EFWSOT with Barry Dorf

John Madden Called Me a Nerd! Barry Dorf on the Early Days of EA Sports | EFWSOT Welcome to another exciting episode of Everything's Fine We're Shipping on Time with Ric and Gary! This week, we are joined by our good friend and gaming industry Biz Dev icon, Barry Dorf. Barry takes us on a hilarious and insightful journey through his career, starting from the trenches of Electronic Arts (EA) Customer Support to becoming a powerhouse in business development. Listen in as Barry shares legendary behind-the-scenes stories, including the time he wrote voiceover scripts for John Madden (and exactly how Madden reacted to his specific stat-tracking!). We also dive into the creation of the EA Sports Edge for early fantasy football, his entrepreneurial leap founding Game Strata, and his time leading negotiations for massive gaming companies. Whether you're a fan of classic 90s gaming history or looking for a masterclass on how to build a career in the games industry, Barry drops some incredible advice—including his famous "Plus One" philosophy for career advancement. 🔔 Don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more amazing stories from the veterans of the video game industry! ⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: Welcome Barry Dorf! 4:04 - The legendary John Madden recording booth story 09:04 - Creating EA Sports Edge & the early days of fantasy football 18:22 - The "Plus One" Philosophy: How to get promoted in gaming 20:04 - Transitioning into Business Development without a law degree 23:06 - Mobile gaming economics, LTV, and knowing when to walk away from a deal 30:18 - Barry's advice for breaking into the games industry today