IndieGameBusiness®

Jay Powell

Candid conversations with veterans of all aspects of the business side of games. We firmly believe that great games from all developers need the support they deserve to succeed. This podcast exists to provide that support. IndieGameBusiness® is produced by The Powell Group, a video game consulting firm specializing in business development, marketing, and licensing. Our CEO has been in the industry for 20 years and closed countless publishing and licensing deals. The Powell Group monitors over 3,500 game developers and 750+ publishers.

  1. Aug 28

    Your First Game Doesn't Have to Play It Safe | Georgina Ovassapian, Winter Schloss Studios

    In this episode of IndieGameBusiness, we’re joined by Georgina Ovassapian, Founder of Winter Schloss Studios and developer of Night Shift: 1999, her first game.Georgina shares how her experience migrating from Switzerland to Australia became the foundation for a supernatural game set in 1999. We’ll explore how Night Shift: 1999 uses monsters, mythology, and supernatural elements as metaphors for real world struggles and how personal experiences can become powerful material for game development.We also discuss Georgina’s unconventional path into games through academia and fine art, and how her background in installation art, writing, and research has shaped the way she approaches development. Rather than starting with mechanics, Georgina takes an art and writing first approach, building the experience around the elements of games she values most.Georgina also shares her experience receiving funding through Screen Australia’s Emerging Gamemakers Fund and what she has learned while turning her first game into a funded indie project.If you’re developing your first game, looking for funding, or wondering how your own experiences and creative background can shape something unique, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Follow Georgina Ovassapian and Winter Schloss Studios:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gcoxmm.bsky.socialX: https://twitter.com/winterschlossLinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/georgina-de-manning-a12100185Instagram: https://instagram.com/winterschlossstudios

  2. Jul 31

    Before You Quit Your Job to Make Games, Watch This | Charlie Brandick, Quetzal-Core Games

    In this episode of IndieGameBusiness, we’re joined by Charlie Brandick, Founder of Quetzal-Core Games, for an honest conversation about the realities of building a career in game development. Charlie’s journey is anything but traditional. Before games, he was an elementary school teacher and aspiring professional musician. He eventually broke into the industry through a chance conversation that led to his first role as a junior game designer. Since then, he has worked across mobile, VR, AR, Disney Imagineering, and Riot Games, where he served as a Game Director on Valorant's mobile and console efforts. Today, he leads Quetzal-Core Games and is developing Soulway, a narrative-driven management sim about helping souls find their way to the afterlife. We discuss how to know whether game development is a career or a passion project, how indie developers can build meaningful professional relationships, and what Charlie had to unlearn while moving between startups, AAA studios, and indie development. We also explore how aspiring developers can gain industry knowledge, how to decide what skills to focus on, and the personal costs of building games over the long term. If you've ever wondered what it really takes to build a life in game development, this conversation offers practical advice, hard-earned lessons, and a refreshing dose of honesty. Follow Charlie Brandick and Soulway: X: https://x.com/playsoulway LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-brandick/ Discord: https://discord.gg/Q2QSQ7hFMa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulwaygame #IndieGameBusiness #GameDevelopment #IndieDev #Soulway #QuetzalCoreGames

4
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Candid conversations with veterans of all aspects of the business side of games. We firmly believe that great games from all developers need the support they deserve to succeed. This podcast exists to provide that support. IndieGameBusiness® is produced by The Powell Group, a video game consulting firm specializing in business development, marketing, and licensing. Our CEO has been in the industry for 20 years and closed countless publishing and licensing deals. The Powell Group monitors over 3,500 game developers and 750+ publishers.