Building Better Games

Benjamin Carcich
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Leadership in game dev is hard. I can't make it easy, but I can make it a heck of a lot better. My name is Benjamin Carcich, and this podcast helps leaders in game dev who feel stuck, ignored, and out of options find their path to success. I've spent the last several decades studying and leading in environments ranging from the U.S. Army through to game development. I want to share what I've learned. Better leadership is a huge opportunity in the games industry. Let's make it better together. Better leaders build better games.

  1. HÁ 18 H ·  VÍDEO

    E128: Why Some Games Never Die

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 In a world where 5-year AAA production cycles often crash into 5-day culture cycles, shipping a great game is no longer the finish line. It is the opening bell of a survival race. In this episode, Ben sits down with Shahar Sorek, the Chief Marketing Officer at Overwolf, to talk about why the "ship and pray" model is broken and how User-Generated Content (UGC) has become the industry's most powerful "immortality engine." Shahar brings over 15 years of experience as a studio founder, technology leader, and even a Hollywood creative producer to the table, offering a unique perspective on the convergence of media, tech, and community. Together, they dive deep into the "Four Horsemen of the UGC Apocalypse"—the specific market pressures making traditional development obsolete—and why the creator has replaced the game itself as the new "atomic unit" of gaming relevance. What You'll Learn in This Episode: What the "Four Horsemen of the UGC Apocalypse" are and why they are forcing a total rethink of game business models Why the creator has replaced the game itself as the primary "atomic unit" of industry relevance How to build a "Holy Trinity" between the gamer, the creator, and the studio to drive compounded growth Why small indie teams should actually ignore UGC until they have mastered their core experience How to manage the "chaos" of opening your IP to the public while maintaining brand safety and quality If you're a leader in game dev who is tired of betting years of work on a market that changes before you ship, this conversation on building games that last is for you. Learn more about our guest: 🔗LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%90%B0-shahar-sorek-83ab299/ 🔗 Imdb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245854/ 🔗 Medium: https://medium.com/@shaharsorek 🔗 Media360: https://media360.campaignlive.co.uk/shahar-sorek 🔗 Show Summit: https://www.show-summit.com/shahar-sorek/ 🔗Rocket Reach: https://rocketreach.co/shahar-sorek-email_243056931 🔗 Design Rush Feature: https://news.designrush.com/gamers-hate-ads-overwolf-cmo-cracks-the-code-to-changing-this Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #UGC #CreatorEconomy #GamingIndustry #Overwolf  #BuildingBetterGames

    46 min
  2. E127: Game Dev's Leadership Problem: Too Many Managers

    28 DE ABR.

    E127: Game Dev's Leadership Problem: Too Many Managers

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 If you're making progress but losing the goal, you aren't leading. You're optimizing for stagnation. In this episode, Ben deconstructs the often-confused synonyms of authority in the games industry. Drawing from a GDC talk he was a part of, he explores why game development is currently "over-managed" and under-led. He provides a clear framework for deconflicting the roles of Leader, Manager, and Boss, while introducing five specific "stances" that allow you to develop your team's capacity and navigate the ever-shifting landscape of player preferences and market trends. What You'll Learn In This Episode: Leader vs Manager vs Boss: change driver, system optimizer, org advocate Why game dev's "management bias" leads to stagnation The 5 development stances: Directing, Teaching, Advising, Mentoring, Coaching How to choose the right stance based on urgency vs growth Why professional coaching is an underused (and powerful) tool If you're a leader in game dev who feels like you're constantly "chopping down trees" only to realize you might be in the wrong forest, this episode is for you. Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDevLeadership #GameDesignManagement #BuildingBetterGames #StudioCulture #LeadershipDevelopment

    42 min
  3. E126: Why Game Designers Fail (and How to Help Them)

    21 DE ABR.

    E126: Why Game Designers Fail (and How to Help Them)

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Is Game Design a Science or Just "Making an Omelet"? Everyone has a "great idea" for a game, but having an idea is a far cry from the professional discipline of game design. In this episode, Ben sits down with veteran designer Alexander Brazie (World of Warcraft, League of Legends) to explore why being a designer is less about having all the answers and more about the rigorous process of turning ambiguity into action. We dive into how leaders can diagnose a struggling design process and some helpful analogies that help teams find the deepest fun without drowning in limited resources. What You'll Learn In This Episode: The difference between a real designer and a person with gameplay opinions Why great designers ask better questions instead of forcing solutions How to apply a Player-Centric Framework to every system How to tell if a designer is stuck or just in the creative process How to support a designer's mental health beyond work Learn more & connect with our guest:  🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-brazie/  🔗 Mastering Game Mechanics Bootcamp: https://gamedesignskills.com/courses/mechanics-bootcamp-scale-depth-alexander-brazie/  🔗 Wowpedia: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Alexander_Brazie  🔗 Game Design Skills: https://gamedesignskills.com/author/alexander-brazie/  🔗 Moby Games: https://www.mobygames.com/person/257453/alexander-brazie/ Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDevLeadership #GameDesignSkills #AIinGames #StudioManagement #BuildingBetterGames

