The Fourth Curtain

Jordan Weisman Makes Stuff Up

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Episode notes

Our guest this week is the legend Jordan Weisman. Creator of BattleTech, Crimson Skies and the world's first alternate reality game, he's now working on Adventure Forge, a platform to help non-engineers make videogames. We talk buying D&D from Gary Gygax, at Gary's house!, the secret to entrepreneurship and creating the "Bungie bubble" this week!

[00:07:00] Interview Introduction: Jordan Weisman’s Career Highlights
Alex introduces Jordan Weisman’s career and his influential work in gaming and alternate reality games (ARGs).

[00:10:00] The Origins of WizKids and Collectible Miniatures
Jordan talks about founding WizKids and the success of HeroClix.

[00:15:00] Early Gaming Experiences and Inspiration for Shadowrun
Jordan discusses how his early exposure to Mesoamerican culture and tabletop games influenced the creation of Shadowrun.

[00:26:00] Adventure Forge: A Platform for Game Creation
Jordan introduces Adventure Forge, a platform for user-generated content (UGC) in video games.

[00:34:00] The Rise of MechWarrior and Working with Activision
Discussion about the development of MechWarrior 2 and the challenges faced with Activision.

[00:44:00] Disney, Star Wars, and Interactive Experiences
Jordan talks about his work on interactive systems for Disney, including the development of a system that allows actors to recognize guests.

[00:59:00] Alternate Reality Games and Storytelling
Jordan explains his ideas for alternate reality games (ARGs) and the concept of discovery-based storytelling.

[01:08:00] The Making of "I Love Bees" and Pitching to Spielberg
Jordan recounts how the ARG I Love Bees came to life and his meetings with Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy.

Jordan's kickstarter campaign - check it out! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jordanweisman/sea-of-legends-open-world-crpg

Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!
Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin
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Featuring the music track Liberation by 505