The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and the beaches are crowded, summer is in full swing. To celebrate, PopMatters just featured a great selection of the best summer entertainment. Our compatriots even offered up their choice for great games and podcasts for the season. This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I continue the conversation with more of our own picks for games we associate with the summer. As always, we encourage you to join the discussion in the comments section below.

Some discussion starters:

- What games do you associate with the summer?
- Does replayability or game duration affect this association?
- Who is your go-to-character in <i>Smash Bros.</i>? (That's right. We only ask the toughest questions.)

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:

- Run time: 27 min 49 sec
- "The Best Summer Entertainment," by multiple authors via PopMatters
- "Great Games and Podcasts for Summer Fun," by multple authors via PopMatters
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

What do five-year-olds, mythical creatures, and Iranian history all have in common?  They are all topics in this week's independent games podcast!  This week, we take a look at Sissy's Magical Ponycorn Adventure and The Cat and the Coup.  Both are free and quick to play, so we encourage you to take a few minutes to experience two well-made, thought provoking games.  After that, we invite you to listen in on our discussion that touches on everything from the value of game design to the nature of history.  As always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments!

Some discussion starters:

- How does a game benefit from youthful inspiration?  Also: which is your favorite Ponycorn?
- How does one balance the impulse to both challenge and educate the player in a documentary game?
- Are certain types of games more useful for imparting specific messages?  How do game mechanics influence the way a story is told?

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:

- Run time: 48 min 02 sec
- Sissy's Magical Ponycorn Adventure
- The Cat and the Coup
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

This year's Electronic Entertainment Expo has departed, but Scott and I are staying on topic just a little bit longer. Although we both missed the event this year, we kept abreast to the buzz coming out of Los Angeles. Consider us the clean-up crew, bringing you a serious, but not humorless, discussion of the rumors, technical innovations, and idiocies at this year's E3. Let us know your thoughts on all the E3 announcements in the comments section below.

Some discussion starters, in which I can ask anything I want:

- What games are you most excited for coming out of E3?
- How awful is Ubisoft's Mr. Caffeine?
- What is the worse named piece of hardware: the Wii U or the PSVita?

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:

- Run time: 57 min 59 sec
- Giant Bomb's E3 coverage portal
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Jorge and I are still processing all the E3 madness, so we thought we'd talk about one of last week's big stories: Call of Duty: Elite.  Activision's new Call of Duty social network promises to provide players with detailed battle statistics, group functionality, and a persistent profiles across multiple games.  However, some of this comes at a price: parts of Call of Duty: Elite will only be available to those who pay a premium fee.  It's move with very few precedents, so we thought it would be a good topic to discuss.  As always, feel free to jump in with your thoughts in the comments!

Some discussion starters:

- How much (if anything) would you pay for premium Call of Duty content?  Are there any other games that might hook you with a similar structure
- What does this mean for the future of the Call of Duty series?
- How will the advent of premium content impact plot-driven games?

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:

- Run time: 32 min 00 sec
- A preview of Call of Duty: Elite, via Joystiq
- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the state of Science Fiction in modern videogames. It turns out a mere smattering of words is not enough to thoroughly explore the veritable galaxy of topics regarding this ripe genre. Joined this week by Grayson Davis of Beeps & Boops, Scott and I discuss the good and bad of science fiction, a bit of Star Trek, time travel, and sources of excellent Sci-fi gaming. As always, we encourage you to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Discussion starters:

- What are your favorite science fiction games?
- How should we approach the genre as it relates specifically to games?
- How do you see the state of modern science fiction games?

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:

- Run time: 48 min 10 sec
- Beeps & Boops, Grayson's site
- Music provided by Brad Sucks