The 2025 Reality of the Indie: Interview with Alx Preston (Heartmachine228) | SpeakIndie #2

We’re shaking things up with our second in-person SpeakEasy episode - SpeakIndie. Ninel Anderson came to visit the Heart Machine studio and talked with Alx Preston, the studio's CEO. We filmed this interview in October 2024 but couldn’t release it earlier for some reason. A lot of things have happened since then. Heart Light Breaker was released in early access, Heart Machine suffered layoffs, Alx started a new campaign on Patreon, and much more. So all this stuff is not discussed here. However, the interview covers tons of resonating topics about our industry that shouldn’t remain silent:▶️ How to start and maintain the Kickstarter campaign▶️ How to communicate with publishers▶️ What is the current situation in the industry▶️ How to plan the budget for the project▶️ How to produce a game in the brand new genreIt’s personal, it’s insightful, and yes, it’s a lot of insights.Watch the video version of the interview:https://youtu.be/xP71U7EZPhM 🔗 Follow us on Social Media: 🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/devotedstudios_ 💬Discord: https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC 💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com The Heart Machine official site: https://www.heartmachine.com/ Hyper Light Breaker on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1534840/Hyper_Light_Breaker/ Alx Preston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alx-preston-a6729262/#GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #HeartMachine #AlxPreston #IndieGameDeveloper #SpeakEasyPodcast #SpeakIndie #GameDevelopment #DevotedStudios

Ninel Anderson meets with VFX expert Jason Keyser to discuss building and growing a VFX team for video games. Jason brings 18 years of experience to the table and offers INSIGHTFUL advice on finding top VFX talent, what to look for in portfolios, and how to create a team that really clicks. If you’re looking to learn more about the VFX process in game development or how to build a solid team, this SpeakEasy episode has you covered!Links on the platforms and sources mentioned in the episode:Fusion by Devoted platform: https://devotedfusion.com/ VFX Apprentice: https://www.vfxapprentice.com/ Realtime VFX forum: https://realtimevfx.com/ Jason Keyser on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-keyser-42070b3/ YouTube VFX Apprentice:  https://www.youtube.com/@VFX_Apprentice -------------------------------------------------------------------Watch the video version on YouTube:https://youtu.be/Y0J2YjBEM5w🔗 Follow us on Social Media: 🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/devotedstudios_ 💬Discord: https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC 💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com #VFX #GameDevelopment #VFXTeam #GameDesign #SpeakEasyPodcast #GameDevelopment #DevotedStudios

In this episode of Speakeasy, Ninel, CEO of Devoted Studios, sits down with Steve Abeyta, the creative genius behind Battlefield Mobile and Call of Duty Warzone Mobile.Watch the video version on YT:https://youtu.be/99Nn9sWQhbI⁠ Steve Abeyta's LinkedIn page:https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveabeyta/ Ever wondered what it takes to bring massive console games to your phone? Steve spills the secrets on the creative process (spoiler: it’s way more than just shrinking down graphics!).What you’ll learn in this episode:🎮 The creative process behind mobile game development⚔️ The evolution of Battlefield Mobile and Call of Duty Warzone Mobile📱 The latest trends shaping the future of mobile gaming🎧 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to get the latest on more exciting interviews with gaming industry experts! 🔗 Follow us on Social Media: 🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/devotedstudios_ 💬Discord: https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC 💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com #BattlefieldMobile #CallOfDutyWarzoneMobile #MobileGaming #GameDevelopment #UserGeneratedContent #VRGaming #MobileGameDesign #SpeakEasyPodcast #GameDevelopment #DevotedStudios

In this special episode, Ninel Anderson sits down with Billy Ahlswede, a game industry veteran who’s worked on League of Legends, Valorant, and now the exciting new title Seekers of Skyveil! We dive into: 🔥 Billy’s journey from Riot Games to a startup 🎭 The creative process behind Seekers of Skyveil 🎨 Character design, skins, and game balance 💡 How community feedback shapes game development 🕹️ The evolution of extraction-style gameplay in a MOBA setting 🚨 A wild Bungie story that almost caused a disaster 🔗 Follow us on Social Media: 🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/devotedstudios_ 💬Discord: https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC 💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com

