Dev Game Club

A sudden emergency made recording our guest interview with Bill Roper impossible, so we postponed. Brett hops on the mic to quickly brief you on that, and to announce our next game! Next time : Still Bill Roper!   @brett_douville, @timlongojr, @devgameclub www.devgameclub.com devgameclub@gmail.com

Welcome to our fourth episode in our series examining Warcraft: Orcs and Humans . We finish off our discussion of the game, discussing the last few missions and turning to our takeways and pillars. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Humans 10-12 and Orcs 10-12 Podcast breakdown : 0:36     Segment 1: Last...

Welcome to our third episode in our series examining Warcraft: Orcs and Humans . We specifically discuss micro management, real-time strategy as a genre, and a bit of the Warcraft lore, though not to excess. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Humans 7-9 and Orcs 7-9, interleaved Podcast breakdown : 0:37 O...

Welcome to our second episode in our series examining Warcraft: Orcs and Humans . We specifically discuss unit introduction and the evolution of the genre and how it does and doesn't parallel tabletop wargaming. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Four more of each campaign -- Human 3-6, Orc 3-6 Podcast br...

In this first episode of our series discussing Warcraft: Orcs and Humans , we examine the relevance of the original game to the series as a whole and its genre in particular and begin delving into the mechanics on display in the first few levels of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : First two le...

In this final interview episode discussing recently remastered LucasArts classic Day of the Tentacle , we welcome two guests, DOTT co-leads Dave Grossman and Tim Schafer! We had a fascinating time talking with the two of them and getting their insights on what they were trying to do and where some of the decisions came from. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over se...

In this third episode discussing recently remastered LucasArts classic Day of the Tentacle , we finally move on to talk about specific puzzles -- this is a spoilery podcast. Plus, Tim has a moment of psychological devastation as Brett unveils the implications of his approach. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections pla...

In this second episode discussing recently remastered LucasArts classic Day of the Tentacle, we talk about how to move on when you get stuck and speculate about how these games were constructed. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Hard to say; approximately another third of the game (~3 hours) Podcast brea...

In this first episode discussing recently remastered LucasArts classic Day of the Tentacle, we talk about the influence of adventure games generally and the reputed mis-reporting of games being dead, as well as talking about the format of this game in particular. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Note : Brett keeps referr...

In this fifth and final episode discussing Final Fantasy IX, we explore Tim's difficulty finishing the game on time, the ending of the game, and the things we take away from it. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Pandemonium to end of game! Podcast breakdown : 0:32    Segment 1: Finishing the game 35:03  ...

In this fourth episode discussing Final Fantasy IX, we turn to the latter half of the game and Brett loses his mind over six hours riding chocobos. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : From Treno/Tetra Master Tournament to Pandemonium Podcast breakdown : 0:30      Podcast intro 1:02      Segment 1: Chocobos...

In this third episode discussing Final Fantasy IX, we welcome a bunch of new listeners. We return to talking about themes, some of which are evolving, but also pacing and combat balancing. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : From Black Mage Village to Treno (Tetra Master Tournament) Podcast breakdown : 0:2...

In this second episode discussing Final Fantasy IX, Tim believes he has fallen into an alternate reality where a whole different RPG genre has flourished (also known as: actual reality). Much of our discussion turns on the themes of the story and also turning to the tactical battles. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sect...

Turning to our third game, Dev Game Club goes to Japan with the new remastered re-release of Final Fantasy IX on PC. We establish the context for the series both in relation to other FF titles and discuss it in context of its release year of 2000 before turning to talk about what's going on in the beginning of the game. Plus, it's Tim's first time with a JRPG, so we talk about the genre itself a b...

In the fifth and final installment discussing Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, we talk to Janos Flösser, the founding Managing Director of IO Interactive and ultimately the Chief Creative Officer for Europe for Square Enix. Podcast breakdown: 0:22      Intro 1:27      Interview part 1 31:52    Break 32:20    Interview part 2 1:11:24 Break 1:11:45 Next time Issues covered : Janos's history and establishm...

In this fourth episode of discussing Hitman 2: Silent Assassin on Dev Game Club, we wrap up our play-through, and then turn to a discussion of what we feel are the game's pillars, discuss iterating on a series, and announce both a guest and our next game! Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Temple City Amb...

In this third episode of discussing Hitman 2: Silent Assassin on Dev Game Club, we talk about the next six missions in the game in-depth, spending some time talking about stereotypes and controversy surrounding the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Basement Killing Graveyard Shift The Jacuzzi Job M...

In this second episode of discussing Hitman 2: Silent Assassin on Dev Game Club, we talk about the next six missions in the game in-depth, touching mostly on different approaches to the same material but also discussing the ups and downs in our opinion. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Tubeway Torpedo I...

In this second series of the Dev Game Club, we talk about the relevance and place in history of Hitman 2: Silent Assassin , talk a bit about its stealth contemporaries and its descendants, before diving into the first few missions of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Gontranno Sanctuary Anathem...

This week, the Dev Game Club podcast welcomes special guest Ken Levine, founder of Irrational Games and designer/writer of System Shock 2! Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown : 0:33      Intro 1:50      Early days of SS2 and Irrational 31:33    Break 1 31:57    SS2 World-building, design, future 1:17:16 Br...

In this fourth beta edition episode of Dev Game Club, we continue to examine  System Shock 2 , finishing what remains of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Note : Though this is the fourth and final episode about our playing the game, we will have a special guest for episode 5! Having already started spoiling sto...

In this third beta edition of Dev Game Club, we continue to examine  System Shock 2 , moving through the rest of Hydroponics, then through Ops and Recreation (Decks 4 and 5). Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Note: This is the first episode where we'll spoil story stuff, so be warned if you're playing along. There's a big...

In this second beta edition of Dev Game Club, we continue to examine  System Shock 2 , moving through R&D and ultimately into Hydroponics B/C. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: R&D Cargo Bays Engineering Control/Engine Core Hydroponics B/C Podcast breakdown: 0:36   Intro 1:15   Discussion of SS2 begins (w...

In this inaugural beta edition of Dev Game Club, we talk about the relevance of System Shock 2, its precedents and antecedents, and cover the first couple of hours of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Show notes: DGC Ep 1 Sections played: Opening area, tutorial, character customization area, von Braun Med/Sci an...