Player Driven

Greg
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Welcome to Player Driven, the hub where gaming insights and community collide.We believe that behind every great game is a thriving community and an unforgettable player experience. Whether it’s building inclusive environments, exploring the latest tech, or diving into the art of storytelling, our mission is simple: to empower the creators, communities, and players that make the gaming world extraordinary.What We’re About:🎮 Insightful Conversations – Through our podcast and community clubhouse, we bring industry leaders, creators, and innovators together to explore the cutting-edge of gaming.🌍 Player-Centric Focus – From accessibility to trust and safety, we champion the initiatives that keep players at the heart of the industry.📈 Data Meets Creativity – With a knack for combining KPIs with compelling narratives, we highlight strategies that don’t just work but resonate.🤝 Community Building – We celebrate what makes the gaming community special: its people. From indie developers to AAA veterans, every voice matters here.Join us as we explore what drives games, empowers communities, and defines success in the ever-evolving gaming landscape.Your Game. Your Story. Your Community.

  1. 2일 전

    "No AI" Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does

    Guest: Tess Lynch, Founding Attorney, Clause and Affect When Crimson Desert announced "no AI in our game," the internet applauded. But does anyone agree on what that actually means? Tess Lynch — gaming and IP attorney, founder of Clause and Affect, and one of the more practical legal voices covering this space — joined Greg to untangle what studios are really promising when they make that pledge, and what they're leaving dangerously undefined. What we get into: The three tiers of AI in games that almost nobody distinguishes clearly — procedural generation (been here forever, deterministic, mostly fine), machine learning trained on licensed data (DLSS, Adobe Firefly, getting complicated), and generative AI trained on scraped data (the one everyone's actually upset about, and for good reason). Why "no AI" policies get weird fast — no Gmail, no Copilot, no AI meeting notes — and why the real target is almost always generative AI replacing human creative work, not automation tools embedded in software you're already using. The consent problem hiding inside "licensed" datasets. Adobe Firefly is built on licensed images, but did those photographers consent to having their work used to train the model? Tess breaks down where that gets legally murky, and why the Scarlett Johansson standard she uses is a useful gut check. UGC platforms and the IP trap studios don't see coming. When players generate content in your game — especially with AI tools — the question of who owns it, who's liable for it, and whether you can even copyright it is almost entirely unsettled law right now. Why purely AI-generated work can't be copyrighted (current U.S. law requires human authorship), and what that means for studios shipping games with AI-generated assets as placeholders they forgot to swap out. Clair Obscure and Crimson Desert both came up. The patchwork regulatory problem. Every state has its own privacy laws, its own AI laws, its own age assurance rules. Tess calls it what it is: an amalgamation that will never get cleaner until it becomes a federal issue — which she doesn't expect soon. When should you actually talk to a lawyer? Her answer: yesterday. But more practically — before you touch sensitive data, before you go live with anything using AI in a novel way, and definitely before you sign contractor agreements that don't address it. And on the business side: what it's actually like to build a solo law firm serving indie devs and creatives who can't pay BigLaw rates. Billing, time management, and figuring out what your work is worth. Tess Lynch: LinkedIn | Clause and Affect website | Your AI NPC Might Be Illegal Player Driven: Discord | Newsletter

