Branching Factor

Tommy is joined by three of the developers behind ‘Little Learning Machines’: a puzzle game that entrusts players with teaching AI agents called Animos to solve puzzles in a variety of idyllic environments.With a huge content update coming on September 5th to Steam, Tommy sits down with art director Nick Counter, technical lead Dante Camarena and community manager Fiona Firby from Transitional Forms to discuss the game and the year as they transition from early access to full launch, plus winning awards, delivering talks at GDC, and some of the other work they're up to as well!Little Learning Machines is available right now on Steam, with a free update coming September 5th:https://store.steampowered.com/app/1993710/Little_Learning_Machines/Catch the video version of this podcast on @AIandGamesPlus https://youtu.be/pG7-ubbNZFIFind out more about Little Learning Machines via the links below.Website: https://www.transforms.ai/little-learning-machinesLearning Companion (PDF): https://www.transforms.ai/learningGDC Postmortem Talk: https://gdcvault.com/play/1034597/AI-Summit-Little-Learning-Machines--Check out all of our content:AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.comAI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesAI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusBranching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorLivestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tommy is joined by Dr Christoph Salge and Victoire Herve from the University of Hertfordshire to talk about the 7th annual Generative Design in Minecraft Competition - an event where participants write AI systems to build settlements in Minecraft. We discuss how the project has continued to grow and persist for this long, the community that has thrived around it, and the big challenges still left to face in Minecraft settlement generation.Find out more about the GDMC by visiting:https://gendesignmc.wikidot.com/wiki:2024-settlement-generation-competition--Check out all of our content:AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.comAI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesAI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusBranching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorLivestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a summer hiatus the Branching Factor podcast is back! Sorry, I don't think we mentioned we were going talking a break, but hey - here we are!Tommy fills you in on his travels, the work he's been up to, the stack of episodes we have coming up with some guests. But critically Tommy and George sit down to talk about an event they've put together with a group of friends and colleagues: the 2024 AI and Games Conference! Let's get into the origins of it, how we've set it up, why we think it's needed and more.Find out more about the event and grab tickets at:http://www.aiandgamesconference.comPlus read up on the origins and particulars of the event on Substack:https://www.aiandgames.com/p/introducing-the-ai-and-games-conference--Check out all of our content: AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.comAI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesAI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusBranching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorLivestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week Tommy announced his new project 'Goal State', a series of online courses designed to teach people about AI for video games. It's going live on Kickstarter later this year, Here's Tommy replaying the livestream QnA hosted last week that answered as many answers as he could on the subject at this time.Follow 'Goal State' on Kickstarter at:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aiandgames/goalstateYou can find out more about Goal State at:https://www.aiandgames.com/p/introducing-goal-stateThe Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn― all inside your game. With millions of players’ to your aid, game testing will never be the same again.With over 5,000 subscribers across our Substack and LinkedIn audiences, plus of course a YouTube audience of over 200K, now is a great time to consider sponsoring the Branching Factor podcast. Visit our sponsorship page for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-host Quang Nguyen returns to Branching Factor as Tommy welcomes long-time friend of the show Jupiter Hadley to come and chat with us. Quang and Jupiter are two of the organisers behind ‘Brilliant Indie Treasures’: a games event running this summer on July 10th during the Develop conference in the British seaside town of Brighton.You can find out more about the event itself, plus how to submit your own game or provide sponsorship at: https://brilliantindietreasures.com/The Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn― all inside your game. With millions of players’ to your aid, game testing will never be the same again.With over 5,000 subscribers across our Substack and LinkedIn audiences, plus of course a YouTube audience of over 200K, now is a great time to consider sponsoring the Branching Factor podcast. Visit our sponsorship page for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Tommy sits down with Mark Drew, the director of Villainous Game studios. Their next title, Harvest Hunt, launches on Steam on May 22nd. We get into our shared history, my accent, making sure you survive your first indie game, the lessons learned from shipping anything to Steam, building a scalable game with a small team, and the benefits of having a publisher in those closing stages.Check out the store page for Harvest Hunt on Steam:https://store.steampowered.com/app/2009620/Harvest_Hunt/--The Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn― all inside your game. With millions of players’ to your aid, game testing will never be the same again.With over 5,000 subscribers across our Substack and LinkedIn audiences, plus of course a YouTube audience of over 200K, now is a great time to consider sponsoring the Branching Factor podcast. Visit our sponsorship page for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Tommy is joined by longtime friend Melissa Phillips, who is now the director of the Games Leadership Network: a a non-profit organisation that aims to promote and improve leadership skills in the games industry. We dig into what it means to build leadership skills in games, why training is so vital and reflect on the projects we worked on together many years ago at Norwich Games Festival and the BAFTA YGD programme.You can find out more about Games Leadership at:https://www.gamesleadership.com/--The Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn― all inside your game. With millions of players’ to your aid, game testing will never be the same again.With over 5,000 subscribers across our Substack and LinkedIn audiences, plus of course a YouTube audience of over 200K, now is a great time to consider sponsoring the Branching Factor podcast. Visit our sponsorship page for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tommy and George are back for this episode of Branching Factor, recorded on the final day of the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC). The team reflect on the week that has passed, and just how valuable a solid nights sleep can be when caught up in all this madness.