Visionaries: Gaming, Media and the Internet Explained

Marcus Bromander is the co-founder of Innersloth and a co-creator of the wildly-successful multiplayer game 'Among Us'. "We were basically done with it at the start of 2019. We had put out our third map. We had done enough bug fixes that the game functioned. We were like, 'alright, that's it.' Forest and Amy started prototyping other game ideas that got decently far along, but when 'Among Us' took off again, we were like what do we do? We should ride the wave." Show Notes: @PuffballsUnited 2:13: What Innersloth is working on now. 3:15: How 'Among Us' found success organically on Twitch and TikTok. 6:20: 'Among Us' evolution from initial 2018 release to present day. 7:48: The fan art community around 'Among Us' and how it's helped create exposure. 10:03: How has the game's financial success changed Marcus' and the team's lives? 12:10: Has Innersloth turned down acquisition offers? 13:21: Innersloth's next games and pipeline. 14:41: Marcus' time developing games on Newgrounds prior to forming Innersloth. 17:47: Lessons from 'Among Us' on influencer marketing. 19:14: Running a real business after time working on games solo. 21:50: How the Innersloth team's scaled up. 24:46: Is following up the success of 'Among Us' with another game daunting? 27:44: How would life be different without 'Among Us' and its success? 30:20: Did Innersloth almost give up on 'Among Us'? 33:36: The opportunity to do pop culture integration and merchandising. 35:10: Marcus' recent indie game love. 37:11: The lack of 'Among Us' copycats. 40:26: Innersloth's canceled titles and lessons learned from failure. Go to https://betterhelp.com/visionaries for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help. #sponsored Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon 'Atrioc' Ewing is a content creator on YouTube and Twitch and member of the global marketing team at Nvidia. "In this world, especially in the past few years, loneliness is at an all-time high. I think of Twitch as the hamburger of human connection. Twitch is the fast food of human connection. It's not that big of a deal. You shouldn't shame someone for having fast food now and then. The only problem is if it's the only thing you ever eat. It's never going to be filling, it's never going to give you the nourishment that you really need as a person. That's where there's a problem." Show Notes: @Atrioc 1:55: How Atrioc grew his YouTube and Twitch by hundreds of thousands of followers in two years. 5:35: Moving away from esports and focusing more on general gaming. 9:25: Was esports oversold to the audience? 10:01: Twitch's pivot away from esports to gaming influencers. 13:51: How gaming influencers have become A-list celebrities. 16:55: TikTok's influence on content consumption habits. 20:27: Gaming influencers signing multi-million dollar platform deals. 22:17: Short vs. long-term mentality as a gaming influencer. 29:40: YouTube competing with Twitch for streamers and audience. 31:31: The responsibility of influencers and what they promote. 37:38: Setting boundaries in parasocial relationships as a streamer. 42:19: In-person live events as new opportunity for streamers. 45:26: Gaming permeating into mainstream media, TV and film. 48:20: Is esports doomed? Or will it bounce back? 54:21: Does geolocation work in esports? 57:38: Would Atrioc leave Nvidia to go full-time streaming? 1:02:21: How will the recession affect gaming content? Go to https://betterhelp.com/visionaries for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help. #sponsored Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visionaries is back! 2022 capped off as one of the biggest year's ever for gaming entertainment, but for esports, the year was less than kind. What will happen in 2023? Award-winning investigative journalist Jacob Wolf and producer Prem Thottumkara sit down to dole out their big predictions for 2023. After allegedly stealing millions of dollars in customer funds, will 30-year-old notorious crypto count Sam Bankman-Fried actually see prison time? Will FaZe Clan, amid financial uncertainty, make it until the end of the year without additional financing? All this and more in Visionaries 2023 prediction episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices