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A Game developer's podcast

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MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
[Updated 01/11/2014]

The Gamedev Cast is two things:

1: a podcast.
Every so often, we sit down with fellow developers/artists to discuss the daily goings-on of the game industry, and what we think about them. It tends to be quite fun.

2: a platform.

In short, we’re a platform for game developers to post their dev logs on, for writers with some knowledge of game development to write their articles on, for interested devs to put their personal development blogs on… Everything from dev logs, dev rants, marketing campaign updates, personal blogs, art showcases and tutorials to articles, news posts and crossposts from our affiliates: we’re putting a call out for everyone who thinks they have something to say about game development or anything related (art and programming as well, since those disciplines are an essential part of development) to it, to put their content on our site. If this sounds a little vague, you should check out some of the articles already on the site.


How can I participate in any of this?

We're always looking for games to feature, developers to interview, and people to be a guest on our podcast, so if any of that sounds interesting to you, you can mail us at contact@thegamedevcast.com


Additionally, if you would like some extra information on the website, it's workings, the podcast, or anything that might concern us, please don't hesitate to contact us.


website link: http://www.thegamedevcast.com
contact link: contact@thegamedevcast.com

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  • cholden
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    cholden polycounter lvl 18
    "Will you do my podcast" is the new "Can you give me a ride to the airport?" Neil Brennan.

    Anyway, do it, it's easy.
  • Fingus
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    Fingus polycounter lvl 11
    Are you looking for guests for your podcast, or permanent staff/hosts?

    Mr. Holden right above me runs ChrunchCast which is a good one to check out for ideas or reference. I'm also very fond of Idle Thumbs.

    But yeah man, just go for it. I'll give it a listen. I always run podcasts in the background while working and there is a lack of gaming casts from a dev standpoint.

    And sorta on the same topic it would be interesting to see a Let's Play series done by game devs.
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    Fingus wrote: »
    And sorta on the same topic it would be interesting to see a Let's Play series done by game devs.

    A little off topic, but I'd love more "director" commentaries with people that worked on the game, kinda like what valve does, but it could be done in videos as well.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    Fingus wrote: »
    Are you looking for guests for your podcast, or permanent staff/hosts?

    mostly right now i'm looking for both, actually. I will of course be the permanent host, but some returning guests would be very nice, at least to start off with. Right now I just need to get this thing set up, and once it gains some momentum, I'm sure finding guests will become less difficult :p

    about the Let's Plays: It's a thing to consider, certainly. Might be a good passtime for friday nights, where I invite people on the let's play to comment on the game they worked on.... very interadasting :D
  • skankerzero
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    It's tricky to find devs to talk about what they think about other games.

    Truth is, any seasoned vet knows the kind of crap that can happen during development, so to judge a game as a developer that didn't work on it can be tricky. Don't want to make assumptions and burn any bridges by saying something dumb.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    well I don't think we would be at a risk of doing that, tbh. For one, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but also, I would steer away from "opinionated" stuff altogether. I kinda have to, if the episodes are gonna be any kind of listenable.

    Really the goal of the podcast is to observe a game that all the guests think is good, or advancing for the industry as a whole or whatever (but definitely in a positive way, every time), and try to figure out why it is, from a developer's perspective.

    I'm really trying to form a general image of the developer community's view on the future of game design, kind of like a quest for the holy grail, so to speak.

    so, by definition, unless you actually do start bashing on a game if you're a guest, the podcast itself wouldn't call for any bridge burning whatsoever :)
  • ZASkaggs
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    I really hope this works out. I'm always looking for new stuff to listen to while I work.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    ZASkaggs wrote: »
    I really hope this works out. I'm always looking for new stuff to listen to while I work.

    Thanks! I gotta find guests first though, haven't found any so far :p
  • caseofthemondays
    My GF (nhathy) and I just started our own company and are finishing our first mobile title. We would love to help out!
  • caseofthemondays
    My GF (nhathy) and I just started are own company and are finishing up our first mobile title. We would love to help out!
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    little update: there are two confirmed guests already, with a third freeing up his time, so we're looking for a couple more people to set up the first "test" episode some time right after GDC. That way we have some fresh material to discuss :)

    also, good to know is that the first couple episodes probably won't be put online (depending on how they work out), since I'm still figuring stuff out as I go along, like how to keep the conversation on topic and relatively short, how not to force the conversation, which topics to use and how long I should make the podcast (still not decided, sensitive issue).

    so yeah, we're still looking for a couple people for the first episode, as well as for every episode thereafter (hopefully), so I would really really appreciate some volunteers :) I can't launch this without people to make the podcast with :)
  • JasonLavoie
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    JasonLavoie polycounter lvl 18
    It's tricky to find devs to talk about what they think about other games.

    Truth is, any seasoned vet knows the kind of crap that can happen during development, so to judge a game as a developer that didn't work on it can be tricky. Don't want to make assumptions and burn any bridges by saying something dumb.

    I've been interested in this idea for awhile, but Jesse kinda sums it up. It sounds like it's going to be a "guided" experience, will you have a set game / topic points to hit on for each episode? Or is it going to be a run and gun kind of show?

    I would be interested I think, but I'm also interested in hearing the first couple tries just to see what the focus is :)

    Good luck!
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    well that's kind of what I'm trying to figure out; i wanna find the sweet spot between guidance and casual, natural conversation about an interesting topic. I realise that to keep things interesting I need to keep it natural, but I don't want to have a podcast like so many others out there that tend to spend up to half an hour talking about something that has nothing whatsoever to do with the conversation topic if you know what I mean :p

    but yeah, it would be awesome if you could join man :D

    if there are any other interested parties, hit me up on skype:

    mattias.van.camp is my skype name
    otherwise you can mail me at mavcart@mattiasvancamp.com
    or at mavcart.mvc@gmail.com

    hope to hear from you guys!
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    so sorry for the post spamming, but i wanted to give everyone an update, interest is picking up and we have somewhere around 5 people now for the first episode.

    I also wanted to let everyone know that the planned podcast for right after GDC will now the the first official one, so I want to have some test casts done by then.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    *bump*

    First episode is scheduled for release April 10th people, tune in at

    http://www.thegamedevcast.com/

    see you soon, and have fun at GDC!
  • AimBiZ
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    AimBiZ polycounter lvl 14
    Great initiative, will tune in for sure!
  • SuperFranky
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    SuperFranky polycounter lvl 10
    interesting, will tune in
  • Computron
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    Computron polycounter lvl 7
    Interestingly, At least a couple of the podcast I listen to shared the sentiment that to start a good podcast, you should record 3 episodes and throw out the first 2. That also seems to hold true to the art advice given on Polycount.

    Anyway, I hope this works out. I love the games industry mentor podcast, and this sounds a bit like that.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    that's really interesting actually, it's something to consider. I'm doing a final test this sunday, i could probably get a full crew together by then :)

    still looking for guests by the way, if anyone is interested, hit me up!

    the first three episodes are already full up with guests, and we have a BIG name for the third one, so let's hope the first episode is liked :D I'm relying on this magnificent community for most of my coverage, so share the love guys :D
  • JasonLavoie
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    JasonLavoie polycounter lvl 18
    Bringing this thread from the dead!

    Computron - That holds true, we just recorded our second test and we had some technical issues, soooo... the 3rd podcast (which is next week) should be AMAZINNGG!!!
  • Rockley Bonner
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    Rockley Bonner polycounter lvl 12
    Cant wait dude!
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    updated the podcast's pitch, and added some updated information based on the test casts we did :)

    stay tuned guys, it's coming!
  • Computron
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    Computron polycounter lvl 7
    Bringing this thread from the dead!

    Computron - That holds true, we just recorded our second test and we had some technical issues, soooo... the 3rd podcast (which is next week) should be AMAZINNGG!!!

    :)
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    I would like to do an update - the website is now up and running!

    check it out: www.thegamedevcast.com

    Thumbnail.png

    some parts of it are still under construction (I haven't properly managed to really center everything other than with hardcoded margins, but I'll figure that out :p )

    follow the podcast on twitter as well, we'll be releasing the guest list for the first episode by saturday: https://twitter.com/thegamedevcast

    there is also a twitter feed embedded in the website, so of course you can follow it there :D
    spread the love guys, we really wanna make this work :D
  • chrisradsby
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    chrisradsby polycounter lvl 14
    I'd be interested in this for sure! You still need devs? :)

    It could be a cool thing to get some devs around the world to do it, we could talk about working in different countries etc etc.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    sure thing chris, PM or e-mail me and i'll set you up :D

    and yes, we are still looking for developers, quite urgently in fact. we need lots and lots of guests, and one thing worth mentioning there is that we make NO distinction whatsoever on who comes on or where they work. AAA, indie, anywhere in between, it doesn't matter - first come first serve, and as long as you're a game developer, you are guaranteed a spot.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    and the first episode is officially out! unfortunately we couldn't do a youtube video, since youtube only allows for a certain length on a standard license, but we figured the soundcloud widget would do fine :) you can, of course, just download the .mp3 file and listen to it wherever you want :)

    check it out:

    www.thegamedevcast.com

    with many thanks to Niles Doubleday for being a wonderful guest, and to Jason lavoie for being awesome enough to be the co-host of the series!
    also many thanks to everyone in this community; without Polycount existing, this idea would never have existed in the first place :)
  • JasonLavoie
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    JasonLavoie polycounter lvl 18
    Very excited to get this kicked off! Thanks again to Niles, very fun dude to talk to :)
  • BluPanda
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    oh hello, thanks for getting this together! was a great experience and i encourage others to guest it up on the show. Not a bad way to spend a lazy sunday morning.
  • Autocon
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    Autocon polycounter lvl 15
    Really great podcast guys, enjoyed it. Always wanted something like this to come out.

    I did laugh when you guys were talking about DLC and how games are finished/gone gold months before there released. At least from my experience there finished only WEEKS before shipping ha. Uncharted 3 went gold 3 and a half weeks before it was released haha. I know not all games cut it that close but I know from friends in the industry that a good enough amount do.

    Cant wait too hear more!
  • wester
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    wester polycounter lvl 13
    Excellent podcast! I love the Louis CK reference haha. That bit is seriously my absolute favorite piece of comedy.
  • Dubzski
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    Dubzski polycounter lvl 11
    I really enjoyed that, nice podcast... moar plz!
  • JasonLavoie
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    JasonLavoie polycounter lvl 18
    Autocon - Hehe yuh I could only speak from my experience :P We went gold usually at least a month or 2 before shipping, but i'm sure Sony is more than fine to give you guys till the last second to pump as much awesome into that franchise as possible! I bet it's hectic, but I'm sure it pays off in the end!
  • AimBiZ
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    AimBiZ polycounter lvl 14
    Quite enjoyed hearing the discussions in the episode. Would be nice to have guests from different disciplines, particularly programmers.

    For the last project I worked on we wen't gold about a month or two before release, as far as my involvement goes anyway. Patching is a different story though.
  • chrisradsby
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    chrisradsby polycounter lvl 14
    Very enjoyable episode guys :) Great work!
  • EMC3D
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    EMC3D polycounter lvl 7
    Awesome stuff guys, very well ran and produced, looking forward to more.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    wow, i honestly didn't expect that you guys would like it this much, these comments are really nice to read :)

    @AimBiz: yeah we're trying to get a couple to get on the podcast, unfortunately our personal networks extend not far beyond artists, and most communities we are on are mostly artist-based - aside from that, recruiting guests takes a massive amount of time, so we're trying to have people contact us instead of the other way around, since we would like some time to do things like sleeping :p

    that being said, we do specify that any and all game *developers* are welcome, which means that it doesn't matter which discipline they're from, as long as they're a developer, they're welcome on the podcast.

    this is, by the way, still a thing: we're still looking for guests! So if you know anyone that might be interested, if you're interested yourself, or anything else, please share the link to www.thegamedevcast.com and/or e-mail us at contact@thegamedevcast.com

    remember, if you're a guest, you get the maximum exposure we can offer you - as demonstrated by Niles Doubleday's feature on the current episode - you get an image, as many links as you like, a short bio and whatever else you might require that doesn't take up an entire page :)

    also, we're still looking for indie games to feature on the indie games page! if you know an interesting, undervalued indie game that deserves more exposure, suggest it to us at contact@thegamedevcast.com :)
    this goes for everyone, developer and gamer alike, by the way :)
  • SuperFranky
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    SuperFranky polycounter lvl 10
    Hi, are you gonna make RSS feed for your podcast? I just want to subscribe for it in my winamp for easy listening every week :)
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    I am currently working on that, as well as on getting this podcast onto iTunes :) I can't really give an estimate as to when exactly it will all be working, but rest assured that I'll update asap.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    Website updated!

    as per request, we have added an RSS feed, and included a facebook feed as well. We're working on the About page, and are looking into getting our podcast on iTunes as well, though that might take a bit longer.

    here's the official facebook page:
    http://www.facebook.com/Thegamedevcast

    and the official twitter account:
    http://twitter.com/thegamedevcast

    in the meantime, should the website load slowly, there appear to be problems server-side, but I have contacted the host and they said they are working to resolve the issue.

