Game Maker's Notebook

Bungie's Luke Smith discusses designing repeatable gameplay and balancing the Destiny Universe for veterans and new players. They explore the benefits of live service experiences and creating spaces of belonging. They also discuss the potential for adding service-like experiences to non-service projects and the importance of seizing opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Game developer and designer Andrew Shouldice discusses his journey into game development and the decision to go indie, the influences behind Tunic, the pressure of debuting your first project, the joy of mystery and discovery, and building a world full of secrets. They also talk about early experiences with video games, the initial reactions to the game from Microsoft executives, creating and designing the game manual, the exploration and combat mechanics, unexpected player behavior, and the demand for a printed manual.

Xalavier Nelson Jr. chats with writer and content creator Alanah Pearce. Together they discuss how her love of writing and video games began; creating content across a variety of mediums; getting her start in game development; cleared misconceptions after leaving media and joining development teams; and the importance of creating accessible games for all people and her venture the Video Game Accessibility Awards. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

Christopher Chancey discusses designing an RPG without combat, tackling difficult subjects in games, creating games for children, and his work with Indie Asylum and the Montreal development scene.

Oliver Lewin and Graham Parkes, developers of Before Your Eyes, discuss the creation of the blinking mechanic, learning through failure, and the narrative challenges they faced. They share their experience releasing their first title and winning a BAFTA. They also explore the writing process, the importance of blinking in the game, branching narratives, and creating accessible non-skill based games.

Austin Wintory chats with Jeff van Dyck, the composer and sound designer behind 2021's indie hit, Unpacking. Together they discuss how Unpacking features over 14,000 individual sound effects; how the interactivity of games lead the Foley and music design process; how the transition from midi to linear recording affected audio workflows; and his journey in the games industry working on titles like Total War and Alien: Isolation. To watch this episode, visit our Youtube channel.

Austin Wintory chats with Maclaine Diemer, one of the composers behind ArenaNet's long-running MMO, Guild Wars. Together they discuss his insightful presentation at GDC 2022; his career path from sound design to composing music; and the importance understanding nuance when creating music that references foreign cultures while also being open to having tough discussions about appropriation. Watch the full interview on our Youtube channel.

Trent Kusters (Co-Founder and Studio Director of League of Geeks) chats with Wren Brier and Tim Dawson, two of the developers behind the indie hit Unpacking. Together they discuss their journeys into game development; how the idea for Unpacking came about; important milestones during development; how clever marketing helped keep their game in the gaming zeitgeist; and important lessons they learned working on their first game as a couple. This episode is also available on YouTube.

At the 2022 D.I.C.E. Summit, Austin Wintory chats with actor Maggie Robertson. Together they discuss her journey into acting and landing the role of Lady Dimitrescu in Capcom's Resident Evil Village; the ins and outs of voice acting and performance capture; and the incredible fandom that sprung around the vampire countess before the game was even released.

Philip Eriksson, lead sound designer at Hazelight who previously worked on Battlefield V and Star Wars Battlefront II, recounts his shift from music to interactive audio. He describes crafting diverse, chapter-specific soundscapes for It Takes Two. They cover team building, huge music scope, split-screen mixing tricks, and practical workflows used to deliver polished, varied audio under tight schedules.