    39분

  2. 5월 12일

    Feedback at 150,000 Players: What V Rising Learned from Its Own Launch

    What happens inside a studio when a game explodes past every projection on launch day? Jeremy Fielding, Community Manager and Narrative Coordinator at Stunlock Studios, was there when V Rising hit 150,000 concurrent Steam players — and he walked us through all of it: the chaos, the 60-hour weeks, the improvised official servers, and the feedback systems they built on the fly. Joined by Steve McLeod, founder of Feature Upvote, this conversation covers the full arc of community management at scale — from why every community manager is fundamentally a game developer, to how Stunlock built player trust through transparency, to why studio announcements largely don't work and what does instead. If you work in community, player support, or live ops — this one is packed. What We Cover: Why community managers are game developers (and why that framing matters)What it was actually like inside Stunlock during V Rising's early access launchHow to build feedback systems that scale before you think you need themThe case for private beta feedback boards — and the "Dracula pun" password strategyWhy AI bots in Discord often backfire — and what players actually want when they reach outHow transparency converts skeptical players into studio advocatesThe measurement problem: why community impact is real but hard to quantifyThe rise of the double-A studio and why mid-size teams have a community advantageGuests: Jeremy Fielding (Jeremy Berson online) — Community Manager & Narrative Coordinator, Stunlock Studios | playvrising.comSteve McLeod — Founder, Feature Upvote | featureupvote.com | LinkedInTimestamps: 00:00 — Intro & warm-up02:00 — Are community managers game developers?05:30 — How game dev is really about solving problems you made yourself09:00 — Translating player feedback to dev teams — the middle seat13:00 — V Rising's early access launch: what 150K concurrent looks like from inside21:00 — AI in community support: when it helps, when it backfires27:00 — Why honesty builds the community that defends you30:00 — Feedback tools at scale: what to look for, what to avoid38:00 — Private beta feedback with Feature Upvote (and Dracula passwords)44:00 — Turning feedback into competitive advantage49:00 — Why studio trust is the new double-A advantage54:00 — Guest intros & where to find themConnect with Player Driven: Discord: https://discord.gg/zdwAqvgvfyNewsletter: Player DrivenYouTube: Player Driven

    58분

  3. 5월 5일

    Building NYC's Gaming Ecosystem from the Classroom Up with Alia Jones-Harvey

    Episode Description (the version that goes in podcast players) New York City has tripled gaming industry jobs since 2008. The average wage is now 14% above the citywide average. Over half of NYC's game studios are indie teams of five or fewer. And almost nobody outside the city knows it. In this episode of Player Driven, Greg Posner sits down with Alia Jones-Harvey, Associate Commissioner of Education and Workforce Development at the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, to talk about how the city is quietly building a connected gaming ecosystem — from K-12 students competing inside Minecraft, to CTE high schools running state-approved game design curriculum, to City College's bachelor's degree in game design housed in the school of arts. They cover Battle of the Boroughs, the NYC Video Game Festival on May 9, the Summer of Games initiative, and why community is the through-line that ties all of it together. If you work in gaming on the East Coast, this episode reframes what's possible. Topics covered NYC gaming industry, NYC Video Game Festival, Battle of the Boroughs, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, MOME, NYC esports, game design education, K-12 gaming programs, Minecraft education, indie game development NYC, CTE schools, City College game design, Summer of Games NYC, Made in NY digital games, NYC workforce development gaming, East Coast gaming industry, gaming jobs NYC, indie studios New York, gaming community building, Convene Brookfield Place, collegiate esports NYC About the guest Alia Jones-Harvey is the Associate Commissioner of Education and Workforce Development at the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME). Her portfolio includes the Battle of the Boroughs program, the NYC Video Game Festival, the Made in NY digital games program, and the city's broader work supporting the indie game development community. About the show Player Driven is a podcast and media platform for gaming industry practitioners — community managers, player support leads, live ops professionals, trust and safety operators, and the people building the next generation of player communities. New episodes weekly. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Links NYC Video Game Festival  Battle of the Boroughs / NYC Summer of Games 2021 NYC Games Industry Economic Impact Study Player Driven Tags Gaming, Esports, Education, Government, New York City, Indie Games, Game Development, Community, Workforce Development, Trade Publication

    22분

  4. 4월 28일

    From Side Project to Steam Launch: What a Two-Man Indie Team Learned the Hard Way

