Shows
The Fourth CurtainMaking Myst a World with Rand and Robyn MillerOur guests are Rand and Robyn Miller, founders of Cyan (World) and creators of the smash game Myst. From humble beginnings in Hypercard kids' games, they made the 3D puzzle experience Myst which changed the world of adventure games. We discuss GRR Martin stories, line art to 3D and more - this week!Episode Highlights[00:00:00] How Myst Was Made: The Birth of a Gaming Landmark Robyn and Rand Miller reflect on the early days of Cyan and how they created Myst—a genre-defining game that shaped the future of narrative an...2025-08-071h 26The Fourth CurtainWorld of Warcraft's Seth Sivak Tips the DealerOur guest this week is Seth Sivak, VP Development for World of Warcraft at Blizzard. From early years at Zynga he became Founder and CEO of Proletariat, shipping big games like Spellbreak. We discuss being an Imagineer, the three components of creative decisions and "always be pitching" - this week! Episode Highlights[00:00:00] Why Games Fail: No Audience, No HypeSeth explains how several recent games failed not from poor quality, but because they launched without building an audience—resulting in commercial flops despite decent reviews.[00:07:00] Raising $20M for...2025-07-311h 15The Fourth CurtainNight Street's Mac Reynolds Captures the Last FlagOur guest this week is Mac Reynolds, CEO and co-founder of Night Street Games, making the PvP shooter Last Flag. As manager of the band, Imagine Dragons, he learned how to find magic from the grind and now applies that to a videogame. We discuss Eagle Scouts, learning to advocate and CTF - this week! Episode Highlights[00:00:00] Realizing How Hard It Is to Make a Game Mac shares how his early assumptions about game development were quickly shattered after launching Night Street Games.[00:08:00] From Managing Imagine Dragons t...2025-07-031h 12The Fourth CurtainOregon Trail's Phillip Bouchard Blazes Deadly PathsOur guest this week is the poster boy for educational software going massively mainstream, Phillip Bouchard. Starting in the world of mainframes he created a worldwide hit on Apple II and beyond. We talk Apple getting kickstarted and science for fun and profit this week!Episode Highlights[00:00:00] The Legacy of The Oregon Trail: Still Remembered 40 Years Later Philip reflects on the surprising longevity of The Oregon Trail, a game still remembered decades after its release and played by new generations.[00:08:00] Dysentery and Game Design: Origins of a...2025-06-261h 01The Fourth CurtainKiller Instinct's Adam Boyes Tears Down the WallsOur guest this week is Adam Boyes, longtime co-CEO of Iron Galaxy and now founder of Vivrato. From Killer Instinct to The Last of Us Part I, he’s helped bring major games to life and now supports devs launching their own. We discuss putting in raunchy stuff, nemawashi and his magic deck of challenges - this week!Episode Highlights[00:00:00] "Shipping Will Burn You": Why Making Games Is the Best Teacher Adam kicks off with advice for aspiring devs: build, release, and learn from failure—because real growth comes from ship...2025-06-191h 20The Fourth CurtainDead by Daylight’s Rémi Racine Bets on HimselfOur guest Rémi Racine is the founder & CEO of Behaviour Interactive—the studio behind Dead by Daylight and dozens of other titles. A veteran of the games industry for over 25 years, Rémi has helped shape not just iconic games but also the entire Canadian game development landscape - this week! 00:02:10 — From Montreal to Mainstream: Remi’s first game at age 24Discover how Remi’s early passion project turned into a pioneering move in Canadian game development.00:08:45 — The Birth of Behaviour InteractiveLearn how Remi spun off from Mult...2025-06-121h 07The Fourth CurtainUncharted's Nolan North's Weird Ability to YellOur guest Nolan North has brought to life your favorite videogame characters with his voice! From Uncharted's Nathan Drake and Assassin's Creed's Desmond Miles, to scores of others, he is a top talent in the industry. We discuss the freedom of preparation and being broke but happy - this week!Episode Highlights[00:00:00] From Soap Operas to Sound Booths: Nolan North’s Unexpected VO Journey Nolan shares how a friend encouraged him to pivot from acting on Port Charles to voice acting—kicking off a prolific video game career.[0...2025-06-051h 16The Fourth CurtainHogwarts Legacy's John Blackburn is Cool in the ArcadeOur guest John Blackburn is a founder and CEO of Avalanche Software, makers of hundreds of games for dozens of platforms, such as Hogwarts Legacy and Disney Infinity. He has tales of when games paid royalties and having to take a chance. We discuss how to talk to execs and being true but not canon - this week!Episode Highlights[00:00:00] Mortal Kombat Funded Avalanche’s Origins John Blackburn reveals how Avalanche Studios was launched thanks to Mortal Kombat Trilogy royalties—literally bankrolling the studio's earliest days.[00:13:00] Salt Lake...2025-05-291h 09The Fourth CurtainWhat Have You Got to Lose with Blizzard's Michael MorhaimeOur guest Michael Morhaime was President and CEO of Blizzard during its glory years, shipping Warcraft, Starcraft, World of Warcraft, Diablo and more! Now Founder and CEO Dreamhaven he's won an Emmy and is in the AIAS Hall of Fame. We discuss red tape, how many billion dollar franchises you need on your resume and more - this week![00:01:00] Blizzard’s High Standards: Canceling Half Their Games Mike reveals that Blizzard canceled nearly half of its projects to maintain quality, highlighting their ruthless pursuit of excellence—a strategy echoed by studios like Supercell.2025-05-221h 13The Fourth CurtainThe Sims' Bing Gordon is Specifically RightOur guest Bing Gordon has had a long successful run in videogames and tech. From marketing lead to Chief Creative Officer at EA, he helped shaped NASCAR, The Sims and other huge titles. We discuss pitching, two beer strategies and Speilberg's smoke test - this week!Episode Highlights[00:04:00] How Bing Gordon Helped Launch Electronic ArtsBing shares the story of co-founding EA when it was a scrappy startup in 1983, including raising $2 million in funding and being the company’s one-person marketing department. [00:07:00] Reading the Room: How Bin...2025-05-151h 15The Fourth CurtainPortal's Kim Swift's Cake is Not a LieOur guest Kim Swift turned a student demo into the mega-hit Portal. Previously the Head of Creative for Xbox Games Publishing, she also did level design on Left 4 Dead and was Design Director for Star Wars: Battlefront II. We discuss how to pitch, owning IP on Mars and whether or not the cake is a lie - this week!Episode Highlights[00:00:21] Kim Swift’s Game Design Origin StoryKim talks about how she got into game development by modding games like Doom and Quake, which eventually led to her jo...2025-05-081h 15The Fourth CurtainThe Blinding Flame of Red Dead's Christian CantamessaOur guest Christian Cantamessa began in point and click adventures before becoming lead designer and writer for Red Dead Redemption. Now CEO of Day 4 Night Studios Inc., he is also the writer and director of the film, Air. We discuss concern about GTA III, embracing the game and telling stories in games - this week![00:00:00] – From Donald Duck to GTA III: Career Whiplash Christian recalls the surreal leap from working on a Donald Duck GBA game to contributing to Grand Theft Auto III at Rockstar Games.[00:07:00] – Founding Day for Nigh...2025-05-011h 21The Fourth CurtainCommand and Conquer's Louis Castle's Triple ThreatOur guest Louis Castle helped invent real-time strategy games with Command and Conquer and has a BAFTA for Boom Blox. Now leading Childlike Wonder Games, we discuss casino ethics, switching to real-time and building toys - this week!Top 8 Highlights[00:00:00] – Lifelong Learning: The Key to Game Design Success Louis Castle opens the episode by emphasizing the importance of constant learning as a game designer, citing curiosity and adaptability as essential traits.[00:06:00] – Founding Westwood Studios & Creating the RTS Genre Louis reflects on co-founding West...2025-04-241h 08The Fourth CurtainTencent's Amir Satvat Flexes the Data Muscle for GoodOur guest Amir Satvat wants to get you a job in games. A business development executive at Tencent, he won the Game Changer award for the incredible community he built which has helped over 3k gamedevs find their next role with mentorship, mock interviews and more. We discuss "the troubles" and hopes for the future - this week!You can find Amir's website and community here: https://amirsatvat.com/[00:00:00] The 17-Year Grind: Amir shares how it took nearly two decades—and hundreds of rejections—before landing his first job in games at age 38.[00:14:00] The J...2025-04-171h 14The Fourth CurtainOuter Wilds' Alex Beachum's Cool Weird Emotional PrototypesOur 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 Mec...2025-04-101h 12The Fourth CurtainThe Maestro of Modding Sandi MontañoIn 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 star...2025-04-0357 minThe Fourth CurtainExploding Kittens' Elan Lee Stacks the DeckOur 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 XboxElan shares his early work on Titanic and Star Wars, including hand-animating breath and neck seams for Jar Jar Binks—yes...2025-03-271h 12The Fourth CurtainJourney's Jenova Chen and the Art of the Positive GameThis 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![00:00:00] Music as the Highest Resolution Emotional MediumJenova Chen explains why he believes music is the most powerful emotional communication tool, comparing it to pixel art and poetry.[00:08:00] The Journey of thatgamecompany & Raising $160MJenova shares how Thatgamecompany evolved from...2025-03-201h 16The Fourth CurtainAlex Irvine's Storytelling Secrets from Marvel Rivals and Beyond!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...2025-03-131h 10The Fourth CurtainHope for the Future with Halo's Joe StatenThis 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 Ha...2025-03-061h 22The Fourth CurtainGames Workshop's Ian Livingstone, Fantasy Knight in Real LifeThis 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 🎲[00:0...2025-02-271h 26The Fourth CurtainBest of 2024In 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 🎉Alex and Aaron reflect on Season 2, announce the new Patreon, and tease upcoming guests.[00:08:00] – John Romero’s First Game 👾John shares how he programmed his first game on a mainframe in 1979 and discovered Colossa...2025-02-201h 44
The Fourth CurtainEd Boon Gets into the Nitty-Gritty MetalWelcome 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!)This week's guest is Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat and Injustice and Chief Creative Officer of Mortal Kombat and NetherRealm Studios! Starting in the world of pinball, he moved onto arcade games at the legendary Midway Games and is still making blockbusters. We discuss his World Record entry in the book of Guinness, the cultural impact of MK and the key question he...2024-10-241h 11
The Fourth CurtainFrom Pong to Deconstructor: Mishka Katkoff’s Global Gaming JourneyOk, 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.00:00 – Introduction: Alex and Aaron introduce Mishka, highlighting his diverse roles in the gaming industry.02:00 – First Steps...2024-10-171h 11
The Fourth CurtainThings Blow Up with Mike PondsmithIn 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[05:00:23]2024-10-101h 27
The Fourth CurtainThe Business Romance of Mihai PohontuThis 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. Amber Studio, a valued partner to this podcast, has provided critical development services across the industry, including work on popular titles like Stumble Guys. In...2024-10-031h 25
The Fourth CurtainWarren Spector Gets the Keys to the KingdomOur 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!The conversation dives deep into Warren's career, discussing his design philosophy around player agency and choice, the history behind some of the most influential immersive sim games, and his experiences working at companies like Origin Systems, Ion Storm, and Disney. Warren shares behind-the-scenes stories about the...2024-09-261h 29
The Fourth CurtainEd Fries Races The BeamIn 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, st...2024-09-191h 33
The Fourth CurtainFrank Gibeau's Silver Bullets for Game DevelopmentJoin 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:[00:00:00] Frank humorously reflects on Zynga’s rough ea...2024-09-121h 13
The Fourth CurtainJordan Weisman Makes Stuff UpOur 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![00:07:00] Interview Introduction: Jordan Weisman’s Career HighlightsAlex introduces Jordan Weisman’s career and his influential work in gaming and alternate reality games (ARGs).[00:10:00] The Origins of WizKids and Collectible MiniaturesJordan talks about founding WizKids and the...2024-09-051h 18
The Fourth CurtainHarvey Smith Knows the Secret to Magical GamesOur 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! [00:00:00] - Harvey Smith discusses his first encounter with a game that sparked his passion, System Shock, comparing it to seeing one's first love in a movie.[00:45:00] - Harvey recounts his experience with Ultima 8, explaining how he created a list o...2024-08-291h 28
The Fourth CurtainBehind the Headlines: Dean Takahashi’s Journey Through Gaming’s Biggest StoriesIn 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:[00:00:00] - Introduction and Dean’s Perspective on AI in JournalismDe...2024-08-221h 02
The Fourth CurtainRod Fergusson Shakes The JelloThis 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com 2024-08-151h 20
The Fourth CurtainInside CD Projekt RED: Michal Nowakowski on The Witcher, Cyberpunk, and Gaming's FutureOur 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.With nearly two decades at CD Projekt, Michal shares his journey from the early days of video game distribution in Poland to leading one of the world's most celebrated game development companies.Beginning as a game distributor, CD Projekt went on to develop The Witcher, which sold a whopping 75 million units! Michal discusses the company's strategic decisions, such as developing the next Cyberpunk game in the US to capture an authentic...2024-08-081h 17
The Fourth CurtainBrian Reynolds Surrounds the Fun Part 2Our 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation...2024-08-011h 21
The Fourth CurtainBrian Reynolds Surrounds the Fun Part 1Our 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content...2024-07-251h 24
The Fourth CurtainFrom Gamer to Creator with Uri MarchandCo-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.Some of the books on Uri's Reading list:Nonviolent Communication. By Marshall RosenbergGood To Great, Built To Last, Great...2024-07-041h 14The Fourth CurtainMark DeLoura Leverages Games for MoreOur 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring...2024-06-271h 21
The Fourth CurtainThe Action Arcade Strategy of Shannon LoftisFor 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com2024-06-201h 16
The Fourth CurtainThe Definition of Indie with Schmid and KhoOur 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https...2024-06-1339 min
The Fourth CurtainThe ConferenceThis 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.The First Timer: Aaron has never gone to GDC and it terrified him.The Seasoned Pro: Patrick Curry, game studio founder on how he grew up at the conference and how it changed him.The Founder: Chris Crawford on why he started the conference and how it ultimately drove him from the industry.The Indie: Geometric...2024-06-0656 min
The Fourth CurtainHow To Start A Game StudioIn 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:1) Why? Why do you want to start one? What are good reason to do so and what’s a game studio really?2) Strategies. If you are starting a studio, does it have a strategy? Platform, genre, technology, IP? What’s the “sum is greater than its parts” part?3) Funding. How to get off the ground4) Ne...2024-05-3057 min
The Fourth CurtainTim Morten's Giant StrategyThis 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com J...2024-05-231h 09
The Fourth CurtainKristian Segestrale’s Midas TouchOur 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes pl...2024-05-161h 23
The Fourth CurtainUp All Night with Ted PriceBeginning 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus...2024-05-091h 20
The Fourth CurtainSharing a Vision with Paul and Katy BettnerOur 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Ho...2024-05-021h 25
The Fourth CurtainPeter Moore Takes His ShotOur 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!Visit Peter's new football team: https://www.santabarbaraskyfc.com/Peter's Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_moore_how_my_life_journey_led_to_becoming_ceo_of_liverpool_fcS...2024-04-251h 41
The Fourth CurtainWhat Could Go Right with Mitch LaskyYou 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who...2024-04-181h 20
The Fourth CurtainJesse Schell Glimpses the FutureA 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Sero...2024-04-111h 19
The Fourth CurtainSusan Cumming's Exceptional Track RecordCo-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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for...2024-04-041h 12
The Fourth CurtainThe Ars Technica of Lorne LanningComputer 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind u...2024-03-281h 25
The Fourth CurtainTracing the Silhouette of Jordan MechnerFilmmaker 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!You can visit Jordan's website at http://www.jordanmechner.comSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at...2024-03-211h 18
The Fourth CurtainMike Wilson's Holy WarMike 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com...2024-03-141h 23
The Fourth CurtainDennis Fong Improves the InternetLike 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patr...2024-03-071h 11
The Fourth CurtainMastermind of God Games Peter MolyneuxWith 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!Peter's Blog: https://developmolyneux.blog/Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin2024-02-291h 09
The Fourth CurtainScott Miller's All Out of Bubble GumThis 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring th...2024-02-221h 13
The Fourth CurtainDylan Cuthbert, Clever as a Star FoxThis 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind...2024-02-151h 22
The Fourth CurtainStephen Lim and Trevor Romleski's Forward OperationsThis 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us...2024-02-081h 16
The Fourth CurtainMaking it Real with John RomeroThe 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon...2024-02-011h 09
The Fourth CurtainSeason 2 - Episode 0Alex 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come...2024-01-1145 min
The Fourth CurtainBonus Level - Top Ten Tips From Ten Top BossesAlex 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander...2023-12-141h 20
The Fourth CurtainNolan Bushnell's Happy AccidentsCreator 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us...2023-11-301h 11
The Fourth CurtainNoah Falstein's Amazing ArcFounder 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com...2023-11-231h 12
The Fourth CurtainThe Wizard of Xbox, Seamus BlackleyStrap 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.co...2023-11-161h 13
The Fourth CurtainMatt Booty's Boggling DomainPresident 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. Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our P...2023-11-091h 03
The Fourth CurtainGetting a Rise with Brian FargoOne 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com2023-11-021h 16
The Fourth CurtainAll Right the First Time with Jason RubinNaughty 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain2023-10-261h 19
The Fourth CurtainAnd the Winner is... Geoff Keighley!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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian...2023-10-191h 07
The Fourth CurtainThe Independent Mindset of Jonathan BlowIGF 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. Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our P...2023-10-121h 18
The Fourth CurtainNo One Says No to Ed Del CastilloMaker 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join...2023-10-051h 17
The Fourth CurtainBrewing Up Mega Hits with Greg ZeschukThis 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.Also, check out what Greg's been up to: https://blindenthusiasm.ca/Support the show...2023-09-281h 18
The Fourth CurtainChristofer Sundberg Braves the Dangerous WatersCreator 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon...2023-09-211h 06
The Fourth CurtainKeeping Your Eye on the Ball with Eugene JarvisSure, 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at...2023-09-141h 17
The Fourth CurtainThe Intelli Vision of Don DaglowThere'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. Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for e...2023-09-071h 19
The Fourth CurtainThe Infinite Stories of Ken Levine"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. Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, a...2023-08-311h 07
The Fourth CurtainThe Massive Reputation of Raph KosterThis 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. Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon f...2023-08-241h 15
The Fourth CurtainThe Fine, Fine Adventures of Tim SchaferYellow 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 #gamedevSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus co...2023-08-171h 20
The Fourth CurtainThe Marathon Journey of Chris BarrettFrom 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.In Game Development or want to be? Consider joining the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). To join the IGDA, visit igda.org/membership and use the code IGDAFOURTHCURTAIN15 to receive an exclusive 15% discount off 1 Year, 2 Year or Student memberships.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast a...2023-08-101h 18
The Fourth CurtainDavid Jones Steals Your Car For FunThe 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...2023-08-031h 11
The Fourth CurtainHaving Your S*Together with Chelsea BlaskoLessons 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 partner HIGROUND for offering a special deal to our listeners on the most premium of keyboards. Use code FOURTHCURTAIN10 for 10% off.Support the show...2023-07-271h 11
The Fourth CurtainPeter Tamte and Jaime Griesemer are on a MissionToday 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...2023-07-201h 18
The Fourth CurtainMatt Costello on Untold Stories About Game StoriesThis 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 Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.c...2023-07-131h 10
The Fourth CurtainCliff Bleszinski - Many Projects, Zero FiltersWe 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?Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus...2023-07-061h 19
The Fourth CurtainEdmund McMillen Pays it ForwardA 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at...2023-06-291h 11
