Player Driven

Greg sits down with Catherine Litvaitis, a seasoned community manager with experience at Mouldbreaker Interactive, Armor Games Studios, and Paradox Interactive. Catherine shares her journey from being a player on Neopets to managing communities for various gaming companies. She delves into the importance of community guidelines, the role of a community manager, and best practices for building and...

Summary: In this episode, Greg sits down with Jon Yarbor, co-founder of Nodecraft, to discuss how private servers, accessibility, and player-focused design are reshaping multiplayer gaming. Jon shares his entrepreneurial journey, explains why privacy is the future of online play, and reveals how Nodecraft makes server hosting simple and accessible. If you're an indie or mid-sized game develop...

In this episode of Player Driven , Greg sits down with Ben Kvalo, founder of Midwest Games and a seasoned industry professional with experience at 2K, Blizzard, and Netflix. Ben shares his insights into the evolving role of publishers in the gaming industry, the challenges indie developers face, and how Midwest Games supports underserved creators around the world. Key Discussion Points: The Role o...

Episode Summary In this episode of the Player Driven Podcast, host Greg interviews Łukasz Cieślak, Senior Operations Manager at 5CA. Łukasz shares his journey from support agent to senior operations manager and provides deep insights into the role of BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing) in the gaming industry. He explains how companies like 5CA help gaming studios scale their player support, the es...

In this episode, Greg sits down with Jack Burrows, a level designer at NetEase, to explore the art, science, and philosophy behind video game level design. They discuss how developers balance player experience with creative ambition, the importance of time management and willpower, and how great design tells a story without words. Jack shares personal insights on motivation, creative process, and...

Summary This episode of the Player Driven podcast features Michael Csokas, founder of Iron Octopus Productions, and focuses on his journey from working in the oil field to becoming an indie game developer. He shares how his experience managing logistics in oil spills influenced his approach to video game development, especially with problem-solving and world-building. The conversation highlights h...

Episode Description: In this episode, we dive into the world of game development with Thaddeus Sasser, Game Director of Marvel Rivals at NetEase. Thad shares his journey from working on major franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield to leading the development of Marvel Rivals. We discuss the challenges of balancing creative vision with stakeholder expectations, bringing iconic Marvel character...

User-generated content (UGC) has become a transformative force in the gaming industry, giving players the tools to shape their favorite games and developers new ways to engage their communities. In this episode of the Player Driven Podcast , Scott Reismanis, founder of Mod.io, dives into how his platform is breaking barriers and expanding opportunities for players, creators, and studios alike. Key...

Summary: Mondae Atughonu, co-founder of Leap of Faith Studios, shares his journey from being a chemist and hospital manager to leading an indie game studio. This inspiring story highlights his transition from a non-gaming background to game development, his passion for creative problem-solving, and the studio's mission to innovate within the industry. Through their flagship game Haven , Monda...

Episode Summary On this episode of the Player Driven, Greg sits down with Christine Dart, the global head of marketing at Helpshift and a driving force behind the podcast itself. Christine shares her journey from aerospace engineering to marketing leadership, how she successfully bridges B2B and B2C strategies, and her knack for crafting initiatives that boost engagement and revenue. Get ready to...

Episode Overview: In this episode of Player Driven , Greg talks with Gareth Weatherley, the Senior Customer Relations Manager at Pearl Abyss. Gareth shares his journey in customer support across the gaming industry, the resurgence of game masters, and the balance between automation and human interaction in creating unforgettable player experiences. With insights from his time at Blizzard, Kakao Ga...

Episode Overview: In this episode, Greg Posner interviews Fiene Ziegler, Senior Community Management Specialist at InnoGames. Fiene shares her journey into gaming, insights on merging community management with social media, the importance of data-driven strategies, and her vision for the future of player engagement. Her experience sheds light on how to effectively manage online communities in a dy...

Introduction: In this episode of Player Engage, Greg Posner sits down with Mark Sample, the Studio Creative Director at Sumo Digital, who brings an extensive background in game development, having worked with studios like King, 2K, IOI, Ubisoft, and Sony. Mark shares insights into his journey from pixel art on the Commodore 64 to leading creative direction at Sumo Digital. The Role of a Studio Cre...