    57 min
  4. E125: 4 AI Threats That Matter More Than Skynet

    16 DE ABR.

    E125: 4 AI Threats That Matter More Than Skynet

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Is your "AI First" strategy actually a house of cards waiting to collapse? While CEOs are busy pumping the hype train, the practical reality of LLMs is looking a lot less rosy. In this episode, Ben explores why the current AI trajectory might be a "subprime crisis" in the making. We move past the Skynet fantasies to look at the four existential and human threats that LLMs pose to the games industry, from the "logarithmic curve of effectiveness" to the dangerous atrophy of our own ability to think deeply. What You'll Learn In This Episode: What the "subprime AI crisis" is and why the current investment stack might be unsustainable. Why relying on "generative slop" leads to a generational decline in the value of information. How to identify when AI is capitalizing on your own cognitive biases and "sycophantic" needs for ego validation. How to balance using AI as a force-multiplier without atrophying the "slow thinking" required for high-level game production. Reference Links: 🔗 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aec8352 🔗 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11324722-the-righteous-mind 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p22QeLNHvlc 🔗 https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-subprime-ai-crisis-is-here/ 🔗 https://metr.org/blog/2025-07-10-early-2025-ai-experienced-os-dev-study/   🔗 https://medium.com/@webteam.ybsvp/when-ai-gets-it-wrong-the-deloitte-scandal-and-the-question-of-reliability-86940bc9017a 🔗 https://tech.yahoo.com/ai/articles/mit-created-duplicate-ai-workers-185644013.html 🔗 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2604.01363   🔗 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/06/google-microsoft-meta-amazon-ai-cash.html 🔗 https://www.fastcompany.com/91417492/deloitte-ai-report-australian-government 🔗 https://techcrunch.com/2024/07/24/model-collapse-scientists-warn-against-letting-ai-eat-its-own-tail/ 🔗 https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDL3Ch7Nz8c Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #ArtificialIntelligence #StudioLeadership #TechBubble #BuildingBetterGames

    50 min
  5. E124: AI Can't Replace Game Producers. So Why Are They Getting Cut?

    7 DE ABR.

    E124: AI Can't Replace Game Producers. So Why Are They Getting Cut?

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Is your job being replaced by an LLM, or are you just doing the wrong job? The claim has been made that AI can handle 85% of management tasks. For game producers, this sounds like a death knell, but only if you believe your value lies in shuffling Jira tickets and taking meeting notes. In this episode, we break down the fundamental misunderstanding of "productivity" in game dev. We explore why LLMs are masters of the "passing high school grade" and why the most vital, indirect value a producer provides remains entirely out of reach for even the most sophisticated AI. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why "being busy" can actually hurt your career How to find the invisible value you uniquely bring The risk of using AI without real expertise Why producers must evolve beyond task tracking Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameProduction #GameDevAI #ProjectManagement #StudioLeadership #BuildingBetterGames

    23 min
  6. E123: How Corporate Strategy Breaks Game Development

    31 DE MAR.

    E123: How Corporate Strategy Breaks Game Development

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Is your corporate strategy killing your "Golden Goose"? It's the nightmare scenario for every creative leader: You catch the wave, your game is a runaway success, and then—the "adults" enter the room. In this episode, we react to Jeff Kaplan's candid interview with Lex Fridman, where he reveals the internal fractures that derailed Overwatch, from "miscommunication by PowerPoint" to the soul-crushing moment a CFO leveraged a thousand jobs against a revenue target. What you will learn in this episode: Why putting arbitrary dates in an executive deck hurts you How a money-focused lens creates efficient organizations that forget the player The danger of "bolting on" a league for monetization Why one bad decision by a senior executive can lose you twenty years of top-tier talent. Why leaning into live events and player happiness is often a better ROI than rushing a sequel You may listen to the full audio podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/493-jeff-kaplan-world-of-warcraft-overwatch-blizzard/id1434243584?i=1000754728791 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/44oTEHDZdB7ITCB5dx88mB?si=6d45a2506a794ee8 Lex Fridman's YouTube Channels: 🔗  @lexfridman   🔗 @LexClips  Original Video: https://youtu.be/5imgkwupzAQ?si=cR8_WMo3eNmmks7d Full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9rF1CSSh-w If you are a creative leader tired of "walking towards the abyss," a developer who feels their autonomy is being eroded by spreadsheets, or anyone who wants to understand why the most successful games in the world can still fall apart from the inside, this episode is for you. Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDevLeadership #Overwatch2 #JeffKaplan #GamingIndustry #CreativeAutonomy #BuildingBetterGames

