Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Midwest Rise Up and Prep for MDEV with Ben Kvalo
27 Plays28 days ago
MDEV is a fast-growing gaming conference taking place on November 7-8 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Now in its sixth year, MDEV has doubled its audience year after year under the leadership of Ben Kvalo, founder of Midwest Games. Backed by sponsors like Unity, Unreal Engine, and PUBG Studios, MDEV showcases the talent of Midwest studios and is building momentum as a key event for game developers in the region.
Check out our interview with Ben Kvalo to learn more about his vision for MDEV and the Midwest gaming community.
Key Topics Discussed
- Introduction to Ben Kvalo and His Roles: Learn about Ben’s journey and his significant contributions to the gaming industry in the Midwest.
- The Growth of MDEV: Discover how MDEV has doubled its attendance every year for the past three years and what makes it a unique and accessible event for game developers and enthusiasts.
- Midwest Gaming Studios: Ben highlights several prominent studios in the region, including Raven Software, Respawn, PerBlue, and many more, showcasing the rich talent pool and innovative projects coming out of the Midwest.
- Keynote Speakers at MDEV: Get a sneak peek into the exciting lineup of keynote speakers, including Megan Morgan, Jr. from Santa Monica Studios and Matt Weibel, COO of Second Dinner.
- Community and Family Values: Explore the strong sense of community and family values that permeate the Midwest gaming industry, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment.
- Future of MDEV: Ben shares his vision for the future of MDEV, including plans for expanding the event and introducing new opportunities for networking and collaboration.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to MDev Conference
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey, everybody. Today is the week leading into MDev. In today's episode, we are talking with Ben Kawalo to talk about MDev and what is coming up. And there are some changes coming with the podcast, and you'll be seeing some new stuff starting next week. I appreciate everyone sticking around, hanging out. I hope you enjoy this episode with Ben. Again, MDev is coming this week. It's the biggest Midwest gaming conference there is. It's going to be a great event. Be sure to check it out and enjoy today's podcast.
Meet Ben Kawalo: MDev's Executive Chair
00:00:25
Speaker
Hey, everybody. Today, we are talking to Ben Koala. He is the founder of Midwest Games, and he serves as the president of the Wisconsin Games Alliance. He's also the executive chair of MDev, which is what we're talking about today. MDev is the Midwest's largest gaming industry event. Ben's been a pivotal figure in both growing the event as well as bringing together the developers and enthusiasts from across the region. Ben, I'm excited to talk about MDev with you today. Anything you want to say about it?
The Growth and Accessibility of MDev
00:00:55
Speaker
Well, first off, thank you for having me. And yeah, I mean, there's a lot of that a lot that I want to say about it. But I'm just incredibly excited. I was the keynote at the event last year. And i without bias, but I mean, maybe a little bit of bias. But it is one of the most energetic, positive environments because you know it's still small enough to be intimate and get to know folks, but it's growing at an astronomical rate. you know we've We've doubled attendance every year the last three years. um And so it's really this exciting, larger show in the middle of the country, the largest game industry event in the Midwest that's that's focused on game developers and game industry individuals.
00:01:44
Speaker
And it really, for me, it's accessible. You can go to the event. You can buy the ticket, the travel, the hotel, all for under $1,000. And we know we've both been at enough games industry events. That is really, really hard to do.
00:02:04
Speaker
ah Even getting a ticket into some of these events like GDC and others is really is really tough under $1,000. So it's accessible and it has some incredible speakers this year that are that are coming from major ah industry players. And so it's it's a really exciting moment to see it kind of grow to this level right in Madison, Wisconsin.
00:02:26
Speaker
I think that's the coolest part. You were telling me and we were talking about it, both the games coming before and the different studios that are there. And, you know, I don't think people realize the Midwest really is booming with these studios. I know we're doing podcasts leading up to MDev and we're talking with Filament Games, Pyramid Lake Games, Purr Blue, Respawn. And that's just the tip of the iceberg of the studios that are in both Madison and the larger region. and I'm excited to learn. And I've already been learning about the family values that people are bringing to these companies and all the different attributes that they have. And I think it's awesome. And and can you talk a little bit about to the studios that are there?
History of Gaming in Madison
00:03:04
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. So you mentioned a a couple, but i'll I'll kind of go down, you know, the the list and
00:03:11
Speaker
It all starts with the Raven software. Raven was the first one, not the first one there truly, like there's been other studios coming and going, but they've been that steady rock. Them and Guild Software ah have been around for about 33, 34 years. you know Raven was Activision's first acquisition, which imagine that, like a studio in Madison, Wisconsin was Activision's first acquisition.
00:03:37
Speaker
the same company that just got acquired by Microsoft for $69 billion. dollars And it all started with an acquisition of a studio in Madison. And that studio now works on Call of Duty. They just released a Call of Duty ah that they they helped lead. And so that That level studio being in Madison for so long has created that incredible initial base. And off of that, so much has grown.
00:04:09
Speaker
including things like PUBG, where the fact that the global creative director for PUBG is in Madison and an entire studio that's helping to lead that game, service that game for over for a long period of time at this point.
00:04:28
Speaker
is right in Madison. ah You look at what was originally human head working on a game like Prey, became Roundhouse Studios that kind of helps support Bethesda, and now they're under the ZeniMax Online brand, and they're working on Elder Scrolls Online you know in Madison, Wisconsin.
00:04:50
Speaker
And then you have Respawn, which you mentioned, but Respawn is a newer studio, and but growing in big ways to to ultimately support Apex Legends. So, you know, Electronic Arts, EA, looked at Madison and said, look at the talent there, we're going to build a studio there. And so they were able to do that. um They recruited ah a guy that was working for for epic games at the time, Ryan Burnett.
00:05:20
Speaker
um out of Madison. So Epic Games has a small office out of Madison, if you didn't know that. um And they brought them over to help build this new studio. And so it's really exciting to see that. And then you look at Lost Boys, which was a co-dev studio. They were acquired by Gearbox, now owned by Embracers. Gearbox kind of has gone, you know, under under take two, under 2K.
00:05:45
Speaker
And they support developers all over. They've worked on Diablo 4, they've worked on New World, Tiny Tina's Wonderland, WWE2K. And so all of that is also right out of Madison. ah You talked about Per Blue, a homegrown studio working on ah Disney Heroes and other titles. And then you have a lot of indie studios, Flip Fly, which has put out a number of games, you know Millions of players have played some of their games so definitely check out flip fly pyramid late games which is which is a studio we signed one of their games they they have a party game called floors what it is coming out and so we we're able to you know align with the wisconsin developer
00:06:30
Speaker
And that's just you know the tip of the iceberg. There's so many other studios going on here. We hear it from folks all the time, great ideas, great games. And it goes back to the legacy of Wisconsin where Dungeons and Dragons was invented in Wisconsin. And it's just it's it's a proud moment for me growing up here, not having many options in the industry to see where it is now and and and also be like, wait,
00:06:59
Speaker
There's a long path ahead and I'm really excited about it.
Midwest Gaming Community and Values
00:07:02
Speaker
For for our listeners, Ben and I, you know we we we are just casually talking right now. and we We didn't really prep for this, but what I love is that you just casually named like 10 studios, the games that they're making. And I think this all comes back again.
00:07:16
Speaker
I just spoke with Josh from Pyramid Lake Games and he was telling me about the family values of the Midwest. And it's just like, even you're expressing it, even though it's not family, you are a community and you are building that up there. And I think it's great. And it's just mind boggling. And it shows you that the passion you have for the industry, for the games that you're being a part of and being less than 30 days now away from MDev.
Keynote Speakers at MDev
00:07:41
Speaker
What are you most excited about MDev?
00:07:45
Speaker
This year, I am just ultimately excited to see the show grow into its potential even more. I'm excited about our keynote speakers that we have coming. you know we we have some megastars coming to speak at this event. Our opening keynote is going to be led by Megan Morgan Jr. from Santa Monica Studios. She's the head of product development um ah or the the director of product development over at that studio working on God of War. Yet she's from Milwaukee. She graduated from UW-Madison.
00:08:26
Speaker
and ultimately had to leave for for the opportunities to grow in this space. And my hope is that you know the the future Meggins of the world are going to have opportunities to stay if they want to. Some people want to leave, and that's fine. And some people want to come back, and that's fine. um I think giving people the options and the opportunities to to do what they want gain experience elsewhere, come back or stay here and gain experience is really key. And so I'm excited to have her talk at um at the event to open the keynote. And then our end note speaker,
00:09:04
Speaker
who we just announced recently. I'm very excited about as well. It's a guy that lives in Madison, ah but I used to work with at Blizzard ah back back many years ago at this point, Matt Weibel. And so he is now the COO of Second Dinner, ah which has created Marvel Snack.
00:09:23
Speaker
And so to have somebody that has worked on and led Hearthstone, Overwatch, and now Marvel Snap, and he lives in Madison,
00:09:35
Speaker
and And even though the studio you know is kind of all over and mainly based in in California, but he's right in Madison and he sees the unique place that is the Midwest, that is Wisconsin, that is Madison and loves the life that it gives him. And so I'm excited for him to kind of be that that final rapper on the show and be our end note. So I think it's key for anyone coming like,
00:10:00
Speaker
From beginning to end, we have a lot of really exciting speakers. And we have most of the studio heads, if if not all of the major studio heads, coming to speak at the event. And we're even going to be doing some studio panels.
