Mark chats with Billie Cox for the first of two episodes on free-to-play games, focusing on the use of battle passes and the way they've impacted our expectations of online competitive games.

Let us know: Why do you (or don’t you) buy the battle pass?

Be on the 11th episode! Record 1 minute answering the question: "What's your 11th favorite game?" Record directly at speakpipe.com/11point5minutes or record a voice memo and email it in to [email protected].

Follow us on the proper socials:

Find more Billie on the internet:

Twitter: @nolisgvi

Instagram: @nolisgvi

Join his Discord: https://discord.gg/qtDwTb2pkn

If you enjoy this podcast: subscribing, rating, reviewing, and sharing it with others goes a long way to helping it grow. Thanks for listening!

Games mentioned:

-Fortnite

What we're playing:

Mark chats with Parker Deal of Re:Direct on their favorite integrations of music into video games, and what they'd like to see from music in games in the future. 

I was so excited to have Parker on the podcast that I forgot to check my microphone input. Sorry for the lower quality audio.

Let us know: What are your favorite uses of music in video games?

Follow us on the proper socials:

Email us: [email protected] 

If you enjoy this podcast: subscribing, rating, reviewing, and sharing it with others goes a long way to helping it grow. Thanks for listening!

Find more Parker on the internet:

Recommended watching: “The Wizardry Behind Town Tunes in Animal Crossing (Re:Arranging)” (Parker’s video on Re:Direct)

Games mentioned:

-Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Mark chats with Elizabeth "Biza" Coats Bowen on what we like about open-world games and the marks of a good open-world game.

Let us know: What do you like about open-world games?

Follow us on the proper socials:

Find more Biza on the internet:

Twitter: @ElizabethCoats1

Games mentioned:

- Elden Ring

Mark chats with Henry Overos, PhD candidate at University of Maryland, on troubles in the video game industry and how we should respond as consumers, recognizing the complexity of the issues and offering a few suggestions in how to respond.

Let us know: As a consumer, how do you respond to bad practices and abuse in the games industry?

Recommendations from the episode:

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier

Press Reset by Jason Schreier

Follow us on the proper socials:

Youtube: 11 & a Half Minutes to Talk About Video Games

Twitter: @11point5minutes

Instagram: @11.5minutes

GG| - Mark: @11point5minutes

Anchor: anchor.fm/11point5minutes

Email us: [email protected]

Find more Henry on the internet:

Twitter: @henry0veros

Games mentioned:

- Call of Duty

Mark chats with Jake Martin (aka BitBloggist) and Landry Smith on the core building blocks of games they like best, and how that impacts their enjoyment of games.

Let us know: What is your favorite game mechanic?

Follow us on the proper socials:

Youtube: 11 & a Half Minutes to Talk About Video Games

Twitter: @11point5minutes

Instagram: @11.5minutes

GG| - Mark: @11point5minutes

Anchor: anchor.fm/11point5minutes

Email us: [email protected]

Find more Jake on the internet:

Web: https://bitbloggist.com/

Podcast: BitCast

Twitch.tv: BitBloggist

Twitter: @BitBloggist

Instagram: @BitBloggist

Recommended reading: Best Playstation 5 Games

Find more Landry on the internet:

Twitter: @SoftIconoclast

GG|: @isolate_connect

Games mentioned:

- Super Mario Bros.

Mark chats with Billie Cox on highlights from the Summer Game Fest and beyond, picking games/presentations for a few categories, and how we felt about the ghost of E3 overall.

Let us know: What are your highlights from not-E3?

Follow us on the proper socials:

Youtube: 11 & a Half Minutes to Talk About Video Games

Twitter: @11point5minutes

Instagram: @11.5minutes

GG| - Mark: @11point5minutes

Anchor: anchor.fm/11point5minutes

Email us: [email protected]

Find more Billie on the internet:

Join his Discord: https://discord.gg/qtDwTb2pkn

Games Mentioned:

-Smite/Runescape

Mark chats with Jonathan Moore about the nonsense of video game titles, what makes a good title, and why it's hard to come up with a good title for a video game.

Let us know: What's the worst video game title? And what's the best?

Follow us on the proper socials:

Youtube: 11 & a Half Minutes to Talk About Video Games

Twitter: @11point5minutes

Instagram: @11.5minutes

GG| - Mark: @11point5minutes

Anchor: anchor.fm/11point5minutes

Email us: [email protected]

Find more Jonathan on the internet:

Blog: https://alwaysgrowingup.com/

Mark chats with Landry Smith on his approach to rating games, the democratization game reviews through apps like ggapp.io, and what entails a perfect score.

Let us know: How do you approach a game review?

Follow us on the proper socials:

Youtube: 11 & a Half Minutes to Talk About Video Games

Twitter: @11point5minutes

Instagram: @11.5minutes

GG| - Mark: @BigfootBoodrow

Anchor: anchor.fm/11point5minutes

Email us: [email protected]

Find more Landry on the internet:

Twitter: @SoftIconoclast

GG|: @isolate_connect

Games mentioned: 

-Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 

-Celeste 

-Stardew Valley 

-Xenoblade Chronicles 2 

-Kirby and the Forgotten Land 

-Super Mario 64 

-Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 

-Super Smash Bros. Melee 

-The Last of Us

-The Last of Us Pt 2

Mark chats with Jake (aka BitBloggist) on their favorite short (and shorter games), the appeals and opportunities of very short games, and their marketability.

Let us know: What's your favorite very short game?

Follow us on the proper socials:

Youtube: 11 & a Half Minutes to Talk About Video Games

Twitter: @11point5minutes

Instagram: @11.5minutes

GG| - Mark: @BigfootBoodrow

Anchor: anchor.fm/11point5minutes

Email us: [email protected]

Find more Jake on the internet:

Web: https://bitbloggist.com/

Podcast: BitCast

Twitch.tv: BitBloggist

Twitter: @BitBloggist

Instagram: @BitBloggist

Recommended reading: 10 N64 Games Worth Playing

Games mentioned:

-Journey

-Flower

-Death's Door

-Eastward

-Metroid Dread

-Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

-Undertale

-Donut County

-A Short Hike

-The Artful Escape

-Super Mario Bros.

A real quick podcast about video games. New episodes every other week on Wednesday mornings.

Follow us on the proper socials:

Youtube: 11 & a Half Minutes to Talk About Video Games

Twitter: @11point5minutes

Instagram: @11.5minutes

GG| - Mark: @BigfootBoodrow

Anchor: anchor.fm/11point5minutes

Email us: [email protected]