    1h 2min
  7. E122: Why Blizzard Killed Project Titan

    24 DE MAR.

    E122: Why Blizzard Killed Project Titan

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Is your team busy working, or are they just walking slowly toward the abyss? It's a nightmare scenario: you're surrounded by world-class talent and burning through a budget in the 10s of millions, yet the game feels further away from shipping than ever . In this episode, Ben reacts to Lex Fridman's interview with Jeff Kaplan (former Overwatch Director) as they break down the "multifaceted failure" of Blizzard's Project Titan . We dive deep into the "hubris" that kills AAA projects, why "anticipatory hiring" is a trap, and the brutal courage it takes to tell your CEO to shut a project down.  What you'll learn in this episode: Why having a "cool idea" is actually waste How the "we can do no wrong" mentality after a hit like World of Warcraft leads to multifaceted failure Why overhiring creates "busy work" rather than progress. How to recognize when to inspire your team to think bigger and when to pull them back to focus on shipping Why every technical or art failure is, at its root, a failure of leadership If you're a game developer who has ever felt the soul-crushing weight of "anticipatory hiring" and busy work, or a leader of a game development company who needs the courage to admit when a project has become a "money hole" before it's too late, this episode is for you. You may listen to the full audio podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/493-jeff-kaplan-world-of-warcraft-overwatch-blizzard/id1434243584?i=1000754728791 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/44oTEHDZdB7ITCB5dx88mB?si=6d45a2506a794ee8 Lex Fridman's YouTube Channels: 🔗  @lexfridman   🔗 @LexClips  Original Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVaxD8veRIg Full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9rF1CSSh-w Connect with us: 🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #ProjectTitan #Overwatch #GameLeadership #BuildingBetterGames

    53 min
  8. E121: The $200M Gamble That Killed AAA Development

    17 DE MAR.

    E121: The $200M Gamble That Killed AAA Development

    If you're a leader in game dev who feels stuck, able to spot problems but struggling to make a real difference, there is a path forward that levels up your leadership and accelerates your team, game, and career. Sign up here to learn more: https://forms.gle/nqRTUvgFrtdYuCbr6 Are we chasing unicorns into a graveyard, or is the "Black Hole" game the only way to survive 2026? The math of game development is no longer adding up. As budgets soar into the hundreds of millions, the traditional "hit-driven" model is reaching a breaking point, forcing studios to choose between low-risk IP or the near-impossible gamble of creating the next "forever game." In this episode, Ben sits down with Andrew Brownell, a veteran Game Director at Netflix with a pedigree spanning Blizzard's Warcraft III, Riot's League of Legends, and massive mobile strategy titles. Andrew pulls back the curtain on the "bleak" reality of modern development costs, the rise of hyper-efficient global competition, and how his own children's gaming habits have completely upended his philosophy on game design. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why a 4x return on a $200M blockbuster is now considered a dangerous gamble. How titles like Fortnite and Roblox act as "attention monopolies" that leave only 15% of the market for everyone else. Why it's becoming increasingly difficult to justify US-based development costs against global talent pools. How the next generation of gamers—who have never known boredom—is forcing a total rethink of game mastery and strategy. The reason we are seeing a flood of Marvel and Star Wars games, and why even "hits" like Hogwarts Legacy are changing the investment landscape . Learn More About Our Guest: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahbrownell/ 🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahbrownell/ 🔗 Twitter: https://x.com/ahbrownell 🔗 ContactOut: https://contactout.com/Andrew-Brownell-3180561 🔗 Netflix LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/netflix/ 🔗 Netflix Games YouTube: @NetflixGames Notable game studios our guest has worked with: 🔗 @riotgames 🔗 @Blizzard Connect with us:  🔗Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/ 🔗BBG's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games/ 🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames/# 🔗Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg 🔗YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpMT-dUwQR-R4Mb4uub6Sw If you want me to help producers or studios build better games through effective systems and leadership, you can reach me at: info@valarinconsulting.com #GameDev #GamingIndustry #LiveService #IndieDev #VideoGameBusiness

    23 min
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Sobre

Leadership in game dev is hard. I can't make it easy, but I can make it a heck of a lot better. My name is Benjamin Carcich, and this podcast helps leaders in game dev who feel stuck, ignored, and out of options find their path to success. I've spent the last several decades studying and leading in environments ranging from the U.S. Army through to game development. I want to share what I've learned. Better leadership is a huge opportunity in the games industry. Let's make it better together. Better leaders build better games.

Informações

  • Criado por
    Benjamin Carcich
  • Anos de atividade
    2021 - 2026
  • Episódios
    148
  • Classificação
    Explícito
  • Copyright
    Building Better Games ©2024
  • Site do podcast
    Building Better Games

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