Branching Factor

Apr 29 2024 20

Branching Factor Podcast artwork

Welcome to Branching Factor, a podcast about video games from people who play, develop and research video games.In each episode, join our host Dr. Tommy Thompson as he sits down with co-hosts Dr. Anne Sullivan, George Osborn, Dr. Mike Cook, and Quang as they explore the gaming world.Learn about how video games are made, the goings-on of the games industry, what academic research in games is all about, interviews with guests, and more!
Branching Factor is brought to you by the AI and Games YouTube channel, watch episodes on AI and Games Plus, and become a Patron to support the show.Watch episodes of Branching Factor on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusLearn About AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesBecome an AI and Games Patron: http://www.patreon.com/ai_and_gamesFollow AI and Games on Twitter, Mastodon and TikTok
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#019 - On the Harvest Hunt with Mark Drew

Apr 29 2024 76 mins

In this episode Tommy sits down with Mark Drew, the director of Villainous Game studios. Their next title, Harvest Hunt, launches on Steam on May 22nd. We get into our shared history, my accent, making sure you survive your first indie game, the lessons learned from shipping anything to Steam, building a scalable game with a small team, and the benefits of having a publisher i

#018 Musings on Games Leadership with Melissa Phillips

Apr 15 2024 77 mins

In this episode Tommy is joined by longtime friend Melissa Phillips, who is now the director of the Games Leadership Network: a a non-profit organisation that aims to promote and improve leadership skills in the games industry. We dig into what it means to build leadership skills in games, why training is so vital and reflect on the projects we worked on together many years ago at

#017 - Tommy & George @GDC2024

Apr 01 2024 31 mins

Tommy and George are back for this episode of Branching Factor, recorded on the final day of the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC). The team reflect on the week that has passed, and just how valuable a solid nights sleep can be when caught up in all this madness.--The Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn�

#016 - Legendary Chat with Will Overgard

Mar 11 2024 92 mins

Will Overgard, aka the Viking Blonde joins Tommy for a chat about his career as a Twitch streamer supporting game developers, and the current state of the industry going into GDC 2024. The conversation covers everything from good indie games to monetisation models, surviving as a game developer, being a content creator, generative AI, crypto and Web3, EA' project 10 dollar, good do

#015: Screaming Match with Ben Ridge

Feb 26 2024 108 mins

For this weeks episode, Ben Ridge of Unfathomable Audio (the guy who does our music) joins us to talk about working in game audio, plus Helldivers II, Elden Ring, Bloodborne, gaming news and more!As mentioned in the news: the early bird registration for the Summer School for AI and Games closes on March 1st. Find out more at: https://school.gameaibook.org/Plus, Game AI Uncovered is

#014 - Sunset Crack Squad

Feb 13 2024 73 mins

Tommy's riding solo in this episode, and so he decided to focus on games he's playing, projects he's involved in and the big stories in the news that are going down.--As mentioned, Tommy will be at the AI and Games Summer School for this year. It's running from June 17th-21st in Valletta in Malta, and early bird registration closes on March 1st.http://school.gameaibook.org/Plus, th

#013 - George and Tommy Predict 2024 in Gaming

Jan 26 2024 89 mins

Branching Factor is back for 2024. We kickstart the year with George and Tommy sitting down to discuss the current state of the games industry, and where we see things going over the next 12 months.-Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI

#012 - AI and Games Wrapped 2023

Dec 21 2023 173 mins

In this month's episode, the rest of the team gets a well-earned break for the holiday season. Tommy sits down to reflect on the past year of content published across AI and Games, discusses his favourite games of the year, and answers viewer questions.-Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aian

#011: Unpacking the Unity Debacle

Nov 16 2023 76 mins

In this month's episode, Tommy, George and Quang unpack the recent headlines made by game engine creator Unity as it sought to define its monetisation practices, and the reaction by the game development community. Our special guest Matt Gambell from YouTube channel 'Game Dev Guide' gives his perspective both as a content creator focussed on the Unity game engine, as well as a day-t

#010 - A Seaside Chat at Develop 2023

Oct 26 2023 56 mins

George and Tommy hang out at Develop 2023 and discuss their experiences of trying to make a name for themselves in the games industry, and the value of attending an industry event in building networks and fostering communities.--Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--AI and Games Plus