Find anything.
- DESKMAY 26, 2026
Mediating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 2
The consulting vet offers hot takes on what’s derailed Web3 gaming, SDT’s upsides, and the importance of bridging the gap between game design and production processes
WITH CATALIN ALEXANDRU - BLOGMAY 21, 2026
AI, IP, and Game Development: What Studios Need to Know Before Using Generative AI
Game developers are used to building in uncertainty. You launch into changing player expectations, shifting platform rules, unpredictable communities, monetization pressure, global regulation, and the occasional bug that somehow only happens when a streamer with 400,000 followers is live. Now add generative AI to the pile.
- PODCASTMAY 19, 2026
No AI Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does
Guest: Tess Lynch, Founding Attorney, Clause and Affect When Crimson Desert announced "no AI in our game," the internet applauded.
WITH TESS LYNCH - LIVEMAY 14, 2026
IP Name Is Not a Marketing Strategy: What Forza Got Right That Bond Got Wrong
Forza Horizon 6 landed a 91 on Metacritic, pulled data showing unprecedented traction in Asian markets, and flew its influencer event to Japan to sell car culture instead of game features. Bond, releasing in the same window, bought an NBA halftime placement, put dev talent in turtlenecks for YouTube interviews, and assumed that 007 still carries weight with anyone under 35. One of these games will be a cultural moment. The other will be fine. That contrast, laid out across a full episode of Player Driven Live by Greg and analyst Colan, is the editorial spine of something practitioners running live games and planning launches need to hear: audience assumption is a budget leak.
- PODCASTAPR 21, 2026
The Rise of Web Shops: How Games Are Reclaiming Players and Profit
For years, mobile gaming operated under one unspoken rule: give up ~30% of your revenue to platform holders like Apple and Google. That model is starting to break.
WITH GIL TOV-LY - DESKAPR 17, 2026
Quantic Foundry’s Nick Yee on Gamer Motivations, Part 1
The company’s model of twelve motivations is a window into the hearts and minds of “the gamer” and helps explain and predict their behaviors
BY LEWIS WARD - PODCASTMAR 24, 2026
Day Zero Design: Why Your Community Strategy is Your New Game Engine
Guests: Karin Johnson: Co-founder of Magic Potion Games (Veteran of Club Penguin and Fortnite)Hege Tokerud: CEO/Founder of Aiba (Cybersecurity and AI moderation specialist) Episode Summary In this strategic primer for GDC 2026, we sit down…
- DESKMAR 17, 2026
Player Support at Schell Games with Laura Hall
Among other insights, Hall highlights why AI-based tools such as ToxMod add significant valuable in a Live Ops gaming context
BY LEWIS WARD - DESKMAR 12, 2026
Meet Christina Camilleri, Netflix Games' "Chaos Gremlin" and "Safety By Design" Champion
From a dedicated MapleStory player to an "ethical hacker" to the Head of Trust and Safety at Netflix Games, Camilleri has blazed a unique trail across the digital community support landscape
BY LEWIS WARD - PODCASTMAR 3, 2026
The Evolution of Moderation: Why AI Won’t Replace Humans… It Will Redefine Them
In this episode of Player Driven, host Greg welcomes back industry veteran Sharon Fisher to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of content moderation.
- PODCASTFEB 24, 2026
Exploring the Psychological Traits That Motivate Video Game Players: From GTA to Fortnite and Beyond
Episode Summary Why do we play the video games that we play? Is interest in the strategy game genre truly waning globally over time? Greg and Lewis sit down with gaming psychology pioneer and Quantic Foundry co-founder Nick Yee to answer th…
- BLOGFEB 20, 2026
How AI Is Changing Player Support in Games | Helpshift Breakdown
Helpshift's Head of Product breaks down how AI is reshaping player support — from automation to retention intelligence. A quick but signal-rich dispatch for anyone running or scaling a CX operation in live games.
- BLOGFEB 6, 2026
Microsoft’s Gaming Problem, And The Downsides Of AI
Microsoft's Q4 miss wasn't just a bad quarter — it's a signal that the AI capital arms race is quietly deprioritizing games inside a $3T tech empire. Here's what the attention data and portfolio economics actually show.
- LIVEFEB 5, 2026
Who’s Really Driving the Game Industry Right Now? Microsoft, Nintendo, and the AI Crossroad
The gaming landscape is shifting beneath our feet. This week on Player Driven Live, we break down a whirlwind of high-stakes earnings calls, massive leadership changes, and the generative AI technologies that are forcing every major player to pick a side. From Microsoft's supply chain struggles to Nintendo’s absolute dominance with legacy IPs, here are the key takeaways from our February 5, 2026, episode.
- DESKFEB 4, 2026
Gamefam's Joe Ferencz On Roblox's Metaverse Potential
The CEO of Gamefam, Ferencz has had a front row seat to Roblox Corp's wild rise and ride across the metaverse's ever-shifting terrain for 7+ years
BY LEWIS WARD - PODCASTFEB 3, 2026
How AI Is Rewriting Trust and Safety in Games
Recorded live at Pocket Gamer London, Greg sits down with Hill from Checkstep for a wide ranging conversation on trust and safety, AI powered content detection, parenting in a gaming household, and why moderation is no longer just about rem…
- PODCASTJAN 20, 2026
300M Losses & $650 Legos: Is the Gaming Industry in a Tailspin?
