Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Building Better Games
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| E106: Why Jira Hurts Game Studios | 04 Nov 2025 | 00:33:10 | |
If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Are you inadvertently forcing your team to serve a tool, instead of letting your tools serve your team and game? In a recent conversation with Clinton Keith, Ben asked how Clint would help all of game development. Clint's response? "Delete Jira" - and Ben laughed to keep from crying. Jira is a powerful tool, but in the hands of uninformed game development leadership, it often becomes a weapon against the very teams it's meant to help. Ben, who has used Jira and other tools as a producer within large studios, dissects the common, catastrophic misuses of Jira. While you might be better off deleting the tool, the real work is about fixing the broken cultural and organizational patterns that turn a simple work management system into the "boss" of your game studio. Learn the four cascading failure patterns that are draining your team's effectiveness and how to correct them, making collaboration and player outcomes your true north. What You'll Learn In This Episode:
Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw #gamedevleadership #jiraantipatterns #gamedevelopment #agilefailure #buildingbettergames
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| E105: Your "2-Day" Task Takes 2 Months. Here's the Fix. | 28 Oct 2025 | 01:04:30 | |
If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 How much is your bad code costing you, and how much is your team's suffering just a ritual of amateur theatre? In this episode, Engineering and Agile expert Tim Ottinger and Ben challenge the core belief systems that plague software development, from the focus on individual productivity to the self-inflicted wounds of long release cycles. They break down the shocking truth about what slows software projects down, the high cost of errors in a complex system, and why doing work when it's easy is the only way to avoid the crushing complexity of doing it when it's hard. What you'll learn in this episode: ● Why teams might refuse to change and improve the way they work ● The importance of finding problems now, rather than waiting till later ● Why "crunch time" is killing your output, not boosting it ● When to be throwing work away and when to be making things real Bibliography: Paired Programming Illuminated by Lori Williams and Robert Kessler: More about our guest: Tim Ottinger is a legendary figure in software development, having programmed since 1979 and been active in the early days of Extreme Programming and Agile. As a Senior Consultant at Industrial Logic, co-author of Agile In A Flash and a contributor to Clean Code, Tim brings decades of practical experience to dissect what goes wrong in most software development and how you can start doing better. Accolades and Publications: ● Co-Author: Agile In A Flash (with Jeff Langr). ● Contributor: Clean Code. ● Writing Credits: C++ Report, Object Magazine Online, Pragmatic Bookshelf magazine, Software Quality Connection. ● Recognized for: Compassionate and patient approach to working with individuals, sincerely interested in helping people reach their goals. Social Media and Websites: ● Website (Blog): https://agileotter.blogspot.com/ ● Company Blog: https://www.industriallogic.com/blog/ ● Twitter/X: @tottinge. ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agileotter/ ● Email: tottinge@gmail.com ● Other: https://randsinrepose.com/welcome-to-rands-leadership-slack/ Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw #gamedev #SoftwareEngineering #Agile #GameIndustry #Leadership | |||
| E96: Setting Goals: It's Not Just About Shipping A Game, with Melissa Phillips | 26 Aug 2025 | 00:59:12 | |
Setting goals is harder than you think. In this episode, Ben Carcich is joined by Melissa Phillips, founder of Games Leadership, to dive deep into a topic that leaders often approach with little understanding: goal setting. From a professional perspective, goal setting is about helping people find fulfillment in what they are doing. Melissa discusses how goals have evolved from a basic survival need to a more complicated, individualistic pursuit. What you'll learn in this episode:
A successful game begins with better processes. This conversation is a great example of the mindset we teach at Building Better Games. Learn more about Melissa Phillips (Founder, Games Leadership) 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melphillips1/ Connect with us:
#GameDev #Leadership #ProjectManagement #CareerDevelopment #Goals
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| E6 Hiring Part 1: How to Hire the Right People for YOUR Org | 07 Apr 2022 | 01:13:01 | |
Understanding how people join your team and who they should be is a sacred process. Companies live and die on their ability to hire effectively. Join us as we go through the key (and core) principles of how we approach hiring, what companies get wrong, and discuss practical tools that you can use to set your team and yourself up for success (and finding great people). | |||
| E5 How to Turn a Video Game into a Successful Show: Arcane with Alex Yee | 29 Mar 2022 | 01:26:03 | |
