The Experience Points Podcast
A weekly video game podcast from the co-writers of ExperiencePoints.net

Peter Molyneux is at it again! This time with a massive experiment involving millions of cubes, a mindbogglingly persistent player base, and an almost mythological promise that could only come from the eccentric mind of the infamous game designer. So what is in the heart of Curiosity - What's Inside the Cube? Is it a prize that can literally "change your life", or is it an exploitative train wreck of an experience? Join Scott and I this week as we discuss the power of Curiosity.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 36 min 42 sec

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_199_-_Inside_the_Cube.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:55pm PDT

This week, we are pleased to welcome Jim Crawford to the podcast!  Jim is a game designer whose latest work, Frog Fractions, teaches us all about the hidden wonders of math.  Well, it actually does a lot more than that, but you really owe it to yourself to play it (it's free!).  Jim was kind enough to come on the show and chat with us about everything from design philosophy, the role of nostalgia, and the legend of the Twin Beard.  We hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening!

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 here. 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:

- Runtime: 42 min 38 sec

- Jim Crawford's website: Twinbeard Studios
- Follow Jim on Twitter
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_198_-_Jim_Crawford_and_Frog_Fractions.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:00am PDT

Master Chief fan art
by Ling Yun via Deviant Art

What do Master Chief, James Bond, John Carter, Luke Skywalker, and Shakespear have in common (besides huge egos)? They are all lasting cultural icons that show no sign of disappearing from popular consciousness anytime soon. Can we consider all of these "pulp" works in a sense? Join us this week on the podcast as Scott and I discuss Halo 4, the strength of Halo's lore, and the lasting repercussions of 343i taking creative control over a modern gaming hero.

As always, check out the articles that inspired this conversation in the show notes below and be sure to leave your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 33 min 49 sec

- "How Halo Went From Video Game to Pulp Empire," by Erik Sofge via Popular Mechanics.

- "Why Video Games Are the New Pulps," by Mark Bernardin via io9.

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_197_-_Pulp_and_the_Legacy_of_Halo_4.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:10pm PDT

You didn't think we'd let Dishonored sneak by without talking about it, did you? This week, we dedicate an entire episode to the game. It's dense in the most positive sense: with multiple solutions to even the most mundane obstacles, an open-ended upgrde system, and a surprisingly massive (albeit hidden) amount of lore, everyone's playthrough will be slightly different. For example, one of us was an unassuming (and slightly bumbling) assassin, while the other was a terrifying rat lord. As always, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments!

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 here. 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:

- Runtime: 49 min 41 sec

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_196_-_Dishonored_Debrief.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:00am PDT

Happy Halloween listeners! The witching hour is tonight, and as a means to satiate the hunger of the elder gods, we submit to you this aural offering. This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I enter the haunted crypts, blood hallways, and creepy forests of SlenderAmnesia: The Dark DescentHome, and more. What we bring back might terrify you, or at least entertain you with our insight into the construction of excellent horror games.

As always your comments are appreciated. Let us know what horror games make you favorites list, especially if you play them yearly as a Halloween treat!

Show notes:

- Runtime: 36 min 01 sec

- Music by Frederick Magle, performing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d Minor, and Parsec Productions, Slender music after locating Page 1.

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_195_-_Halloween_Horrorcast.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:53pm PDT