Silicon Sasquatch

Header image compares restoration of Spanish Ecce Homo fresco to updating of a certain Japanese RPG

That’s what this week’s episode is all about. On Episode 37 I’m joined by Tyler, Nick and Spencer to discuss the trials and tribulations of preserving old games, and how some games have gotten it so wrong.

Please give us a listen, subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher, and feel free to leave comments below! We appreciate the feedback.

Intro: "Carpetbaggers" by The Jawa Warhol

Developers have struggled in recent years to engage their players after the credits roll and the last achievement pops. The industry, more than ever, has focused on our fleeting attention spans. Daily challenges are one of the more-recent innovations attempting to lengthen the time our eyes are glued to a screen.

Intro: Forget Everything Around You by dailoo1

Nintendo's financials are back from fiscal year 2013, and, well... it doesn't look so great. Not Virtual Boy-bad, by any means, but it certainly isn't 2006 anymore.

Don't expect an explanation here. Give the podcast a listen and find out what the guys have to say!

Intro: Materialistic by Meliorate

We're finally crawling out of our various dens, burrows, and apartments here at Silicon Sasquatch, weary from the holidays and our Game of the Year discussions. So, naturally, the first thing we decided to talk about was -- games! Specifically, the games we're excited about in the coming year. Join us (Nick, Aaron, Brit, and Spencer) as we each pick our most-anticipated titles of 2014. It's like our GOTY pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-pre-show!

*NOTE: There's significant crackling on this podcast due to a recording issue not caught until post-production. We regret the error, and have made sure it won't occur on future episodes. Thank you for your understanding!

Intro: "Blue Shift" by vonhelmholtz

As we've released our 2013 Game of the Year content over the past couple weeks, you've probably heard and seen the term "making sausage" thrown around. It's an apt metaphor for our deliberations --  they're contentious to start, and quickly devolve into extended, bile-filled debates. They've never lasted less than a few hours, and have remained entirely closed to the public.

This year, Spencer and Brit were unable to make the session, but for purposes of posterity, Nick, Aaron, Doug and Tyler all took the time to record last year's Game of the Year talks. The result was hastily assembled -- no intro or outro, just a roughly synchronized three-and-a-half hours of disagreement and argument over which game deserved the #1 spot. It wasn't made with listeners in mind, but if you're interested in taking a peek into our yearly process, then this is the podcast for you.

Thanks to The British Library for today's header image.

Photo courtesy Will Clayton

Four of the original five members of our staff -- co-founders Aaron and Nick, and long-term editors Doug and Spencer -- join us on this very special episode of the Silicon Sasquatch Podcast. It's been a long road, and we have a lot of stories to share about our successes, our failures and the reasons each one of us is still dedicated to our mission: examine the intersection of games and culture. We even briefly explain our vision for 2014 and beyond!

Enjoy our sappy, retrospective podcast! We encourage you to leave your comments about the last five years of this site -- what have you liked or disliked about what we do? -- Aaron Thayer

NOTE: As mentioned in the podcast, here's a link to our free book, Silicon Sasquatch: The First Year or So.

• Don’t forget to subscribe to the Silicon Sasquatch Podcast on iTunes!
• We’re also now on Stitcher! Not a fan of iTunes? No problem: Stitcher is a great alternative to keep up with the Squatchcast, so check us out!

Intro: "Corporate 4" by Mason Bayne Outro: "in progress" by andotherthings

Photo courtesy Mel B.

Each December our staff spends hours in a grueling, no-holds-barred verbal sparring match to rank the top 10 games released over the year. This year is no different, but it's not all blood, sweat and (mostly) tears on the road to "GOTY."

This episode Nick and Spencer and myself agree to civil discourse (because a week after this recording we will all experience betrayal and violence more comparable to a Game of Thrones episode) so we can examine the titles that didn't quite make the cut for Game of the Year.

Some great games were left off our top 10 this year, and we'll tell you why.

• Don't forget to subscribe to the Silicon Sasquatch Podcast on iTunes!
• We're also now on Stitcher! Not a fan of iTunes? No problem: Stitcher is a great alternative to keep up with the Squatchcast, so check us out!

Intro and Outro: "Hard Boiled" by WJLP

Here's an uncomfortable truth: we're all getting older. Even you! Right now, as you're reading this sentence, a small but still significant fraction of your life has slipped away.

With the holiday season just around the corner, we decided to take a look at the sales -- the sales of video games, specifically! Join Nick, Aaron, Tyler, and Spencer as they discuss the shifting landscape of video games distribution. How much has digital distribution changed the marketplace? Which companies have chosen to ignore this evolution? Find out on the 29th episode of the Squatchcast: "Buy More Stuff!"

Intro: Chinchilla Con Queso by WJLP

The eighth generation is here, and the resounding cry from us here at Silicon Sasquatch is... "Hm." Listen in as Aaron Thayer, Brit McGinnis, Nick Cummings, Spencer Tordoff, and Tyler Martin discuss midnight launches, Black Friday, and breakdown of fanboyism -- plus the episode of South Park lambasting all of the above. We're avoiding the launch night craziness, but there's plenty of opinions to go around!

Intro: Sunshine and Love by Superfire Records.