Arcane released in 2021 and quickly became the highest rated series on Netflix, recently winning 9 Annie awards. We've seen our share of video game flops in film and TV, so we wanted to get a better understanding of why Arcane succeeded. In this episode, we talk to Alex Yee, one of the show's original creators responsible for writing and producing Arcane. We talk about how the show came to be, leadership, and his creative work in video games and television. | |||
| E4 Managing Others Pt 2: How to be a Good Boss | 15 Mar 2022 | 01:21:39 | |
Part 2 of Managing Others! This time we're talking about accountability and advocacy. With accountability, we look at how you can set expectations within your org as a leader and someone responsible for growing others. With advocacy, we look at a crucial role a manager plays for their employee and the company. Take a listen, and let us know what you think! | |||
| E3 Managing Others Pt 1: How to be a Good Boss | 01 Mar 2022 | 01:10:26 | |
Nearly every adult has had a boss. Many people have been a boss. Yet so few people have thought about what it means to be a good boss beyond the superficial. What makes a good boss? What role do they play in the work lives (and lives!) of the people they manage? Ben and Aaron start off the podcast with a debate about what should make bosses tick, then explore two of their people management pillars: Growth and Integrity. If you're looking for some controversial statements, take a listen! | |||
| E2 How You Lead Creative Content Teams with David Klaus | 15 Feb 2022 | 01:16:19 | |
Content pipelines! There's little info about them outside of the game industry, and even within it we tend to view them as some reductionist and step by step repeatable process, a machine you shove artists and writers and designers into to get 'game art stuff' out the other end. In this podcast we talk to @David Klaus, an Agile Coach and former producer who led one of the most profitable teams in the history of game development, to talk about how you lead, serve, and support developers as they make fantastic and useful art. | |||
| E1 People, Products, And Playtests: Staying Connected To Your Players | 01 Feb 2022 | 01:07:01 | |
It's our first episode of Season 2! We've renamed ourselves Building Better Games, and we're going to start by talking about the importance of maintaining a connection between game devs, the game they're making, and the audience. Get ready to talk about playtests, product thinking, and player empathy. Enjoy! | |||
| S1 EP19 Real Life: Game Design From The Trenches with Ryan "Morello" Scott | 11 Jan 2022 | 01:28:17 | |
In episode 19, @Ryan Scott joins Ben and Aaron to talk about Game Design. The conversation ranges from what makes a good game designer, to the relationship between product leadership and design, then over to modern trends and a shared skepticism of NFT-oriented games. Hope you enjoy it! | |||
| S1 EP18 How To Be A Holistic Leader Part 2: Working At Every Layer | 28 Dec 2021 | 01:17:11 | |
What is 'Holistic Leadership'? In this episode, Aaron and Ben talk about what it means to be a leader and operating at more than just the process layer. They discuss how leadership and management are different, which do we most often see, and what do we need more of in the modern world? Take a listen if you're trying to improve your leadership capability and feeling stuck. Hope you enjoy! | |||
| S1 EP17 How To Be A Holistic Leader Part 1: Our Org Model | 14 Dec 2021 | 01:04:48 | |
Over and over we run into orgs that want help with 'the process'. Over and over we do a little bit of exploration and discover that the org's issues reside at a deeper 'level'. In this podcast, we walk through the three layers (Culture, Product, and Process) and talk about how so often leaders are focusing all their efforts on the layer where they can have the least long-term positive impact. Check it out, and let us know what you think! | |||
| S1 EP16 Real Product Management: Hard-Won Lessons Creating Amazing Products With Darko Vukovic | 30 Nov 2021 | 01:21:17 | |
"Product Management" is everywhere in technology. Wherever you're working there is a need to understand what we're trying to do and where we're trying to go. The role is ubiquitous, it is crucial, and it is also undeniably difficult to do well. In this episode, Aaron and Ben bring Darko Vukovic to the podcast. Darko's an ex-Riot/Google/Oracle PM who has led teams, products, and other product managers in a variety of environments. The discussion ranges from what a product manager is supposed to be doing, how do we get sidetracked, and what younger product managers can do to set themselves apart. There's a lot in this one, enjoy! | |||
| E95: The Challenge Of Live Service Games And How To Win with Ryan Scott | 12 Aug 2025 | 01:27:57 | |
Are live service games truly dying, or are we just seeing a new era of evolution? In this episode, we sit down with game designer and product thinker Ryan Scott to unpack the difficult world of live service titles. Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge from his time working on major titles, sharing his unique insights on what makes a live service game thrive or fail. We dive deep into the concept of "switching costs," the importance of meeting specific player needs, and the delicate balance between mastery and novelty that defines a game's longevity. 🎮We talk about:
