Best Alexander Seropian Podcasts (2025)

1
The Sims' Bing Gordon is Specifically Right 1:15:48

2h ago1:15:48

1:15:48

Our guest Bing Gordon has had a long successful run in videogames and tech. From marketing lead to Chief Creative Officer at EA, he helped shaped NASCAR, The Sims and other huge titles. We discuss pitching, two beer strategies and Speilberg's smoke test - this week! Episode Highlights [00:04:00] How Bing Gordon Helped Launch Electronic Arts Bing sh…

1
Portal's Kim Swift's Cake is Not a Lie 1:15:49

5d ago1:15:49

1:15:49

Our guest Kim Swift turned a student demo into the mega-hit Portal. Previously the Head of Creative for Xbox Games Publishing, she also did level design on Left 4 Dead and was Design Director for Star Wars: Battlefront II. We discuss how to pitch, owning IP on Mars and whether or not the cake is a lie - this week! Episode Highlights [00:00:21] Kim …

1
The Blinding Flame of Red Dead's Christian Cantamessa 1:21:15

12d ago1:21:15

1:21:15

Our guest Christian Cantamessa began in point and click adventures before becoming lead designer and writer for Red Dead Redemption. Now CEO of Day 4 Night Studios Inc., he is also the writer and director of the film, Air. We discuss concern about GTA III, embracing the game and telling stories in games - this week! [00:00:00] – From Donald Duck to…

1
Command and Conquer's Louis Castle's Triple Threat 1:08:39

20d ago1:08:39

1:08:39

Our guest Louis Castle helped invent real-time strategy games with Command and Conquer and has a BAFTA for Boom Blox. Now leading Childlike Wonder Games, we discuss casino ethics, switching to real-time and building toys - this week! Top 8 Highlights [00:00:00] – Lifelong Learning: The Key to Game Design Success Louis Castle opens the episode by em…

1
Tencent's Amir Satvat Flexes the Data Muscle for Good 1:14:20

27d ago1:14:20

1:14:20

Our guest Amir Satvat wants to get you a job in games. A business development executive at Tencent, he won the Game Changer award for the incredible community he built which has helped over 3k gamedevs find their next role with mentorship, mock interviews and more. We discuss "the troubles" and hopes for the future - this week! You can find Amir's …

1
Outer Wilds' Alex Beachum's Cool Weird Emotional Prototypes 1:12:11

1M ago1:12:11

1:12:11

Our guest Alex Beachum turned his thesis project into the mind-bending smash Outer Wilds. Inspired by greats such as Zelda and Antichamber, it blazed new ground by having a nonviolent (though definitely mortal) player. We discuss emotional prototypes, four distinct mysteries and the IGF - this week! Highlights [00:00:30] Emotional Prototyping: Desi…

1
The Maestro of Modding Sandi Montaño 57:53

1M ago57:53

57:53

In this inspiring episode of The Fourth Curtain, we sit down with Sandi Montaño, a self-taught modding phenom who went from stay-at-home dad to one of the most downloaded indie creators in the gaming world. With over 31 million downloads of his content for games like ARK: Survival Ascended and Hogwarts Legacy, Sandi proves you don’t need a degree—o…

1
Exploding Kittens' Elan Lee Stacks the Deck 1:12:28

2M ago1:12:28

1:12:28

Our guest is Exploding Kitten's Elan Lee. Starting with animating breath for the film Titanic, he went on to create the world's first alternate reality game, The Beast, at Microsoft. Later he gamified Nine Inch Nails and voter registration and went on to launch the most successful Kickstarter ever for Exploding Kittens, redefining family game night…

1
Journey's Jenova Chen and the Art of the Positive Game 1:16:39

2M ago1:16:39

1:16:39

This week's guest is Jenova Chen, creator of Journey, Sky: Children of the Light and other games. A BAFTA winner, he has strong opinions about morality in games and the value of positivity. We discuss the unique way he starts games, GDC's value and being the opposite of GTA - this week! [00:00:00] Music as the Highest Resolution Emotional Medium Je…

1
Alex Irvine's Storytelling Secrets from Marvel Rivals and Beyond! 1:10:52

2M ago1:10:52

1:10:52

Dive into the compelling world of storytelling with acclaimed author Alex Irvine, known for his immersive contributions to Marvel games, graphic novels, and groundbreaking Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) like I Love Bees. In this episode, Alex shares his insights on creativity, the delicate balance between talent, persistence, and luck, and the intr…

1
Hope for the Future with Halo's Joe Staten 1:22:53

2M ago1:22:53

1:22:53

This week's guest is Halo and Destiny's Joe Staten. Beginning as a farmhand, he went on to lead teams in the Halo franchise, be on the core team for Destiny, write a NYT bestselling novel and work with the great Peter Jackson. Now looking for his next role, we discuss how Bungie was like a family business, the most important mysteries and creativit…

1
Games Workshop's Ian Livingstone, Fantasy Knight in Real Life 1:26:44

3M ago1:26:44

1:26:44

This week's guest is a founder of Games Workshop, publisher of White Dwarf magazine, creator of the Fighting Fantasy Books and Executive Chair of Eidos Interactive Sir Ian Livingstone. This Knight of the British Empire started a business while living in a van, prevailed through a Satanic panic about his Fighting books, saw the promise of a certain …

1
Best of 2024 1:44:49

3M ago1:44:49

1:44:49

In this week's episode we recap some of the best moments from Season 2, with John Romero on hits and misses, how Peter Molyneux makes a game, Ed Fries on Xbox's Valentines Day massacre, Warren Spector on how playstyle is everything and much more! 🎮 The Fourth Curtain – S2 Best Of Highlights [00:00:00] – Season 2 Recap & Patreon Launch 🎉 Alex and Aa…

1
Ed Boon Gets into the Nitty-Gritty Metal 1:11:16

7M ago1:11:16

1:11:16

Welcome to the Season Two finale episode! And it's a Monster!!!! (Never fear, we will be back in a couple of weeks with some special episodes to bridge the gap to Season Three!) This week's guest is Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat and Injustice and Chief Creative Officer of Mortal Kombat and NetherRealm Studios! Starting in the world of pinbal…

1
From Pong to Deconstructor: Mishka Katkoff’s Global Gaming Journey 1:11:59

7M ago1:11:59

1:11:59

Ok, we know this episode should be called Something Fun on the Toilet with MK, but we're chose to keep it classy. Our guest this week is Michail Katkoff, a veteran of Zynga, Supercell, and Rovio, partner in Play Ventures, and founder of Deconstructor of Fun. In all of these different roles he's developed a unique understanding of our industry from …

1
Things Blow Up with Mike Pondsmith 1:27:41

7M ago1:27:41

1:27:41

In this episode of The Fourth Curtain, legendary game designer Mike Pondsmith joins hosts Alex and Aaron for an in-depth conversation about his expansive career, from creating the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk to collaborating with CD Projekt Red on Cyberpunk 2077. Mike discusses his early days in game development, the creation of Night City, and the chal…

1
The Business Romance of Mihai Pohontu 1:25:08

7M ago1:25:08

1:25:08

This week on The Fourth Curtain, we’re joined by Mihai Pohontu, CEO and Chairman of Amber Studio, a distinguished figure in the gaming industry. Mihai, who was recently named Romanian Entrepreneur of the Year, shares his fascinating journey from the upheaval of post-revolution Romania to becoming a leader in global game development. A self-describe…

1
Warren Spector Gets the Keys to the Kingdom 1:29:23

8M ago1:29:23

1:29:23

Our guest Warren Spector is the creative producer behind vastly influential games like Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Deus Ex and many others. Now working on (working title) Argos, he joins us to talk about the birth of the immersive sim, having amazing mentors and ways to start a game, this week! The conversation dives deep into Warren's career,…

1
Ed Fries Races The Beam 1:33:43

8M ago1:33:43

1:33:43

In this episode of The Fourth Curtain, Alex and Aaron sit down with Ed Fries, a pivotal figure in the gaming industry and former VP at Microsoft, where he helped launch the Xbox. Ed shares stories from his early days at Microsoft, including how he made the leap from working on Office products to heading up the game division. He dives into the creat…

1
Frank Gibeau's Silver Bullets for Game Development 1:13:38

8M ago1:13:38

1:13:38

Join Alex Seropian (founder of Bungie) and Aaron Marroquin as they dive into the incredible minds behind the video game industry in The Fourth Curtain. In this episode, they chat with Frank Gibeau, the CEO of Zynga, who takes listeners on a journey through one of the most legendary corporate turnarounds in gaming history. From his early days at EA …

1
Jordan Weisman Makes Stuff Up 1:18:02

8M ago1:18:02

1:18:02

Our guest this week is the legend Jordan Weisman. Creator of BattleTech, Crimson Skies and the world's first alternate reality game, he's now working on Adventure Forge, a platform to help non-engineers make videogames. We talk buying D&D from Gary Gygax, at Gary's house!, the secret to entrepreneurship and creating the "Bungie bubble" this week! […

1
Harvey Smith Knows the Secret to Magical Games 1:28:27

9M ago1:28:27

1:28:27

Our guest this week is the co-creative director of Arkane Studios, Harvey Smith. Starting out in QA for System Shock and other games, he went on to be lead designer for Deus Ex and ultimately made Dishonored at Arkane. We talk meeting your heroes, recombining systems and the secret to making a magical game this week! [00:00:00] - Harvey Smith discu…

1
Behind the Headlines: Dean Takahashi’s Journey Through Gaming’s Biggest Stories 1:02:10

9M ago1:02:10

1:02:10

In this exciting episode of The Fourth Curtain, hosts Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin dive deep into the world of gaming journalism with none other than Dean Takahashi, the lead writer of GamesBeat at VentureBeat. With over three decades of experience covering tech and gaming, Dean shares his unique insights on the evolving landscape of the …

1
Rod Fergusson Shakes The Jello 1:20:26

9M ago1:20:26

1:20:26

This week's guest is a well-known "closer" who has steered the ship for some of the biggest games ever. Beginning with Train Simulator, he went on to serve as Producer for Counter-Strike Xbox, Gears of War, Infinity Blade, BioShock Infinite. Now helming Diablo at Blizzard, he talks triage, teamwork and not shaking the jello - this week! Thank you f…

1
Inside CD Projekt RED: Michal Nowakowski on The Witcher, Cyberpunk, and Gaming's Future 1:17:04

9M ago1:17:04

1:17:04

Our guest this week is Michal Nowakowski the co-CEO of CD Projekt Red, the renowned studio behind iconic games like The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. With nearly two decades at CD Projekt, Michal shares his journey from the early days of video game distribution in Poland to leading one of the world's most celebrated game development companies. Beginn…

1
Brian Reynolds Surrounds the Fun Part 2 1:21:31

10M ago1:21:31

1:21:31

Our conversation with the gamedev legend Brian Reynolds continues as we dive into the true meaning of 4X, the Train Reynolds business model, NPC insults and the research secrets of this podcast - this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aar…

1
Brian Reynolds Surrounds the Fun Part 1 1:24:28

10M ago1:24:28

1:24:28

Our guest Brian Reynolds has a story so nice we had to hear it twice! In Part 1 we hear about coding at Radioshack, mentorship with Sid Meier and making Civilization 2 basically by himself. A great conversation with a legend to resume Season 2 of The Fourth Curtain! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people …

1
From Gamer to Creator with Uri Marchand 1:14:01

11M ago1:14:01

1:14:01

Co-founder and CEO of Overwolf, Uri Marchand has been building _THE_ UGC platform for over fourteen years and Overwolf has paid more than $200 million to mod-makers going deep on games from Minecraft to Stardew Valley! A hardcore Real Time Strategy player, Uri's company now supports all types of games including Ark and The Sims. We talk the funnel …

1
Mark DeLoura Leverages Games for More 1:21:09

11M ago1:21:09

1:21:09

Our guest Mark DeLoura has had a stunningly wide-ranging career: game developer and executive for Nintendo, Sony and THQ, Editor in Chief of Game Developer magazine, Senior Advisor for Digital Media in the White House, author of Programming Gems book series, built hardware and software for NASA and served on the Board at Games for Change. This week…

