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. 6h ago

    Games Producers are Underpaid Babysitters

    OverviewIs the next decade primed for an independent studio revolution, or will AAA behemoths simply hoover them up and spit them back out? Plus, Matt plays "Devil's Avocado" to interrogate the producer role: are producers essential shields against executive chaos, or glorified babysitters coddling introverted devs? And in a historic milestone for the podcast. The CastMatt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / Host ("The Devil's Avocado")Natasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical ProducerLuke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery LeaderEpisode 019: The Shit-Zooka & The Death of Matt's Undefeated Streak 🎨 Episode Sponsor: Check out Psycasso by Omni Digital Studios on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3250080/Psycasso/ (Releasing November 19th!) Take on the role of a serial killer creating paintings with their victims' blood, selling creations while evading capture by police and civilians.🎮 Hot Topic: David vs. Goliath (Can Small Studios Survive?). As massive conglomerates vomit out the studios they aggressively acquired over the last decade, we examine the brutal funding desert facing independent teams. 🎯 Production Masterclass: The "Shit-Zooka" & The Producer Paradox. Matt takes the anti-production hot seat: if great Agile teams become self-sufficient, why do we still need producers? Luke and Tash get brutally honest about the trench warfare of game development—from shielding teams against the "Shit-Zooka" 🎲 True or Flase (A Historic Upset!): Matt serves up three bizarre synopses: late-night gas station horror hunting deer for energy drink syrup (Goo Deer), a sentient bear-punching lumberjack fist (Fist of Awesome), and a predator-dodging herd migration (Valley of the Antelope). Can Tash or Luke finally sniff out the Pig at the Disco and score a point? Featured Games & Dev Shout-outs: Wishlist Psycasso by Omni Digital Studios: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3250080/Psycasso/💡 Key Takeaways: Shield Against the Shit-Zooka: When leadership barges in with disruptive scope changes, producers must act as shock absorbers so developers can stay focused and creative.Paper Trails Save Sanity: When an executive insists on bad scheduling, outline trade-offs A vs. B, get the directive in writing, and keep the receipt for when the branch crashes.Finishable Over Feature-Bloated: Gamers are burning out on 200-hour open-world feature creep; tightly scoped, satisfying single-player games provide far higher player fulfillment.🎙️ Sound Bites: "She’d burst into the room with a 'Shit-Zooka', fire off chaotic requests, and leave. A producer's job is to catch that shrapnel.""We are not adults in the workplace. Producers have quietly stepped into parenthood—we are the mums, dads, and psychologists of the studio.""Get it in writing. So when it inevitably fails, you can pull out the receipt and say: Told you. It's your fault."

  2. Season 1, Episode 19 Trailer

    Games Producers are Underpaid Babysitters [Trailer]

    Is the next decade primed for an independent studio revolution, or will AAA behemoths simply hoover them up and spit them back out? Plus, Matt plays "Devil's Avocado" to interrogate the producer role: are producers essential shields against executive chaos, or glorified babysitters coddling introverted devs? (This episode is brought to you by Omni Digital Studios and their upcoming game, Psycasso—wishlist it now on Steam!)

