What does a Head of Operations do in games? The short answer: a little bit of everything. 💼 In this episode, I chat with Cole Medeiros about the role that keeps studios running—from managing budgets and hiring to supporting production, reviewing legal docs, and stepping in wherever needed.
But it’s not just logistics. Operations is a people-first role, one that requires clear communication, emotional intelligence, and a whole lot of empathy. 💡 Cole shares how being a connector between teams means listening deeply, leading with care, and making sure everyone has what they need to do their best work.
If you’ve ever been curious about the backbone of a game studio, this one’s for you!
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
🎮✨ What does a Brand Manager actually do in games? Jessie David takes us behind the scenes to show how she protects a game’s identity, keeps marketing true to its core values, and ensures every campaign and release connects with players. From strategy to execution, this episode reveals why brand management is central to every successful game.
Scoring games and films isn’t just about playing instruments — it’s about building the right team, managing projects, and bringing a vision to life. Steffen shares his journey, the grind behind the creative process, and why an unending passion for learning is what sets great composers apart.
Tune in to hear how music shapes worlds and the people behind the magic!
🚀 Ever wonder how your favorite games make it onto PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, or Switch without a hitch?
That's where Release Engineering comes in — the unsung heroes of game launches! 🎮 In Episode 4, we talk to Heiden Salguero, a 1st-party Platform Specialist, about how release engineers manage the complex process of shipping games across multiple platforms.
From mastering compliance requirements to catching last-minute bugs, Heiden shares his path to becoming a Release Engineer!✨ It’s meticulous, technical, high-stakes work — and it’s crucial to making launch day magic happen.
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
Marcus describes himself as a multi-hyphenated individual in his work, and you'll see why when you listen to this episode. I gained plenty of insights into his role at Blizzard's Overwatch League and truly appreciate how he helped everything run smoothly, ensuring the product was as impressive and seamless as we experienced it—covering team coordination, processes, and on-screen assets.
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
Tune in to this episode all about Databases in games! David Queiroz and I scratch the surface of how database management is the invisible backbone that keeps the world alive. It tracks everything from your character’s gear and gold to world events, quests, and trades—making sure the game remembers who you are, what you’ve done, and keeps it all running smoothly for players!
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
Welcome back to New Player Character, season two! We're kicking off with Travis Ngov, a Character Designer at Respawn Entertainment.
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
My friend Ed Calaunan tells me about his role as Head of Business Development!
Eunice and I finally get a chance to discuss how Market Research fits into games! It comes back to psychology over and over, except this time we're interested in how players experience games, become interested based on different marketing tactics and more.
I worked with Maikol back at Overwatch League and has since started working at an indie game studio as their game director! I had a great discussion with him about what has been applicable from his previous roles and what sorts of skills he's picked up since then to tackle this new role.
Do you know what a creative technologist is? I didn't either, but I was always amazed at the magic of seeing Overwatch League broadcast live! I grab time with my old friend, Jun David and talk about the work he did on the broadcast team at OWL and how he got his start. Just like back then, he comes up with unique ways to solve problems in games, broadcast, film, media and more as a Sr. Media Architect!
Matt brings a unique perspective to game production, blending empathy with strategic know-how. He shares how understanding and supporting his team is not just part of the job—it's the heart of it. We talk about various analogies and ways to understand our roles: from being both the glue that holds everything together and the grease that keeps things moving smoothly, to juggling roles as "fire chief" and "firefighter", Matt's analogies bring the dynamic world of game production into focus.#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareersOpinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
🎮🔍 In this episode, we unpack the critical role of Business Intelligence in gaming. Peter pulls back the curtain on how he teams up with designers, analysts, and data scientists to dive into the data, cook up some hypotheses, and make magic happen!👾 What you'll learn:- The impact of Business Intelligence on game development and player experiences.- How cross-functional teams come together to use data for making informed changes.- Insightful tips and tricks for anyone interested in the analytical side of gaming.This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the intersection of data, strategy, and gaming!#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareersOpinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
Dive into the meticulous world of QA with Aisha Wells, an expert QA Manager in the gaming industry. 🎮🔍
In this episode, Aisha unpacks the depths of quality assurance, emphasizing the importance of diving deep into technical details and fully understanding testing scopes. She also highlights how crucial it is to grasp player behavior to effectively prioritize testing paths. This chat sheds light on the specialized and increasingly sought-after field of QA engineering and management.
Sit down with Elijah Dixson, a game producer at Methodical Games with experiences at Amazon Games, Epic Games, and Vicarious Visions to name a few.
Elijah dives into how his psychology background and gaming degree helped him carve his niche.
We'll also unpack the layers of project management, program management, and production, and discover how these skills blend with strategy, emotional intelligence, and more in the gaming world!
Dive into the world of a platform engineering with Ryan Farmer from Blizzard Entertainment on our inaugural podcast episode! Ryan brings along experiences from Amazon Games, Nexon, and Daybreak Game Company to name a few.
Discover how Ryan juggles multiple team needs, adapts to various tech contexts, and ensures every solution is tailored to user requirements. A must-listen for anyone interested in the backbone of game development!
We're thrilled to unveil the first episode of our new podcast, "New Player Character", co-hosted by Holly Chu and Ryan Farmer. This episode is a special one—it’s not just an introduction, but a deeper dive into what drives and defines our podcast. #NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
