The Experience Points Podcast

It's easy for games to get lost in the crowded winter season, when huge games like Mass Effect and Call of Duty dominate dominate both sales charts and critical conversation.  This week, we have an in-depth discussion about a game that has been quietly lurking in the shadows: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories .  The most title recent in a long-running series, Shattered Memories re-imagines the first...

This past weekend concluded the 2010 San Francisco Game Developers Conference, which brought together developers from around the world to discuss all aspects of the games industry. Numerous talks were held covering a wide range of subject. One particularly interesting talk, embedded above, was by Chris Hecker, who called on designers to "finish" their games. Fittingly, we called on game developer...

As games evolve, more mainstream titles are incorporating elements of nudity.  This raises the question of nudity's importance.  In one sense, its value is derived from what it represents in terms of the story or the characters.  Nudity is also useful for examining wider societal issues and cultural norms.  But what if we had to assign nudity an actual economic worth?  Does $3 sound about right ?...

It is hard to look away from the onslaught of newly released titles, which time to pique our interest with all these "fresh" ideas. But games have been around for a while now, and not every game is a glistening display of pure innovation. We have old roots that are worthy of exploration. Or, as Evan Stubbs suggests, those seeking to expand the medium have an obligation to reexamine older titles an...

Remember back in October, when we tried to guess which new fall titles would be the biggest sellers of the season ?  This week, we reveal the much anticipated outcome.  The whole experiment was much more complicated than we bargained for, but we came away with some interesting lessons about the allure of franchises, the supposed "casual/core" dichotomy, and the shadowy world of sales numbers. Belo...

Take a look at the trailer for Vanquish above. This is the latest work from Shinji Mikami, famed creator of the Resident Evil franchise. What exactly is going on here? What type of game is this? We've got a gruff looking space marine fighting robot aliens. What are we supposed to get out of this trailer? Which brings us to this week's topic: What are we supposed to get out of trailers in general?...

For a long time, many video games have sought to emulate storytelling techniques found in film, particularly the ways a story is visually conveyed. While a growing number of people are questioning the wisdom of this goal, "cinematic" is still usually a complementary term used to describe games. This week, we turn the tables and examine how aesthetic techniques from video games are influencing TV a...

To his personal shame, Scott had never played any of the Halo games. So we decided to drop into the franchise from orbit, pull Halo one from cryo, and mount up as Master Chief. Scott and I have just finished playing the first two Halos (on Legendary mode) and want to take a moment to discuss our thoughts on the birth of a truly epic franchise. Podcast topics this week include the dangers of zombie...

We routinely talk about the impressive content within games, but, in today's market, the way in which we procure that content is equally striking.  Digital distribution is changing long-standing traditions regarding how games are sold and played: an increasing number of both games and players are leaving discs and cartridges behind in favor of ones and zeroes.  Inspired by Evan Stubbs' article on...

Few genres have seen a rise and fall like the once illustrious Japanese RPG. There still exists a strong core group of players dedicated to the JRPG, but could the poor showing of Japanese titles in 2009 be the death knell for a dying art form? Jeff Fleming think so. This week on the EXP Podcast, inspired by his recent opinion piece, Scott and I visit to the local genre hospital and discuss the he...

Put on your robes and wizard hats folks: it's time to do some role-playing.  Whether you are playing as a knight, a space marine, or a rogue treasure hunter, video games give the player an opportunity to assume an identity different from their own.  However, the increasing complexity ofRPGs as well as the inclusion of sophisticated characters in non-RPG games can lead to a conflict between the pla...

The best games of 2009 have been selected and I have joined an unsurprising chorus of individuals who laud Uncharted 2: Among Thieves as their experience of the year. Such a title, however, with its unapologetic approach to cinematic game design, may hold untold dangers for the medium. So begins this week's conversation about the successes and failures of Uncharted 2 . Once again, Scott and I focu...

As 2009 draws to a close, it's time to take a step back and reflect on the games we played over the year.  Being the rebels that we are, Jorge and I are even letting pre-2009 games get in on all the GOTY action played numerous games this past year that were not even released in 2009.  Instead of abandoning them to the sands of time, we decided to do a super-sized show that highlights both our favo...

The innards of the videogame industry are dark, mysterious, and just a little bit icky. According to a recent article by Leigh Alexander, not all is merry for our game developers this holiday season. Some people who have put in a lot of work are being ignored, by publishers and gamers alike. Maybe, as Joshua Lin describes, we need more videogame celebrities as advocates and developer representativ...

Every so often, the fall's harvest yields an extra-special crop, a crop in which fungus is the bounty rather than the blight.  New Super Mario Bros. Wii is out and provoking unusually disparate reactions.  In order to share our thoughts on the game, Jorge and I have called a truce on throwing each other into lava pits for just long enough to record a podcast.  We discuss our impressions, the madne...

What makes Mario such a memorable character? Is it that sweet mustache? Those flattering overalls? Could it be his trademark 'woohoo'? Or is his appeal coincidental? How would Faith from Mirror's Edge measure up? These topics are on our minds thanks to a fascinating article by Andrew Vanden Bossche discussing game design and its influence on memorable characters. This week on the EXP Podcast, join...

It's amazing (and frightening, depending on your viewpoint) how quickly social networking websites have become part of our daily lives.  In 2004, who would have thought that [The] Facebook would be keeping track of their video game accomplishments?  In 2006, Twitter asked the world "What are you doing?" and now we can answer its nagging inquiry by replying: "I'm updating you on my Xbox."  As Web 2...

Continuing our holiday theme, Scott and I reached into our 'epic' spreadsheet of podcast topics to share with your our seasonal leftovers. From dark Disney characters to videogame weapons, these six stories are a little old, but still have a lot of flavor. Join us while we discuss persistent world narcissism, games of the decade, in-game trust, and old-school medallions. As always, you can find al...

"Thank you Mario. But our princess is in another castle!  I'll show you the way...for only $5!"  This scenario might be an exaggerated nightmare, but the world of DLC is becoming an increasingly complicated one.  The recently released Dragon Age: Origins launched with day-one premium content, some of which is actually offered by in-game NPCs.  Unsurprisingly, many gamers vehemently disapproved of...

Big chubby news recently came out of Nintendo: Their next DS version is imminent, and it is a much larger beast than we are used to. The DSi LL (DSi XL for the western market), is a whopper compared to its older sibling. Its screen is fully 93% larger than the original DSi. Take that poor eye sight. This week, Scott and I tackle this behemoth and discuss the current state of handhelds, what we've...

Invisible coin blocks, hidden passages within a level, and obscure collectible trinkets are just a few of the conventions often turn games into digital Easter egg hunts.  However, in a time when large numbers of gamers never even bother to finish a game's main story mode, the reason behind the near-ubiquitous inclusion of in-game secrets is a mystery unto itself.  This week, we use Andrew Vanden B...

Our console generation is getting old, and there doesn't seem to be a new model in our immediate future. So what is going to happen to those "Next Gen" games we are perpetually looking forward to? According to LukePlunkett of Kotaku , we might be short on innovative wonders for awhile. This week, Scott and I delve into Plunkett's somewhat controversial piece. Join us while we discuss generational...

He has been called a heartless, devilish, carpetbagger .  He is unapologetic about his mission to take the fun out of making video games .  He has inspired neo-folk protest songs .  He is Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision.  This week, we discuss one of gaming's most infamous characters and his influence on the medium.  We cover capitalism, sensational journalism, and some light conspiracy theory in...

Last month, previous EXP podcast guest Nels Anderson made an interesting claim: videogames have far more in common with television than film. Truly the Citizen Kane of comparisons. Scott and I watch a lot of television, but we're no experts. So this week we thought it appropriate to discuss these two mediums with another guest. Joining us this week is JustinKeverne of Groping The Elephant . We are...

The Fall release season is upon us, bringing with it its annual gaming bounty.  While it may be humanly impossible for us to play all of the new releases, nothing is stopping us from trying to guess what other people will play.  This week, Jorge and I channel our inner Michael Pachter and enter into a gentleman's agreement: We each came up with a list of what we believe will be the top ten best-se...