Behind the Scenes

What happens when a six‑month filler refuses to stay small—and becomes your studio’s defining bet? For Konrad Kunze of FusionPlay, it began with a gap on the calendar, a “let’s mash RPG and fishing” experiment, and a cold DM to Viva La Dirt League that turned into a full creative partnership—then a publisher deal with Team17. In this episode, Konrad traces the unlikely arc from a stopgap prototype to Nice Day for Fishing: the one decision that tipped a side project into a four‑year production, the brand non‑negotiables that kept VLDL’s humor and character DNA honest, and the approval pipeline that protected momentum across creators, devs, and publisher. He opens the black box on the riskiest week of development, the feature they almost cut that became the game’s heart, and the trade‑offs required to scale without losing the spark. You will learn: How a cold outreach to VLDL evolved into a working model for creator‑developer collaboration How Team17’s milestones, QA, and positioning sharpened the final product without dulling its voice How community expectations from VLDL’s audience shaped quests, tone, and onboarding How to design approval workflows that keep authenticity high and iteration fast Why betting on a “tiny” idea—at the right moment—can reset a studio’s trajector Subscribe for the full, uncut and ad-free episodes! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/behind_the_scenes_show Steady: https://steady.page/behindthescenes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please note: This interview episode was recorded in German. The entire conversation was recorded in German, preserving the original tone, humor, and depth of a discussion that thrives on nuance, personality, and shared history. In this episode, the host talks with Viola “Vio” Tensil about a career that never followed a straight path. The guiding hookline says it all: “Not planned – a career as a perpetual career switcher.” Together, they explore how Vio’s early life—growing up between Germany and Indonesia—shaped her openness, curiosity, and early connection to video games at a time when gaming was far from mainstream. The conversation traces her entry into media and her role at GIGA Games, where she became the first female on-camera “Netzreporterin.” Vio reflects on the raw, experimental energy of early 2000s gaming television, the authenticity of live formats, and the stark contrast between public visibility and the financial realities behind the scenes. From there, the episode follows her transition from journalism and moderation into the German games industry’s event and conference landscape. What began as stage moderation gradually evolved into show concepting, directing, and creative leadership—often by stepping into roles she hadn’t planned for, but grew into through trust, curiosity, and adaptability. Vio speaks openly about leaving games journalism behind, choosing freelancing over fixed roles, and embracing a “skill-tree” mindset: constantly reallocating strengths as interests and opportunities shift. The episode closes with a look ahead, touching on youth media protection, cultural responsibility, and why staying flexible remains her most important professional principle. A candid, reflective conversation about careers, curiosity, and learning to feel at home in constant change. -------------------------------------- In dieser Folge spricht Host Andreas mit Viola „Vio“ Tensil über ihre Karriere, die nie geradlinig verlaufen ist. Die leitende Hookline bringt es auf den Punkt: „Nicht geplant – Karriere als Dauerquereinsteigerin.“ Gemeinsam beleuchten sie, wie Vios frühes Aufwachsen zwischen Deutschland und Indonesien ihre Offenheit, Neugier und den frühen Zugang zu Videospielen geprägt hat – zu einer Zeit, in der Gaming in Deutschland noch alles andere als selbstverständlich war. Das Gespräch zeichnet ihren Einstieg in die Medienwelt nach und ihre Zeit bei GIGA Games, wo sie als erste weibliche „Netzreporterin“ vor der Kamera stand. Vio reflektiert die rohe, experimentelle Energie des Gaming-Fernsehens der frühen 2000er, die Authentizität der Live-Formate und den starken Kontrast zwischen öffentlicher Sichtbarkeit und den finanziellen Realitäten hinter den Kulissen. Von dort aus folgt die Episode ihrem Wechsel vom Journalismus und der Moderation in die Veranstaltungs- und Konferenzlandschaft der deutschen Games-Branche. Aus Bühnenmoderationen entwickelten sich zunehmend Aufgaben in Showkonzeption, Regie und kreativer Leitung – oft ungeplant, aber getragen von Vertrauen, Neugier und der Bereitschaft, Verantwortung zu übernehmen. Vio spricht offen über ihren Abschied vom Spielejournalismus, die bewusste Entscheidung für das Freelancertum und ein „Skilltree“-Denken: Fähigkeiten immer wieder neu gewichten, je nach Interessen und Chancen. Zum Abschluss richtet sich der Blick nach vorn – auf Jugendmedienschutz, gesellschaftliche Verantwortung und die Frage, warum Beweglichkeit für sie das wichtigste berufliche Prinzip bleibt. Ein offenes, reflektiertes Gespräch über Karrierewege, Neugier und das Gefühl, sich im Wandel zuhause zu fühlen. Subscribe for the full, uncut and ad-free episodes! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/behind_the_scenes_show Steady: https://steady.page/behindthescenes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when an eight‑figure paper dream collapses—and becomes your chance to take back control? For Dieter Schöller, founder of Headup Games, it meant a near‑total stock wipeout, a buyback of his studio for EUR 500,000, and rebuilding on his own terms. In this episode of “behind the scenes,” Dieter traces his arc from law student and Wolfenstein modder to indie publisher just as digital distribution upended boxed retail. Early flops forced a pivot to a flexible, “no‑BS” licensing model—then an unexpected hit, Bridge Constructor, shot to #1 in 91 countries and spawned mash‑ups with Portal and The Walking Dead. COVID’s boom brought an acquisition by Thunderful—and then the bust. Faced with sell, shut, or buy back, Dieter chose the hard path: protect most jobs, split publishing and development, and keep empathy and no crunch at the core. You will learn: How Headup’s licensing‑first pivot saved the company after early failures. How Bridge Constructor became a global premium hit and landed the Portal license. Why a COVID‑era “dream exit” turned into a near‑wipeout—and what that revealed. What it takes to buy back your studio and rebuild with clear focus. Why mid‑sized indie groups may be the healthiest path between giants and micro‑studios. Subscribe for the full, uncut and ad-free episodes! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/behind_the_scenes_show Steady: https://steady.page/behindthescenes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when George Lucas picks up your prototype, mashes the red button, and asks, “Why isn’t the fire button working?” For Lucasfilm Games veteran David Fox, that moment turned Rescue on Fractalus! from a principled, nonviolent rescue sim into a tense, unforgettable classic—complete with one of gaming’s earliest jump scares. In this episode of "behindthescenes," David takes us back to the early 1980s: the scrappy birth of Lucasfilm Games inside the computer division, a research-first culture under Peter Langston, and the brute-force ingenuity it took to make fractal landscapes fly on an Atari 800. Inspired by ILM’s Genesis effect—and constrained by the fact that Lucasfilm couldn’t actually make Star Wars games—Fox and team channeled the spirit of the galaxy far, far away through cockpit design, pacing, and sound. We dive into the studio visit that changed everything. Lucas’s two notes—“we need a fire button” and “add tension”—sparked the iconic twist: sometimes the “pilot” sprinting toward your ship is an alien that leaps onto your windshield and pounds through unless you raise shields in time. Hidden until level 8, kept out of marketing, and barely hinted at in the manual, the scare landed precisely because secrecy was still possible in a pre‑Internet world. Fox also shares the culture and craft behind the scenes: why the dream of one‑click cross‑compiles on a VAX fell apart, how prototyping on minicomputers still paid off, and the obsessive, hand‑tuned optimization needed to hit 6–8 fps over fractal terrain. Plus the human touches—posing twice for the box art, wedding ring visible for empathy—and the winding release path through Atari, Epyx, and multiple platforms, with the Atari 800 remaining the definitive version. This is a compact masterclass in design under constraint: sharpening intention, privileging play over philosophy, and letting a single mechanic reframe your entire loop. In this episode, you will learn: How George Lucas’s “fire button” and “add tension” notes reshaped Rescue on Fractalus! and birthed an early, legendary jump scare Why Lucasfilm Games couldn’t ship Star Wars titles—and how Rescue still captured the feel through cockpit POV, pacing, and sound The fractal pipeline: from ILM’s Genesis effect to rendering terrain on Atari hardware via ruthless, hand‑rolled optimizations The secrecy playbook: level gating and zero marketing spoilers—and why that surprise would be nearly impossible today The research-first roots of Lucasfilm Games, Atari’s $1M kickstart, and what survived of the VAX prototyping dream The release odyssey (Atari 5200, Epyx disks, C64/Apple II/PC) and why the Atari 800 version still feels best Practical design lessons: constraints as catalysts, play over principle, and tension as the glue that elevates every system If you care about how sharp constraints, fearless iteration, and one perfectly timed creative note can turn a good idea into a classic, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for the full, uncut and ad-free episodes! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/behind_the_scenes_show Steady: https://steady.page/behindthescenes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.