#138 - Paul Tozour Interview (Metroid Prime 2 & 3, Boss Design, A.I., Leadership, Four Swords etc.)

Paul Tozour is a former engineer and video game developer with over 25 years of experience. He is most well known for his work on Metroid Prime 2 & 3. He is currently in the process of finishing his book The Four Swords: A Parable of Leadership, Video Games, and Dead Dragons which is due for release at the end of 2022.

SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER - @fourswordsbook

 

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

00:50 - What His Role Was At Retro Studios

02:30 - Challenges Between Retro & Nintendo/Dark Samus Fight In Prime 3

06:16 - Working With Tanabe/Western Vs Eastern Design

09:02 - Adapting To Nintendos Design Philosophies

10:55 - Project X And How It Fell Apart

17:17 - Michael Kelbaugh’s Influence On Retros Culture/How Paul Got Into Leadership 

21:00 - No Evidence To Show Crunch Is Productive/Cultural Norms

24:58 - Leadership Is Building Culture Intentionally

25:55 - Paul’s Crunch Stories/Underlying Problems Of Leadership

28:44 - Game Studio Values/Fear Of Conflict

31:35 - Leadership Is Leaving Your Ego On The Table

32:20 - Activision’s Scandal A Symptom Of A Deeper Problem

33:20 - Day Courses For Studios/Devs Having 100% Ownership Of Studios/Unions

35:50 - Andy O’Neills Saying/Mark Heigh- Hutchinson

37:15 - Michael Kelbaugh’s Leadership

38:25 - Different Disciplines 

41:40 - Pauls Book THE FOUR SWORDS And How It Came About

47:34 - Aven Colony/Helios Boss In Prime 3

50:15 - Pauls Frustration With A.I. In Gaming

53:31 - A.I. Gaming Evolution Is Very Slow/Flowchart Of Boss A.I. While Working On Prime 2 

57:01 - Idol State Of Dark Samus Battle In Prime 2

59:40 - Tanabe Didnt Like The Original Design Of The Pirate Homeward

1:01:44 - In Nintendo Meetings You Never Reference Another Game In Design Pitches

1:03:30 - The Game Is The Design Document With Nintendo

1:06:20 - Massive Design Documents Never Get Read

1:07:29 - Retro Devs Were Halo Fans And So It Influenced Prime 3/East & West Design Meet In Metroid Prime Trilogy

1:08:50 - You Gain New Perspectives From Working With Nintendo

1:10:30 - Wrap Up/FOUR Swords Book Promotion

1:11:45 - Where To Follow Paul Tozour