people managers. They introduce four... by Building Better Games

45 min listen

E44 How to Build Your Game Better in a Live Service World: Ben and Aaron discuss the importance of understanding where your game falls on the live service spectrum and how that impacts your development process. They emphasize the need to build live service stewardship into the culture of your teams and train... by Building Better Games

41 min listen

E43 Why You're Struggling with Collaboration with Jim Benson: “Most of the failures in any project that I've ever been on have been due to lack of communication, lack of coordination, lack of respect for other people, overemphasis on procedure, as opposed to being able to react elegantly to changes in the... by Building Better Games

44 min listen

E42 Why You Should (And Shouldn't) Use Unreal, Unity, or Something Else for Game Dev with Jean-Eric Khalife: When it comes to saving money, working efficiently or creating value for players, what should take priority in game dev? No matter what your opinion is, tools are a possible solution to all of these problems. In this episode, we’re joined by... by Building Better Games

41 min listen

E41 How a Toxic Relationship Between Publishing and Game Dev is Hurting Us All with Joel McGinnis: There was an unusually high number of low-quality games released in 2022, and we think we know why. The disconnect between the money and development sides often lead to rushed deadlines and games that don’t live up to their promises,... by Building Better Games

40 min listen

E40 How to Make Tough Decisions Fast in Game Dev with Linda Fane: Is your organization struggling with making decisions, from a lack of consensus or clarity on who the key decision makers are, or something else entirely? The RAPID decision-making framework might be your solution. Joining us on this episode to... by Building Better Games

38 min listen

E39 How to Drive Real Change as a Game Producer with Leslee Sullivant: Having opposing views from your team or struggling to communicate with senior leaders and stakeholders are just a couple of common issues game producers have when trying to make changes to improve the game dev process. That’s why it’s crucial for... by Building Better Games

41 min listen

E38 How AI Can Help You Lead Game Dev with Bill Frischling: AI is on the tip of everyone’s tongue right now. You’ve probably seen headlines in the news, on social media, maybe even heard conversations in the workplace. So, what’s the big deal with AI, and how does it affect game dev? In this... by Building Better Games

39 min listen

E37 How to Stop Cheaters in Video Games with Paul Chamberlain: What defines cheating in games? Is it exploiting existing bugs, using automation or macro tools? What about installing third-party mods that unlock special features in the game? Building Better Games is joined by game developer and anti-cheat... by Building Better Games

36 min listen

E36 Work Systems: How to Build Process that Leads to Better Results: Things like meetings, reports and team structure are in place to help the game dev process go smoother, and create cohesion among team members. But are these work systems actually having a positive effect? If not, you probably have an alignment issue.... by Building Better Games

41 min listen

E35 How to Create a Reliable Game Roadmap: Managing Uncertainty, Risk, and Team Readiness: The truth is, most people underestimate how long a task will take. This is especially true in game dev, where new developments and problems are inevitable even with the guidance of a roadmap. During this episode, the hosts of Building Better... by Building Better Games

41 min listen

E34 Why You Need to Be Aware That Games Are Big Business (and What Can Go Wrong) with Susan Cummings and Ryan Scott: “It's cheap to have opinions. It's hard to have informed opinions. It's really, really hard to be an expert who's researched something.” This episode of Building Better Games concludes our two-part series on Web3, wrapping up our... by Building Better Games

39 min listen

E33 How to be a Master of Web3 Gaming Debates: Susan Cummings & Ryan Scott Share Key Insights: Web3 is the next generation of the internet, and it’s already having an effect on the gaming industry. There’s a lot of opinions floating around, but one thing the hosts of Building Better Games and today’s guest can agree on is that player... by Building Better Games

35 min listen

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S1 EP18 How To Be A Holistic Leader Part 2: Working At Every Layer

S1 EP18 How To Be A Holistic Leader Part 2: Working At Every Layer

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