Ed Fries of 1Up Ventures: Culture as Filter

Today Ed Fries joins us on the pod.  Ed is a long-time veteran of gaming, having founded Microsoft Game Studios, and been there at the birth of Xbox.  He is now a founder of 1Up Ventures which funds and supports independent game developers globally. 

 

Ed tells us about his early days in gaming, which actually started in high school on an Atari 800!  After the game industry crash of 1984, he began working as a programmer for Microsoft Office, and only then moved over to games.  We discuss the differences in work and culture between these two experiences, and go on to explore how he thought about integrating studios he brought into Microsoft, as well as how 1Up seeks to build community amongst its portfolio studios.   

 

Finally, Ed provides a characteristically optimistic view on the state of the games industry.  We all left feeling a bit better.

 

Level Up Game:

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