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

Join us “Amid the Ruins” for a discussion on episode 4 of The Walking Dead's second season.  As the title suggests, this episode deals with the consequences of some very dramatic events.  Characters come and go and we talk about our interpretations of Clementine’s development and her potential fate.  We also posit some pretty innovative dairy farming theories.

 

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes

- Find the show on Stitcher

- Here's the show's 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: 46 mins 45 secs

- Music by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_287_-_WDS2E4.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:00am PDT

Destiny is still more than a month away from release, but already there is so much to talk about! This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I delve into our early thoughts about the game. Is it living up to the anticipation? Does the look and feel adhere to the high standards we've set for Bungie? Where is that wizard from again? The Moon?

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_286_-_Destiny_Beta_Debrief.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:34pm PDT

Everyone open your creative writing journals, it's time to answer a question: "What does 'free' mean to you?"  It's a question the UK's Advertising Standards Association answered in their analysis of EA's recent Dungeon Keeper remake.  The game was advertised as "free," but the ASA's ruling found otherwise, saying that the ad was "likely to create a game experience for non-spenders that did not reflect their reasonable expectations from the content of the ad" and that they can no longer use the ad to promote the game.  On its surface, it seems like rebuke of some of "free-to-play's" sleazier dynamics, but it also raises some complex questions about who gets to define game systems, monetization schemes, and player expectations.  Adding to the comments is always free, so jump in with your thoughts!

Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:04pm PDT

The occasional strangeness of Valiant Hearts

We launch these podcasts every week, but still there is never enough time to touch on every game we play, even if they make an impression. This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I take some time out of our regular schedule to chat about a variety of games we've been playing lately, from one "fall" to another. Let us know how you've been spending your gaming hours in the comments below and if we share something on our dockets, please share your thoughts on the game as well!

 

Show notes:

 

- Runtime: 37 mins 54 secs

- Music by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_284_-_Games_Big_and_Small.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:40pm PDT

As a relative outsider, I see Notch as an almost-mythical figure.  Here is a being who created a system of divine rules upon which millions have built their own worlds.  Maybe that's a bit dramatic, but it seems fair to say that Notch has a sizable following of people who are very invested in the game as well as his public image as a lawyer-trolling, Facebook-hating advocate for independent games.  But what happens when a figure like this becomes the public face of a controversial decision, such as the recent move to crack down on the selling of in-game stat and equipment boosts?  This week we use Richard Cobbett's column as a starting point to talk about celebrity culture, games as platforms, and kids these days.

 

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes

- Find the show on Stitcher

- Here's the show's 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: 31 mins 33 secs

- "Ending the Minecraft Fantasy," by Richard Cobbett, via Eurogamer

- Music by Brad Sucks

Direct download: EXP_Podcast_283_-_The_Minecraft_Crackdown.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 9:00am PDT