007: First Light Is the Bond Game Fans Have Been Waiting For | Save State Plus
I sat down with Franchise Director Jonathan Lacaille and Narrative & Cinematic Director Martin Emborg to talk about 007: First Light, the ambitious new origin story set in the James Bond universe. We dive into how they approached building a younger Bond, what makes this different from past 007 games, and how the team is creating a cinematic experience worthy of the franchise. If you’re a Bond fan or love spy thrillers, this is one you won’t want to miss.
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26:46
Borderland 4 Combat Radar is Just the Beginning | Save State Plus
The Borderlands 4 Development team is constantly listening to what fans want and need from the game. I had the chance to sit down with Creative Director Graeme Timmins, and Senior Project Producer Anthony Nicholson to talk about endgame, design decisions and more.
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14:15
Path of Exile: Roberts’ 13-Year Journey to Secrets of the Atlas | Save State Plus
Mark Roberts joins me to break down Secrets of the Atlas, a major new update for the original Path of Exile. We talk returning players, new content, and how it fits into the evolving PoE ecosystem.Grinding Gear Games isn’t done with the original Path of Exile. Secrets of the Atlas is a massive new update designed to pull players back into Wraeclast. We talk about update cadence, why PoE1 still matters, how the team keeps it all running, and what players can expect from one of the game’s biggest content drops yet.
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51:22
Tencent’s Chris Kramer on Game Budgets, Media Turmoil, and The Rise of AA | Save State Plus
This week on Save State Plus I sat down with Chris Kramer, Tencent’s head of North American communications, to talk about the business behind video games. That included modern gaming budgets, the media industry, and how all of it works together. Chris was great and shared his frank thought about all of it and how it impacts the games we play.(00:00) Introduction(00:57) Kramer's History(04:08) Kramer in Games Media(07:20) Media Then vs Now(10:20) Media Strategy Today(12:40) How Influencers Are Chosen(19:22) How Sponsorships Work(23:40) Influencer Agencies(26:10) Handling PR Issues(28:10) Sony Changing Policies(29:10) Crisis Plan of Action(31:40) Remembering Star Wars(34:40) Everquest 2 vs World of Warcraft(37:30) Blizzard and EQ2 Teams(38:40) EQ2 Changes(40:40) Tencent Ubisoft(46:50) Western Game Creation Costs(52:30) Layoffs / Consolidation(54:10) Is Constraint Helpful?(57:15) Nintendo vs Palworld(01:00:00) AAA vs AA(01:05:00) Small Games to Check Out
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From DayZ to Unity’s Drama Dean Hall Talks Indie, Media, & More
Dean Hall (creator of DayZ and founder of RocketWerkz) joins me to discuss the games industry, game development and more. We dig into Unity's recent controversies, the future of game engines, and the challenges indie developers face in 2025.
Save State Plus is a weekly show dedicated to having conversations about the state of the video game industry. Join us as we have people from all over the industry join to discuss the industry, coverage about the industry, and what the future holds at this specific Save Point in time.
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