Origin Story

We're back to shoot the shit about what we're reading, playing, and watching. Why The Black Count by Tom Reiss rules and a long discussion of The End of the English Major. Come listen.

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Original Study Hall Art by J. Dylan Denison

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

You can find a link to the Black Count here.

And a link to The End of the English Major here. 

Natalie Watson is a producer at Half Mermaid Productions where she worked on Immortality. Previously she was a games critic for Vice’s games outlet Waypoint. She also co-owns the successful Star Wars podcast "A More Civilized Age” alongside former editor-in-chief Austin Walker, Rob Zacnay, and Ali Acampora.

We talked to Natalie about her work on Immortality, the games journalist to game dev pipeline, and the absolute state of games criticism in 2023. 

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Episode Notes

You can follow Natalie Watson here.

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

Xalavier Nelson Jr. is a writer and narrative designer who also founded the game studio Strange Scaffold. He is most well known for titles such as Hypnospace Outlaw, Can Androids Pray, An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs, and more. He’s currently working on titles such as Sunshine Shuffle, and the neo-noir shooter El Paso, Elsewhere.

We talked to Xalavier about trying to create sustainability in the games industry, why games are the best way to explore how systems work, and why he says "fuck games as empathy machines."

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Episode Notes

You can follow Xalavier Nelson Jr. here.

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

It's a new year and Phil has a new job and a new lease on life. We give a general life update and see whether the new job offers any new insights into game dev. Plus a look back on some of our fave things of 2022 and one of the games we're both enjoying right now: Chained Echoes. Come listen.

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Original Study Hall Art by J. Dylan Denison

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

Come one, come all to an episode where we introduce and announce the Joey awards. Named after special guest Joe Ostrander, who represents the entire voting body of the Joeys, we discuss his picks for best movies, performances, and directors of the year. It may *seem* a lot like the Oscars but no, it's absolutely not, it's the Joeys.

You can follow Joe Ostrander on Letterboxd @ostyghosty

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Original Study Hall Art by J. Dylan Denison

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

"Study Hall," a series of short conversations between Ben, Phil, and people they admire about a particular work or what's fueling their creative lives right now.

Expect informal conversations with new and familiar names in the games, film, music, and writing world. Think of it like an audio newsletter, a taste of what we're up to off the air, now recorded.

This week we talk about a new Senegalese revenge thriller called Saloum, and then the new Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury.

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Original Study Hall Art by J. Dylan Denison

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

Sam Barlow is the writer and director of Immortality, Telling Lies, and Her Story and the founder of the Half Mermaid production company. His most recent games are interactive fiction experiences that allow players to search through archives of footage such as police interrogations and video calls. Sam’s latest game, Immortality, asks players to comb through footage from three unreleased movies to uncover what happened to actress named Marissa Marcel.

We spoke with Sam about the untapped possibilities in video games and how his stories work to expand what games can do. We also talk about the interesting nature of the archive game. Plus: what's the point of making art, anyway?

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Episode Notes

You can follow Sam Barlow here.

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

Graham Parkes is the Writer and Creative Director of Before Your Eyes, a game about the fleeting nature of life that garnered attention because of its eye-tracking technology and the integration of blinks into the narrative of the gameplay.

We talk to Graham about trying to capture the fleeting nature of life in a video game. We also discuss how Graham felt he and his friends working on the project needed to grow up before they could tell the story they wanted to in the game. Plus, an OS classic: talking about our personal value outside of the art that we make. 

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Episode Notes

You can follow Graham Parkes here.

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

In the second episode of Study Hall, we're diving into the Xenoblade series with writer Autumn Wright. Autumn has written extensively about the Xenoblade games, including with their coverage of Xenoblade 3 for Polygon. We talk with Autumn about what drew them into the series, why you have to go all in on the games, and how to know if you're susceptible to Xenoblade brain worms.

Follow Autumn on Twitter @TheAutumnWright

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper

Episode Description

Gareth Damien Martin (They/Them) is an award-winning writer, designer and artist. Their first game, In Other Waters won the Jury Prix at IndieCade Europe.

Most recently, they’ve released the critically acclaimed role playing game Citizen Sleeper which places players in the role of an escape worker on a lawless space station on the edge of interstellar society and explores themes around capitalism, gig work, precarity, and more.

We talk to Gareth about the genesis of Citizen Sleeper, the cyberpunk influences that inspired the game, how their own personal experiences with gig work helped shaped the game, and so much more.

Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp

Episode Notes

You can follow Gareth Damian Martin here.

Visit our website: Originstory.show

Follow us on Twitter @originstory_

Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]

Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch

Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper