Two scrappy upstarts discuss working with Xbox and Playstation

Get to know the people who make great videogames

_{[Sup Holmes is a weekly talk show for people that make great videogames. It airs live every Sunday at 4pm EST on Youtube, and can be found in Podcast form on Libsyn and iTunes.]}

With the year winding down, videogame news has dribbled to a crawl. I’ve you’ve never listened to the show before, then it may be the perfect time to take the Sup Holmes plunge.

We’ve got a rerun here with Mike Mika, creator of #IDARB (I Drew a Red Box) that’s pretty amazing. Mike’s worked on over 100 games over the years,causing him to cross paths with Jimmy Fallon, Adam Sandler (almost) John Lithgow, and a host of other unexpected celebrities. Having worked on everything from Street Fighter to Alice In Wonderland, Mike has insider experience on what it’s like to collaborate with Nintendo, Disney, Capcom, and many other huge names in the industry.

Surprisingly enough, it was the creation of a Donkey Kong hack for his daughter that put him in the mainstream spotlight. That experience inspired him to create #IDARB, which led to partnering with Microsoft to create the first home console game with built in Twitter and Twitch integration. What people say on Twitter or Twitch can actually affect your game. It’s pretty bonkers. 

We’ve also got a rerun with Luc Bernard, creator of Desert Ashes and Death Tales. Luc recorded this episode from Starbucks, which made for an appropriately chaotic and unpredictable conversation . Luc’s been in the industry since he was a teenager. In that time, he’s experienced some of the most extreme highs and lows one could imagine. Right now he’s working with Playstation to create free-to-play experiences which reward all players for their patronage, regardless of how much money they choose to spend.

We talked about that, learning from mistakes, the strengths and weaknesses of Playstation’s current strategies, how Luc managed to get through a cancer diagnosis in the midst of having his game dropped by its publisher, and a lot more. One of my favorite parts of the conversation is when I asked Luc “How have you manage to survive in this industry?” His response — “I didn’t”. Is Luc Bernard actually a ghost? I’m still not sure. I probably never will be. 

Thanks again to Mike and Luc for being on the show, and to all the Sup Holmes guests, viewers, and listeners of 2014. We’ve had an amazing year, and 2015 if already shaping up to be just as great. Also, if you’re a backer of the kickstartercampaign  and you’re still waiting on your rewards, don’t think that we’ve forgotten you. We currently have +250 of the +330 rewards sent out, and will continue to get them in the mail as soon as we can. Thanks again for your support and I hope you like your rewards!