Dev to Dev

Alex Sulman

Dev to Dev is the podcast about everyday Videogame Developers and why they do what they do every day - the animators, engineers, artists, producers, and designers whose work shapes the games we play. Hosted by Alex Sulman, a veteran of nearly three decades in the industry, the show highlights the passion, challenges, and personal journeys of those often overlooked in gaming’s spotlight. Inspired by Greg Miller’s 2015 Game Awards speech recognizing a developer in the credits of a game he'd just finished, Dev to Dev continues that spirit of appreciation, giving voice to the people behind the craft. Each week, the podcast aims to offer thoughtful, positive conversations about connection, creativity, and the human side of game development, providing insight into both the rewards and personal challenges of making video games a livelihood. Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast …and please drop me an email if you have any questions, thoughts, comments, guest suggestions, or ideas to DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com

  1. Dev to Dev S01 E17 - Chris Linn

    29/12/2025

    Dev to Dev S01 E17 - Chris Linn

    This episode of Dev to Dev - the podcast about everyday Videogame Developers and why they do what they do every day - offers a thoughtful look at what it really means to build a long, sustainable career in game development. Chris Linn’s perspective provides fascinating insight into how curiosity, adaptability, and empathy can shape not just the work, but the way teams function together. The conversation centres on mindset and how approaching development with openness and respect creates stronger outcomes over time. A key theme that emerges is the value of understanding the full development pipeline. Chris’ background highlights how experience across disciplines builds better judgement, clearer communication, and stronger leadership. For those navigating their own careers, the episode reinforces an idea that growth can come from breadth of knowledge as much as does depth. It’s a reminder that learning how teams operate can be just as important as mastering tools or systems. The discussion also provides valuable perspective on working within complex, live environments. Chris’ experiences offer insight into how adaptability, iteration, and collaboration became essential skills when navigating games that continue after launch. Rather than presenting live service as a formula, the episode frames it as an ongoing conversation between developers and players—one that requires humility, responsiveness, and long-term thinking. Throughout the episode, Chris shares a grounded view of production that focuses on people over process. He encourages us to think critically about how structure, tools, and methodologies should serve teams, not constrain them. It’s a perspective that feels especially relevant for those in leadership roles, offering reassurance that flexibility and empathy are strengths, not weaknesses, in creative development. Highlights Insight into what drives long-term passion for production and game development Why broad experience can be a powerful foundation for leadership Reflections on adaptability and learning in live service environments A people-first approach to production and team support Thoughtful perspectives on sustaining a career in games   Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r37p9 Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast Email: DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com Find Chris At:  Twitch: ⁠https://www.twitch.tv/linnception⁠ TikTok: @linnceptionpaints Chapters (00:00:00) - Dev to Dev: Chris Lin ((00:00:38) - What First Inspired You To Make Video Games?(00:03:03) - As a gamer's brother,(00:05:29) - When Were You Playing Video Games?(00:07:03) - In the Elevator With Funky People(00:08:57) - Got my degree in Game Design(00:12:53) - How to Make a 2D Movie in College(00:13:48) - How to get hired at Activision QA(00:18:57) - How I transitioned from temp to full-time(00:22:56) - Inside the Studio: Moving from Temp to Production(00:26:57) - QA on the Shift to Production(00:31:52) - An Associate Producer on Call of Duty: Online(00:34:59) - Having worked on Call of Duty Online in China(00:41:13) - PUBG Veteran on His Transition(00:46:05) - PUBG Producers on Becoming Full-Time Producers(00:50:56) - There's No 'Right Way' to Be a Producer(00:54:52) - What Does It Mean to Be a Producers?(00:58:10) - How Being a Game Developer Has Changed Your Life

