Press - The Game Development Strategy Guide

06 May 2026

Game Development Strategy Guide author Cheryl Platz joins the 2026 Awarding Jury for Cannes Entertainment Lions for Gaming

Blog, Book, Enduring Play, Events, Press

Game Development Strategy Guide author and Enduring Play podcast host Cheryl Platz (@funnygodmother) is deeply honored to announce that she will be serving on the Awarding Jury for the Entertainment Lions for Gaming at @cannes_lions 2026. She takes the responsibility and privilege of setting the global benchmark for creativity very seriously – and looks forward to discovering the fun in the process! For those unfamiliar with Cheryl’s work in video gaming, she began her career on the legendary Sims series, shipping The Sims Makin’ Magic (PC), The Sims 2 (PC), The Sims Bustin’ Out (GBA, PS2/XBOX/GC), and The Urbz (PS2/XBox/GC) – and…

09 Mar 2026

Cheryl Platz talks game development with USC’s Game Innovation Lab on the Playthink Podcast

Blog, Book, Press

Game Development Strategy Guide author Cheryl Platz was honored to join the lineup of game designers and developers who have joined the folks over at Playthink Podcast with USC's Game Innovation Lab. Learn about some of the core concepts from the Game Development Strategy Guide but also get deep insight into Cheryl's career - hear about some of the critical turning points in her past, how UX design and game design relate, how she inspires the teams she leads as a senior leader, and what she hopes her legacy will be for the game industry once all is said and…

02 Mar 2026

Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast launches Season 2 on March 3, 2026 with a powerful lineup of community leaders

Enduring Play, Press

Host, game dev, and author Cheryl Platz launches the second season of this popular video game podcast with Joanie Kraut, CEO of Women in Games International Season 2 will bring curious, candid content that speaks directly to game devs at every stage of their career: studio, indie, full time, laid off, students, and everything in between. SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, March 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As the video game development industry prepares to head to the annual GDC Festival of Gaming, Cheryl Platz is launching the second season of her successful podcast Enduring Play with an expanded look at what makes modern…

28 Oct 2025

Game Development Strategy Guide author Cheryl Platz launches academic book tour in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh

Book, Events, Press

Veteran game developer and author Cheryl Platz is headed to Drexel University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University in early November Cheryl Platz, author of The Game Development Strategy Guide, speaks during her book tour at Design Matters Tokyo 2025 PITTSBURGH, PA, UNITED STATES, October 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today's students are better positioned than any other generation to leverage the power of game design and development in the professional world, but the first step is opening the door to them. Over the past 15 years, students of all ages have been raised on experiences like Minecraft and…

08 Sep 2025

The Game Development Strategy Guide celebrated by early reviewers; selected by Kirkus Reviews for an indie spotlight

Book, Press

New book by Cheryl Platz honored for its groundbreaking approach to demystifying and documenting modern video game development with new tools and insights in a fun and accessible way Bellevue, WA : The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive is a uniquely expansive take on end-to-end on video game development written by designer and creative director Cheryl Platz that’s being celebrated by early reviewers as a ‘tour de force’ for developers at all stages of their careers. The book covers everything from player motivation to video game economies, as her experience in senior leadership for video…

27 Aug 2025

Author Cheryl Platz launches book tour for The Game Development Strategy Guide at Seattle Indies SLICE on August 27

Book, Events, Press

Explore changes in player motivations backed by theory and data paired with ideas in Cheryl’s microtalk “The Modern Motivators of Play” at McCaw Hall SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, August 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Author, game developer, and creative director Cheryl Platz is honored to be launching the book tour for her new book, The Game Development Strategy Guide: Creating Modern Video Games That Thrive, with a microtalk intended to help indie game developers recalibrate their understanding of what drives today’s demanding video game fans based on industry scholarship, research, and data - all while gamers and game developers from around the…

25 Aug 2025

The Game Development Strategy Guide receives “Get It” recommendation from Kirkus Reviews

Book, Press

We're thrilled to share that the experienced reviewers at Kirkus Reviews appreciated the Strategy Guide's unique and accessible take on the video game industry, yielding a "Get It" recommendation for their readers. "Platz treats the history of gaming with reverence, mentioning deep cuts such as MadMaze alongside indie darlings like Unpacking; this makes the guide feel truly all-encompassing—as expansive as an open-world RPG—in a way that will resonate with industry insiders, newbie developers, and curious players alike. A wide-ranging introduction to how games are made, balancing insider rigor with accessibility."Kirkus Reviews: The Game Development Strategy Guide, August 21, 2025 Head to the site…

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…