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Original radio plays produced by Cleaver Magazine
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Jordan Blackman interviews the leaders and legends of the video game industry so that you can succeed with your game project, career, or venture. Discover how you can produce, market, and operate games more successfully so that your career can be more satisfying and impactful, whether you're a game designer, engineer, or entrepreneur and whether you work at a studio, publisher, brand or startup. Jordan is an industry insider, who has worked as a Senior Producer at Ubisoft and a Lead Designer ...
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The Mindset of Personal Success in the Game Industry, with Tommy Tallarico
47:27
47:27
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47:27
In this episode: Jordan sits down with legendary video game composer, producer, and entrepreneur Tommy Tallarico, whose career spans over 30 years in the gaming industry. Known for his work on iconic titles like Prince of Persia, Earthworm Jim, and MDK, Tommy shares his inspiring journey from homelessness to launching major projects such as Video G…
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How to Create Breakthrough Worldwide Hits, with Amy Jo Kim
40:58
40:58
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40:58
In this episode: Jordan sits down with Amy Jo Kim, a game designer, community architect, and innovation coach, named by Fortune as one of the “Top 10 Influential Women in Games.” Amy Jo has contributed to hit games like The Sims, Rock Band, Ultima Online, and Covet Fashion, and has worked on non-gaming products such as eBay, Netflix, and NYTimes.co…
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In this episode: Jordan sits down with Jon Radoff, the founder of Beamable,the creator-centric platform for building live games in Unity. Jon's career spans across multiple areas of the game industry, from building one of the first commercial internet games to leading the development of popular mobile games like Game of Thrones Ascent and Star Trek…
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How to Win as a Mobile Game Entrepreneur, With Joakim Achrén
44:07
44:07
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44:07
In this episode: Jordan interviews Joakim Achrén, a gaming entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience. Joakim shares his journey from co-founding two venture-backed gaming startups, including Next Games (which IPOed in 2017), to his current role at Elite Game Developers. Joakim helps aspiring game entrepreneurs launch their own studios and is al…
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In this episode: Jordan sits down with Tadhg Kelly, an experienced consultant specializing in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and video games, with a rich background in game design and production. Tadhg has held significant roles at notable companies like BSkyB, Lionhead Studios, Climax Studios, and Mobile Game Doctor. His work spans …
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How to Start a Mobile Studio, with Travis Boatman
40:33
40:33
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40:33
In this episode: Jordan interviews Travis Boatman, CEO and co-founder of Carbonated, a mobile game studio based in LA. Travis is a 25-year veteran of the game industry, with over 20 years of experience in mobile games. He has previously served as SVP of Mobile at Zynga and Electronic Arts (EA), where he led global studios and mobile game strategy. …
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How to Create Innovative Game Designs, with Nick Fortugno
38:00
38:00
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38:00
In this episode: Jordan sits down with Nick Fortugno, an entrepreneur, game designer, and interactive narrative expert. Nick is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Playmatics, a company known for creating innovative digital and real-world experiences for top organizations like Pro Publica, Red Bull, AMC (including the CableFAX award-winnin…
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Crypto Gaming 101, with Emma-Jane MacKinnon-Lee
51:56
51:56
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51:56
In this episode: Jordan interviews Emma-Jane MacKinnon-Lee, a dynamic innovator at the intersection of gaming, web3, and digital fashion. Emma-Jane is the founder of DIGITALAX, the pioneer digital fashion NFT protocol and marketplace for gaming and esports. In this episode, she discusses how web3 technologies like NFTs, cryptocurrency, and decentra…
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From Late-Night Game Hobbyist to Successful Studio Owner, with Colm Larkin
40:19
40:19
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40:19
In this episode: Jordan sits down with Colm Larkin, a programmer, game designer, and board game enthusiast. He is the founder of Gambrinous and creator of indie hits Guild of Dungeoneering and Cardpocalypse. Colm has recently been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at IMIRT, the Irish Game Makers Association. In this interview, Colm shares …
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Season 2 Trailer of Playmakers: The Game Industry Podcast!
