How to Succeed in Co-Development: Sam Carlisle Interview
GDC Festival of Gaming spotlights co-development in a GDC Side Quest conversation between Beth Elderkin and XDS Spark co-founder Sam Carlisle. The discussion frames external development as a partnership that lives or dies on clear expectations, communication, and trust.
For studios that rely on co-dev to hit scope, ship faster, or fill specialist gaps, the practical takeaway is straightforward: onboarding and alignment matter as much as raw output. That includes defining ownership, keeping feedback loops tight, and making sure both sides understand the production constraints they’re working under.
The timing is also a reminder that GDC continues to position external development as a major production topic, alongside design, programming, audio, art, business, and production. GDC returns March 1-5, 2027 in San Francisco, and the channel continues to publish daily talks and interviews for teams looking for process-level takeaways.
“Whether you're hiring a co-development team or becoming one yourselves, it's important to know what to expect.”
- what
- GDC Side Quest features a conversation about co-development, external development, collaboration, and trust.
- who
- Beth Elderkin interviews Sam Carlisle, co-founder of XDS Spark.
- when
- GDC returns March 1-5, 2027, in San Francisco.
- impact
- Useful for studios hiring co-dev partners or working as external teams.
Informational discussion of co-dev practices and GDC timing.
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