In our second Game Dip, Zac and Xan "snorkel" through their current games. Xan is obsesseed with Tekken 8, Balatro, and restarting Final Fantasy XIV. While Zac is playing Dragon Quest 3, the Japanese Gameboy title Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (translates to "The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls"), and tabletop dungeon crawler Dark Tomb. Then we finish with a Zac-focused game of our own: Macaroni or Acrimony?

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

In light of Summer Game Fest, we dive into conventions and gaming events, IRL and virtual. What we've been to and where we'd like to see events go in the future. How have gaming conventions changed over time, and how does the audience affect the programming?

• 0:00 - What we're playing: Dragon Quest III, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Zac); Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto V, The Sims 1 (Bryan); Dave the Diver, Steamworld Dig, The Sims 4 (Xan).
• 21:18 - Our personal experience with conventions: E3, anime & music conventions, game reselling conventions, Tokyo Game Show.
• 32:51 - The prototypical "gaming convention": E3. Its beginnings as a tradeshow for retailers, to press conferences that broke news to the public, to its influence on more social events. Experience at D.I.C.E., IndieCade.
• 40:08 - Bigger publishers doing their own virtual shows to replace their E3 press conferences, and now SGF trying to round them up again. Where do indie developers fit in?
• 47:27 - The social function of conventions: hanging out with friends, meeting like-minded gamers with similar interests. Community! How that purpose got lost, and how do we get it back?
• 55:13 - Virtual events, live-streamed showcases: a replacement for conventions in some ways but not others. SGF, Wholesome Direct, Nintendo Direct, Sony State of Play, etc.
• 1:02:08 - Retro computer/gaming conventions, serving gamers as they age. Celebration of gaming culture & history rather than products.
• 1:15:37 - SoCal Gaming Expo and panels we want at cons.
• 1:20:17 - Xan's request for remote events and playable demos at home, like Steam Next Fest. AbleGamers Gala. Online events for accessbility as well as a platform for indie devs.

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

Our first mini-episode! Bryan and Xan get together to talk about our current games and how we choose what to play in the age of subscription services.      

• 0:00 - Fun Dip and retro candy. When was blue raspberry invented?
• 03:22 - Bryan's current games: Cyberpunk 2077, Resident Evil Remake.
• 05:36 - Video game "Hall of Fame," Nintendo's original Zelda hotline.
• 13:45 - Xan's casual games, and the hypnosis of Balatro.
• 20:27 - What's an ideal customer for a subscription service? PS+, Game Pass. How to get your money's worth.
• 30:06 - Fallout TV show/game zeitgeist and our predictions for Bethesda.

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

We're talking everything graphics in games! What's the purpose of a game's graphics, and which do we like most? We analyze the technological leaps, art styles, and gameplay experiences only possible due to certain types of visuals. Guest co-host, our good friend Andy!

• 0:00 - Our first guest! Welcome Andy, AKA @Dractactics. How Zac and Andy know each other, their early shared games. Halo, Morrowind, Mass Effect. The Bethesda/BioWare Venn diagram.
• 11:40 - Graphics, the "video" in video game. What's the current value of visuals in games? The earliest graphics: teletype, oscilloscope, ASCII.
• 19:30 - Drawing a parallel between game graphics and other art forms, like film or fine art. The interplay between realism/representational art and more creative graphical styles.
• 31:07 - When graphics were the appeal of arcade games, then home console technology outpaced arcades in late 90s/early 00s. PS2 being a sweet spot "Goldilocks" of just the right amount of graphical power. Mister Mosquito, Katamari Damacy.
• 40:43 - Graphics allowing storytelling and worldbuilding. Closing the gap between creator intent and player experience. Uncharted, Grand Theft Auto, The Last of Us.
• 48:26 - The uncanny valley: making characters that feel real, or missing the mark. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Detroit: Become Human.
• 54:02 - Graphics in games of various budgets. Console vs. handheld, AAA vs. indie. Wider variety starting in the Xbox 360 era. Similar phenomenon in film/TV. The hand-drawn art style in Cuphead.
• 1:02:37 - Gaming experiences only available with graphics: Spatial puzzle games like Portal, Viewfinder, Superliminal. Sports games. Virtual "traveling" or exploring physical spaces: Assassin's Creed, BioShock, Subnautica, Uncharted, DOOM & DOOM "VFR."
• 1:13:00 - Next developments in graphics: raytracing, reflections, lighting. The smaller generational leaps of today compared to yesteryear. Cyberpunk 2077. FFVII Remake vs. Rebirth. Alan Wake 2.
• 1:26:34 - When graphical limitations work in favor of game design or innovation. Superman 64 (sarcasm). The fog in Silent Hill. Jumping Flash.
• 1:35:27 - Lofi art styles. Silent Hill 3. Shadow of the Colossus. Penny's Big Breakaway. Return of the Obra Dinn.
• 1:41:04 - What do WE value in graphics? Love for PS1 coziness and modern graphics alike. Go hug a game developer!

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Andy - @DracTactics on Twitch

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

The friends dig deep into how video games affect mental and physical well-being, checking out studies on the matter, sharing their own experiences and looking at examples of games made specifically for health purposes as well as how regular old games can tangentially contribute to fitness!

• 0:00 - Recapping the holidays and new year. Socializing, sweets, stress! Avoiding vacation obligations.
• 14:45 - How can games impact health positively psychologically and physically.
• 19:05 - "The benefits of playing video games" APA journal. The academic framework compared to our personal experience. The social benefits of games for various people.
• 30:06 - Clinical studies that use Tetris to treat mental illness like addiction and PTSD.
• 36:39 - Audio clips: news coverage of video games starting in the 80s. A variety of narratives: parental concerns around games being addictive and negatively altering kids' minds, the capacity of games to make people violent, and the more recent trend of showing games in a positive light (emerging technology, psychological benefits, etc.).
• 53:35 - Using phsyical games (Wii, PlayStation Move) to rehabilitate burn injuries through range-of-motion exercises.
• 57:00 - Gamification. Jane McGonigal's work into leveraging playtime into changing the world and also smaller-scale self improvement.
• 1:01:30 - Mobile apps that gamify health: drinking water, counting steps, running/jogging training (Zombies, Run!), building good habits (Habitica), language learning (Duolingo).
• 1:14:30 - Games designed for exercise (Yourself!Fitness, Wii Fit, Ring Fit Adventure), but also "accidental" fitness games (Dance Dance Revolution, Pokemon GO)
• 1:19:57 - Mirror neurons and learning from watching.
• 1:23:15 - Which games do we play intentionally to socialize? Mario Kart, board games, Dead by Daylight.
• 1:26:47 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons as a pandemic game: the perfect combination of escapism, social connection, and cozy!
• 1:31:00 - New year's resolutions for gaming and health.

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

The Game Deep friends dive into the depths of video game myths, rumors and legends! Join us as we discuss what drives people to make stuff up about their favorite games. Creepypastas, unsolved mysteries, whispers of hidden secrets and more await in this episode!

• 0:00 - Banter about the origins of the podcast, scrapped names, future episode ideas!
• 09:09 - The reasons for video game rumors compared to other media. Who starts rumors? Are there any trends?
• 14:55 - Legends we heard or believed growing up: Pokemon Red/Blue, Tekken, playground rumors.
• 17:57 - Polybius - An arcade game that allegedly appeared in a Portland, OR arcade temporarily, making players sick with various symptoms, then disappeared with scarce information and few witnesses.
• 25:50 - Creepypastas and “Ben Drowned” - A Majora’s Mask N64 cartridge found at a garage sale that was supposedly haunted by a previous owner.
• 38:03 - MyHouse.WAD - A DOOM mod started by a [fictional] person who passed away and finished by a friend who was driven mad by completing it.
• 40:55 - Bio Force Ape - A canceled NES that was actually in production, but documentation about it since then was fabricated as a hoax (until a real prototype was discovered a few years later).
• 47:05 - Fallout 3 Numbers Station - A “numbers station” radio station in-game which played audio code that corresponded to actual real world events.
• 52:10 - Nintendo’s partnership with Sony for the original PlayStation and rumors of a prototype, until 2015 when a real console appeared at an auction.
• 1:03:00 - N64: “L is real 2401”: Luigi is secretly an unlockable character in Super Mario 64? Accidental “liminal spaces” in games. Every cartridge is personalized to each player.
• 1:12:50 - The Madden Curse, Tomb Raider’s nude code, Diablo’s cow level.
• 1:21:28 - “Hot Coffee” in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Real content on the disc, but misinformation about its accessibility.
• 1:29:08 to 1:34:40 - SPOILERS for Final Fantasy VII. GameShark.
• 1:34:40 - The hilarious rumor of Saddam Hussein building a supercomputer using 4,000 PlayStation 2s.

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

Bryan, Xan and Zac dive into the world of video game adaptations to movie and TV! What motivates creators to choose video game IPs for film? How do movie studios view video games as a storytelling medium? Why are so many video game movies SO bad? These inquiries and more await you in this episode of Game Deep!

• 0:00 - What's the relationship between film/TV and video games?
• 4:10 - Early live-action film adapations: Super Mario Bros. (1993), Double Dragon, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat.
• 11:15 - Budgets of these early films and how they were greenlit. What genres and characters were most likely to be adapted? Wing Commander.
• 18:27 - Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and breaking through to mainstream audiences. Adapting a character as opposed to a plot.
• 24:42 - Resident Evil film franchise and unfaithful adapations. Why does Hollywood not trust the source material?
• 33:33 - Uwe Boll power hour: House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, Bloodrayne.
• 43:18 - Bigger budgets, the nerd demographic, and recognizability. Need for Speed, Rampage, Detective Pikachu, Sonic the Hedgehog.
• 52:25 - Fumbling the ball with AAA game franchises: Monster Hunter, Uncharted, Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City.
• 58:10 - Capturing the essence of a game: The Last of Us, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Silent Hill, Doom.
• 1:05:25 - What format is best for different adaptations? The Witcher. Recent popularity of TV. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
• 1:20:00 - Adapting gameplay and a player's perspective into a passive medium. Free Guy. The Last of Us. Game shows. And our hopes for the inevitable Kojima movie!

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

Are co-op or competitive multiplayer games better? Are multiplayer games even fun??? The friends discuss the history of multiplayer gaming, how and why multiplayer even exists, our memories of multiplayer growing up and more!  Bryan, Xan and Zac take a deep dive into what’s what in playing games with other people!

• 0:00 - Earliest multiplayer games: Tennis for Two, OXO, Pong.
• 08:56 - Pre-online types of multiplayer: offline networked games, trade-off multiplayer, real-time "couch" multiplayer, scoreboards, LAN parties.
• 16:38 - Why some of the first games were multiplayer: socializing, inspiration from board games and tabletop RPGs, ease compared to programming AI.
• 20:40 - Console multiplayer: incentivizing the development of multiplayer games with packed-in controllers, types of games and genres from our childhood. Super Mario Kart. Micro Machines. River City Ransom.
• 35:49 - Competitive versus co-op. What did we prefer as kids, and has that changed?
• 40:17 - Early 00s: Xbox compared to PlayStation and the culture of competitive games. Halo.
• 43:52 - What draws (or repels) us to competitive games? Counter-Strike and other Half-Life mods. Rainbow Six Siege. Dead by Daylight.
• 58:00 - PS3/Xbox 360-era - Multiplayer modes of single-player games: appealing to the competitive crowd, discouraging used game sales, extending the life cycle of the game. Assassin's Creed, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Splinter Cell.
• 1:10:00 - Killer Queen and in-person arcade games.
• 1:13:00 - Journey and limiting multiplayer functionality.
• 1:15:22 - FromSoftware's Souls games, Death Stranding, and feeling less alone in a game's world.
• 1:24:30 - User-generated content: LittleBigPlanet, The Sims 4, Timesplitters, Skate, Warcraft. 

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

What's on YOUR shelf? The crew discusses what types of games (and other trinkets) we collect and why. We share our most prized possessions and the trade-ins we regret most. Then we dig deeper into why people amass such huge quantities of games. What does your stockpile say about your personality? And we predict where collecting will go when the digital age could wipe out physical media as we know it.

• 0:00 - Why we (i.e. Zac) are doing this episode. Zac's old job and YouTube channel.
• 15:30 - Xan's collection: PS1 games and art books.
• 22:08 - Bryan's collection: photography books, records, cameras, game consoles.
• 31:07 - Zac's approach to collecting and why some games are NOT worth it: sports games in U.S., RPGs in Japan.
• 37:39 - DEEP on collecting: sentiment, altruism, wealth, creating a sense of order, or actually playing games. Take off the plastic wrap!
• 45:48 - Seller's regret: our long-lost loves.
• 50:54 - Purchasing as a form of expression. "I shop therefore I am." Displaying your collection on the shelf.
• 58:23 - Coming to terms with letting go (of video games)
• 1:08:50 - Bryan's existentialism and the digital future. With virtual storefronts and streaming, do we "own" anything?
• 1:25:06 - Future of physical: indie re-releases, small boutique distributors, and predicting how long the platform-holders will make shiny new discs.

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins

We celebrate spooky season by unpacking our obessions with scary games and games that get scary! From King's Field and Silent Hill to Amnesia and Returnal, Xan, Zac and Bryan get deep into what makes a horror game. What's the history of horror in games, the relationship between horror and the queer community, and their hopes for the future of the genre. Happy Halloween!

• 0:00 - Defining horror and fear. Who enjoys being scared?
• 11:50 - The queer community's reverence for horror.
• 21:52 - Our recent highs and lows: Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Alien: Isolation, The Callitso Protocol.
• 30:30 - Scares in non-horror games: Morrowind, King's Field.
• 37:28 - Sentiment and nostalgia for late 90s/early 00s, "lofi" horror. Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Paratopic.
• 52:02 - Horror as a theme: Castlevania, The Last of Us, Returnal.
• 1:00:54 - Horror themes vs. horror gameplay.
• 1:11:31 - Scary levels in non-horror games: Half-Life 2, Halo, Fallout 3, Mario.
• 1:23:54 - Why people DON'T play horror.
• 1:35:49 - Therapeutic horror, horror during the pandemic. The Last of Us Part 2, Resident Evil Village
• 1:41:55 - Real world topics covered in horror. Plus our hopes for the future of horror

Bryan - @analogdarling on Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram

Xander - @xanwithaplan on Twitch and Twitter

Zac - @zacaroniandcheez on Twitch, @GaijinWota on Twitter and Instagram

Contact and Episode Suggestions - GameDeep.fun 

Theme Song by Robotprins