Author Archives: Ben Retan

About Ben Retan

I'm a designer/developer/musician and my life revolves around music and technology. I spend most of my time playing guitar, working on games, or recording music. In what little free time I have outside of that, I like to act and sing whenever I get the chance.

OVER A YEAR IN THE MAKING

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Ben Retan

This episode on the podcast ‘Out of Play Area’ features Lead AI/Encounter Designer, Ben Retan as he and the host talk about games, science ad life philosophies! Continue reading →

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How The West Was Won (an analysis of AI as applied to gaming), part 1

Posted on March 12, 2022 by Ben Retan

I might be slightly biased since my current focus for the past few years has been on Artificial Intelligence, but it seems like, in this past year, there were many more AI talks at major gaming conferences than in the … Continue reading →

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The Chinese Room

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Ben Retan

This philosophical thought experiment explores what it means to be human and have ‘intelligence’ Continue reading →

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“I’m a problem solver…that’s just, you know…what I do…” – Every Game Designer Ever

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Ben Retan
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When I say kick it, you kick it with a tasty groove! (Using MIDI controllers to tune video games)

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Ben Retan

For years, sound/lighting have known that in order to be able to discover and capture the “magic” of their various mediums, having real-time feedback is key and it’s almost asinine that as an industry that sees so clearly how important … Continue reading →

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Some People Say That I’m a Dreamer. Well, I’m not the only one….

Posted on December 17, 2021 by Ben Retan

“Dream Week”, an opportunity for people to remember why we all love to do what we do, in particular video games Continue reading →

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Life, Liberty and The Pursuit Of Video Games

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Ben Retan

Commentary On Mature Themes depicted in video games and the constitutional rights of citizens and game makers.

(Note: The opinions expressed in this article are solely my own and do not represent the opinions of my employers or any other organization. ) Continue reading →

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A Look Forward and A Look Back

Posted on May 30, 2021 by Ben Retan

I can’t express how much I am enjoying my position as Lead AI and Encounter Designer at Hangar 13. We are doing some really exciting work that is utilizing many of the latest advancements in AI and I am looking … Continue reading →

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Success Story @ GDC

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Ben Retan

I am honored and privileged to have been a member of the Conference Associates program at Games Developers’ Conference for over 11 years. I started when I was still in college and it has been an invaluable community of highly … Continue reading →

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Ben Retan Demo Reel 2018

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Ben Retan
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