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Branching Factor - Podcast

Branching Factor

Welcome to Branching Factor, a podcast about video games from people who play, develop and research video games.

In each episode, join our host Dr. Tommy Thompson as he sits down with co-hosts Dr. Anne Sullivan, George Osborn, Dr. Mike Cook, and Quang as they explore the gaming world.

Learn about how video games are made, the goings-on of the games industry, what academic research in games is all about, interviews with guests, and more!


Branching Factor is brought to you by the AI and Games YouTube channel, watch episodes on AI and Games Plus, and become a Patron to support the show.

Watch episodes of Branching Factor on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Learn About AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Become an AI and Games Patron: http://www.patreon.com/ai_and_games

Follow AI and Games on Twitter, Mastodon and TikTok


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Games Leisure Ai Technology Video Games Gaming
Update frequency
every 22 days
Average duration
79 minutes
Episodes
25
Years Active
2023 - 2024
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#024 - Digging into Little Learning Machines

#024 - Digging into Little Learning Machines

Tommy is joined by three of the developers behind ‘Little Learning Machines’: a puzzle game that entrusts players with teaching AI agents called Animos to solve puzzles in a variety of idyllic enviro…

01:10:30  |   Mon 02 Sep 2024
#023 - The 2024 GDMC Competition

#023 - The 2024 GDMC Competition

Tommy is joined by Dr Christoph Salge and Victoire Herve from the University of Hertfordshire to talk about the 7th annual Generative Design in Minecraft Competition - an event where participants wri…

01:08:15  |   Thu 29 Aug 2024
#022 - We Made a Conference!?!

#022 - We Made a Conference!?!

After a summer hiatus the Branching Factor podcast is back! Sorry, I don't think we mentioned we were going talking a break, but hey - here we are!

Tommy fills you in on his travels, the work he's bee…

01:02:37  |   Mon 19 Aug 2024
#021 - Goal State Announcement Q'n'A

#021 - Goal State Announcement Q'n'A

Last week Tommy announced his new project 'Goal State', a series of online courses designed to teach people about AI for video games. It's going live on Kickstarter later this year, Here's Tommy re…

01:17:46  |   Tue 28 May 2024
#020 - Searching for Brilliant Indie Treasures with Quang and Jupiter Hadley

#020 - Searching for Brilliant Indie Treasures with Quang and Jupiter Hadley

Co-host Quang Nguyen returns to Branching Factor as Tommy welcomes long-time friend of the show Jupiter Hadley to come and chat with us. Quang and Jupiter are two of the organisers behind ‘Brilliant …

00:49:09  |   Mon 13 May 2024
#019 - On the Harvest Hunt with Mark Drew

#019 - On the Harvest Hunt with Mark Drew

In this episode Tommy sits down with Mark Drew, the director of Villainous Game studios. Their next title, Harvest Hunt, launches on Steam on May 22nd.


We get into our shared history, my accent, maki…

01:16:44  |   Mon 29 Apr 2024
#018 Musings on Games Leadership with Melissa Phillips

#018 Musings on Games Leadership with Melissa Phillips

In this episode Tommy is joined by longtime friend Melissa Phillips, who is now the director of the Games Leadership Network: a a non-profit organisation that aims to promote and improve leadership s…

01:17:50  |   Mon 15 Apr 2024
#017 - Tommy & George @GDC2024

#017 - Tommy & George @GDC2024

Tommy and George are back for this episode of Branching Factor, recorded on the final day of the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC). The team reflect on the week that has passed, and just how valu…

00:31:58  |   Mon 01 Apr 2024
#016 - Legendary Chat with Will Overgard

#016 - Legendary Chat with Will Overgard

Will Overgard, aka the Viking Blonde joins Tommy for a chat about his career as a Twitch streamer supporting game developers, and the current state of the industry going into GDC 2024. The conversati…

01:32:22  |   Mon 11 Mar 2024
#015: Screaming Match with Ben Ridge

#015: Screaming Match with Ben Ridge

For this weeks episode, Ben Ridge of Unfathomable Audio (the guy who does our music) joins us to talk about working in game audio, plus Helldivers II, Elden Ring, Bloodborne, gaming news and more!


As …

01:48:46  |   Mon 26 Feb 2024
#014 - Sunset Crack Squad

#014 - Sunset Crack Squad

Tommy's riding solo in this episode, and so he decided to focus on games he's playing, projects he's involved in and the big stories in the news that are going down.


--


As mentioned, Tommy will be at t…

01:13:34  |   Tue 13 Feb 2024
#013 - George and Tommy Predict 2024 in Gaming

#013 - George and Tommy Predict 2024 in Gaming

Branching Factor is back for 2024. We kickstart the year with George and Tommy sitting down to discuss the current state of the games industry, and where we see things going over the next 12 months.


01:29:39  |   Fri 26 Jan 2024
#012 - AI and Games Wrapped 2023

#012 - AI and Games Wrapped 2023

In this month's episode, the rest of the team gets a well-earned break for the holiday season. Tommy sits down to reflect on the past year of content published across AI and Games, discusses his fav…

02:53:19  |   Thu 21 Dec 2023
#011: Unpacking the Unity Debacle

#011: Unpacking the Unity Debacle

In this month's episode, Tommy, George and Quang unpack the recent headlines made by game engine creator Unity as it sought to define its monetisation practices, and the reaction by the game developm…

01:16:00  |   Thu 16 Nov 2023
#010 - A Seaside Chat at Develop 2023

#010 - A Seaside Chat at Develop 2023

George and Tommy hang out at Develop 2023 and discuss their experiences of trying to make a name for themselves in the games industry, and the value of attending an industry event in building network…

00:56:00  |   Thu 26 Oct 2023
#009: The Future of AI for Games [A 2023 Summer School Panel]

#009: The Future of AI for Games [A 2023 Summer School Panel]

A recording from Tommy's visit to the AI and Games Summer School ( @GameAISchool ), which ran in June 2023 at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. Our panel, explores aspects of AI for games and what t…

01:03:07  |   Thu 21 Sep 2023
#008: Celebrating 10 Years of Dota 2

#008: Celebrating 10 Years of Dota 2

In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Mike sit down to celebrate 10 years of Dota 2. A game that Mike has thousands of hours in, and one that Tommy has observed with great interest, but has…

01:25:50  |   Thu 24 Aug 2023
#007: Pixel Bashing with the Bitmap Bureau

#007: Pixel Bashing with the Bitmap Bureau

In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Quang sit down with Mike and Gavin from the Bitmap Bureau to talk about their journey as indie game developers. Bitmap Bureau has been around since 2016…

01:10:35  |   Thu 27 Jul 2023
#006: modl.ai and the Future of AI for Game Development

#006: modl.ai and the Future of AI for Game Development


Tommy is back in a solo episode of Branching Factor, in which we also welcome our first-ever guests. With AI for game development becoming an ever-popular topic of discussion, we welcome modl.ai CEO …

01:26:26  |   Fri 16 Jun 2023
#005: VOLTRON

#005: VOLTRON

In this month’s episode of Branching Factor, the whole team get together for the first time. Mike, Quang, George, Anne and Tommy meet up right before GDC in March to discuss games, gaming events, the…

02:04:30  |   Fri 26 May 2023
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