Naavik Gaming Podcast

Francois Courset, a Senior Consultant at Naavik, dives into the transformative role of AI in game development. He discusses how AI has evolved from a novelty to a necessity, particularly in content generation and workflow automation. Francois highlights the importance of balancing human oversight with AI tools and explores whether studios should develop in-house expertise or seek external support. He also addresses creative uses of AI in gaming and the challenges that arise, offering listeners a comprehensive view of AI's growing influence in the industry.

Amir Satvat, Tencent BD Director and founder of the world's largest grassroots games career community, discusses the video game labor crisis. He highlights challenges like layoffs, remote work declines, and the industry's shift towards mid-career talent. Amir explains how his volunteer-driven job board helps connect talent with opportunities and emphasizes the need for companies to nurture early-career professionals. With partnerships at GDC and Gamescom, he offers insights on future-proofing careers and the importance of community in navigating this turbulent landscape.

In this episode, host Aaron Bush sits down with Monica Dinsmore, Head of Esports at EA, to unpack her journey from finance and ops to leading esports strategy at one of the world’s biggest game publishers. Monica shares behind-the-scenes stories from launching the LEC at Riot Games, navigating the operational chaos of COVID-19, and transitioning to EA to help build and scale their esports vision. The conversation dives deep into how esports strategies differ between EA’s franchises (Apex Legends, EA FC, Madden, and more), lessons learned in managing grassroots efforts and keeping competition fresh, and how Monica works cross-functionally with diverse EA leaders and teams. We explore EA’s broader esports goals, what might be next, and how the industry can make the most of the emerging “esports spring.”We’d like to thank Levellr — the Discord community intelligence platform — for making this episode possible. Learn more about unlocking real-time community insights at levellr.com.We’d also like to thank Neon – a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion – for making this episode possible! Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming and can help you sell direct without the typical overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavik If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Who’s On:Guest - Monica Dinsmore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mldinsmore/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Owen Mahoney, former CEO of Nexon, shares sharp insights on the gaming industry, critiquing current norms and exploring future trends. He discusses the complexities of managing huge budgets and the challenges faced by Western publishers. Mahoney believes the industry could triple in size despite current stagnation, emphasizing the potential of AI and the need for strategic shifts in decision-making. He contrasts the success of Eastern companies with the hurdles of their Western counterparts, advocating for innovation and proactive governance to foster growth.

In this episode, host David Taylor sits down with The Gang. Originally a team of five entrepreneurs, The Gang was one of the first venture-backed studios to go all-in on Roblox back in 2020. They quickly made their mark with Strongman Simulator, which shot to the top of the Roblox charts and has racked up over 1.5 billion plays.While they started with hit original titles, The Gang soon shifted to building branded experiences for some of the world’s biggest entertainment and lifestyle brands — Netflix, Vans, Shrek, Spotify, the NHL, and more. Most recently, they’ve been expanding beyond Roblox by licensing one of the platform’s top IPs, Blade Ball, for a Steam release. The team is also developing an original cross-platform game, Out of Sight. In this conversation, we dive into the team’s entrepreneurial journey, what it was like being early builders on Roblox, how the platform has evolved, and what’s next as they explore new platforms and formats.We’d like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast We’d also like to thank Lysto — the AI-native playtesting platform helping game studios capture unbiased player feedback and convert it into structured, actionable insights. Learn more about how you can get bias-free feedback at https://lysto.gg/?utm_source=naavik&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=adIf you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Pim de Witte, founder and CEO of Medal, shares his journey from creating the popular Soulsplit RuneScape server to leading a platform for sharing gaming moments. He discusses Medal's transformation from a game studio to a dynamic content ecosystem and the challenges of user acquisition during this shift. Pim elaborates on game clip enhancements, growing nearly two million daily users, and the rising significance of user-generated content. He also speculates on AI's future impact on gaming content and the importance of self-expression in shaping player experiences.

In this episode, host Alexandra Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, sits down with Mac Reynolds, co-founder and CEO of Night Street Games and Night Street Records, and Matthew Berger, Game Director at Night Street Games. Together, they unpack the journey of building Last Flag — a zany 5v5 hero shooter with capture-the-flag at its heart and music embedded deep in its DNA. From a scrappy prototype built with an outsourced team to a 50+ person studio, they share lessons on pivoting engines, refining the core loop, and innovating within the oversaturated PC shooter market. They discuss how music shapes gameplay moments, creates immersion, and differentiates Last Flag from typical shooters — and in a first-ever moment at Naavik, we share exclusive music tracks straight from the game itself. The conversation also explores parallels between the business of music and gaming industries, what game devs can learn from music artists, and the realities of cutting through noise on Steam for a new IP. After listening, watch the trailer and sign up to playtest here. We’d like to thank Neon – a merchant of record with customizable webshops optimized for conversion – for making this episode possible! Neon is trusted by some of the biggest names in gaming and can help you sell direct without the typical overhead. To learn more, visit https://www.neonpay.com/?utm_source=naavik We’d also like to thank Levellr — the Discord community intelligence platform — for making this episode possible. Learn more about unlocking real-time community insights at levellr.com.If you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Dan Bunting, former Studio Head of Treyarch and a key architect behind the Call of Duty franchise, shares his gaming journey. He reveals how community feedback shaped the iconic Zombies mode and recounts his experiences in developing the Black Ops series. Dan discusses Treyarch's adaptive design philosophy and highlights the importance of innovation in keeping the Call of Duty franchise at the forefront. He also opens up about his transition to entrepreneurship, the future of gaming technology, and the evolving challenges facing the industry.

The esports industry has heavily evolved over the past few years, and big moves continue to occur – especially out of Saudi Arabia.In this episode, host Aaron Bush is joined by Mike McCabe, COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, which runs a massive Riyadh-based annual esports festival. It’s gearing up for its second annual event in July, which will host 25 tournaments over 7 weeks with a whopping $70 million prize pool.We chat about the global state of esports, Saudi Arabia’s continued ambitions, and where the industry is headed next. We also dig into the Esports World Cup, including its massive scale, logistics, non-profit ambitions, and how it aspires to leave an evergrowing impact on bringing esports mainstream in the future.We’d like to thank Heroic Labs for making this episode possible! Thousands of studios have trusted Heroic Labs to help them focus on their games and not worry about gametech or scaling for success. To learn more and reach out, visit https://heroiclabs.com/?utm_source=Naavik&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Podcast We’d also like to thank TikTok for making this episode possible. Whether you’re launching or scaling, TikTok supports full-funnel growth with creative impact, always-on engagement, and advanced measurement. Learn more at https://bit.ly/tiktokmorelevelsIf you like the episode, please help others find us by leaving a 5-star rating or review! And if you have any comments, requests, or feedback shoot us a note at podcast@naavik.co.Who’s On:Guest - Mike McCabe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mccabe-600532/ Host - Aaron Bush: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-bush-846b8185/ Watch the episode: YouTube ChannelFor more episodes and details: Podcast WebsiteFree newsletter: Naavik DigestFollow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | WebsiteSound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.

Chris Faught, CEO of Neon and an expert in direct-to-commerce platforms for games, shares his insights on the evolving gaming landscape. He discusses the aftermath of the Apple vs. Epic ruling and its implications for game developers adopting direct-to-consumer strategies. Chris highlights the new monetization opportunities and alternative payment models that empower studios to connect with players directly. He also offers practical steps for implementing these changes and predicts future trends in the gaming market.