In this episode of Growing Pains, GDL host and Games Strategy Consultant Jay Uppal sits down with Anime Producer Will Feng to discuss everything about life in Japan. Will has been in the Animation space for 20+ years and has been right on the frontlines of the recent Anime boom that has inspired some of the recent transmedia strategies in games. Jay and Will dive deep into everything from life in Japan as a foreigner to the secrets behind building working relationships in Japan.

Growing Pains is a series focusing on key business trends and people shaping the Global Games Market and their impact on the Games Industry. In this series Jay speaks with industry leaders across the Games and Gametech space; trying to demystify the industry, understand the state of leadership, and answer the all-important question ‘Is having a fun game still enough to succeed in today’s games market?’

Jay Uppal Social https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayant-uppal-18ab34a5/

Will Feng Social https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-feng-93528a3/

Episode 5 Segments:

00:00 Introduction to Episode Five

01:46 Introduction to Will

03:46 Animation in US vs Japan
11:40 Cultural Differences Working in Japan
16:40 Business in Japan is just Done Differently
24:10 Legal is Still a Nightmare
28:10 Find Your Clan (Networking in Japan)
34:00 Life in Japan as a Foreigner
40:30 Bars in Japan
44:30 Transmedia in Japan
50:50 Are Visual Novels Games?
55:00 Do the Grind
57:00 Netflix – Anime, Games, & Live Action
01:03:15 Korean Webtoons on the Rise
01:05:15 Collaborating with Japanese Productions
01:10:20 Japanese Idol Culture
01:16:20 Ending Segment

Fellow host Laura joins Oscar on his Podquest to explore the nature of professional learning in various forms from the humble webinar to interactive workshops, accelerator programs, mentoring and even peer information sharing. Why does it matter that we keep on learning? And what does someone doing that training need to consider in the ways they deliver that?

In this episode, host Nina Kim sits down with David Evans, the indie developer of Sail Forth. David delves into the creative inspirations behind his project, reflecting on the journey of building a game as a solo dev. With candid stories from his personal experience, David opens up about the challenges and triumphs he faced during development, and offers insights for anyone who is starting on a similar journey.