In SpeakEasy Episode 29, we chat with Jesse Lee, the Concept Art Director at Striking Distance Studios, about how to create horror games and bring terrifying creature design to life. Jesse shares fun stories, and cool tips, and shows us how his concept art for games like Dead Space and Callisto Protocol is so creepy it’ll give you nightmares! We also spotlight some awesome work by Boris Turano. You'll love this episode if you love concept art, horror game design, or visual storytelling in games! Featured guest: Jesse Lee https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseleeconceptart/ https://www.artstation.com/jesse_lee Artist Spotlight: Boris Turano https://www.artstation.com/birez   Topics Covered: Jesse’s start with Dead Space and what makes it so special What goes into creating a terrifying game The process of designing horror creatures and environments Overcoming limitations and finding inspiration A special shoutout to Boris Turano’s art How long does it take to bring horror to life in games? Tips & Tricks in Creating Horror Games

Join us for SpeakEasy Episode 28 The guest of the episode is Cecil Kim, Art Director of thatgamecompany ("Sky: Children of the Light" game) https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecil-kim-ba4985/  https://www.cecilkim.com/  Don't miss to subscribe on our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/45MiTfC  Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 0:00 Intro 2:17 A Back Story: The Team Behind ThatGameCompany 5:12 Taking the Next Big Step 9:03 Building the Direction of Sky 13:02 Taking Risks to Build A Masterpiece 16:41 Creating an Organic Social Interaction in Sky 17:53 Building Worlds: The Art of Sky 20:01 COZY: The New Feel in Games 21:12 Sky: The Bedtime Game 22:18 Creating Skyfest IRL for an Online Community 24:18 An Interactive Experience 25:25 The Transmedia Evolution 26:48 Creating an Expanded Universe 28:55 Working Across Multiple Projects 31:13 The Difficulty of the Gaming Industry 32:34 Ending In this episode of SpeakEasy, we sit down with Cecil Kim, the visionary Art Director behind Sky: Children of the Light from ThatGameCompany. Cecil takes us through the journey of building Sky—from assembling a talented team to taking bold creative risks that pushed the boundaries of social interaction in gaming. Discover how Cecil and his team created immersive worlds, brought a new sense of coziness to games, and developed transmedia experiences that expanded the Sky universe. Cecil also shares his insights on hiring top talent, managing multiple projects, and the challenges faced in today’s evolving gaming industry. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a game developer, or a fan of Sky, this episode offers a deep dive into the creative process behind one of the most unique games of our time. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insightful episodes! 📣 Don't Miss Out! 🔗 Follow us on Social Media:  🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios   🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios   📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios    🐦 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/devotedstudios_    💬Discord:  https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC   💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com      💬 Tags:  #GamingIndustry #ArtDirection #GameDevelopment #SkyGame #CecilKim #ThatGameCompany #SpeakEasyPodcast #WorldBuilding #GameArt #CreativeProcess

Join us for SpeakEasy Episode 27 featuring Allen Dilling, a renowned Art and Creative Direction Consultant with a 25-year legacy at Blizzard Entertainment. Here’s Allen’s profile on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-dilling/ Watch the episode's video version on our YouTbe channel @DevotedStudios https://bit.ly/45MiTfC  Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 0:00 Intro 0:59 Highlights of a 25 yr career 1:53 Art Styles & Trends 4:44 20 Years of WarCraft  7:57 Creative Freedom 11:05 The Anxiety of Working with Beloved Titles 12:49 The Secret Sauce 14:35 The Key things that make a title successful 16:42 The Transition Period Between Sequels 18:28 RTS Meeting its end? 21:20 Live Service vs Paid Games 23:50 Strategies around Updates 26:09 Tips, Tricks, & Inspiration 28:30 Making Fresh Ideas 30:17 Ending In this episode, we dive deep into Allen's illustrious career, exploring his highlight moments at Blizzard and his work on iconic titles like Starcraft and Warcraft. Discover the evolution of art styles and trends in the gaming industry and learn about the creative freedom and challenges involved in developing beloved franchises. Allen shares his insights on the anxiety of working on high-stakes projects and offers valuable tips and tricks for generating fresh ideas in a competitive field. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a gaming enthusiast, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes magic of Blizzard games, this episode is packed with inspiration and expertise. Topics Covered: => Allen Dilling’s career highlights at Blizzard => Evolution of art styles and trends in gaming => Creative freedom in game development => Managing anxiety while working on beloved titles => Tips for innovative and fresh creative ideas Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insightful episodes! 🔗 Follow us on Social Media:  🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios   🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios   📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios    🐦 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/devotedstudios_    💬Discord:  https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC   💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com