    1h 1m
  2. Dev to Dev S01 E16 - Jon Walker

    22/12/2025

    Dev to Dev S01 E16 - Jon Walker

    The next episode of Dev to Dev with Jon Walker is probably the deepest and most personal episode yet. Jon opens up about growing up in foster care, finding connection through games, and how that early relationship with social and competitive play shaped everything that followed. We talk about his unconventional path into the industry—through the Navy, competitive gaming, QA at Raven Software, and eventually building Prop Hunt as a side project that became a Call of Duty staple. It’s a reminder that initiative and curiosity still matter, even in AAA development. Jon also shares what it was like moving to Riot Games to work on Valorant, adjusting to a slower but more rigorous design culture, and engaging directly with competitive players. His perspective on player trust, matchmaking, and goal-driven design is especially insightful. Finally, we dig into leadership, burnout, relocation, and what really matters after years in the industry. Jon is thoughtful, honest, and deeply human in how he talks about making games—and the people who make them. Highlights Using games as a social lifeline during childhood From Navy service to QA to Prop Hunt Designing competitive systems at Riot Games Leading combat design on a new IP How game development shapes who we are Find the Podcast At Patreon: DevToDevPodcast RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r37p9 Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast Email: DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com Find Jon At:  ⁠Jonathan Walker | LinkedIn Chapters (00:00:00) - Former 'Warzone' Designer on ZeniMax's '(00:01:40) - What First Inspired You To Make Videogames?(00:06:24) - What Motivates People to Make Video Games?(00:09:29) - Foster Care Made Me Want to Be an Engineer(00:13:19) - How I Got My Start in the Game Industry(00:17:45) - Blending QA and Design(00:18:06) - Call of Duty: Scripts Explained(00:20:43) - In the Elevator With Scripting(00:23:03) - Pushing the boundaries of systems design(00:28:18) - How I Went From Raven to Riot(00:33:08) - Riot Design's transition to COD(00:37:53) - Riot's focus on competitive gameplay(00:42:59) - Riot's Director on Leading People(00:47:44) - Leading the Mechteam at ZeniMax(00:51:18) - Mixed emotions about moving back to Madison(00:54:39) - The Real Cost of Making Video Games(00:58:22) - How Having Been in Game Development Has Changed My Life(01:01:30) - Has Being in Game Dev Changed You?(01:03:47) - Pushing the creative process in Game Development(01:05:46) - John Waffle on The Podcast

    1h 7m
  3. Dev to Dev S01 E15 - Bill Mueller

    06/12/2025

    Dev to Dev S01 E15 - Bill Mueller

    Inside Sound Design with Bill Mueller This week’s episode of Dev to Dev is one that will stick with me for a while, not just because Bill Mueller is an incredible professional, but because his path into games is so wonderfully human. Bill grew up in East Boston and was first captivated by the magic of controlling a character on a TV screen via his Commodore 64 and then discovering the people behind the scenes of live production, those running the lights, audio boards, and cameras. A profound moment at a Disney on Ice show lit a lifelong spark that has carried Bill into music, audio engineering, radio, and live television. What I loved most about this chat is how Bill talks about challenge as something he needs. Whenever he hit a ceiling - in radio, in TV, even in early game roles - he looked for the next mountain to climb. And the moment he played Bioshock, he knew exactly what that mountain was: game audio. This moment inspired an incredibly brave pivot that was fascinating to discover! Bill’s journey into the industry wasn’t easy. He networked his way in, built demo reels from scratch, and even took a production role just to get a foot in the door. Later, when 38 Studios collapsed and he suddenly lost his job, his pay, and his healthcare. What follows is an incredibly human story of the realities of following a passion in a creative business. Through a combination of events, Bill went from finally the role he had wanted to suddenly losing it all just as his family hit a major milestone, leaving him staring at the potential end of the dream. A fortunate connection, and some incredible timing, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and reveals a Game Dev reality that really isn’t to be missed! Bill has now spent more than a decade working on Elder Scrolls Online, blending creativity, technology, and problem-solving into a craft that’s become part of who he is. And through it all, he’s remained grounded, thoughtful, and incredibly generous with his story. Highlights Growing up with the Commodore 64 and NES in a one-TV household Discovering the “behind-the-scenes” world at Disney on Ice Studying Sound Recording Technology at UMass Lowell Radio and live TV — and the thrill (and terror!) of live audio The moment Bioshock changed everything Networking into game development through local Boston meetups The collapse of 38 Studios and losing everything at once Getting hired at ZeniMax while his son was being born How 13 years on ESO shaped his love for technical audio Bill’s philosophy of problem-solving and perseverance Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r37p9 Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast Email: DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com Find Bill At:  billsaudio.me https://www.linkedin.com/in/williammueller/ Chapters (00:00:00) - DevtoDev(00:00:12) - In the Elevator With Audio Lead(00:00:37) - What First Invited You To Play Video Games?(00:05:28) - Mariah Carey on Learning How Audio Works(00:10:11) - Starting out as an intern in radio(00:16:23) - How I Got My Foot in the Door(00:18:36) - Pushing the Audio Industry Forward(00:23:46) - Making 'Blender': From Producer to Director(00:25:04) - Mixing Music For 7/5(00:27:17) - How To Mix Music In The New World(00:33:57) - How I Learned To Work While Pregnant(00:39:07) - Getting Out Of Your Job(00:40:16) - Mixing Media and Audio in '(00:45:01) - How Much Stress Does Shooting a Game Have On You?(00:48:03) - Working in a Technology Company(00:50:42) - How Dad Made Video Games For A Living(00:52:37) - Enjoying Music Through Gaming(00:55:18) - Going From Video Game Development to Real Life

