The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Ted Price chats with Christian Linke and Alex Yee, two of the creative leads and executive producers of the Emmy award winning Netflix series, Arcane. Together they discuss what it was like creating a wildly popular and critically successful TV show based on one of the most popular video game IPs in the world; the ups and downs of the initial pitch process and early production; what they learned going from games to linear media; their advice for anyone who wants to take their game IP and build a new reality for it outside of games; and how key it is to make sure every creative decision is in service to the fans. Listen to the full episode now or watch this episode on our Youtube channel. This episode is sponsored by FusionAuth. For more information, go to FusionAuth.io/game.

Raphaël Colantonio, Creative Director and President of WolfEye Studios and Co-Founder of Arkane Studios, discusses his career journey from Electronic Arts to founding Arkane and starting anew with WolfEye Studios. They also talk about their approach to accessibility and challenge in game development, the wins and near misses of their first game as a new studio, and the unique relationship between Devolver Digital and independent developers.

Mathijs de Jonge, Game Director for both the Horizon series and Killzone series, discusses building a sequel to a successful first entry while balancing new and existing features. They also talk about Guerrilla's approach to creating a massive and ambitious title like Horizon Forbidden West, including improving accessibility and melee combat, and the playtest process.

Chris Alderson and Josh Stiksma from Polyarc discuss founding the studio and developing for VR, the design choices that shaped the Moss series, and the balance between VR experiences and traditional gameplay. They also talk about creating content for VR, improvements in Moss Book Two, and the future of work in the game development industry.

Joseph Staten, Head of Creative at 343 Industries and Halo Infinite, discusses the challenges of developing an evolving campaign and a live-service game, the evolution of the Halo franchise in terms of team size and ambition, the difficulties faced during the development of Halo Infinite, and the essentials of successful game writing. He also shares his excitement for the future of the Halo franchise and the importance of expansion and bringing in new characters and creators.

Composer Tom Salta discusses his career journey before games, working with Arkane Studios on the Wolfenstein series and Deathloop, assembling a score rooted in the 60s for Deathloop, and how his experiences in game development have helped establish his creative workflow.

Johnny Galvatron, Creative Director behind the BAFTA award winning game, The Artful Escape, discusses his transition from rockstar to game developer; building his first studio and finding the right talent; working with Annapurna Interactive for a star-studded cast; the captivating travel sequences and influences in 'The Artful Escape'; the concept of agency in video games; the purposeful and captivating first act of the game; and creating a successful game and planning for the future.

Scot Lane, New World Game Director, discusses how he and Amazon Games designed the game's various systems, handles live content pipeline, analyzes feedback to make decisions, and gives advice for developers working on live service games.

Gregorios Kythreotis and Martin Kvale discuss their game Sable, including the development of Shedworks studio, collaborating with Japanese Breakfast on the soundtrack, infusing humor into the characters, and creating a game focused on meditation instead of combat.

Bungie's Luke Smith discusses designing repeatable gameplay and balancing the Destiny Universe for veterans and new players. They explore the benefits of live service experiences and creating spaces of belonging. They also discuss the potential for adding service-like experiences to non-service projects and the importance of seizing opportunities for personal and professional growth.