EFWSOT with Walter Ianneo

What happens when a legendary art director goes from shipping AAA titles at EA and viral hits at Zynga to building a retro-futuristic AI detective series?In this episode, we sit down with veteran art director, creative leader, and creator of Atomic Gumshoe, Walter Ianneo. We dive into the formative trenches of early 3D game development, the realities of working with AI tools as a human creator, and why your unique point of view is the one thing AI can't replicate.Timestamps & Highlights:0:00 – Welcome Walter Ianneo! From EA and Zynga to indie AI filmmaking.04:50 – The wild early days of 2D to 3D transition at EA (NHL 96 and hardware challenges).14:50 – Working at Google under Ray Kurzweil and the early days of conversational AI.25:30 – Building Atomic Gumshoe: How to combine human art direction, Procreate, and AI tools.51:00 – Debunking the hype: Why AI is just a tool, not an entity, and why experience matters.1:18:00 – Industry advice for budding creators: Trust your gut and keep your point of view.Watch Atomic Gumshoe: https://www.youtube.com/@walterianneo6213Subscribe and like for more games, shipping stories, and tech insights.