Branching Factor
AI and Games
Welcome to Branching Factor, a podcast about video games from people who play, develop and research video games.
In each episode, join our host Dr. Tommy Thompson as he sits down with co-hosts Dr. Anne Sullivan, George Osborn, Dr. Mike Cook, and Quang as they explore the gaming world.
Learn about how video games are made, the goings-on of the games industry, what academic research in games is all about, interviews with guests, and more!
Branching Factor is brought to you by the AI and Games YouTube channel, watch episodes on AI and Games Plus, and become a Patron to support the show.
Watch episodes of Branching Factor on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
Learn About AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames
Become an AI and Games Patron: http://www.patreon.com/ai_and_games
Follow AI and Games on Twitter, Mastodon and TikTok
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Top 10 Branching Factor Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Branching Factor episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Branching Factor for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Branching Factor episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
#004: I Wanted to Be a Cat
Branching Factor
04/19/23 • 106 min
This episode is with our fourth, final, and equally amazing co-host: Dr Anne Sullivan. Anne is an Assistant Professor in Digital Media and head of the StoryCraft Lab at Georgia Tech. But more critically, she has years of experience in games both inside and outside of academia.
In this episode, we get into the realities of figuring out what 'creative computing' can be as a career. The lessons learned from working on some of the biggest franchises in gaming at Electronic Arts, and why making hand turkeys with AI researchers may well be the professional highlight of Anne's career.
You can follow Anne on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/annetropy
We'll be back soon with episode 5, in which we all sit down together on air for the first time.
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http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames
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You can listen to Branching Factor on:
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1662631817
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AfZ8o4QLsoQlGR35YfrYS
Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/6902f3c5-98c5-4695-bc56-ae7aa743f4a9/branching-factor
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzL2JyYW5jaGluZ2ZhY3Rvcg
RSS Feed: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/branchingfactor
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AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games and the home of the video version of 'Branching Factor'
Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:
http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames
Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:
http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:
https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor
Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com
Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames
Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com
Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com
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You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!
http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames
https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join
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Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGames
Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames
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If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:
Business Enquiries: [email protected]
Arrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames
#podcast #gamingpodcast #researchpodcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#010 - A Seaside Chat at Develop 2023
Branching Factor
10/26/23 • 56 min
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.
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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/@AIandGames
Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:
http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:
https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor
Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com
Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames
Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com
Buy 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/aiandgames
https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join
--
Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGames
Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames
--
If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:
Business Enquiries: [email protected]
Arrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#023 - The 2024 GDMC Competition
Branching Factor
08/29/24 • 68 min
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
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Check out all of our content:
AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.com
AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames
AI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
Branching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor
Livestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Branching Factor: The Teaser Trailer
Branching Factor
01/17/23 • 1 min
Welcome to Branching Factor!
This podcast talks about video games from various perspectives: as players, developers, and researchers. In each episode, our host Dr. Tommy Thompson sits down with co-hosts Dr. Anne Sullivan, George Osborn, Dr. Mike Cook, and Quang as they explore the gaming world. You'll hear about how video games are made, the goings-on of the games industry, what academic research in games is all about, and much more. We also interview guests from around the world to bring you an inside look at their experiences with games.
Branching Factor is brought to you by the AI and Games YouTube channel, watch episodes on AI and Games Plus, and become a Patron to support the show.
Watch episodes of Branching Factor on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
Learn About AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames
Become an AI and Games Patron: http://www.patreon.com/ai_and_games
Follow AI and Games on Twitter, Mastodon and TikTok
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#024 - Digging into Little Learning Machines
Branching Factor
09/02/24 • 70 min
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-ubbNZFI
Find out more about Little Learning Machines via the links below.
Website: https://www.transforms.ai/little-learning-machines
Learning Companion (PDF): https://www.transforms.ai/learning
GDC Postmortem Talk: https://gdcvault.com/play/1034597/AI-Summit-Little-Learning-Machines
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Check out all of our content:
AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.com
AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames
AI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
Branching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor
Livestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#022 - We Made a Conference!?!
Branching Factor
08/19/24 • 62 min
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.com
Plus read up on the origins and particulars of the event on Substack:
https://www.aiandgames.com/p/introducing-the-ai-and-games-conference
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Check out all of our content:
AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.com
AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames
AI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus
Branching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor
Livestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#021 - Goal State Announcement Q'n'A
Branching Factor
05/28/24 • 77 min
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/goalstate
You can find out more about Goal State at:
https://www.aiandgames.com/p/introducing-goal-state
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.
05/13/24 • 49 min
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.
#019 - On the Harvest Hunt with Mark Drew
Branching Factor
04/29/24 • 76 min
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/
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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.
#014 - Sunset Crack Squad
Branching Factor
02/13/24 • 73 min
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.
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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.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Branching Factor have?
Branching Factor currently has 25 episodes available.
What topics does Branching Factor cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Gamedev, Games, Games Industry, Gaming, Game Development, Podcasts and Video Games.
What is the most popular episode on Branching Factor?
The episode title '#023 - The 2024 GDMC Competition' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Branching Factor?
The average episode length on Branching Factor is 80 minutes.
How often are episodes of Branching Factor released?
Episodes of Branching Factor are typically released every 21 days.
When was the first episode of Branching Factor?
The first episode of Branching Factor was released on Jan 17, 2023.
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