Everything's Fine We're Shipping On Time

Building the EA Sports Brand, The First Madden Bowl & NBA 2K | EFWSOT with Erik Whiteford How did EA Sports transform from a niche video game label into a global cultural phenomenon? Former EA and 2K marketing executive Erik Whiteford joins Ric and Gary on Everything's Fine and We're Shipping On Time to share the inside story. In this episode, Erik takes us behind the scenes of his unc...

Building the EA Sports Brand, The First Madden Bowl & NBA 2K | EFWSOT with Erik Whiteford How did EA Sports transform from a niche video game label into a global cultural phenomenon? Former EA and 2K marketing executive Erik Whiteford joins Ric and Gary on Everything's Fine and We're Shipping On Time to share the inside story. In this episode, Erik takes us behind the scenes of his unc...

Ever wonder how the Game Developers Conference started, or what it was like recording John Madden for the original EA Sports games? Legendary game designer and IGDA founder Ernest Adams joins us to share untold stories from the golden age of video game development. In this extended episode of 'Everything's Fine and We're Shipping on Time', Ric and Gary sit down with Dr. Ernest Adam...

Ever wonder how the Game Developers Conference started, or what it was like recording John Madden for the original EA Sports games? Legendary game designer and IGDA founder Ernest Adams joins us to share untold stories from the golden age of video game development. In this extended episode of Everything's Fine and We're Shipping on Time , Ric and Gary sit down with Dr. Ernest Adams. From c...

What was it like inside Electronic Arts when there were only 21 employees and game packaging was built like record albums? In this episode, we sit down with industry legend Nancy Fong. After an incredible 43-year career shaping the visual identity, packaging, and culture of EA—to launching E3—Nancy shares hilarious behind-the-scenes stories you’ve never heard before. Discover what it was really li...

What was it like inside Electronic Arts when there were only 21 employees and game packaging was built like record albums? In this episode, we sit down with industry legend Nancy Fong. After an incredible 43-year career shaping the visual identity, packaging, and culture of EA—to launching E3—Nancy shares hilarious behind-the-scenes stories you’ve never heard before. Discover what it was really li...

In this episode of Everything 's Fine We're Shippig on Time , hosts Ric and Gary sit down with video game industry veteran and music licensing pioneer Randy Eckhardt. From the early chaotic days of QA and Red Book Audio in the 90s to scaling interactive entertainment, Randy shares the unfiltered stories behind bridging the nerd-gaming culture with mainstream music and sports. In this conve...

In this episode of Everything's Fine We're Shipping on Time , hosts Ric and Gary sit down with video game industry veteran and music licensing pioneer Randy Eckhardt. From the early chaotic days of QA and Red Book Audio in the 90s to scaling interactive entertainment, Randy shares the unfiltered stories behind bridging the nerd-gaming culture with mainstream music and sports. In this conve...

From TRS-80 to AI Engines: Inside the Evolution of Game Tech with Royal O'Brien What happens when a 9-year-old reverse-engineers a Star Trek game on a TRS-80, spends his 20s as a marine-turned-underground-DJ, and eventually helps architect open-source 3D engines at Amazon? In this episode of Everything's Fine and We're Shipping on Time, Gary and Ric sit down with Royal O'Brien (fou...

From TRS-80 to AI Engines: Inside the Evolution of Game Tech with Royal O'Brien What happens when a 9-year-old reverse-engineers a Star Trek game on a TRS-80, spends his 20s as a marine-turned-underground-DJ, and eventually helps architect open-source 3D engines at Amazon? In this episode of Everything's Fine and We're Shipping on Time, Gary and Ric sit down with Royal O'Brien (fou...

Ever wonder how the sausage is actually made behind your favorite AAA games? In this episode, industry OGs Gary and Rick sit down with legendary game developer, animator, and motion-capture pioneer Santiago Nunez (EA, Sony, 2K, God of War, Zenimax).From starting as EA's very first paid intern on Nuclear Strike, shipping Road Rash 3D and Tiger Woods Golf, to managing massive external animation...

Ever wonder how the sausage is actually made behind your favorite AAA games? In this episode, industry OGs Gary and Rick sit down with legendary game developer, animator, and motion-capture pioneer Santiago Nunez (EA, Sony, 2K, God of War, Zenimax).From starting as EA's very first paid intern on Nuclear Strike, shipping Road Rash 3D and Tiger Woods Golf, to managing massive external animation...

