Brainy Gamer Podcast

In this episode I make my guestSteve Gaynorsquirm uncomfortably in his seat. Of course, we also discuss his new gameGone Home, creating authentic characters, an important lesson from Ken Levine,and asecret roomno reviewer has yet discovered. Plus other things.

I hope you enjoy.

This is the final episode in my series of conversations about theState of Games. I encourage you to listen tothefirstthreeshows featuring a variety of smart and thoughtful guests.

In this edition I talk withKirk Hamilton,features editor atKotaku,andBrett Douville, Lead Programmer at Bethesda Game Studios.We discuss the impact of indie games on AAA developers, "Anita and the cesspool," and why this is the best of all possible times to be a gamer...amongmany other topics.

I hope you enjoy.

This is the third in a short series of conversations I'm hosting on theState of Games. I encourage you to listen to thefirsttwoepisodesand stay tuned for the final installment, which will appear in the coming days.

In this edition I talk withTom Bissell, essayist, critic, and most recently script-writer for the newGears of War: Judgmentgame.We discuss writing for games, the perils of Metacritic, the future of storytelling in games, and many other topics.

I hope you enjoy.

This is the second in a short series of conversations I'm hosting on theState of Games. I encourage you tolisten to the first episodeand stay tuned for the final two which will appear in the coming days.

In this edition I talk withChris Suellentrop, video game critic for theNew York Times,andSteve Gaynorof the Fullbright Company, an indie game studio developingGone Home, a finalist for theExcellence in Narrativeawardat the Indpendent Games Festival later this month. We discuss the transitional state of the game industry, the relationship of the critic to the designer, and the need for a proper festival for games ala Sundance,among other topics.

I hope you enjoy.

This is the first of several roundtable conversations I'm hosting on theState of Games, an admittedly unwieldy topic, but well-timed, I think, in this transitional period for games and the game industry.

In this edition I talk withLeigh AlexanderandBrendan Keogh, two of the leading critical voices examining games and the culture surrounding them. We discuss the "ecology of games," play as communication, the culture wars, and why we need to "talk about the tree," among other topics.

I hope you enjoy.

Welcome to a special Ninja Edition of the Brainy Gamer podcast!

In this edition I talk withNels AndersonandChris Dahlen, Lead Designer and Narrative Designer of the new gameMark of the Ninja.

We discuss the development process for the game, the challenges and opportunities of working in the independent space, and why Chris is the Oscar Hammerstein of game writing...among many other topics.

I hope you enjoy.

The Brainy Gamer podcast isback!

In this edition I talk withStephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of Kotaku, one of the most influentialblogswebsites devoted to video games in the world.

Stephen and I discuss video game journalism, the changes he's implementing at Kotaku, why "you can't escape the numbers," why Rock Paper Shotgun rocks, and why we actually need 24/7 games news....among many other topics.

Thanks for your patience while I took some time off from the show, and, as always, thanks for listening!

This is the final installment in my series devoted to game designers and the design process.

In this edition I talk with Jonathan Blow, creator of the highly-acclaimed Braid and a new game called The Witness, slated to appear next year.

We discuss a wide array of topics, including the game community's reaction to Braid and his goals for The Witness. Jon is refreshingly open about his discoveries and missteps in the ongoing development process of his new game. He also explains why he's grown uncomfortable characterizing his projects as "art games;" It's a fascinating conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

This is the 2nd in a 3-part series devoted togame designers and the design process.

In this segment I chat withMatthew Burns, founder of Shadegrown Games a small studio developing a new music game calledPlanck. Matthew is also a Producer (contract) for Microsoft, and he's worked on theHaloseries since 2006.

Note: We do not discuss details ofHalo 4. No tidbits. No sneak peeks.

The final episode in this series will appear in a few days, and it will feature an extended interview with Jonathan Blow.

I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for listening!

This edition of the podcast begins a 3-part series devoted to game designers and the design process.

In this first segment I chat with Manveer Heir, Senior Designer at BioWare, about his work and the challenges presented by a complex project. Manveer discusses his day-to-day duties; problem-solving as creativity; why developers keep secrets; and why he routinely "ruins peoples dreams."

Note: We do not discuss details ofMass Effect 3. If you're hoping for juicy tidbits or inside info on that game, you will not find them here.

Parts 2 and 3 of the podcast will appear later this week. Listen to the opening of this episode, and you will hear me reveal whom those guests will be!

I hope you enjoy the show. Thanks for listening!