It's time to press start and redefine your destiny!
Welcome to the New Player Character podcast, where we guide you on an epic journey of career transformation within the gaming industry! Just like in your favorite games, there’s always the opportunity to create a new 'player character' and embark on an adventure that can lead to a fulfilling role in game development. Join us as we level up your skills, discover hidden career paths, and unlock the power of your passion for gaming.
Asian American Representation within Games featuring Mika Dilig and Shavonne Yu - S3E1
What does it mean to see yourself reflected in the games you love and the industry that makes them? I chatted with Mika Dilig and Shavonne Yu, co-founders of AAPI in Gaming, a community dedicated to amplifying the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora in games. Mika came from Aamzon Games and Shavonne from Meta Reality Labs and they seek to generate awareness and build a space for AAPI representation, career growth, and cultural celebration within games.
Connect with AAPI in Gaming:
🌐 aapiingaming.com
📸 Instagram: @aapiingaming
20 Sept 2025
The Many Hats of a Head of Operations with Cole Medeiros - S2E5
What does a Head of Operations do in games? The short answer: a little bit of everything. 💼 In this episode, I chat with Cole Medeiros about the role that keeps studios running—from managing budgets and hiring to supporting production, reviewing legal docs, and stepping in wherever needed.
But it’s not just logistics. Operations is a people-first role, one that requires clear communication, emotional intelligence, and a whole lot of empathy. 💡 Cole shares how being a connector between teams means listening deeply, leading with care, and making sure everyone has what they need to do their best work.
If you’ve ever been curious about the backbone of a game studio, this one’s for you!
#NewPlayerCharacter (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=NewPlayerCharacter) #LevelUpYourGame (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=LevelUpYourGame) #GamingIndustry (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=GamingIndustry) #GameDevelopment (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=GameDevelopment) #GamingCareers (https://www.linkedin.com/feed/hashtag/?keywords=GamingCareers)
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
14 Aug 2025
From Cosplayer to Brand Management in Games with Jessie David - S2E6
🎮✨ What does a Brand Manager actually do in games? Jessie David takes us behind the scenes to show how she protects a game’s identity, keeps marketing true to its core values, and ensures every campaign and release connects with players. From strategy to execution, this episode reveals why brand management is central to every successful game.
14 Aug 2025
Behind the Music of Games with Steffen Schmidt - S2E5
Scoring games and films isn’t just about playing instruments — it’s about building the right team, managing projects, and bringing a vision to life. Steffen shares his journey, the grind behind the creative process, and why an unending passion for learning is what sets great composers apart.
Tune in to hear how music shapes worlds and the people behind the magic!
25 Jul 2025
Ready for Launch: Inside the World of Release Engineering with Heiden Salguero - S2E4
🚀 Ever wonder how your favorite games make it onto PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, or Switch without a hitch?
That's where Release Engineering comes in — the unsung heroes of game launches! 🎮 In Episode 4, we talk to Heiden Salguero, a 1st-party Platform Specialist, about how release engineers manage the complex process of shipping games across multiple platforms.
From mastering compliance requirements to catching last-minute bugs, Heiden shares his path to becoming a Release Engineer!✨ It’s meticulous, technical, high-stakes work — and it’s crucial to making launch day magic happen.
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
27 Jun 2025
Season 2 Episode 3 - Digital Asset Management with Marcus Garrett
Marcus Garrett discusses his multifaceted role at Blizzard's Overwatch League, detailing team coordination, processes, and on-screen assets to ensure a seamless product in this interview.
23 May 2025
Episode 2 - Database with David Queiroz
Host discusses databases in games with David Queiroz, revealing how database management tracks player progress, world events, and quests to maintain a smooth gaming experience in this interview episode.
21 Mar 2025
Episode 1 - Character Design with Travis Ngov
Welcome back to New Player Character, season two! We're kicking off with Travis Ngov, a Character Designer at Respawn Entertainment.
