On this episode of Player Driven, Lewis and Greg are joined by Joost Vervoort, Associate Professor at Utrecht University (in the Netherlands) and Science/Impact Director at Speculative Agency. We dive into the "imagination factory" of the games industry and explore how video games can move beyond simple escapism to become tools for systemic societal change and climate activism.

🎙️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

 * [00:50] Introducing Joost Vervoort: Background in ecology, political science, and 10 years of "action research" at the intersection of games and sustainability.
 * [04:13] Formative Gaming: How the labyrinths of Doom and the emergent storytelling of Vampire: The Masquerade shaped Joost’s view of games as "imagination factories".
 * [09:00] Project STRATEGIES: An EU-funded initiative exploring how the game industry can decarbonize while using games as a cultural phenomenon to influence societal discourse.
 * [12:34] "All Will Rise" Deep Dive: A courtroom deck-builder inspired by Ace Attorney where you take billionaires to court for environmental destruction.
 * [24:57] The "Dark Souls of Politics": Why high-difficulty games like Hollow Knight: Silksong and Elden Ring teach "perceived self-efficacy"—the belief that you can tackle messy, complex real-world challenges.
 * [37:21] Examples of Excellence: Discussing Wolfenstein’s explicit anti-fascism and Citizen Sleeper’s focus on community resilience.
 * [50:00] What’s Next for 2026?: The All Will Rise Kickstarter, visiting schools to promote game literacy, and Joost’s new research into "infrastructures of mystery".

🧠 Key Themes & Learnings

⚖️ The Power of the "Speculative"

 * Moving Beyond "Goody Two-Shoes" Design: Joost argues that games about climate change often fail because they are "too polite." All Will Rise embraces a "wild, poetic, and slightly naughty" vibe to make activism feel dangerous and exciting rather than like a lecture.
 * Local Over Global: Instead of abstract "climate change," the game focuses on a burning river in a fictionalized South India (Kerala) to make the stakes concrete and personal.

🛠️ Games as "Action Research"

 * Self-Efficacy through Play: Beating a difficult boss in Dark Souls or Silksong can fundamentally change a player's relationship with reality, giving them the confidence to engage with "messy" politics in real life.
 * Culture Building: Change doesn't happen through information alone; it happens by creating a gaming culture that normalizes new identities and standards.

🏗️ Challenging the Industry

 * The Publisher Paradox: Publishers often avoid "politically threatening" or narrative-heavy games for fear of backlash, driving innovative, "courageous" projects toward platforms like Kickstarter.

🔗 Related Links

 * Join the Community: Jump into our Discord [https://discord.gg/ReyeDSwg] to discuss the episode!
 * Speculative Agency: Check out the upcoming All Will Rise Kickstarter [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/speculativeagency/all-will-rise].
 * Project STRATEGIES: Learn about sustainable transition in the game industry [https://www.strategieshorizon.eu/].

The Dark Souls of Politics: Gaming for Change

Recorded live at Pocket Gamer London, Greg sits down with Hill from Checkstep for a wide ranging conversation on trust and safety, AI powered content detection, parenting in a gaming household, and why moderation is no longer just about removing harm.

Hill shares her journey from data analyst to GTM leader in trust and safety, how Checkstep is building on top of the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem rather than competing with it, and why “build vs buy” decisions are becoming existential for modern studios.

They explore:

• What trust and safety really means for multiplayer games and UGC platforms
• Why content detection is replacing traditional moderation language
• How large language models are changing speed to value for studios
• Where humans still matter in AI driven workflows
• Detecting grooming and harmful behavior without exposing moderators to trauma
• Why keystroke detection and behavioral patterns are becoming new signals
• The real ROI conversation studios want proof on
• Promoting positive player behavior instead of only policing bad actors
• Parenting in a gaming household and how Greg thinks about kid safe play
• Why balance beats bans when raising young players
• Continuous learning, newsletters, and staying sharp in fast moving industries
• What success looks like for startups scaling with investors
• Hill’s 2026 goals and growing meaningful industry partnerships

The conversation blends operator level insight with personal stories, from renovating bathrooms at night to Wordle streaks and Goat Simulator family sessions.

If you care about LiveOps, community health, AI in CX, or building safer game ecosystems at scale, this episode is for you.

How AI Is Rewriting Trust and Safety in Games

In this episode, Greg and Colan break down the surprising success of Hytale after its departure from Riot Games, the strategic restructuring at Ubisoft, and the evolving multi-platform future of Xbox. Colan provides a deep-dive "dissertation" on the three eras of Riot Games publishing and explains why the studio may be "trapped by its own success".

