Welcome to 'Playing with Inference,' a podcast at the crossroads of AI and gaming. In this episode, hosts sit down with Eric Kress, co-host of Deconstructor of Fun and game industry consultant.

We break down what's going on in the space here in the summer of 2025, taking a look at the trend of the industry and GenAI companies playing in the space. Eric breaks down all the current industry challenges, and opportunities, and gives his critical voice to the pitfalls and opportunities in the space.

Eric is a great view on this because while he is overall pretty bullish on GenAI as a force in the industry, he's skeptical and pragmatic about the realities of the impact it has currently (not) had.

New episodes of Playing With Inference go up every Tuesday.
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00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
00:26 Eric Kress's Background and Expertise
01:54 The Impact of AI on the Gaming Industry
04:21 Challenges in AI Adoption for Game Development
06:54 Mainstream Adoption and Industry Dynamics
17:20 New Entrants and Innovative Experiences
22:05 Tech Bros and the Future of Gaming
28:40 Customer-Centric Innovation in Gaming
31:56 AI's Role in Game Development
32:23 Balancing Traditional Tools with AI
33:55 Customer Expectations in Gaming
35:35 User-Generated Content and Platforms
37:28 Monetization and Business Models
43:28 Future of Gaming Platforms
48:24 Challenges in VR Adoption
52:40 Funding and Monetization Strategies
57:35 Conclusion and Contact Information

Tags: #podcast #artificialintelligence #gaming #techtrends #futureofgaming #AIinnovation #gamingpodcast #machinelearning #techpodcast #animation #genAI