The Fourth Curtain (Alexander Seropian & Aaron Marroquin)
Explore every episode of The Fourth Curtain
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 2023 | It's Patrick Curry's [Guilty] Party | 01:32:00 | |
Join Alex and Aaron for a conversation with Patrick Curry, designer on Stubbs The Zombie, John Woo’s Stranglehold and game director of Disney’s Guilty Party and founder of four studios! We find out how Patrick worked on both (and only) licensed Halo engine games, naming a game studio, finding a moral compass when it comes to handling violence in games and the future of VR. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 13 Apr 2023 | Chris Taylor's Total Siege! | 01:26:48 | |
Alex and Aaron hang with Dungeon Siege and Total Annihilation creator Chris Taylor. We talk games as film, the challenges and benefits of work from home, Chris’s never ending energy and positive attitude and how he escaped a near death experience alongside Tetris legend Henk Rogers! Plus many insider stories! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 20 Apr 2023 | Marty O'Donnell Goes Total Audio | 01:28:40 | |
In this week's episode Alex & Aaron get a chance to catch up with long time friend and composer Marty O'Donnell. We talk about video game music and how production value in games has gotten so, so good. Marty explains how the unique Halo theme came to be and we hear how Marty used the classic Bagels and Cream Cheese maneuver to convince Sir Paul McCartney to make a move into video games. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 27 Apr 2023 | Bill Roper is Infinity Plus One | 01:17:55 | |
On this episode of The Fourth Curtain, Alex and Aaron have long time pal and game maker Bill Roper on the program talking about the early days of Blizzard, his love of music, building HellGate London and the joyride that was Disney Interactive. We get a peek at some of the special items in Bill's collection and he may even do a voice or two! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 24 Mar 2023 | EP0 - Take a Peek Behind the Fourth Curtain! | 00:11:09 | |
In this brief first episode, hosts Alex Seropian and Aaron Marroquin introduce you to The Fourth Curtain: a new podcast featuring conversations with the developers of amazing video games. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 04 May 2023 | Oh Snap! With Second Dinner | 01:18:33 | |
The Fourth Curtain welcomes Hamilton and Ben, the founders of Second Dinner and makers of Marvel Snap on the podcast. So much energy in here - talking about first jobs in the biz, the history of Hearthstone and how Second Dinner came to be. We also discuss naming, game design, test Ben on how deep his Marvel knowledge goes (spoiler goes deep) and bring out some of our favorite URLs registered over the years. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 11 May 2023 | Max Hoberman's Pirate Mission! | 01:12:08 | |
We sit down for a chat with Max Hoberman founder of Certain Affinity and early Bungie employee. Max has been involved with Halo since the beginning and has had a hand in many of the industry's biggest FPS games. His company Certain Affinity is one of the largest independent developers and has been around for over 15 years without ever experiencing a layoff! That certainly got our attention ;) Hear Max's story, his ambitions with original IP, best negotiating tactics ;) and his secrets to building an enduring team on this episode. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 18 May 2023 | Randy Pitchford's Gaming Magic | 01:33:00 | |
This week's guest is the Duke of the Borderlands himself, Randy Pitchford. Founder of Gearbox, savior of Duke Nukem, owner of the Magic Castle and storyteller extraordinaire. We talk hackers and spooks, gamedev in the 90's and a whole lotta magic. Surprises await! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 25 May 2023 | George Fan, I'm your biggest Fan! | 01:28:57 | |
Brains! This week's guest is the creator of Octogeddon, the upcoming Hardhat Wombat, and the absolute masterpeice Plants Vs Zombies. We talk his design process, the perils of AI and get more than a bit scatological. Alex blows his mind with a surprising detail about Crazy Dave. Listen up! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 01 Jun 2023 | The Many Triumphs of Aaron Loeb | 01:22:52 | |
From game journalism, to indie gamedev, to producing one massive hit after another, to award-winning off-Broadway theater, this week's guest Aaron Loeb has moved from one bravura success to another. Are there similarities between making games and making theater? How should executives treat monkeys? Listen and find out! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 08 Jun 2023 | Tales from the Beginning with Josh Tsui | 01:20:26 | |
Beginning with standup arcade machines, our guest Josh Tsui has helped create huge hit games like Mortal Kombat and Tony Hawk, and brought us the invaluable videogame documentary Insert Coin. Hear about the (good?) old days of gamedev, before engines, game designers or producers. Lessons in survival and success await! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 15 Jun 2023 | The Iconic Intonations of Jen Taylor and Steve Downes | 01:10:40 | |
You may not know their faces, but you absolutely know their voices. Jen Taylor and Steve Downes made their mark on the video game world as the voices of Halo's Cortana and the Master Chief. Learn about their inspirations for these roles, surprising side-hustles and what they still mean years later to legions of fans. Candy for your ears in this week's podcast! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 22 Jun 2023 | Emily Greer, all flash? How about the most prolific game publisher of all time! | 01:15:47 | |
Kongregate Co-Founder and former CEO Emily Greer turned the video game industry on its head hosting easy-to-make browser games and bringing free to play to the West. Over 120,000 games, including "Robot Dinosaurs That Shoot Beams When They Roar" and "Don't Sh*t Your Pants!" made their debut on Kongregate. Her background is equally diverse growing up around the world. Learn about Hungarian profanity and other international topics in this wide-ranging conversation with a wide-ranging creator. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 29 Jun 2023 | Edmund McMillen Pays it Forward | 01:11:56 | |
A truly fascinating and emotional conversation with the great Edmund McMillen, creator of The Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy, Gish and many others. Edmund's story is one of hard work and dedication to his craft. Tales from the Golden Age of indie video games. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 06 Jul 2023 | Cliff Bleszinski - Many Projects, Zero Filters | 01:19:54 | |
We broke the bleep button in this roller-coaster conversation with the legendary Cliff Bleszinski. Creator of Jazz Jackrabbit, Unreal, Gears of War and many others, he's also made an impact on Broadway and now comics. Author, bar owner - how many polys you want with that math? Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 13 Jul 2023 | Matt Costello on Untold Stories About Game Stories | 01:10:37 | |
This shout-out filled episode features Matt Costello on the curious craft of writing for games. A prolific novelist, his career spans the length of our industry, from the genre-defining 7th Guest, to huge hits like Disney Universe and DOOM3. A peek behind the Curtain of a lesser known, but fundamental aspect of #gamedev Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 20 Jul 2023 | Peter Tamte and Jaime Griesemer are on a Mission | 01:18:43 | |
Today we sit down with Peter Tamte and Jaime Griesemer the developers behind Six Days in Fallujah. Peter dishes on what I was like to share an office with Alex in the 90's fresh on the heels of working directly for Steve Jobs. Who was the better office mate? The answer might surprise you. Jaime recounts how he resorted to blackmail to land his first industry job at Bungie. And we are glad he did! subsequently delivering some of the most iconic moments of the Halo series. Together they are working on the new game Six Days in Falujah. We hear their story on why it's an important project, their aspirations for the impact it can make and how things are going in early access so far. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 27 Jul 2023 | Having Your S*Together with Chelsea Blasko | 01:11:45 | |
Lessons in leadership and long term survival from this week’s guest Chelsea Blasko. Her career began as a producer at Electronic Arts' Chicago location and she is currently the co-CEO of Iron Galaxy; one of the world's largest and most successful independent game developers. From Scribblenauts to jackhammers, genitalia to tornadoes in Chicago Chelsea has seen and done it all. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 03 Aug 2023 | David Jones Steals Your Car For Fun | 01:11:01 | |
The creator of Grand Theft Auto stops by to talk about one of the biggest leaps for the video game industry - when we all realized we should probably have ratings cuz video games aren't just for kids anymore. In the eighties, David Jones built circuits for one of the very first personal computers in Dundee Scotland when he discovered his love for crafting games. He went on to start DMA design. In addition to Grand Theft Auto, David is responsible for Lemmings, Crackdown and APB and sold his most recent company to Epic Games leading to his work on Fortnite during its rise to fame. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 10 Aug 2023 | The Marathon Journey of Chris Barrett | 01:18:50 | |
From childhood crimes to Myth mods to art directing Destiny, Chris Barrett has had an amazing journey. Now Game Director of a little project called "Marathon" he shares with us stories of piracy, pitching, perseverance and making games pretty. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 17 Aug 2023 | The Fine, Fine Adventures of Tim Schafer | 01:20:11 | |
Yellow flags, bacon Macs and entertainment experiences in this week’s episode! @TimOfLegend joins us to talk about his long list of epic games, starting with The Secret of Monkey Island. Grabbing beers, dragons from the moon and writing for the trash can with another great #gamedev Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 24 Aug 2023 | The Massive Reputation of Raph Koster | 01:15:50 | |
This week's guest is a poet, writing the poetry of fun - or at least the prose. Author of the essential "A Theory of Fun", creator of Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, he is likely the world's foremost expert on MMOs. Game industry fundamentals made for the first time with Raph Koster. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 31 Aug 2023 | The Infinite Stories of Ken Levine | 01:07:21 | |
"Storyteller of the Decade" Ken Levine has been a thief of our time and a shock to our systems for years. First winner of the Golden Joystick Lifetime Achievement award, he's created huge hits like System Shock 2, Thief and Bioshock. He joins us to talk game stories, innovative mechanics and more. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 07 Sep 2023 | The Intelli Vision of Don Daglow | 01:19:32 | |
There's OG game devs, and then there's the Elder Gods of game dev, creators from time out of mind. Our guest Don Daglow's games started appearing on mainframes in 1971, before there were MONITORS. Credited with inventing both sim games and god games, he has bonkers stories about the birth of our craft. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 14 Sep 2023 | Keeping Your Eye on the Ball with Eugene Jarvis | 01:17:20 | |