Here's the breakdown of the games and companies we talked about in this episode: The Games:
The Companies & Studios:
Learn more about Ryan Scott: In today's complex and costly industry, planning and estimation matter more than ever but are often destructive rather than helpful. Elevate your studio's decision-making and collaboration by learning how to get more out of estimation in less time. Connect with us: Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ #GameDev #GamingIndustry #GamePublishing #BusinessOfGames #GameMarketing | |||
| S1 EP15 Accountability: Why It's Hard And How To Do It | 17 Nov 2021 | 01:27:08 | |
We often hear leaders lament a lack of 'accountability' around organizations. It's commonly discussed, usually when something has gone wrong. But what is accountability? Why is it not present when people seem to want it so badly? How do you set it up? In this podcast, Ben and Aaron explore the topic, walking through what accountability is, why we get it wrong, and how to set it up for yourself and those you lead. Hope you enjoy! | |||
| S1 EP14 Adventures in AAA Game Design with Andrew Brownell | 04 Nov 2021 | 01:06:57 | |
For this episode we got to sit down with an old friend - Andrew Brownell. He's spent years as a designer and product lead in AAA studios like Riot, Red 5, and Boundless. Included are crucial lessons on getting yourself unstuck, the social nature of design, and incorporating learning into your development approach. Brilliant guy and we had a blast. | |||
| S1 EP13 Feedback: Do you really care about the people around you? | 19 Oct 2021 | 01:11:11 | |
Feedback: People don't even know what we mean when we use the term. We're talking direct, constructive, and growth-oriented - focused on the person and how they behave. We tend to focus on the work and avoid confrontation, but if you ask anyone you know its likely they have at least one "earth-shattering" story of when someone told them the hard thing and it changed their life. Why do we struggle with this? This is a key function of a trust-based and growth focused organization. To demonstrate our trust and investment in each other, we have to learn to say the hard things (and hear them too). | |||
| S1 EP12 Scaling Yourself As A Leader: What they didn't teach you. | 07 Oct 2021 | 01:00:31 | |
In this podcast we discuss and breakdown the major changes that occur as you grow into higher levels of leadership, and how our industry hasn't trained us to be effective when we get into them. Here we'll provide key focus areas for leaders at various levels and how the journey transforms what tools you'll need to be successful. | |||
| S1 EP11 Joining a Team Part 2: Disasters, challenges, and (eventual) successes | 21 Sep 2021 | 00:57:33 | |
In Part 1, we talked about the framework and approach we'd recommend for a leader joining a new team. In Part 2 (this episode), we cover what bad looks like, some of the challenges you can encounter, and some real-life stories of how Ben and Aaron approached joining teams and organizations in the past. Hope you find something useful that you can apply. | |||
| S1 EP10 Joining a Team: Lead with curiosity to avoid some common traps | 09 Sep 2021 | 01:06:05 | |
As leaders, we are occasionally asked to join new teams. It could be part of a promotion or expansion of responsibility, it could be that they need help and you've 'finally' arrived to provide it. Whatever the reason, you are launched into a new and uncertain world. In this episode of the Valarin Perspective, Aaron and Ben discuss what a healthy orientation and approach looks like, and also cover a lot of common missteps, such as assuming you know what the team needs, or trying to turn the organization into something similar to what you've worked with in the past. Hope you enjoy it, let us know what you think! | |||
| S1 EP9 You Can't Firefight Your Way to Success | 23 Aug 2021 | 00:54:47 | |
So many organizations are constantly focused on solving problems and firefighting. In this reactive position we lose a level of deliberateness: Are we actually moving toward our vision? There will always be another problem to solve, and it feels very rewarding to solve them. What does it look like if we focus on abundance, and pursue opportunities instead? | |||
| S1 EP8 Ahmed Sidky: Agility and driving past your faster horse | 28 Apr 2021 | 00:51:35 | |
For this episode we've brought on one of our esteemed mentors lovingly referred to as "Dr Agile" ( his super-duper favorite nickname). Ahmed is a legend in the software development and Agile space, bringing to bear the truth that this was always about sparking a mindset revolution, as opposed to just process and tools. He's founder of the ICAgile organization, a PhD, and a thought leader across the board in our industry. We discuss what we're missing, why organizations are struggling, and why we all got into Agility in the first place. How in the end, this is all about transitioning our entire worldview from one of optimization, throughput, and raw tactical effeciency toward people, adaptiveness, and learning in a changing world. | |||
| S1 EP7 Incentives: The crucial part of culture you're not considering - Part 2 | 17 Mar 2021 | 01:09:59 | |
Continuing our talk on Incentives, we dive into some examples and pragmatic ideas that can help you take advantage of the behaviors you encourage and discourage in your team or organization. Ask us questions, give us a piece of your mind, or start a discussion using the hashtag #ValarinPerspective Find us at www.valarinconsulting.com, or at @ValarinInc on Twitter and IG. | |||
| S1 EP6 Incentives: The crucial part of culture you're not considering - Part 1 | 16 Mar 2021 | 00:51:57 | |
Leadership. That always present topic that helps us realize that just talking about something doesn't make it any better. We take a look at what is so often missed when we think about any leader's role in an organization, and the consequences to feedback, autonomy, and work. This isn't a question of process, it's a question of approach. Ask us questions, give us a piece of your mind, or start a discussion using the hashtag #ValarinPerspective Find us at www.valarinconsulting.com, or at @ValarinInc on Twitter and IG. | |||
| E94: Why You Should Think About Publishing More In Game Dev with Elizabeth Howard | 29 Jul 2025 | 01:09:45 | |
Do you need game publishing to ship your game successfully? What does a leader in a publishing organization truly do? Join us for a conversation with Elizabeth Howard, an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience across Aspyr, 2K, and Bungie, where she led publishing and production. Elizabeth views game development and publishing as two parts working together to ship games, defining publishing as everything outside of dev. This episode explores the nature of game publishing, the historical dev-pub divide, and the need for greater integration and shared goals in today's complex market. What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Learn more about Elizabeth Howard: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethhoward Resources mentioned::
In today's complex and costly industry, strategic planning and effective estimation can help you succeed. Unfortunately, most studios don't know how to estimate in a way that makes the time spent worthwhile. If you want to spend less time and get more value out of estimation, check out our Advanced Estimation Course: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/advanced-estimation-course Connect with us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw #GameDev #GamingIndustry #GamePublishing #BusinessOfGames #GameMarketing | |||
| S1 EP5 Death Spiral: Planning the meeting to prep for the discussion at the leadership off-site about why our team's productivity is low. | 16 Mar 2021 | 01:35:48 | |
Why, oh why are there so many meetings all the time. Meetings. MEETINGS. It's all we do anymore. With remote work it's even worse. It's mind-numbing. We hate it. Why do we keep doing it to ourselves? Let's get into it. (Yes we realize the irony of you spending another hour listening about meetings) Ask us questions, give us a piece of your mind, or start a discussion using the hashtag #ValarinPerspective Find us at www.valarinconsulting.com, or at @ValarinInc on Twitter and IG. | |||
| S1 EP4 Operations Dudes Try Product Management | 16 Mar 2021 | 01:18:18 | |
The first podcast we ever recorded. Starts slow, but gets rolling about halfway through. We've always loved product management. And we've always known it was hard. Now you get to watch us fumble, grow, and learn our way through managing our own mini-product building the Valarin logo. Fun ensues, enjoy the Orc music! Ask us questions, give us a piece of your mind, or start a discussion using the hashtag #ValarinPerspective Find us at www.valarinconsulting.com, or at @ValarinInc on Twitter and IG. | |||
| S1 EP3 Stop Doing and Start Being | 16 Mar 2021 | 01:29:20 | |
We're missing something in our approach when it comes to Agility and process. "I'm executing the steps right and it just isn't working." We hear a lot of talk about the difference between "being" and "doing" Agile. Join us as we dig into real world examples that show how behavior and principle are key to guide us to the right results. Ask us questions, give us a piece of your mind, or start a discussion using the hashtag #ValarinPerspective Find us at www.valarinconsulting.com, or at @ValarinInc on Twitter and IG. | |||
| S1 EP2 Explaining the Inexplicable Boss | 16 Mar 2021 | 01:20:20 | |
What's at the bottom of why we do the things we do? Sure, there's mastery, autonomy, and purpose, but let's take a deeper look at what so many are trying to solve for. Go far enough, and you can often see the counter-intuitive motivations behind your leaders (and your own) choices. Ask us questions, give us a piece of your mind, or start a discussion using the hashtag #ValarinPerspective Find us at www.valarinconsulting.com, or at @ValarinInc on Twitter and IG. | |||
| S1 EP1 He did it all for the Nook-E-Reader | 16 Mar 2021 | 01:00:40 | |
Aaron takes us on his journey through a year spent at Barnes & Noble, walking through the differences in culture, some system shocks, and the Riot hangover. Ask us questions, give us a piece of your mind, or start a discussion using the hashtag #ValarinPerspective Find us at www.valarinconsulting.com, or at @ValarinInc on Twitter and IG.
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| EP0 Game dev: Why we're here and what we believe | 15 Mar 2021 | 00:04:41 | |
Why are we doing this? What's the point of it all? Start here as we dig into the "why" behind Building Better Games. Spoiler: Great games come from great leaders. | |||
| E93: The Collapse of the Games Industry with Trent Kusters | 15 Jul 2025 | 01:35:17 | |
How will the game industry adapt? Are we hurtling towards a gig economy? In this powerful conversation, we sit down with Trent Kusters, co-founder and studio head of League of Geeks, to talk about the future of our industry. Trent takes us on a deep, honest exploration of the game industry's current state, from platform power struggles and algorithmic curation to the erosion of full-time game dev careers. This vital conversation goes beyond just metrics, delving into the human element, sustainability, and the legacy we're creating for the next generation of talent. Here's what we'll learn in this episode: - The emergence of a game dev gig economy Resources mentioned: Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth: https://www.amazon.com/Doughnut-Economics-Seven-21st-Century-Economist/dp/1603586741 Creating a Rhythm-Action Game with Hi-Fi Rush Director John Johanas | AIAS Game Maker's Notebook: https://youtu.be/eFtGxFnOwtY?feature=shared Matthew Ball's Presentation: The State of Video Gaming in 2025: https://www.matthewball.co/all/stateofvideogaming2025 Shams Jorjani's "The Business of Video Games" featuring Xalavier Nelson Jr.: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-jyh9a-18333d4 Learn more about Trent Kusters: League of Geeks Website: https://leagueofgeeks.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trentkusters/ X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/trentkusters Recommended games to check out! I Am Your Beast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4RHkNCLtIU&ab_channel=IGN Town To City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRY-RgWh6hg&ab_channel=IGN Caves of Qud: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c6burNvtsU&ab_channel=KitfoxGames Want to know when you'll be done? Master game and software estimation so you can make better decisions sooner. Connect with us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw
#GameDev #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GameStudio #GameIndustryInsights
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| E92: 5 Principles Game Producers Need with 35-Year Industry Vet Steve Sargent | 01 Jul 2025 | 01:19:55 | |
What does it truly take to deliver a great game consistently in an industry known for its challenges and complexities? Join us for a conversation with Steve Sargent, Head of Production at Blind Squirrel Games, a veteran with over 35 years of experience in the game industry, including work on iconic titles like BioShock: The Collection and Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Steve dives deep into the art and science of game production, sharing the things to do, and also what to avoid, from his extensive career. You'll learn:
Whether you're an aspiring producer, an indie developer, or a seasoned leader, Steve's hard-earned wisdom offers actionable takeaways to help you build better games and stronger teams. Learn more about Steven Sargent:
Connect with us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ Twitter: https://x.com/BBG_Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw
#GameProduction #GameDev #AgileDevelopment #TeamLeadership #BlindSquirrelGames
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| E91: How to Stop Compromising and Make the Studio You Actually Want with Critical Path Games | 17 Jun 2025 | 01:42:10 | |
Game production lives and dies on planning—but most teams are still building like it's 2010. In this episode, Ben is joined by Jeanne-Marie Owens and Jesse Houston of Critical Path to reveal better ways a studio can function based on decades of experience. From the myth of the "critical path" to the illusion that things will magically come together in the final stretch, they explain why "figure it out later" kills projects, how lack of real commitment cripples teams, and what it actually takes to build a dependable studio culture. Hint: It's not a short list of "values." This is a wake-up call for any studio still relying on outdated ideas about how work gets done, and a practical guide to doing better. 🔍 You'll Hear: If you're a studio leader, producer, or creative tired of chaos and ready to build games with clarity, intention, and momentum, check it out! Connect with Critical Path Games: 🌐 Connect with Us: #GameProduction #GameLeadership #CriticalPath #StudioCulture #BuildingBetterGames | |||
| E90: The Engineering Talent Pipeline is Broken: Juniors, AI & the Future of Game Dev w/ Carly Taylor | 03 Jun 2025 | 01:18:25 | |
Hiring only senior engineers might feel like a smart move, but is it breaking game development? In this episode, Ben sits down with Carly Taylor (an engineer and data scientist formerly on Call of Duty, now at Databricks) to tackle one of the most pressing and misunderstood issues in game development today: the crumbling pipeline of engineering talent. They dive deep into the tragedy of the commons happening across studios, where short-term thinking and overreliance on senior talent are putting the future of game engineering at risk. Carly sheds light on the danger of under-investing in junior talent, the mentorship void left behind by remote work, and the role AI is really playing (hint: it's not what vendors are promising). Whether you're leading a studio, managing engineers, or trying to break into games yourself, this episode is a wake-up call. You'll Hear: Connect with Carly Taylor: Join the Building Better Games Community: Connect with Us: 👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on game dev leadership, production, and culture.
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| E89: Stop Crippling Your Team: How Leaders Create—and Fix—Bottlenecks | 20 May 2025 | 01:00:32 | |
Building a game is hard. Leading the team to do it well without losing yourself along the way? That's even harder. In this episode, Ben sits down with Melissa Phillips, founder of Games Leadership and a former Head of Studio, to talk about the messy, emotional, and deeply human side of game leadership. From BAFTA boardrooms to indie trenches, Melissa brings a rare blend of psychological insight and real-world experience to one of the most overlooked conversations in game development: what happens when power, pressure, and people collide. They dig into what founders get wrong, why doing "everything right" can still lead to failure, and how today's leaders can navigate burnout, broken systems, and the crushing uncertainty of building something new. You'll hear:
If you're a founder, leader, or future studio builder, this one's for you.
🌐 gamesleadership.com Looking to grow as a developer, producer, or studio leader? We've got you covered. ✅ Join the BBG Discord ✅ Level Up Your Production Skills ✅ Get Insights in Your Inbox Connect with Us:
👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on building better studios, better games, and better leadership in the game industry.
#GameLeadership #IndieGameDev #StudioCulture #GamesIndustryInsights #LeadershipInGames
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| E88: The 3 Levers to Make Games Travel East ↔ West | 06 May 2025 | 01:16:08 | |
What if the next great game studio doesn't come from the West? In this episode, Ben chats with Rob Wynne and Clark Kosene from Rising Tide Studios—an unannounced AAA-inspired indie team taking a bold leap: building a game that truly bridges Eastern and Western audiences. We dive deep into why the moat of Western AAA game development is disappearing fast—and how China, with more devs than the U.S. and EU combined, is already playing on equal footing. Rob and Clark share the untold story of how Rising Tide's founding team (ex-Activision and former Soulslike directors) aims to skip the slow forming-storming norm and go straight to "performing" with their next-gen isometric action roguelike.
Clark also reflects on transitioning from screenwriting to games, and the team's surprising approach to embedding story: real-time commentary inspired by Chinese crosstalk comedy. Their goal? A game where narrative flows during gameplay—not in between. If you're interested in global game dev trends, narrative innovation, or the future of indie-AAA (triple-I) development, don't miss this conversation. Stay Connected: Ben Carcich (Host, Building Better Games)
Rob Wynne (Co-founder, Rising Tide Studios)
Clark Kosene (Narrative Lead)
Rising Tide Studios
Get full uncut episodes & behind-the-scenes content: | |||
| E87: Toxic Culture in Game Development: The Real Metrics That Matter with Charlie Sull | 22 Apr 2025 | 00:48:06 | |
How would you know if your studio's culture is toxic—before it's too late? In this exclusive conversation, we talk with Charlie Sull, co-founder of CultureX and researcher with MIT, about how to spot, measure, and fix toxic workplace culture—especially in the high-stakes world of game development. Forget ping pong tables and free snacks. Culture is your operating system, and if leaders don't prioritize it, dysfunction spreads fast. We break down:
If you're a studio head, team lead, or future cultural change-maker, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you new tools to build a better workplace. What You'll Learn:
Books & Authors Mentioned (and Must-Reads!) from This Episode
- Focuses on the "heart" vs. "science" sides of business—emphasizing the value of culture
- Referenced for understanding team behavior and dysfunction
- Recommended by Charlie Sull for understanding organizational culture and leadership - Notable titles include Winning Through Innovation and Lead and Disrupt
- Practical tools and AI-driven metrics for measuring and improving workplace culture 🔗 Learn More & Connect Join the Community Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter Connect with Us:
Let's keep building better games—together. | |||
| E104: Game Dev Leaders: Save Weeks of Thrash in 20 Minutes | 21 Oct 2025 | 00:16:18 | |
If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 How do you save weeks of thrash when your team is busy and perhaps even crunching, but your key goals aren't moving? This solo episode with Ben reveals the hidden cost of avoiding difficult conversations and the simple, 20-minute fix that can unblock your entire game development team. The problem isn't your process, your backlog, or lack of effort—it's failure to pause and actually talk to each other. You'll learn: 5 signs you need to stop trying to outwork the problems Why pushing every problem to standup or retro isn't working How the right conversation can be worth more than weeks of work
Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw #GameDev #GameDevelopment #TeamAlignment #Agile #Productivity #BuildingBetterGames
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| E86: Why User Acquisition Isn't Just For Mobile Anymore with Matej Lančarič | 08 Apr 2025 | 01:09:46 | |
Building a great game is hard—but getting players to actually discover and play it? That's often harder. In this episode of Building Better Games, Ben sits down with user acquisition expert Matej Lančarič, whose decade of experience spans mobile, PC, Steam, and cross-platform launches. Together, they dive deep into the realities of user acquisition (UA), creative strategy, and why great games still fail without a clear plan to get players in the door. We break down:
Matej shares how mobile's UA evolution is coming to PC and console games, and why studio leaders must get hands-on with their marketing strategy before it's too late. Whether you're a game developer, producer, or studio lead, this episode is your tactical crash course on how to actually reach players in 2024's overcrowded game market. Connect with Matej Lančarič: Website: https://lancaric.me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matejlancaric Twitter: https://twitter.com/matej_lancaric Join the Community Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter Connect with Us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/ Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial 👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes focused on building better studios, better games, and better leadership in the game industry. | |||
| E85: Why Your Game Vision Sucks (And Why You're Not Alone!) with Graham McAllister | 25 Mar 2025 | 01:31:13 | |
In this episode, we welcome back organizational psychologist Graham McAllister for part 3 of our deep dive into one of the most critical challenges in game development—game vision. If you're a game developer, leader, or aspiring leader, this is an essential conversation that exposes why studios struggle to align on vision and how that misalignment contributes to failed games, frustrated teams, and organizational friction. Graham shares exclusive insights from his groundbreaking research, revealing why even seasoned studios misfire on creating shared mental models and what happens when product vision and creative vision pull teams in opposite directions. We break down how team psychology, leadership gaps, and missing frameworks are silently derailing your projects—and what you can do to change that. Whether you're leading a game team, working in production, design, or aiming for studio leadership, this episode will reshape how you approach collaboration, alignment, and success. Key Topics:
Resources & Next Steps: Connect with Graham McAllister: Read Graham's research and updates on the upcoming Game Vision book: Check out Graham's player psychology book (free online or via Amazon): Like this episode? Subscribe and hit the bell to stay updated on building better teams and creating successful games:
Join the Community Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter Connect with Us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BuildingBetterGames Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial We want to hear from YOU! What struggles have you faced with game vision on your projects? Drop your experiences in the comments. | |||
| E84: The Real Cost Of Founding A Game Startup with Joseph Kim | 11 Mar 2025 | 01:06:33 | |
The gaming industry is changing rapidly, and the global landscape is shifting in ways many studios aren't prepared for. Are Western game studios becoming too complacent? What role will international development play in the future of game creation? In this episode, Joseph Kim, CEO of Lila Games, shares hard-earned lessons about building a game studio in India, the challenges of hiring and leading globally, and the realities of making tough business decisions in game development. Key Takeaways:
Connect with Joseph Kim GameMakers Newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim Website: https://lilagames.com/ Expert Profile: https://www.liquidandgrit.com/expert-directory/joseph-kim/ Check out this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjBIXbN6h_E YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lilagames Join the Community Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter Connect with Us: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BuildingBetterGames
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| E83: 3 Steps To Leading Well In Game Development | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:42:59 | |
What does it take to lead effectively in the gaming industry? Many leaders in game development step into their roles without formal training—learning through trial and error. In this episode, we break down what real leadership looks like, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to drive meaningful change without falling into the trap of just "managing" processes.
