XDS Podcast

External Development Summit (XDS)

Interested in gaining knowledge and expertise in the games industry? This podcast explores the latest insights into external development in the areas of Art, Co-development, Audio, QA, and Localization across all platforms. Each episode features conversations with industry leaders who are shaping the future of video game development. Published monthly.

External Development Summit (XDS) is the only annual, international games industry event with a primary focus on external development for art, animation, audio, software engineering, QA, and localization.

All episodes

Best episodes

Seasons

Top 10 XDS Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best XDS Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to XDS Podcast 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 XDS Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

XDS24 | People Power: How an Emphasis on Individuals Builds Stronger Collaborations

XDS Podcast

02/25/25 • 49 min

In this session recorded live at XDS 2024, Nicole West, Co-Founder and Head of Operations at West Studio, shares her insights on the transformative impact of recognizing and nurturing individual talent within creative teams. Drawing from her rich experience across video games, animation, and feature films, Nicole explores how prioritizing personal strengths can lead to more innovative, sustainable, and cohesive collaborations.

Stay tuned after the presentation as David Lam, Executive Producer at Netease and XDS Advisory Committee member, joins Nicole for an insightful conversation about the inspiration behind her approach to leadership and collaboration.

Podcast episode presented by Mineloader Studios

Connect with us!

Email us at [email protected]
Join us LinkedIn
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Follow us instagram @xdsummit
Visit our XDS website to learn more.
XDS Spark
Learn about our new B2B platform for creative industries.
Thanks for listening!

Unlocking the Power of External Partnerships Collaboration

XDS Podcast

02/10/24 • 40 min

How do you strike a balance between keeping the artist happy and motivated while keeping the studio happy and cost efficient?This episode introduces the September XDS 2023 presentation “Unlocking the Power of External Partnerships Collaboration,” delivered by industry pros Erik Pettersson, Lead Outsource Artist, EA DICE, and Kim Aava, now Art Director with Toca Boca.
Kim and Erik dive into the various stages and processes of external partnerships from initial trials to advanced operations. They discuss their hybrid approach at EA DICE, which combines co-dev with traditional outsourcing. They share valuable insights into strategies and best practices for setting and maintaining art quality expectations, effective communication techniques, and how to balance ownership between internal and external teams.

Dave Sanderson | What The Airline Industry Can Teach Us About Ext Dev Strategy

XDS Podcast

12/11/23 • 40 min

Efficiency Is Everything: What The Airline Industry Can Teach Us About External Development Strategy
This episode includes the XDS 2023 presentation delivered by Dave Sanderson, Director of External Development, Phoenix Labs. Dave examines several strategies airlines use to optimize their operations, and in doing so reveals valuable insights into how devs and service providers can better organize themselves – and ultimately create better games.
After listening, not only will you find out what movie terrified Dave growing up, but both game developers and service providers will be better able to answer the question, “What does good ExDev look like for us?”

Watch Dave’s XDS 2023 video presentationREFERENCE:
Sam Carlisle, Co-Founder, XDS Spark
Game Development and the Movie Method
XDS 2022 video presentation

Molly Mason-Boule | XDS Executive Fireside Chat

XDS Podcast

10/16/23 • 34 min

Join Chris Wren as he reflects on the successful XDS 2023 event and offers a glimpse into what's new for XDS in 2024, including XDS Spark. Exciting developments are on the way!

Then listen on for the XDS 2023 Fireside Chat with Molly Mason-Boule, Games COO of Riot Games that follows. Joe Nickolls, VP of Sumo Digital North America and Managing Director - Timbre Games, joins Molly to discuss her career journey, insights into the games industry, and the importance of external development. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and perspective from an industry leader!

Nigel Franks | Why Growing a Studio and Innovation Are Harder Than They Should Be

XDS Podcast

08/07/23 • 46 min

Innovation is a lot harder than one may think. Nigel Franks, Studio Director of Production at Snowed In Studios, shares his reflections on this topic and how the struggles of expanding a business are not unique. Nigel’s award-winning presentation delivered at XDS 2022 follows. You might need a notepad for this one – as Nigel discusses how textbook MBA lessons don’t always work, real-world scaling, strategic planning, and why innovation fails or succeeds in a high-growth environment.

Watch the video presentation
XDS gathers hundreds of international attendees from over 45 countries to advance the practice of external development for the games industry with three days of structured networking in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Sam Carlisle | Is your team brave enough to try the Movie Method?

XDS Podcast

07/17/23 • 51 min

Game Development and the Movie Method: What we'd like it to be, versus what it is and it'd take to be successful. Guest Sam Carlisle, Sr. Director, External Partner Relations, Xbox Games Studios, contemplates the benefits and challenges in shifting to The Movie Method in game development. The audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS 2022, where Sam explored what the movie method truly is.

