Kiwi Talkz

Jérémy Hartvick is a former designer at Rockstar, best known for his work on RDR2 (he left Rockstar early in 2020). In this episode, Jérémy shares insights from his experience at Rockstar, discussing leadership, mission design, technical challenges, and the future of game development.CONSULTING WEBSITE - https://jeremyhartvick.com/

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
01:03 - Having A Good Leader At Rockstar
03:00 - Moving Into Leadership
05:00 - Modern Day Leadership Is Different
07:50 - Jeremy’s Goals At Rockstar & In The Industry
09:50 - Rockstar Has The Best Engineers
13:00 - Doing Mission Design
14:30 - Work On Horseman Apocalypse & Honor Amongst Thieves In RDR2
16:00 - Working On Details In RDR2/Rockstar Has No Centralised AI System
18:50 - Pitching A Mission In A Rockstar Game
21:15 - Internal Deadlines At Rockstar
23:40 - Cross Collaboration Between The Different R* Studios
25:40 - Not Being Able To Separate Work From Personal Life
28:09 - Doing 100 Hour Weeks On RDR2
31:20 - Having To Standout Compared To Everyone Else
34:26 - Your Job Is Largely Safe At Rockstar
35:28 - Why Jeremy Left Rockstar
37:30 - GTA 6
39:30 - How Programmers Optimize Rockstar Games
42:20 - You Can Hire Devs For Greater Concessions Now
43:40 - The Game Industry Needs A Restructure
45:45 - Asia Is Now Making The Best Games
49:20 - Hollywood Has Indoctrinated Western Devs To Make Cinematic Games
55:40 - Jeremy’s Future Endeveurs
57:45 - Q+A - How Much Do Designers & Writers Collaborate With Missions
59:14 - Q+A - What Missions Were Possible From More Powerful Hardware
1:01:30 - Todd Howard/You Can Do Everything
1:03:47 - Switch 2/Building Games Around Hardware
1:05:15 - GTA 6 Port Potential On Switch 2
1:08:34 - Q+A - Were There Any Missions That Were Cut From RDR2
1:10:20 - Eye Of Sauron/Sam Houser
1:11:50 - Where To Follow Jeremy/Jeremy’s Consulting Website

Matt Radford was a VFX Artist on TLOU and Uncharted 4, he began research into volumetric rendering during the development of Uncharted 4 and that led to it being used in TLOU Part 2. He has now founded his own studio 5th-Corner which is also the name of his studio's upcoming game.
#uncharted #uncharted4 #unrealengine
WEBSITE - https://www.5th-corner.com/
X - @mradfo21

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:39 - Matt Started A Hoverboard Trend At Naughty Dog
03:30 - Culture Of Naughty Dog/Crunch
06:42 - Naughty Dog’s Engine Is Bad/Litmus Test
09:30 - Should Naughty Dog Devs Migrate To Unreal Engine
11:52 - Why Matt Left Naughty Dog/Legacy Of Artists
14:00 - Ending A Relationship Due To ND/Starting A Start Up
16:00 - Naughty Dog Is A Cult
17:45 - Researching Volumetric Rendering On Uncharted 4
24:50 - Uncharted Games Have A Specific Artstyle/PS3 To PS4 Memory Increase
26:29 - The Ray Marching Technique
27:50 - Restrictions Of PS3/Freedom Of PS4/PS5
29:10 - Intergalactic
33:38 - Talent Has Moved On Which Affects Uniqueness
35:17 - Technology Has Plateaued /Working At Epic On UE5
37:20 - Technology Has Come At The Cost Of Game Design
40:12 - Matt Doesnt Play On Console Anymore Due To Steam
41:57 - GTA 6
44:25 - Matt Wants Shorter Games
45:14 - Young People Have Too Many Options For Entertainment
46:33 - Matt’s Indie Game 5th-Corner
52:30 - Running A Business When You Are Broke/Helpful Mentors
54:12 - Game Development Is More Collaborative Than Film
55:44 - Matt Is Hopeful & Scared For His Career
56:45 - Q+A - Any Regrets Working At Naughty Dog
59:06 - Resilience/Traumas Make Entrepreneurs
1:00:06 - Q+A - What Is The Most Efficient Way Of Bulding Large Environments Solo
1:01:46 - Q+A - Details Of Amy’s Uncharted 4
1:05:43 - Working With Amy Hennig
1:06:55 - Where To Follow Matt & Keep Up With 5th-Corner

Emanuel Palalic was a former character artist on DOOM 2016 & DOOM Eternal he has now founded the studio emptyvessel and is working on their indie game DEFECT (which looks sick).

https://www.emptyvessel.io/
TWITTER/INSTAGRAM - @epalalic
ARTSTATION - https://www.artstation.com/drheadpop
@emptyvesselplay

