Lightmap - Conversations with video game creators

This week we look at the cost of being a gamer. Like all hobbies there is a financial cost as well as a time cost. We break down some of the numbers about the game value proposition. Is it more expensive to be a gamer than ever before? When does gaming become too expensive a hobby?

We spoke to Joshua Meadows organiser of Sydney Gaymers, and co-director of the brand new convention for LGBT gamers, GX Australia. We talked all about why a general gaming convention might not be as comfortable for some people and what planning an event like this meant. The first GX Australia will be held at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of February 2015. You can find out more information on the special guests attending, and where to get tickets on the GX Australia website http://www.gxaustralia.com .

Mitch is back from RTX Australia, another US convention that's made it's debut on Aussie shores. Spawned from the minds of those creative folks at Rooster Teeth, we recap everything you might have checked out at the event.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

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The sporting world had been rocked by a gambling scandal with tennis players in the UK fixing matches to alter the odds in gambling. eSports players aren't immune to the lure of bribes to manipulate the outcomes of matches. We look at how eSports and betting cross over and how people can be tempted to take a less than honest path

We spoke to Lisa Rye and Brendan Ragan from Stirfire Studios, the makers of Freedom Fall . One of the first Australian devs to be greenlit on Steam, we asked about the lessons they had learnt and things to watch out for. We also spoke about their upcoming game Debug, a platformer where you glitch the game to win. This interview features some of the music from Freedom Fall by the talented Paramorph, make sure you check them out on Bandcamp.

Finally we look and listen to the games that some of our favourite musicians lent their creative talents to such as Omikron: The Nomad Dream by the late David Bowie and Quantic Dream (of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls). Musicians have had a bigger role in gaming than you might think!

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

This week we look at when games get cloned. Blink and you may have missed it but, but a sequel to one of the biggest games in the world came out and was quickly pulled. Minecraft 2 raced to the top of the charts, but it was a dodgy clone cashing in on the Minecraft name. We look at some famous clones and ripoff games. Such as the gem Super Noah's Ark 3D, or the over 60 Flappy Bird clones that hit the App Store every day.

We got up bright and early and we spoke to those lovely chaps at Gnomic Studios about their game Square Heroes. We talked to Aranda Morrison and Mark Mennell about bringing their game to Playstation 4, selling their game as a bundle and managing a fledgling multiplayer community.

Finally some over zealous lawyers from Sony decided to try trademark the term "Let's Play". We talk about some legal decisions that changed the way games were made and played. The High Court was brought in to rule on what Australians could do with their Playstation consoles, setting a legal precedent.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

In a major eSports shakeup, Activision Blizzard has purchased Major League Gaming, in a move that has left some shareholders of MLG stunned. Activision has been making moves into the eSports space already and this brings a major league under their wing. What this will mean for the future of eSports is yet to be seen.

We spoke to Christopher Parkin, he's a developer and CEO of Offpeak Games, makers of the virtual reality medieval combat game Valiant. We talked about their Kickstarter campaign, and launching a new game at the infancy of VR. Oculus have just announced their pricing and preorders for their Rift headset, so gamers will soon be able to experience VR in their own homes.

Finally today we wrap up the year that was 2015. We look at some of the major stories and releases of last year and talk about some of our favourite games.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

This week we look at companion apps and the rise of toys and addons. Skylanders was one of the first games to hit the scene that used collectible figurines to play the game, but it's been joined by many others. We also explore whether apps such as Destiny's Companion app or the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy add more to your second screen experience or does it take away from the main experience.

We spoke to Drew Morrow from Three Phase Interactive all about his game Defect Spaceship Destruction Kit. We spoke all about the early access process, building a game from fan feedback and nurturing a community so they come along for the ride. We played a bit of Defect over on out twitch page and you can check that on www.twitch.tv/pixelsift

We also explore movie tie-in games. Many games have been made as spin offs from bigger franchises, but few do it quite as well as the Star Wars games or the legendary N64 Goldeneye. We look at what makes a good tie-in game and what causes a tie-in game to flop.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

When gamers explore games they can make some awesome new play styles that weren't originally designed. Bungie released an official version of the Sparrow Racing League, which was created in game by players. Day Z started out as a mod for ARMA II before spinning off into it's own game. The whole MOBA genre originated as a custom map in Warcraft III.

