S.Swink: Game Feel: A Game Designer's Guide to Virtual Sensation
Alexander R. Galloway: Gaming: Essays On Algorithmic Culture
Ian Bogost: Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames
M.Barton: Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games
Jeff Howard: Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives
Wardrip-Fruin, Harrigan: First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game
Jesper Juul: Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds
Nick Montfort: Twisty Little Passages: An Approach to Interactive Fiction
This edition of the show features an interview with Tom Bissell, author of the new book Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter. We discuss why Tom wrote the book; why Mirror's Edge is a better game than you think; why we ought to cut game designers some slack; and many other topics.
I hope you enjoy the show.
After a Shakespeare-induced hiatus, the Brainy Gamer podcast is back!
This edition of the show features two interesting conversations. In the first segment I chat with Jamin Brophy-Warren and Chris Dahlen, co-creators of Kill Screen. We discuss their new magazine, writing about games, Roger Ebert's 4-star review of The Phantom Menace, and many other topics.
In Segment 2 I talk with indie designer Jason Rohrer (Sleep is Death, Passage) about his work, his involvement in the art game movement, and the importance of simplicity.
Show links:
This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features a holiday extravaganza of Gamers Confab goodness: a 4-volume confection featuring a gaggle of bloggers, journalists, and designers all discussing our favorite games of 2009.
This final segment includes Matthew Gallant from The Quixotic Engineer; Alex Raymond from The Border House; and Denis Farr from Gay Gamer and Vorpal Bunny Ranch. (Guests pictured on right.)
Show links:
Clicking on the links below will ruin the surprise, but if you feel you must...
This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features a holiday extravaganza of Gamers Confab goodness: a 4-volume confection featuring a gaggle of bloggers, journalists, and designers all discussing our favorite games of 2009.
Part 3 includes writer Tom Bissell, whose work has appeared in Harper's Magazine and The New Yorker; Manveer Heir, lead designer at Raven Software and author of the Design Rampage blog; and Mitch Krpata, who reviews games for The Phoenix and Paste Magazine and writes the Insult Swordfighting blog. (Guests pictured on right.)
Segment 4 will arrive in a couple of days. I hope you enjoy!
Show links:
Clicking on the links below will ruin the surprise, but if you feel you must...
This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features a holiday extravaganza of Gamers Confab goodness: a 4-volume confection featuring a gaggle of bloggers, journalists, and designers all discussing our favorite games of 2009.
Part 2 includes Leigh Alexander, news director at Gamasutra; Corvus Elrod from Zakelro Studio; and Nels Anderson from Hothead Games and his blog Above 49. (Guests pictured on right.)
Segments 3 and 4 will arrive in the coming days. I hope you enjoy!
Show links:
This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features a holiday extravaganza of Gamers Confab goodness: a 4-volume confection featuring a gaggle of bloggers, journalists, and designers all discussing our favorite games of 2009.
Part 1 includes Steve Gaynor of 2K Marin and the Fullbright blog; Kirk Battle (aka L.B. Jeffries) of Banana Pepper Martinis and PopMatters; and Chris Dahlen of the Onion A.V. Club and Edge Online. (Guests pictured on right)
Segments 2-4 will arrive in the coming days. I hope you enjoy!
Show links:
Had your fill of the "Are Games Art?" debate? This edition of the podcast, featuring an interview with veteran game designer Brenda Brathwaite and art historian John Sharp, takes the conversation in a different and, I hope, more useful direction. Focusing on Brenda's remarkably poignant game Train, we discuss the intersection of art and game design and consider how a designer's personal vision and game design skills dovetail in the conception and development of a new game.
We also discuss John's views on the coming Ludic Age, and both guests share their thoughts on educating young designers for careers in the game industry. These and a variety of other topics - including an exciting conference announcement - in this edition of the Brainy Gamer podcast.
Note: If you're unfamiliar with Train, I highly recommend reading Ian Bogost's thoughtful account of it at Gamasutra. I'm linking to the section of his article that deals directly with Train, but I hope you'll read the entire piece. C'mon, it's Bogost. You know it'll be interesting. :-)
Show links:
The Summer of Confabs concludes with a conversation featuring Chris Dahlen of Edge Online and The Onion A.V. Club; and Manveer Heir of Raven Software and the Design Rampage blog.
We discuss ambiguity in games, why nobody's talking about Dragon Age, Nintendo on the margins, integrating social media the right and wrong way, and many other topics.
I hope you've enjoyed this series. It's been a pleasure bringing these shows to you, and I'm especially grateful to all my guests who made it possible. I hope you'll also check out segments 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Show links:
I'm celebrating podcast episode 25 with five new installments of the Gamers Confab. I hope you'll also check out segments 1, 2 and 3.
The Summer of Confabs continues with a conversation featuring Ben Fritz, L.A. Times entertainment reporter; Kirk Battle (a.k.a. L.B. Jeffries) from PopMatters and Banana Pepper Martinis; and Nick LaLone from Before Game Design.
We discuss the Nintendo platform conundrum, left-behind gameplay, and the elusiveness of innovation, among other topics.
Stay tuned for the final confab in the series, arriving tomorrow. I hope you enjoy.
Show links:
I'm celebrating podcast episode 25 with 5 (five!) new installments of the Gamers Confab. I hope you'll also check out segments 1 and 2.
The Summer of Confabs continues with a conversation featuring game writer and narrative designer Sande Chen (The Witcher); Justin Keverne from Groping the Elephant; and Roger Travis from Living Epic and the Video Games and Human Values Initiative.
We discuss the shifting sands of gameplay, game difficulty, and the "vernacular of games"; and we cast a quizzical glance at game pricing.
Stay tuned, as I'll be releasing 2 more Confabs in the days ahead. I hope you enjoy them.
Show links:
I'm celebrating podcast episode 25 with 5 (five!) new installments of the Gamers Confab. You can find the first one here, featuring Steve Gaynor from 2K Marin (Bioshock 2), Nels Anderson from Hothead Games (DeathSpank), and Wes Erdelack (aka Iroquois Pliskin) from the Versus CluClu Land blog.
Gamers Confab #2 features a conversation with guests Deirdra Kiai from Deirdra Kiai Productions and Hothead Games, Corvus Elrod from Man Bytes Blog, and Matthew Gallant from The Quixotic Engineer.
We discuss two significant controversies that arose this year, and we consider the growing momentum enjoyed by indie games.
Stay tuned, as I'll be releasing 3 more Confabs in the days ahead. I hope you enjoy them.
Show links:
I'm celebrating my 25th episode with a flurry of Gamers Confabs. This edition of the podcast features a conversation with guests Steve Gaynor from 2K Marin (Bioshock 2), Nels Anderson from Hothead Games (DeathSpank), and Wes Erdelack (aka Iroquois Pliskin) from the Versus CluClu Land blog.
We discuss the year in games to this point and the issues, people and games that have made the biggest impact.
Keep your eye on this space, as I'll be releasing 4 more Confabs with a gaggle of terrific guests over the next week. I hope you enjoy them.
Show links:
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