MDEV is a fast-growing gaming conference taking place on November 7-8 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Now in its sixth year, MDEV has doubled its audience year after year under the leadership of Ben Kvalo, founder of Midwest Games. Backed by sponsors like Unity, Unreal Engine, and PUBG Studios, MDEV showcases the talent of Midwest studios and is building momentum as a key event...

In this episode, Greg sits down with Ryan Burnett, the Studio Director at Respawn Madison, to talk about his journey in building a new studio from scratch, his leadership philosophy, and the growing game development hub in the Midwest. Ryan shares insights on how Respawn handles LiveOps for Apex Legends , the challenges of recruiting talent, and maintaining a healthy work culture. They also dive i...

Summary: Greg interviews Josh Garity, the founder and CEO of Pyramid Lake Games, to discuss the ins and outs of indie game development. Josh shares insights on their latest project, Varsity High School Football , detailing the challenges of creating a game that represents hundreds of high school football teams across the U.S. He highlights the importance of community feedback and how Pyramid Lake...

Introduction: In this episode, Greg Posner welcomes Jennifer Javornik, the Chief Partnerships Officer at Filament Games, to discuss the impact of educational gaming and the thriving Midwest game development community. Jennifer shares insights into how Filament creates games that go beyond entertainment by transforming players and shaping the future of education through immersive, meaningful experi...

Summary : In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Hogan to explore the growing problem of cheating in online gaming. Andrew shares his journey from brand strategy at Barclays to co-founding Intorqa, a company dedicated to combating cheating through with threat intelligence. We dive into the business of cheating, its impact on game developers, and how Intorqa's SaaS platform helps publishers...

Episode Description: In this episode, we dive into the world of game development with Thaddeus Sasser, Game Director of Marvel Rivals at NetEase. Thad shares his journey from working on major franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield to leading the development of Marvel Rivals. We discuss the challenges of balancing creative vision with stakeholder expectations, bringing iconic Marvel character...

Episode Description: In this episode, we sit down with Yaroslav Rudnitskiy, ASO expert and Head of ASO at AppFollow, to explore the power of App Store Optimization (ASO) and the importance of feedback management in app development. Yaroslav shares strategies for boosting your app’s visibility, engaging with users, and maintaining a positive reputation in the competitive app marketplace. Whether yo...

Episode Summary: In this episode, we’re joined by James Zinn, Partnership Manager at Shockbyte, to dive deep into the world of server hosting, multiplayer game experiences, and player-owned game servers. James shares his insights on the balance between cost and control in multiplayer game development, and how developers can utilize player-owned servers to foster community, enable user-generated co...

In this episode, we are joined by Nigel Franks and Kristie Dale from Snowed In Studios, a distinguished studio within the Keywords family. They dive into the nuances of crafting unforgettable player experiences, discussing the key challenges, cutting-edge technologies, trends, and best practices in the gaming industry. Nigel Franks, serving as the studio production director at Snowed In Studios, o...

Episode Description: In this episode, we sit down with Jack Burrows, a talented level designer at NetEase Games, who has worked on some of the most iconic titles in the gaming industry, including Call of Duty and Marvel Rivals. Jack shares his journey from a QA Specialist to a lead level designer, offering insights into the complexities of creating immersive game environments. He also discusses th...

Greg chats with Tomer Pascal, the co-founder and CEO of Own Play, about their innovative project, CityVerse Tycoon. This episode dives into the integration of Web3 technology in gaming, the challenges of using blockchain and NFTs, and how CityVerse Tycoon offers a seamless gaming experience for both Web3 enthusiasts and casual players alike. Tomer also shares insights into the use of Progressive W...

Greg sits down with Catherine Litvaitis, a seasoned community manager with experience at Mouldbreaker Interactive, Armor Games Studios, and Paradox Interactive. Catherine shares her journey from being a player on Neopets to managing communities for various gaming companies. She delves into the importance of community guidelines, the role of a community manager, and best practices for building and...