This weekend we had the Playstation Experience (PSX) convention where Sony laid out it's plans for the next year. Some of the big announcements included on of the first gameplay trailers for the anticipated Final Fantasy VII remake, the crazy looking 100 Foot Robot Golf and Ratchet & Clank

Finally this week we explore the use of drugs in gaming. Popular streamer Jayson Love AKA MANvsGAME admitted that his 50 hour gaming sessions were fueled by the use of dextroamphetamine to keep him awake. The major eSports leagues such as the ESL will start drug testing their players for performance enhancing drugs like those used by MANvsGame after a major drug scandal.

If you need help with drugs and alcohol or your mental well being and you are in Australia you can contact Lifeline 24 hours a day for help.

LIFELINE AUSTRALIA PHONE NUMBER 13 11 14

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

This week for our eleventh episode we broadcast live from somewhere a little bit different, we were at Casa Del Scott but you would have seen the fresh decor on our Twitch stream of this episode. If you missed us live you catch the whole episode on http://www.twitch.tv/pixelsift any time you like!

This week we spoke to Trent Kusters, he's one of the co-founders of League of Geeks and we learnt all about their game Armello. We had such a great chat with Trent we split the interview in two, with the first part focusing on the challenges and benefits of developing a completely digital board game. In the second half of the interview, we talked about managing the expectations of more than 6000 backers after their successful Kickstarter campaign, and what it took to get it to that point.

We also looked at when games fail to meet fan expectations, or don't meet the hype. The fans of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 have been calling out for updated rosters, with all the current trades and injury lists, but have been left wanting.  Scott fills us in on the fan disappointment and how developers could address these issues.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

We've hit the double digits, this is Episode 10 of Pixel Sift. If you just tuned in, thanks for joining us and each week we talk video games and video game culture. This week we streamed the show live on twitch.tv/pixelsift so you can watch as well as listen.

First up on the show today we talk about the worst players online who ruin the multiplayer for everyone. Riot Games makers of the extremely popular League of Legends, have implemented a new system where the worst players online miss out completely on free loot. Other games such as Hearthstone by Blizzard have opted out of online chat entirely, using emotes and phrases instead.

If you are in Western Australia this weekend you can check out the Perth Games Festival, a celebration of WA game dev talent. We spoke to Jon Hayward and Jess Watson from Let's Make Games who organised the Perth Games Festival. It's on the 28th of November 2015 at the Perth Town Hall, and tickets are free. Head to perthgamesfestival.com.au for all the details.

Finally for our first in studio interview Kai Ashford-Hatherly, from RW Games joined us and told us all about his new game Bellus Mortem which has just launched on Kickstarter. We asked why they went Kickstarter over other funding methods.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

It's a big part of all creative industries, and advertising is looking to expand into gaming in a big way. We talk about how gaming can embrace some advertising, and what advertising doesn't sit well within a gaming context. Sticking with promotion and advertising, Alternate Reality Games or ARGs can unite fans to investigate and discover another dimension of their gaming experience. Recently Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl, developers of the Binding of Issac unveiled a mysterious ARG which unlocked content within their game after gamers had completed puzzles in the real world. We talk about how ARGs can complement a game and expand the narrative world.

Finally we look at the legacy of gaming, with backwards compatibility being introduced to current gen console Xbox One. Is this a customer friendly move to maintain the value of your older games, or is it simply just a carrot for customers who have complained about a lack of new next-gen titles.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store

This week we are looking at crowd multiplayer where game streamers can have their games changed by those watching at home. Rise of Tomb Raider on Xbox One can take the input of viewers on Twitch and introduce challenges and help. Indie game Choice Chamber takes this to another level. Seriously check it out, it's kinda mind blowing.

If you've spent many long nights playing games, you'll be familiar with marathon gaming sessions. We spoke to Dione and Keegan from the 1UP Game Marathon who on Saturday 14th will be playing games for 24 hours to raise money for MS Society WA. Last week the Extra Life marathon raised millions for charity, so what is it about gaming that gets people to open their wallets. They might need either some protective equipment such as these gaming glasses.

Finally this week the collaboration between Nintendo and Sony was discovered after years of rumour and speculation. We talk all the big gaming rumours and urban legends, such as the massive flop ET: The Extra Terrestrial on the Atari 2600 found in a desert grave.

You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!

Support the show: https://sifter.store