Jordan Blackman interviews the leaders and legends of the video game industry so that you can succeed with your game project, career, or venture. Discover how you can produce, market, and operate games more successfully so that your career can be more satisfying and impactful, whether you're a game designer, engineer, or entrepreneur and whether you work at a studio, publisher, brand or startup. Jordan is an industry insider, who has worked as a Senior Producer at Ubisoft and a Lead Designer at Zynga. Since 2012, Jordan has been helping clients like EA Sports, AMC Networks, The Pokemon Company, Ellen Degeneres, and Capcom create and grow hit games. In each episode of Playmakers, he goes to work uncovering valuable insights, tactics, and know-how from a wide range of entertaining personalities including designers, writers, product managers, technologists, studio founders, executives, and more. Why? So that you get practical perspectives and insights week after week. No matter your experience or discipline, this is the show that can level you up on everything from raising funds to live operations, and everything in-between. Oh, and you'll have fun every step of the way, because there's a magic sprinkle of goofiness in each episode. So thwack that subscribe button and buckle your safety belt, 'cus this here is the wildest ride in the metaverse.
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The Mindset of Personal Success in the Game Industry, with Tommy Tallarico
Season 2 · Episode 31
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 • Duration 47:27
In this episode:
Jordan sits down with legendary video game composer, producer, and entrepreneur Tommy Tallarico, whose career spans over 30 years in the gaming industry. Known for his work on iconic titles like Prince of Persia, Earthworm Jim, and MDK, Tommy shares his inspiring journey from homelessness to launching major projects such as Video Games Live and the new Intellivision Amico console. This episode dives deep into Tommy’s mindset for success, offering advice on goal-setting, perseverance, and the importance of networking. Tommy also discusses his approach to creating successful video games and his passion for bringing back family-friendly gaming experiences.
Topics covered:
How Tommy broke into the video game industry
His journey working on iconic games like Prince of Persia and Earthworm Jim
Tommy’s vision for the Intellivision Amico and how it aims to bring back family gaming
Insights into building successful development teams and working with indie developers
The future of video games post-pandemic and the impact of remote work on creativity
How to Create Breakthrough Worldwide Hits, with Amy Jo Kim
Season 2 · Episode 30
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 • Duration 40:58
In this episode:
Jordan sits down with Amy Jo Kim, a game designer, community architect, and innovation coach, named by Fortune as one of the “Top 10 Influential Women in Games.” Amy Jo has contributed to hit games like The Sims, Rock Band, Ultima Online, and Covet Fashion, and has worked on non-gaming products such as eBay, Netflix, and NYTimes.com. She is also the author of “Community Building on the Web” (2000) and “Game Thinking” (2018).
Amy Jo dives deep into her concept of “Superfans” and explains why they are critical to achieving market success. She discusses her approach to creating innovative products, how to find superfans early, and how this methodology can scale projects to achieve global success.
Topics covered:
What are “Super Fans” and why they are critical to getting a “beachhead” in the market
Why the “Fast Follow” method limits growth potential
How to quickly find and engage with Superfans to grow your product
How to create innovative projects that scale in a BIG way
Amy Jo’s Superfan Challenge: A free challenge designed to help teams identify their superfans
02:58 Introduction to Amy Jo Kim and her journey in the gaming industry
06:26 Combining game design with innovation across industries
07:44 The power of Superfans: engaging early adopters to drive product success
12:12 Avoiding the “Fast Follow” strategy: learning from copycat games
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
The Art of Transmedia Storytelling, with Chris Ferriter
Season 1 · Episode 22
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 • Duration 47:27
In this episode:
Jordan sits down with Chris Ferriter, an award-winning Producer and Designer. Chris’s career began in 1994, spanning both the motion picture and video game industries. He transitioned to the gaming industry in 1998 and has since produced over 50 games for top publishers like THQ, Midway, Ubisoft, and EA Sports. He is currently the President of Halon Entertainment, a visualization, virtual production, and game cinematics studio. Halon has collaborated with blockbuster films like Star Wars, Avatar, and The Mandalorian, as well as game cinematics for XCOM 2, God of War, Fortnite, and more. Listen in as Chris shares insights on how game engine technology is transforming storytelling and production across industries.
