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Player Driven
──PLAYER DRIVEN · DESIGN DESK

Operators worth reading twice.

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Showing 14 essays · L01 FoundationsCLEAR ALL ✕
Make-A-Wish’s April Stallings Illuminates the ‘Whys’ of Gaming: Joy, Well-being, and Connection
· FIELD NOTES· COMMUNITY

Make-A-Wish’s April Stallings Illuminates the ‘Whys’ of Gaming: Joy, Well-being, and Connection

Make-A-Wish has granted >650,000 wishes to critically ill kids, and Stallings sheds light on why gaming-related requests are at the heart of one of the nonprofit’s four wish categories

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis Ward
Devhouse’s Jim Welch Can’t Get Away From the “Fun Stuff”
· FIELD NOTES· INDUSTRY & BUSINESS

Devhouse’s Jim Welch Can’t Get Away From the “Fun Stuff”

The founder and CEO of the prominent co-dev studio got his start in music and still feeds his creative side

L01 FoundationsFOUNDER
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis Ward
Make-A-Wish’s April Stallings Illuminates the ‘Whys’ of Gaming: Joy, Well-being, and Connection, Part 2
· TEARDOWN· COMMUNITY

Make-A-Wish’s April Stallings Illuminates the ‘Whys’ of Gaming: Joy, Well-being, and Connection, Part 2

More insights on the positive effects of granted wishes, Roll for Wishes, and John Cena’s “inspirational…attention and detail” in wish grating

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis Ward
Susanna Pollack, President of Games for Change, Pushes the Video Game Industry Toward a More ‘Hopeful and Optimistic Future’
· POSTMORTEM· COMMUNITY

Susanna Pollack, President of Games for Change, Pushes the Video Game Industry Toward a More ‘Hopeful and Optimistic Future’

In an exclusive sit-down with her at Games for Change (G4C) in July, we covered mission, impact, and inspiring participation in the hands-on, playful community

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardSEP 22, 2026
Games for Change’s Dr. Rachel Kowert and Arana Shapiro on Raising Good Gamers
· THEORY· PLAYER PSYCHOLOGY

Games for Change’s Dr. Rachel Kowert and Arana Shapiro on Raising Good Gamers

At G4C 2026 in July, Dr. Kowert and Shapiro laid out a new program designed to knit gaming families more closely together

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardSEP 16, 2026
Games for Change 2026: “Reimaging Play” Through Social Impact and Tools for Raising “Good” Gamers, Part 2
· POSTMORTEM· COMMUNITY

Games for Change 2026: “Reimaging Play” Through Social Impact and Tools for Raising “Good” Gamers, Part 2

The 23rd annual Games for Change festival was held in New York City on July 21-22 and we highlight a handful of day two sessions and key takeaways

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardAUG 5, 2026
Games for Change 2026: “Reimaging Play” Through Social Impact and Tools for Raising “Good” Gamers
· POSTMORTEM· COMMUNITY

Games for Change 2026: “Reimaging Play” Through Social Impact and Tools for Raising “Good” Gamers

The 23rd annual Games for Change festival was held last week in New York City and we highlight a handful of key sessions and takeaways

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardJUL 29, 2026
Fiene Ziegler’s Accidental Path from Cultural Studies to Player Community Management at InnoGames, Part 2
· FIELD NOTES· COMMUNITY

Fiene Ziegler’s Accidental Path from Cultural Studies to Player Community Management at InnoGames, Part 2

The community management specialist shares tips on getting video game content noticed and assessing KPIs on popular social media platforms

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardJUL 14, 2026
Fiene Ziegler’s Accidental Path from Cultural Studies to Player Community Management at InnoGames
· FIELD NOTES· COMMUNITY

Fiene Ziegler’s Accidental Path from Cultural Studies to Player Community Management at InnoGames

The community management specialist offers insights into how she orchestrates communications between the developers and global player base of Forge of Empires…and explains why she’s so into road trips

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardJUL 7, 2026
ARCANIX’s Oscar Clark on the EU’s DFA, Lightning Lessons, and the Primacy of Player Value, Part 2
· PROFILE· LIVE OPS

ARCANIX’s Oscar Clark on the EU’s DFA, Lightning Lessons, and the Primacy of Player Value, Part 2

The industry vet talks Lightning Lessons, ARCANIX, and how studios can “find the fun” in a sustainable way

L01 FoundationsLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardJUN 16, 2026
ARCANIX’s Oscar Clark on the EU’s DFA, Lightning Lessons, and the Primacy of Player Value, Part 1
· PROFILE· MONETIZATION

ARCANIX’s Oscar Clark on the EU’s DFA, Lightning Lessons, and the Primacy of Player Value, Part 1

The veteran gaming industry exec, speaker, and author is acutely attuned to the interplay of ethics and regulation

L01 FoundationsLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardJUN 9, 2026
Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 2
MEMBERS
· PROFILE· GAME DESIGN

Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 2

Forces in the EU are working to tap into video games’ latent potential to make the real-world a better place for everyone and the environment

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +1
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardMAY 8, 2026
Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 1
MEMBERS
· PROFILE· GAME DESIGN

Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 1

He's helping to shape Speculative Agency's strategic deck-builder, All Will Rise, to be a means toward that end

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +1
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardMAY 1, 2026
NYU Professor Eric Zimmerman On Game Design's Deep and Broad Potential
MEMBERS
· PROFILE· GAME DESIGN

NYU Professor Eric Zimmerman On Game Design's Deep and Broad Potential

From Diner Dash and Balatro to redesigning capitalism, Zimmerman is interested in creating, iterating, and playing with systems that deliver "mouthfuls of delicious meaning"

L01 FoundationsDESIGN +1
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
Lewis WardMAR 19, 2026