Shows
The Valued Cultures PodcastBrian Fargo’s Continuing Passion for Making Great GamesBrian Fargo founded Interplay 45 years ago. He founded inXile nearly 25 years ago, and sold it to Microsoft in 2018. Why is he still–happily–making great games? “I'm pretty sure that Ridley Scott has enough money to quit,” he tells our own Daryl Ogden, in the way he often frames games in the context of other media. “What is he, 88 years old and he's still making films?”
Fargo tells Daryl how the years of running ever-growing companies–Interplay reached 500 game makers at one point–never dimmed his love for developing games,, for pursuing creative ideas, for nurturing creative te...
2026-02-1137 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastOksana Kubushnya and Travis McGeathy: Aiming to Win at Seeker EntertainmentStarting a new studio is always challenging, but what does it mean for two people who had never even met before? Oksana Kubushnya and Travis McGeathy of Seeker Entertainment tell Daryl Ogden how they joined forces, built trust, and developed a studio culture in support of their yet to be launched game. They explain why they emphasize passion for games and the game-making process when hiring new studio members, and what it means to focus on winning rather than not losing. And what do mushrooms have to do with it? So take a trip with us to the burgeoning game...
2025-10-0841 min
TV Tan PodcastTV Tan 0546: Croissant AssaultBill Frost (CityWeekly.net, X96 Radio From Hell) and Tommy Milagro (SlamWrestling.net) talk Beavis & Butt-Head, Wednesday, The Paper, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, HIghest 2 Lowest, Have I Got News For You, Task, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, MTV Video Music Awards, SNL departures, Rasslin’ News, Chief of War, Ballerina, Red Sonja, Peacemaker, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Dexter, and more.Drinking: Porter’s Rye Whiskey and Greenbar Un-Rum & Cola from OFFICIAL TV Tan sponsors Ogden’s Own Distillery and Boozetique.Yell at us (or order a TV Tan T-shirt) @TVTanPodcast on Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or Gmail...
2025-09-0159 minTV Tan PodcastTV Tan 0546: Croissant AssaultBill Frost (CityWeekly.net, X96 Radio From Hell) and Tommy Milagro (SlamWrestling.net) talk Beavis & Butt-Head, Wednesday, The Paper, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, HIghest 2 Lowest, Have I Got News For You, Task, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, MTV Video Music Awards, SNL departures, Rasslin’ News, Chief of War, Ballerina, Red Sonja, Peacemaker, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Dexter, and more.Drinking: Porter’s Rye Whiskey and Greenbar Un-Rum & Cola from OFFICIAL TV Tan sponsors Ogden’s Own Distillery and Boozetique.Yell at us (or order a TV Tan T-shirt) @TVTanPodcast on Threads, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or Gmail...
2025-09-0159 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastGordon Bellamy of USC: "Digital Civics"Today, our Co-Founder Daryl Ogden speaks with Gordon Bellamy, who serves as Professor of the Practice of Cinematic Arts at USC and is a long-tenured veteran of the video game industry. They discuss Gordon’s “brute force” approach to entering the game industry, what mentorship meant to him then and what it does now, and how “digital civics” might play out in today’s game culture. Finally, they explore how Gordon’s own quest to live and work as his full, true self–as well as his desire to give back to a field that has nurtured him–finds expression in his wo...
2025-07-0941 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastJen MacLean of Dragon Snacks Games: "Connect, create, build something lasting"Joining us on the pod today is Jen MacLean, Co-Founder and CEO of Dragon Snacks Games. She speaks with our own Co-Founder Daryl Ogden who has known her since she was heading up partnerships and business development at Xbox.
Jen speaks to her rich, varied career in games–one which began as a play tester– with a focus on why she recently decided to take the plunge and start her own studio, including a life-defining story of a friend who asked her what she wanted to be said in her eulogy. She explains why she believ...
2025-05-0734 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastLizzie Mintus of Here's Waldo: Talking to People is Her SuperpowerToday Daryl Ogden and Mike Merrill speak with Lizzie Mintus, founder of the boutique placement firm Here’s Waldo, now celebrating their 4-year anniversary. Lizzie explains how an off-handed conversation led her to a career in recruiting and to eventually founding her own firm, one based in the deeply customer-centric experience that she learned in her early work at Nordstroms.
Daryl and Mike explore with Lizzie what she’s seen in the four years of Here’s Waldo’s existence: From incredible growth during the height of the COVID pandemic, to a slowing market now, and why and h...
2025-02-2029 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastTanya Short of Kitfox Games: Riding the ElephantKicking off a new year of pods, Daryl Ogden speaks with Tanya Short, the co-founder and creative director of Kitfox Games. Tanya and Daryl dig into how her team accomplishes so much with limited resources, notably a very tight team of studio members. In addition to developing games like “Streets of Fortuna” & “Boyfriend Dungeon”, Kitfox serves as a publisher for other small studios. As you'll hear, that's the result of a relentless eye on efficiency, the deployment of resources for multiple purposes, and judicious use of procedural generation.
Level up Games:
Against the Storm
...
2025-01-2241 min
The Here's Waldo PodcastBuilding Cultures That Power Great Games Post-Pandemic with Daryl Ogden of Valued CulturesDaryl Ogden is the co-founder of Valued Cultures, a startup dedicated to building healthy, sustainable, and innovative cultures in the gaming industry. With over a decade of experience advising leaders from top Fortune 500 companies and iconic game studios, Daryl is an expert in aligning leadership, investing in talent, and navigating critical transitions—all while safeguarding a studio’s unique identity. In this episode of the Here's Waldo Podcast, Daryl shares actionable insights and real-world examples on the role of intentional culture-building in driving creative and operational success. Topics include challenges faced by game studios, adapting to remote work...
2025-01-0742 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastDom Matthews of Ninja Theory: After the FoundersWhen you take on the head role of a studio in the wake of the founders departing, how do you not only maintain the “DNA” of the studio, but even build upon it? That is the challenge that Ninja Theory Studio Head Dom Matthews explores with our own Daryl Ogden.
Dom started out thinking he wanted to be a sports agent, but quickly found himself pursuing a marketing career within the games industry. How did he end up leading a studio that would go on to win 5 BAFTAs for "Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice"? And what does it ta...
2024-12-0435 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastMatt Booty: From Game Developer to Xbox Portfolio LeaderHow does a gamemaker’s gamemaker transition to being a builder of an organization that cultivates studios? That is the story of Matt Booty, a veteran gamemaker–starting with pinball machines at Midway in Chicago before he moved on to Xbox in Seattle. He now serves as President of Game Content & Studios at Xbox where he oversees the dozens of games that constitute the Xbox portfolio.
Matt speaks with our own Daryl Ogden, who has worked with Matt over many years at Xbox. Their conversation provides hard-earned insight into gaming then and now. Ultimately, Matt addresses a chall...
2024-11-1344 minThe Valued Cultures Podcast"Mentorship, Iteration & Stubbornness": Julian Maroda of NorsfellWe’re back for Season 2 of the Valued Cultures Podcast, and we’re welcoming Julian Maroda, co-Founder and CEO of Norsfell, a Montréal studio with a mission to forge new genres that bring people together. The studio’s best-known game, Tribes of Midgard, is enjoyed by over 4.5 million players.
Julian speaks with our co-Founder, Daryl Ogden, about his youth in Belgium, an impactful trip to Australia, and his immigration to Québec–all with a focus from his earliest day on making games. Julian and Daryl dig into the values that define the quality of Norsfell g...
2024-10-1643 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastSteve Goldstein of Turtle Rock Studios: Advocacy & LeadershipToday our co-Founder Daryl Ogden speaks with Turtle Rock Studios’ President, Steve Goldstein. Steve talks about what it was like to transition from serving studios as an attorney to working in-house and ultimately leading one. He also discusses his experience with leading a studio during an acquisition and the implications of what this means to the studio being acquired. You’ll hear about Turtle Rock's rising ambitions, and the role Daryl and Valued Cultures has been playing in helping the studio pursue these heightened goals.
To download our report, "Winning Game Studio Culture in the Post-Pand...
2024-05-2235 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastLiving your Studio Values: Rory McGuire of Blackbird InteractiveOn this week’s pod, Rory McGuire, President of Blackbird Interactive (“Hardspace”, “Homeworld”, “Minecraft Legends”) speaks with Valued Cultures Co-Founder, Daryl Ogden. Rory and Daryl discuss how very concrete initiatives like skunks works and 4-day weeks can be animated by core studio values such as empowerment, autonomy, and respect. Daryl and Rory also dig into a finding from Valued Cultures’ recent report, “Winning Game Studio Culture in the Post-Pandemic Era”: Why are studios in Western Canada even more focused on the shift to remote and hybrid work than those in the rest of North America?
Level Up Game: Balatro
2024-05-0139 minThe Valued Cultures Podcast"Improvise. Adapt. Overcome" with Mitch Gitelman“Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.” Tattooed on the arm of today’s guest, Mitch Gitelman, most recently of Harebrained Schemes, this personal motto reflects the lessons he learned in his training and apprenticeship in theater and improvisation. Speaking with Valued Cultures Co-Founder Daryl Ogden, Mitch explores the stamp his early work in these disciplines has imprinted on his approach to making games.
Citing his Harebrained Co-Founder Jordan Weisman, Mitch explains that in both theater and games, “You can tell when they’ve made it with a smile.” And Mitch explains how his improv training influences everything from how he thinks ab...
2024-04-1736 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastFounding a Remote Studio Culture with Jen Oneal of Magic Soup GamesHow do you create a vibrant workplace culture in a “remote only” studio? Very intentionally says our guest today, Jen Oneal Co-Founder and Head Chef of Magic Soup Games.
Jen explains to Valued Cultures Co-Founder Daryl Ogden that when Jen and her Co-Founders J. Allen Brack and John Donham set out to found a new studio in 2022, their first step was talking about the types of games they loved, the values that animated them, and the studio that they wanted to build. And at each step they’ve taken, they’ve drawn upon those intentions, bringing on...
2024-03-2728 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastShannon Loftis' first impressions of our "Winning Game Studio Culture" reportValued Culture’s Senior Advisor Shannon Loftis joins Co-Founder Daryl Ogden to share her first impressions of our forthcoming report, “Winning Game Studio Culture in the Post-Pandemic Era.” Their focus falls on the “intentionality chasm”: How the leaders of game studios know that they should bring more attention to studio talent and studio culture, but in the pressure of the moment, find themselves time and time again falling back on solving technical problems instead. Shannon and Daryl go on to discuss how the pandemic exacerbated this problem, and how a post-pandemic studio landscape dominated by remote and hybrid work presents both...
2024-03-1719 minThe Valued Cultures PodcastChris Chancey of Manavoid and Indie Asylum: "Live together or die alone!"In our inaugural podcast, Chris Chancey of Manavoid Entertainment and Indie Asylum joins Valued Cultures Daryl Ogden to discuss vibrant studio cultures. In briefly sketching the history of Manvoid, Chris and Daryl determine how a focus on ensuring market fit led Manavoid to pursue a strategy of hybridizing game genres. They go on to discuss how Chris and his partners evaluate candidates for Indie Asylum, an Montréal-based incubator/accelerator that supports nascent game studios. Finally, drawing upon research from the soon-to-be-released "Winning Game Studio Culture in the Post-Pandemic Era," Chris explains some of the differences Valued Cultures found in h...
2024-03-1237 min
ArtsvilleA Guide to the Secondary Art Market with Lauren Brunk of Brunk AuctionsArtworks are regularly sold at auctions around the world for record sums of money, but today’s guest believes that auctions serve a greater purpose than just growing the highest bidder’s collection. Every object is an invitation to consider our personal and collective histories through the unique and often fascinating story it has to tell. Today, you'll hear from a local auctioneer, Southern fine art specialist, and Senior Vice President of Brunk Auctions, Lauren Brunk. Brunk is a private auction house specializing in the sale of fine art, jewelry, antique furniture, coins, and countless other areas of collecting rangin...
2024-01-1737 min
TV Tan PodcastTV Tan 0461: Fall of the Love SpongeBill Frost (CityWeekly.net & X96 Radio From Hell) and Tommy Milagro (SlamWrestling.net) talk How I Met Your Father (R.I.P. Duff), The Venture Bros: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, Office Race, Secrets of Penthouse, Predators, Virgin River, The Changeling, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Ride With Norman Reedus in Utah, Dark Side of the 2000s: Shock Jocks and Charlie Sheen, Movie Korner: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Meg 2: The Trench, and Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny, Reservation Dogs, What We Do In the Shadows, Physical, Heels, FUBAR, Rasslin' News, Justified: City Primeval...
2023-09-0457 minTV Tan PodcastTV Tan 0461: Fall of the Love SpongeBill Frost (CityWeekly.net & X96 Radio From Hell) and Tommy Milagro (SlamWrestling.net) talk How I Met Your Father (R.I.P. Duff), The Venture Bros: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, Office Race, Secrets of Penthouse, Predators, Virgin River, The Changeling, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Ride With Norman Reedus in Utah, Dark Side of the 2000s: Shock Jocks and Charlie Sheen, Movie Korner: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Meg 2: The Trench, and Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny, Reservation Dogs, What We Do In the Shadows, Physical, Heels, FUBAR, Rasslin' News, Justified: City Primeval...
2023-09-0457 min
Knowing KenningHelen Chiang of Mojang (Minecraft)In this episode, Kenning Partner Daryl Ogden speaks with Helen Chiang, head of Mojang Studios. Daryl and Helen’s relationship goes back many years, to the integration of Mojang, the Swedish creator of Minecraft, into the world of Microsoft’s Xbox. Despite the difficult reality of most acquisitions, they talk about how Helen and her team ensured continued growth and player satisfaction.
Helen’s long career in gaming, she explains, wasn’t her original plan in college or business school. But once exposed to the business side of gaming, she was drawn into the creative process. Di...
2023-07-2742 minKnowing KenningHelen Chiang of Mojang Studios (Maker of Minecraft)In this episode, Kenning Partner Daryl Ogden speaks with Helen Chiang, head of Mojang Studios. Daryl and Helen’s relationship goes back many years, to the integration of Mojang, the Swedish creator of Minecraft, into the world of Microsoft’s Xbox. Despite the troubling reality of most acquisitions, they talk about how Helen and her team ensured continued growth and player satisfaction.
Helen’s long career in gaming, she explains, wasn’t her original plan in college or business school. But once exposed to the business side of gaming, she was drawn into the creative process. Di...
2023-06-1942 minKnowing KenningPhilip Holt of Undead LabsKenning Partner Daryl Ogden speaks with Philip Holt, head of Undead Labs, about his experiences running a gaming studio within the Xbox empire. Philip explains his unusual introduction to the business of gaming, and why he found joining Undead to replace a charismatic founder both challenging and rewarding. Daryl and Philip explore the deeper meaning of “State of Decay”, and how it might reflect on our own pandemic world.
They go on to discuss how Philip worked with his team to develop and codify working values for the studio, and the role that DEI concerns played in...
2022-11-3041 min
History & Factoids about todayOct 31st-Halloween, Beastie Boys, Bow Wow Wow, Ace of Bass, Vanilla Ice, Rob Schneider, John CandyHalloween. Pop Culture from 1996. Biggest statue in the world, 1st paved coast to coast highway, 1st US Navy ship sunk in WW2, Nevada's birthday. Todays birthdays - Michael Landon, David Ogden Steirs, Barbara Bel Geddes, Dale Evans, Adam Horovitz, Annabella Lwin, Vanilla Ice, Linn Berggrin, John Candy, Daryl Worley, Rob Schneider. Sean Connery died.
2022-10-3116 min
Writing Tips and Writerly MusingsDone to Death: The Art of Killing CharactersWhen you’re reading a story and a character dies, you can tell if it’s just the writer trying to manipulate your emotions or if it’s good storytelling.
In the titular panel at Worldcon77, Patrick Rothfuss, Veronica Roth, Su J Sokel, Amy Ogden, and Daryl Gregory did their best to make sure we know that every death should count.
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Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing.
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe!
You can find m...
2022-08-0111 minKnowing KenningCoach Ron Adams on Coaching Across the GenerationsContinuing our series with Assistant Coach Ron Adams of the Golden State Warriors, Kenning Partner Daryl Ogden talks with Ron about coaching across the generations. A collegiate and professional coach for over 50 years, Ron has seen a lot of changes, but as he tells Daryl, he’s had to adapt himself in order to “stay in the game.”
How has practice changed over the course of Ron’s career, and what does it have to do with disruptions in education? How can music serve as a bridge between generations and how is basketball like jazz? What role can generat...
2022-06-1439 minKnowing KenningCoach Ron Adams on Working with Superstars“The Guru of NBA Defense” is how Raptors coach Nick Nurse recently referred to Ron Adams, assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors whose time with the franchise has included 3 NBA championships. Ron has coached not only Steph Curry and Kevin Garnett, but David Robinson, Ray Allen, and James Harden. In this wide-reaching conversation, Ron discusses with Kenning Partner Daryl Ogden how he builds rapport with players, especially superstars.
Are superstars just regular people, or should they be given extra privileges? How does Ron span the chasm of his years of experience and rural upbringing to speak with t...
2022-06-081h 11Knowing KenningTime-travelling the Leadership ContinuumHow is leadership like time travel? Kenning Partner Daryl Ogden explains to Mike Merrill an important tool he employs in his coaching practice: “The Leadership Continuum”. In this framework, Leadership is composed of three elements, all intrinsically associated with a facet of time: Administration, with the past; Management, with the present; and Vision, with the future. A good leader is one who can skillfully navigate through time, first gaining the measure of how much effort they expend on each element, and then intentionally focusing in turn on each with the amount of attention it warrants. Daryl explains how to Manage suc...
2022-04-2721 minKnowing KenningShannon Loftis of Xbox StudiosOn the eve of her announced retirement from Xbox Game Studios, longtime Microsoft veteran Shannon Loftis met with Kenning Partner Daryl Ogden to discuss her storied career. Shannon talks about the early days of gaming at Microsoft, and what it was like to be a woman in that hard-driving environment. She explains how Microsoft’s culture has changed in the intervening years, and how she has as well. A timely talk by Melinda French Gates provided some rules to live by for Shannon, guidelines she still shares with the women she supports today.
Daryl and Shannon dig deep in...
2022-03-1742 minKnowing Kenning4 Types of New JobsKenning Associates Partner Daryl Ogden talks with Mike Merrill about the 4 types of new jobs that he commonly encounters in his coaching practice, and how those finding themselves in transitions to these new roles can best navigate the challenges that await them.
The first three are moves internal to a company: moving laterally within a large organization; being promoted, often to lead the team you were once part of; and switching from a creative or managerial role to an executive one. Finally, Daryl discusses the particular circumstance that attend being hired to an external company.
Dary...
2022-01-0627 min
Dive Bar ComedyUnderground Comics in UnderwearWild Jo and Mista See let loose with comics Daryl Kamack, Austin Warren, Rosalee Mayeux, Carolina Levi, Dana Olita Ogden, and tech guru Carol Newell.
2020-10-301h 26
Aussie Hoopla NBL & NBA PodcastJeff Van Groningen (Sydney Kings Managing Director)Buy a basketball t-shirt from our eBay store. Proceeds go towards promoting Aussie Hoops. Dan gives his thoughts on what's happening in Aussie Hoops today. The NBL Blitz is coming to Traralgon, Gippsland (02:00) NBLxNBA - Melbourne United, Sydney Kings and Brisbane Bullets will play against the Oklahoma Thunder, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns in October. A look at why this is good for the NBL (9:30) Why didn't Australia notice Mangok Mathiang signed an NBA deal with the Charlotte Hornets? (14:30) Breaking down what the Australian Boomers squad will look like at the 2020 Olympics (17:00) Sydney Kings Managing...
2017-08-171h 19
Wasatch Mountain Podcast204 DeterminationIn response to what viewers like you have asked for, the Wasatch Team put a whole lot of miles on their boots, snowmobiles, and chairlifts to generate the hardest hitting episode yet. With locations varying from the streets of Ogden, to the 11,000 foot faces, Episode Four will leave you wishing the season were longer.
Principle Cinematography shot on Canon 5D Mark II by Parker Alec Cross
Colorist: Parker Alec Cross
Featuring the talents of Parker Cross, Andy Earl, Daryl Young, JP Sokolowski, Uriel Ruvalcaba, Derek Olthuis, Stain Reichman, Cooper Hoffmeister, Ben Millsaps, Jason Hindman and Stosh Lemberes.
2010-03-1800 min
(HD) Wasatch Mountain Podcast204 Determination (HD)In response to what viewers like you have asked for, the Wasatch Team put a whole lot of miles on their boots, snowmobiles, and chairlifts to generate the hardest hitting episode yet. With locations varying from the streets of Ogden, to the 11,000 foot faces, Episode Four will leave you wishing the season were longer.
Principle Cinematography shot on Canon 5D Mark II by Parker Alec Cross
Colorist: Parker Alec Cross
Featuring the talents of Parker Cross, Andy Earl, Daryl Young, JP Sokolowski, Uriel Ruvalcaba, Derek Olthuis, Stain Reichman, Cooper Hoffmeister, Ben Millsaps, Jason Hindman and Stosh Lemberes.
2010-03-1800 min