The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Trent Kusters chats with Onat Hekimoglu and Ole Tillmann from Slow Bros. Together they discuss the 14 year journey of their debut title, Harold Halibut; the history of the Slow Bros and how they went from college friends to a full-time game studio; the homemade photogrammetry technology they created to craft the stop-motion inspired look; and what they learned from their first release to help prepare for the next project. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

We're on a break from new content this week, but check out one of our past episodes with Supergiant Games' Amir Rao and Greg Kasavin! Originally released in Dec 20, 2020, Amir and Greg sit down with Ted Price to discuss creating Hades, and how launching in early access helped during development, the difficult task of tuning the complex game systems, the creative culture at Supergiant, and finding the right balance between work and life while making industry defining games.  If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Adam Orth chats with Stumbling Cat CEO and Creative Director, Renee Gittins. Together they discuss her journey to game development from starting in biotech engineering to working in VR; how work began on Potions: A Curious Tale as a side project; creating games that appeal to younger audiences rather than target them; her work with the IGDA and the important role they played during the pandemic; and the complexity of game releases.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with writer and narrative designer Whitney Beltrán. Together they discuss her background in environmental law and mythological studies that led to her work writing for RPGs; what it means to write inside the Dungeons & Dragons universe; focusing on what players feel after they put the controller down; the emergence of India as a leading market for players and hub for game developers; and thoughts on procedural generated narrative. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Mike Mika, a legendary game developer from Digital Eclipse, dives into the heart of gaming's past and future. He reminisces about crafting his first game on a Commodore 64 and the profound impact Atari had on his career. Mika passionately discusses the significance of game preservation, not just for nostalgia, but as a way to share human stories behind beloved titles. He also contrasts the creative freedoms of yesteryears with today's corporate constraints, praising the collaborative spirit that continues to drive innovation in game design.

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor turned game developer Abubakar Salim. Together they discuss his career including how he got his first gig in games with Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Origins; wanting to make his own game and starting his own studio; the lessons he learned from working with Ridley and Luke Scott that he applied to game development; how he wanted to tell a story of grief with his first title, Tales of Kenzera™: ZAU; and what the business side of games can learn from film.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with writer Evan Narcisse. Together they discuss his work across video games and comic books; how starting as an outsourcer helped him get his start in the industry; how outsourcing let him observe game development practices across many different studios; how his game Dot's Home explores historical practices that made home ownership difficult for minorities; and what the games industry needs to do to provide avenues into development for people from marginalized backgrounds. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

In this discussion, game developers Alex Dracott and Seth Rosen from Ironwood Studios delve into their acclaimed survival game, Pacific Drive. They share their journeys from AAA games to founding their own studio, highlighting the challenges faced along the way. The duo reveals how their childhood gaming experiences shaped their passion and reflects on crafting immersive gameplay that balances driving and survival mechanics. They also touch upon the importance of emotional engagement and creating meaningful NPC interactions, offering a glimpse into their creative process.

Trent Kusters chats with Hunter Bridges and Dave Padilla from Evening Star. Together they discuss their studio's debut title, Penny's Big Breakaway. Additionally they discuss their journeys into development and how the openness of developers helped get them started; how working with SEGA helped them prepare for future projects; the importance of documentation and avoiding knowledge silos; how developing their own engines influenced the type of studio they built; and how playtesting with a younger audience helped their development of Penny's Big Breakaway. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Senior Narrative Director at Insomniac Games, Jon Paquette, discusses crafting game narratives and collaborating with designers. They delve into creating dual protagonist stories like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, balancing humor and drama, exploring genuine male friendships, and the challenges of writing for beloved characters like Spiderman.