Episode SummaryIs the gaming industry entering a "negative flywheel"? This week, we dive into the staggering reports of Black Ops 6 underperforming and what it means for the future of Microsoft Gaming and potential layoffs.
- BLOGJAN 13, 2026
Capcom’s Q1 Lock, 2000s Nostalgia, And The Games That Refuse To Die
Capcom has quietly built one of the most repeatable release strategies in the industry by staging its biggest launches in Q1, when competition is thin and attention is up for grabs. Resident Evil Requiem's pre-launch data suggests the playbook is working again — and the signals are worth understanding before the game even ships.
- PODCASTDEC 30, 2025
ENCORE: Revolutionizing Reality: The Digital Overlay Transforming Retail and Gaming with Beau Button
Episode Summary:In this special encore presentation, we revisit one of our earliest and most popular conversations. Originally recorded two years ago, Greg Posner sits down with Beau Button, the visionary CTO and Co-Founder of Atlas Reality…
- PODCASTDEC 23, 2025
ENCORE: Flow, Feedback, and Fun: The Pillars of Great Level Design | Marvel Rivals Level Designer
What does ambition really look like inside modern game development? In this episode, Greg sits down with Jack Burrows to unpack how level designers think, work, and stay motivated across massive franchises and creative constraints.
- PODCASTDEC 16, 2025
ENCORE From Sound to Studio – Building Devhouse with Jim Welch
In this episode, Greg sits down with Jim Welch, a composer turned developer turned studio founder whose creative journey spans Dragon Ball Z trailers to launching a party game in the spirit of Jackbox.
- PODCASTDEC 2, 2025
ENCORE: From AAA to Indie: How Proactive Game Devs Change the Industry with Willem Kranendonk
Dive deep into the strategic mindset of level design, the shift from AAA development to indie studio entrepreneurship, and a radical new business model for creating innovative "Cocktail Games." Key Takeaways & Discussion PointsThe Reality o…
- PODCASTNOV 11, 2025
The Rules We Break: Eric Zimmerman on Game Design, Loops, and Culture
Episode OverviewWhat does it really mean to design a game — and what can that teach us about culture, creativity, and even our daily lives? In this episode, Greg is joined by Lewis Ward and Eric Zimmerman, legendary game designer, professor…
- BLOGOCT 3, 2025
Seismic Shifts: Did a Megadeal and a Price Hike Just Change Gaming Forever?
The ground in gaming is moving. In just a few weeks, two massive events shook the industry and left players, developers, and analysts wondering what the future looks like. First, Electronic Arts was bought by a Saudi private investment fund in a multi-billion dollar deal. Then Microsoft raised the price of Game Pass Ultimate by 50 percent.
- BLOGOCT 1, 2025
Sora 2 vs Veo 4: The Next Wave of Generative Video
Hate it or love it, generative AI is here and it’s taking the world by storm. There’s a lot of noise about whether these tools are viable or just creating junk, but the truth is simple: how you use the tool is the difference between wasting time and unlocking real creativity.
- PODCASTSEP 30, 2025
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.
- BLOGSEP 22, 2025
From Modder to Mogul: A Command & Conquer Story
For many of us who grew up with the PC gaming boom of the 90s and 2000s, games like Command & Conquer (C&C) weren't just games—they were a formative part of our identity. We spent countless hours building bases, harvesting Tiberium, and leading armies of GDI or Nod units into battle. But what happens when that passion goes beyond a hobby and becomes a platform for something bigger? In a recent interview, Eric Chou, founder of Honor Games, revealed how his journey from modding the classic C&C series led him to found a game studio with a mission that extends far beyond entertainment. His story is a powerful testament to the value of passion, community, and purpose.
- BLOGSEP 5, 2025
How Cheating and Fraud Are Undermining Player Trust and Draining Game Revenue
Every game developer dreams of creating a hit title, a vibrant, thriving community where players log on daily, form friendships, and celebrate their triumphs. But what if a hidden enemy is eroding that community and draining your bottom line without you even knowing it? At a Community Clubhouse panel, Andrew Hogan from Intorqa called cheating one of the most significant threats to building and maintaining a healthy gaming community. While the immediate thought might be "aimbots," the problem goes far deeper, impacting everything from player retention to marketing budgets and brand reputation. The real issue is the "Bot Cost," a term that encompasses not just the lost revenue from cheated in-game economies but the compounding effects of a corrupted player experience.
- PODCASTAUG 19, 2025
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.
- BLOGAUG 14, 2025
How Acclaim and Midwest Games are Rewriting the Playbook for Developer Success
The landscape of game development is a paradox. It’s never been easier to create and release a game, yet it's never been harder to get noticed. With an estimated 25,000 games set to launch this year alone, how can an indie developer possibly stand out? For those who grew up on the loud, unfiltered, arcade energy of Midway and Acclaim, a new chapter is being written with the same DNA. We sat down with two leaders at the forefront of this movement: Ben Kvalo, Founder of Midwest Games, and Alex Joseph, CEO of the revived Play Acclaim. They shared a modern playbook for indie success—one that blends the rebellious spirit of the past with the sharp business acumen required to survive today. Here are the critical lessons for every developer fighting to make their mark.