Sure, Defender, Smash TV, Narc and Cruis’n were huge games, but this man helped usher in multi-ball! Pinball pioneer turned arcade cabinet rock star Eugene Jarvis joins us with stories about transitions and triumphs. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 21 Sep 2023 | Christofer Sundberg Braves the Dangerous Waters | 01:06:29 | |
Creator of the Just Cause and Mad Max games, three-time Chair of the Swedish Game Industry Assn., Christofer Sundberg has weathered some serious setbacks and come out on top. Now Founder and CCO at Liquid Swords he's busy opening worlds for gamers everywhere. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 28 Sep 2023 | Brewing Up Mega Hits with Greg Zeschuk | 01:18:50 | |
This week Alex and Aaron welcome the co-founder of Bioware, the makers of Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. They revolutionized RPG games. Without Greg - there's no Starfield. We hear stories from Bioware's formative years, the ride that led to their acquisition by Electronic Arts, working with Bono (yes, that Bono), lessons on venture capital vs. private equity and some love for very difficult games - all on this week's podcast. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 05 Oct 2023 | No One Says No to Ed Del Castillo | 01:17:18 | |
Maker of Adventure Game of the Year "Desperate Housewives" Ed Del Castillo has made a couple other impactful games - Command and Conquer Red Alert, Battle Realms, Ultima IX. He invented box select in RTS games and revolutionized install screens. Tales of shaving icebergs and catching the froth in this week's The Fourth Curtain podcast. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 12 Oct 2023 | The Independent Mindset of Jonathan Blow | 01:18:33 | |
IGF Design Award winner Jonathan Blow has made legendary games like Braid and The Witness by taking risks and making the hard decisions. Currently he's working on a new game with a homemade game engine (!) using a homemade programming language (!!), he tells tales of perseverance and putting in the reps for when opportunity knocks. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 19 Oct 2023 | And the Winner is... Geoff Keighley! | 01:07:11 | |
Creator and Host of The Game Awards, Geoff Keighley is possibly the most recognizable face in videogames. Starting as a teenage game reviewer he wrote for Time Magazine, Kotaku, and Fortune, then became a TV personality on Spike TV and G4TV. Now his Game Awards has a global audience of over 100 million viewers. He spoke with us about his origins and vision for the future of games. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 26 Oct 2023 | All Right the First Time with Jason Rubin | 01:19:06 | |
Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin made massive hits like Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter before moving on to run THQ. Now he's building the metaverse at Meta. Lessons in business success and the future of technology in this week's episode! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 02 Nov 2023 | Getting a Rise with Brian Fargo | 01:16:13 | |
One time Olympic hopeful and leader-in-exile Brian Fargo is a true legend. He founded Interplay and inExile Entertainment. He’s made dozens of smash hit games like Wasteland, Battle Chess, Lost Vikings and Fallout. He’s now mastering time and space with the Newgate Clockwork Revolution. We talk sales shenanigans, AI and much more in this week’s episode. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 09 Nov 2023 | Matt Booty's Boggling Domain | 01:03:27 | |
President of Game Content and Studios for Microsoft's Xbox, Matt Booty manages many of the biggest video games in history - Minecraft, Halo, Elder Scrolls, Fallout. Starting as an audio designer at Midway he transitioned to studio management and beyond. We talk similarities with theater, tricky deadlines and the importance of communities this week. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 16 Nov 2023 | The Wizard of Xbox, Seamus Blackley | 01:13:33 | |
Strap in for a wild ride everyone! In part two of our deep dive we talk to the Father of the Xbox Seamus Blackley, He co-founded Looking Glass and Dreamworks Interactive, before making the Xbox and funding games at CAA. Get ready to be schooled on ancient Egypt by a strong candidate for The World’s Most Interesting Man. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 23 Nov 2023 | Noah Falstein's Amazing Arc | 01:12:22 | |
Founder of the Inspiracy, Noah Falstein went from playtesting Joust, to making Sinistar, to ground-floor stints at LucasArts, 3DO, Dreamworks and finally Chief Game Designer at Google. We talk through his very interesting career, with stops at VR, AI, medicine and more! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 30 Nov 2023 | Nolan Bushnell's Happy Accidents | 01:11:55 | |
Creator of Pong, Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, Nolan Bushnell has had a galactic impact on both video games and culture in general. The only person to have employed Steve Jobs, through a series of happy accidents he set the video game industry in motion. A truly unique conversation about good problems, hind brains and more this week on The Fourth Curtain. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 14 Dec 2023 | Bonus Level - Top Ten Tips From Ten Top Bosses | 01:20:19 | |
Alex and Aaron wrap up the year highlighting the ten things they learned doing a podcast that features the most interesting minds in videogames! Plus, a bag of chips! Make that five bags of chips - which we rate along the way. Do we uncover the true meaning of 'Honey Butter'? Listen to find out - and to find out how to win a brand new OLED Steam Deck! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 11 Jan 2024 | Season 2 - Episode 0 | 00:45:53 | |
Alex and Aaron welcome in the new year, preview our second season, make predictions for 2024, share some insights from the 'wall of wisdom' and answer listener questions. Plus learn how to enter to win an OLED Steam Deck! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 01 Feb 2024 | Making it Real with John Romero | 01:09:30 | |
The massively prolific John Romero made 86 games before the hit Castle Wolfenstein and follow-ups DOOM and Quake. Now working on a new shooter in Unreal, he speaks to us about work ethics, culture shocks and starting over, this week on The Fourth Curtain! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 08 Feb 2024 | Stephen Lim and Trevor Romleski's Forward Operations | 01:16:13 | |
This week our guests are lifelong gamers Slim and Trevor. Together they put Valorant on the map and have now formed a new studio, RaidBase, to build a PvP sandbox game where players can build reputations. With experience in pro gaming and the psychology of games, we talk MMOs, hierarchies of needs and complex testing techniques, this week on The Fourth Curtain! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 15 Feb 2024 | Dylan Cuthbert, Clever as a Star Fox | 01:22:24 | |
This week we meet up with Q-Games founder, Star Fox maker and all around technical wizard Dylan Cuthbert! Dylan is one of the few game developers to have made it big on three different continents! His story of how he got his first job at 17 in the UK will blow your mind. We talk hacking, legendary Japanese devs and much more this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 22 Feb 2024 | Scott Miller's All Out of Bubble Gum | 01:13:57 | |
This week our guest has several high profile innovations to his name – shareware in games, bullet time before The Matrix. He helped launch id Software and then Duke Nukem, Max Payne and so much more. He's back with a new iteration of Apogee delivering pure fun in a retro aesthetic. Come hear how Scott discovered the Build engine and hired, then fired his own parents! Character names and indie risk, this week on The Fourth Curtain! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 29 Feb 2024 | Mastermind of God Games Peter Molyneux | 01:09:40 | |
With a list of awards and firsts as long as your arm, this week’s guest made the “god game” into an artform, and then went on to multiple other genres – Syndicate, Dungeon Keeper, Black and White, Fable. Hear how he works like a Victorian, can’t afford a pavement artist and avoids inspiration from other games this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 07 Mar 2024 | Dennis Fong Improves the Internet | 01:11:13 | |
Like many of our guests, Dennis "Thresh" Fong has many “firsts” to his name. Not just first pro gamer, but first influencer, builder of many first gamer communities. Now his company Good Games Well Played is successfully combating toxicity in games. A great conversation with Fatal1ty mentor and Elon Musk competitor this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 14 Mar 2024 | Mike Wilson's Holy War | 01:23:14 | |
Mike Wilson’s commitment to game artists getting their due is impossible to overstate. From his beginnings at DWANGO and iD, to Gathering of Developers, to Devolver, he has pursued a lifelong mission of getting #gamedevs their rightful piece of the pie. A fascinating trip through the last 30 years of game business this week on The Fourth Curtain! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 21 Mar 2024 | Tracing the Silhouette of Jordan Mechner | 01:18:54 | |
Filmmaker and graphic novel artist Jordan Mechner got his start with the smash hit videogames, Karateka and Prince of Persia. His technique of using rotoscoping brought unique fluidity and realism to his titles. We talk The Last Express, his graphic novel Replay and echoes of the past this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 28 Mar 2024 | The Ars Technica of Lorne Lanning | 01:25:59 | |
Computer graphics pioneer Lorne Lanning founded Oddworld Inhabitants and made six Oddworld games for multiple platforms including helping to launch the original Xbox. His journey has taken him from playing one of the first ColecoVisions to making animations for the DoD’s “Star Wars” program, to videogames. We talk voice acting, how to get a free Cray and the impact of AI this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 04 Apr 2024 | Susan Cumming's Exceptional Track Record | 01:12:22 | |
Co-Founder of 2K Games, Susan Cummings has closed some of the biggest deals in videogames – Bioshock, Borderlands, she got XCOM for free! Now the CEO of Tiny Rebel Games she’s making a Petaverse which is cooler than the metaverse. Rockstar vibes, checkbook fun and our second brush with Patrick Stewart, this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 11 Apr 2024 | Jesse Schell Glimpses the Future | 01:19:30 | |
A circus veteran who literally wrote the book on game design, Jesse Schell had a major impact on one of the biggest IPs in contemporary culture. Founder of Schell Games (member of the very exclusive “no layoffs” club) and now working on Among Us and other VR games, he has long taught entertainment technology at Carnegie Mellon. We talk Imagineering, chickens and eggs, and very specific predictions this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 18 Apr 2024 | What Could Go Right with Mitch Lasky | 01:20:03 | |
You may know not the name of our guest Mitch Lasky, but you absolutely know his work. He created Activision’s third-party business and basically kicked off mobile gaming. As a VC he played a key role in the creation of Riot, Discord, Twitter and a dozen other hit businesses. Longtime partner at Benchmark Capital he’s now an owner of the LAFC soccer team. We talk the role of venture capital, marketing takeovers and more this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 25 Apr 2024 | Peter Moore Takes His Shot | 01:41:30 | |
Our guest Peter Moore keeps ending up on top, whether it’s Reebok, Sega, EA Sports or Liverpool FC. His remarkable journey begins with semi-pro football, veers into videogames to become a father of the Dreamcast, head of EA Sports and has come full circle as owner of Santa Barbara Sky FC. Stories of recruiter calls, a dead Seaman and the Four C’s this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 02 May 2024 | Sharing a Vision with Paul and Katy Bettner | 01:25:49 | |
Our guests Paul and Katy Bettner are the Co-CEOs of Playful Games. Paul got his start making Age of Empires and Halo Wars. Together Paul and Katy made the leap into mobile founding NewToy, where Words with Friends became one of the most-played games of all time. They’re now working on Wildcard, a game aiming to fulfill the promise of web3. We talk Alec Baldwin, terrible MySpaces and feelings this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 09 May 2024 | Up All Night with Ted Price | 01:20:04 | |
Beginning with a 3DO dev kit he was developing on alone (!), Ted Price went on to make Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet and Clank and Spiderman. His company Insomniac has been making games for a boggling 30 years! We talk odd jobs, Hail Marys and hands for mechanics this week. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 16 May 2024 | Kristian Segestrale’s Midas Touch | 01:23:14 | |
Our guest this week was a founder of Glu and Playfish and an early investor in Supercell. Now he’s CEO of Super Evil Megacorp working on TMNT for Switch. We talk the early days of mobile, the great Vainglory and roguelites in a very educational episode this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 23 May 2024 | Tim Morten's Giant Strategy | 01:09:58 | |
This week’s guest Tim Morten has been putting the “real” in real time strategy for years. Formerly lead on Starcraft II, he’s now CEO of Frost Giant Studios, where they’re making Stormgate, a game intended to broaden the RTS audience. We talk compromises, learning how to make games and Korea’s love of Starcraft this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 30 May 2024 | How To Start A Game Studio | 00:57:38 | |
In this inaugural Lunch Club episode of The Fourth Curtain we discuss starting a Game Studio, something Alex has done a few times. We fail to actually eat lunch, but we do talk about the following topics: Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 06 Jun 2024 | The Conference | 00:56:50 | |
This past March, 30,000 people went to San Francisco for the annual Game Developers Conference. Going since 1988, GDC, brings together people from all corners of the game development community. The Fourth Curtain followed four different journeys intersecting this conference. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 13 Jun 2024 | The Definition of Indie with Schmid and Kho | 00:39:50 | |
Our guests this week are creators of the visually-striking games Cocoon, Limbo and Inside. Jakob Scmid is co-founder of Geometric Interactive and Erwin Kho is the artist guiding a couple of those projects. We talk about readable environments, demo scenes and more this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 20 Jun 2024 | The Action Arcade Strategy of Shannon Loftis | 01:16:07 | |
For a second time we are graced with the presence of videogame legend Shannon Loftis! Veteran of running Flight Simulator and Age of Empires at Microsoft, she was instrumental in the acquisition of Rare for Xbox game Studios. Now an advisor to Duke University's videogame program she joins us to talk franchises, Animal Well and the great Profanisaurus! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 27 Jun 2024 | Mark DeLoura Leverages Games for More | 01:21:09 | |
Our guest Mark DeLoura has had a stunningly wide-ranging career: game developer and executive for Nintendo, Sony and THQ, Editor in Chief of Game Developer magazine, Senior Advisor for Digital Media in the White House, author of Programming Gems book series, built hardware and software for NASA and served on the Board at Games for Change. This week he joins us to talk about building entertainment and games as a language to serve a greater good! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 04 Jul 2024 | From Gamer to Creator with Uri Marchand | 01:14:01 | |
Co-founder and CEO of Overwolf, Uri Marchand has been building _THE_ UGC platform for over fourteen years and Overwolf has paid more than $200 million to mod-makers going deep on games from Minecraft to Stardew Valley! A hardcore Real Time Strategy player, Uri's company now supports all types of games including Ark and The Sims. We talk the funnel from gamer to creator, the best books on business, and surviving and thriving over the long haul. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 25 Jul 2024 | Brian Reynolds Surrounds the Fun Part 1 | 01:24:28 | |
Our guest Brian Reynolds has a story so nice we had to hear it twice! In Part 1 we hear about coding at Radioshack, mentorship with Sid Meier and making Civilization 2 basically by himself. A great conversation with a legend to resume Season 2 of The Fourth Curtain! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 01 Aug 2024 | Brian Reynolds Surrounds the Fun Part 2 | 01:21:31 | |
Our conversation with the gamedev legend Brian Reynolds continues as we dive into the true meaning of 4X, the Train Reynolds business model, NPC insults and the research secrets of this podcast - this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 08 Aug 2024 | Inside CD Projekt RED: Michal Nowakowski on The Witcher, Cyberpunk, and Gaming's Future | 01:17:04 | |
Our guest this week is Michal Nowakowski the co-CEO of CD Projekt Red, the renowned studio behind iconic games like The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 15 Aug 2024 | Rod Fergusson Shakes The Jello | 01:20:26 | |
This week's guest is a well-known "closer" who has steered the ship for some of the biggest games ever. Beginning with Train Simulator, he went on to serve as Producer for Counter-Strike Xbox, Gears of War, Infinity Blade, BioShock Infinite. Now helming Diablo at Blizzard, he talks triage, teamwork and not shaking the jello - this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 22 Aug 2024 | Behind the Headlines: Dean Takahashi’s Journey Through Gaming’s Biggest Stories | 01:02:10 | |
In this exciting episode of The Fourth Curtain, hosts Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin dive deep into the world of gaming journalism with none other than Dean Takahashi, the lead writer of GamesBeat at VentureBeat. With over three decades of experience covering tech and gaming, Dean shares his unique insights on the evolving landscape of the gaming industry, the challenges of maintaining journalistic integrity in the age of AI, and the stories that have shaped his career. Timestamped Highlights:
Tune in to hear Dean’s incredible stories and his predictions for the future of gaming. Whether you’re a seasoned industry veteran or a casual gamer, this episode offers valuable insights into the dynamic world of video games. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 29 Aug 2024 | Harvey Smith Knows the Secret to Magical Games | 01:28:27 | |
Our guest this week is the co-creative director of Arkane Studios, Harvey Smith. Starting out in QA for System Shock and other games, he went on to be lead designer for Deus Ex and ultimately made Dishonored at Arkane. We talk meeting your heroes, recombining systems and the secret to making a magical game this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 05 Sep 2024 | Jordan Weisman Makes Stuff Up | 01:18:02 | |
Our guest this week is the legend Jordan Weisman. Creator of BattleTech, Crimson Skies and the world's first alternate reality game, he's now working on Adventure Forge, a platform to help non-engineers make videogames. We talk buying D&D from Gary Gygax, at Gary's house!, the secret to entrepreneurship and creating the "Bungie bubble" this week! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 12 Sep 2024 | Frank Gibeau's Silver Bullets for Game Development | 01:13:38 | |
Join Alex Seropian (founder of Bungie) and Aaron Marroquin as they dive into the incredible minds behind the video game industry in The Fourth Curtain. In this episode, they chat with Frank Gibeau, the CEO of Zynga, who takes listeners on a journey through one of the most legendary corporate turnarounds in gaming history. From his early days at EA to leading Zynga through a $12.7 billion acquisition by Take-Two, Frank shares valuable insights into leadership, strategy, and the ever-evolving world of mobile gaming. Episode Highlights:
This episode is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by the business side of gaming, leadership, and the evolution of mobile games. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 19 Sep 2024 | Ed Fries Races The Beam | 01:33:43 | |
In this episode of The Fourth Curtain, Alex and Aaron sit down with Ed Fries, a pivotal figure in the gaming industry and former VP at Microsoft, where he helped launch the Xbox. Ed shares stories from his early days at Microsoft, including how he made the leap from working on Office products to heading up the game division. He dives into the creation of the original Xbox, the challenges the team faced, and the infamous "Valentine’s Day Massacre" meeting where Xbox's future hung in the balance. Ed also talks about his passion for game development, stretching back to his teenage years programming for Atari, and his ongoing support for indie game developers through his venture fund, 1UP Ventures. Throughout the conversation, Ed’s storytelling shines as he reflects on the impact of the Xbox, Halo, and his own entrepreneurial journey in the gaming world. For listeners interested in the deeper technical side of gaming history, we recommend reading Racing the Beam, a book that explores the development of the Atari 2600, the platform that first captured Ed’s imagination as a developer. Timestamped Highlights:
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 26 Sep 2024 | Warren Spector Gets the Keys to the Kingdom | 01:29:23 | |
Our guest Warren Spector is the creative producer behind vastly influential games like Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Deus Ex and many others. Now working on (working title) Argos, he joins us to talk about the birth of the immersive sim, having amazing mentors and ways to start a game, this week! Timestamped Highlights:
This episode is packed with gems on game design, industry insights, and entertaining stories from one of gaming's most celebrated designers. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 03 Oct 2024 | The Business Romance of Mihai Pohontu | 01:25:08 | |
This week on The Fourth Curtain, we’re joined by Mihai Pohontu, CEO and Chairman of Amber Studio, a distinguished figure in the gaming industry. Mihai, who was recently named Romanian Entrepreneur of the Year, shares his fascinating journey from the upheaval of post-revolution Romania to becoming a leader in global game development. A self-described business romantic, Mihai offers insightful perspectives on the role of capitalism and entrepreneurship in shaping a better society. Timestamped Highlights:
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 10 Oct 2024 | Things Blow Up with Mike Pondsmith | 01:27:41 | |
In this episode of The Fourth Curtain, legendary game designer Mike Pondsmith joins hosts Alex and Aaron for an in-depth conversation about his expansive career, from creating the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk to collaborating with CD Projekt Red on Cyberpunk 2077. Mike discusses his early days in game development, the creation of Night City, and the challenges of translating tabletop concepts into video games. The episode is full of humor, industry insights, and engaging anecdotes, offering listeners a rare look into the mind of a creator who has shaped both pen-and-paper and digital gaming worlds. Time-Stamped Highlights
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 17 Oct 2024 | From Pong to Deconstructor: Mishka Katkoff’s Global Gaming Journey | 01:11:59 | |
Ok, we know this episode should be called Something Fun on the Toilet with MK, but we're chose to keep it classy. Our guest this week is Michail Katkoff, a veteran of Zynga, Supercell, and Rovio, partner in Play Ventures, and founder of Deconstructor of Fun. In all of these different roles he's developed a unique understanding of our industry from different perspectives. We discuss product management, insane mobile profits and the ecosystem necessary to support game studios. This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the gaming industry, product management, or how mobile gaming has evolved over the years! Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 24 Oct 2024 | Ed Boon Gets into the Nitty-Gritty Metal | 01:11:16 | |
Welcome to the Season Two finale episode! And it's a Monster!!!! (Never fear, we will be back in a couple of weeks with some special episodes to bridge the gap to Season Three!)
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 20 Feb 2025 | Best of 2024 | 01:44:49 | |
In this week's episode we recap some of the best moments from Season 2, with John Romero on hits and misses, how Peter Molyneux makes a game, Ed Fries on Xbox's Valentines Day massacre, Warren Spector on how playstyle is everything and much more! 🎮 The Fourth Curtain – S2 Best Of Highlights [00:00:00] – Season 2 Recap & Patreon Launch 🎉
[00:08:00] – John Romero’s First Game 👾
[00:26:00] – Mike Wilson & The Wild West of Publishing 🤠
[00:38:00] – Game Delays & Business Realities ⏳
[00:49:00] – Mitch Lasky on Venture Capital & Gaming 💰
[01:04:00] – The Xbox Origin Story – The Valentine's Day Massacre 🎮
[01:27:00] – Jesse Schell Predicts AI in Games 🤖
[01:32:00] – AI’s Impact on Game Development & Publishing ⚙️
[01:43:00] – Season 3 Tease & Farewell 🎭
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 27 Feb 2025 | Games Workshop's Ian Livingstone, Fantasy Knight in Real Life | 01:26:44 | |
This week's guest is a founder of Games Workshop, publisher of White Dwarf magazine, creator of the Fighting Fantasy Books and Executive Chair of Eidos Interactive Sir Ian Livingstone. This Knight of the British Empire started a business while living in a van, prevailed through a Satanic panic about his Fighting books, saw the promise of a certain Tomb Raider and birthed a mass media entertainment phenomenon. Now using games for education, we talk getting bonkers exclusives, the 3 G's of gamedev and more - this week! 🎙️ The Fourth Curtain – S3 Ep01: Sir Ian Livingstone 🎲 [00:00:00] – Living in a Van to Build a Games Empire 🚐
[00:08:00] – GenCon, Early Game Distribution & Meeting Gygax 🎲
[00:18:00] – Building Games Workshop & Warhammer’s Rise 🏰
[00:26:00] – Fighting Fantasy & Interactive Storytelling 📖
[00:38:00] – Eidos & The Birth of Tomb Raider 🎮
[00:49:00] – The Business of Games & Investing in Innovation 💰
[01:04:00] – Where the Games Industry is Heading 🚀
[01:11:00] – Closing Thoughts & A Look Ahead 🔮
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 06 Mar 2025 | Hope for the Future with Halo's Joe Staten | 01:22:53 | |
This week's guest is Halo and Destiny's Joe Staten. Beginning as a farmhand, he went on to lead teams in the Halo franchise, be on the core team for Destiny, write a NYT bestselling novel and work with the great Peter Jackson. Now looking for his next role, we discuss how Bungie was like a family business, the most important mysteries and creativity and risk - this week! Episode Highlights – Joseph Staten on The Fourth Curtain Podcast 🎙️ Guest: Joseph Staten – Writer, Cinematics Director, Creative Director, NYT Bestselling Author, Voice Actor, and former Halo/Destiny dev. 07:50 – Introduction – Alex and Aaron welcome Joseph Staten and reminisce about their early days working together. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 13 Mar 2025 | Alex Irvine's Storytelling Secrets from Marvel Rivals and Beyond! | 01:10:52 | |
Dive into the compelling world of storytelling with acclaimed author Alex Irvine, known for his immersive contributions to Marvel games, graphic novels, and groundbreaking Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) like I Love Bees. In this episode, Alex shares his insights on creativity, the delicate balance between talent, persistence, and luck, and the intricate art of narrative design across various media formats. From discussing the unique challenges of writing for expansive universes like Marvel's multiverse to recalling his first forays into writing, Alex reveals the true secret ingredient to success. Packed with engaging anecdotes and wisdom, this conversation will captivate aspiring creators, gamers, and narrative enthusiasts alike. Episode Highlights:
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 20 Mar 2025 | Journey's Jenova Chen and the Art of the Positive Game | 01:16:39 | |
This week's guest is Jenova Chen, creator of Journey, Sky: Children of the Light and other games. A BAFTA winner, he has strong opinions about morality in games and the value of positivity. We discuss the unique way he starts games, GDC's value and being the opposite of GTA - this week!
Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 27 Mar 2025 | Exploding Kittens' Elan Lee Stacks the Deck | 01:12:28 | |
Our guest is Exploding Kitten's Elan Lee. Starting with animating breath for the film Titanic, he went on to create the world's first alternate reality game, The Beast, at Microsoft. Later he gamified Nine Inch Nails and voter registration and went on to launch the most successful Kickstarter ever for Exploding Kittens, redefining family game night. This episode features great stories and a world exclusive product announcement - this week! [00:06:30] From ILM to Xbox [00:18:30] The Xbox Origin Story [00:30:45] Creating the First ARG with Spielberg [00:35:00] Nine Inch Nails and “The Game That Calls You” [00:41:30] The Clothing Line That Taught U.S. History [00:49:00] Why Exploding Kittens Happened [00:54:45] Inside the Chaos of Fulfilling 700,000 Orders [01:01:30] Teasing the New Exploding Kittens Board Game Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 03 Apr 2025 | The Maestro of Modding Sandi Montaño | 00:57:53 | |
In this inspiring episode of The Fourth Curtain, we sit down with Sandi Montaño, a self-taught modding phenom who went from stay-at-home dad to one of the most downloaded indie creators in the gaming world. With over 31 million downloads of his content for games like ARK: Survival Ascended and Hogwarts Legacy, Sandi proves you don’t need a degree—or even a formal background in game development—to make a major impact. If you’re a game developer, modder, or creative looking to break into the industry—this is a must-listen. What started as a project to entertain his daughter has turned into a successful business. We discuss Blender, community needs and geometric growth this week! [00:00:40] Modding During Nap Time [00:02:15] 31 Million Downloads & Counting [00:10:00] How a Simple Structure Became a Business [00:17:45] Modding Hogwarts Legacy with SQL [00:24:40] How He Tests New Ideas (The Smart Way) [00:29:10] Modding for Relaxation—and Revenue [00:35:15] Explaining Your Job as a Modder [00:46:00] Advice for Aspiring Modders Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||
| 10 Apr 2025 | Outer Wilds' Alex Beachum's Cool Weird Emotional Prototypes | 01:12:11 | |
Our guest Alex Beachum turned his thesis project into the mind-bending smash Outer Wilds. Inspired by greats such as Zelda and Antichamber, it blazed new ground by having a nonviolent (though definitely mortal) player. We discuss emotional prototypes, four distinct mysteries and the IGF - this week! Highlights [00:00:30] Emotional Prototyping: Designing with Feeling Alex Beachum discusses the idea of building an emotional prototype for a game, capturing the vibe before mechanics—like roasting marshmallows as the sun explodes. This became the emotional core of Outer Wilds. [00:17:30] The Origin of the Supernova Mechanic: The moment that inspired the iconic supernova loop in Outer Wilds—watching planets explode in slow motion—originated as a student prototype focused on ambiance and inevitability. [00:09:00] Building a Space Game Without Combat: Alex wanted to make a space exploration game without combat, inspired by Apollo 13 and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The idea was pure exploration—“not to conquer, just to understand.” [00:10:30] How ‘Outer Wilds’ Was Almost a Roguelike Originally envisioned as a roguelike with randomized elements, Outer Wilds shifted to a fixed solar system with a time loop to better serve its story and design goals. [00:08:00] Zelda, Myst, and the Indie Inspirations Behind Outer Wilds: Beachum references Zelda, Myst, and Antichamber as key influences. The design philosophy emphasized knowledge as power, like discovering rules you could’ve used all along. [00:53:00] The Ship Log: Making Mystery Manageable: Alex explains the design of the ship log, which breaks the story into four “curiosity webs” so players can uncover the mystery in any order. A masterclass in open-world narrative structure. [00:39:00] From Stop Motion to Indie Stardom: Alex recounts how his childhood love of stop-motion and magic tricks evolved into a passion for visual storytelling and game design, eventually leading to Outer Wilds. [00:42:30] Working with Family: Sibling Storytelling: Alex collaborated with his sister Kelsey Beachum, the writer of Outer Wilds, on the narrative. Their sibling dynamic added cohesion to the game’s emotional and story depth. Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life! Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley | |||