Play, Watch, Listen

This week, Austin and Alanah sit down to talk to Mike Laidlaw, the game director of Dragon Age: Origins who most recently started his own studio and make ETERNAL STRANDS. Which Austin also worked on, because of course he did. He cannot be contained.

Apologies for the delay here - the audio file was corrupted! This week, Mike and Alanah are joined by Strange Scaffold's Xalavier Nelson Jr to talk about how the studio makes so many high quality games, and what it really means to be a good game director.

After a break due to the LA fires - which we talk about to begin with here - we chat about a recent 200-page document called "The State of Video Games in 2025" from Matthew Ball. If you'd like links to the charities we mentioned, please check those out on the YouTube version of the podcast!

Happy four years of PWL! Sorry about Mike's audio here, we don't know what happened.

Alanah left her job at Sony, and Mike got in trouble for saying something on Bluesky. We discuss the state of the games industry now that it's December 2024, and the notion that "indies will save" everything.

We're back from a brief hiatus! Immediately discussing: should Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree be nominated for GOTY even though it's a DLC? Also: Mike announced another video game! 

This week, FROSTPUNK 2! 

This week, AUSTIN TURNS 40 (technically over a week ago at the time of publishing). So, we indulge him with almost an entire episode about Star Wars (Outlaws) and video game bugs.

This week, Alanah, Austin, and Mike discuss the economic state of the games industry and if game prices need to go from $60 to $70.

After a month off, we have returned to bring you TOP QUALITY VIDEO GAME CONTENT! But mostly, a lot of us talking about the TV show The Expanse. And Sex in the City?

Austin, Mike, and Alanah chat about Austin's demanding freelance schedule, the GamePass price increase (and GamePass' impact as a whole), and the Halifax Harbor Explosion. Note: almost all details of said Halifax explosion are, indeed, incorrect.

Alanah and Mike discuss OLD game development! And Myst! 

This week we talk about Summer Game Fest and, because we never stay on topic, music licensing! Also featuring Rahul. 

This episode features journalist Nathan Grayson chatting to Mike and Alanah about the state of games journalism (and that side of the industry) in 2024. This comes after IGN announced multiple aquisitions.

This week, Alanah and Austin chat to one of the creators of the Fallout franchise, Tim Cain, all about the Fallout TV show. Includes spoilers.

This week, we talk to Abubakar Salim about his transition from actor to full-blown game director. How did he do it!?

Featuring Rahul Kohli, and the return of Troy, AND we're all in the same room!?

This week, Mike and Alanah chat about GDC, LinkedIn, business cards, and give great life advice.

A LOT OF TOPICS THIS WEEK, WE SIMPLY CAN'T BE CONTAINED.

This week Mike and Alanah chat about the continued lay-offs impacting the games industry.

It's an Austin and Alanah special, and we actually talk about video games the WHOLE TIME!? This week, we talk about games we wish we could play again, and games that fundamentally 'change' however many hours in.

The title says it all, I don't understand what more context you could possibly need?

Apologies for the weird audio mix here. Regardless, this week we talk about Society of the Snow (a little), and then delve into the world of AI and capitalism. Again. Oh no.

This is publishing a little later than planned because of internet issues, but this week we talk about Cunk on Earth, game direction, and more! Thanks for another year of listening to Play, Watch, Listen, everyone!

You can't talk about good games this year without also talking about lay-offs, so hey, let's do both!