The Experience Points Podcast
A weekly video game podcast from the co-writers of ExperiencePoints.net
EXP Podcast #40: Missed Connections Remember the days when the only way to connect with your fellow gamers was to be in the same room?  Whether it was showing off your custom Excitebike track or networking a group of PCs in your parents' living room, connecting with other players was decidedly local experience.  Today, on-line multiplayer allows us to play simultaneously with dozens of people in as many countries...as long as the connection is stable.  This week, inspired by articles from Chris Dahlen and Phill Cameron, we discuss the wonderful world of routers, ports, lag, and the culture surrounding on-line gaming.  Feel free to reach through your firewall and leave a comment with your thoughts on the past, present, and future of inter-networked. 

Some discussion starters:

- What responsibility do developers and publishers have in terms of connection issues and standardization?  Would you pay more for increased stability?

- What role does a game's community play in alleviating or normalizing connection issues?

- Could an asynchronous multiplayer system enjoy the same kind of success that real-time multiplayer does?

To listen to the podcast:

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Run time: 30 min 14 sec
- "Trying to Make a Connection," by Phill Cameron, via Game Set Watch
- "Will We Ever Game Against Mars?" by Chris Dahlen, via Edge
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_40_connections.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:00pm PDT

EXP Podcast #39: Gritty Realities When it comes to videogame art design, is reality over-rated? In an industry constantly creating and mastering new technologies, game creators have always wanted to show off. For many developers, showing off means aiming for the bountiful land beyond the uncanny valley. For Sean "Elysium" Sands of Gamers With Jobs, the "Gritty Realism" aesthetic has lost its appeal. This week, inspired by Sean's article "Breaking the Mirror", we discuss realistic sweat, humble art design, aging graphics, and the phantom of realism. You can find the article in the show notes and, as always, we love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Some discussion starters:

- Do games that show off their visual realism appeal to a wider audience?
- What is the most excellent looking game you have ever played? Did it fit with the gameplay and narrative?
- Which games age best visually?

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Run time: 25 min 19 sec
- "Breaking the Mirror" by Sean Sands, via Gamers With Job
- Music by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_39_-_Gritty_Realities.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:44pm PDT

EXP Podcast #38: Gamers in Motion Let's be honest: During our early console gaming days, how many of us would fling our controller upward in a desperate attempt to make Mario jump just a little bit higher?  We learned to shed those earnest, yet useless actions, but with the rise of motion controls and quirky peripherals, it seems that those old habits have been revived.  This week, inspired by an article from Bob Mackey, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of motion control as it stands today.  Although we are less than three years into the mainstream adoption of motion control, the phenomenon has made an impact in game design, player accessibility, and market strategy.  As always, feel free to Wii-waggle your way into the conversation with your comments.

Some discussion starters:

- Which games exemplify your favorite forms of motion control and which subject you to your least favorite?
- Are motion controls capable of the kind of complex actions found in button/key-exclusive control schemes, or does motion control necessitate simplicity?
- What will the future of motion control look like?  Will motion control become a kind of genre, will it be integrated into traditional games, or is it just a fad?

To listen to the podcast:

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Run time: 30 min 14 sec
- "Cutting the Cord," by Bob Mackey, via 1up.com
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_38_motionfinal.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:02pm PDT

EXP Podcast #37: Guns & Wizard Hats Peanut-Butter & Jelly, Chicken & Waffles, both ingenious combinations! So why not Guns & Wizard Hats? Well I might have a few reasons. This week, Scott and I gnaw on an interesting article by Wired's Chris Kohler regarding Ray Muzyka's and Cliff Bleszinski's RPG/Shooter portents. We touch on such topics as big-ass swords, stat tracking, and the troublesome word that is "genre." As always, you'll find the original article in the sow notes. Also, your thought are always fascinating; you should leave them in the comments section below.


Some discussion starters:

- What risks do developers running adding genre elements from RPGs into Shooters?
- Are their some genre elements that are incompatible?
- What RPG elements would you add to existing genres, if any?

To listen to the podcast:
- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking the title. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.
- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Run time: 29 min 57 sec
- "BioWare's Muzyka: Line RPGs, Shooters Blurring" by Chris Kohler, via Wired
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcat_37_-_Guns__Wizard_Hats.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:47pm PDT