    What does it really take for a two-person indie team to turn an after-hours idea into a real shipped game? In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Max Mraz of Moth Atlas to talk about the long road behind Tombwater, a handcrafted horror western action game built over four years while balancing full-time jobs. What started as a small experiment quickly became something much bigger, forcing the team to figure out scope, structure, production, and eventually, what kind of help they actually needed to get the game across the finish line. The conversation digs into the reality behind indie development when you are not a full studio with departments, producers, and extra hands. Max shares how the team stayed organized, how they thought about what belonged in version one, and why building the game was only part of the challenge. The other half was everything around launch: QA, community, support, and the operational work that most people do not think about until it is staring them in the face. They also get into one of the more honest questions indie developers wrestle with: when does self-publishing stop making sense? Max breaks down why working with a publisher mattered for a team like his, what support actually made a difference, and which parts of the process he was most grateful not to have to own himself. If you are an indie developer, a publisher, or just someone who loves hearing how games actually get made, this episode is a great look at the gap between having a cool idea and getting a game into players’ hands. In this episode, we cover: How Tombwater went from a small side project to a full commercial releaseWhat it looks like to build a game after work while holding a full-time jobHow a two-person team managed scope, production, and version one decisionsWhat most indie teams underestimate about launching a gameWhy professional QA is very different from casual playtestingHow publishing support helped remove major operational burdensThe value of community support without forcing the developer to run everythingWhat Max would tell other tiny teams trying to build something realAbout Tombwater Tombwater is a handcrafted action game that blends Soulslike, Zelda-like, and Metroidvania elements inside an Eldritch Horror Wild West setting. Players explore a cursed town, uncover hidden mysteries, and battle through dangerous enemies, bosses, spells, weapons, and secrets. Links Wishlist / play Tombwater on SteamLearn more about Midwest GamesMore episodes at Player Driven#PlayerDriven #IndieGames #GameDevelopment #IndieDev #SteamGames #GamePublishing #Soulslike #GameDesign

    40분

  5. 4월 21일

    The Rise of Web Shops: How Games Are Reclaiming Players and Profit

    For years, mobile gaming operated under one unspoken rule: give up ~30% of your revenue to platform holders like Apple and Google. That model is starting to break. In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Gil Tov-ly, CMO of Appcharge, to unpack one of the biggest structural shifts happening in gaming right now: the move toward direct-to-consumer (DTC). Gil brings a unique perspective, having worked across adtech, UGC platforms, and now fintech infrastructure for game studios. He shares how rising user acquisition costs, platform restrictions, and regulatory pressure have pushed studios to rethink how they monetize and engage players. What used to be an experiment is quickly becoming the backbone of the industry.  🔑 What We Cover  Why the “30% platform tax” is no longer sustainable  How DTC web shops are unlocking 20–25% more margin for studios  The real reason DTC is about more than revenue — it’s about owning the player relationship  How top studios are already driving 30–40% of revenue through web stores  What actually happens to player behavior when you introduce off-platform payments  Why trust (not tech) is the biggest barrier to adoption  The rise of new roles like DTC managers and web shop leads inside studios  How AI is reshaping marketing, product design, and creative workflows in gaming 🎯 Key Takeaway The biggest shift isn’t just saving money. It’s control. Studios are moving from renting their players through platforms… to owning the relationship, the data, and the monetization strategy end-to-end. And once that happens, everything changes.  🚀 Why This Matters We’re entering an era where:  Growth is coming from efficiency, not just more playtime  Margins are being reinvested into UA, LiveOps, and AI  Direct player relationships are becoming a competitive advantage DTC isn’t a side channel anymore. It’s becoming core infrastructure for modern game studios. Links Appcharge - Payments Built for Mobile GamesPlayer Driven Discord: https://discord.gg/zdwAqvgvfyPlayer Driven

    48분

  6. 4월 14일

    The Data on Q2's Biggest Games (And Who's Going to Lose)

    Player Driven Live — April 9, 2026 The Q2 release window wars, Nintendo's dual-platform strategy, and whether the gaming industry actually understands its own audience. Hosted by Greg Posner & Colan Neese | ~57 min 🎬 THE MARIO MOVIE (00:00) The Mario Movie: A Kids' Film That Actually Works (And Why Critics Miss the Point) Greg and Colan return from spring break having both seen The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2. Their verdict: the "bathroom test" (did the kids stay seated?) is a pass. Colan gives it 8/10, appreciates the Bowser Junior dynamic, and criticizes Yoshi being cast purely as comic relief with zero plot relevance. Greg argues the film has a clear, accessible plot — critics are holding a children's movie to the wrong standard. Both note Sony Pictures Animation is pulling away as the most innovative studio, and the Star Fox comic-book sequence hints at what that IP could look like with the right treatment. Also discussed: → Illumination vs. Pixar vs. Sony Pictures Animation — which studio's model wins? → Is Zelda a stronger film IP than Mario? → Is Pokémon replacing Mario as Nintendo's flagship mascot for younger audiences? → Mario as Mickey Mouse — beloved as a symbol, not a character 🎮 RELEASE WINDOW WARS (15:10) Q2's Shark Tank: Forza Horizon 6, 007: First Light, and LEGO Batman All Launch in 8 Days Three AAA titles — Forza Horizon 6 (May 19), LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight (May 22), and 007: First Light (May 27) — are stacked into a single week that used to be GTA 6's window. Colan breaks down the data: Forza is the undisputed winner. Bond is second but paid a real cost for moving its release date — demand share dropped after Forza entered the same window. LEGO Batman is tracking at 40% the volume of Lego Skywalker Saga at the same pre-launch point. Also discussed: → Why Forza Horizon 6 setting Tokyo as its world is a smart bet on the largest racing audience → Bond's release window mistake: June was wide open and nobody was there → IO Interactive's best move: demo access for fence-sitters; Amazon should be co-marketing this → Bond as a franchise: the model of recasting across eras gives it more flexibility than Indiana Jones or Star Wars → LEGO Batman's upside case: it becomes the default summer game for kids once Forza attention fades 🏢 WB GAMING IN CRISIS (33:30) Warner Brothers Gaming: A Beloved Studio Trapped in a Hot Potato of Ownership TT Games and the broader WB gaming portfolio have been handed from Time Warner to AT&T to Discovery — and now reportedly to Paramount — without anyone in the chain having meaningful gaming expertise. Colan's read: Rocksteady's Suicide Squad misfire wasn't a studio failure, it was the predictable output of a gaming division adrift. Greg pushes back to note the gameplay loop itself was solid — the live service model was the wrong wrapper. The prescriptive take: the LEGO Group should just acquire TT Games outright. Also discussed: → Top 5 best-selling LEGO games of all time — Star Wars dominates, LEGO Batman (2008) is #2 AND the best-selling superhero game ever → LEGO Group's survival story: Star Wars, Batman, and Harry Potter licensing saved the company from bankruptcy in the early 2000s → Why the Paramount acquisition will likely mean more cuts, not a turnaround 🎯 NINTENDO STRATEGY (45:15) Nintendo's Quiet Genius: Two Cozy Sim Games, Two Platforms, Two Audiences Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is the second-largest game coming in Q2 — and it's a Switch (original) exclusive, not Switch 2. Colan spots a potentially intentional strategy: Pokémon Legends: Z-A serves Switch 2 owners while Tomodachi Life serves the 150M+ Switch install base without requiring a hardware upgrade. Greg argues this is smart portfolio thinking. The broader point: with Xbox and PlayStation reportedly pushing toward $1,000 hardware, Nintendo's af

    57분

  7. 4월 7일

    You’re Not Designing Games… You’re Designing Behavior

    This week’s episode takes a different angle. What started as a conversation about Epic, Disney, and the state of the market quickly turned into something bigger… a discussion about systems. From live service games to theme parks to parenting, the same core question shows up everywhere: What behaviors are your systems actually driving? We break down:  Why Fortnite’s evolution is less about content and more about system design  The gap between Disney’s IP strength and product experience  How Riot approaches game design through behavioral systems  Why “day zero design” matters for community and retention  And a personal story that brings all of this into a very real context This isn’t a trends episode. It’s a lens shift. Key Takeaways  Systems shape behavior more than content ever will  Engagement loops can work too well and create unintended outcomes  Retention is a systems problem, not a content problem  Community health is designed early, not fixed later  The same behavioral patterns show up across games, platforms, and real life Why This Matters For teams in player support, community, live ops, and trust & safety: You’re not just reacting to player behavior. You’re dealing with the output of systems that were designed upstream. Understanding that changes how you:  Diagnose issues  Prioritize fixes  Influence product decisions  Advocate internally Links & Mentions  Player Driven Workshop (Community + Day Zero Design)  Lewis Ward’s GDC breakdown on Riot and system-driven design Join the Discord

