EP 172 · The game backend is 5% of the budget and 100% of the launch· 2D AGO
Player Driven
Player Driven Podcast
──LONG-FORM CONVERSATIONS

One hour,
two operators.

172 EPISODES
NEW EVERY TUESDAY
Regulation, Retention, and the Future of LiveOps with Oscar Clark
58:34
EP_122· LIVE OPS· VIDEO MISSING

Regulation, Retention, and the Future of LiveOps with Oscar Clark

Overview What happens when regulation collides with game design? In this episode, I sit down with industry veteran Oscar Clark to unpack the EU’s proposed changes around virtual currency, the ethics of monetization, and why “finding the fun…

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENOCT 14, 2025
Marketing That Moves the Needle with Christine Dart
48:27
EP_121· LIVE OPS· VIDEO MISSING

Marketing That Moves the Needle with Christine Dart

The gaming industry is full of brilliant products that never reach their potential. Not because the game isn’t good, but because the marketing strategy behind it doesn’t scale. In this episode of Player Driven, we explore how studios can turn marketing into a repeatable growth engine — not just a launch-day megaphone.

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENOCT 7, 2025
ENCORE - The Next Frontier in Game Development: AI-Powered Testing with Shaun Laker
55:36
EP_120· VIDEO MISSING

ENCORE - The Next Frontier in Game Development: AI-Powered Testing with Shaun Laker

Description The games industry is moving faster than ever — live service updates, cross-platform launches, and endless content drops. But QA hasn’t kept pace. Bugs slip through, launches stumble, and player trust takes a hit.

0
PLAYER DRIVENSEP 30, 2025
Pixel Therapy: Why Games and Mental Health Go Hand in Hand with Eric Chou
45:59
EP_119· VIDEO MISSING

Pixel Therapy: Why Games and Mental Health Go Hand in Hand with Eric Chou

Description Eric Chou started with a mod for Command and Conquer. Today, he runs Honor Games and works on the front lines of mental health.

0
PLAYER DRIVENSEP 23, 2025
From Stay-at-Home Dad to Six-Figure Modder: Why Your Next Big Hire is Already Playing Your Game
53:58
EP_118· UGC & CREATORS· VIDEO MISSING

From Stay-at-Home Dad to Six-Figure Modder: Why Your Next Big Hire is Already Playing Your Game

What does it take to turn a gaming hobby into a six-figure salary? In this episode, Greg sits down with Sandi, a stay-at-home dad who taught himself to create mods for ARK: Survival Ascended and ended up building a UGC empire with over 80 m…

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENSEP 16, 2025
Balancing Family, Career, and Community in the Games Industry with Amir Satvat
1:01:33
EP_117· INDUSTRY & BUSINESS· VIDEO MISSING

Balancing Family, Career, and Community in the Games Industry with Amir Satvat

Episode SummaryHow do you break into the games industry later in your career? And once you’re in, how do you build a meaningful life and community without burning out? In this episode, Greg is joined by Amir Satvat, a Business Development l…

L01 FoundationsFOUNDER +1
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENSEP 9, 2025
Navigating the Indie Apocalypse: A Publisher's Playbook for Survival and Success
1:33:10
EP_116· VIDEO MISSING

Navigating the Indie Apocalypse: A Publisher's Playbook for Survival and Success

A deep dive into the evolving landscape of video game publishing, offering invaluable insights for indie developers on how to thrive in a crowded market.

0
PLAYER DRIVENSEP 2, 2025
From Sneakers to Startups: ASICS Ventures' Joe Pace on Building a VR Sport from Scratch
34:11
EP_115· COMMUNITY· VIDEO MISSING

From Sneakers to Startups: ASICS Ventures' Joe Pace on Building a VR Sport from Scratch

In this episode of Player Driven, Greg talks with Joe Pace, VP at ASICS Ventures, about the company’s surprising leap into virtual reality with DISC, a brand-new competitive sport built for Meta Quest.