#doom #doometernal #idsoftware

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Working With Teams On Different Continents
02:20 - Founding Emptyvessel
05:30 - Emptyvessel’s High Calibre Team.
06:45 - Being Overwhelmed Setting Up emptyvessel
09:10 - Destructible Terrain In DEFECT
11:30 - Gore System In DEFECT & DOOM Eternal
15:40 - Being An Intern At ID Software On DOOM 2016
18:15 - Working With Hugo Martin
20:15 - The Culture Of ID Software
22:00 - Rebooting DOOM/DOOM 2016
25:30 - ART REEL - Icon Of Sin
27:45 - Gore Wounds
29:00 - ART REEL - Baron Of Hell
31:15 - ART REEL -Shotgunner
34:30 - Attention To Detail At ID Software
35:28 - ID Software Thought People Would Hate doom 2016
39:40 - The Pressure Of Working On DOOM 2016 & Eternal
40:34 - Mick Gordon
45:42 - The Mistakes AAA Games Make.
48:18 - There Is No Safety In AAA Anymore
50:58 - Focus Group Testing/Devs Following Trends
52:05 - Investors Are Apprehensive Towards Realistic FPS Games
55:30 - Motion Sickness With FPS Games
57:50 - DEFECT Won’t Have Third-Person
59:26 - Q+A - Was DOOM Guy Mini Face Considered In The UI
1:01:17 - DOOM 2016/Eternal Was Influenced By Metroid Prime/ID Software Loves Metroid
01:02:35 - Q+A - How Long Does It Take For Art To Be Approved
01:04:29 - Q+A - How Did The Pipeline Work With ID Tech Engine
1:08:40 - Where To Follow Emptyvessel & DEFECT

Andrew Willis was a producer on DOOM TDA & Revelations and planned on staying at ID Software till retirement, till the dreaded Microsoft layoffs. In this episode he covers his time at ID Software and the terrible layoffs.

#doom #doomthedarkages #idsoftware

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Going From Manager At A Pizza Place To ID Software Producer
06:38 - Why ID Software Culture Was So Great
09:00 - Realising His IT Knowledge Was Useless At ID Software
10:45 - Being A Producer At ID Software
13:10 - ID Tech Engine
13:59 - Smash Bros/Doom Slayer In Smash Bros
15:30 - ID Software Layoffs
22:30 - Not Being Allowed Back In The Office To Get Belongings
24:07 - ID Software PR Statement Is BS/Nightmare Production On DOOM 2016
25:10 - The Firings Will Be Analysed
25:59 - Microsoft’s 14 Layers Of Management Are Lies
29:00 - Game Development Has Been Taken Over By Greedy Execs
34:30 - Nintendo Protect Their IP & The West Doesnt
35:30 - Gamepass Is Mismanaged
39:50 - How Gamepass Affected DOOM: TDA
41:10 - Happy Xmas Story At ID Software
42:50 - Working With Hugo Martin
45:00 - Developing The Dragon & Mech In DOOM TDA
47:15 - ID Software Started To Become More Hieracachal
49:40 - Q+A - Was The Buzzshield Inspired By Captain America
50:25 - Q+A - Will ID Software Switch To Unreal Engine
52:29 - Q+A - Were Things Cut From DOOM TDA DLC
54:32 - DOOM Revelations Is Bittersweet/Layoffs On The Day Before Release
58:34 - Andrew Planned To Retire There/Unionisation
1:01:37 - Q+A - How Much Does Ray Tracing Speed Up The Production
1:05:02 - Working With Alex Klingle/Finishing Move On The Soundtrack
1:06:00 - Andrew Thanks DOOM Fans/Changing The Industry

The legendary Shawn Layden returns to provide wisdom on things surrounding the video game industry. As was the case last time, I tried to ask him a lot of stuff he hasn't been asked before. Enjoy!!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Intro/Shawn Layden Made Kiwi Smarter
01:49 - Differences Between Working At Sony’s Offices In Japan,UK & US
05:45 - How The Japanese Felt When Sony HQ Moved From Tokyo To California
07:00 - Salaries In The US Are Hurting Game Development There/Outsourcing
10:20 - Nothing Will Beat GTA/Strauss Zelnick
11:45 - Shawn’s Role As A Chairman
13:30 - Shawn Knowing His Limitations As A Boss
15:01 - Games Aren’t Built By Gamers Anymore
15:45 - Publishers Are Becoming Risk Averse/Chasing AAA
18:00 - Why AAA Games Are Financed Over AA
19:15 - Institutional Knowledge/The Power Of Brand
23:00 - Sony Getting Rid Of Physical Discs
24:05 - Sony Can Take Japan Back From Nintendo
25:13 - Sony Can’t Support Two Consoles At Once
27:00 - Nintendo & Sony Are Becoming Direct Competitors Again
28:30 - Sony Putting Games On PC
31:30 - Shawn’s Views On Meetings
32:00 - Unproductive Meetings
36:00 - Employees Whose Jobs Are To Arrange Meetings
37:30 - Shawn Kills Rumor That He Spoke To Asha
38:50 - Shawn Speaks On Asha/Microsoft’s Goals
40:30 - Live Services Titles Successes Are By Accident
43:20 - Data Driving Decisions
44:50 - Spreadsheet Decision Shawn Made/Edutainment
48:10 - Success Is Seductive/Hire The Right Talent
49:30 - Avoiding YES MEN When You Are The Boss
52:00 - Shawn Is Happy He Never Has To Do A Budget/Plan & Peformance Appraisal Again
53:25 - Q+A - Was A Cell Based GPU Considered For PS3
54:16 - Q+A - How Do We Correct The Over Reliance On AAA
57:15 - Astro Bot/Sony Needs To Do More AA Games
1:01:15 - Why GTA 6 Is An Event/Diluting A Brand
1:02:20 - Q+A - Will The Japanese End Up Pulling Ahead Of Everyone Else
1:04:15 - GTA 6/Games Need To Be Shorter
1:05:30 - Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund