Blog - The Game Development Strategy Guide

19 Aug 2025

New Game Development Podcast: ‘Enduring Play’ Explores Thriving Games and Studios With Industry Veterans

Enduring Play, Press

Level up your game development career at any stage of the game with 10 candid interviews that explore the best and the worst of modern video game development. BELLEVUE, WA, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- It’s time to level up your game development career by learning from a series of engaging and candid conversations with game development veterans passionate about building a better industry in Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast, launching today on all major podcast networks. Explore what it takes to create thriving video games and game development studios with host Cheryl Platz – creative director, faculty…

19 Aug 2025

Enduring Play Season 1 Episode 1 Released: Using UX Strategy to Put Players First with Celia Hodent, PhD

Enduring Play

The first episode of Season 1 of Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast, featuring author, UX Strategist, conference organizer, and former Epic Games UX Director Celia Hodent PhD is now available on all major podcasting platforms. Hosted by Game Development Strategy Guide author Cheryl Platz, this conversation between two user experience designers demystifies portions of the craft in a thoughtful way that's accessible to people from all disciplines. https://www.gamedevelopmentstrategyguide.com/enduring-play-season-1/using-ux-strategy-to-put-players-first-with-celia-hodent-phd-enduring-play-s1-e1/ Key Quotes: "One of the things that I see a lot in the game industry is people don't necessarily want process because it's a creative industry. And I get it. But…

14 Aug 2025

Strategy Guide and Podcast Merch now available!

Blog, Book, Enduring Play

If you just don't have enough purple in your life... or, more importantly, you're looking for wardrobe additions that'll spark interesting game development conversations, the new merch collection for The Game Development Strategy Guide and Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast is here for you. The launch products include: Enduring Play Podcast Logo Apparel and Merch "My Video Game Art is More than Pixels" Spectrum of Game Art Apparel and Merch "What Makes You Play" Motivators of Play Apparel and Merch If you don't like the main product offered, scroll to the bottom to view alternative offerings like other types…

06 Aug 2025

Cheryl’s Microtalk at Seattle Indies SLICE

Book, Events

Cheryl is honored to be bringing her first talk from The Game Development Strategy Guide to Seattle Indies SLICE at McCaw Hall on Wednesday, August 27. Cheryl will be delivering a 10-minute microtalk: "The Modern Motivators of Play" - that provides data to support the change in player motivation over the last few years, and what that means for the areas of the gaming market that need the most love. She will be available afterwards for Q&A, and will be signing bookplate stickers for her upcoming book The Game Development Strategy Guide, which is available for pre-order and releases September…

26 Jul 2025

Trailer 2 for Enduring Play: Artificial Intelligence for Game Development

Enduring Play

During the 10-episode first season of the Enduring Play podcast, a recurring theme of discussion is artificial intelligence. What role does it play today in video game? What role should it play? Does it destroy the heart of a game to use these tools, or is this a critical part of helping us cope with the scale and complexity of modern game development? The fact is that there are no easy answers - so tune in to hear the full story yourself direct from the folks who are making these decisions on the front lines of the industry. Explore the…

13 Jul 2025

Chapter Quest 15: Video Game Launch Party

Chapter Quests

Objective: Observe a game launch unfolding in real time conditions from a player perspective. Inspired by material from Chapter 15: Failure to Thrive QUEST: Choose 1-2 upcoming games that you can track that have not yet launched. Add them to your wishlist, follow them, or pre-order them so you can get updates. Then, revisit this page for suggestions on how to journal your lived experience as a player going through this launch period. First, select one or more upcoming games. Try some of these Coming Soon lists from popular marketplaces. There aren't very good mechanics for mobile game prereleases, so…

13 Jul 2025

Chapter Quest 14: In the Details

Chapter Quests

Objective: Learn to balance great ideas with the challenges of delivering great video games Use material from Chapter 14: Let the Right Ideas Win QUEST: Review the publicly available technical requirements for one of the major hardware platforms: iOS/Apple, Xbox, or Epic Games Store(other platforms are not publicly available.) What is most surprising? How might you use a framework like MVP or MoSCoW to include these requirements? Select one or more of the following requirements definitions to review: Apple App Review Xbox Policies and Requirements Epic Games Store Requirements For each set of requirements you review: Review your selected requirements…

13 Jul 2025

Chapter Quest 13: What’s Your Role?

Chapter Quests

Objective: Map your skillset into the general game development process alongside other disciplines. Use material from Chapter 13: The Good and Bad of Game Dev Processes QUEST: Review the phases of game development and reflect on your specific role in each of these phases. Where are you needed most? Where do you need others most? Review the phases of game development and reflect on your specific role in the game development process. If you're an aspiring developer, reflect on your desired role or roles. When are you and your skills needed most? What deliverables do you own and during which…

12 Jul 2025

Chapter Quest 12: Peeking at Platforms

Chapter Quests

Objective: Level setting about the current state of video game platforms and marketplaces. Use material from Chapter 12: Gaming Technology Platforms Visit 2 different game marketplaces: Steam (store.steampowered.com) and one of its major competitors like the Epic Games Store, itch.io, or GOG. Take note of what is shown on the main page. How is content featured, and how would you as a player navigate the store? For each marketplace you visit, complete the following tasks: Note what attracts your attention first. Did it catch your eye because of art, animation, or text? Did you receive a popup or other targeted…

12 Jul 2025

Chapter Quest 11: Pin the Tail on the Game Economy

Chapter Quests

Objective: Weigh the relative nuances of different game monetization models against each other. Use material from Chapter 11: Efficient and Ethical Economies QUEST: Choose at least 2 of the games you analyzed in previous steps and identify where they land on the Spectrum of Game Monetization, keeping in mind that "free to play" is rarely the only thing happening. Which quadrant does each game land in? Visit the Reddit forums for each of the games you're analyzing. How does player sentiment support or contradict your analysis? For any games that offer loot boxes, take a moment to examine the loot…