80-Bit Podsmash

Penguin & Termite celebrate American Independence Day by discussing how video games represent America. We also break down lots of critiques about America, while running through lots of examples. Happy 4th! Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Penguin & Termite talk about how death works, and has worked, in video games. Almost every single video game has a death mechanic or system. What are they, how do they vary, how does it affect game design? We discuss... Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Penguin & Termite take on a surprise fourth entry of our series focusing on literary devices as they are applied in video games. This time we focus on setting. We define what it is along with discussing the various types of settings, with good and bad examples from video games. Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses...

Penguin & Termite continue our discussion of how things aren't free in video games. This time, it's all about water! Going to a water world may sound like the epitome of summer... But! Why is this is so difficult to get right? Why are the water levels the most infuriating levels in the history of video games? All this and more... Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune...

With the ongoing conversation around Returnal, Penguin & Termite continue our Developer Profile series by covering Housemarque. They are a wonderful Finish development studio that has a long history of making "shmup" and bullet hell style games. We talk about their history, pedigree of software and discuss future expectations. Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Twitch: https://twitch.tv./80bitpod...

E3 2021 is happening! Despite the digital format of the biggest video game event of the year, join us for our hype, speculation and anticipation. What's going on in the gaming industry? We run through all confirmed appearances, giving our own "get hype" moments.  Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/u...

Penguin & Termite get together over a beer to talk about the weather... systems in video games! Nothing is free in video game development. Everything is a crafted thing, including something that doesn't get a lot of attention, the weather. There are many, diverse weather systems that affect video games in various ways... we discuss Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tu...

Video games continue into the HD era, Leveraging new technology to tell stories in new ways, as Penguin & Termite push through Wikipedia's Best Video Games of All Time list. We walk through the years 2005 through 2006 of this curated list, while offering our perspective of the games themselves and the state of the industry at the time! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_games_considered_t...

Penguin & Termite explore neurodiversity and its place in the video game industry. What is neurodiversity, why are we talking about it? Neurodiversity is used to describe people of diverse neurotypes (types of brains) and explore human rights, dignity, and representation for everyone. It's a relatively new way to approach why and how different people game. We explore! Discord: https://discord.gg/t...

Penguin & Termite are kicking off a new series called "Gaming What Ifs." In each episode, we'll ask the question "what if.." something was drastically different, and explore that alternate reality. In this inaugural episode, we ask the question, "What if Sony's exclusives flopped?" What would the video game industry look like, what would the landscape be? Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music:...

Penguin & Termite discuss various types of loot systems throughout the history of video games. We also look at the current landscape of loot systems, the various types of them, and how they've evolved. How do loot systems relate to game design and progression? All this and more... Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licen...

Have you noticed there aren't player's guides promoted with each new video game release? What happened to the "guide with the game" promotions? What caused them to go away? How do you get your video game walkthroughs today? We discuss all this and more... Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Penguin & Termite discuss all things regarding the decision for developers to either make a new game IP or another entry in an existing franchise. Come learn why some dev studios pivot to new IP and the pros and cons of each. Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

With the release of Outriders last week, Penguin & Termite continue our Developer Profile series by covering People Can Fly, the game developer company. They are a wonderful Polish development studio that has a storied history with no real "ownership" of new IP until now. We talk about their history, pedigree of software and discuss future expectations. Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Twitch:...

Penguin & Termite often talk about the gaming industry, this time we turn the focus on people that make up the various video game communities. What type of communities are there? How do they get formed? What change can they bring and how do they affect the gaming industry at large? All this and more... Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://cre...

Penguin & Termite continue in the series where we take a deep dive in discussing specific video game consoles. This week, it's all about the Microsoft Xbox 360, the parent to modern consoles. We discuss the hardware, accessories, history, impact, and a definitive list of games for the console. The 360 brings with it - the official start to the HD era, and the beginning of the current, ubiquitous,...

Penguin & Termite are parents, with children old enough to start getting into video games. We explore the topic of Parental Controls! How do we approach the internet with safety in mind in a totally new and evolving landscape? What did we have growing up that's different from today? What do each of the major platforms offer in terms of protection and safety? Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Mus...

In video game software engineering, gravity is something game designers have intentionally added that's taken for granted. Penguin & Termite discuss how gravity programming has impacted the way we experience video games. How do you feel about fall damage? Well, that's one of limitless ways to implement gravity, we discuss... Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http...

Spring is in the air! Penguin & Termite are fed up with fishing in video games. We air our grievances while discussing the origins of fishing, try to explain why it's there, as well as the various ways video games utilize it. Fishing can be anything from a side, mini-game to completely integrated in the game. Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net htt...

Video games continue to get better, richer, more meaningful, and impactful as Penguin & Termite push through Wikipedia's Best Video Games of All Time list. We walk through the years 2002 through 2004 of this curated list, while offering our perspective of the games themselves and the state of the industry at the time! Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozze...

Penguin & Termite celebrate Valentine's Day by taking a deep dive into romance systems in video games. Where did they start? How have they evolved? How relatable are they in our lives? All this and more... Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/80bitpodsmash Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80bitpodsmash IG: https://www.instagram.com/80bitpodsmash/ Reddit:  https://www.reddit.com/r/80bitpodsmash Disco...

With the latest buggy debacle that was the Cyberpunk 2077 release, Penguin & Termite are inspired to talk about video game testing and Quality Assurance (QA). What does this process look like? What are the relationships between testers, development studios, and publishers? How has testing changed over the years? All this and more... Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/80bitpodsmash Facebook: https://...

Maybe the final entry in our Genre Deep Dive series of episodes; Penguin & Termite discuss puzzle games! It's more than just Tetris and Myst. We discuss how this genre has affected video games we love today, the history of the genre and of course, we discuss our favorite puzzle games! Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/80bitpodsmash Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80bitpodsmash IG: https://www.in...

Have you noticed the mingling of Hollywood and the video game industry? Penguin & Termite have! We discuss the occurrences of and various ways that celebrities have made their way into video games. What, if there even is, value does this bring to the video games which their involved with? Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.o...

Penguin & Termite tackle a discussion around criticizing video games. This is beyond reviewing, thinking about the reaction video games get from the fans vs actual critics. What makes a good critique? How is criticism an important part of any artistic ecosystem? We discuss... Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...