--The Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn― all inside your game. With millions of players’ to your aid, game testing will never be the same again.With over 5,000 subscribers across our Substack and LinkedIn audiences, plus of course a YouTube audience of over 200K, now is a great time to consider sponsoring the Branching Factor podcast. Visit our sponsorship page for more details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Overgard, aka the Viking Blonde joins Tommy for a chat about his career as a Twitch streamer supporting game developers, and the current state of the industry going into GDC 2024. The conversation covers everything from good indie games to monetisation models, surviving as a game developer, being a content creator, generative AI, crypto and Web3, EA' project 10 dollar, good dogs, British civility and much more besides!Catch up with what Will's up to over at: https://www.twitch.tv/viking_blondeThe Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn― all inside your game. With millions of players’ to your aid, game testing will never be the same again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this weeks episode, Ben Ridge of Unfathomable Audio (the guy who does our music) joins us to talk about working in game audio, plus Helldivers II, Elden Ring, Bloodborne, gaming news and more!As mentioned in the news: the early bird registration for the Summer School for AI and Games closes on March 1st. Find out more at: https://school.gameaibook.org/Plus, Game AI Uncovered is out now, get 20% off with code SMA21 until April 30th https://www.routledge.com/Game-AI-Uncovered-Volume-One/Roberts/p/book/9781032343235Timestamps (for the ad-free version)[00:00] Intro[01:40] Discussing Game Audio with Ben Ridge[31:32] Games: Suicide Squad / Evil West[36:08] Dead by Daylight X Iron Maiden[42:48] Games: More Helldivers II[48:07] Games: Apex Legends[56:56] News: Game AI Uncovered / Summer School 2024[58:39] News: Elden Ring - Shadow of the Erdtree plus Bloodborne![01:10:20] News: Xbox Titles Coming to PS5 and Switch[01:16:14] News: No Big PS5 releases for 2024? Console sales to decline?[01:28:33] News: Nintendo's New Console Delayed to 2025?[01:32:30] Late-episode rambling[01:45:40] CreditsThe Branching Factor podcast is sponsored by modl.ai: unleash an army of AI and ML bots that play, grow, and learn― all inside your game. With millions of players’ to your aid, game testing will never be the same again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tommy's riding solo in this episode, and so he decided to focus on games he's playing, projects he's involved in and the big stories in the news that are going down.--As mentioned, Tommy will be at the AI and Games Summer School for this year. It's running from June 17th-21st in Valletta in Malta, and early bird registration closes on March 1st.http://school.gameaibook.org/Plus, the first volume of 'Game AI Uncovered' - a new textbook series from games industry professionals on AI in commercial titles - is coming out on February 23rd. It will be available on Amazon and all major book stores.https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Game-AI-Uncovered-Volume-One-by-Paul-Roberts-editor/9781032343235 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Branching Factor is back for 2024. We kickstart the year with George and Tommy sitting down to discuss the current state of the games industry, and where we see things going over the next 12 months.-Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesFollow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusListen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorRead Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.comWatch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgamesJoin our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.comBuy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com--You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!http://www.patreon.com/aiandgameshttps://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join--Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGamesMastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGamesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames--If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.comArrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's episode, the rest of the team gets a well-earned break for the holiday season. Tommy sits down to reflect on the past year of content published across AI and Games, discusses his favourite games of the year, and answers viewer questions.-Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesFollow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusListen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorRead Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.comWatch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgamesJoin our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.comBuy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com--You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!http://www.patreon.com/aiandgameshttps://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join--Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGamesMastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGamesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames--If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.comArrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's episode, Tommy, George and Quang unpack the recent headlines made by game engine creator Unity as it sought to define its monetisation practices, and the reaction by the game development community. Our special guest Matt Gambell from YouTube channel 'Game Dev Guide' gives his perspective both as a content creator focussed on the Unity game engine, as well as a day-to-day game developer who uses it.-Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesFollow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusListen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorRead Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.comWatch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgamesJoin our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.comBuy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com--You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!http://www.patreon.com/aiandgameshttps://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join--Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGamesMastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGamesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames--If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.comArrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George and Tommy hang out at Develop 2023 and discuss their experiences of trying to make a name for themselves in the games industry, and the value of attending an industry event in building networks and fostering communities.--Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesFollow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusListen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorRead Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.comWatch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgamesJoin our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.comBuy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com--You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!http://www.patreon.com/aiandgameshttps://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join--Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGamesMastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGamesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames--If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.comArrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recording from Tommy's visit to the AI and Games Summer School ( @GameAISchool ), which ran in June 2023 at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. Our panel, explores aspects of AI for games and what the future of it might look like. With Tommy as moderator, this panel ran on day 3 of the event with the following panellists:- Katja Hofmann (Microsoft Research)- Duygu Cakmak (Creative Assembly)- Oskar Stalberg (independent developer, creator of Townscaper)- Wesley Kerr (Riot Games)--Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games. Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesFollow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusListen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactorRead Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.comWatch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgamesJoin our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.comBuy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com--You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!http://www.patreon.com/aiandgameshttps://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join--Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGamesMastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGamesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames--If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.comArrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Mike sit down to celebrate 10 years of Dota 2. A game that Mike has thousands of hours in, and one that Tommy has observed with great interest, but has only played it for 87 minutes according to his Steam profile. So what better excuse than to mash these two people together to talk all about it! We discuss its origins, its impact on the games industry, and how its influence on AI persists despite the big headline news being in the rear-view mirror. --Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--Got a question or comment? Send an email to: branchingfactor@aiandgames.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Quang sit down with Mike and Gavin from the Bitmap Bureau to talk about their journey as indie game developers. Bitmap Bureau has been around since 2016, and has made a variety of games for modern platforms. But they're mostly known for 'Xeno Crisis': a game they kickstarted in 2018 and subsequently released on over a dozen platforms. From the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) and Neo Geo, all the way through to the Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One. We talk about what it's like to design and manufacture games like that for such a broad yet niche market, and all the fun that comes from running your own manual assembly line when sending off those Mega Drive cartridges to customers!--Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--Got a question or comment? Send an email to: branchingfactor@aiandgames.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tommy is back in a solo episode of Branching Factor, in which we also welcome our first-ever guests. With AI for game development becoming an ever-popular topic of discussion, we welcome modl.ai CEO Dr Christoffer Holmgard, alongside Dr Julian Togelius, one of the company’s heads of research. Modl.ai is working on AI tools that support game developers and dig into the realities of how AI can be used to help optimise and improve game production workflows.--Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--Got a question or comment? Send an email to: branchingfactor@aiandgames.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month’s episode of Branching Factor, the whole team get together for the first time. Mike, Quang, George, Anne and Tommy meet up right before GDC in March to discuss games, gaming events, the gaming news and much more besides!--Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames--Got a question or comment? Send an email to: podcast@aiandgames.comFollow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesFollow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlusWatch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgamesJoin our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.comBuy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.comFollow 'AI and Games' on social media.Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGamesMastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGamesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgamesIf you're interested in working with us, check out the following:Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.comArrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.