    57 min
  4. Dev to Dev S01 E14 - Joel Morillo

    06/12/2025

    Dev to Dev S01 E14 - Joel Morillo

    Behind the Scenes with Camera Designer Joel Morillo This chat with Joel is one of those conversations that reminds you how many different ways people end up in game development. Joel didn’t grow up imagining he'd work in games, in fact he spent nearly half his military career without touching one. But the creative spark he carried since childhood never went away, and once he had the chance to explore it, he didn’t hold back. We talk about growing up in the Bronx and using games both physical & digital, comics, and D&D as his escape. We get into how Final Fantasy III / VI blew his imagination wide open, and how that emotional connection has stuck with him all throughout his career. We also explore how he promised himself he'd try something creative after leaving the military and how VFX Motion Design was his first passion!  The real turning point is hearing how Joel went from making trailers to becoming a camera designer, a role so niche and so misunderstood that he essentially had to define it himself. His perspective on framing, emotion, and game feel is genuinely inspiring. You can hear how much he cares about helping players feel something, not just see something. And the partnership he later formed with a fellow engineer allowed them to navigate unfinished tech and build truly incredible camera systems - a great example of trust and collaboration. Joel’s honesty about figuring things out as he went - backed by the resilience he built in the Navy - gives this episode a grounded, human heart that I think a lot of people will relate to. Highlights Growing up indoors in the Bronx and discovering imagination through games and comics How Final Fantasy III / VI became a life-defining creative spark Missing entire console generations while deployed in the Navy Re-discovering games through Final Fantasy X on PS2 Leaving the military to chase a creative career with no guarantees Breaking into Daybreak thanks to his Mentor Uprooting and moving cross country after a round of layoffs Defining a role that barely existed and navigating early-stage tech Discovering a passion for game feel, tone, and emotional framing How trust, resilience, and collaboration shaped his career Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r37p9 Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast Email: DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com   Find Joel At:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-morillo-58861395/ Chapters (00:00:00) - DevtoDev: An Interview With Joel Marillo(00:00:40) - What first inspired you about video games?(00:03:22) - How to Get Your Brother to Play Games(00:04:32) - Veteran Video Artist on Finding His Voice(00:06:26) - Marine Veteran Reconsidered Video Games(00:09:08) - Bob Dylan on His Creative Bug(00:10:16) - What Made Visual Effects So Fun for You?(00:11:42) - VFX and Motion Design in San Diego(00:14:09) - How Did Sony Bring You On Board(00:15:27) - Former 'Daybreak' Producer on Social Media(00:16:34) - How To Make a Cinematic Trailer(00:19:23) - How to juggle your career and freelance work(00:20:19) - How Zenimax Online Studios moved from San Diego to Baltimore(00:21:24) - Bill Maher on The Job Shifting(00:22:01) - How a Cinematic Camera Designer Joined Zenimax(00:25:12) - How To Make a Cinematic Documentary(00:27:54) - The Video Production Test(00:29:58) - Having the Right Experience for Game Development(00:30:44) - Working on a startup in the early days(00:31:44) - Tom Cruise on His New Role(00:32:30) - How To Build a Team in Game Dev(00:35:19) - Graduating from Camera Designer to Senior Design(00:40:00) - Ratchet and Clank: Game Feel(00:43:22) - How To Make a Cinematic Action Story(00:47:23) - God of War: The Camera(00:50:11) - Andrew Hussie on Working in Game Development(00:55:15) - How Creativity Affects Your Family

