129. Crystin Cox on Leadership, LiveOps, and Navigating Cultural Differences in the Gaming Industry

We're excited to have on this episode a new podcast host at Rise and Play: Nina Kim. Nina is a Senior game designer who previously worked on games like Merge Dragons, Cozy Grove, and Sea of Thieves. With a deep interest in wholesome mechanics and approaches to well-being, Nina strives to contribute to nurturing creative teams within the industry. Let's give her a warm welcome on the show 👏. In this episode, we interview Crystin Cox, the Director of Business Strategy for Xbox Game Studios Publishing. Crystin shares her journey from theatrical design to a career in gaming, her early experiences in QA, and her transition into leadership roles. We cover leadership practices on how to give feedback in complex corporate environments, effective management training, and how to navigate cultural differences in business. Crystin also talks about her passion for LiveOps, her holistic approach to strategy, and her experience running the podcast 'The Art of LiveOps'.

01:27 Meet Crystin Cox

02:18 Crystin's Journey into Gaming

05:10 Early Leadership Challenges

07:19 Management Training and Growth

13:52 Cultural Influences in Leadership

20:46 Joining Xbox Game Studios

30:29 The Art of LiveOps Podcast

35:32 Future Goals and Balance

Check Crystin's excellent podcast on Live Ops: https://open.spotify.com/show/1CWGHYnXqsXeivngmKqENq

💡 You will find more leadership resources on https://www.riseandplay.io/

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.