Game Prod Pod

Matthew Ibbs
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Tash, Luke, and Matt are here to talk all things Games Production. What is Production really, what are the common pitfalls, and what's new in Production Land? Join us as we dive headlong and with wild abandon into Games Production best practices, Games Industry Hot Topics, and all while trying to figure out why 'Jesus Got Cancelled'.

  1. 3d ago

    Putting the 'Fun' in Funding

    OverviewTash is off "bodybuilding" (lifting heavy weights and grunting), leaving Matt and Luke to talk about the absolute state of game dev finance. Why are we celebrating a record-breaking $200B year while mourning tens of thousands of redundancies? We follow the money from first principles. The CastMatt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / HostLuke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader Episode 014: Putting the Fun in Funding The $200 Billion Paradox. In this episode, the duo addresses the financial disconnect in modern game development. Global consumer spending has breached historical records, yet the industry is clawing through layoffs, cancellations, and restructures. 🤯 Hot Topic: The AAA Sustainability Crisis. We dissect why massive budgets (upwards of $300M + marketing) and 8-year development cycles are killing first-party studios. We look at the $500M Concord tragedy, discuss how digital storefronts destroyed the predictable "Madrid and Milan" sales pipelines, and analyze why "Triple-I" titles (under $30, finishable, highly polished, like Hades) are the future of sustainable gaming. 📢 The Naming Pivot: We take customer feedback seriously! After a LinkedIn user noted our titles were too confusing, we try to balance discoverability with our signature nonsense. Welcome to a slightly more readable era of Games Prod Pod. 💡 Key Takeaways: Digital Storefronts are Wild: Old-school box sales had guaranteed retail shelf space; digital sales are completely consumer-led and highly unpredictable.Triple-I is the Sweet Spot: Games under $30 with focused scopes and smaller team overheads represent the most stable investment path in 2026.Understand Your Code: Younger developers are pushing back against AI automation to protect the core foundational understanding of the craft. 🎙️ Sound Bites: "Every meeting lately has a fan going... it sounds like Darth Vader is in the room.""We put a Switch 2 and three games in our cart, it hit £600, and I said: Maya, delete.""concord was half a billion dollars... and it peaked at 700 players. That's a worldwide total.""The young devs are calling AI art 'boomer art' and refusing to use it." ⏰ Chapters: 00:00 Banter: Fan noises, Darth Vader, and TikTok Shop scarcity traps02:29 The £600 Amazon Switch Cart & "bodybuilding" Tash07:21 Hot Topic: Follow the Money (Where does it go?)10:12 Old School Box Pitches (Madrid & Milan) vs. Digital Chaos12:17 Concord's $500M launch and toxic positivity13:42 The AAA Sustainability Crisis (Ballooning break-even targets)16:40 The Rise of "Triple-I" (III) and single-player/finishable games (Hades)22:06 Global Games Market Breakdown (Mobile vs. PC vs. Console in 2025)25:01 The Paradox: $200B Revenue vs. 50k redundancy waves (2022-2024)34:22 Entrepreneurship: Why tough times are the best times to build35:22 Claude AI Studio: Managing Virtual Tech Directors & Monetization Agents38:33 BAFTA Youth Awards: Devs calling out "boomer art"43:36 Growth Markets: African game dev and mobile accessibility46:38 Customer Feedback: LinkedIn and the death of esoteric titles50:11 Outro & Matt's Solo Intro

  2. Season 1, Episode 14 Trailer

    Trailer: Putting the 'Fun' in Funding

    A Trailer for the upcoming episode: Putting the 'Fun' in Funding There's a crisis happening. We're all feeling it.

