Lightmap - Conversations with video game creators

This time we're going AAA, high profile and blockbuster, with some indie thrown into the mix. Mainstream is a brand new podcast from the award winning team at Pixel Sift.

Subscribe for free to get episode 3 next week!

Each episode the team will be discussing the games they've been playing as well as breaking down some mainstream gaming news in a short succinct fortnightly podcast.

We'll be releasing Mainstream on the alternate weeks to our existing Pixel Sift podcast, so each and every week you'll have something new to listen to.

Thank you to Daniel Ang for creating our new podcast artwork, and Brian Fairbanks from Salty Dog Sounds for composing our theme music.

Daniel Ang and Gianni Di Giovanni kick off the first Mainstream by Pixel Sift, it's a look at some of the games we've been playing and the news that piqued our interest.

This week Gianni has been playing dreamy arcade game Sayonara Wild Hearts by Swedish developers Simogo, and Daniel has fired up the Xbox 360 to play Team Bondi's classic L.A. Noire.

Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer.

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Matt Trobbiani joins us to talk about Team Fractal Alligator's latest game Wrestledunk Sports the game that features a collection of tight sports games that are quick to get in to but full of responsive gameplay. Wrestledunk Sports is a follow up to Matt's widely successful tittle Hacknet, Matt told Fiona and Mitch about the new direction he has taken his development.

There are few games franchises that have a longer lasting legacy that the Pokemon series however it seems that Gamefreak themselves are having trouble living up to the expectations of their dedicated fan base. With calls for boycotts and death threats hurled at the developer, the fanbase of Pokémon seems to be at war with itself. We take you through this story and bring you the lows and the highs of the release of Pokémon Sword & Shield.

‍Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music this week.

SPONSOR: Thank you to Murdoch University School of Arts for their support over every single episode of Pixel Sift. We couldn't have done it without you. If you want to bolster your skills in media, journalism or game development, check out the Murdoch University School of Arts website for more information!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Muhammad Hanif Bin Ghazali and Tan Kang Soon of Joysteak Studios join us from Singapore to talk about their game Songbird Symphony. A side scrolling platformer with bubbly animations and  rhythm mechanics.

The Game Developers Conference is the worlds largest event for games industry professionals. Providing opportunities for video game developers to learn from each other, share ideas and network. However with ticket prices inflating and geographical barriers getting in the way GDC is quickly moving out of reach for many developers that might need it the most.

Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music this week.

SPONSOR: Thank you to Murdoch University School of Arts for their support over every single episode of Pixel Sift. We couldn't have done it without you. If you want to bolster your skills in media, journalism or game development, check out the Murdoch University School of Arts website for more information!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

BONUS EPISODE Featuring creative talents of Austin Wintory, Troy Baker, Elie Young, Chorus promises to be a roleplaying game like no other featuring a dynamic musical form of storytelling, and a strong pedigree.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Liam Esler and Benjamin Ee of the newly formed Summerfall Studios to learn about how the game was developed and what it was trying to achieve. You can support Chorus' crowdfunding campaign on Fig.

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Back for another year live from the floor of PAX Australia 2019, Party Loaded and Pixel Sift team up again to chat about our favourite parts of the show.

Fiona and Viv speak to Matt and Luke from Party Loaded, and talk lines, finding great games to play, and those nifty collectible pins.

If you like Party Loaded why not give them a listen! They've got a new episode out every single week.

Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer.

SPONSOR: Thank you to Murdoch University School of Arts for their support over every single episode of Pixel Sift. We couldn't have done it without you. If you want to bolster your skills in media, journalism or game development, check out the Murdoch University School of Arts website for more information!

You can find us on social media, Discord, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift"

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Alexander Perrin and Joshua Tatangelo are the Co-Founders of 2pt Interactive the studio behind Heavenly Bodies, a game about two cosmonauts navigating the the challenges of a zero gravity environment. It uses a clever control scheme with each stick controlling a character in this hilarious physics based puzzle game.

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia has recently announced that Australian made video games will now be included in the in the living collection for the purpose of preserving those works. A collection of 8 games has already been selected that include The Hobbit (Beam Software, 1982) and Hollow Knight (Team Cherry, 2017).

Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music this week.

SPONSOR: Thank you to Murdoch University School of Arts for their support over every single episode of Pixel Sift. We couldn't have done it without you. If you want to bolster your skills in media, journalism or game development, check out the Murdoch University School of Arts website for more information!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Maize Wallin (Sound Designer and Audio Programmer) and Jason Bakker (Writer and Producer) from Ghost Pattern join us to talk about their latest project Wayward Strand. Wayward Strand is an empathetic narrative game where players explore multiple story lines playing out simultaneously on an airborne hospital ship in 1970s Australia. It was recently selected as the one of the PAX Australia indie showcase winners for 2019, this point and click adventure game is designed for players who don't always interact with video games.

Former employees of the popular crowd funding platform Kickstarter have accused the company of retaliatory firing over unionisation efforts within the company. Clarissa Redwine and Taylor Moore were both core union organisers and were let go from the company. Many indie games developers and creators have publicly shown their support for these employees and unionisation and stand in solidarity with their efforts.

Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer.Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music this week.

SPONSOR: Thank you to Murdoch University School of Arts for their support over every single episode of Pixel Sift. We couldn't have done it without you. If you want to bolster your skills in media, journalism or game development, check out the Murdoch University School of Arts website for more information!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Death Hall is a mobile sidescrolling platformer where you try to survive to the end, that draws heavily from the challenging flash games of the early 2000s. Developer Thomas Janson has just won a spot at 2019's PAX Australia Indie Showcase with his game Death Hall, but it's not the first time he's done it, he picked one up in 2014 as well!

Every indie game always asks you to wishlist the game when it's announced and according to Ross Manthorp of YoYo Games, there is a tricky relationship with wishlists for developers.

Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music this week.

SPONSOR: Thank you to Murdoch University School of Arts for their support over every single episode of Pixel Sift. We couldn't have done it without you. If you want to bolster your skills in media, journalism or game development, check out the Murdoch University School of Arts website for more information!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

Jay Armstrong is Design Director at Massive Monster and joins us to talk about their latest project Never Give Up the action side scroller featuring fast paced gameplay a progressive player controlled difficulty management and violent traps. There is also a narrator that gives "encouragement" as you die, and die and die again...

We also talk the wobbly future loot boxes with random with randomly rolled rewards. With Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft gearing up with new policies to make the disclosure of loot box mandatory this could be the end of the contentious micro transactions. There are still a few missteps though as games like Apex Legends try to have the best of both worlds, but fans weren't happy.

Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus & Mitch Loh. Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music this week.

SPONSOR: Thank you to Murdoch University School of Arts for their support over every single episode of Pixel Sift. We couldn't have done it without you. If you want to bolster your skills in media, journalism or game development, check out the Murdoch University School of Arts website for more information!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

You might have seen back in May that for the first time in over a decade, video games developers in Western Australia would have direct content funding support from their state government.

Screenwest is the agency that administers the Interactive Pilot Fund and first round offered $100,000 for creators of interactive experiences in Western Australia.

Well the first recipients of the fund have now been announced and include dungeon crawling dating sims, Virtual Reality ghost hunting adventures, a 3d adventure games designed with accessibility at its core, cat themed puzzle game and an alternate reality game based around those “I am not a robot CAPTCHA tests.”

In this bonus episode we speak hear how the fund came about, and from some of the developers who were successful.

You can read the full article over on website: Screenwest announces the first five games for its $100,000 Interactive Pilot Fund

Support the show: https://sifter.store