Ken Gagne | PolygamerPolygamer - A Podcast of Equality & Diversity in Gaming & Video Games

Polygamer #122: Web developer Allison Holt

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Ken Gagne

Allison Holt is a Webby Award-winning software developer with a 23-year-career that includes a decade of experience in the video game industry. She has built websites and backend systems for Turbine, developers of Dungeons & Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online; Harmonix, creators of Rock Band and Guitar Hero; and Curt Schilling’s ill-fated 38 Studios. She is also an accomplished artist, with her commissions appearing in friends’ homes and on the cover of the Transporter Lock podcast.

In this podcast, Allison and I talk about the divide between web developers and game developers; the work that earned the Beatles Rock Band website its own Webby; the ephemeral nature of a digital portfolio; the unrealized potential of 38 Studios’ Project Copernicus; why she left the games industry; and her experience accepting her identity as a transgender woman, and the difference it made in her life.

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for a transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:08:35 — 79.5MB) | Embed

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Polygamer #121: Arthur Inasi of Harmonix & Greasy Says

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Ken Gagne

Arthur Inasi has spent the last 15 years at Harmonix, developer of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band rhythm games, working as a sound designer, level designer, voice actor, mocap actor, and more. As creative lead of Dance Central VR, he oversaw the series’ reboot for Oculus virtual reality headsets. His side hustles include producing music under the name M-Cue and hosting the podcast Greasy Says, where he offers unfiltered truths from his career as a brown game developer.

In this podcast, I ask Arthur about his experience collaborating with renowned musicians such as Usher; the educational aspects of Harmonix’s games; the potential in Harmonix’s recent acquisition by Epic Games; the need to mask oneself and be a “chameleon” to fit into the games industry; balancing being assertive and being collaborative; the hobbies that keep him going, and what we can expect from the second season of Greasy Says.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 57:29 — 66.8MB) | Embed

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Polygamer #120: Sabriel Mastin, D&D editor & Overwatch player

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Ken Gagne

After years as a Dungeons & Dragons player, Sabriel Mastin stepped behind the DM screen to run her own campaign. She immediately loved it, creating her own adventures in the world of Eberron. With that experience under her belt, she realized she could help other DMs with their own creations as well. She now offers her services as a D&D editor, offering developmental, line, and copyediting on modules and supplements. By day, Sabriel is a the head of social media and support for Overbuff, a stats-tracking website for Overwatch, the popular first-person shooter from Activision Blizzard.

In this podcast, Sabriel and I talk about the transition from player to DM; how easy it is to switch between editions of D&D; Sabriel’s sources of inspiration for her campaigns; how her group has adapted to gaming in a pandemic; the benefits of hiring an editor, and the cost of doing so; and how the Overwatch community has responded to the lawsuits and scandals around Activision Blizzard.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:01:50 — 71.7MB) | Embed

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Polygamer #119: Bonnie Gordon of Star Trek & Con Artist

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Ken Gagne

Bonnie Gordon is an actor, voice actor, and musician extraordinaire. Having previously been a Starfleet ensign at Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas, she now voices the ship’s computer on the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. And as part of the Library Bards musical comedy duo, she sings pop culture songs rewritten with nerdy lyrics, from Spider-Man to the Princess Bride. Now she’s back on Kickstarter to crowdfund a solo jazz album, Con Artist, which will blend cover songs with her own original compositions.

In this interview, Bonnie and I talk about what it’s like to be inducted into the annals of Star Trek canon and to continue the legacy of Majel Barrett-Roddenberry; her brief stint reading for Kate Mulgrew’s character of Captain Kathryn Janeway; her creative method for writing parody songs; what motivated her to pursue a solo album, and musicians she’ll be collaborating with; and the defining moments in her life that she hopes to capture in song with Con Artist.

This episode is a collaboration with the Transporter Lock podcast, where it can also be found as episode #84.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:16:20 — 88.3MB) | Embed

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Polygamer #118: Freelance composer & sound designer Chel Wong

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Ken Gagne

Chel Wong is a Boston-based video game composter and sound designer. As a freelancer, she has worked on such titles as the music puzzler Kine, the Starfox-inspired Whisker Squadron, and the surreal adventure RPG She Dreams Elsewhere. Not only has she also helped run the Game Audio Boston group, but as a freelancer, she invests 12 hours a week into networking — everyone in Boston knows Chel!

In this podcast interview, Chel and I discuss the challenges in writing Kine’s modular soundtrack; where to find freelance work; how to establish oneself as an authority, and the value in giving away free advice; how to avoid burnout as a volunteer, and knowing when to step down; and her favorite genres to work in.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:23 — 58.6MB) | Embed

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Polygamer #117: GamerDoc esports physician Dr. Lindsey Migliore

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Ken Gagne

Dr. Lindsey Migliore, also known as GamerDoc, is a licensed esports physician. While hiking the Appalachian Trail, she realized that only by abandoning her original goal of becoming an NFL team doctor could she combine her passions for medicine and video games. She now works with esports athletes to maintain and improve their health; and, as founder of Queer Women of Esports, she tackles the harassment and lack of sponsorship faced by female LGBTQIA+ esport athletes.

In this podcast, Dr. Migliore and I discuss the injuries that esports athletes experience, and the preventive measures they can take; the lack of educational materials for esport doctors; the challenges esport physicians must overcome to be accepted by both athletes and other healthcare professionals; why esports can be even more toxic than gaming in general; the difference between mentorship and sponsorship; and the roles of telehealth and VR in medicine.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 59:30 — 35.0MB) | Embed

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