Retronauts Episode 160: Memoirs of a Game Counselor (Patreon)

It's a more laid-back episode than usual this week, since it's two very laid-back people chatting about video game history and experiences. Back in May, I stopped by the offices of developer 17-Bit (of Skulls of the Shogun and Galak-Z fame) to talk to the studio's founder, Jake Kazdal. While currently based in Kyoto, Japan, Jake grew up in Seattle and got his start in video gaming as a teenager working the Nintendo Game Counselor tip line. From there, he went on to become involved with some of the greatest game creators of all time, ranging from Enix to Lobotomy to Sega's United Game Artists. We ended up having a rambling conversation full of anecdotes and memories (and a rather lengthy sidebar about why Kyoto has become a hotspot for game development), but it's a conversation that people who are curious to hear more about what life inside all of these legendary studios was like should enjoy.