    57 min
  5. Dev to Dev S01 E13 - Zane Draper

    01/12/2025

    Dev to Dev S01 E13 - Zane Draper

    In this episode of Dev to Dev - the Podcast about everyday Videogame developers and why they do what they do every day - I sit down with senior technical designer Zane Draper, whose path into game development is wonderfully unique. What begins with a childhood Game Boy trade becomes a decade-long journey through college uncertainty, chaotic student projects, small-team grind, massive collaboration, layoffs, and ultimately a fulfilling career solving endlessly fascinating problems in games. Zane opens up about the emotional and personal side of that journey - the confidence instilled by his Dad, the camaraderie of tiny studios, the stress of large-scale interviews, and the strange experience of joining a team that already has “your” role handled by someone else. He shares how game development reshaped the way he plays, why he refuses to game on his PC after hours, and what it’s like to teach students who want to enter the industry without quite knowing how. And throughout it all, his love of problem-solving remains the through-line: for Zane, every day is another chance to tackle something new, whether that’s a VR project, a museum installation, or figuring out who should answer a question when two designers know the same system equally well. Highlights The legendary “10 toy cars for a Game Boy” childhood trade Growing up in a small town with siblings who all gamed together Discovering programming accidentally through robotics Building five games in a semester to push into RIT’s Game Development program Shipping 20+ wildly different projects at Workinman and surviving crunch Navigating Embracer-related layoffs at Lost Boys Interactive Adjusting to remote culture and collaborative Discord workflows Joining ZOS after a six-interview marathon panel The delicate balance of overlapping roles with another technical designer Why he refuses to play games at his work PC How making games has shaped his sense of wellness and creativity Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r37p9 Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast Email: DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com Chapters (00:00:00) - DevtoDev: The History of Video Game Development(00:00:40) - What First Inspired You To Play Video Games(00:01:39) - How I Got Hooked on Video Games(00:04:17) - Making Video Games: The Process of Learning(00:09:30) - How to Code and Design in College(00:10:19) - RIT's The Labyrinth: A Blind and Visually Impa(00:11:56) - RIT's Game Development Program(00:17:35) - Zane on Working at Small Studios(00:19:09) - Working Man to Lost Boys(00:20:28) - Lost Boys: Working Remotely(00:22:58) - At Lost Boys, I Joined the Tech Design Team(00:27:02) - Starting at Lost Boys, Transitioning to Zos(00:28:22) - The Process of Interviewing(00:33:47) - Have You Reached the Level of Engineering?(00:35:28) - Have You Found a Specialization?(00:39:25) - How Problem-Solving Made You a Developer(00:42:09) - Virtual Reality and AR: The Challenges(00:44:21) - How To Cope On a Technical Team(00:50:09) - How Making Games Has Changed Your Gaming(00:51:39) - How Game Design Has Changed Me(00:53:50) - How Does Your Family Compare To Your Career?(00:56:07) - "Thank You For Having Me On"

    56 min
  6. Dev to Dev S01 E12 - Zachary Markham

    24/11/2025

    Dev to Dev S01 E12 - Zachary Markham

    Some episodes of Dev to Dev reveal a journey that feels instantly relatable, and Zac’s story is one of those. We talk about growing up in a small UK town, carrying an original Xbox across miles to make a LAN party happen, and the strange internal push-and-pull between wanting everything to be perfect and wanting everyone around you to succeed. Zac’s competitive streak runs through his whole life—football, board games, Halo ranking grinds—but what's fascinating is how it sits alongside sincere empathy. He’s the kind of engineer who builds tools so other developers can thrive, even if it means rewriting systems others would ignore. That duality shaped his transition from years of grinding through Flash and HTML5 at a gambling studio to finally stepping into a AAA Codev team where he felt creatively at home. We talked openly about imposter syndrome, the pressure of submitting code you know isn’t perfect, and how becoming a developer can make you both more introspective and more forgiving of other games’ flaws. We close on family: the early doubts, the pride, and the dream of one day making a game his daughters will get to play. Growing up in a small town and navigating early identity duality between his football and gaming passions Competitive roots formed through Mario, GoldenEye, & Halo Discovering game development via the Halo 2 dev diaries Evolving from Flash/HTML5 slots work into modern C++ engineering Learning to balance perfectionism with iteration Finding belonging at a Codev studio filled with creative, passionate developers Navigating imposter syndrome and learning to reflect with kindness Family support, pride, and the hope of eventually making games for his kids PODCAST DETAILS Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r37p9 Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast Email: DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com   Find Zac At:  ⁠https://www.instagram.com/zfm7/⁠  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-markham/⁠ Chapters (00:00:00) - Dev to Dev: An Interview With Former colleague and friend(00:00:57) - What First Influenced You To Play Video Games?(00:07:33) - Football and gaming in the UK(00:13:15) - Zach Gets Real About His Competitiveness(00:17:29) - Starting Out: Learning to Make Video Games(00:20:54) - Tutorials in computing before university(00:27:30) - How to get your foot in the game industry with a degree(00:35:56) - How to Get Out of a Rut(00:36:25) - How to get out of your 'Luck'(00:40:36) - MPG Studios: The Dream realized(00:43:34) - Moving from mpg to Blueprint(00:48:55) - The Process of Design and Engineering(00:54:43) - Does Competition Play a Part in Your Work?(00:59:24) - How has being a developer changed you as a gamer?(01:02:00) - How Having Been a Developer Changed You(01:04:07) - How does your family relate to your job?(01:06:54) - In the Elevator With Adam Levine

    1h 7m
  7. Dev to Dev S01E11 - Landon Hood

    17/11/2025

    Dev to Dev S01E11 - Landon Hood

    This week’s Dev to Dev conversation is with someone whose journey genuinely surprised me at every turn — producer and creative leader Landon Hood. His path into games didn’t follow the traditional routes. In fact, it’s full of unexpected pivots, green-light moments, and people who changed the course of his life at just the right time. Landon grew up in Maryland, discovered World of Warcraft in eighth grade, and immediately found himself drawn into the parts of MMO play that look suspiciously like early production training — scheduling raids, coordinating people, leading with confidence. He didn’t know it yet, but those skills were planting seeds for everything that came later. What struck me most was how honest he is about the messy middle of his journey. He pursued auto mechanics, flirted with the military, and eventually ended up at community college — where a Design Professor became a career-changing mentor. She pushed him into opportunities he didn’t see in himself, including the fateful art show that connected him with Bully Entertainment and launched his first job in games. From there he carved out a career built on flexibility, creativity, and pure willingness to jump into the unknown. VR prototypes before VR was cool. AR toothbrush apps for Disney. Holograms. NASA graphic novels. And eventually, a major role at ZeniMax Online Studios leading creative services work on ESO and Bethesda projects. Landon also shares how moments of failure reshaped him — including a tough relocation to Florida that collapsed beneath him and ultimately helped him rebuild with more humility and perspective. He talks openly about burnout, therapy, ADHD, and learning to see each setback as something survivable. And today? He’s at Blizzard, connecting with the universe that first lit the spark. It’s an incredible conversation with someone who has seen nearly every corner of the industry, stayed grounded through chaos, and keeps pushing forward with empathy and passion. Highlights How World of Warcraft shaped his confidence, leadership, and communication The professor who changed his life with a single push The art show that launched his industry career Going from VR prototypes to DreamWorks and NASA projects Helping hold ZeniMax’s creative services team together during director turnover How ADHD became a superpower in production Navigating burnout, therapy, and industry instability Landing at Blizzard in a universe deeply personal to him Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r37p9 Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast Email: DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com Find Landon At:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonhood Chapters (00:00:00) - Dev to Dev(00:00:19) - Blizzard Entertainment's Landon Hood on '(00:00:43) - What First Inspired You To Play Video Games?(00:03:17) - How World of Warcraft Made Me a Gamer(00:07:08) - Startups: How I Learned To Paint Cars(00:14:16) - The Making of 'Bully'(00:17:21) - Bully's Steven Levinson on Becoming a Creative Producer(00:20:27) - How I Went From Bully Entertainment to MAD Studios(00:25:20) - Started a cannabis dispensary while still in college(00:30:13) - Tom Holland on His 'Reception' With Adam Levine(00:30:36) - Developing Projects at Bully(00:32:48) - ZeniMax: The Transition From Bully to Zos(00:39:46) - The Creative Services Team at Zos(00:46:42) - Zelda on Being a Blanket Warrior(00:51:52) - How Does Your Family Relate To Your Job?(00:53:49) - How Having Been a Game Developer Has Changed You(00:55:09) - Blizzard's Landon on The Fort Lauderdale Drama

    59 min

About

Dev to Dev is the podcast about everyday Videogame Developers and why they do what they do every day - the animators, engineers, artists, producers, and designers whose work shapes the games we play. Hosted by Alex Sulman, a veteran of nearly three decades in the industry, the show highlights the passion, challenges, and personal journeys of those often overlooked in gaming’s spotlight. Inspired by Greg Miller’s 2015 Game Awards speech recognizing a developer in the credits of a game he'd just finished, Dev to Dev continues that spirit of appreciation, giving voice to the people behind the craft. Each week, the podcast aims to offer thoughtful, positive conversations about connection, creativity, and the human side of game development, providing insight into both the rewards and personal challenges of making video games a livelihood. Find the Podcast at: Patreon: DevToDevPodcast Instagram: @devto.devpodcast Bluesky: @devtodevpodcast.bsky.social‬ TikTok: @devtodevpodcast YouTube: @DevToDevPodcast …and please drop me an email if you have any questions, thoughts, comments, guest suggestions, or ideas to DevToDevPodcast@Gmail.com