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
22 Nov 2024
Episode 9 - Business Development with Ed Calaunan
Ed Calaunan shares his insights as Head of Business Development, revealing key strategies for successful business development and growth.
18 Oct 2024
Episode 8 - Market Research with Eunice Lin
Eunice and I finally get a chance to discuss how Market Research fits into games! It comes back to psychology over and over, except this time we're interested in how players experience games, become interested based on different marketing tactics and more.
20 Sept 2024
Episode 7 - Game Direction with Maikol Brito
I worked with Maikol back at Overwatch League and has since started working at an indie game studio as their game director! I had a great discussion with him about what has been applicable from his previous roles and what sorts of skills he's picked up since then to tackle this new role.
23 Aug 2024
Episode 6 - Creative Technologist with Jun David
Do you know what a creative technologist is? I didn't either, but I was always amazed at the magic of seeing Overwatch League broadcast live! I grab time with my old friend, Jun David and talk about the work he did on the broadcast team at OWL and how he got his start. Just like back then, he comes up with unique ways to solve problems in games, broadcast, film, media and more as a Sr. Media Architect!
19 Jul 2024
Episode 5 - Production with Matt Wolff
Matt brings a unique perspective to game production, blending empathy with strategic know-how. He shares how understanding and supporting his team is not just part of the job—it's the heart of it.
We talk about various analogies and ways to understand our roles: from being both the glue that holds everything together and the grease that keeps things moving smoothly, to juggling roles as "fire chief" and "firefighter", Matt's analogies bring the dynamic world of game production into focus.
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
21 Jun 2024
Episode 4 - Business Intelligence with Peter Connolly
🎮🔍 In this episode, we unpack the critical role of Business Intelligence in gaming. Peter pulls back the curtain on how he teams up with designers, analysts, and data scientists to dive into the data, cook up some hypotheses, and make magic happen!
👾 What you'll learn:
- The impact of Business Intelligence on game development and player experiences.
- How cross-functional teams come together to use data for making informed changes.
- Insightful tips and tricks for anyone interested in the analytical side of gaming.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the intersection of data, strategy, and gaming!
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
6 Jun 2024
Episode 2 - QA Management with Aisha Wells
Dive into the meticulous world of QA with Aisha Wells, an expert QA Manager in the gaming industry. 🎮🔍
In this episode, Aisha unpacks the depths of quality assurance, emphasizing the importance of diving deep into technical details and fully understanding testing scopes. She also highlights how crucial it is to grasp player behavior to effectively prioritize testing paths. This chat sheds light on the specialized and increasingly sought-after field of QA engineering and management.
6 Jun 2024
Episode 1 - Platform Engineering with Ryan Farmer
Dive into the world of a platform engineering with Ryan Farmer from Blizzard Entertainment on our inaugural podcast episode! Ryan brings along experiences from Amazon Games, Nexon, and Daybreak Game Company to name a few.
Discover how Ryan juggles multiple team needs, adapts to various tech contexts, and ensures every solution is tailored to user requirements. A must-listen for anyone interested in the backbone of game development!
6 Jun 2024
Episode 3 - Production with Elijah Dixson
Sit down with Elijah Dixson, a game producer at Methodical Games with experiences at Amazon Games, Epic Games, and Vicarious Visions to name a few.
Elijah dives into how his psychology background and gaming degree helped him carve his niche.
We'll also unpack the layers of project management, program management, and production, and discover how these skills blend with strategy, emotional intelligence, and more in the gaming world!
3 Jun 2024
Introduction to New Player Character
We're thrilled to unveil the first episode of our new podcast, "New Player Character", co-hosted by Holly Chu and Ryan Farmer. This episode is a special one—it’s not just an introduction, but a deeper dive into what drives and defines our podcast.
#NewPlayerCharacter #LevelUpYourGame #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GamingCareers
Opinions expressed are solely our own and do not express the views or opinions of our employers
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