Gaming Content Designer Drew Pariser Talks Glitches and Speedrunners

Although there are lots of different paths into the gaming industry, it is not an easy task. Drew Pariser, for instance, started working in an indie studio his brother was running, and from there, following his passion for games, he went to school to strengthen his network. He was already working within the industry when he started his Entertainment, Arts, and Engineering degree, and he went through several internships before he was hired as a Producer and Designer.

Visiting us today is Drew Pariser, a Content Designer at Squanch Games. Drew holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Masters' Degree in Recreation and Tourism Management from Old Dominion University and a Masters' Degree in Entertainment, Arts, and Engineering from the University of Utah.

Throughout this episode, we talked about Drew's unique journey into the gaming industry, the favorite projects he was involved in, and the difference between working in small and big gaming studios. He kindly explained what Content Designers do and the challenges they face. We also talked about our favorite games, the love of some gamers for finding glitches in games, and speedrunners.

Tune in to Episode 6 of A Gamer's Story to get a glimpse into the content designers' world.

Some Questions I Ask:

How did you get into the gaming industry? (2:42)
Do you think those internships that you had helped you? (4:55)
Do you play the games that you make? Or do you test them? (7:30)
What's your favorite game or project that you've worked on? (17:19)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The difference between working in small and big gaming studios (1:36)
Drew's biggest mistakes in creating games, and how sometimes miscalculations end up making the game better (7:36)
The fascinating nature of speedrunners (13:06)
Why Drew prefers to play games like Dark Souls with someone and not by himself (19:17)

Resources: