The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Bryan Intihar, Senior Creative Director at Insomniac Games, discusses the pillars of development for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the importance of story and characters, motivating teams, identifying future leaders, and maintaining strong partnerships with Marvel.

Enrique Cabeza and David Erosa from The Game Kitchen discuss designing Blasphemous, transitioning to original IP, starting from scratch for the sequel, and using the game to share their local culture. They also talk about incorporating Spanish culture into the game, the struggles of development, fine-tuning gameplay, player feedback, and future plans.

Ben Gabbard and David Adams of Gunfire Games discuss their careers in game development, including their work on the Darksiders series and their founding of Gunfire Games. They talk about their early ideas for the Remnant series, the challenges of development restraints, and how Remnant II is the culmination of everything they've learned. They also touch on topics such as childhood memories in game development, their experiences during a major game development layoff, and the impact of the pandemic on the development process.

Kristian Segerstrale, CEO of Super Evil Megacorp, discusses his career journey, remote-first game development practices, and the gaming industry's role in addressing climate change. They also touch on the evolution of online gaming platforms, the importance of team cohesion and positivity, and the significance of regular check-ins and retrospectives in game development. Exciting upcoming projects and a commitment to creating quality games are also highlighted.

Kevin Johnson, Director of Development for Double Fine Productions, discusses his journey in the games industry, managing multiple projects and teams, and the impact of filming a documentary while developing a game.

Sam Lake, Creative Director behind Remedy's recent release, Alan Wake II, discusses crafting the world of Alan Wake, learnings from past releases like Max Payne and Control, writing for video games, challenges of using live action film in games, and Scandinavian horror.

Arne Meyer, Head of Culture and Communications at Naughty Dog, talks about his early experience in game PR, starting grassroots ambassadorships in the gaming community, managing a development studio's internal culture, and handling bad press and negative feedback.

Ted Price talks with Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, about 20 years of EVE Online, the partnership between CCP Games and players, and the galactic ripple effects of small decisions. They also discuss the new addition, Eve Vanguard, and the game's economy, council system, fairness, and universe building.

Ken Levine, legendary creator of Bioshock and the upcoming Judas, discusses his journey into game writing, the pressure of following up Bioshock's success, tackling complex narratives, avoiding arrogance, the influence of Looking Glass and films on storytelling, balancing content for oneself and the audience, AI tools in writing, the value of innovation in game development, and the challenges and responsibilities of game development.

Todd Howard from Bethesda Game Studios discusses the development of Starfield, including early ideas and the first year of development. They delve into designing complex game systems, building lore for an original IP, and the unexpected player creativity. They also touch on managing expectations, emergent gameplay, designing deep and accessible systems, the Bethesda-Microsoft transition, blending genres in RPGs, building a playable prototype, and embracing feedback in game development.