Idle Thumbs

Something True 2.6: L'Arme X by Idle Thumbs

Gemini Man's trailer and its international counterpart are subtilely different; we discuss why we think those distinctions were made along with the practical and very specific cultural considerations which need to be made when editing trailers for international markets. For more about international trailers watch Ric's LACPUG talk!

Trailers Discussed: Gemini Man Trailer 1, Gemini Man Trailer 2, Gemini Man International Trailer, Central Intelligence, The Matrix Revolutions International Trailer, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull International Trailer, Captain America: Civil War, Men in Black International International Trailer.

If you have questions or comments please send them to [email protected].

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Something True 2.5: The Trip to Telegraph Creek by Idle Thumbs

Let the games begin! Lee Shang Lun leads our first full episode where we meet the team, talk about the origins of the podcast, and tease out some possibilities for playing well. During a short interlude, Alexandra, Laura, and Doug introduce the ins and outs of escape rooms before the group debriefs about their first day playing together at the Escape Room franchise in Berjaya Times Square—a parlor where we sped through art galleries, split up in haunted houses, and tried to steal some chocolate milk. Five down, fifty to go.

Something True 2.4: Okaasan by Idle Thumbs

The Tehran Conference. The meeting at Appomattox. The Council of Elrond. All historical gatherings that pale in comparison to the summit that occurred in late July 2019 as the Three Moves Ahead team gathered in Oregon for several days of gaming. Hosted by Dr. Bruce Geryk, Gerykon 2019 was attended by Michael Hermes, Rob Zacny, and Troy "I hope they let me back into Canada" Goodfellow. Bruce played the part of eccentric board game sommelier, guiding the group through several layers of gaming history. Our first episode about Gerykon 2019 covers several entries from Reiner Knizia, a household name among those in the know. From the dizzying heights of Ra and Modern Art to the baffling lows of Beowulf, we consumed great amounts of scotch and had many discussions about game design and strategy. Also, Rob made up a really gross name for a painting.

Every Game in This City is a podcast about ten game designers, researchers, and curators who met up in Malaysia to try and play every escape room in Kuala Lumpur. In this short introduction, Stephanie, Patrick, and Doug set the stage and describe the motivation and methods behind the project. They talk about what the podcast is, what it isn’t, and speculate on some of the challenges that await as the group embarks on their journey to play too many escape rooms! Will the team learn how to play well together?

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Brendon Chung, best known for his work on Atom Zombie Smasher, Thirty Flights of Loving, and Quadrilateral Cowboy. They discuss why Xbox Live Indie Games didn’t take off, what exactly happens at the end of Atom Zombie Smasher, and how streaming game development made him work harder than ever before.

Games discussed: Flotilla, Air Forte, Atom Zombie Smasher, XCOM, Thirty Flights of Loving, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Cursor 10

CATS is destroying the internet with the release of its new trailer. We discuss it, as well as the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick. And we answer your questions about our favorite trailers, and the future of the movie and game trailer industry.

Trailers Discussed: CATS, Sweeney Todd, Top Gun: Maverick, IT: Chapter Two, The Fountain, Fifty Shades of Grey, Across the Universe, Sin City, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Firewatch, Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists!, London Has Fallen Teaser, The Walk VR trailer, IT Chapter 1 VR trailer.

If you have questions or comments please send them to [email protected].

Join us in the Idle Forums to discuss this week's episode!

Rob and the gang are deeply conflicted over Steel Division 2. A good multiplayer game with some genuinely impressive detail about the armored combat on the Eastern Front, it's also a game that has not grown to match its subject, and then there's the matter of that campaign...