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1:45
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Playmakers is back with a brand new season by and for game industry professionals. We're bringing you actionable insights you can use to grow in your career, make better games, and improve your game industry business. The pandemic has been called "The Great Accelerator" and it's important to stay on top of where the industry is going. That's why we…
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The Art of Transmedia Storytelling, with Chris Ferriter
47:27
47:27
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47:27
In this episode: Jordan sits down with Chris Ferriter, an award-winning Producer and Designer. Chris’s career began in 1994, spanning both the motion picture and video game industries. He transitioned to the gaming industry in 1998 and has since produced over 50 games for top publishers like THQ, Midway, Ubisoft, and EA Sports. He is currently the …
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How to Succeed in the Indie Games Business, with Jay Powell
37:51
37:51
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37:51
In this episode: Jordan sits down with Jay Powell, the founder of The Powell Group, a video game consulting firm specializing in business development, publishing support, and licensing. Jay has over 20 years of experience in the games industry, working with companies like Other Ocean, Spill Games, and Deep Silver. He also leads the Indie Game Busin…
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Rapid Prototyping Secrets for Better Games, with Bernard François
46:33
46:33
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46:33
In this episode: Jordan interviews Bernard François, founder of Preview Labs, a company that specializes in rapid prototyping for video games. They have created prototypes for Amazon, Wargaming, Unity, Disney Imagineering, Google R&D, and more. Bernard shares expert insights into the world of prototyping, offering practical advice on how to build p…
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Inside the Mind of a Game God, with Steve Meretzky
51:43
51:43
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51:43
In this episode: Jordan interviews the legendary Steve Meretzky, a game designer and producer, best known for creating Infocom games. Steve was recognized as one of PC Gamer’s “Game Gods” and is renowned for his work on beloved text adventures like Zork, Planetfall, and Leather Goddesses of Phobos. He’s also held senior creative roles at companies …
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From Table Tops to Live Ops, with Bruce Harlick
49:49
49:49
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49:49
In this episode: Jordan sits down with Bruce Harlick, a seasoned game designer who primarily worked on role-playing games. Bruce has worked with some of the industry's biggest names, including Zynga, LucasArts, NCSoft, and Hangar 13, and is now Systems Design Director at Ripple Effect Studios. He shares deep insights into game design, live ops, and…
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Product Management & Monetization 101 & 201, with Gordon Rowe
1:26:20
1:26:20
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1:26:20
In this episode: Jordan interviews Gordon Rowe, a seasoned product manager with extensive experience in monetization strategies and product management within the gaming industry. Gordon has worked at Zynga, where he managed Mafia Wars and was the sole product manager on Zynga’s 3rd party publishing team. He later joined Daybreak Games and now works…
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How to Become (or work with) a AAA Game Composer, with Michael Bross
21:11
21:11
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21:11
In this episode: Jordan interviews AAA audio composer and sound designer Michael Bross, known for his work on games like Ratchet & Clank, Counter Strike, Oddworld, XCOM 2, Simpsons: Tapped Out, World of Tanks, Arena of Valor, and more. Michael shares insights on breaking into the game industry as a composer, what he looks for when hiring new talent…
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Managing Your Game Industry Career, with Marc Mencher
39:33
39:33
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39:33
In this episode: Jordan interviews Marc Mencher, a seasoned game industry recruiter and CEO of GameRecruiter. Marc’s career began as a software engineer on games like Falcon 1 and Vet. He later transitioned into recruiting, helping to staff companies such as 3DO and MicroProse, before founding GameRecruiter. He’s also the author of Get in the Game!…
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Aligning Game Chi on Deadspace & Battlefield, with Ian Milham
42:00
42:00
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42:00
In this episode: Jordan interviews Ian Milham, a veteran Art Director and Game Director, known for his work on Dead Space, Battlefield Hardline, and Tomb Raider. Ian shares deep insights into the creative process of art direction, the concept of game “chi” (the alignment of the game’s vision across all teams), and the challenges of managing large A…
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Inside a Game Design Consultancy, with Adrian Crook
49:22
49:22
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49:22
In this episode: Jordan interviews Adrian Crook, an award-winning game design consultant with over two decades of experience across social, casual, and core game sectors. Adrian has worked on platforms ranging from early Nintendo consoles and Sega Genesis to PlayStation 1 & 2, Xbox, Wii, PC, mobile, and online games. He is the founder of Adrian Cro…
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How to Build a Great Reputation in the Game Industry, with Gordon Bellamy
41:30
41:30
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41:30
In this episode: Jordan interviews Gordon Bellamy, a game industry veteran with over two decades of experience. Gordon is currently a Professor of the Practice of Cinematic Arts at USC and faculty advisor for USC Esports, where he leads DEI&B efforts and career development. He has worked at top companies like EA, Tencent, and THQ, and served as the…
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Directing AAA Video Games, with Brian Allgeier
40:20
40:20
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40:20
In this episode: Jordan interviews Brian Allgeier, a veteran game designer and creative director at Insomniac Games, renowned for his work on classic titles such as Ratchet & Clank, Spyro the Dragon, and the VR game Edge of Nowhere. Brian shares his journey in the AAA game industry, lessons on creative direction, working with large teams, and how t…
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Game Design Process Lessons from a Master, with Dave Rohrl
57:11
57:11
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57:11
In this episode: Jordan interviews Dave Rohrl, a veteran game designer with 30 years of experience designing and producing online games. Dave has held senior positions at leading companies like Pogo, PopCap (he’s actually Crazy Dave in Plants vs. Zombies), Zynga, and Playdom, overseeing the design of more than 50 games and consulting on countless o…
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How to Create UX that Drives Retention & Monetization, with Alfonzo Burton
33:05
33:05
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33:05
In this episode: Jordan interviews Alfonzo Burton, a top-tier designer in UI/UX, and has worked as the Director of UI/UX at Glu and Pocket Gems. He is now the Chief Creative Director at UX Magicians Inc., a San Francisco-based user experience design agency. His expertise has been used in some of the top-grossing mobile games, with several hitting t…
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GREAT: A Radio Play by Parrish Turner. Performed by Steve Allen. Directed, Edited, and Produced by Grace Connolly. A production of Cleaver Radio.By Cleaver Magazine
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Building Empathy & Emotion into Your Game, with Robin Hunicke
1:01:09
1:01:09
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1:01:09
In this episode: Jordan interviews Robin Hunicke, an innovative video game artist. Robin was a professor of game design at UC Santa Cruz and also the co-founder of Funomena, a studio focused on creating emotionally engaging and experimental games. She is known for her contributions to games like The Sims and Journey, and is recognized in the indust…
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