Game Development, Career Learnings, and Betting on Yourself In this episode, we sit down with industry legend Michael Rubinelli to talk about his fascinating journey from running an underground video game rental side hustle in rural North Carolina to helping build the golden era of EA Sports (Madden, NHL, and beyond). Michael shares raw, behind-the-scenes stories about what it really took to break...

Game Development, Career Learnings, and Betting on Yourself In this episode, we sit down with industry legend Michael Rubinelli to talk about his fascinating journey from running an underground video game rental side hustle in rural North Carolina to helping build the golden era of EA Sports (Madden, NHL, and beyond). Michael shares raw, behind-the-scenes stories about what it really took to break...

What happens when a legendary art director goes from shipping AAA titles at EA and viral hits at Zynga to building a retro-futuristic AI detective series? In this episode, we sit down with veteran art director, creative leader, and creator of Atomic Gumshoe, Walter Ianneo. We dive into the formative trenches of early 3D game development, the realities of working with AI tools as a human creator, a...

What happens when a legendary art director goes from shipping AAA titles at EA and viral hits at Zynga to building a retro-futuristic AI detective series? In this episode, we sit down with veteran art director, creative leader, and creator of Atomic Gumshoe, Walter Ianneo. We dive into the formative trenches of early 3D game development, the realities of working with AI tools as a human creator, a...

Episode Overview Welcome to a brand new episode of Everything's Fine and We're Shipping on Time! Today, Ric and Gary sit down with gaming industry veteran Chris Bergstresser. With a career spanning Sega, EA, Konami, and beyond, Chris provides a rare, executive-level perspective on the evolution of interactive entertainment. From managing chaotic hardware testing in the 90s to the strategic...

Episode Overview Welcome to a brand new episode of Everything's Fine and We're Shipping on Time! Today, Ric and Gary sit down with gaming industry veteran Chris Bergstresser. With a career spanning Sega, EA, Konami, and beyond, Chris provides a rare, executive-level perspective on the evolution of interactive entertainment. From managing chaotic hardware testing in the 90s to the strategic...

From Commodore 64 to AI Coding | EFWSOT with Jay Brown Welcome back to another episode of Everything's Fine We're Shipping on Time. This week, we are thrilled to host engineer extraordinaire, the brilliant Jay Brown. Jay's journey is a masterclass in video game development. We trace his roots from programming on a Commodore 64 in Mississippi to leading engineering teams at Konami, Glu...

From Commodore 64 to AI Coding | EFWSOT with Jay Brown Welcome back to another episode of Everything's Fine We're Shipping on Time. This week, we are thrilled to host engineer extraordinaire, the brilliant Jay Brown. Jay's journey is a masterclass in video game development. We trace his roots from programming on a Commodore 64 in Mississippi to leading engineering teams at Konami, Glu...

Community Building, AI, Career Advice and so much more | EFWSOT This week, Gary and Ric sit down with their longtime friend and gaming industry veteran, Jake Neri. With a massive career spanning Electronic Arts (EA), LucasArts, Konami, and Wargaming, Jake shares a conversational and unfiltered look into the evolution of video games. Whether you are curious about the grueling but glorious early day...

Community Building, AI, Career Advice and so much more | EFWSOT This week, Gary and Ric sit down with their longtime friend and gaming industry veteran, Jake Neri. With a massive career spanning Electronic Arts (EA), LucasArts, Konami, and Wargaming, Jake shares a conversational and unfiltered look into the evolution of video games. Whether you are curious about the grueling but glorious early day...

How do you navigate 30 years of massive shifts in video games—from 90s SGI render farms to modern AI workflows? Gaming veteran Ben Cammarano (Xbox, EA Sports, Wizards of the Coast) sits down with Ric and Gary to break down the craft of game design, leadership through "Mental Jiu-Jitsu," and what it actually takes to build a lasting career in games. Key Takeaways & Discussion Highligh...

How do you navigate 30 years of massive shifts in video games—from 90s SGI render farms to modern AI workflows? Gaming veteran Ben Cammarano (Xbox, EA Sports, Wizards of the Coast) sits down with Ric and Gary to break down the craft of game design, leadership through "Mental Jiu-Jitsu," and what it actually takes to build a lasting career in games. Key Takeaways & Discussion Highligh...

From 16-Bit Classics to Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 | Everything's Fine We're Shipping on Time How does a career evolve from faxing bug reports for Sega Genesis games to leading the charge on modern cooperative shooters? In this episode of Everything's Fine We're Shipping on Time , Ric and Gary sit down with industry veteran Lyle Hall. As the General Manager of Cold Iron Studios and t...