00:10:16
Speaker
publisher panels other thing I didn't mention you know obviously my publisher Midwest Games but also Big Mode um which is run by a video game donkey and his wife Leah also is based out of Wisconsin and so they they published Animal Well which was an incredible success earlier this year And so it's really exciting that that is another piece. There's further people investing in games. And what's amazing about Animal Well is it's it was a single developer in Illinois and was working on the the game for years and years and years.
00:10:51
Speaker
and largely ignored until intel Big Mode came in and helped support them. And we saw what that support did. It led to an incredibly successful title that they continue to invest in. And so we're gonna have a panel with that.
00:11:08
Speaker
ah We're gonna have a panel, as part of that publishing panel, Big Fan Games, which just was announced under Devolver as a new label under Devolver, focus on kind of IP games. So Amanda Cruz, who's from Minnesota, ah is gonna be speaking on that panel with me. And so it's it's really exciting to have this kind of, um this these kinds of big brands coming for this event, and it shows that there's a movement towards the middle.
00:11:36
Speaker
maybe I should like coin that moving towards the middle or something. I like it. The mid coast is the best coast, I guess. It's exciting to see all of this kind of coming along.
Networking Opportunities at MDev
00:11:50
Speaker
and so you know that and then What MDev is really all about is networking, is connecting. is you know My hope with MDev is that that the folks coming to it will meet somebody there that will be part of their future career, or might be their future studio partner, or might be something else. like that That is what these events do, is they create connection that can lead to opportunities, job opportunities, company opportunities, partnership opportunities,
00:12:26
Speaker
And these kinds of events are so key for that. And that's why it's so incredibly valuable to have something like that in the Midwest. Cause otherwise the only way you do that is you have to go to San Francisco for GDC.
00:12:39
Speaker
and spend the $5,000 to $15,000 to do so. And not everyone can do that. And I think we realize it, which is why accessibility, the show is so key. I think you got top tier studios, you got top tier speakers. It's going to be an awesome event. And like you mentioned, it's going to be the networking, the community aspect of the people there.
00:13:00
Speaker
we have four podcasts coming out over the next four weeks we're gonna be talking to filament games pyramid late games per blue respawn they all share the same qualities they talk about community they talk about just the family values that they have from the midwest and and It was my conversation with Josh where he asked me if that's something I've heard before, and it's weird. It's not necessarily something I heard before. It's not something I always ask, but the family values are so strong there, and I love it. ah I have one last question. I don't want to take up too much of your time today is that with, again, less than 30 days to go to MDev, what keeps you up at night?
00:13:39
Speaker
well Too many things keep me up at night, ah you know, because MDev for me is a i a second or third job that I'm doing that is more so around my passion for the ecosystem. You know, so much of what keeps me up at night is, you know, my main job working, you know, helping to build Midwest games from the ground up.
00:14:06
Speaker
um But, you know, really it's like, okay, how do we give the best experience at MDev for everyone involved? Whether it be the folks coming that are attending, whether it be our sponsors and making sure that they get, you know, the the positioning because they really make us, they drive us forward. They give us the opportunity to have this show. And I want to make sure that we are connecting them to the audience they're trying to connect to.
00:14:32
Speaker
And so I'm thinking about that a lot. I'm thinking about, you know, how, how can we up level? What else could we add? You know, I think probably, uh, Kathy, who's, who's leading kind of the, the organization of the event, she's probably tired of me, uh, being like, Oh, could we do this? Oh, could we move this here? Oh, could we like, because it's all about like, okay, how do we maximize? How do we make this the best thing possible? Or how do we set up something that we do this year that maybe is kind of small or little, um, that we grow into something bigger? You know, we're doing a pitch competition, uh, via Xola.
00:15:08
Speaker
and And we're gonna give the opportunity for some of these game showcase folks to actually pitch their game live and they have eight minutes to do so. And that's an awesome
Future Plans for MDev
00:15:19
Speaker
experience for them. And could that be something we grow into something larger? You know, how do we how do we like think about setting up, you know, things like a game jam in the future. You know, we can't do it this year, but you know, what, what could we do this year that allows us to do it, you know, next year. And so we're thinking about that constantly as part of the, why the show, even though shows.
00:15:44
Speaker
mainly on November 8th, we have November 7th with a pre-social, we're gonna have a couple other activities happening, including a party ah that night. ah So there's gonna be a lot of things kind of happening that that day. And all of that leads to us actually opening up a two day show next year and trying to make that a lot bigger.
00:16:09
Speaker
And so that it gives just more opportunities, more speakers, um and more of the community coming together that that just is such a key piece to making this a huge success. And so yeah, there's a million things going through my head. I could probably name 50 other things, but I don't think we have the time for that.
00:16:29
Speaker
Well, I, for one, am stoked and super excited about MDev. I will be there with HelpShift. I appreciate everything that you're doing. The Mid Coast is ah growing, and it's quite obvious. and I had such great conversations with them. So I can't thank you enough, Ben, for joining me today, and I'm looking forward to seeing you in a month. It's going to be fun. Thanks for having me.