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENAUG 26, 2025
Love, Power, Wealth: The True Drivers of Player Behavior
1:11:14
EP_114· PLAYER PSYCHOLOGY· VIDEO MISSING

Love, Power, Wealth: The True Drivers of Player Behavior

Episode Summary: Mark Otero (CEO of Azra Games, creator of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes) joins Player Driven to break down the real reason most games fail — they ignore what players actually want.

L02 OperatorDESIGN +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENAUG 19, 2025
From Chaos to Control: Christina Camilleri on Building Safer Games by Design
58:25
EP_113· TRUST & SAFETY· VIDEO MISSING

From Chaos to Control: Christina Camilleri on Building Safer Games by Design

Episode Summary: Christina Camilleri leads trust and safety product strategy at Netflix Games — but her journey started as a shy kid finding refuge in online worlds.

L02 OperatorTRUST & SAFETY +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENAUG 12, 2025
The Devs Who Came Before Us: And Why We Need Their Stories Now
55:39
EP_112· INDUSTRY & BUSINESS· VIDEO MISSING

The Devs Who Came Before Us: And Why We Need Their Stories Now

🎮 Episode SummaryWhat can a former QA tester at EA, a punk-rock producer at Midway, and the exec who helped launch No Man’s Sky teach us about today’s game industry? In this episode, Adam Boyes (founder of Vivrato and longtime industry vet…

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENAUG 5, 2025
The Economics of Gaming: How One Player Broke an MMO and Launched a Career
1:01:21
EP_111· GAME DESIGN· VIDEO MISSING

The Economics of Gaming: How One Player Broke an MMO and Launched a Career

Guest: Andrew Wagner, Author of Economics of Online Gaming and Founder of Wagner Road Capital CoHost: Lewis Ward, Research Director @ IDC 🎙 Episode Summary What happens when a high schooler treats an MMORPG like a business case study? Andr…

L02 OperatorDESIGN +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUL 29, 2025
One Account, One Life: Can This Fix Online Gaming
45:16
EP_110· TRUST & SAFETY· VIDEO MISSING

One Account, One Life: Can This Fix Online Gaming

What if you only had one digital life across all games... would you still cheat? In this episode, we dig into the world of online cheating, digital accountability, and the business of fair play with Andrew Wailes from PlaySafe ID.

L03 LeadTRUST & SAFETY +2
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUL 22, 2025
The Future of Gaming is User-Generated: A Conversation with Look North World's Alex Seropian
46:06
EP_109· UGC & CREATORS· VIDEO MISSING

The Future of Gaming is User-Generated: A Conversation with Look North World's Alex Seropian

Episode Summary: In this episode, we're joined by Alex Seropian, a true legend in the gaming industry and the co-founder of Bungie, the studio behind Halo.

L03 LeadFOUNDER +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUL 15, 2025
ENCORE: Blending Community and Social Media: Insights with Fiene Ziegler of InnoGames
44:52
EP_108· COMMUNITY· VIDEO MISSING

ENCORE: Blending Community and Social Media: Insights with Fiene Ziegler of InnoGames

Episode Overview: In this episode, Greg Posner interviews Fiene Ziegler, Senior Community Management Specialist at InnoGames.

L02 OperatorCOMMUNITY +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUL 8, 2025
From Club Penguin to Imagine Island: Building Games That Last a Generation
47:57
EP_107· TRUST & SAFETY· VIDEO MISSING

From Club Penguin to Imagine Island: Building Games That Last a Generation

📖 Episode Summary:This episode of Player Driven, in collaboration with Community Clubhouse, dives into the future of kids' gaming and digital safety.

