Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable, The Last of Us, ChatGPT, Uncanny Valley, Pizza Is Pizza, Compassionate Leadership, Halo 2 Double Team, No Jerks Policy, Document the Results, and Being Unflappable with Ray McCaffrey of Steel Wool Studios

Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast

I welcome Ray McCaffrey, Executive Producer at Steel Wool Studios. Hear how he got started in the game industry through a friend by joining a band with some NetherRealm artists who later encouraged him to apply for a short-term Assistant Producer contract job. Learn about his transition from IT, working with industry legends, and wishing he’d known to be more quiet and listen better.

We then discuss advancing your career in Production, the importance of documenting feedback and results, and providing context to the team to build trust. Hear about the value of being calm and centered for others and the value it brings to the team and a company.

Learn about the critical skill of being comfortable being uncomfortable, accepting change in the search for fun, along with the role of acting as a confidant to team members. Hear about being honest with yourself about your flaws, putting constructive feedback into practice, plus sharing feedback without being a jerk. Listen about how insufferable it is working with jerks, ways we avoided it, and what a relief it is not to.

We then dive into the uncanny valley of console hyper-realism, go deep into God of War Ragnarök, how accelerated technology is now, and some thoughts on ChatGPT, AI art, and the futility of trying to predict the future. Hear why he’s bearish on AR, and bullish on VR for the entertainment value, plus the way it’s changed how we interact with each other at times.

Towards the end we talk about a game cancellation that taught him how to be a compassionate leader, the importance of an open dialogue with your team when in a position of authority, the genius of The Last of Us, other game licensed content, Halo 2 Double Team, pizza, and accepting that nothing is ever final.

Bio:

Ray McCaffrey is the Executive Producer at Steel Wool Studios, an independent studio based in Oakland, CA. Ray’s been in the game industry for almost a dozen years and has worked on games like Injustice: Gods Among Us, Batman: Arkham Origins, Mortal Kombat X, WWE Immortals, Cardio Ex, Pulm Ex, Five Nights at Freddy’s and more.

Show Links:

* God of War Ragnarök website

* ChatGPT website

* TRIPP VR website

* The Room VR: Dark Matter website

* STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor website

* The Last of Us website

* Halo 2 Double Team Fandom

Connect Links:

* Ray McCaffrey Twitter

* Steel Wool Studios website

Game Dev Advice Links:

* Game Dev Advice Patreon - please help support the show if you find it useful

* Game Dev Advice Twitter

* Game Dev Advice email: [e-mail]

* Game Dev Advice website

* Level Ex Careers - we’re hiring for lots of roles!

* Game Dev Advice hotline: [phone]

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