Best Western Devs Podcasts (2025)

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Your Analytics Stack Is Killing Your Studio (The New Meta: PostHog FTW) 46:18

Play Pause

1d ago46:18

46:18

Most game studios waste weeks of runway on the wrong analytics decision—here's how to avoid that mistake. Traditional analytics SDK vendors like Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Braze promise plug-and-play simplicity but deliver silent failures, contract negotiations, and escalating costs that can destroy startup velocity. In this episode, we discuss why t…

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The Horror Games That Defined Each PlayStation Console - Beyond 919 1:14:43

2d ago1:14:43

1:14:43

It’s almost Halloween, so what better excuse to geek out about horror games? Max and Brian take a look back at the horror franchises that dominated each generation of PlayStation console. From the birth of Resident Evil on the PS1 to Silent Hill and Fatal Frame’s numerous outings on the PlayStation 2, to the PS3/360 era that gave us Dead Space, Con…

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Halo's Coming to PlayStation And PlayStation's Going to Magic: The Gathering - Beyond 918 59:01

7d ago59:01

59:01

In the video game equivalent of Hell freezing over or pigs flying, the original Halo is coming to PlayStation. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a full Unreal Engine 5 overhaul of the 2001 Xbox original, and in honor of the 25th anniversary, it’s going multi-platform sometime next year. Nick got a chance to play it, and shared his impressions about new fea…

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Why Game Studio Failures Are Structure Problems, Not Talent Problems | Chris Casanova (Microsoft, Mojang, Relic, Hypixel) 55:21

8d ago55:21

55:21

Most game studios think they have a talent problem. They don't. They have a structure problem. Chris Casanova spent 15+ years as a producer across Microsoft Xbox, Mojang (Minecraft), Relic Entertainment, Offworld Industries, and Hypixel Studios. He's watched talented teams fail repeatedly—not from lack of skill, but from organizational friction. Tr…

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The Battlefield 6 Redemption, What UCLA Football Teaches About Leadership, & Structuring Teams to Win | MAG #7 59:16

11d ago59:16

59:16

Western AAA development is not dead. Battlefield 6's 7 million unit launch proves it. This episode deconstructs how EA and Vince Zampella reversed the "disaster" of Battlefield 2042 by focusing on leadership, community feedback , and a smarter studio structure. Then, we explore why leadership is the ultimate "alpha". Joseph Kim breaks down the stun…

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Is Pokemon Stagnating? | Dev Heads 2:10:04

13d ago2:10:04

2:10:04

This week on Dev Heads, JM8, Tina, and Mikee dig deep into the current state of the Pokemon franchise. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠

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Ghost of Yotei Devs Discuss That Ending, Story Changes, Easter Eggs & More | Spoilercast! - Beyond 917 50:16

14d ago50:16

50:16

SPOILER ALERT! This week, we’re talking Ghost of Yotei yet again, but delving deep into late game content, including the ending. Joining us to unpack all that, and answer some more questions about how the open-world samurai epic came together are creative director Jason Connel and lead writer Ian Ryan from Sucker Punch Productions. We discuss story…

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Inside the $55B EA-Saudi Deal: Why It's Not a Typical LBO (with Chris Petrovic & Matthew Kanterman) 59:56

18d ago59:56

59:56

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund just closed the largest gaming acquisition in history—$55 billion for Electronic Arts. But this isn't the typical private equity playbook. In this episode, host Joseph Kim sits down with two M&A experts who break down what's really happening:- Chris Petrovic - Board Chairman & CBO at FunPlus, former President o…

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The Ad Monetization Playbook: Fixing Leaky Revenue, Boosting CPMs, and Scaling Your Team with Kelly Kang 1:08:48

22d ago1:08:48

1:08:48

Why is your ad revenue flat even when your game's traffic is growing? Margins are getting squeezed by hidden fees, and old strategies of yelling at partners no longer move the needle. In this episode, we sit down with veteran ad monetization consultant Kelly Kang to get her modern playbook for building a resilient and profitable ad strategy from th…

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Digesting the Spaghetti Western Vibes of Yotei - Beyond 916 1:05:22

23d ago1:05:22

1:05:22

This week on Beyond Jada Griffin is hosting yet again! Joined by Michael Higham, and Nick Maillet to talk more about Ghost of Yotei. We dive into how the Japanese community is embracing Yotei for how it quintessentially feels like Hokkaido, a few of the smaller touches of things we liked such as the various minigames in Yotei, and a couple of plati…

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MAG: Inside EA’s $55B LBO, Lessons from Grow A Garden, and the Intent→Action Gap ("Alien's Eye View") 57:11

24d ago57:11

57:11

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Devs React to the $55 Billion EA Buyout | Dev Heads 2:12:08

27d ago2:12:08

2:12:08

This week on Dev Heads, JM8, Tina, and Mikee dig deep into the news of EA's $55 billion buyout. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠

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Unlock 82% of the Global Gaming Market: The Ultimate Localization Guide 1:41:41

29d ago1:41:41

1:41:41

Is your game only available in English? You could be ignoring over 80% of your potential players. In this deep dive, I sit down with Alexander Murauski, CEO of localization agency Alkonost, to unpack the entire game localization playbook from start to finish. We cover the critical strategies, ROI analysis, and common mistakes that can make or break…

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Ghost of Yotei Devs Explain Lessons Learned From Tsushima, Cinematic Influences & More - Beyond 915 44:20

1M ago44:20

44:20

Ghost of Yotei is almost out, and this week we’re joined by to members of the team at Sucker Punch Productions who were behind it. Creative director Jason Connell and art director Joanna Wang tell us about how the studio approached their follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, from the cinematic inspirations to the real world research that informed this ne…

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Can Delta Force Beat PUBG? Is the Take-Two Mafia a Myth & How to Fix Recruiting? | MAG #5 26:52

1M ago26:52

26:52

On this episode of Game Makers, we explore three critical topics: how Delta Force's mobile revenue soared past PUBG's by 75% , why the "Take-Two Mafia" thesis is a myth centered on the wrong company , and a powerful framework for fixing your recruiting process by treating candidates like customers. In this episode, you will learn: MACRO: How Delta …

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Ghost of Yotei: A Leaner, Meaner Sequel That Doesn't Reinvent Open-World Samurai Games - Beyond 914 1:13:09

1M ago1:13:09

1:13:09

Ghost of Yotei isn’t out for a little while, but the reviews are in, and we’re joined by IGN’s Michael Higham to discuss Sucker Punch’s highly anticipated samurai sequel stacks up compared to its predecessor. Ghost of Tsushima was one of the last great first-party exclusives of the PS4 era, but Ghost of Yotei takes full advantage of the PlayStation…

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We Finally Saw Wolverine! Our Sony State of Play September 25 - Beyond 913 48:52

1M ago48:52

48:52

Sony suprised everyone with their September State of Play and Max, Jada, Brian, and Nick broke down every major game announced. Starting off with the first look at the long awaited Marvel's Wolverine, and it didnt dissapoint. Wolverine is definitely earning it's likely M rating, and everyone on the show (espically Jada) was impressed with the small…

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Arena Breakout: Infinite Breaks Out to PC!, Destiny: End of Western IP + China Dev, Secrets and Stupid Ideas | MAG #4 51:40

1M ago51:40

51:40

In this episode, we explore the major headwinds facing the games industry, from publisher-developer tensions to the viability of long-standing business models. We start with a raw look at industry layoffs before pivoting to a deep-dive analysis of Arena Breakout Infinite's turbulent PC launch, which reveals a massive culture clash in monetization s…

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Can Early Access Still Be Trusted? | Dev Heads 2:14:44

1M ago2:14:44

2:14:44

This week on Dev Heads, JM8, Tina, and Mikee chat about the current state of Early Access games. Second Wind is fully independent, employee-owned and fan-funded. Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/SecondWindGroup⁠

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Borderlands 4 and Battlefield 6 Are Playing it Safe, But Playing to Their Strengths - Beyond 912 1:22:04

1M ago1:22:04

1:22:04

This week we’re joined by notorious tie-guy Travis Northup, who just dropped his review of Borderlands 4, and who also went hands on with some large scale maps in Battlefield 6 at a preview event. What do these two games have in common, besides being shooters? They’re both shaping up to be returns-to-form for a couple series that haven’t stuck the …

Western Devs Podcasts

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Western Devs :: Panel discussions on .NET, software practices, and smoked meat

Western Devs

1
Dev Heads

Second Wind

1
GameMakers

Joseph Kim

1
Beyond

IGN & Geek Media

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CG BOSS Games 🗝️ Boss Key

CG BOSS Media

1
Your Analytics Stack Is Killing Your Studio (The New Meta: PostHog FTW) 46:18

1
The Horror Games That Defined Each PlayStation Console - Beyond 919 1:14:43

1
Halo's Coming to PlayStation And PlayStation's Going to Magic: The Gathering - Beyond 918 59:01

1
Why Game Studio Failures Are Structure Problems, Not Talent Problems | Chris Casanova (Microsoft, Mojang, Relic, Hypixel) 55:21

1
The Battlefield 6 Redemption, What UCLA Football Teaches About Leadership, & Structuring Teams to Win | MAG #7 59:16

1
Is Pokemon Stagnating? | Dev Heads 2:10:04

1
Ghost of Yotei Devs Discuss That Ending, Story Changes, Easter Eggs & More | Spoilercast! - Beyond 917 50:16

1
Inside the $55B EA-Saudi Deal: Why It's Not a Typical LBO (with Chris Petrovic & Matthew Kanterman) 59:56

1
The Ad Monetization Playbook: Fixing Leaky Revenue, Boosting CPMs, and Scaling Your Team with Kelly Kang 1:08:48

1
Digesting the Spaghetti Western Vibes of Yotei - Beyond 916 1:05:22

1
MAG: Inside EA’s $55B LBO, Lessons from Grow A Garden, and the Intent→Action Gap ("Alien's Eye View") 57:11

1
Devs React to the $55 Billion EA Buyout | Dev Heads 2:12:08

1
Unlock 82% of the Global Gaming Market: The Ultimate Localization Guide 1:41:41

1
Ghost of Yotei Devs Explain Lessons Learned From Tsushima, Cinematic Influences & More - Beyond 915 44:20

1
Can Delta Force Beat PUBG? Is the Take-Two Mafia a Myth & How to Fix Recruiting? | MAG #5 26:52

1
Ghost of Yotei: A Leaner, Meaner Sequel That Doesn't Reinvent Open-World Samurai Games - Beyond 914 1:13:09

1
We Finally Saw Wolverine! Our Sony State of Play September 25 - Beyond 913 48:52

1
Arena Breakout: Infinite Breaks Out to PC!, Destiny: End of Western IP + China Dev, Secrets and Stupid Ideas | MAG #4 51:40

1
Can Early Access Still Be Trusted? | Dev Heads 2:14:44

1
Borderlands 4 and Battlefield 6 Are Playing it Safe, But Playing to Their Strengths - Beyond 912 1:22:04