Gameplay
Stories about video games and the virtual worlds that power culture and community.
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Signing off
A parting message from Host/Producer James Parkinson. Stay connected with James on Twitter @JamesRParkinson, and his personal mailing list at jamesparkinson.net/newsletter.
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Show Update
A quick show update. Gameplay is still on break but we hope to have new stories for you soon.
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Microsoft's $68.7 Billion Buy
Microsoft announced plans in January to acquire Activision-Blizzard for $68.7 Billion US Dollars. So what does it mean for the games industry?
Gameplay is taking a break this week to work on future stories. This episode comes from The Defrag, a daily news podcast from Lawson Media.
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Firewatch
In 2016, indie studio Campo Santo released their debut title, the narrative adventure game Firewatch. Set in a national forest in the Wyoming wilderness, you play as a fire lookout named Henry. The game beautifully portrays the isolation of the wild, and Henry?s only source of human connection is the voice of his supervisor, Delilah, over a walkie-talkie. In this episode, writer Sean Vanaman and composer/writer Chris Remo revisit the development of Firewatch, in which every aspect of the game was built on the fly.
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The Matrix Online
The Matrix is one of the biggest franchises in the world, with its universe spanning across film, animation, comics and video games. In 2005, more than a year after the original film trilogy concluded, The Matrix Online promised a new experience for players. The MMORPG was designated as the official continuation of the Matrix story, but a troubled launch would see it struggle to meet high expectations.
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Blind Gaming
In the past, video games were largely inaccessible to people with visual impairments. But these days, game makers are adding all kinds of innovative options to make their games more accessible. And some developers are creating entire virtual worlds using nothing but sound. Featuring streamer & game consultant Steve Saylor and disability rights advocate Connor Scott-Gardner. This episode comes from the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz.
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Learn more about the Sable application for developing audio games.
Download audio games like Paladin of the Sky, Shades of Doom, Swamp, and Topspeed at audiogames.net.
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Animal Crossing: New Harmonies
Animal Crossing is one of the most beloved Nintendo franchises. The social simulator game is all about living your best life, and fans love the series for its colourful, cute art style and relaxed vibe. Central to the game?s success are its extensive customisation options and social features. But much of the charm of Animal Crossing comes from its delightful music. In this episode, composer and YouTube educator Scruffy breaks down the music behind the hit series.
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Golf Club: Wasteland
Human life is wiped out. Earth is now a golf course for the ultra-rich. That?s the premise for Golf Club: Wasteland, a 2D puzzle-like golf game from Demagog Studio - but there?s so much more beneath the surface. The game?s layered approach to storytelling and detailed worldbuilding is where it really shines, taking a swing at Silicon Valley culture, capitalism and contemporary society. As you play across the ruins of Earth, you?re immersed in the soothing sounds of Radio Nostalgia from Mars.
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Igor Simic ? Constellation Storytelling (Game Happens Festival presentation)
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Stealth Gaming
If you were a high school student in the 90s or early 2000s, you were likely required to have a graphing calculator for math class. It was probably made by Texas Instruments and your parents complained that it cost too much. But these calculators, like the TI-83 model, were capable of far more than equations and graphs. You could actually use them to play games, if you knew how to get ahold of them.
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The Gardens Between
In 2018, Australian studio The Voxel Agents released their fifth title, The Gardens Between, an adventure-puzzle game about memories, friendship and time. Combining a unique time manipulation mechanic with a heartfelt personal story, the game offers a satisfying and relatable experience about growing up, for players of all ages. In this episode, Lead Animator, Josh Bradbury, and Narrative Designer, Brooke Maggs detail how The Gardens Between seamlessly integrates smart game design with a beautifully crafted story.
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Speedrun Science
For over 30 years, people have been in pursuit of the perfect run in Super Mario Bros. That is, completing the game in the fastest time possible, also known as a speedrun. Now in 2021, the current world record holder may have reached the human limit, coming within milliseconds of the fastest time achievable by a computer. By analysing what?s technically possible, speedrunners are able to find the exploits, refine their approach and practice relentlessly, to push the absolute limits. This is the science and art of the speedrun.
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Esports
Competitive gaming tournaments have been around about as long as video games themselves. With the rise of professional esports in the 2000s, it was only a matter of time before esports made its way into universities. Now, colleges across the United States are embracing games and competition, offering their own programs. An esports scholarship might even help you get into a college that you may not have been accepted into otherwise. But esports still faces many challenges, particularly at the collegiate level.
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Honk!
It?s a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose. That?s the premise of the indie hit Untitled Goose Game, a comedy/stealth/puzzle hybrid, developed by House House, and released in 2019. You play as a mischievous goose, and your task is to cause as much havoc as possible, annoying the villagers of a quiet English town. In this episode, composer Dan Golding, and sound designer Em Halberstadt break down how the game?s dynamic music and sound effects influence its unique humour and charm.
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Listen to the Untitled Goose Game Original Soundtrack on Spotify or Apple Music.
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Becoming Master Chief
For 20 years, Steve Downes has portrayed Master Chief, appearing in each mainline game of the Halo series to date. In this episode, Steve shares the story of his time voicing John-117, from Combat Evolved to Halo Infinite. Downes details his process to get into character, drawing on the Halo backstory, and tapping into Master Chief?s emotions.
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Final Symphony
Music plays an important role in many games, and even in the early days, the best composers were able to create incredibly expressive music, despite technical limitations. Dragon Quest composer, Koichi Sugiyama is known as the pioneer of orchestral music for RPGs, and in 1987 he staged the very first video game music concert in the world. But it took another 16 years for these kinds of orchestral performances to be held outside of Japan. In this episode, how Thomas Böcker brought Spielekonzerte - Symphonic Game Music Concerts - to Germany, and the world.
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Learn more about Thomas Böcker's work at gameconcerts.com and merregnon.com.
Listen to Final Symphony on Apple Music or Spotify.
Listen to Symphonic Fantasies on Apple Music or Spotify.
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Chiptune
How do you turn a Nintendo Game Boy into a musical instrument? 8-bit music is one of the most defining characteristics of gaming?s golden age of the 1970s and 80s. The sound chips in early arcade machines and home consoles had their limitations, but they gave the music a unique aesthetic that is still associated with games today. A love of retro games has led many developers to adopt 8-bit music (and graphics) as a way to honour the past, and create new experiences in this classic style. But 8-bit music, also known as chiptune, is much more than nostalgia. It?s become a whole new music genre of its own. This story comes from the podcast Sum of All Parts.
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Mind Games
For all the negative coverage and misrepresentation that video games receive, the reality is very different. For most of us, games are a hugely positive influence on our lives, particularly for our mental health and wellbeing. This episode, we dispel the myths around the psychology of games, and we hear from two people who use games as a coping strategy to manage anxiety and depression.
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If this episode brought up any issues for you, help is available. Visit checkpointorg.com for global mental health services.
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Photo Mode
Do you ever have moments when you?re playing a game that is so visually stunning, you feel compelled to capture it? You might take a quick screenshot, or use a built-in camera mode, and post an image to social media. With modern consoles having dedicated share buttons, it?s easier than ever to snap our favourite gaming moments. But there?s actually a whole community of virtual photographers who are capturing in-game photos, with purpose and real creativity.
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Augment Your Reality
In 2016, Pokémon GO was a global phenomenon. Millions of players around the world lived out their fantasies of being a Pokémon Trainer, venturing into the real world to find and collect their favourite Pokémon. The game was a huge financial success, but it was also a groundbreaking moment for games, as many players engaged with augmented reality for the first time. This episode, we look at the evolution of AR games, where they might be headed, and hear from an indie developer using the technology to create mature, story-driven experiences through AR mobile games.
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Play & Preserve
A whole generation of games are at risk of being lost forever. Physical media like floppy disks and optical discs have a limited lifespan, and their time is running out. The growing trend of digital games too, many of which don?t exist in any physical format, are also under threat of disappearing. While we can?t save everything, there is still hope. A global community of game historians and preservationists are working to save games history, one disk at a time.
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Good Game
In 2006 the ABC, Australia?s public broadcaster, debuted ?Good Game?, a brand new TV show for gamers, by gamers. The program came about at the perfect time; when people still watched appointment free-to-air television, and before the explosion of YouTube and Twitch. Remaining on air for 10 years, Good Game was a show beloved by gamers around the country, and in this episode we explore its life, death and legacy in Australia?s games community.
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Watch Good Game & Spawn Point on YouTube
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The Afro Hair Library
Computer-generated imagery and the algorithms that drive them are the technological breakthroughs that have seen our world recreated in digital form. But when it comes to representing humans, these advancements have predominantly refined the depictions white people. Across games and digital media, the standard models for rendering features like skin and hair have been developed and perfected over decades, and are all geared towards, young, white skin and straight hair. Now, a new 3D database is seeking to address the lack of thoughtful representation of Blackness in games.
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Visit the Afro Hair Library
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Boomshakalaka!
NBA Jam is a memorable arcade game for many reasons, but the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of its fans is the game?s announcer, for iconic lines like ?HE?S ON FIRE!?, and ?BOOMSHAKALAKA!?. In this episode, we meet Tim Kitzrow, the voice behind the catchphrase, and how NBA Jam shaped his career as a voice actor for video games.
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Get a custom voicemail or birthday greeting from Tim Kitzrow at whosaidwhatnow.com.
Get the album: Boom Shakalaka by BoomBaptist
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NBA Jam
In 1993, Midway released the game-changing arcade basketball title, NBA Jam. At the height of Michael Jordan mania and the NBA?s rise to global popularity, Jam was a defining sports game of the era. In this episode, lead designer Mark Turmell, along with author Reyan Ali and other Midway names, take you back to the arcade to learn how the $1 billion basketball hit swept the world.
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Get the book: NBA Jam, by Reyan Ali
Get the album: Boom Shakalaka by BoomBaptist
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Culture, Remixed
Video games are not just for entertainment. They can also be a powerful tool for education, especially when combined with immersive technologies like virtual reality. Experiential learning is at the core of many indigenous cultures, including Torres Strait Islanders, which led Rhett Loban to create a one-of-a-kind VR game that captures his peoples traditions and customs in a whole new way.
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Guardian article: I turned my Torres Strait Islander culture into a video game
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Remaking Metroid
Milton Guasti had spent 10 years of his life recreating Metroid II, until Nintendo claimed copyright infringement, merely a day after its release. There was always a chance that the lawyers would come knocking, but what Milton didn?t expect was for his hobby project to become the game that an entire community was counting on.
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Articles:
Better Than Black and White: One Man?s Decade-Long Quest to Remake 'Metroid II'
How a Metroid Fan Turned a Threatening Legal Letter into a Job Making Games
Music:
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Full Immersion VR
Virtual Reality has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. And while the tech is still developing, it has great potential to solve real world problems. By combining the Unity game engine and haptic technology, one tech startup is using VR to create fully immersive training simulations. This episode comes from the podcast Moonshot, from Lawson Media.
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Autcraft
Minecraft is one of the highest selling games of all time, and the blocky, 8-bit sandbox is especially popular with kids, due to the freedom its gameplay offers. But for children with Autism, that freedom is often challenged when playing online, where bullies and trolls are a barrier in their experience. This was a problem that Stuart Duncan set out to solve, creating a dedicated Minecraft server for Autistic kids and their families.
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The Sound of Hades
Hades is the fourth title from Supergiant Games, and one the best games of 2020. A rogue-like dungeon crawler, inspired by Greek mythology, you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, as you attempt to escape the Underworld, fighting your way through waves of enemies. The game posed a unique challenge for Audio Director Darren Korb when he came to compose the music. This episode, we explore the soundscape of Hades and how the music and sound design was carefully crafted to provide a thrilling experience, even after hundreds of hours of play time.
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Ring Fit Adventure
For as long as video games have been criticised for their sedentary nature, developers have sought to get players off the couch, encouraging physical movement through fitness style games. From the Power Pad to Wii Fit, Nintendo have been a leader in 'exergaming', but these experiences often feel more like gimmicks than serious workouts. In 2019, the introduction of Ring Fit Adventure looked to change that.
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Addiction
For most of us, games are a fun hobby. But for some people, they can be genuinely problematic. Cam Adair struggled with gaming addiction for ten years, until he hit rock bottom. Now he's working to ensure compassion and support is available for others like him, in a community where addiction is often overlooked or misunderstood.
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If this story brought up any issues for you, help is available:
Australia:
? Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au
? Call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or visit kidshelpline.com.au
United States:
? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org
? Message the Crisis Text Line on 741741 or visit crisistextline.org
Canada:
? Call the Canada Suicide Prevention Service on 18334564566 or visit crisisservicescanada.ca
? Call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868 or visit kidshelpphone.ca
United Kingdom:
? Call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
? Text Shout on 85258 or visit giveusashout.org
For additional countries, visit suicidestop.com
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Red Ring of Death
When the Xbox 360 was launched in December 2005, Microsoft had accomplished a significant objective that would give it the edge in the console war - beating Sony's PS3 to market by almost a year. But a few months later, a huge problem began to surface - a major hardware defect that threatened to destroy the entire Xbox brand.
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Premium vs Freemium
In the span of around 12 months, the release of the very first iPhone and the launch of the App Store created a whole new appetite for mobile games, empowering a generation of indie developers in the process. But one small decision, to support in-app purchases for iOS games, would change the marketplace forever.
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The Real You
Video games allow us to embody different people and inhabit other worlds. But when you can't be your true self in the real world, exploring virtual ones takes on even greater importance. For transgender people, like Jessica Janiuk, games are a safe space for escapism and discovery, and provide empowerment to embrace the real you.
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Up, Down, Left, Right
Which game controller is your favourite? Which gamepad is the worst? You probably already know your answer to both of these questions. It?s a very personal thing, because controllers are central to our overall playing experience. And yet, designers are tasked with creating a controller that needs to appeal to everyone. Impossible. While gamepads have evolved a lot over the years, one particular innovation has remained constant. It started with a simple design solution, that subsequently changed the entire video game industry.
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Introducing Gameplay: Real stories, virtual worlds
Gameplay is a show about video games and the virtual worlds that power culture and community. Episodes published every two weeks.
Find out more at our website: gameplay.co.
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