From Marketer to CEO, Making Beautiful Games at ustwo with Maria Sayans

If you’re wondering if it’s too late in life to change vocation, today’s guest will show you it isn't. 

“I'm somebody who came to the games industry a little bit late. Even though I've been in it now for 20 years, I've always felt a little bit like an outsider looking in.”

Maria Sayans has been helping games companies succeed in the digital space, build great brands, launch games and engage players for nearly two decades. Oh, and she’s the CEO of ustwo games - that’s not a bad achievement for an outsider!

“Our vision is to bring what's meaningful about games to everyone - making beautiful games that touch the soul of millions of players.”

In this latest episode of Hyper Curious, Maria shares her journey from consultancy to CEO, the soul searching she had to do to get her onto her current path and her advice for listeners just beginning to foray into marketing and the games industry. 

“I have so much hope for the industry and for what games can do for the world. Keep that positive spirit; I know everything is kind of falling apart around us but it really isn't. Humans have a lot more strength and positivity and hope in them than we often give them credit for.”

On today’s podcast:

• How to find your path
• The mindset you need to work in the games industry
• Good questions lead you to good decisions
• The importance of education in order to build strategic thinking
• Why she’s curious about embodied cognition
• Why her superpower would be to make parenting easier

Links:

• The Brain Science podcast
• Voices of VR podcast