{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"John Murphy (Young Horses Games) on influences and innovation in video game design","description":"As I mention in the intro to this podcast, I know John Murphy as the pilot of a 90s era Pontiac Trans Sport \u2014 aka the \u201cEgg Van.\u201d The world, however, knows John as co-founder and gameplay designer at Young Horses, the indie games collective responsible for the much beloved hit Octodad. As a lad, I was an obsessive and nerdy player of role-playing games for the Super Nintendo. Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore, Chrono Trigger\u2026as well as \u201calso rans\u201d like Breath of Fire and Illusion of Gaia. Since then, I haven\u2019t kept up much with video games, so I was excited to pry into John\u2019s creative process in a medium that I think is often underrated by outsiders in terms of its potential for expressiveness and imagination. John was also part of a team that \u2014 despite all the odds \u2014 turned a school project into an international video-gaming hit. I can tell you that none of my school projects ever approached anything that anyone would possibly care about, so we also discussed the dynamics of building a real business from an unlikely beginning. Check out more from John, Young Horses, and Bugsnax here: Twitter: @johmmmmmm | @YoungHorses Website: www.younghorsesgames.com | www.octodad.com | www.bugsnax.com If you're enjoying the show, the best way to support it is by sharing with your friends. If you don't have any friends, why not a leave a review? It makes a difference in terms of other people finding the show. You can also subscribe to receive my e-mail newsletter at www.toddnief.com. Most of my writing never makes it to the blog, so get on that list. Show Notes: [02:30] Is it ethical to leverage the powers of technology and understanding of human psychology to lock people into fantasy worlds? [15:18] How did Young Horses turn a school project into Octodad \u2014 a game with international success and renown? [24:22] How do different \u201cscenes\u201d work in the video game industry? How do these scenes lead to innovation and creativity? [33:51] The process of developing a video game involves a certain amount of \u201clock in.\u201d How do developers get user feedback and iterate? How does this impact the creative process? [43:35] How do \u201cinfluences\u201d impact the creative process of game design? What games and developers influence John and Young Horses? [58:06] Existing between \u201cgenres\u201d in the video game space \u2014 how does Young Horses balance the strangeness of their games with the playfulness? [01:08:45] Is finding the right genre necessary for success in marketing a video game? [01:21:12] How to play Young Horses\u2019 games \u2014 including Bugsnax holiday 2020 Links and Resources Mentioned DePaul MFA in Game Design The Fireside Bowl Revealed preference The Last Dance \u201cLoot boxes in online games and their effect on consumers, in particular young consumers\u201d from Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies | European Parliament Opportunity cost Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn \u201cLumosity to Pay $2 Million to Settle FTC Deceptive Advertising Charges for Its \u201cBrain Training\u201d Program\u201d from Federal Trade Commission Independent Games Festival Andy Nelson Danny Polak Three 6 Mafia Ayn Rand Marty Friedman Megadeth Square Rare Like Rats Weekend Nachos James Brown Pixar Kero Kero Bonito \u201cThe 7 Romantic Comedy Movie Poster Clich\u00e9s\u201d from Empire Being John Malkovich \u201cI build a world with fantasy master N.K. Jemisin\u201d from The Ezra Klein Show Jonathan Blow Devon Scott-Tunkin Games Mentioned World of Warcraft Fortnite Acid Couch SimTower Battletoads BioShock The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild GoldenEye 007 Donkey Kong Pok\u00e9mon Snap Ape Escape Call of Duty Ooblets ","author_name":"Todd Nief's Show","author_url":"http:\/\/toddnief.com","html":"