Key Discussion Points

1. The Hytale Miracle: From Cancellation to Chart-Topper
 * The Buyback: After Riot Games effectively shuttered the project, the original founders bought back the rights and launched into Early Access.
 * Market Dominance: Within its first weeks, Hytale ranked #4 in search and #9 on Twitch, commanding roughly 2.5% of the total gaming market.
 * The China Factor: Colan highlights the massive "opportunity cost" for Riot/Tencent, noting that Hytale could have been a native competitor to Minecraft in a Chinese market with over 700 million accounts.

2. The Evolution (and Stagnation) of Riot Games Publishing
 * The Golden Era (2019-2020): Riot enjoyed a historic run with "heaters" like Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Legends of Runeterra.
 * The "Trapped" Success: Colan argues that Riot is now bloated by the weight of its own success; the immense resources required to maintain massive live-service hits prevents them from taking bold risks on new IP.
 * Riot Forge Lessons: Why Riot’s attempt to release smaller "love letters" to the community failed to act as a funnel for new players.

3. Ubisoft’s Strategic Reset
 * Cancellations & Restructuring: Ubisoft has canceled six games, including the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, while mandating a 5-day return-to-office policy.
 * The Global Shift: An analysis of why game development is shifting from expensive hubs like California to subsidized regions like Riyadh.

4. The Shooter Landscape: Highguard vs. Marathon
 * Highguard’s Attention Deficit: Despite viral memes, the game lacks measurable player attention, making it a high-risk launch in a genre dominated by Apex and Overwatch.
 * The Case for Marathon: Colan remains "bullish" on Bungie’s Marathon, predicting it will successfully claim a "bronze medal" spot in the extraction shooter hierarchy.

Featured Quotes

"Riot is first-in-class at maintaining live ecosystems, but that success becomes a weight. Why risk anything when you have a thing you can monetize forever?" — Colan Neese

Resources & Links

 * Colan’s Newsletter: Subscribe to "Patch Notes" on Substack or LinkedIn for the full dissertation on Riot's publishing history.
 * Player Driven Workshop: Sign up for next week’s player experience session at PlayerDriven.io.
 * DICE Summit 2026: Catch Greg and Colan live in Las Vegas next month.

The Riot Publishing Paradox and The Resurrection of Hytale

Episode Summary

Is the gaming industry entering a "negative flywheel"? This week, we dive into the staggering reports of Black Ops 6 underperforming and what it means for the future of Microsoft Gaming and potential layoffs. We also tackle Jeff Bezos’ controversial take on the death of the PC and why "anti-appliance" gaming is the future—even if latency remains our biggest enemy. Plus, we explore the "Whales of Gaming": why middle-aged millennials just dropped $650 on Pokemon Legos and how nostalgia is driving a new premium tier in the industry.

Join the Community: https://discord.gg/ycdYB3mUUm

Key Takeaways

 * The Microsoft Dilemma: If the biggest game of the year reportedly loses $300M, how does the industry pivot to save costs without a "tailspin" of layoffs?
 * The Cloud vs. The Box: Why Jeff Bezos thinks your local PC is going away, and the "speed of light" problem holding back cloud gaming for competitive players.
 * Nostalgia as a Business Model: How Pokemon and Lego are "teaming up" to capture the high-disposable income of adult collectors while the younger generation sticks to free-to-play.
 * Crypto Farmers' Last Laugh: Why the hardware once used for mining is now the most valuable asset in the AI revolution.

Timestamps

 * 00:00 – Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the $300M Microsoft "Loss"
 * 02:55 – Jeff Bezos vs. PC Gamers: Is the hardware era ending?
 * 04:40 – The Latency Problem: Why cloud gaming can't beat the speed of light
 * 08:20 – The $1,000 Gaming Machine: Why hardware costs are skyrocketing
 * 11:30 – Lego Pokemon & The "Whale" Audience: Why we can't let go of childhood
 * 18:30 – The Five-Headed Dragon: How Pokemon conquered every medium
 * 24:30 – Personal Faves: Our "Mount Rushmore" of Pokemon

Connect with the Show

 * Greg Posner: Playerdriven.io
 * Colan Neese: SVP of Gaming at Screen Engine ASI. Find him on LinkedIn or subscribe to his newsletter, Patch Notes, on Substack.
 * Join the Community: https://discord.gg/ycdYB3mUUm

300M Losses & $650 Legos: Is the Gaming Industry in a Tailspin?

In this episode of Player Driven, Greg Posner sits down with Laura Norwicke Hall, Senior Player Support Specialist at Schell Games, to unpack what modern player experience really looks like when games scale.