    31분

  8. 3월 31일

    ENCORE: How One MMO Taught a Future Investor to Break Markets

    This week, we’re bringing back one of the most interesting conversations we’ve had on Player Driven. Andrew Wagner didn’t learn economics in a classroom first. He learned it inside a game. Before managing investment portfolios, Andrew was running a guild in an MMO, experimenting with supply, demand, reputation, and player behavior in real time. What started as “just playing the game” turned into a full system for production, scaling, and market control. And the wild part… it worked. He built a network of players motivated by progression instead of profit, scaled production, and ultimately flooded the market to outcompete everyone else.  Why This Conversation Matters Right Now A lot has changed in the last few months across gaming: • Teams are rethinking LiveOps loops to re-engage players instead of just shipping content  • Community is being treated as a system, not a support function  • Player behavior is becoming the core KPI behind retention and monetization We talked about this in our recent Player Driven workshop: 👉 You can’t fix a community after launch. You design it from day zero.  And we’re seeing it play out everywhere… From LiveOps refresh strategies discussed at GDC to how games are trying to balance monetization with player trust. What We Cover in This Episode • How Andrew discovered economics through an MMO instead of school  • Why game economies mirror real-world markets more than people realize  • The role of reputation and perception in player-driven systems  • How player motivation (progression vs profit) changes everything  • Why most players don’t act “rationally”… and why that matters  • How communities shape economies just as much as design systems  • The fine line between optimization and exploitation in games The Bigger Takeaway Games are one of the best environments to understand human behavior. Not because they’re simple…  But because the feedback loops are fast, visible, and unforgiving. If you work in:  • Player support  • Community  • LiveOps  • Trust & safety You’re not just reacting to players. You’re shaping the system they operate in. What’s New at Player Driven We’ve been doubling down on connecting the people working behind the scenes of games: • March Workshop: Focused on building community from day zero  • New breakdown with Laura Hall (Schell Games) on what player support actually looks like early-stage  • Player Driven Live: GDC takeaways, LiveOps trends, and game breakdowns (including Crimson Desert and emerging titles) If you’re working in these spaces and want to connect with others doing the same work, join us. Final Thought Andrew’s story isn’t just about one game. It’s about understanding systems, incentives, and people. And once you see it… You start noticing it everywhere.

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Welcome to Player Driven, the hub where gaming insights and community collide.We believe that behind every great game is a thriving community and an unforgettable player experience. Whether it’s building inclusive environments, exploring the latest tech, or diving into the art of storytelling, our mission is simple: to empower the creators, communities, and players that make the gaming world extraordinary.What We’re About:🎮 Insightful Conversations – Through our podcast and community clubhouse, we bring industry leaders, creators, and innovators together to explore the cutting-edge of gaming.🌍 Player-Centric Focus – From accessibility to trust and safety, we champion the initiatives that keep players at the heart of the industry.📈 Data Meets Creativity – With a knack for combining KPIs with compelling narratives, we highlight strategies that don’t just work but resonate.🤝 Community Building – We celebrate what makes the gaming community special: its people. From indie developers to AAA veterans, every voice matters here.Join us as we explore what drives games, empowers communities, and defines success in the ever-evolving gaming landscape.Your Game. Your Story. Your Community.

정보

  • 제작진
    Greg
  • 방송 연도
    2023년 - 2026년
  • 에피소드
    153
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    전체 연령 사용가
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    © 2026 Player Driven
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    Player Driven