Our console generation is getting old, and there doesn't seem to be a new model in our immediate future. So what is going to happen to those "Next Gen" games we are perpetually looking forward to? According to LukePlunkett of Kotaku , we might be short on innovative wonders for awhile. This week, Scott and I delve into Plunkett's somewhat controversial piece. Join us while we discuss generational shifts, ideal zombie numbers, creative spaces, sea mammals, and evolution of game design. As always, we love to hear your thoughts in our email or the comments section below. Check out the show notes for Luke's original article; it is well worth reading.

Discussion Starters:

- What makes a truly "next gen" game? Or is this a frivolous distinction?
- What advancements most open up a creative space for developers to implement bold innovations?
- Is the evolution of games better characterized by fundamentally different eras or gradual iterations on common ideas?

Show notes:

- Run time: 28 min 11 sec
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Last month, previous EXP podcast guest Nels Anderson made an interesting claim: videogames have far more in common with television than film. Truly the Citizen Kane of comparisons. Scott and I watch a lot of television, but we're no experts. So this week we thought it appropriate to discuss these two mediums with another guest. Joining us this week is JustinKeverne of Groping The Elephant. We are honored to have such an intelligent blogger and designer in our midst. Justin provides plenty of insight to go around and one of those charming British accents to serenade our listeners.

Join us while we discuss format breaks, self-created narratives, short attention spans, and television adaptations. Our hosting triad and the broad subject matter has made this podcast a little longer than normal. Don't worry, it is time well spent. You'll findNels's original article in the show notes, along with supplemental articles we mention in the show and links to Justin's own work. As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

The Fall release season is upon us, bringing with it its annual gaming bounty.  While it may be humanly impossible for us to play all of the new releases, nothing is stopping us from trying to guess what other people will play.  This week, Jorge and I channel our inner Michael Pachter and enter into a gentleman's agreement: We each came up with a list of what we believe will be the top ten best-selling games released between October and December.  When February rolls around, we will take revisit our predictions and score them based on their accuracy.

The winner will enjoy a (hopefully) tasty dessert of their choosing...made by the loser!  Food, games, and gambling: What could be better?  Below are our respective picks.  As always, feel free to jump in with your choices in comments section.  What are your predictions?  While we can't promise dessert for anyone that beats us (or can we...?), the victory will undoubtedly be far sweeter than anything made by mere mortals.

Jorge's List:

1.  Modern Warfare 2
2.  New Super Mario Bros. Wii
3.  Wii Fit Plus
4.  Band Hero
5.  Uncharted 2
6.  Left 4 Dead 2
7.  Assassins Creed 2
8.  Lego Indiana Jones 2
9.  DJ Hero
10.  Dragon Age

Scott's List:

1.  Wii Fit Plus
2.  Modern Warfare 2
3.  New Super Mario Bros Wii
4.  Lego Indiana Jones 2
5.  Dragon Age
6.  Lego Rock Band
7.  Assassin's Creed 2
8.  Left 4 Dead 2
9.  The Legend of Zelda: The Spirit Tracks
10.  Brutal Legend

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 11 sec
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

You've put in hours into a game, the final boss is just on the horizon. While the end might be nigh, it probably isn't unpredictable. Game endings tend to be repetitive success stories, lacking the ambiguous or downer endings readily available in other mediums. Menveer Heir, of Raven Software and Design Rampage, inspires us again on this weeks podcast with his post lamenting the lack of depressing games. Join Scott and I while we discuss player agency, dead avatars, Roman aggression, and authorial control. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments section below and we'll shower you with praise.

BE WARNED! This podcast contains potentially significant spoilers for about twelve games and two movies. These are listed in the show notes, along with Manveer's original article. If you are sensitive to spoilers and hear a game title, go ahead and skip ahead a few seconds.

Some discussion starters:

- Confession time. What downer game endings have tugged at your heart strings?
- Does character failure equate to player failure? What about failure and downer endings in non-character driven games like Civilization?
- So you've got a sad story to tell. How do you pull it off with out upsetting the all-powerful player?


Show notes:

- "Life is a Series of Down Endings," by Manveer Heir via Design Rampage
- Run time: 29 min 3 sec
- Music provided by Brad Sucks
- Show includes spoilers for: Prince of Persia, Shadow of the Colossus, Chronotrigger, Passage, Halo 3, Call of Juarez, Call of Duty 4, Eternal Darkness, Far Cry 2, Final Fantasy X, Bioshock, Braid, Braveheart, and Marley and Me.