S1 E6: Growing and Shepherding Thriving Design Culture in Games with Eric Kabisch

Some leaders speak with their actions, and video game design executive Eric Kabisch is one of those leaders. A seasoned gaming design executive with experience at companies like Scopely, Roblox, Google, and VRChat, Eric has spent most of his career with a laser focus on the teams and products he supports and his record speaks for itself. This rare, frank, and transparent conversation with a people-focused design executive like Eric brings actionable insight for any leader of creatives in the video game industry: from applied business insights to from advice for helping team members navigate the shift from ideation to operations, the concept of low-ego, high-collaboration, high-alignment environments; from audio design for games to the critical role of a curious mindset; insight into some of the elements that made Scopely's initial rise successful, and of course a reflection on the state of the industry economy and artificial intelligence. Enduring Play is a uniquely crafted, high production value podcast about the modern craft of video game development. The format is inspired by gaming itself, with a level structure and tutorials and asides that help listeners of all experience follow along. Season 1 of the Enduring Play podcast is drawn from interviews that informed Cheryl Platz's new book  The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive, which is available worldwide as of September 16, 2025 and received a "Get It" recommendation from Kirkus Reviews.  Show notes, including a full bio, episode outline, and links are available on the Enduring Play website. Use code ENDURINGPLAYS1 at RosenfeldMedia.com to get 15% off your order - and all physical orders at Rosenfeld Media receive a free ebook. Podcast Season 1 discount offer expires November 30, 2025. Love the podcast or the book? Please spread the word with shares and reviews so we can change the industry together! For listeners looking to learn more or readers of The Game Development Strategy Guide, Eric's episode is an excellent complement to Chapter 5: Game Experience Design in Practice; Chapter 9: From Emergence to Prosocial Gaming; Chapter 13: The Good and Bad of Game Dev Process; and Chapter 14: Let the Right Ideas Win.