We dive into the decision to shift from a 2D platformer to a 3D first-person dungeon crawler with integrated language learning mechanics, and what sets this apart from traditional educational or “edutainment” titles. Julian explains how the team managed development across seven time zones with over 20 part-time teammates, secured Sony and Nintendo development kits without publisher backing, and grabbed enough attention from critics to land Metacritic and OpenCritic scores — a rare feat for self-published indies.

We also talk about the biggest operational challenges, the future of the Shujinkou trilogy, and Julian’s advice for aspiring developers on both the creative and logistical sides of indie development. If you’ve ever dreamed of building and shipping your own game from the ground up, this episode is full of insights and lessons you won’t want to miss.

Fieldman also shares practical strategies for adapting games into other media and vice versa, tips for navigating rights and licensing, and how to unlock long-term monetization across platforms. Whether you’re a developer, producer, or IP owner, this conversation offers a wealth of insight into building and sustaining transmedia franchises.

We explore the art and science of pitching in today’s market—what works, what doesn’t, and how developers can improve their odds of success. Whether you’re new to pitching or looking to refine your approach, this episode offers an inside look into how major publishers think and operate in a rapidly changing environment.

We also discuss how WIGI actively supports women and marginalized genders, key programs and partnerships, and what allies in the industry can do to contribute meaningfully. Whether you’re a developer, publisher, or player, this episode is packed with insight on how the community can create lasting change.

We dive into what “doing more with less” really means in the current market, why marketing paralysis is so common, and how studios can overcome it without a massive budget. Mike also explains why chasing virality can backfire, and why marginal gains and meaningful engagement drive long-term success. We also explore key metrics that matter when playing the long game, the broken parts of the launch model, and what he’s learned from working with titles like Slugterra, AdCom, and Bulletstorm. This is a must-listen for studios looking to build sustainable momentum in today’s crowded industry.

We dive into the types of games Filament creates, the company’s main sources of business, and how they successfully connect with clients across industries. Jennifer also highlights emerging markets in serious games, including education, training, health, and workforce development—and explains how developers can tap into this growing space.

Whether you’re a dev curious about non-entertainment games or just looking to learn more about the intersection of play and purpose, this episode is full of practical knowledge and inspiration.

We also discuss common mistakes that developers should avoid, red flags in potential publishing partners, and how to position your game for the best possible chance of success. Whether you’re an indie developer looking for your first publishing deal or an industry veteran refining your approach, this conversation is packed with actionable advice to help you navigate the world of game pitching and publishing.

We delve into questions of how an audience can truly impact a story, what it means for a narrative to resonate across different mediums, and why cross-media “story living” can be both thrilling when done right—and off-putting when done wrong. Stephan also shares his perspective on how traditional storytelling methods are being upended and why we’re still finding the new ways forward.

Ben also opens up about the growth of the company, his favorite moments, and the biggest challenges they’ve faced along the way. This episode is filled with inspiring stories and lessons for aspiring game developers and entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the industry.

In this episode, Jim reflects on his aspirations before entering the gaming world, the greatest gifts the industry has given him, and the challenges he’s faced throughout his career. While he remains reserved about his most recent project, Stormgate, he shares fascinating anecdotes from his long career, including his favorite projects, biggest heartbreaks, and what he would do differently if he had to start over.

In this highlight, Chris shares his expertise on how pitch decks differ when presented to a game publisher compared to an equity investor.

In this highlight, Otis explores his thoughts about how game soundtracks will expand and evolve in the future.

A Blueprint for the Gaming Industry

On this week’s episode of IndieGameBusiness podcast Jim Mulford from acQyr eXchange was on the show to discuss the rising prominence of loyalty programs within the video game industry. In this short summary we’ll be going over the topics covered from the origin of these programs and where they are now.

As Jay mentioned in the podcast this idea of loyalty to a brand truly began when Microsoft introduced the Gamerscore system at E3 2005. It created a market in which specific people would go out and specifically buy games just for the ability to improve their gamerscore easily. As the achievement systems were limited at the time of what could even be considered an achievement it is a very different system to the modern console generations version of achievements. This shift in how achievements were handled eliminated this unintentional market but showed companies that a sort of system could be profitable leading to the current loyalty programs we have today.

If you are a consumer of any sort of video game media you have come into contact with one of the many loyalty programs present in the industry. Playstation has PS Plus for online play with free games offered every month as long as you continue to pay for the service, Microsoft has a rewards program alongside Gamepass to promote free products to their consumer, Nintendo has My Nintendo where consumers earn silver and gold coins to use on discounts for games as well exclusive physical merchandise. These are only a few examples as companies such as EA, Ubisoft, Razer, etc. all have programs as well.

