Artist Niklas Åkerblad talks Ultros, Hotline Miami

Austin Wintory chats with Composer Lennie Moore. Together they discuss his work on the original Outcast and its sequel Outcast: A New Beginning which came recently, 25 years later; the ins and outs of the business of composing music for video games including tips for young composers entering the industry; and the profound effect Lennie had on Austin's own career being one of his formative teachers at USC.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

Trent Kusters chats with multidisciplinary artist Niklas Åkerblad. Together they discuss his career leading up to his newest title, Ultros, including his early love of games and illustration; the revolutionary game development scene in Sweden; the profound impact Hotline Miami had on his career; the complexity of games as expressive and technical creations of art; and the philosophical and poetic storytelling inside Ultros. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Baldur's Gate 3 Actor Neil Newbon. Together they discuss his journey as an actor and the challenges he encountered that almost caused him to abandon his craft; finding an avenue for creative expression in video games including acting and directing; how social media warps expectations; and why he decided to start teaching. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

The audio version of this interview is entirely in Japanese. To watch the subtitled version, please visit our YouTube channel. Shuhei Yoshida chats with longtime producer of the TEKKEN series, Katsuhiro Harada. Together they discuss Harada-san's journey from working at a Namco arcade to joining the development team for TEKKEN; how the series has evolved to target a global audience; the importance of live events to the growth of the fighting game community; and his thoughts on the future of the genre and game development in general. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor Nadji Jeter. Together they discuss his journey throughout games and traditional film and television; what it's like being Miles Morales for the past decade; what it takes to bring the characters inside Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to life; and the gravity of being a part of the Marvel universe.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Adam Orth chats with the Director of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Gabe Amatangelo. Together they discuss Gabe's journey to game development and how he found himself at CD PROJEKT RED; how the initial release of Cyberpunk 2077 affected the team and what steps they took to course-correct; the game design and story elements they emphasized to add weight to every decision; and being consciously nuanced with real-world allegories. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Adam Orth chats with Roman Campos-Oriola, Eric Baptizat, and Philippe Ducharme from Motive Studio. Together they discuss what led to the decision to remake a beloved classic in Dead Space; which elements from the original release they decided to keep and what they thought they could improve; and the intricate balance between the tools, enemies, and environments that create Dead Space's tension filled gameplay.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Writer and Narrative Designer Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Actor Samantha Béart. Together they discuss the difficulty they faced attempting to enter the games industry; working together with the cast and crew at Larian; the intricacies of romance amidst an impending apocalypse; and the steps the industry still needs to take towards the path of diversity and inclusion. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Austin Wintory chats with award winning composer Oleksa Lozowchuk. Together they discuss Oleksa's career across games, television, and film including writing music for hit games like Capcom's Dead Rising franchise and Sony's Horizon franchise; the pitfalls of self-referential compositions; transitioning to a creative director role and working on his own original IP; and what he learned throughout his career that can help young creatives navigate the unique challenges of games. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

Adam Orth chats with narrative designer Meghna Jayanth. Together they discuss Meghna's childhood moving around the world and how those experiences shaped her views; the unique aspects of writing for games; the habits, development woes, and finances of live service games; and how Thirsty Suitors takes players through an authentic and emotional journey. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.