Laura shares her unconventional journey from managing communications at a zoo to building player support and trust & safety systems for games like Among Us 3D and I Expect You to Die. Along the way, she breaks down how studios should think about moderation, community feedback, AI, and player trust not as reactive systems, but as core product infrastructure.

This is a practical, behind-the-scenes conversation for anyone building or operating live games, platforms, or digital communities.

🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

🧠 Transferable Skills & Career Growth

Laura explains why soft skills, empathy, and cross-team communication often matter more than industry-specific experience, and how a growth mindset enabled her transition into game development.

🎮 Player Support as Product Intelligence

Player support isn’t just about closing tickets. Laura walks through how player feedback becomes:

 * Early bug detection
 * LiveOps prioritization
 * Internal advocacy for players
   And why every report deserves due diligence until proven otherwise.

🔊 Voice Moderation, Trust & Safety at Scale

The conversation dives deep into:

 * Why Schell Games implemented voice moderation post-launch
 * How AI-powered tools reduced toxicity by over 60%
 * Why bans alone weren’t enough and how muting changed player sentiment
 * The challenge of moderating reclaimed language and contextual speech

🏠 Private Lobbies & Player Consent

Laura shares lessons learned from player backlash around moderation in private spaces and how Schell Games introduced opt-in unmoderated private lobbies with clear guardrails for safety and youth accounts.

🤖 AI as an Accelerator, Not a Crutch

Rather than chasing hype, Laura talks about using AI responsibly to:

 * Learn faster
 * Validate sources
 * Improve response quality in player support
   While still maintaining human judgment and nuance.

🔮 Looking Ahead: Community, AI, and 2026

The episode closes with a forward-looking discussion on:

 * Where AI fits into player experience next
 * How studios should think about trust, safety, and community long-term
 * Why listening systems will matter more than moderation systems alone

🔗 Learn More

 * Schell Games: https://www.schellgames.com [https://www.shellgames.com/]
 * Follow Player Driven for more conversations on the business of games, community, and player experience

Player Support, Trust & Safety, and the Future of Community-Led Games | Schell Games

What does it actually take to build a media and events business that survives multiple platform shifts, economic cycles, and industry hype waves?

In this episode of Player Driven, Greg sits down with Chris James, CEO of Steel Media and the force behind Pocket Gamer and Pocket Gamer Connects, to break down two decades of hard-earned lessons at the intersection of games, media, business, and live events.

Chris shares how Steel Media evolved from traditional games journalism into a global conference platform, why focus beats scale early, and why in-person connections still matter in a Zoom-first world. This conversation is packed with practical insights for founders, operators, and anyone building a long-term business in games or tech.

Whether you are running a studio, launching a startup, or trying to scale a media brand, this episode cuts through hype and gets real about what actually works.

Key Topics Covered

• Building a focused media business instead of trying to do everything
• The hardest moments of running a company and knowing when to cut losses
• Why live events still drive trust and real business outcomes
• Hiring decisions that unlock the next stage of growth
• The long-term outlook for games despite short-term industry negativity

Key Takeaways with Timestamps

1) Focus beats ambition early
Trying to be everything to everyone kills momentum. Sustainable growth starts with doing one or two things exceptionally well.
⏱️ 00:00 – 02:45

2) Knowing when to shut things down matters
Sunk cost fallacy is real. Closing projects, even good ones, is often the most responsible leadership decision.
⏱️ 02:55 – 05:15

3) The games industry is bigger than the doom narrative
Despite layoffs and turbulence, gaming continues to grow as both a business and a creative medium.
⏱️ 06:30 – 08:40

4) In-person events still create trust faster than digital
Meetings, shared spaces, and real conversations remain critical for deal-making and long-term relationships.
⏱️ 11:00 – 15:30

5) Hiring should remove bottlenecks, not add comfort
Your first hires should unlock growth by covering gaps, not cloning your own skill set.
⏱️ 35:15 – 37:45

If you care about the business of games, the future of media, and how to build something that lasts longer than the current hype cycle, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and join the Player Driven community for more conversations like this.

Building Media That Lasts 20 Years with Chris James, CEO of Steel Media

Episode Summary:

In this special encore presentation, we revisit one of our earliest and most popular conversations. Originally recorded two years ago, Greg Posner sits down with Beau Button, the visionary CTO and Co-Founder of Atlas Reality.

Beau breaks down how Atlas Reality is merging the digital and physical worlds through a "virtual real estate" metaverse that actually drives foot traffic to brick-and-mortar retail. From the transition from enterprise software to gaming to the "guerrilla warfare" of shipping a product, Beau offers a transparent look at the highs and lows of building a location-based gaming powerhouse.

Key Takeaways:

 * The Bridge to Physical Retail: Discover how Atlas Reality uses a patent-pending, card-linked reward system to motivate players to shop at physical stores, turning gaming into a powerful marketing engine for retail.
 * A Pragmatic View of Web3: Why Atlas Reality identifies as a Web2 game inspired by Web3 tenets. Beau explains why "ownership" and "equity" matter more than buzzwords like blockchain or NFTs.
 * The Reality of Startup Growth: Beau shares the "hard way" lessons of scaling from a 12-person startup to a 30+ person company, including the transition from "just get it out the door" to sustainable engineering.
 * Community as a Founder: The mental health toll and strategic value of a founder personally managing Discord and Reddit communities during the first six months of a launch.
 * The Future of Work: Why low-code, no-code, and generative AI aren't threats to engineers, but tools that turn great developers into "rockstars" by handling the boilerplate work.

Memorable Quotes:

"Building software is not hard. Shipping a software product is very hard.""I’m not a gamer in the traditional sense... I appreciate the machines, the energy, and I’m inquisitive. My take from games is: I just want to know how they work.""If you’re not establishing a customer feedback loop, you are doing yourself a disservice. It’s a blessing and a curse, but it’s essential."

Links & Resources:

 * Atlas Reality: atlasreality.com [https://www.atlasreality.com/]
 * Connect with Beau Button: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/beaubutton/]
 * Connect with Greg Posner: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregposner/]

ENCORE: Revolutionizing Reality: The Digital Overlay Transforming Retail and Gaming with Beau Button

What does ambition really look like inside modern game development?

In this episode, Greg sits down with Jack Burrows to unpack how level designers think, work, and stay motivated across massive franchises and creative constraints. From AAA pipelines to indie dreams, this conversation explores how great games are built through framing, intention, and small wins, not ego or crunch culture.

Jack shares firsthand insight from working on major titles, breaking down how big ideas flow from leadership to designers, how constraints actually unlock creativity, and why great level design is more about flow and emotion than visuals alone. Along the way, they dig into ambition, burnout, discipline, and those rare “wow moments” that stick with players for life.

This episode is a must-listen for level designers, game developers, creative leaders, and anyone curious about how worlds are shaped to guide players without ever saying a word.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

 * How developers learn to “turn off” their designer brain and play like real players
 * Why ambition can fuel creativity or become a curse if unmanaged
 * The difference between freedom and guidance in level design
 * How studios pass big ideas down while still empowering individual creativity
 * Why constraints are essential for great design
 * How small wins build long-term momentum
 * Using environment, flow, and shape language to tell stories without dialogue
 * What aspiring designers actually need to learn before entering the industry

⏱️ Key Takeaways & Timestamps

00:02:40 – Willpower Is a Limited Resource
Jack explains why creative energy must be managed intentionally and how small daily wins help sustain long-term ambition.

00:14:30 – How Ambition Shows Up in Level Design
Ambition isn’t about scale. It’s about taking something familiar and flipping it just enough to reignite player curiosity.

00:21:05 – Why Constraints Create Better Designers
Great leadership gives creatives a frame, not half-finished ideas. Knowing the box is what allows designers to thrive inside it.

00:27:25 – Teaching Players Without Telling Them
Jack breaks down how games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution use visual language to guide players naturally.

00:48:00 – Letting Environments Tell the Story
Using examples like BioShock and Halo: Combat Evolved, Jack explains how emotion, scale, and atmosphere replace exposition.

🎮 Games & References Mentioned

 * Metroid Prime
 * The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
 * Marvel Rivals
 * Gears of War
 * Skyrim
 * Balatro

🎧 Why This Episode Matters

This conversation isn’t about tools or engines. It’s about craft.

It’s about understanding players as humans, designing with intention, and finding joy in progress rather than perfection. Whether you’re building worlds, managing teams, or just trying to stay motivated in a creative industry, this episode offers grounded insight from someone deep in the work.

ENCORE: Flow, Feedback, and Fun: The Pillars of Great Level Design | Marvel Rivals Level Designer

In this episode, Greg sits down with Jim Welch, a composer turned developer turned studio founder whose creative journey spans Dragon Ball Z trailers to launching a party game in the spirit of Jackbox. We explore Jim’s path from audio to entrepreneurship, the founding of The Devhouse Agency, and why his team is now investing in original IP. From creative leadership to WebGL distribution strategy, this episode is packed with insights for anyone building in games, immersive tech, or creative services.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

 * 01:22 – Starting with Sound: Jim shares his journey from composing for anime at Funimation to learning code through game jams.
 * 07:27 – Founding Devhouse: Why starting a co-dev studio wasn’t a single moment, but a gradual realization built from side projects and passion.
 * 09:32 – Hiring to Solve Pain: Early hires were engineers just like Jim, generalists who could help him scale his overloaded client work.
 * 14:18 – Specialist vs. Generalist: How Devhouse learned to brand and position its skills clearly as the business matured.
 * 20:30 – First Clients Came from Network: Jim leveraged relationships with former collaborators and positioned himself affordably as a solo founder.
 * 26:29 – Why Build Original IP Now: Diversification and creative satisfaction. Jim didn’t want Devhouse to only live or die by service contracts.
 * 29:02 – Trash Heist — Devhouse’s New Game: A phone-based party game with competitive chaos and second-screen play. Inspired by Jackbox, built to bring people together.
 * 32:54 – Distribution Strategy: WebGL makes cross-platform play possible. Steam is the starting point, but smart TVs and casting are in the conversation.
 * 35:33 – Balancing Client Work and Passion Projects: Dedicated internal teams and careful scoping allow for parallel development of games and service work.
 * 37:16 – Founder Lessons: Sales and people management were the biggest curveballs. Learning to lead and let go is a continuous process.
 * 40:10 – Where Gaming is Headed: Shrinking AAA budgets, a rise in small studio bets, and the growing importance of authentic community building.
 * 45:19 – Call to Action: Trash Heist is dropping soon — Jim encourages listeners to check it out and support indie innovation.

🙌 Thanks for Listening!

Check out our Discord by Clicking Here [https://discord.gg/BrEVCRDE]

ENCORE From Sound to Studio – Building Devhouse with Jim Welch

This episode features host Greg and Lewis Ward discussing the true nature of virtual worlds with Wagner James Au, author of Making a Metaverse That Matters, exploring the core design, economic, and community philosophies of successful platforms.

Summary

The discussion defines the metaverse as a vast, immersive virtual world with five core features, including highly customizable avatars and a link to the real-world economy . Au argues that to succeed, a platform must be fun immediately in a multiplayer context, operating as a "third space" where socialization is easy . He contends that Mark Zuckerberg's approach damaged the ideal of the metaverse by focusing too much on hardware and ignoring crucial lessons on community and regulation . The history of Second Life (SL) serves as a critical case study, showing that while strong community allows a platform to survive economic crises and bad onboarding, financial stability requires tightly regulated markets, learned through scandals like the implosion of virtual banks and the ban on unregulated gambling . Ultimately, the key to a thriving metaverse is prioritizing community, fostering diversity, and making creation easy .

Key Points

Core Metaverse Definition

 * A true metaverse is defined by Immersiveness, Customization (avatars/tools), Scale (millions of people), a Real-World Economy Link, and Off-World Tech Integration (for accessibility) .

Identity and Design

 * Avatars and Identity (05:51): Highly customizable avatars are critical for users to experiment with identity and personality . The Proteus Effect shows that an appealing avatar can boost real-world confidence.
 * The "Fun First" Rule (15:40): Metaverse experiences must be fun immediately in a multiplayer setting (the Third Space concept) . This is why Roblox and Fortnite succeed.
 * Meta's Misstep (10:26): Mark Zuckerberg caused "tremendous damage" to the concept by defining it around the Quest headset and ignoring lessons on managing toxic behavior, like the initial sexual harassment incidents on Horizon Worlds .

Economics and Stability

 * Community Precedes Commerce (29:44): Platforms must succeed as communities first. Focusing only on profit (the "Cryptoverse" issue) causes virtual worlds to fail .
 * Second Life's Stability (22:31): SL's active user base is stable at 600,000. The paradox is that if a user survives the long onboarding, they "never leave" due to the community.
 * Regulation is Necessary (40:53): SL's banking and gambling scandals forced Linden Lab to impose tight regulation . This proves that a tightly regulated economy is essential for user trust and stability.

Timestamps

 * 03:30 The Five Core Features of the Metaverse
 * 05:51 Avatars and the "Proteus Effect"
 * 10:26 Why Meta Damaged the Metaverse Concept
 * 15:40 The Critical Rule: Why Metaverse Must Be Fun First
 * 22:31 Second Life's Paradox: Why users never leave

References

Making a Metaverse That Matters [https://www.amazon.com/Making-Metaverse-That-Matters-Fighting/dp/1394155816]
Wagner James Au [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wjamesau/]
Lewis Ward [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-ward-77b7696/]
Greg Posner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregposner/]

Check out Player Driven [https://www.playerdriven.io]

Making a Metaverse That Matters with James Au

Greg (@gregp) · Zencastr

Greg (@gregp)

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.