Topics covered:
Chris’s journey from film to games and back to virtual production
Breaking into the industry: getting a degree vs. getting your foot in the door
How to tell the best possible story with transmedia storytelling
The importance of previs (previsualization) in storytelling and production
Behind-the-scenes of game development and cinematics
The COVID-accelerated normalization of virtual production workflows
[04:48] Chris’s start in the industry and how his background in film influenced his career in games
[06:50] Early experience with optical and digital visual effects
[08:06] Transition to games and joining THQ as a game tester
[10:27] Breaking into the industry: the role of a degree vs. getting your foot in the door
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
How to Succeed in the Indie Games Business, with Jay Powell
Season 1 · Episode 21
Tuesday, June 22, 2021 • Duration 37:51
In this episode:
Jordan sits down with Jay Powell, the founder of The Powell Group, a video game consulting firm specializing in business development, publishing support, and licensing. Jay has over 20 years of experience in the games industry, working with companies like Other Ocean, Spill Games, and Deep Silver. He also leads the Indie Game Business Initiative, which produces a weekly podcast and virtual business conferences to help indie developers understand the business and marketing side of game development.
Jay shares his insights on how indie developers can strategize their approach to publishers, avoid common business mistakes, and navigate the publishing landscape in a post-pandemic world.
Topics covered:
How to strategize your approach to publishers as an indie developer
Avoiding common business mistakes made by small studios
Current opportunities in the game development market for indie devs
The impact of the pandemic on publishing for indie and small teams
The role of platforms like Microsoft Game Pass in today’s distribution landscape
[03:28] Jay’s career journey and how he started The Powell Group
[06:15] The biggest mistakes indie developers make when approaching publishers
[10:48] Understanding the publishing landscape and your options
[14:00] How to prioritize your pitch to publishers
[18:10] The role of playable demos in pitching your game
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
Rapid Prototyping Secrets for Better Games, with Bernard François
Episode 20
Wednesday, November 11, 2020 • Duration 46:33
In this episode:
Jordan interviews Bernard François, founder of Preview Labs, a company that specializes in rapid prototyping for video games. They have created prototypes for Amazon, Wargaming, Unity, Disney Imagineering, Google R&D, and more. Bernard shares expert insights into the world of prototyping, offering practical advice on how to build prototypes that are efficient, effective, and serve as a foundation for innovative game development.
Topics covered:
Bernard’s journey from programmer to founding Preview Labs
The key differences between prototypes, MVPs, vertical slices, and grey boxing
The difference between internal prototypes and prototypes for a pitch
How to set up an effective prototype and key variables to consider
Common prototyping mistakes and how to avoid them
The importance of functional graphics in prototypes
Knowing when to stop the prototyping process and move forward with production
[02:53] Bernard’s background and how Preview Labs began
[04:11] Bernard’s journey to becoming a prototyping expert
[06:53] The formation of Preview Labs and its early success
[09:44] Defining a prototype’s vision and key mechanics
[11:58] The importance of keeping prototypes simple
[13:21] Prototyping for pitches versus internal prototyping
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
Inside the Mind of a Game God, with Steve Meretzky
Episode 19
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 • Duration 51:43
In this episode:
Jordan interviews the legendary Steve Meretzky, a game designer and producer, best known for creating Infocom games. Steve was recognized as one of PC Gamer’s “Game Gods” and is renowned for his work on beloved text adventures like Zork, Planetfall, and Leather Goddesses of Phobos. He’s also held senior creative roles at companies such as King, GSN, and Disney/Playdom. Steve shares wisdom from his long career in the gaming industry, covering everything from IP development, narrative and character design, puzzle creation, and more.
Topics covered:
Steve's career journey and early days at Infocom
How to identify if a game project is on track for greatness
Moderating creative ambition to manage team resources
The story behind the creation of Leather Goddesses of Phobos
What should come first, the story or the puzzles in an adventure game?
Choosing the right IP for a game project
Steve's thoughts on game writing and character development
A valuable story about the dangers of not leveraging successes when you have them
[03:16] Steve’s entry into the game industry and Infocom
[07:05] Writing and designing Planetfall
[10:23] How Planetfall made players cry
[12:30] Identifying a successful game in development
[15:25] Technology challenges and risks: The Unity and Facebook project
[17:14] Balancing creative ambition and resource management
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
From Table Tops to Live Ops, with Bruce Harlick
Episode 18
Monday, September 7, 2020 • Duration 49:49
In this episode:
Jordan sits down with Bruce Harlick, a seasoned game designer who primarily worked on role-playing games. Bruce has worked with some of the industry's biggest names, including Zynga, LucasArts, NCSoft, and Hangar 13, and is now Systems Design Director at Ripple Effect Studios. He shares deep insights into game design, live ops, and the creative challenges of balancing business demands with game development.
Topics covered:
How to determine the right amount of content to launch with
Designing games to avoid a never-ending content treadmill for your team
The benefits of live ops for creativity in comparison to launching new games
How to design effective content tools
The impact of tech and procedural debt on a game’s future
Balancing between retention and revenue in LiveOps games
How to put together a quarterly calendar of content releases in a way that balances the key KPI
How to balance out risky new features with reliable features
The importance of working closely with the game’s community to design content players love
Why passion and empathy are critical to successful game design
[03:04] Bruce’s journey from tabletop games to live ops
[06:15] Lessons from managing content on tabletop role-playing games like Champions
[10:12] Transition from physical to digital games, and joining Monolith to work on The Matrix Online
[13:00] Learning from The Matrix Online and the rise of live game operations
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
Product Management & Monetization 101 & 201, with Gordon Rowe
Episode 17
Monday, August 31, 2020 • Duration 01:26:20
In this episode:
Jordan interviews Gordon Rowe, a seasoned product manager with extensive experience in monetization strategies and product management within the gaming industry. Gordon has worked at Zynga, where he managed Mafia Wars and was the sole product manager on Zynga’s 3rd party publishing team. He later joined Daybreak Games and now works at Facebook. In this episode, Gordon shares his expertise on free-to-play (F2P) game economies, player retention, and balancing revenue generation with player satisfaction.
Topics covered:
The hypothesis, test, iterate framework for improving key performance indicators (KPI)
Using funnels to understand player behavior
Anti-cheat considerations in competitive mobile games
Zynga monetization tricks and managing in-game currency “hangovers”
Avoiding "pay-to-win" dynamics in free-to-play games and why League of Legends has elements of it
Balancing retention and revenue in game design
How to evaluate F2P games using Day 1 (D1) and Day 7 (D7) retention metrics
Building a balanced game economy and when to introduce monetization into the player journey
[03:16] Gordon’s journey from Mafia Wars to Daybreak Games and Facebook
[07:05] Product management and the hypothesis-test-iterate framework
[10:12] Anti-cheat measures and team structures at Zynga
[13:00] Monetization strategies and avoiding pay-to-win
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
How to Become (or work with) a AAA Game Composer, with Michael Bross
Episode 16
Tuesday, August 25, 2020 • Duration 21:11
In this episode:
Jordan interviews AAA audio composer and sound designer Michael Bross, known for his work on games like Ratchet & Clank, Counter Strike, Oddworld, XCOM 2, Simpsons: Tapped Out, World of Tanks, Arena of Valor, and more. Michael shares insights on breaking into the game industry as a composer, what he looks for when hiring new talent, and when audio teams should be brought into the game development process. He also shares the importance of early audio integration in game development, his unique approach to concept composition, and how to get the best out of working with audio teams.
Topics covered:
Michael’s journey into the game industry and breaking into audio for AAA games
What Michael looks for when hiring new composers and sound designers
How early in the process to involve audio in game development
The role of audio in live service games (LiveOps) and how it has changed
The value of concept composition and creating music early in the design process
Tips for producers and developers to get the most from their audio teams
How LiveOps have changed the way audio is integrated into games
[02:53] Michael’s early career: From songwriter to game composer at Paragon Software
[06:18] The transition from small studios to AAA titles like Ratchet and Clank
[09:44] What Michael looks for in new composers and sound designers
[12:12] Concept composition: Creating music early to set the tone for game development
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
Managing Your Game Industry Career, with Marc Mencher
Episode 15
Thursday, August 3, 2017 • Duration 39:33
In this episode:
Jordan interviews Marc Mencher, a seasoned game industry recruiter and CEO of GameRecruiter. Marc’s career began as a software engineer on games like Falcon 1 and Vet. He later transitioned into recruiting, helping to staff companies such as 3DO and MicroProse, before founding GameRecruiter. He’s also the author of Get in the Game!, a guide to launching a career in the game industry. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Marc shares invaluable insights on how to break into the game industry, manage your career long-term, and navigate job hunting effectively, and more.
Topics covered:
Marc’s journey from game developer to industry recruiter
Key strategies for managing your game industry career over the long term
How to network effectively and unlock the unadvertised job market
Understanding the differences between retained vs. contingency recruiters
The importance of customizing resumes for different roles
Cleaning up your "internet life" to improve your chances in job applications
How to prepare for interviews and behavioral interview techniques
Identifying good company culture and avoiding common hiring pitfalls
Tips for researching companies before accepting job offers
The current hiring landscape for AAA game developers and beyond
[02:44] Marc’s entry into the game industry: from software engineer to game recruiter
[07:00] Working at MicroProse and staffing for The 3DO Company
Resources & media mentioned in this episode:
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