1
The Action Arcade Strategy of Shannon Loftis 1:16:07

11M ago1:16:07

1:16:07

For a second time we are graced with the presence of videogame legend Shannon Loftis! Veteran of running Flight Simulator and Age of Empires at Microsoft, she was instrumental in the acquisition of Rare for Xbox game Studios. Now an advisor to Duke University's videogame program she joins us to talk franchises, Animal Well and the great Profanisaur…

1
The Definition of Indie with Schmid and Kho 39:50

11M ago39:50

39:50

Our guests this week are creators of the visually-striking games Cocoon, Limbo and Inside. Jakob Scmid is co-founder of Geometric Interactive and Erwin Kho is the artist guiding a couple of those projects. We talk about readable environments, demo scenes and more this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing…

1
The Conference 56:50

11M ago56:50

56:50

This past March, 30,000 people went to San Francisco for the annual Game Developers Conference. Going since 1988, GDC, brings together people from all corners of the game development community. The Fourth Curtain followed four different journeys intersecting this conference. The First Timer: Aaron has never gone to GDC and it terrified him. The Sea…

1
How To Start A Game Studio 57:38

12M ago57:38

57:38

In this inaugural Lunch Club episode of The Fourth Curtain we discuss starting a Game Studio, something Alex has done a few times. We fail to actually eat lunch, but we do talk about the following topics: 1) Why? Why do you want to start one? What are good reason to do so and what’s a game studio really? 2) Strategies. If you are starting a studio,…

1
Tim Morten's Giant Strategy 1:09:58

12M ago1:09:58

1:09:58

This week’s guest Tim Morten has been putting the “real” in real time strategy for years. Formerly lead on Starcraft II, he’s now CEO of Frost Giant Studios, where they’re making Stormgate, a game intended to broaden the RTS audience. We talk compromises, learning how to make games and Korea’s love of Starcraft this week! Thank you for listening to…

1
Kristian Segestrale’s Midas Touch 1:23:14

12M ago1:23:14

1:23:14

Our guest this week was a founder of Glu and Playfish and an early investor in Supercell. Now he’s CEO of Super Evil Megacorp working on TMNT for Switch. We talk the early days of mobile, the great Vainglory and roguelites in a very educational episode this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who…

1
Up All Night with Ted Price 1:20:04

1y ago1:20:04

1:20:04

Beginning with a 3DO dev kit he was developing on alone (!), Ted Price went on to make Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet and Clank and Spiderman. His company Insomniac has been making games for a boggling 30 years! We talk odd jobs, Hail Marys and hands for mechanics this week. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing peo…

1
Sharing a Vision with Paul and Katy Bettner 1:25:49

1y ago1:25:49

1:25:49

Our guests Paul and Katy Bettner are the Co-CEOs of Playful Games. Paul got his start making Age of Empires and Halo Wars. Together Paul and Katy made the leap into mobile founding NewToy, where Words with Friends became one of the most-played games of all time. They’re now working on Wildcard, a game aiming to fulfill the promise of web3. We talk …

1
Peter Moore Takes His Shot 1:41:30

1y ago1:41:30

1:41:30

Our guest Peter Moore keeps ending up on top, whether it’s Reebok, Sega, EA Sports or Liverpool FC. His remarkable journey begins with semi-pro football, veers into videogames to become a father of the Dreamcast, head of EA Sports and has come full circle as owner of Santa Barbara Sky FC. Stories of recruiter calls, a dead Seaman and the Four C’s t…

1
What Could Go Right with Mitch Lasky 1:20:03

1y ago1:20:03

1:20:03

You may know not the name of our guest Mitch Lasky, but you absolutely know his work. He created Activision’s third-party business and basically kicked off mobile gaming. As a VC he played a key role in the creation of Riot, Discord, Twitter and a dozen other hit businesses. Longtime partner at Benchmark Capital he’s now an owner of the LAFC soccer…

1
Jesse Schell Glimpses the Future 1:19:30

1y ago1:19:30

1:19:30

A circus veteran who literally wrote the book on game design, Jesse Schell had a major impact on one of the biggest IPs in contemporary culture. Founder of Schell Games (member of the very exclusive “no layoffs” club) and now working on Among Us and other VR games, he has long taught entertainment technology at Carnegie Mellon. We talk Imagineering…

