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The Gaming Playbook
Game Careers
· 61 min
Ex-Team17 Executive: Why the Games Industry Is Playing It Safe | Charlotte Cook
With Charlotte Cook
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About this episode
The games industry is changing fast, and not everyone is keeping up. Today, I sit down with Charlotte Cook (former Team17, Sega, Skybound, angel investor, and fractional CCO) to break down what’s really happening behind the scenes of the games industry right now.
We cover why publishers are obsessed with safe bets, how greenlight decisions actually work, why most developers misunderstand publishing deals, and what it really takes to get a game signed in today’s market. Charlotte also shares hard-won lessons from transitioning into fractional and consultancy work post-COVID, navigating burnout, AI’s impact on teams, and why people, not tools, remain the biggest multiplier in games.
If you’re a game developer, publisher, founder, consultant, or anyone trying to survive (and thrive) in the modern games industry, this episode will challenge a lot of assumptions.
Connect with Charlotte Cook
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