  3. Oct 22

    Why Japan Will Win the Games Industry

    Tash is off duty this week, leaving Matt and Luke to dive headfirst into the stark geopolitical divide splitting the industry: why Asian game studios are charging full steam ahead into generative AI while Western studios remain frozen by ethics, union resistance, and the fear of "AI slop" backlash. Are Western developers protecting human craft, or are they falling hopelessly behind? The Cast Matt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / HostLuke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader(Natasha Nathani: Away this episode)Episode 018: Why Japan Will Win the Games Industry 🌏 Hot Topic: East vs. West in AI Adoption. While Western developers walk a legal and PR tightrope of SAG-AFTRA voice actor strikes, copyright disputes, and community review-bombing, Asian gaming giants in China, Japan, and South Korea are integrating AI across their entire production pipelines. We break down the real cultural and economic drivers behind the divide: from gacha content velocity demands to Western studios hiding their AI usage in "stealth mode." 🤖 Beyond "AI Slop": Why mocking early AI is like laughing at early automobiles or 3G video streaming. From robots out-sprinting Usain Bolt to real-time generative worlds and dynamic NPCs with custom psychological traits, we analyze what happens when the technology actually matures. Plus, Luke breaks down the AI-assisted retro shooter he's building with his daughter! 💥 Will Asian Studios Conquer the Global Market? With Western AAA crippled by mass redundancies, risk-averse budgets, and bloated leadership paychecks, will Asian studios use their AI velocity advantage to permanently capture the global market? 🥫 Bonus Banter: Luke pitches a sponsorship to Newtonic energy drinks, the crew celebrates hitting a whopping 31 YouTube subscribers, and Matt delivers the ultimate Field of Dreams cast breakdown. 💡 Key Takeaways: Stealth Mode vs. Full Stack: Western studios quietly rely on AI for telemetry, admin, and backend code while publicly denying it; Asian studios openly deploy it for art, QA, localized dialogue, and dynamic NPCs.The Velocity Imperative: Free-to-play ecosystems and rapid player consumption in Asia demand an asset velocity that purely handcrafted pipelines can no longer satisfy.Look Past the First Failure: If you only focus on the errors (six fingers, robots falling over at the finish line), you miss the exponential speed of technological advancement.🎙️ Sound Bites: "Western studios use AI in stealth mode... Asian studios use AI across the entire stack. You're just in denial.""Mocking AI because it makes a mistake is like laughing at a robot falling over after it just ran 500 meters faster than Usain Bolt.""Subscribe to the channel. We're going to keep making videos whether you subscribe or not—that's not a promise, that's a threat!""Tash is Kevin Costner, I am the field of wheat, and Luke is the baseball because he's pale and round."

  4. Oct 21 ·  Bonus

    Why Japan Will Win the Games Industry (Special AI Promo)

    "Look at me. Do I have six fingers? ... Stop laughing at AI because Will Smith ate spaghetti weird three years ago!"

  5. Season 1, Episode 18 Trailer

    Why Japan Will Win the Games Industry (Trailer)

    Contraversial? Or just so crazy it could happen? Or it has already happened? Or it's happening.

  6. Oct 8

    Is This the Golden Age of Gaming?

    Luke is officially missing in action on a mysterious side hustle, leaving Matt and Tash to seize the studio! With Luke out of the room, the duo breaks the ultimate rule and finally dives into what they've actually been playing lately—from tax-evading turnips to tactical SWAT breachers. Then, they clash over a big question: are we living in gaming's true "Golden Age," or is the indie boom built on the back of unpaid overtime, low-balled salaries, and pizza-bribe culture? The CastMatt Ibbs: Games Leadership Coach / HostNatasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical Producer(Luke Timms: Currently MIA on a work trip)Episode 017: Lion Lifts, Emo Road Trips & The Creamy Vein of Gold 🦁 Tash Lifts a Lion & Luke Goes Missing. Tash recaps her 4th-place finish at the Powerlifting World Championships, witnessing a master lifter deadlift 200.5 kg (roughly the weight of a fully grown adult male lion). Plus, with Luke MIA, Matt and Tash break format to talk games. 🏋️‍♀️ Watch all 9 of Tash's World Championship lifts on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdTXdliChL9/?stkn=aHZqbGpjYWZmejNv🎮 What Are We Playing? (The "One and Done" Special). Tash's Pick: Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, the northern slapstick brilliance of Thank Goodness You're Here!, tearing through Final Fantasy XVI (and roasting FF15 as a boyband emo road trip), fresh Hades runs, and chaotic Gang Beasts griefing.Matt's Pick: 80+ hours deep in Halo Campaign Evolved, deckbuilding in The Royal Writ, rough-and-ready dark fantasy in Tainted Grail, and tactical SWAT operations on the Steam Deck with Door Kickers 2.(Host Decree: We will never do this segment again. Sorry, Luke!)🏆 The Golden Age Debate: Masterpieces vs. Corporate Rot. Is modern gaming in its golden era? Matt argues that beneath the crusty surface of AAA layoffs, there is an unprecedented "creamy vein of gold" powered by passionate indie creators and barrier-breaking tools. Tash pushes back with the harsh reality from the trenches: indie funding droughts, post-COVID salary cuts, mandatory return-to-office mandates, and studios still trying to pay developers in overtime pizza. 💡 Key Takeaways: AAA is Stagnant, Indies are Alive: Mainstream blockbusters take 8–10 years to iterate on safe sequels. True innovation lives entirely in AA and independent development.No More Pizza Currency: Overtime is not a gift, and dinner is not compensation. Set firm boundaries around your time.Grassroots Will Save Game Dev: The older generation of top-down command-and-control leaders won't change; sustainable studio culture will be built by newcomers collaborating horizontally.🎙️ Sound Bites: "This woman lifted 200.5 kilos... she literally picked up a large adult male lion and put it back down.""Final Fantasy 15 is just emos going on a road trip in a car.""Stop brainwashing your devs into thinking overtime pizza is a courtesy. Pay me!""AAA is dead or dying. The real golden age is the creamy vein of gold running just beneath the crusty surface."