L02 OperatorTRUST & SAFETY +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUL 1, 2025
Managing LiveOps at Scale: Inside Respawn's Build & Release Team with Julie Banta
51:32
EP_106· LIVE OPS· VIDEO MISSING

Managing LiveOps at Scale: Inside Respawn's Build & Release Team with Julie Banta

Guest: Julie Banta, Director of Engineering, Build & Release at Respawn Entertainment Summary: In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Julie Banta, Director of Engineering at Respawn, to explore the underappreciated world of b…

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +1
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUN 24, 2025
The Sound of Safety: How Modulate is Cleaning Up Voice Chat & Beyond with Mike Pappas
49:17
EP_105· TRUST & SAFETY· VIDEO MISSING

The Sound of Safety: How Modulate is Cleaning Up Voice Chat & Beyond with Mike Pappas

Mike Pappas discusses Modulate's Toxmod, a sophisticated voice AI that analyzes emotional nuance and behavioral dynamics in online interactions.

L02 OperatorTRUST & SAFETY +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUN 17, 2025
30% No More? Why Every Studio Should Be Rethinking Mobile Monetization
45:06
EP_104· MONETIZATION

30% No More? Why Every Studio Should Be Rethinking Mobile Monetization

📖 Episode Summary:In this episode, we delve into the evolving landscape of mobile game monetization with Chip Thurston, Head of Gaming at FastSpring. We explore the implications of the Apple vs.

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUN 10, 2025
From Sound to Studio – Building Devhouse with Jim Welch
46:40
EP_103· INDUSTRY & BUSINESS

From Sound to Studio – Building Devhouse with Jim Welch

Are you an aspiring indie game developer looking to turn your passion into a thriving studio? The path from creative vision to launched game can be challenging, but with the right mindset and strategic approach, success is within reach. We sat down with Jim Welch, founder and creative director of The Dev House Agency, to uncover his best practices for navigating the exciting, turbulent world of indie game development. Jim's unique journey from composing soundtracks for anime like Dragon Ball Z and Full Metal Alchemist to founding a forward-thinking game studio offers invaluable lessons for every aspiring developer.

L02 OperatorFOUNDER +1
↳ 4 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENJUN 3, 2025
From Discord to Durable: Scaling Player Support and Community Without Burning Out
1:05:22
EP_102· COMMUNITY

From Discord to Durable: Scaling Player Support and Community Without Burning Out

In a world where players expect instant answers and unforgettable moments, how do you scale support without sacrificing community?We sat down with Heidi Christine (CMO and Head of Community at Pixels) and Conor McGinley (CS Lead at Twin Harbor Interactive) to find out. Whether you're a live service veteran or just starting your first Discord server, this episode from the Player Driven podcast drops a ton of actionable insights. Let's break them down.

L02 OperatorCOMMUNITY +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENMAY 27, 2025
How AI Analytics Can Boost Your Player Retention with Josh Plotnek
49:12
EP_004· AI IN GAMES· VIDEO MISSING

How AI Analytics Can Boost Your Player Retention with Josh Plotnek

Episode SummaryIn this episode of Player Driven, host Greg engages in an insightful conversation with Josh Plotnek, Head of Content at Keewano, diving deep into the significance of actionable insights derived from game data analytics.

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +1
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENMAY 20, 2025
How Ayla Derrick Built a Junior-Led Game Studio and Launched Plantasia
51:08
EP_100· LIVE OPS· VIDEO MISSING

How Ayla Derrick Built a Junior-Led Game Studio and Launched Plantasia

Guest: Ayla Derrick, Founder & Creative Director at Cave Bear Games ️ Host: Greg Posner 🔹 Episode Summary: What happens when a former teacher with no game dev background builds a studio of junior developers and releases a cozy solarpunk ga…

L02 OperatorFOUNDER +2
↳ 5 TAKEAWAYS
PLAYER DRIVENMAY 13, 2025
From Ice Age to Eighth Era How to Build Games That Outlast Trends
1:06:27
EP_099· VIDEO MISSING

From Ice Age to Eighth Era How to Build Games That Outlast Trends

🧠 Episode Description:In this episode of Player Driven, we sit down with Jason Wasserman and Vincent Nguyen, the co-founders of Nice Gang, to dive into their journey from major animation studios like Blue Sky (Ice Age, Rio, Ferdinand) to l…

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PLAYER DRIVENMAY 6, 2025