Game Prod Pod

Overview Is the next decade primed for an independent studio revolution, or will AAA behemoths simply hoover them up and spit them back out? Plus, Matt plays "Devil's Avocado" to interrogate the producer role: are producers essential shields against executive chaos, or glorified babysitters coddling introverted devs? And in a historic milestone for the podcast . The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadershi...

Is the next decade primed for an independent studio revolution, or will AAA behemoths simply hoover them up and spit them back out? Plus, Matt plays "Devil's Avocado" to interrogate the producer role: are producers essential shields against executive chaos, or glorified babysitters coddling introverted devs? (This episode is brought to you by Omni Digital Studios and their upcoming game, Psycasso...

Tash is off duty this week, leaving Matt and Luke to dive headfirst into the stark geopolitical divide splitting the industry: why Asian game studios are charging full steam ahead into generative AI while Western studios remain frozen by ethics, union resistance, and the fear of "AI slop" backlash. Are Western developers protecting human craft, or are they falling hopelessly behind? The Cast Matt...

"Look at me. Do I have six fingers? ... Stop laughing at AI because Will Smith ate spaghetti weird three years ago!"

Contraversial? Or just so crazy it could happen? Or it has already happened? Or it's happening.

Luke is officially missing in action on a mysterious side hustle, leaving Matt and Tash to seize the studio! With Luke out of the room, the duo breaks the ultimate rule and finally dives into what they've actually been playing lately—from tax-evading turnips to tactical SWAT breachers. Then, they clash over a big question: are we living in gaming's true "Golden Age," or is the indie boom built on...

A short trailer for the upcoming Episode "Is This the Golden Age of Gaming?" - stay tuned for more!

Tash returns from competition with shiny medals around her neck to join Matt and Luke for a deep dive into the serious side of gaming. From surgeons honing laparoscopic precision through video games to how game producers manage the "Zoom Lens"—balancing 30,000-foot strategic roadmaps with microscopic Jira weeds. Plus, Tash reveals her secret brain-cake baking past, and Matt defends his undefeated...

A Trailer for the upcoming episode... we're going to be taking all about serious gaming and simulations used outside of the games industry.

Overview Tash is off "bodybuilding" (lifting heavy weights and grunting), leaving Matt and Luke to talk about the absolute state of game dev finance. Why are we celebrating a record-breaking $200B year while mourning tens of thousands of redundancies? We follow the money from first principles. The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Luke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Deli...

A Trailer for the upcoming episode: Putting the 'Fun' in Funding There's a crisis happening. We're all feeling it.

Overview Before we step away for a quick summer break, Tash and Luke crash Matt's solo studio session to review the absolute madness of our first 14 episodes. From Matt's "Pig at the Disco" addiction to Luke's legendary excuses for being late, we look at the numbers behind Games Prod Pod . The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Produce...

Before we step away for a quick summer break, Tash and Luke crash Matt's solo studio session to review the absolute madness of our first 14 episodes. From Matt's "Pig at the Disco" addiction to Luke's legendary excuses for being late, we look at the numbers behind Games Prod Pod . The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Producer Luke Ti...

LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site Luke is absent this week, leaving Tash and Matt to get into a heavy-hitting but critical reality: misogyny and predatory behavior in professional spaces. From Tash's viral LinkedIn call-out post to her podium-placing triumph at the European Powerlifting Championships, we are drawing a hard line in the sand. The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Natasha Nat...

Trailer for the upcoming Episode: LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site. Manners - Professional or otherwise - cost nothing. Don't harass people on LinkedIn. Don't assume what you're saying is 'nice' or a 'compliment'. Head to one of the myriad actual dating apps or sites out there instead.

Tash is away "bodybuilding" (powerlifting), leaving Matt and Luke to hold down the fort. We tackle the psychological barrier of throwaway prototyping, debate Story Points vs. Hours, and explore why asking "Why" is the ultimate project management cheat code. The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Luke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader Episode 012: Stick or Twi...

The conversation explores the concept of the Fibonacci sequence and its application in agile methodology, emphasizing the idea of failing fast, failing often, and expanding. It also delves into the process of naming a new idea, with the working title being 'The Timms Method'. Takeaways The application of the Fibonacci sequence in business and development The process of naming a new idea

Tash returns from a wild weekend in Glasgow to debate the fine line between "passion" and "insidious crunch" with Luke. Plus, Matt serves up a curveball in True or Flase, and the team fails miserably at recording an intro together. The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Producer Luke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delive...

The conversation delves into the definitions of over time and crunch, highlighting the healthy balance of extra hours and the detrimental effects of enforced long working hours. It then explores the thin line between healthy team collaboration and unhealthy crunch culture, emphasizing the refusal to work overtime and the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. Takeaways Differentiating betw...

Tash, Luke, and Matt are celebrating double digits! In our tenth episode, we tackle the multi-generational reality of modern game studios, the critical danger of technical debt, and play a highly competitive round of Simulator-themed "True or False." The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Producer Luke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / P...

Luke starts talking coherently about generations in the games industry and then starts to ramble but heroically brings it back just in time for the clip to end.

Episode 009: Where's Our Wally? Tash and Matt hold down the fort while Luke battles Ikea furniture and smart plugs. We explore the high-stakes world of relocation in the games industry and why "Time Under Tension" isn't just for powerlifters—it's a survival strategy for producers. The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Producer Luke Ti...

Metacritic is marking its own homework. We kick off with a deep dive into the influence of Metacritic. Is a single number enough to tank a company's stock? We look at the Pearl Abyss controversy and ask if we've lost the "art" in the pursuit of the "percentage." 🤯 Hot Topic: The Snapshot Problem. Why are we still using static review scores for live-service games? We discuss the "Redemption Arc" o...

Show Notes & Description Overview Tash, Luke, and Matt are back for Episode 007, and it’s a big one because we have a listener! We dive into the controversial world of relocation and RTO, plus a masterclass on how producers can help indies fight for eyes in a saturated market. The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Producer Luke Ti...

Episode 006: Forgotten, Fallen Asleep, Dead? Recruitment is Broken. While Luke spends the first 20 minutes emptying his loft to find a lost story, Tash and Matt dive into the grim reality of modern job hunting. 🤯 Hot Topic: The AI Recruitment Arms Race. We discuss the absurdity of candidates using AI to write CVs just to get past an AI-powered ATS. If the bots are talking to the bots, where does...