First Person: The personal stories of the creative people behind mobile gaming

Do you ever wonder about the genesis of a mobile game when you’re playing? What inspired the storyline? Who the voices behind the characters are?

At Google Play, we believe there is art, creativity and a real human story behind every mobile game. In celebration of the creative minds behind some of our favorite games, today we’re introducing First Person, a new Google Play video series that highlights the incredible personal stories of mobile game players, shakers and makers. Each episode features an individual from the mobile gaming world, who reveals their unique creative process and shares their stories of success, triumph and heartbreak.

Episodes are available on YouTube starting today. Meet our first three artists:

Ashly Burch, Guardians of the Galaxy TTG
Ashly Burch is an Emmy Award-winning voice actor who has soundtracked Aloy from “Horizon Zero Dawn” and Nebula from “Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series.” She is the co-creator of “Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin’?,” a series about preserving the playfulness of games. This episode highlights how practice and perseverance have been pivotal to Ashly’s process in bringing the most authentic voices to her games.

Bennett Foddy, Getting Over it With Bennett Foddy
Bennett Foddy is a video game designer and instructor at NYU’s Game Center. Bennett is known for developing difficult games like “QWOP” and” Getting Over it with Bennett Foddy,” both of which have attracted large online audiences. In this episode, Bennett shares why he thrives off of creating challenging games for audiences.

Vassiliki Khonsari, Fire Escape
Vassiliki Khonsari is the co-founder of iNK Stories and co-creator of the award-winning mobile game “1979 Revolution.” As a cultural anthropologist, Vassiliki works to educate and evoke conversation. Her latest work, “Fire Escape,”  is a VR experience which explores gentrification in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

See the full videos and learn more on YouTube.