    Also, we are still looking for indie game suggestions to feature on this sunday's chill out sunday episode! if you have suggestions, please send them to contact@thegamedevcast.com!

    the website link again, for those who may have lost it:

    www.thegamedevcast.com

    any suggestions and/or feedback are always welcome of course, and we are very thankful for any and all shares - the podcast is picking up momentum, but it's not there yet ^^
  • nathdevlin
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    nathdevlin polycounter lvl 12
    Just had a listen. The last hour of work has been fun :P Thanks guys
  • ironbelly
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    ironbelly polycounter lvl 9
    It's always been my theory that at first you should always specialize and then branch out when you have established yourself in that specialization. Dont' try to appeal to gamers and game dev's, you'll end up with something neither of them listens to. Focus in on one or the other
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    ironbelly wrote: »
    It's always been my theory that at first you should always specialize and then branch out when you have established yourself in that specialization. Dont' try to appeal to gamers and game dev's, you'll end up with something neither of them listens to. Focus in on one or the other

    that's a good tip, thanks :)

    as far as the "focus" goes, though, we didn't really try to cater to anyone, really - basically we're just having a nice conversation on a subject with some people who know things about it, and we hope that people like listening to that :p we will probably get better at it as time goes on and we do more podcast episodes, but right now the target audience isn't really as specific as just one group, since we don't really go into the deep technical side of things, which keeps it all understandable for everyone.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    Episode 1 of Chill Out Sunday just released!

    check it out here:

    http://www.thegamedevcast.com/index.php

    enjoy! (and please retweet and share)
  • d1ver
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    d1ver polycounter lvl 14
    Nice episode :) Keep up the good work guys!
  • JasonLavoie
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    JasonLavoie polycounter lvl 18
    And for those who are interested, we just got ourselves on Itunes, check it out here - https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-gamedevcast/id635644245
  • Dylan Brady
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    Dylan Brady polycounter lvl 9
    Loved it you guys! Cant wait for the next one.
  • AimBiZ
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    AimBiZ polycounter lvl 14
    Quite interesting hearing you guys discuss things. On the Sunday chill-outs, if you have some personal art pieces going on you could give each other some critiques. I always enjoy creative talk anyway.
  • Shiniku
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    Shiniku polycounter lvl 9
    I don't know what's involved on this, but can you get it on Stitcher? I kind of hate stitcher but it's still the easiest way for me to get podcasts when I'm on the go.
  • MaVCArt
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    MaVCArt polycounter lvl 8
    Shiniku wrote: »
    I don't know what's involved on this, but can you get it on Stitcher? I kind of hate stitcher but it's still the easiest way for me to get podcasts when I'm on the go.

    thanks for suggesting that, we've added it to the planning :) right now though, we want to maximize quality before we go full all-platform, if you know what I mean. But the suggestion is very much appreciated and noted, thanks :)


    I also have a shoutout to the community:

    We need another indie game of the week!

    last week (and this week, since last week we launched on wednesday), the IGotW was Ghost of a Tale, a very interesting little game being made in Unity, that is looking absolutely stunning, and that got a full feature on our website's indie games page, as well as a feature in the IGotW section of the sidebar.

    so for the coming week, we need another indie game to feature on both the podcast and all of our social feeds!

    we're looking for a relatively undiscovered indie game that needs the coverage (which also makes it harder to find for us, which is why we are asking the community to help out on this), and is very very interesting.
    It doesn't need to be out (yet), but we do need to see functional gameplay, in the form of either footage or a demo.

    So if you have a suggestion, mail to us at contact@thegamedevcast.com, reply to one of our social feeds (found through our website), or reply to this thread :)

    also, if you are an indie dev, and you want to see your game being featured, please send us an email (we do require an e-mail for this), and we will see what we can do for you :D

    please note that we do give out features on our indie games page, to indie games other than the IGotW. the IGotW, though, gets a week-long permalink on every page of the website, a full feature on the top spot of the indie games page, and a couple minutes of coverage of that week's podcast episode.
    We also give out invitations to the IGotW's developer to come on the podcast to talk about their game :)

    again, we need suggestions and submissions, so please shout out on your social feeds, forums, websites, blogs and whatever form of communication with the internet you happen to be currently using, and we will be forever grateful to you :)


    for the ones that were wondering, this is our website:

    www.thegamedevcast.com


    again, lots of thanks to this amazing community of artists, without you guys this podcast wouldn't even exist!
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