1
Susan Cumming's Exceptional Track Record 1:12:22

1y ago1:12:22

1:12:22

Co-Founder of 2K Games, Susan Cummings has closed some of the biggest deals in videogames – Bioshock, Borderlands, she got XCOM for free! Now the CEO of Tiny Rebel Games she’s making a Petaverse which is cooler than the metaverse. Rockstar vibes, checkbook fun and our second brush with Patrick Stewart, this week! Thank you for listening to our podc…

1
The Ars Technica of Lorne Lanning 1:25:59

1y ago1:25:59

1:25:59

Computer graphics pioneer Lorne Lanning founded Oddworld Inhabitants and made six Oddworld games for multiple platforms including helping to launch the original Xbox. His journey has taken him from playing one of the first ColecoVisions to making animations for the DoD’s “Star Wars” program, to videogames. We talk voice acting, how to get a free Cr…

1
Tracing the Silhouette of Jordan Mechner 1:18:54

1y ago1:18:54

1:18:54

Filmmaker and graphic novel artist Jordan Mechner got his start with the smash hit videogames, Karateka and Prince of Persia. His technique of using rotoscoping brought unique fluidity and realism to his titles. We talk The Last Express, his graphic novel Replay and echoes of the past this week! You can visit Jordan's website at http://www.jordanme…

1
Mike Wilson's Holy War 1:23:14

1y ago1:23:14

1:23:14

Mike Wilson’s commitment to game artists getting their due is impossible to overstate. From his beginnings at DWANGO and iD, to Gathering of Developers, to Devolver, he has pursued a lifelong mission of getting #gamedevs their rightful piece of the pie. A fascinating trip through the last 30 years of game business this week on The Fourth Curtain! T…

1
Dennis Fong Improves the Internet 1:11:13

1y ago1:11:13

1:11:13

Like many of our guests, Dennis "Thresh" Fong has many “firsts” to his name. Not just first pro gamer, but first influencer, builder of many first gamer communities. Now his company Good Games Well Played is successfully combating toxicity in games. A great conversation with Fatal1ty mentor and Elon Musk competitor this week! Thank you for listenin…

1
Mastermind of God Games Peter Molyneux 1:09:40

1y ago1:09:40

1:09:40

With a list of awards and firsts as long as your arm, this week’s guest made the “god game” into an artform, and then went on to multiple other genres – Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper, Black and White, Fable. Hear how he works like a Victorian, can’t afford a pavement artist and avoids inspiration from other games this week! Peter's Blog: https://develo…

1
Scott Miller's All Out of Bubble Gum 1:13:57

1y ago1:13:57

1:13:57

This week our guest has several high profile innovations to his name – shareware in games, bullet time before The Matrix. He helped launch id Software and then Duke Nukem, Max Payne and so much more. He's back with a new iteration of Apogee delivering pure fun in a retro aesthetic. Come hear how Scott discovered the Build engine and hired, then fir…

1
Dylan Cuthbert, Clever as a Star Fox 1:22:24

1y ago1:22:24

1:22:24

This week we meet up with Q-Games founder, Star Fox maker and all around technical wizard Dylan Cuthbert! Dylan is one of the few game developers to have made it big on three different continents! His story of how he got his first job at 17 in the UK will blow your mind. We talk hacking, legendary Japanese devs and much more this week! Thank you fo…

1
Stephen Lim and Trevor Romleski's Forward Operations 1:16:13

1+ y ago1:16:13

1:16:13

This week our guests are lifelong gamers Slim and Trevor. Together they put Valorant on the map and have now formed a new studio, RaidBase, to build a PvP sandbox game where players can build reputations. With experience in pro gaming and the psychology of games, we talk MMOs, hierarchies of needs and complex testing techniques, this week on The Fo…

1
Making it Real with John Romero 1:09:30

1+ y ago1:09:30

1:09:30

The massively prolific John Romero made 86 games before the hit Castle Wolfenstein and follow-ups DOOM and Quake. Now working on a new shooter in Unreal, he speaks to us about work ethics, culture shocks and starting over, this week on The Fourth Curtain! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring t…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Alexander Seropian Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen