Big Words

Books have writers, movies have directors but video games? We often try to assign a face to video game development, an industry that requires dozens of jobs and thousands of people. But in the end, is there such a thing as a game author? Are the Kojimas, the Miyamotos or the Blowers the true catalysts behind gaming greatest hits? In this episode, Roy and Thomas share their thoughts about the notion of an author in their favorite hobby. Watch the Frenchmen smugly namedrop fancy film theories and expect a major Dark Souls moment. *Gong*

“Your accent is strange. Which part of France are you from? – Montréal!”

When a game is translated and packed up for export, it can be easy to lose sight of its origin. And with games becoming a bigger market all across the globe, it wouldn’t be uncommon for the next game you play to be from Poland, Korea, Canada, etc. But would you even realize it? Are there “national” traits or characteristics unique to games made in certain parts of the world?

In this tricky episode, Roy and Thomas take a closer look at what makes a game Japanese, French or even American. Stay tuned for the shocking truth about how Grand Theft Auto factors into all this…

Examples discussed: Grand Theft Auto, The Witcher, Little Big Adventure, Monster Hunter, VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, Farenheit, Dragon Quest.

Games we’re playing: Night in the Woods, Yakuza 0, Detention, Hollow Knight

« it’s not a bug, it’s a feature. » -old tech motto

A woman vanishes into thin air, strange lights are seen in the sky, rumors of men behaving like beasts… These are not horror stories, but examples of some unintentional aspects of video games: bugs and glitches. A plague for many gamers (and for many more developers), bugs remind us that our favorite means of escape is in fact nothing more than software. But are all bugs negative? Can errors, distortions and glitches mingle with some of our favorite gaming experiences? Together, Roy & Thomas share their memories and thoughts on their encounters. (And end up glitching out themselves, beaten by the bugs.)