Hey, Good Game

Building Games at the NY Times: Interview With Jeff Petriello

Jun 4, 2024

Game producer Jeff Petriello discusses his journey to the New York Times, the evolution of NYT games like Wordle and Strands, and the significant role of games in building social connections. He also shares insights on teaching game design, transitioning careers, and the creative process behind game development.

01:06:03

Creator website

Episode guests

Jeff Petriello

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Teaching game design holds significant value for Jeff Petriello's career evolution.

Internal game development at New York Times is a strategic priority with external collaborations.

Wordle's success at New York Times reflects brand alignment and impactful audience engagement.

Deep dives

Transition into Teaching

Transitioning into teaching happened during the game center's MFA program. Jeff started as a TA under Eric Zimmerman, teaching game design. This opportunity extended into a full-time teaching position at the game center.

Introduction

5min

Exploring the Speaker's Personal Journey and Emotional Connection with Games

6min

Transition from Creative to Engineering Fields

8min

Exploring Parallels Between Gaming Experiences and the Significance of Play

2min

Exploring Production Challenges Across Different Creative Sectors

15min

Evolution of Games at the New York Times

28min

Exploring the Ace of Loona and Professional Connection Preferences

3min

Episode 26: Jeff Petriello, a game producer at the New York Times and a game design educator at NYU Game Center, shares his unique journey from producing movies to producing games played by millions of people.

Go behind the scenes at the New York Times, learn what it's like to shepherd hits like Wordle, and create games from scratch like Strands.

Working closely with the New Games Squad and the Gameplay Squad, Jeff shares what inspires him, his teaching experiences, and the significant role of games in building social connections.

This episode is filled with valuable insights for aspiring game designers and enthusiasts alike.

Check out Jeff's Social and Resources:
https://www.thebeff.com/
https://www.thepastatarot.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffpetriello/
https://gamecenter.nyu.edu/faculty/jeff-petriello/
https://thebeff.itch.io/self-portrait
https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords