The Experience Points Podcast
A weekly video game podcast from the co-writers of ExperiencePoints.net
EXP Podcast #36: Another Brick in the Wall What happens when our universe and the digital ones we find in games begin to overlap?  Inspired by Steven Conway's excellent piece about re-examining "the fourth wall" in the context of video games, we take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of playing a self-aware game.  Much is discussed: we navigate the labyrinthlabyrnth that is the Metal Gear universe, explore the hidden meaning of Tingle, and dredge the depths of Rapture in search of answers.  Help us break the fourth wall of our site by jumping in with your thoughts in the comments!

Some discussion starters:

- What games successfully play with the idea of the fourth wall?  Do they employ subtle "winks" or explicit self awareness?
- Are games that "extend the magic circle" to encompass the player the ideal way to play?  How does the rise of motion control effect this?
- How does the role of authorship impact the idea of the fourth wall?  Is it necessary for a designer to extend the magic circle, or is it up to players to dictate their level of involvement in the game's fiction?

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: 35 min 47 sec
- "A Circular Wall? Reformulating the Fourth Wall for Video Games," by Steven Conway, via Gamasutra
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_36_-_Another_Brick_in_the_Wall.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:54pm PDT

EXP Podcast #35: Anger Management I am inundated with excellent games, happy as a clam. But trouble has been brewing for some gamers who fear the titles they love will be marred by sneaky developers and their zany "improvement" schemes. Some have gone so far as to organize an online defense force, including fans of Left 4 Dead, Starcraft, and Diablo. Maybe they have some reasonable complaints and should be heard. Or maybe they are entitled good-for-nothings with too much time on their hands. This week, Scott and I tackle 'nerd rage'. Join us while we discuss whiners, community organizing, unicorn art and what pisses us off. As always, your comments are appreciated.

Some discussion starters:

- Should gamers, such as the Left 4 Dead 2 boycotters, bother organizing against perceived grievances by developers/publishers? Where does the sense of entitlement come from?
- What responsibility do developers/publishers have to their consumers, fan base, and online community? What are the best tactics for diffusing hostility when it arises? Is acquiescing harmful?
- What sparks your nerd rage?

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: 27 min 56 sec
- Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott Group
- Starcraft 2 LAN petition
-Diablo 3 art petition
- Adam Sessler's response to L4D Boycott
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_35_-_Anger_Management.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 6:23pm PDT

EXP Podcast #34: Murder, She Played How many videogame characters have died, by your hands or another character's? Now how many of those actually meant something? There is something unique about murder in videogames in contrast to killing. This week, Scott and I once again spring board off the murderous ideas of Christian Nutt of Gamasutra. Join us while we discuss Shakespeare, revenge, and wanton killing. Christian's original article can be found in the show notes. As always, we encourage you to chime in by leaving your comments below.

Some discussion starters:

- Does an excess of killing in videogames dampen the effect of murder?
- Do certain genre's lend themselves better to murder stories?
- Are there specific murder stories that you would like to see in a videogame format or believe would translate well?

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: 28 min 12 sec
- "Can Murder and Games Meaningfully Meet?" by Christian Nutt, via Gamasutra
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_34_-_Murder_She_Gamed.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 4:43pm PDT

EXP Podcast #33: The Decision Dilemma Last month, outspoken game designers Clint Hocking and Manveer Heir held a little cross-blog discussion regarding the design and implementation of ethical choices in video games. We are accustomed to making decisions about weapons, strategies, and the color of our Sim hairstyles, but meaningful choices with moral weight are relatively rare. Even when faced with potentially tough moral dilemmas, the current nature of video games may dilute the effect. Heir suggests in-game permanence (which has created various interesting experiments), while Hocking eschews authorial influence in favor of ludic solutions.

It is tough topic, so we decided to we decided to call for backup. This week, we have are honored to welcome Nels Anderson, author of the excellent Above49 blog and gameplay programmer for Hot Head Games. Join us while we discuss permanence, harvesting children, Choose-Your-Own-Adventures, readability, and the future of moral choices in games. With three of us at the table, we made this podcast slightly longer than normal, but extra time is well spent on a very complicated and contentious subject. We encourage you to read the Hocking's and Heir's original articles in the show notes, along with supplementary pieces we discuss in the show. As always, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.

Some discussion starters:

- Have you ever faced a difficult in-game discussion that stemmed from moral concerns? If so, did you translate this into simply mechanical outcomes? Did you approach is role-playing as the protagonist?
- If your in-game decisions were permanent, would they be more meaningful? What techniques add add weight to a decision?
- To what extent is in-game decision making impacted by real-world experiences?  Do you carry your personal set of ethics into a game?

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:
41 min 13 sec
- "Ethical Decision Making," by Clint Hocking, via Click Nothing
- "Designing Ethical Dillemas," by Manveer Heir via Design Rampage
- "Ludonarrative Dissonance in Bioshock," by Clint Hocking
- Rescuing vs. Harvesting Little Sisters Graph, via Escapist Magazine
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_33_Nels.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 7:12pm PDT

EXP Podcast #32: Wimping Out Trying to make a game simultaneously accessible and challenging while also retaining a cogent plot is a daunting task.  Inspired by Julian "rabbit" Murdoch's piece about his son's gaming habits and a recent Gamasutra post by Leigh Alexander, we discuss the nebulous subject of challenge in games.  Using the articles to focus the discussion, we explore the necessity of challenge, different ways of testing players' skills, and how we view the evolution of game difficulty.  Such a hard topic means we need your help to do it justice, so feel free to join the discussion in the comments.

Some discussion starters:

- Do you see a trajectory in terms of the games' difficulties over the years?  If so, how and why have they changed?
- Have you ever considered quitting a game due to its difficulty, but decided instead to fight through it?  Was this rewarding?
- To what extent do players and designers share the burden of accessibility?

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: 27 min 04 sec
- "Wimp," by Julian "rabbit" Murdoch, via Gamers With Jobs
- "Can Nintendo Take 'Accessibility' too Far?" by Leigh Alexander, via Gamasutra
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
Direct download: EXP_Podcast_32_Wimping_Out.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:00pm PDT