  3. Aug 13

    Summer Break & Stats from Season 1

    OverviewBefore we step away for a quick summer break, Tash and Luke crash Matt's solo studio session to review the absolute madness of our first 14 episodes. From Matt's "Pig at the Disco" addiction to Luke's legendary excuses for being late, we look at the numbers behind Games Prod Pod. The CastMatt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / HostNatasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical ProducerLuke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader Summer Break Special: Mid-Season Stat Attack! ☀️ We're Taking a Short Summer Break! Following our latest release (LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site), the trio is taking a few weeks off in August to recharge, mix cement, and lift heavy weights. We’ll be back in about a month with brand-new episodes, masterclasses, and hot topics! 📊 The Mid-Season Stats Breakdown: True or Flase: We’ve played 7 times, Matt is 100% undefeated, and "Pig at the Disco" has been uttered 4 separate times.Hall of Fame Excuses: Luke's lateness record includes mixing cement on his birthday, loft excavations, and confusing BST with US Eastern time.The Intro Leaderboard: Matt leads with 9 intros, Tash has 3, and Luke trails with 2.Top Short: Tash's "Easy Tash" clip takes the crown for our most-viewed YouTube Short! 🎮 Huge Announcement: A real indie game studio reached out to feature their upcoming game on the show! Matt is keeping it under wraps to surprise Tash and Luke in an upcoming True or Flase when we return. 💡 Key Takeaways: We’re Returning Soon: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you don't miss our return in September!Get in Touch: Got a production challenge or game you want featured? Email us at gameprodpod@proton.me. 🎙️ Sound Bites: "You can't be left on your own, Matt. You can't be trusted.""Four times I have uttered the phrase 'Pig at the Disco'.""Who mixes cement in January?""An indie dev reached out... and have I got a segment for you!" ⏰ Chapters: 00:00 Welcome & Summer Break Announcement01:52 True or Flase Stats & "Pig at the Disco"04:20 The Hall of Fame: Luke's Lateness Excuses07:30 Who Talks the Most? (Monologue Records)08:39 Intro/Outro Leaderboards & Top Performing Short11:00 Big News: Real Indie Game Studio Feature Coming Soon!12:20 Outro & See You in September!

  4. Season 1, Episode 15 Trailer

    Summer Break (Trailer)

    Before we step away for a quick summer break, Tash and Luke crash Matt's solo studio session to review the absolute madness of our first 14 episodes. From Matt's "Pig at the Disco" addiction to Luke's legendary excuses for being late, we look at the numbers behind Games Prod Pod. The CastMatt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / HostNatasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical ProducerLuke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader Summer Break Special: Mid-Season Stat Attack! ☀️ We're Taking a Short Summer Break! Following our latest release (LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site), the trio is taking a few weeks off in August to recharge, mix cement, and lift heavy weights. We’ll be back in about a month with brand-new episodes, masterclasses, and hot topics! 📊 The Mid-Season Stats Breakdown: True or Flase: We’ve played 7 times, Matt is 100% undefeated, and "Pig at the Disco" has been uttered 4 separate times.Hall of Fame Excuses: Luke's lateness record includes mixing cement on his birthday, loft excavations, and confusing BST with US Eastern time.The Intro Leaderboard: Matt leads with 9 intros, Tash has 3, and Luke trails with 2.Top Short: Tash's "Easy Tash" clip takes the crown for our most-viewed YouTube Short! 🎮 Huge Announcement: A real indie game studio reached out to feature their upcoming game on the show! Matt is keeping it under wraps to surprise Tash and Luke in an upcoming True or Flase when we return. 💡 Key Takeaways: We’re Returning Soon: Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts so you don't miss our return in September!Get in Touch: Got a production challenge or game you want featured? Email us at gameprodpod@proton.me. 🎙️ Sound Bites: "You can't be left on your own, Matt. You can't be trusted.""Four times I have uttered the phrase 'Pig at the Disco'.""Who mixes cement in January?""An indie dev reached out... and have I got a segment for you!" ⏰ Chapters: 00:00 Welcome & Summer Break Announcement01:52 True or Flase Stats & "Pig at the Disco"04:20 The Hall of Fame: Luke's Lateness Excuses07:30 Who Talks the Most? (Monologue Records)08:39 Intro/Outro Leaderboards & Top Performing Short11:00 Big News: Real Indie Game Studio Feature Coming Soon!12:20 Outro & See You in September!

  5. Aug 6

    LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site

    LinkedIn is Not a Dating SiteLuke is absent this week, leaving Tash and Matt to get into a heavy-hitting but critical reality: misogyny and predatory behavior in professional spaces. From Tash's viral LinkedIn call-out post to her podium-placing triumph at the European Powerlifting Championships, we are drawing a hard line in the sand. The CastMatt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / HostNatasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical ProducerEpisode 013: LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site 🏆 European Championships & Monk Mode. We kick things off with some massive news: Tash competed in Limerick, Ireland, finishing in the top three of her category with a colossal 340 kg total. We discuss the intense discipline of "monk mode" as she preps for British Nationals and the World Championships. 🤯 Hot Topic: Misogyny and Professional Boundaries. Tash shares the creepy message that sparked her viral LinkedIn post: "a beautiful lady in my home city into games..." We dissect why treating professional networking sites like dating apps is not "harmless friendliness," but rather a toxic, predatory behavior that makes women hesitant to engage in professional networks. 🛡️ The Backlash & Allyship. We address the enablers in the comments who told Tash to "silently block" rather than "humiliate" the sender. Matt and Tash discuss why public accountability is necessary, why "it happens to men too" is a false equivalency, and how male allies can actively support safe, respectful spaces. 💡 Key Takeaways: Manners in the Workplace: Keep your romantic or physical evaluations out of professional spaces like LinkedIn.The Power of Shaming: Predatory behaviors thrive in silence. Reporting and calling them out publicly helps prevent them from continuing.Allies, Do Better: If you think creepy unsolicited messages are "harmless," you are part of the problem. 🎙️ Sound Bites: "I am a competitive powerlifter. I don't just pick things up and put them back down to annoy Matt in random places.""LinkedIn is a professional networking space... it is absolutely and categorically not a place to go chirpsin' on the birds.""For every one connection from a female professional, I got 10 to 15 males... sending similar messages: 'Oh, your eyes are lovely, your hair is beautiful.' You are part of the problem.""For the men watching this who think that message is harmless... don't be our audience, please." ⏰ Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Tasha's Powerlifting Triumph (European Championships in Limerick)02:23 Monk Mode & the gateway to the World Championships04:50 Matt and Tash's competitive streaks06:25 Backstage sisterhood vs. Workplace realities07:31 Hot Topic: Sexism, Misogyny & Tash's Viral LinkedIn Post10:31 "It happens to men too" and the defensive backlash13:41 Safe professional boundaries & the flood of creepy connection requests17:06 "Just being friendly" – Analyzing the enablers in the comments20:34 How to call it out & support female coworkers22:50 Outro & Matt finally pronouncing Natasha Nathani's name right after 13 episodes!

  6. Season 1, Episode 13 Trailer

    Trailer: LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site

    Trailer for the upcoming Episode: LinkedIn is Not a Dating Site. Manners - Professional or otherwise - cost nothing. Don't harass people on LinkedIn. Don't assume what you're saying is 'nice' or a 'compliment'. Head to one of the myriad actual dating apps or sites out there instead.

  7. Jul 23

    Stick or Twist?

    Tash is away "bodybuilding" (powerlifting), leaving Matt and Luke to hold down the fort. We tackle the psychological barrier of throwaway prototyping, debate Story Points vs. Hours, and explore why asking "Why" is the ultimate project management cheat code. The CastMatt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / HostLuke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader Episode 012: Stick or Twist When is it time to give up on an idea? In this episode, Matt and Luke explore the hard-learned discipline of failing fast. Luke shares behind-the-scenes stories of prototyping for the original Xbox Kinect, and we discuss why some of the most talented programmers are the ones who are happy to write code just to throw it away. 🤯 Hot Topic: Fail Fast, Fail Often. We break down the stigma of "failure" in development. Why do younger developers struggle to kill features they've spent weeks on? We explain why time spent does not equal product quality. 🎯 Production Masterclass: The Tim's Method. Luke introduces his Fibonacci-based sprint sequence, and we settle the age-old Agile debate: why you should never convert story points to hours (and what painting a wall has to do with it). Plus, we look at Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" and how to turn job interviews on their head by interviewing the employer. 💡 Key Takeaways: Throwaway Prototypes are Gold: Never over-engineer a proof of concept; build it crude, test it, and throw it away.Story Points != Hours: Points measure complexity and risk. Mapping them to hours destroys team trust.Problem Statements over Solutions: Don't tell a team how to paint the wall; tell them why the room is too dark. 🎙️ Sound Bites: "I am going to swim in Santander. I'll be wearing floaties, armbands, and a flashing GPS tracker.""Fail Fast, Fail Often. If you fall down the stairs the same way every day, you're just stupid.""We aren't open-heart surgeons. No one dies. We're just making games.""Stick my name on it—The Timms Method!"

  8. Season 1, Episode 12 Trailer

    Trailer: Stick or Twist?

    The conversation explores the concept of the Fibonacci sequence and its application in agile methodology, emphasizing the idea of failing fast, failing often, and expanding. It also delves into the process of naming a new idea, with the working title being 'The Timms Method'. Takeaways The application of the Fibonacci sequence in business and developmentThe process of naming a new idea

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About

Tash, Luke, and Matt are here to talk all things Games Production. What is Production really, what are the common pitfalls, and what's new in Production Land? Join us as we dive headlong and with wild abandon into Games Production best practices, Games Industry Hot Topics, and all while trying to figure out why 'Jesus Got Cancelled'.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Ibbs
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Matthew Ibbs
  • Show Website
    Game Prod Pod