  7. Season 1, Episode 17 Trailer

    Is This the Golden Age of Gaming? [Trailer]

    A short trailer for the upcoming Episode "Is This the Golden Age of Gaming?" - stay tuned for more!

  8. Sep 24

    Serious Games & Simulators

    Tash returns from competition with shiny medals around her neck to join Matt and Luke for a deep dive into the serious side of gaming. From surgeons honing laparoscopic precision through video games to how game producers manage the "Zoom Lens"—balancing 30,000-foot strategic roadmaps with microscopic Jira weeds. Plus, Tash reveals her secret brain-cake baking past, and Matt defends his undefeated True or False streak. The CastMatt Ibbs: HostNatasha Nathani: Games Industry Veteran / Technical ProducerLuke Timms: Games Industry Veteran / Product & Delivery Leader Episode 015: Management Track for You, My Boy 🎮 Hot Topic: Gaming Outside of Games (The Serious Business of Play). Do video games actually save lives? We explore the data behind laparoscopic surgeons using simulation tools and first-person shooters to slash surgical error rates. We dive into tactile haptics, why gamers possess innate reaction advantages, and take a trip down memory lane—from 19th-century tabletop war games and the 1920s pneumatic Link flight trainer to police de-escalation VR. 🎯 Production Masterclass: The Zoom Lens (Macro vs. Micro). As a producer, how do you prevent yourself from drowning in daily bug tickets without losing sight of your 6-month release roadmap? We discuss the "Zoom Lens" mentality, Matt introduces the Flight Levels framework for cross-company alignment, and the team breaks down how to use Game Pillars to settle creative disputes and solve problems through subtraction rather than feature bloat. 🎲 True or False (The God Edition): Can Luke and Tash finally de-throne Matt? With descriptions featuring dialogue-sucking puppets (GREAT GOD GROVE), apocalyptic Dark Elder Gods (Shadows of Forbidden Gods), and deity simulators, the team tries to sniff out the ever-elusive Pig at the Disco. 💡 Key Takeaways: Simulations Bridge the Gap: From pilot training to surgical dexterity, gamified virtual environments remove the deadly consequences of failure, accelerating mastery.Flight Levels Prevent Blind Spots: Layer your communication across Strategy (Level 3), Coordination (Level 2), and Operations (Level 1) to eliminate tribal knowledge.Add Value by Subtracting: When roadmaps are in jeopardy, don't look for features to add—look for what you can cut. First cut the diamond, then polish it. 🎙️ Sound Bites: "I used to have a bespoke cake business... my favorite was a Halloween brain cake with lemon-juice coagulated blood jam.""The Link flight trainer was made by a guy who built church pipe organs... so in Zelda, you're literally just training to fly.""First you cut the diamond, then you polish it. You can't polish a turd.""I have no discernible skills or traits... Management track for you, my boy!"

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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
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Matthew Ibbs
  • Show Website
    Game Prod Pod