Idle Thumbs

On our second day, Douglas Wilson introduces new team members Laura E. Hall and Jey Biddulph before comparing and contrasting their work at Meridian Adventure Co. in Portland with Alex and Shang Lun’s Earthrise One at PlayReactive in Melbourne. After that, things fall apart when we go to Ecurve, where Goldie, Stephanie, Shang Lun and Amani do a walkthrough of M&M'S® The Big Escape, a candy-coated...

Rob, Troy, and Bruce get together to discuss Mark Herman's epic wargame of the Peloponnesian Wars, Pericles. How does it capture the sweep of a vast historical subject that was only sometimes decided through military conquest?

Something True 2.6: L'Arme X by Idle Thumbs

Gemini Man's trailer and its international counterpart are subtilely different; we discuss why we think those distinctions were made along with the practical and very specific cultural considerations which need to be made when editing trailers for international markets. For more about international trailers watch Ric's LACPUG talk! Trailers Discussed: Gemini Man Trailer 1, Gemini Man Trailer 2, Ge...

Something True 2.5: The Trip to Telegraph Creek by Idle Thumbs

Let the games begin! Lee Shang Lun leads our first full episode where we meet the team, talk about the origins of the podcast, and tease out some possibilities for playing well. During a short interlude, Alexandra, Laura, and Doug introduce the ins and outs of escape rooms before the group debriefs about their first day playing together at the Escape Room franchise in Berjaya Times Square—a parlor...

Something True 2.4: Okaasan by Idle Thumbs

The Tehran Conference. The meeting at Appomattox. The Council of Elrond. All historical gatherings that pale in comparison to the summit that occurred in late July 2019 as the Three Moves Ahead team gathered in Oregon for several days of gaming. Hosted by Dr. Bruce Geryk, Gerykon 2019 was attended by Michael Hermes, Rob Zacny, and Troy "I hope they let me back into Canada" Goodfellow. Bruce played...

Every Game in This City is a podcast about ten game designers, researchers, and curators who met up in Malaysia to try and play every escape room in Kuala Lumpur. In this short introduction, Stephanie, Patrick, and Doug set the stage and describe the motivation and methods behind the project. They talk about what the podcast is, what it isn’t, and speculate on some of the challenges that await as...

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Brendon Chung, best known for his work on Atom Zombie Smasher, Thirty Flights of Loving, and Quadrilateral Cowboy. They discuss why Xbox Live Indie Games didn’t take off, what exactly happens at the end of Atom Zombie Smasher, and how streaming game development made him work harder than ever before. Games discussed: Flotilla, Air Forte,...

CATS is destroying the internet with the release of its new trailer. We discuss it, as well as the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. And we answer your questions about our favorite trailers, and the future of the movie and game trailer industry. Trailers Discussed: CATS, Sweeney Todd, Top Gun: Maverick, IT: Chapter Two, The Fountain, Fifty Shades of Grey, Across the Universe, Sin City, Quadrilateral...

Rob and the gang are deeply conflicted over Steel Division 2. A good multiplayer game with some genuinely impressive detail about the armored combat on the Eastern Front, it's also a game that has not grown to match its subject, and then there's the matter of that campaign...

Something True 2.3: Citizen Tim by Idle Thumbs

Something True 2.2: Baatar by Idle Thumbs

Filling a blank timeline is probably the hardest thing a trailer editor does in their job. In this episode we discuss the trailer for Knives Out, the latest whodunnit film by Rian Johnson, and our process for filling in an empty timeline after we've finished breaking down our dialogue and video footage. If you have trouble with editor's block, some of our tips should help you get going! Trailers D...

Something True is back, with the story of a celebrated opera singer who set fire to a convent and whipped the buttocks of Parisian lotharios. Luciano Pavarotti? No, Julie d'Aubigny, who in 17th century Paris delighted the upper classes from the stage and duelled them in the streets. Join us for the dramatic, passionate tale of a life lived fast and furious. Learn more at http://somethingtrue.net

Rob, Rowan, TJ, and Sean discuss how "historicaly" they like their games to play out and whether that wish is incompatibile with player freedom and varietty.

The opera singer who burned down a convent. A naked man who saved the life of Genghis Khan. An astronomer who ate bad beef. These are true stories, but they aren't about people who changed the world. You won't read about them on the Wikipedia page for "history", or hear them on a podcast about trains. These stories are of weird creeps and unlucky management consultants, whose lives and legacies cr...

Happy Independence Day! In this special episode, Derek and Ric talk about the trailers for both Independence Day movies. From the first film's iconic teaser to Resurgence's viral videos, we do a deep dive and see what lessons can be learned. “They like to get the landmarks” Trailers Discussed: Jumanji: The Next Level, Hobbs & Shaw, Stuber, Independence Day Teaser, Independence Day Trailer, Indepen...

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Brendon Chung, best known for his work on Atom Zombie Smasher, Thirty Flights of Loving, and Quadrilateral Cowboy. They discuss how to make an adventure game inside of Doom, why he won’t read text popups but will read the back of cereal boxes, and what does the ending of Gravity Bone mean. Games discussed: Sierra Adventure Games, Doom, X...

Rob and Troy are bad revolutionary judges in We. The Revolution. But is there such thing as a good judge on a tribunal as compromised as this? It doesn't look like it in Polyslash's grim political adventure. The gang discuss the historical perspective that We. The Revolution adopts as well as its curious feature-creep as it moves from a straightforward legal procedural to something far more ambiti...

How do you get to be a trailer editor? In this episode Derek and Ric talk about breaking into the industry, creating a reel and getting your foot in the door. We also talk about E3 and dive into the trailers for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the remake of Final Fantasy VII. Trailers Discussed: Watch Dogs: Legion, Cyberpunk 2077, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2...

Nice island you got here, shame if it wasn't fully industrialized! Fortunately Jon, Troy, and Rob are here to strip mine, clear-cut, and redevelop the hell out everything in sight. Troy puts this latest entry in the broader context of both the series and city builders in generals, Jon has made some mistakes, and Rob is both dazzled by the game's beauty but wishes it more fully captured the impact...

Starting a new trailer from breaking down a film or game, searching for music, and coming up with ideas is this week's topic! We also talk about recent Golden Trailer Award winners John Wick 3, A Star is Born, and the latest trailer for the Hideo Kojima game Death Stranding. Trailers Discussed: John Wick 3, A Star is Born, Death Stranding, The Davinci Code, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, S...

In this episode, Soren and Leyla Johnson interview independent game developer Rami Ismail of Vlambeer, best known for his work on Super Crate Box, Ridiculous Fishing, Luftrausers, and Nuclear Throne. They discuss why he started a company with someone he couldn’t stand, how to make games in a place without electricity, and why the world “inclusivity” can still be exclusionary. Games discussed: Star...