The Fourth CurtainEmily Greer, all flash? How about the most prolific game publisher of all time!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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them...2023-06-221h 15
The Fourth CurtainThe Iconic Intonations of Jen Taylor and Steve DownesYou 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind...2023-06-151h 10
The Fourth CurtainTales from the Beginning with Josh TsuiBeginning 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free...2023-06-081h 20
The Fourth CurtainThe Many Triumphs of Aaron LoebFrom 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus...2023-06-011h 22
The Fourth CurtainGeorge Fan, I'm your biggest Fan!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!GDC Tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbzhHSexzpYTristan Harris and Aza Raskin AI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhYw-VlkXTUSupport the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring...2023-05-251h 28
The Fourth CurtainRandy Pitchford's Gaming MagicThis 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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon...2023-05-181h 33
The Fourth CurtainMax Hoberman's Pirate Mission!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.Support the showThank...2023-05-111h 12
The Fourth CurtainOh Snap! With Second DinnerThe 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.The Marvel Encyclopedia referenced on the show: https://a.co/d/2bqhwhASupport the showThank you for listening...2023-05-041h 18
The Fourth CurtainBill Roper is Infinity Plus OneOn 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!Bill Roper arrives at: 10:00Alex mentions a "A Theory of Fun" by old pal Raph Koster.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all...2023-04-271h 17
The Fourth CurtainMarty O'Donnell Goes Total AudioIn 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!...2023-04-201h 28
Deconstructor of FunIn Conversation: Alex Seropian on the Birth of Bungie and Life After ExitThis week Ethan is gushing with fanboy love for a hometown hero of his, Alex Seropian, founder of Bungie. Few people can claim the same amazing entrepreneurial accomplishments as Alex, having founded and "exited" three different game companies (Bungie, Wideload, Industrial Toys) to three very different, public, Fortune 500 companies (Microsoft, Disney, EA). But after some deep history on the origins of Bungie and their pre-Halo hits like Marathon and Myth, Alex explains how misleading the label "exit" is. Because when you sell your studio to another company, you haven't exited, you've only taken the next step on the entrepreneurial...2023-04-171h 18
The Fourth CurtainIt's Patrick Curry's [Guilty] PartyJoin 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.Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Sero...2023-04-131h 32
The Fourth CurtainChris Taylor's Total Siege!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!Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon fo...2023-04-131h 26The Fourth CurtainEP0 - Take a Peek Behind the Fourth Curtain!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. Support the showThank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron MarroquinFind us at www.thefourthcurtain.com Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe2023-03-2511 min
Sunday Sports RushSSR - E90 - Cowboys v Giants MNF Preview - Texas falls to Texas Tech - Marcos debut on SSR - Pujols 700Its the Sunday Sports Rush on NEWS TALK K-E-Y-S 1440 AM and 98.7 FM presented by Nucky's Cocktail Bar. Today James Espinosa and Adin Ducker are joined for the first time by Marcos Marroquin and the guys break down the week that was in the world of sports. Hour 1S1 - Cooper Rush party and the Cowboys defeat the Bengals. S2 - Pujols 700, Aaron Judge National Media love chasing Maris. S3 - Jerry Jones QB Controversy thoughts - NFL Headlines. S4 - WTF - Ime Udoka - Chess Sex Toy cheating scandal. ...2022-09-251h 35
What's Up Broadway?New Year, New SeasonDon't forget to catch Ariana DeBose hosting SNL on Sat, Jan 15th 2022!Broadway News
The Broadway League has updated its vaccination and mask policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise due to the Omicron variant. The biggest change is that children ages 5-11 will need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, beginning January 29. The current vaccination and mask policy for adults and children over the age of 12 will remain in effect through April 30, extended from February 28. This policy states theatregoers are required to show proof that...2022-01-1233 min