The Brainy Gamer

Brainy Gamer Podcast - Episode 23

   

This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast focuses on games that can make a difference. It features interviews with two people in the vanguard of innovative game design for social change: Suzanne Seggerman (pictured left) president and co-founder of Games for Change; and Mary Flanagan (pictured right), founder of the Tiltfactor Lab and Values at Play initiative. We discuss a wide range of topics, and we gear up for the G4C Festival in New York City later this month.

• Listen to any episode of the podcast directly from this page by clicking the yellow "Listen Now" button on the right.

• Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here.
• Subscribe to the podcast feed here.

• Download the podcast directly here.

Show links:

• Games for Change
• Tiltfactor Lab
• Values at Play
• Grow-A-Game cards
• PeaceMaker
• James Gee
• Games for Change listserv
• G4C Toolkit

Brainy Gamer Podcast: post-GDC edition

This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features a 2-volume post-GDC extravaganza of Gamers Confab goodness. Join me and my guests as we discuss what we learned at this year's Game Developer's Conference.

Volume 1:   

Segment 1: N'Gai Croal, game design consultant at newly-formed Hit Detection and former games and technology journalist at Newsweek; and Manveer Heir, designer at Raven Software and author of Design Rampage.

Segment 2: Corvus Elrod of Man Bytes Blog; and Chris Dahlen of Save the Robot.

Download Volume 1 directly here.

---

Volume 2:

Segment 1: Leigh Alexander, news director at Gamasutra and author of Sexy Videogameland; Nels Anderson, gameplay programmer at Hothead Games and author of Above 49; and David Carlton of Malvasia Bianca.

Segment 2: Ben Fritz of The Cut Scene; Wes Erdelack (aka Iroquois Pliskin) of Versus Clu Clu Land; and Duncan Fyfe of Hit Self-Destruct.

Download Volume 2 directly here.

---

Both volumes are available via iTunes here.
You can subscribe to my podcast feed here.

Enjoy!!

Podcast(s) on the way

This weekend I'm recording several Gamers Confab segments for the next episode of the podcast. This edition features a terrific lineup of guests - so terrific, in fact, that one podcast can't possibly hold all their Confabulous-ness. Be on the lookout for a two-part episode to appear (barring any editing snafus) on Sunday night. I hope you enjoy!

Note: Well, the snafu arrived in the form of torrential rain and a flooded basement. I'll post the podcast as soon as I can on Monday. Sorry for the delay.

Brainy Gamer Podcast - Episode 21

This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features an interview with Kellee Santiago and Jenova Chen, co-founders of thatgamecompany and creators of Flower. We discuss a variety of topics, including TGC's design philosophy, the road from Cloud to Flower, starting a game company from scratch, the liberating nature of limitations...and, of course Flower.

Also, a fond farewell to N'Gai Croal, and gearing up for GDC...all in this episode of the Brainy Gamer Podcast!

• Listen to any episode of the podcast directly from this page by clicking the yellow "Listen Now" button on the right.

• Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here.
• Subscribe to the podcast feed here.

• Download the podcast directly here.

Brainy Gamer Podcast - Episode 20

This episode is big on story and small on spoilers! Downloadable content as betrayal; the virtues of peace, love, and green lipstick; the reviewer as critic; and why one player's narrative may be another player's imposition...all in this episode of the Brainy Gamer Podcast!

• Listen to any of the Brainy Gamer podcasts directly from this page by clicking the yellow "Listen Now" button on the right.

• Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here.
• Subscribe to the podcast feed here.

• Download the podcast directly here.

First Wall Rebate

The friendly guys over at First Wall Rebate kindly invited me to do a guest spot on their most recent podcast. We discussed the recent shake-up at 1UP, and I performed my very best impersonation of a games media analyst. I enjoyed the conversation and appreciated the opportunity.

You can download the podcast here.

Brainy Gamer Podcast - Holiday edition

This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features a holiday extravaganza of Gamers Confab goodness: a 3-volume confection featuring a sleigh full of games bloggers all discussing our favorite games of 2008!

Volume 1:

Segment 1: Leigh Alexander from Sexy Videogameland; Kirk Battle (aka L.B. Jeffries) from Banana Pepper Martinis; Mike Schiller from PopMatters; and Roger Travis from the Video Games and Human Values Initiative.

Segment 2: Daniel Purvis from Graffiti Gamer; Ben Abraham from SLRC; Trevor Dodge from Male Hipster Leering and the First Wall Rebate Podcast; and David Carlton from Malvasia Bianca.

Download Volume 1 directly here.

---

Volume 2:

Segment 1: Corvus Elrod from Man Bytes Blog; Mitch Krpata from Insult Swordfighting; Dan Bruno from Cruise Elroy; and Spencer Greenwood from Noble Carrots.

Segment 2: Chris Dahlen from Save the Robot; Sparky Clarkson from Discount Thoughts; and Matthew Gallant from The Quixotic Engineer.

Download Volume 2 directly here.

---

Volume 3:

Steve Gaynor of the Fullbright blog and 2K Marin; Wes Erdelack (aka Iroquois Pliskin) of Versus Clu Clu Land; and Tom Kim of Gamasutra Radio.

Finally, in the closing segment I reveal my favorite game of 2008 while also shamelessly gaming the system.

Download Volume 3 directly here.

---

All three volumes are available via Tunes here.
You can subscribe to my podcast feed here.

Happy holidays everyone!!

Holiday podcast surprise

Recording is underway for my special "A Very Brainy Gamer Christmas" (no, really!) podcast featuring the most ambitious Gamers Confab ever! All your favorite blog-o-licious writers will be on hand to celebrate the year that is and was 2008. I won't spoil the surprise, but I think you'll enjoy the 2-volume holiday concoction we're cooking up for you.

Look for both episodes to appear this weekend. Thanks very much for listening.

Brainy Gamer Podcast - Episode 18

 
This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features Leigh Alexander and Mitch Krpata in the Gamers Confab where we discuss our games of the month and the current state of the survival horror genre. We also chat about the game review grind; remind ourselves that games cost money; and remove the 4th-wall in a horrifyingly authentic podcast recording surprise in which no harm comes to Leigh whatsoever!

All this, and a plea for slowing down, in this edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast!

Leigh Alexander's Sexy Videogameland   
Mitch Krpata's Insult Swordfighting

Mitch's review of Dead Space
Mitch's review of Silent Hill: Homecoming
Leigh's "Does Survival Horror Really Still Exist?"
Leigh's review of Silent Hill: Homecoming

• Listen to any of the Brainy Gamer podcasts directly from this page by clicking the yellow "Listen Now" button on the right.

• Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here.
• Subscribe to the podcast feed here.

• Download the podcast directly here.

The other side of the mic

The good folks over at PALGN kindly invited me to chat with them for their podcast, and the episode has now been posted at their site. I want to thank Daniel Golding for hosting such a thoughtful interview and his partner Evan Stubbs for helping arrange it.

I don't know how PALGN's excellent show flew under my radar for so long, but I strongly recommend it if you're looking for a consistently interesting and well-produced podcast devoted to video games. PALGN is based in Australia and has grown to become one of the most popular video game sites in the country.

You can find the interview on The PALGN Podcast, Episode 46.