Jim mentions that the downfall of a lot of these programs are that they offer too little of a reward or incentive for members to care. He states that the goal of these programs should help provide retention to consumers but many of these programs do not have cross initiatives and only cater to their exclusive audiences rather than offering some sort of partnership with other companies. Loyalty programs can be a great way to keep gamers engaged but many companies have to adapt to the changing ways in which consumers expect certain things from their loyalty services.

Larry also discussed Binge, the streaming service that the System Shock TV adaptation will premiere on, focusing on gaming related media really goes to show how the games industry has really begun to garner the respect and attention of other industries such as film and television. With the pandemic starting in 2020 gaming had a phenomenal year with about 170 billion dollars of revenue generated in the industry.

When asked about Nightdive’s involvement in the project Larry stated that their role is more passive and that they are mostly there as a reference or a resource for whatever the project needs or if they need specific information from what is now, the System Shock Universe. Larry also gives out the advice at this time that if you want to get into the industry under any means necessary, or in his words “join the circus”, be willing to sweep up after the elephant. He goes on to explain that working in the industry is not as romantic as it sounds, there are days where he has to review contracts, sit in meetings for hours with lawyers, etc. It is not as simple as sitting at home and playing video games all day.

When asked Larry clarified that there is currently no date for the release of the System Shock TV adaptation. Larry takes this opportunity to talk about the games industry and the obsession with release dates that can then lead to backlash from the community when they are not satisfied with a release after they demanded the release to be as soon as possible. They are in fact giving Binge as much as time as they want to perfect this tv adaptation rather than rushing it out.

The first part of the podcast truly focuses on Damon’s experience in the industry and how developing games has changed since the 1980’s when he was graduating high school. They go on to discuss that even outside of MMO’s catering to your community in any sort of live service game is extremely important. He goes on to mention that community is an essential part of the process for any developer, especially indie developers. Damon suggests using social media, live streams, etc. to build momentum for your release. He says that if you take care of your community they will spread the word of your game themselves, even suggesting that you should let publishers come to you after some success rather than trying to find a publisher to guarantee success and marketing.

When asked about general advice about game development Damon suggests that as a studio you should not be overly ambitious. Not in the sense that you cannot have dream projects that push boundaries, but more so understand your team and the limits you currently have instead of over scoping the project. He says that you should focus on the features that will make your game a worthwhile project as you can always remove bad features but never get the time back you spent developing them. This goes hand and hand with his advice to make sure that you have time to playtest your game to make sure the features you are adding are actually fun for the player rather than just adding features for the sake of having them.

While this part was short Damon does talk about the writing process and how whoever is a part of the writing process needs to understand the world you are writing for and making sure everything fits into the established writing. Lastly, when asked about the best way to nurture a healthy working environment Damon stated that while it is at the mercy of the personalities in the room it can also be important to encourage collaboration at all times. He also mentions that it is important to have team members who are able to take constructive criticism but that you should also be criticizing the idea not the actual person to avoid conflict.

The talk then shifts more into how the four day work week discussions began which all traces back to the beginning of the pandemic. John states how hard it was for everyone in that initial phase of adjustment to pandemic life and how his company began telling people to take more days off for themselves and how important it is to make sure the employees are okay and not being overworked. John talks about how important trust is in the workplace in regards to trusting them to actually take time off and decompress from their workload, trust that they will get their work done despite not being in an office, and trust that their voice can be heard if there are any concerns that need to be brought to light.

The talk moves into how the four day work week was decided upon and John actually mentions the variety of different workplace models there are. From things like more hours during work days to make a four day work week possible, to Fridays being reserved for special projects, to even half day Fridays, there are a lot of ways in which companies can incorporate different models to what best suits their work environment. John also mentions that they have readjusted their company so even though people are working less hours they are still being compensated the same in order to promote a healthy work-life balance.

John mentions how the pandemic was kind of the nail in the coffin for the workplace revolution to begin. People are tired and now companies are having to come up with incentives of sorts to appease employees and keep them because now more than ever they will leave without a second thought. He thinks change will continue to roll out through the years and that this is simply part of the cycle that the United States especially goes through every few decades.

One aspect Tim mentions that indies should consider when planning their budget is that developers are probably not perfect at every aspect of development. He mentions that while he is strong at coding he has a budget set aside for things like artists or consultants to come in and appraise his marketing efforts. He also states that you need to do some basic math to figure out how to best fit your cost of living and giving yourself some time off while also understanding that there is a certain requirement of money that needs to be made from games every year.

Another piece of advice that Time gave during the podcast was to take everything one month at a time. He elaborates that he means this in the sense of both financially looking at a month and what you can do differently as well as setting goals and meeting expectations. He mentions how it can be a much healthier mindset to look at things in each month as steps towards the larger goals you may have as a developer rather than forcing yourself to meet unrealistic expectations.

Lastly, Jay and Tim talk about how being in the gaming industry can be brutal and how it really requires you to have an extensive planning period before fully committing to an idea. Tim explains that is important to look at things objectively; think about what audience you want to reach, brainstorm ideas, think about which ideas are plausible given your budget and development time, etc. This leads into the discussion that developers should not be afraid to be forced to pivot development or their ideas. Things happen and some things good on paper but in practice just aren’t. Instead of being afraid of something like this embrace it and make changes in your idea or development or even walk away from a project for a bit.

The first thing the group discussed was how before attempting to go to outside sources for funding is to use as many of your personal resources as possible that way you can have the best build or demo of your project to later show off to investors or publishers. Another key piece of advice was to be able to know what your pitch deck is before you start working on it. Think about who and what you’re targeting and be sure to be specific and do research. When pitching your game you have to have research on why your game will succeed based on genre or regional demographics, etc. This can be expanded on through what makes your game unique, what you’re doing better than the competition, how your game’s mechanics and progression affect the player’s experience, etc.

Another big thing to note is that Pontus suggests including a slide on your pitch deck about your plans if your project is a huge success. It may seem like you’re getting ahead of yourself with plans for DLC or sequels but publishers like to see how the project could become more long-term. Pontus also talks about how you should have a breakdown of where all your funding will go, he mentions that you should be sure to include a reasonable salary for both you and everyone else that is a part of the team.

One takeaway from this episode of the podcast is the ways in which launching a Steam page before your game’s official launch can impact your options within the future. Some publishers will absolutely refuse to become involved with your game if there is a Steam page as it means they no longer have full control on the message/marketing. On the other hand, if you do have a Steam page publishers will want to know how big of a community you have through wishlist, twitter, discord, etc. These are important to keep in mind as you move forward and understand that there is no “right” decision on having a Steam page early or not.

All and all this episode of the podcast really emphasizes having a plan for your development cycle and doing research before reaching out for funding. To truly be prepared there should be no aspect of your pitch deck that you are unsure about, especially if you want to impress and win over potential publishers. It seems to be the best course of action is to thoroughly research every part of your pitch deck and review it before seeking out funding.

One of the main things Andrew discusses is the ways in which marketing in general for the indie game market works. He states that although when working with a publisher it is still the developer’s responsibility to supply the materials needed for marketing. The difference is the ways in which publishers simply just have the knowledge to get the resources provided to a larger audience. One of the things that Andrew touched on that really stuck out was that things like Screenshot Saturday and Wishlist Wednesday are not really effective marketing strategies to help your project get attention and support. He states these are great fun little things to do on the side but that you really should not be banking on these social media posts selling your game for you.

Another important topic that Andrew covers about what publishers can do to help included localization and porting services. He flat out says that attempting to get your game on the market for the Playstation 5 is next to impossible without a publisher to help in the process of getting a development kit. He also talks about how publishers help streamline the porting process as many new bugs can pop up when porting, it isn’t as simple as copying and pasting to a new platform.

Andrew mainly stressed that when getting a publisher you are essentially paying for someone with information. When self publishing for the first time there are just a lot of things you do not have experience with that can make it more difficult than it needs to be to find success. He stresses to just be clear and commutative with potential publishers so there is a clear understanding of what both sides expect that can lead to a mutually beneficial partnership.

Ariella explains how the casual market was sort of born from the idea of taking popular licenses and making games out of the IP. When disk drives were in their prime it was not uncommon for these sorts of games to do exceptionally well in the market at realtors such as Wal-Mart. The idea of licensed games is mostly met with the assumption that they are a cheap cash grab or that no one actually buys them, but this talk disproves that as they were very profitable at one point and time.

However, much like other aspects of the industry the casual market has changed over the last few years. Many businesses that were focused on these licensed titles have changed their outlook on the market. First, there was a change in getting consumers to shift from physical to digital purchases to increase profits with varying degrees of success. For another example, Legacy Games is realizing a lot of the casual market can be tapped into through indie games and have launched a new program to promote promising indie titles. Their website now has an Indie Game Spotlight that will feature some promising indie games that still fill the same sort of niche that the previous casual market was fond of with genres spanning matching games, hidden object games, etc. As the industry continues to evolve and adapt indie games continue to be a driving force that appeal to both hardcore and casual players.

As always this is just a quick overview of the discussion and can be listened to at its fullest wherever you listen to podcasts by searching for IndieGameBusiness.