Game Maker's Notebook

Austin Wintory chats with Bence Pajor, the Audio Director behind Embark Studios' smash hit extraction shooter, Arc Raiders. Together they discuss his early career in music and how he transitioned to audio design; his work at DICE on the Battlefield series; the moral implications when designing realistic audio experiences for combat simulations; balancing music to not break player immersion; and creating modern synth music with retro aesthetics.
This episode is supported by 
Xsolla
iam8bit
Episode Host: Austin Wintory
Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
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Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Jenny Jiao Hsia, co-director of Consume Me. Together they discuss where Jenny first got the idea to tell a semi-autobiographical story through video games; learning to not micromanage and lean on your team; how personal finances restrict or enable creativity; the dangers of social media and need for external validation; and the importance of having interests outside of games to help with creative and personal fulfillment.
This episode is supported by 
Xsolla
iam8bit
Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea
Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
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Adam Orth chats with Virgil Watkins, the design director behind Embark Studios' smash hit extraction shooter, Arc Raiders. Together they discuss his early passion in modding and how it led to him joining Embark Studios as a Technical Designer on the initial PVE version of Arc Raiders; how internal testing shaped the system design and core experience of the PvPvE version; the ways they're seeking to improve the game post-launch; and how they balance handcrafted experiences with randomness in the deadly Arc encounters.
This episode is sponsored by:
Xsolla
iam8bit
Accelbyte
Episode Host: Adam Orth
Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review.
Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt
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Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Actor Ben Starr. Together they discuss his role in the multi-D.I.C.E. Award winning game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33; balancing authenticity and restraint in the public sphere; voice acting in a game filled with intimacy in Date Everything!; and his observations on the difficulties many developers face today.
This episode is supported by 
Xsolla
iam8bit
Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea
Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review.
Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS
Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Adam Orth chats with Battlefield 6 Creative Director, Thomas Andersson. Together they discuss his path in games from level design to direction; what it takes to lead a team the size it takes to create a Battlefield title; the pillars and core features that drove the mission in the newest entry; how the kinetic movement and destruction work together to create unique and epic moments; and the technical and design challenges present when emphasizing player freedom.
This episode is sponsored by:
Xsolla
Accelbyte
Episode Host: Adam Orth
Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review.
Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt
Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS
Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation