The Secrets Behind Iconic MMOs, Strong Remote Culture, & AI's Impact with Rich Vogel of T-Minus Zero

Описание: Rich Vogel is an award-winning executive producer with over 25 years of experience in the gaming industry. Today, he is the founder and studio head of T-Minus Zero. Before this, Rich built and led three major studios—Sony Online Entertainment Austin, Bioware Austin, and Bethesda Game Studio Battle Cry—together generating an impressive $3 billion in revenue. He’s also been a key player in running live operations for critically acclaimed MMORPGs like Meridian 59, Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

In this episode of the Here's Waldo Podcast, Rich takes us through the journey of founding T-Minus Zero and the experience of running a remote-first studio. He talks about the importance of building a strong company culture, shares his insights from live game operations, and explores how AI is transforming the future of game development. From overcoming the challenges of creating efficient content pipelines to understanding the vital role of community management in a game's success, Rich offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it truly takes to thrive in the world of online games.


Resources Mentioned in this episode:
• Here’s Waldo Recruiting - https://www.hereswaldorecruiting.com/
• Lizzie Mintus on LinkedIn -   / hereswaldo  
• Rich Vogel on Linkedin -   / rich-vogel-093425  
• T-minuszero.com
• Raph Koster on the Here's Waldo Podcast - https://hereswaldorecruiting.com/indi...


Sponsor for this episode...
This episode is brought to you by Here’s Waldo Recruiting, a boutique recruitment firm specializing in the video game industry that prioritizes quality over quantity and values transparency, communication, and diversity. We partner with companies, creatives, and programmers to understand the why behind their needs and provide a white-glove experience that ensures a win-win outcome.

The industry evolves. The market changes. But at Here’s Waldo Recruiting, our commitment to happy candidates and clients does not.

We understand that searching for the best and brightest talent can be overwhelming, so let our customer-first staff of professionals do the leg work for you by heading over to hereswaldorecruiting.com.


🎧 Chapters / Show Notes:
00:00 Intro
00:53 Meet Rich Vogel
01:41 The Birth of T-Minus Zero
02:09 Challenges and Opportunities in Game Development
04:15 The Importance of Co-op Games
10:09 Building a Remote-First Studio
14:08 Hiring the Right Team
18:53 Lessons from Ultima Online
23:47 Player Exploits and Beta Closure
28:35 Christmas Chaos and Server Crashes
30:50 LiveOps and Game Development Insights
35:17 The Future of AI in Gaming
42:29 Lessons Learned
46:12 Get in Touch with Rich