Our industry has long been fascinated by the movie model. By which small teams temporarily form to build productions at scale. The differences between game and film production and the traps we set ourselves prevent successful implementation. "There are challenges to overcome and fundamental shifts in approach required. However, I believe there’s also the potential of game changing opportunities to be unlocked, with external development holding the key..."

Watch the video presentation

XDS gathers hundreds of international attendees from over 45 countries to advance the practice of external development for the games industry with three days of structured networking in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Dave Sanderson | Hard Pivot: Changing ExDev Strategies Post-Acquisition

XDS Podcast

05/09/23 • 45 min

Dave Sanderson, Director of External Development at Phoenix Labs, talks with Chris Wren about why he loves his role and expands on the concept of whether External Development and outsourcing are viable options to grow a company.
Dave’s audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS 2022. In January 2020, Phoenix Labs was acquired by Garena, transforming it from a venture capital-backed independent company to a unit within a publicly traded global gaming giant. Dave discusses how their corporate planning changed dramatically – and ExDev strategy had to change with it. This talk is a practical review of how and why ExDev strategies change; how External Development contributes to and is driven by wider corporate strategies; and how Service Providers actually experience these strategies in practice.
Watch the video presentation
Connect with Dave Sanderson on LinkedIn

Carla Rylance | External Development Essentials: Diversifying with Confidence

XDS Podcast

05/05/23 • 52 min

Chris Wren chats with Carla Rylance, Head of External Production, Behaviour Interactive, on why her presentation, Diversifying with Confidence, should be a go-to reference for Service Providers courting new clients.
Carla’s audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS 2022. It helps Developers and Publishers diversify with confidence by presenting tips and tricks to elevate due diligence processes. It provides value to established and n00b Service Providers by giving an insight into what questions are important for Developers/ Publishers when hunting for the perfect Partner.
The need for external development is showing no signs of slowing down. The importance of diversifying our Partners to stabilize capacity is apparent, but concerns with analyzing new partners or engaging with small vendors with no track record can be challenging.
Watch the video presentation
XDS gathers hundreds of international attendees from over 45 countries to advance the practice of external development for the games industry with three days of structured networking in Vancouver, Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

XDS23 Insights Report | Guest Author Caroline Calaway discusses key observations

XDS Podcast

04/18/23 • 42 min

Welcome to our first XDS Podcast!
In our introductory episode, host Chris Wren chats with this year’s Insights Report guest author Caroline Calaway, Senior Producer, Riot Games.
This year’s survey explored the impact geopolitical instability of various types has had on external development, in addition to the realities of inflation and changes in remote work. During this episode, Caroline discusses what she found to be the most surprising outcomes of the survey results.
The audio presentation that follows was delivered at XDS Ignite 2023, an annual event that unites a peer group of Developers/Publishers to build a network, address common challenges, and incubate ideas for the main XDS event in September.

XDS 2023 Insights on External Development for the Video Game Industry
Download the Report
Watch the video presentation XDS 2023 is happening in Vancouver, Canada, September 6-8Visit to our website to register

Marija Radulovic-Nastic | XDS Executive Fireside Chat

XDS Podcast

11/13/23 • 32 min

In this episode of our podcast, we provide a positive outlook and insightful commentary on the present state of the gaming industry. We then introduce our XDS 2023 Fireside chat, which took place in Vancouver, featuring special guest - Marija Radulovic-Nastic, who serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Electronic Arts. The chat is hosted by Joe Nickolls, VP of Sumo Digital North America and Managing Director of Timbre Games. It's an engaging conversation that you definitely shouldn't miss!

Show more best episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does XDS Podcast have?

XDS Podcast currently has 20 episodes available.

What topics does XDS Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Games Industry, Podcasts, Technology and Business.

What is the most popular episode on XDS Podcast?

The episode title 'Resilience in Action: How External Development Companies Navigate Crisis' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on XDS Podcast?

The average episode length on XDS Podcast is 44 minutes.

How often are episodes of XDS Podcast released?

Episodes of XDS Podcast are typically released every 29 days, 5 hours.

When was the first episode of XDS Podcast?

The first episode of XDS Podcast was released on Apr 18, 2023.

Show more FAQ

XDS Podcast

External Development Summit (XDS)

Top 10 XDS Podcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does XDS Podcast have?

What topics does XDS Podcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on XDS Podcast?

What is the average episode length on XDS Podcast?

How often are episodes of XDS Podcast released?

When was the first episode of XDS Podcast?

Comments