# 56 | Jessie Contour Gets a Haircut: Arcades, Games, and Why We Still Need to Be in the Same Room

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/splitting-hairs-with-tab-salsman-6475972/56-jessie-contour-gets-a-haircut-arcades-games-and-why-we-still-need-to-be-in-the-same-room
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/splitting-hairs-with-tab-salsman-6475972/56-jessie-contour-gets-a-haircut-arcades-games-and-why-we-still-need-to-be-in-the-same-room.md
Podcast: [Splitting Hairs with Tab Salsman](https://stenobird.com/podcast/splitting-hairs-with-tab-salsman-6475972)
Published: 2026-02-09T14:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tabcutshair/episodes/56--Jessie-Contour-Gets-a-Haircut-Arcades--Games--and-Why-We-Still-Need-to-Be-in-the-Same-Room-e3enp8m
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/e568ebe8/podcast/play/115122902/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-6%2F417592758-44100-2-4f1b70f31b976.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/splitting-hairs-with-tab-salsman-6475972/episodes/56-jessie-contour-gets-a-haircut-arcades-games-and-why-we-still-need-to-be-in-the-same-room
Duration seconds: 5533

## Resource

Jessie Contour sits down for a haircut and a wide ranging conversation about games, arcades, and why physical spaces still matter in an increasingly digital world. Jessie is a creative technologist, game designer, educator, and gym owner whose work spans AAA games, museums, immersive media, and community driven experiences. We talk about growing up with arcades, Dungeons and Dragons, and early video games, and why those shared experiences shaped how we connect with each other. Jessie explains what immersive media really means, how game design influences real world behavior, and why simple, playful systems often create deeper engagement than high tech solutions. The conversation moves through teaching at the University of Texas, building arcade cabinets with students, designing games that are not for everyone, and why that is actually the point. We also get into strength sports, powerlifting, strongman training, owning a gym, and how physical training mirrors creative work. Doing the reps, building capacity, and finding your people. At its core, this episode is about third spaces, community, and resisting the idea that everything meaningful has to live on a screen. Find Jessie on Instagram at @professordeadlifts Train at her gym Home Barbell Club in North Austin at homebarbellclub.com and @homebarbellatx

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## Transcript

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