The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Adam Orth chats with SVP of Production at Enhance, Mark MacDonald. Together they discuss Enhance's recently released game Humanity, including the origin of the surreal puzzle-action experience; how Mark and Tetsuya Miziguchi met experimental artist Yugo Nakamura, the game's designer; abstract narratives and how COVID influence their own story during development; and why they decided to leave the fate of humanity up to a Shiba Inu. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Strange Scaffold's Xalavier Nelson Jr. chats with Adam Hines & Sean Krankel from Night School Studio. Together they discuss releasing their latest game, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals; how new tools are improving the development process; trying to stay unpredictable as a studio; identifying core principles during development; and writing authentic worlds and characters while working with the complex conversation system present in Oxenfree. Be sure to check out Xalavier and Strange Scaffold's newest game El Paso, Elsewhere on Steam. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Adam Orth chats with Jaeho Hwang and Nolan King from MINTROCKET Games, the studio behind the hit sushi restaurant/deep sea exploration RPG, Dave the Diver. Together they discuss where the idea behind such a unique mishmash began inlcuding various influences inside and outside of games; forming the development team and pitching the game to the publisher; balancing all the gameplay systems including making diving fun and challenging; and how they went about creating an endearing and relatable main character in Dave.  The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Austin Wintory chats with actor Ben Starr, who played the lead role of Clive Rosfield in the latest entry to the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XVI. Together they discuss how he started acting and his early love of video games; his thought process behind when getting into character and bringing the writing to life; the psychological toll of performance art; and the difficult but freeing process of acting for video games. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Adam Orth chats with Max "Larry" Fink, one of the 3 developers behind the smash hit online shooter, BattleBit Remastered. Together they discuss the history of BattleBit Remastered's development; how the team uses community feedback; being in the eye of the storm with the massive attention their game has garnered; and the unique design choices that help BattleBit Remastered stand out. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Austin Wintory chats with actor Laura Bailey about her iconic work in games and animation. Together they discuss her early career and catching her first big break; her work in animation that led to a prolific career in video games; her process for getting into character; being a part of the highly popular Critical Role; and working together alongside the all-star cast of the recently released Stray Gods.  The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Enter for a chance to win The Last of Us: The Complete First Season on digital: bit.ly/aiaslou Contest rules here. We're back with one of our past episodes with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Creative Director, Marcus Smith!  Ted Price chats with his long-time colleague at Insomniac Games, Marcus Smith. Together they discuss their history at Insomniac Games; his experiences on the Resistance series and Sunset Overdrive; his thoughts on being a creative director; how to build consensus and foster collaboration on big projects; and the challenges the team faced on the newest entry in the Ratchet & Clank series. Marcus Smith is a Creative Director at Insomniac Games, with his most recent title being this year's PlayStation 5 hit, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Previously he worked on several of Insomniac's best known titles including Marvel's Spider-Man, the Resistance series, and Sunset Overdrive.  The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

We're on a break from new content this week, but check out one of our past episodes with Bryan Intihar, Creative Director at Insomniac Games for Marvel’s Spider-Man! Originally released in April 19, 2019, Bryan joins host Ted Price of Insomniac Games live on the D.I.C.E. Summit stage to talk about his journey from journalist to game developer, the challenges of working on an existing IP, and his perspective on what it takes to be a successful creative director.  The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

Austin Wintory chats with longtime Star Wars franchise composer Gordy Haab. Together they discuss how Gordy found himself scoring more music for the space epic than even John Williams; creating music new music for an established franchise with your own voice and avoiding imitation; the complex approval process when working on Star Wars titles; and the fundamental differences between composing for video games and other types of media. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

Digital Eclipse LA's Adam Orth chats with John Johanas, the Game Director for the recently released rhythm-action game, Hi-Fi Rush. Together they discuss John's journey into development and how he landed himself in Japan and working with legendary game creator Shinji Mikami at Tango Gameworks; transitioning from design to leading his first full game project on The Evil Within 2; the personal weight of directing a sequel to a high profile game and earning your team's trust; how John's background in music lead to the creation of Hi-Fi Rush; and how the team balanced art, combat, and level design to guide players through the music enhanced gameplay.  The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram