Building Better Games

Why are your favorite games getting more expensive to make? In this episode, Ben and Aaron dive into the escalating dynamics of game development costs and the transformative shift towards user-gener…

In this episode, Ben and Aaron navigate the intricate landscape of leadership within the gaming industry. They tackle the dichotomy between mobile and traditional gaming leadership, the economic shoc…

Despair and burnout are commonplace in game development. As leaders, what can we do about that, both to prevent it and solve it when it’s present?

In this episode, we're joined by Greg Street, a vete…

In this episode, Ben and Aaron delve into the complex interplay between creative direction and executive production in game development.

They explore the challenges and pitfalls of aligning creative …

In this episode, Andrei Van Roon, the Head of League Studio at Riot Games joined Ben and Aaron to discuss the emergence of live service and gameplay in the gaming industry and how it has become the d…

In this episode, Josh Thaler discusses the mindset and skills required to build successful live service games. He emphasizes the importance of total ownership, where every team member takes responsib…

Steve Bromley, a games user research consultant, joins Ben and Aaron to discuss the importance of user research in game development. He emphasizes the need for teams to understand their target player…

Paul Gebel, a product leader with over 20 years of experience, joins Aaron and Ben to discuss the importance of product management in game development. They explore the difference between good and ba…

Join us in this enlightening episode where Serge Knystautas, a seasoned technologist with extensive experience in the gaming industry, dives into the art of crafting outstanding live services and ass…

Communication challenges are a common concern in game development studios, but are they the real root issue? In this episode, Aaron and Ben argue that the crux lies in collaboration and the intended …

In this episode, Aaron and Ben address the prevailing frustration and cynicism within the game development industry concerning Agile methodologies. They stress the importance of acknowledging the evo…

In this episode, Aaron and Ben delve into their winning model for exceptional game production, highlighting the skills that define successful production. Their perspective: leadership, influence, and…

In this episode, Ben and Aaron delve into the critical role of game production and shed light on common misconceptions and pitfalls often encountered by producers. The discussion uncovers three disti…

Aaron and Ben discuss the challenges of poor management practices in the gaming industry. They explore the lack of transparency, the flawed promotion system, and the need for managers to prioritize t…

Ben and Aaron discuss the importance of understanding where your game falls on the live service spectrum and how that impacts your development process. They emphasize the need to build live service s…

“Most of the failures in any project that I've ever been on have been due to lack of communication, lack of coordination, lack of respect for other people, overemphasis on procedure, as opposed to be…

When it comes to saving money, working efficiently or creating value for players, what should take priority in game dev? No matter what your opinion is, tools are a possible solution to all of these …

There was an unusually high number of low-quality games released in 2022, and we think we know why.

The disconnect between the money and development sides often lead to rushed deadlines and games t…

Is your organization struggling with making decisions, from a lack of consensus or clarity on who the key decision makers are, or something else entirely? The RAPID decision-making framework might be…

Having opposing views from your team or struggling to communicate with senior leaders and stakeholders are just a couple of common issues game producers have when trying to make changes to improve th…