Branching Factor – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Branching Factor

AI and Games

Leisure

Technology

Frequency: 1 episode/25d. Total Eps: 25

Welcome to Branching Factor, a podcast about video games from people who play, develop and research video games.

In each episode, join our host Dr. Tommy Thompson as he sits down with co-hosts Dr. Anne Sullivan, George Osborn, Dr. Mike Cook, and Quang as they explore the gaming world.

Learn about how video games are made, the goings-on of the games industry, what academic research in games is all about, interviews with guests, and more!

Branching Factor is brought to you by the AI and Games YouTube channel, watch episodes on AI and Games Plus, and become a Patron to support the show.

Watch episodes of Branching Factor on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Learn About AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Become an AI and Games Patron: http://www.patreon.com/ai_and_games

Follow AI and Games on Twitter, Mastodon and TikTok

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - games
14/07/2026
#59
🇫🇷 France - games
23/04/2026
#93
🇫🇷 France - games
22/04/2026
#74
🇫🇷 France - games
21/04/2026
#64

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames
11 shares
http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames
11 shares
https://calendly.com/aiandgames
9 shares

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
17 shares
http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames
16 shares
https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join
6 shares

RSS feed quality and score

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 84%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

Year

Latest published episodes

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#024 - Digging into Little Learning Machines

Episode 24

Monday, September 2, 2024 • Duration 01:10:30

Tommy is joined by three of the developers behind ‘Little Learning Machines’: a puzzle game that entrusts players with teaching AI agents called Animos to solve puzzles in a variety of idyllic environments.

With a huge content update coming on September 5th to Steam, Tommy sits down with art director Nick Counter, technical lead Dante Camarena and community manager Fiona Firby from Transitional Forms to discuss the game and the year as they transition from early access to full launch, plus winning awards, delivering talks at GDC, and some of the other work they're up to as well!

Little Learning Machines is available right now on Steam, with a free update coming September 5th:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1993710/Little_Learning_Machines/

Catch the video version of this podcast on @AIandGamesPlus

https://youtu.be/pG7-ubbNZFI

Find out more about Little Learning Machines via the links below.

Website: https://www.transforms.ai/little-learning-machines

Learning Companion (PDF): https://www.transforms.ai/learning

GDC Postmortem Talk: https://gdcvault.com/play/1034597/AI-Summit-Little-Learning-Machines

Check out all of our content:

AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.com

AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

AI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Branching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Livestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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#023 - The 2024 GDMC Competition

Episode 23

Thursday, August 29, 2024 • Duration 01:08:15

Tommy is joined by Dr Christoph Salge and Victoire Herve from the University of Hertfordshire to talk about the 7th annual Generative Design in Minecraft Competition - an event where participants write AI systems to build settlements in Minecraft. We discuss how the project has continued to grow and persist for this long, the community that has thrived around it, and the big challenges still left to face in Minecraft settlement generation.

Find out more about the GDMC by visiting:

https://gendesignmc.wikidot.com/wiki:2024-settlement-generation-competition

Check out all of our content:

AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.com

AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

AI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Branching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Livestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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#014 - Sunset Crack Squad

Episode 14

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 • Duration 01:13:34

Tommy's riding solo in this episode, and so he decided to focus on games he's playing, projects he's involved in and the big stories in the news that are going down.

As mentioned, Tommy will be at the AI and Games Summer School for this year. It's running from June 17th-21st in Valletta in Malta, and early bird registration closes on March 1st.

http://school.gameaibook.org/

Plus, the first volume of 'Game AI Uncovered' - a new textbook series from games industry professionals on AI in commercial titles - is coming out on February 23rd. It will be available on Amazon and all major book stores.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Game-AI-Uncovered-Volume-One-by-Paul-Roberts-editor/9781032343235

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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#013 - George and Tommy Predict 2024 in Gaming

Episode 13

Friday, January 26, 2024 • Duration 01:29:39

Branching Factor is back for 2024. We kickstart the year with George and Tommy sitting down to discuss the current state of the games industry, and where we see things going over the next 12 months.

Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

#012 - AI and Games Wrapped 2023

Thursday, December 21, 2023 • Duration 02:53:19

In this month's episode, the rest of the team gets a well-earned break for the holiday season. Tommy sits down to reflect on the past year of content published across AI and Games, discusses his favourite games of the year, and answers viewer questions.

Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

#011: Unpacking the Unity Debacle

Episode 11

Thursday, November 16, 2023 • Duration 01:16:00

In this month's episode, Tommy, George and Quang unpack the recent headlines made by game engine creator Unity as it sought to define its monetisation practices, and the reaction by the game development community. Our special guest Matt Gambell from YouTube channel 'Game Dev Guide' gives his perspective both as a content creator focussed on the Unity game engine, as well as a day-to-day game developer who uses it.

Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

#010 - A Seaside Chat at Develop 2023

Season 1 · Episode 10

Thursday, October 26, 2023 • Duration 56:00

George and Tommy hang out at Develop 2023 and discuss their experiences of trying to make a name for themselves in the games industry, and the value of attending an industry event in building networks and fostering communities.

Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

#009: The Future of AI for Games [A 2023 Summer School Panel]

Episode 9

Thursday, September 21, 2023 • Duration 01:03:07

A recording from Tommy's visit to the AI and Games Summer School ( @GameAISchool ), which ran in June 2023 at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. Our panel, explores aspects of AI for games and what the future of it might look like. With Tommy as moderator, this panel ran on day 3 of the event with the following panellists:

- Katja Hofmann (Microsoft Research)

- Duygu Cakmak (Creative Assembly)

- Oskar Stalberg (independent developer, creator of Townscaper)

- Wesley Kerr (Riot Games)

Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

#008: Celebrating 10 Years of Dota 2

Season 1 · Episode 8

Thursday, August 24, 2023 • Duration 01:25:50

In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Mike sit down to celebrate 10 years of Dota 2. A game that Mike has thousands of hours in, and one that Tommy has observed with great interest, but has only played it for 87 minutes according to his Steam profile. So what better excuse than to mash these two people together to talk all about it! We discuss its origins, its impact on the games industry, and how its influence on AI persists despite the big headline news being in the rear-view mirror.

Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

Got a question or comment? Send an email to: branchingfactor@aiandgames.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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#007: Pixel Bashing with the Bitmap Bureau

Season 1 · Episode 7

Thursday, July 27, 2023 • Duration 01:10:35

In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Quang sit down with Mike and Gavin from the Bitmap Bureau to talk about their journey as indie game developers. Bitmap Bureau has been around since 2016, and has made a variety of games for modern platforms. But they're mostly known for 'Xeno Crisis': a game they kickstarted in 2018 and subsequently released on over a dozen platforms. From the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) and Neo Geo, all the way through to the Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One. We talk about what it's like to design and manufacture games like that for such a broad yet niche market, and all the fun that comes from running your own manual assembly line when sending off those Mega Drive cartridges to customers!

Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

Got a question or comment? Send an email to: branchingfactor@aiandgames.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Branching Factor – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

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Spotify

Branching Factor – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other29

Youtube6

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other29

Youtube6

Apple Podcasts

Twitter9

Spotify