Welcome to Devoted SpeakEasy Episode 26! 🌟 This month, we're thrilled to bring you an exclusive interview with Minoh Kim, the brilliant Art Director of League of Legends maps and modes at Riot Games! 🎮✨ In this episode, Minoh Kim dives deep into his incredible journey in the game development industry, sharing insights from his early days at Cryptic Studios to his impactful role at Riot Games. Discover how he led the art direction for iconic maps and modes in League of Legends and contributed to the character designs for the acclaimed game Valorant. 🔥 What's Inside: - 🚀 Minoh Kim's inspiring career path and industry experiences - 🖌️ Behind-the-scenes of art direction for League of Legends maps and modes - 🎨 Insights into character design for Valorant - 🎮 Expert tips on game development and design - 🌟 Valuable advice for aspiring game artists and developers 📣 Don't Miss Out!

Like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell to stay updated with our latest episodes!! https://bit.ly/45MiTfC Timecodes for your convenient navigation: 0:00 Intro 1:42 Shaun’s Journey: From a Small Studio to the Big Leagues 4:15 Top 5 Skills Learned from the Call of Duty Franchise 5:24 Building Maps for Call of Duty 10:36 Strategies to Speed Up Map Creation 13:20 Learning to Fix Production Pitfalls 16:37 Maps for CoD BO 4 and the First Battle Royal Map 18:29 How the Blackout Map was Developed 21:15 Iterating Small while Pitching and Developing New IPs 21:46 Cinematics for Black Ops Cold War and Warzone Specifics 23:12 The Gear and Weapons in Call of Duty 26:13 Pitching Your Ideas in AAA Studios 27:39 Multiple Experiences in the Same Environment: How to Make Them Universal? 28:54 Diversity in the Video Gaming Industry 31:50 Ending Welcome to Devoted SpeakEasy Episode 25! Join us for an insightful conversation with Art Director Shaun Bell as he shares his experience working within the expansive Call of Duty franchise. Listen in as Shaun provides invaluable insights into the art of map creation, learning processes crucial for game development, and the essential considerations every Art Director in the gaming industry should know. 🔗 Follow us on Social Media: 🎨 Artstation: www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/mycompany 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/devotedstudios 🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/devotedstudios_ 💻 Visit the website: devotedstudios.com #DevotedSpeakEasy #GamingIndustry #ArtDirector #CallOfDuty #ExclusiveInterview #StayTuned 🎮🔥

Timecodes for your convenient navigation:00:00 Intro and guest presentation01:59 Key things to know about developing live service games07:22 Release process and release managers11:58 Building the culture of engineering teams 16:26 About the Palia experience: how to grow the team efficiently  18:18 Working at Gardens: what is Serge’s role in the project19:45 Collective performance: what it means22:06 Tech debt. Examples of how to deal with it27:36 Riot experience: what Serge did good and bad30:38 AI tools for engineers   In today's episode, we delve into the intricate engineering world with our guest, Serge Knystautas. With a solid background as a software entrepreneur in the gaming industry, Serge has held pivotal roles such as Director of Software Engineering at Riot Games, Head of Engineering at Singularity 6, and currently serves as the head of engineering at Gardens Interactive.  Gardens Interactive gained significant attention last year for securing $31.3 million in funding to develop a fantasy action role-playing game. Join us as we explore the complexities of live service games, navigate their releases, and delve into the future landscape of AI and engineering environments. Don't miss out on this insightful episode! Tune in now. 🔗 Follow us on Social Media:  🎨 Artstation: www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/mycompany  📘 Facebook: facebook.com/devotedstudios  🐦 Twitter: twitter.com/devotedstudios_  💻 Visit the website: devotedstudios.com #devotedstudios #speakeasy #liveservice #gaming #riotgames #leageoflegends #engineering