The Biggest Fire + The Global Shift in Game Dev
JK does a rant on The Biggest Fire concept and Ben Carcich and I team up again for another discussion on game development & production
This week, I want to share more content rooted in collaboration with Ben Carcich from Building Better Games.
The Biggest Fire: Based on the podcast with Ben from a few weeks ago (Production Lessons: How to Build a Better Game), I wanted to follow up on an issue raised in that episode about the concept of “The Biggest Fire.” I tried a new format; see below.
The Global Shift in Game Development: Ben just published a discussion with me about game development issues and more specific information about Lila Games and why we built from India.
Check out both discussions below!!!
Based on the “Building Better Games” podcast with Ben Carcich a few weeks ago, I decided to respond to a few questions and rant a bit on the concept of “The Biggest Fire.” I haven’t done content quite like this before.
Let me know what you think. More? No More? Too pretentious? Let me know!
🎧 Listen on Podcast
Speakers:
Ben Carcich. Principal at Building Better Games.
Joseph Kim. CEO at Lila Games.
The gaming industry is changing rapidly, and the global landscape is shifting in ways many studios aren’t prepared for. Are Western game studios becoming too complacent? What role will international development play in the future of game creation?
In this episode, Ben interviews me about several issues, including sharing hard-earned lessons about building a game studio in India, the challenges of hiring and leading globally, and the realities of making tough business decisions in game development.
Key Takeaways:
🔹The Complacency Problem – Many Western studios lack the urgency and work ethic to stay competitive in today’s game industry.
🔹Why Small Teams Outperform Big Teams – Large studios often have unresolved issues that everyone knows about but no one addresses. The key to success is a strong culture of accountability.
🔹Experience as a Team Matters More Than Individual Talent – A well-coordinated team that has worked together for years will almost always outperform a group of "rockstar" hires.
🔹The Reality of Game Development in India – The country has talent, but cultural perception, technical challenges, and legal hurdles create unexpected difficulties for game studios.
🔹The Pre-Production Trap – Everyone knows pre-production is critical, yet studios repeatedly rush through it, leading to costly inefficiencies.
🔹People and Culture Define Success – A game studio doesn’t fail because of a lack of ideas—it fails due to misaligned leadership, poor hiring decisions, and weak company culture.
🔹Hard Conversations Matter – Many studios suffer from unspoken problems. Addressing issues early is the difference between success and failure.
🔹Decision-Making Should Be a Science – Too many game studios rely on gut feelings rather than structured, first-principles thinking when making critical decisions.
