Shots On Goal, with Jon Radoff

Playmakers - The Game Industry Podcast

In this episode:

Jordan sits down with Jon Radoff, the founder of Beamable,the creator-centric platform for building live games in Unity. Jon's career spans across multiple areas of the game industry, from building one of the first commercial internet games to leading the development of popular mobile games like Game of Thrones Ascent and Star Trek Timelines. Jon shares his insights on building successful games by taking multiple "shots on goal," balancing creativity with data, and understanding when to pivot or push forward with a project. He also dives into the future of the metaverse and how it could impact game development.

Topics covered:

• Jon’s entrepreneurial journey and how Beamable evolved into what it is today
• Key tips and techniques for getting your game off the ground
• The balance between iterating on a game and deciding when to move on to a new project
• Why you should get user feedback before you even have a playable version of your game
• How to know when it’s time to throw in the towel on a project
• The future of the metaverse and how creators will shape it

For more game industry tips:

• Learn more about Jordan & Bright Black
• Listen on iTunes | Spotify (Support the show and leave a review)
• Visit www.playmakerspodcast.com for the full blog post and more!

Episode Timestamps:

[03:16] Jon’s start in games: creating one of the first commercial games on the internet

[08:26] Moving into mobile games and the creation of Game of Thrones Ascent

[10:15] How to balance creativity and data in game development

[13:00] The importance of taking "shots on goal" in game design and business strategy

[17:53] When to start testing and gathering feedback on game ideas

[20:05] Building an audience and gathering feedback before having a playable game

[25:22] Lessons learned from Star Trek Timelines and using real-time data from players

[28:30] Managing risk and deciding when to stop working on a game

[31:45] Balancing iteration time versus moving on to a new project

[35:03] Creativity in game development versus pure data-driven design

[38:25] The future of game creation and Beamable’s vision

[44:43] Jon’s thoughts on the metaverse

Resources & media mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Jon:

• Jon on LinkedIn
• Jon on Twitter
• Jon’s Blog

Check out Beamable:

• Learn more
• Follow Beamable on Instagram
• Connect with Beamable on Facebook

Games mentioned:

• Game of Thrones Ascent (Disruptor Beam)
• Star Trek Timelines (Tilting Point)
• Archer: Danger Phone (East Side Games)
• Rocket League (Psyonix)
• Among Us (InnerSloth)
• Candy Crush (King)