Nexon’s CEO on Leaving a Legacy, Fostering Talent, & AI in Games

Naavik Gaming Podcast

Owen Mahoney, CEO of Nexon, is back for another phenomenal conversation – this time on the heels of the announcement that Owen is soon stepping down from the CEO role after a decade of market-beating performance. He and host, Aaron Bush, discuss Owen’s legacy at Nexon, what he wished he knew about being CEO when he started, what goes into great succession planning, and more about Nexon’s next CEO, Junghun Lee. Then the duo discusses how AI-driven software is already enabling AAA games to be made with smaller creative teams (such as Embark Studios’ THE FINALS) and how that shifting reality will have a profound impact on AAA publishing in the coming years. Lastly, Owen and Aaron wrap up by discussing what Owen aims to spend more time doing post-Nexon.

Also, if you haven’t listened to our previous conversation with Owen, which covers how Nexon manages long-lasting virtual worlds and builds antifragility into its business, you can do so here: https://naavik.co/podcast/owen-mahoney/

And here are the book recommendations Owen mentioned during our conversation:

• Mindstorms: Children, Computers, And Powerful Ideas: https://www.amazon.com/Mindstorms-Children-Computers-Powerful-Ideas/dp/0465046746
• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience: https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Psychology-Experience-Perennial-Classics/dp/0061339202/
• Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences: https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Games-Guide-Engineering-Experiences/dp/1449337937/

We’d also like to thank Overwolf for making this episode possible! Whether you're a gamer, creator, or game studio, Overwolf is the ultimate destination for integrating UGC in games! You can check out all Overwolf has to offer at https://www.overwolf.com/

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.