Key Takeaways:
Why This Matters: Many game development leaders unknowingly fall into the trap of micromanagement, focusing more on processes than people. If you want to build better games, create stronger teams, and lead with purpose, you need to develop real leadership skills.
Your Challenge:
Join the Building Better Games Community
Our Discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
Interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer? Check it out here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Subscribe to our newsletter for game development insights: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Follow & Subscribe:
🚀 Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial
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| E82: The Most Expensive Mistake In Game Dev | 11 Feb 2025 | 01:21:55 | |
What if everything you thought about prototyping was wrong? Many teams rush to validate an idea too soon, but what if the real secret to success is building a studio that learns better? In this episode, Leif Johansen breaks down the myths of prototyping and how studios can create a structured approach to experimenting with game ideas. Key Takeaways:- Stop Searching for the "Perfect Prototype" – The best teams prioritize many small, fast failures over one high-stakes prototype. - Prototyping Is a Science and an Art – The most successful studios create intentional experiments that map out their design space before committing to a vision. - Build a Learning Machine, Not Just a Game – A strong studio isn't just about good ideas—it's about a team that knows how to test and refine them. - Innovation Comes from Small Fixes, Not Big Ideas – World of Warcraft and Apex Legends didn't just win by reinventing the wheel; they won by refining existing formulas with micro-improvements. - Hiring Too Fast Can Kill Your Game – Too many studios hire for downstream roles (art, animation) before locking in core mechanics, creating inefficiencies and wasted resources. 👉 Connect with Leif Johansen- Leif Johansen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leif-johansen-52139141
Our Discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ Interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer? Check it out here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production Subscribe to our newsletter for game development insights: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Follow & Subscribe: - Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ - YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames - Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QD5yIbFdJXvccO8Z5aXpm 🚀 Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial
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| E81: Bad Playtests Break Teams—Here's the Fix | 28 Jan 2025 | 00:36:59 | |
Is the games industry maturing or collapsing? How have our old models and comparisons hurt how we develop? In this episode, Leif walks us through how game dev has shifted, and how you need to think differently to stay relevant. Enjoy!
Key Takeaways:
👉 Connect with Leif Johansen • Leif Johansen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leif-johansen-52139141
Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
If you're interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QD5yIbFdJXvccO8Z5aXpm Help us create more amazing content! | |||
| E80: Stop Betting Everything on One Game — Start Shipping 10 on UEFN | 14 Jan 2025 | 00:57:11 | |
Why did Bungie's founder leave the AAA world to start building games in UEFN? What are the advantages and challenges of UGC platforms? Today, we talk with Alex Seropian, veteran game designer and founder of Bungie and Look North World, about the future of our industry. Enjoy!
Key Takeaways:
👉 Connect with Alex Seropian
Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
If you're interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QD5yIbFdJXvccO8Z5aXpm Help us create more amazing content! | |||
| E79: Why AAA is Failing and How to Recover and Other Questions - Our First Q&A Episode! | 31 Dec 2024 | 01:18:34 | |
No guests today! Instead, I'll be taking questions from the Building Better Games discord and answering them. I cover10 questions including the challenges with AAA dev, the rise of co-dev, and what production careers look like. Enjoy! Question #1 : How do you ensure that you (the royal you) are making a game that will be fun for players, not just fun for its designers to make? (Or maybe in this context - what are the ways in which production can support product management and ensure the sprint-to-sprint goals align with what internal player advocates are asking for?) Question #2 : What would you say needs to happen to make the big players more competitive / successful again? Question #3: Do you think there's an observable trend towards an increased amount of codevelopment as a way to mitigate costs/risk? What issues do you see this posing for coherent design and production if there is an increasing reliance on external development partners?
Question #4: There are clear signs when certain aspects of a game are lacking - incoherent design, low quality assets, buggy software. What are the player-facing symptoms of a game that is lacking in production or leadership competencies?
Question #5: Production organizations at larger game studios often suffer from issues of structure, such as a substantial number of producers, senior producers, and even lead producers all rolling directly up into an overburdened production director, because there doesn't seem to be an understood space for a "producer manager" between frontline production and executive/director-level production leadership. What is the rationale for this gap when manager is a well-understood conceit in other gamedev disciplines (e.g. designers will have design managers reporting to a design director, artists will have department managers reporting to a director, engineers have managers between them and directors, etc.)? Is it just that production is typically not a large enough organization to merit managers? That producers are seen as organized and not in need of more traditional personnel management?
Question #6: How can you become better at your role as a producer when you aren't at your job? Or in other words, how can you get better at what you do aside from getting more experience?
Question #7: For mid- and senior level producers: What does a career development track look like? Often it seems like the only future for a highly competent producer is executive producer (a stretch for many and not a realistic path for most) or production director, which itself is a rarified commodity at larger developers. What are the progression opportunities an IC producer should be considering? Question #8: As the only Production guy on my team (and 1 of 3 "operations people"), how would you deal with getting questions and answers when you have nobody around to rubber ducky with?
Question #9: When talking about the past, how can you learn to abstract experiences and look past the specifics? Are there any resources you recommend for learning how to tell stories so that you're not bogged down in the details of history?
Question #10: How are game developers selecting and setting up test groups to see their players are enjoying the game and it's a good market fit? Are there aspects of this process that could see refining and improving? Or common pitfalls other developers tend to see in this process?
Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
If you're interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QD5yIbFdJXvccO8Z5aXpm
Help us create more amazing content! Join us on Patreon today: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial
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| E78: How to Lead Game Dev in Uncertain Times, with Omar Kendall | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:53:48 | |
There's a ton of knowledge about how we sustain games, but the art of creating something new remains mysterious, even to veteran developers. In this episode, Omar Kendall returns to talk about unknowns, product vs design, and how our industry is relating to risk. Enjoy!
Key Takeaways:
👉 Connect with Omar Kendall • Omar Kendall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarkendall/
Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
If you're interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QD5yIbFdJXvccO8Z5aXpm Help us create more amazing content! | |||
| E77: How You Know Which Game To Make, with Omar Kendall | 03 Dec 2024 | 00:55:49 | |
Figuring out a novel game idea is HARD. You can't just hope the mishmash of ideas in your head are going to come together - history shows they often don't. So how do you pick your target? Omar Kendall is here to help you out with that. Enjoy! Key Takeaways:
👉 Connect with Omar Kendall
• Omar Kendall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarkendall/
Our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
If you're interested in an online course on becoming a better game producer, head here: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Subscribe to our newsletter for more game development tips and resources: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QD5yIbFdJXvccO8Z5aXpm Help us create more amazing content! | |||
| E103: Leadership Under Fire: Surviving a $100M Game Studio Crisis | 14 Oct 2025 | 00:57:29 | |
If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 What happens when doing the right thing could get you fired? Every game dev leader faces this nightmare: being held accountable for results but not empowered to make the decisions needed to achieve them. That tension creates chaos, burns out teams, and kills great games. In this powerful episode, Ben sits down with Clinton Keith, author of Agile Game Development and one of the pioneers of Agile in the games industry. Clinton shares raw, unfiltered stories from real studio crises, including the moment a CEO threatened his team's lives to force change. This isn't a lecture; it's a candid look at what happens when pressure spikes, trust erodes, and leaders have to choose between survival and integrity. Together, Ben and Clinton break down the industry's most toxic patterns, from "efficient waste" caused by rapid scaling to the trust issues that cripple creative freedom. They also explore how proven frameworks from the military and medicine, like the OODA Loop, can help game studios move faster, safer, and with more clarity. 👉 Watch this episode for a brutally honest look at what real leadership takes in game development and how to lead when the system itself feels broken. What you'll learn in this episode: ✅ The Accountability Trap: Why even great leaders get stuck in broken systems (and how to break free) ✅ Scale Creates Waste: The hidden cost of growing your studio too fast ✅ The Trust Fix: Why control kills creativity (and how vulnerability builds real leadership) ✅ Beating Bad Systems: How to call out problems and keep your job ✅ Lessons from the Military & Medicine: Battle-tested frameworks that make your team faster and safer 🎮 About Clinton Keith: Learn more about Clint: 🔗Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B003AAP51G 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clintonkeith/ 🔗Website: https://clintonkeith.com/ Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw #GameDevLeadership #AgileGameDevelopment #GameIndustry #StudioCulture #GameProduction
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