Game Developer Podcast

This week on the Game Developer podcast, we’re diving into Valve’s newest piece of hardware: the Steam Controller. The company behind Steam provided Game Developer with a pair of controllers to stress-test their capabilities, so we recruited regular contributor Alessandro Fillari to help us analyze the new device.

We stress-tested the controller on first-person shooters, triple-A action games, colony sims, and real-time strategy games. For the most part, the controller impressed us—but what impact do we think it will have on the market? Who will want to pony up for a premium PC controller? These and other questions will be answered on today’s episode.

Read more from Alessandro Fillari: https://afillari.pressfolios.com/

Learn more about the Steam Controller: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamcontroller

Read more of our Steam Controller coverage: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/-millimeters-matter-inside-the-steam-controller-s-flawless-physical-design

(Note: this episode was recorded before Valve revealed the price of the Steam Controller)

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded before Valve unveiled the release date and pricing of the Steam Controller

Game Developer, Omdia, and GDC Festival of Gaming are sibling organizations under Informa.

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The Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling game development triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between, as devs from all sides of the industry share lessons and strategies fellow game makers can use to hone their craft.

Learn More at https://www.gamedeveloper.com

Follow Game Developer for more game dev Podcasts, News, & Interviews
Bluesky: https://www.gamedeveloper.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamedeveloperofficial

Music by Mike Meehan
Edited by Pierre Landriau

This week on the Game Developer podcast, writer and self-avowed former theater kid Alexa Ray Corriea joins Bryant Francis live on the show floor at the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming for a conversation about the craft of writing, how juniors can build their skills entering the game industry, and how the industry needs to better support rising developers. 

Corriea has spent her career learning not just how to be a better writer, but how to collaborate with the many disciplines that bring games to life. That experience has been a two-way street of course—after all, in game development, anyone who isn’t as familiar with another person’s field runs the risk of giving counterproductive feedback that makes for a worse work environment.

Follow Alexa Ray Corriea on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexaray.bsky.social
Game Developer and GDC Festival of Gaming are sibling organizations under Informa Festivals.

- - -
The Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling game development triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between, as devs from all sides of the industry share lessons and strategies fellow game makers can use to hone their craft.

Learn More at https://www.gamedeveloper.com

Follow Game Developer for more game dev Podcasts, News, & Interviews
Bluesky: https://www.gamedeveloper.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamedeveloperofficial

Music by Mike Meehan
Edited by Pierre Landriau

This week on the Game Developer Podcast, Owlchemy Labs Chief Executive Owl Andrew Eiche joins Bryant Francis for a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants interview from the show floor of the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming. There was only one slight issue involving a forgotten laptop.

Who among us hasn’t forgotten the recording device they need for the first-ever podcast in a brand new podcast booth at a huge major event? Luckily, we decided to turn mishap into opportunity and ask Eiche about his own hair-raising moments in game development before springboarding off into a great chat about game design.

Learn more about Owlchemy Labs: https://owlchemylabs.com/

Game Developer and GDC Festival of Gaming are sibling organizations under Informa Festivals.

- - -
The Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling game development triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between, as devs from all sides of the industry share lessons and strategies fellow game makers can use to hone their craft.

Learn More at https://www.gamedeveloper.com

Follow Game Developer for more game dev Podcasts, News, & Interviews
Bluesky: https://www.gamedeveloper.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamedeveloperofficial

Music by Mike Meehan
Edited by Pierre Landriau

This week on the Game Developer podcast, our whole team—editorial director Alissa McAloon, editor-in-chief Danielle Riendeau, and news editor Chris Kerr—join senior editor Bryant Francis for a wrap-up conversation about the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming.

What were the vibes like? What were the coolest games we saw? Is this the first-ever appearance of a sound board on the Game Developer podcast? These and other questions will be tackled in front of a tiny live audience as we deliriously recap a madcap week.

 

Author profiles:

Alissa McAloon - https://www.gamedeveloper.com/author/alissa-mcaloon

Danielle Riendeau - https://www.gamedeveloper.com/author/danielle-riendeau

Chris Kerr - https://www.gamedeveloper.com/author/chris-kerr

Bryant Francis - https://www.gamedeveloper.com/author/bryant-francis

Game Developer and GDC Festival of Gaming are sibling organizations under Informa Festivals.

- - -
The Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling game development triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between, as devs from all sides of the industry share lessons and strategies fellow game makers can use to hone their craft.

Learn More at https://www.gamedeveloper.com

Follow Game Developer for more game dev Podcasts, News, & Interviews
Bluesky: https://www.gamedeveloper.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamedeveloperofficial

Music by Mike Meehan
Edited by Pierre Landriau

It’s time for another episode of GDC Side Quest! This month, GDC Festival of Gaming content marketing manager Beth Elderkin sits down with the legendary actress Jennifer Hale, best known for work in the Mass Effect trilogy, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic…and the cult animated show Totally Spies?

Today Hale is swinging by the show to discuss the modern landscape of voice acting, how developers can collaborate with performers to make better games, and discuss the impact of generative AI in the aftermath of the SAG-AFTRA strike. 

Learn more about GDC Festival of Gaming: https://gdconf.com/

Learn more about Jennifer Hale: https://www.jenniferhale.com/about-jennifer

Learn more about Skillshub.life: https://acting.skillshub.life/

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The Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling game development triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between, as devs from all sides of the industry share lessons and strategies fellow game makers can use to hone their craft.

Learn More at https://www.gamedeveloper.com

Follow Game Developer for more game dev Podcasts, News, & Interviews
Bluesky: https://www.gamedeveloper.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamedeveloperofficial

Music by Mike Meehan
Edited by Pierre Landriau