In episode 18, Sponsored in part by Sony Playstation’s Hero Project, Susan talks with New Zealand studio founder and longtime developer Mario Wynands about what it means to help build a national game industry almost from scratch and turn local projects into globally recognized work. Drawing on his early days as a gamer and programmer in a country that was not yet known for games, his experience starting and sustaining a studio through multiple hardware generations and market shifts, and his role in nurturing Wellington’s ecosystem as it grew from a handful of teams to a connected community, Mario shares how he navigated the leap from contract and handheld projects into original IP, why regional meetups and game jams became critical infrastructure for isolated creators, and how he approaches studio leadership as a long‑term design problem in its own right. From mentoring emerging developers and collaborating with initiatives like Global Game Jam to advocating for policy, funding, and education that recognize games as both culture and industry, he talks about the emotional reality of building something that didn’t exist before, what it means to make games that feel distinctly “from here” while resonating worldwide, and why the future of New Zealand games depends on supporting diverse voices, sustainable studios, and deeper cross‑border collaboration.

• (00:00) - GGJPodcastMarioWynands
• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:37) - Meet Mario Wynands
• (05:53) - Work with your head
• (08:19) - Making Games
• (13:22) - Finding Mentors When you're the First
• (16:23) - Buisness Dev
• (19:45) - The Scariest Leap
• (24:28) - Sponsor: PlayStation Hero Project
• (28:38) - From Coder to Business
• (30:22) - Looking Beyond the Games
• (34:44) - Unusual Advantagess
• (37:52) - The move to Colombia
• (41:27) - What are the next big risks?
• (45:36) - Where to find Mario
• (47:40) - Outro

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239710/Into_the_Dead_Our_Darkest_Days/

https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/into-the-dead-crimson-heights/27318581554432214/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4638740/Into_the_Dead_Crimson_Heights/
Just launched: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/barbie-horse-ride-rescue/id6736413272 or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pikpok.br.play

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https://www.playstation.com/en-in/mena-hero-project/

In episode 17, sponsored in part by the Sony PlayStation Hero Project, Susan chats with artist and game developer Matthew Moss about what it means to build community across cultures in one of the world’s most storied game hubs. Growing up in Miami in a deeply creative, nonconforming household, Matthew found his way into newspapers, editorial cartooning, and early web games before moving to New York and eventually to Japan, where he spent years working inside the industry while learning the language and rhythms of life in Tokyo. After a period of personal upheaval during COVID, he returned to Japan determined to create a space for connection, which became Tokyo Game Bridge, a community hub that brings together local developers, students, international studios, and partners across languages. We explore how listening became his most important skill, why spaces like Tokyo Game Bridge matter for people who feel like they stick out, and how his teaching instincts show up today as service to the community he has helped grow.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:44) - Growing up in Florida
• (04:20) - Art, Drawing & Theater
• (07:44) - From Non-Conforming Child to Teacher
• (15:21) - Off to College in Pursuit of a Dream
• (19:06) - Sensing the Shift and Taking Action
• (21:29) - Sponsor: PlayStation Hero Project
• (22:57) - Transfering Skills from Print to Games
• (26:08) - Moving Abroad
• (33:01) - The Bottom of the Barrel
• (37:29) - Tokyo Game Bridge & the Value of Connection
• (40:42) - Finding Alignment
• (45:14) - Find Out More About Tokyo Game Bridge & Matthew
• (47:26) - Outro

Find out more about Matthew & the Tokyo Game Bridge!
https://www.matthewmoss.com/
https://www.tokyogamebridge.org/

GGJ Podcast Sponsors:
https://www.playstation.com/en-in/india-hero-project

https://www.playstation.com/en-in/china-hero-project

https://www.playstation.com/en-in/mena-hero-project/

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In episode 16 Susan talks to Global Game Jam executive director Maria Burns Ortiz about what it means to lead a veteran global community with empathy and an eye toward underrepresented creators. Drawing on her background as a journalist for outlets like ESPN, her experience co‑founding Seven Generation Games to build educational games with tribal and marginalized communities, and her first two years at the helm of GGJ, Maria shares how she works to see the organization through the perspectives of jammers in Latin America, Africa, Asia, India and beyond, how she balances legacy with necessary change, and why expanding pathways like partner jams, multilingual programs, and micro‑grants is essential if Global Game Jam is truly going to belong to the people it serves.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:53) - Introducing Maria Burns Ortiz
• (03:28) - Natural Storyteller
• (04:57) - From Journalism to Games
• (07:36) - Making the Invisible Visible
• (10:55) - Educational Games
• (14:45) - 7th Generation Games
• (17:06) - The Responsability of Being a Creator
• (22:11) - The True Impact
• (24:03) - Sponsor: The PlayStation Hero Project
• (25:21) - Leading the GGJ
• (33:58) - The Huge World of Games
• (38:08) - GGJ as an Opportunity Creator
• (43:09) - How do you do it?
• (45:36) - Outro

Previous to leading GGJ, she co-founded and was CEO of 7 Generation Games, creating educational and social impact games and the tools to make them. She led the development of 30+ games from concept to commercialization, aimed at closing educational and opportunity gaps in underserved communities, tackling topics from math proficiency to Indigenous language preservation to climate change. Maria transitioned to the games industry after a decade in media, where she was an award-winning journalist and NY Times bestselling author. She currently lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three children

Find out more about Maria and the Global Game Jam!

Maria's LinkedIn
www.7generationgames.com

www.globalgamejam.org

GGJ Socials

https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-game-jam

https://www.instagram.com/globalgamejam

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalGameJam/

Our Sponsors

This episode is sponsored by the University of Miami School of Communications and the Knight Foundation

This episode is sponsored by The PlayStation Hero Project.

https://www.playstation.com/en-in/india-hero-project

https://www.playstation.com/en-in/china-hero-project

https://www.playstation.com/en-in/mena-hero-project/

Wishlist Big Boot Games's Meteora: The Race Against Spacetime on Steam!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1155220/METEORA/

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