NOTE: We recorded this episode before Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond left Microsoft. For Nigel and Tazziii’s initial take on that news, watch The Studio77 Report for Spring 2026 on the mayamada YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/9Tw-70R9as4?t=1805

Our first video game roundtable of 2026 sees Nigel and Tazziii sit with Mathew Allcock, Wayne Emanuel, and Janelle McCurdy to discuss the games they're playing and the video game news stories that have caught their attention (from 21:31).

We get into a range of stories including the implications of Valve's Steam Machine and Steam Frame delays caused by the ongoing RAM crisis and debate what rising RAM prices mean for the cost of gaming as well as the potential impact on next-generation console release schedules.

The conversation then turns to whether Xbox's multi-platform strategy is actually working and the cost to their brand, while also looking into Larian Studios' controversial AI troubles and Nintendo's ambitious cinema plans.

Games being enjoyed this week: Reanimal (PC), My Little Puppy (PC), Resident Evil Village (PS5), The Alters (PC), Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PC), Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (Xbox 360), FC26 (PS5), Divinity Original Sin 2 (PC), Lego Fortnite (PC), Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4), Animal Crossing (Switch), Lego Fortnite (PC), Sifu (PC), God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla (PS5)

Connect with Wayne online:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-emanuel-7846a812
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_wayneemanuel

Connect with Mat online:

• Website: https://thewobblygamer.co.uk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewobblygamer
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewobblygamer
• Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thewobblygamer

Connect with Janelle online:

• Website: https://janellemccurdy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janellemccurdyy
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janellemccurdy
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/janellemccurdy.bsky.social

In this Rewind episode, we've got the audio from the February 2026 episode of Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, where Nigel talks to comic creators around the world to explore their work and the craft of making comics.

This series is all about highlighting the people behind the art as we uncover their unique stories, and this month features Corey Brotherson, an award-winning writer, editor and creative consultant whose extensive portfolio spans comics, video games and more.

Corey is joining for his second appearance on the show, and once again shares honest insights about his transition from video game writing to comics, why self-confidence plays such a big role as a freelancer (your income depends on it!), and the value of taking opportunities when they're presented. It's a candid look at the ups and downs of a freelance career from someone who has been doing it for 20+ years!

Tune in to the mayamada Twitch channel each month for more Studio77 shows with Nigel, Tazziii and the mayamada community: Studio77 Report, Casual Conversations With Comic Creators and Games Night.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sit down with Jade Leamcharaskul, a composer and game audio producer, to discuss her journey from game development to focusing on music composition.

We get open and honest as we talk about dealing with imposter syndrome, knowing your worth, and the value of networking to gain major opportunities.

This is a great conversation with a long-time freelancer packed with lessons for those looking to build a creative career path in video games.

Connect with Jade online:

• Website: https://www.jdwasabi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdwasabi
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JDWasabi
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/jdwasabi

Were back from our recording break with Season 8 of Story x Story! This week, Nigel and Tazziii dive deep into F1: The Movie (starting at 23:53) with our guests: content creator Mavitivo plus filmmaker and inventor Jabril Muse.

We explore how Brad Pitt's role in Hollywood may be reflecting the film's themes of redemption and the dynamic between experience and youth on the race track. Despite its straightforward narrative, we discuss how F1 is shows that a simple story can still be effective when executed at a high level, proving that a story can be greater than the sum of its parts.

This week's storytelling tip focuses on designing protagonists who learn from each other, creating character relationships that drive growth.

Other stories we're enjoying: Poker Face (Peacock), Hijack (Apple TV+), Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO/Max), Sentimental Value (Cinema), It Was Just an Accident (Cinema), Silo (Apple TV+), Slow Horses (Apple TV+), Shrinking (Apple TV+), Children of Benin Kingdom by Dinah Orji (Book), Ameku MDDoctor Detective (Crunchyroll), Yakuza Fiancé (Crunchyroll), Fire Force (Crunchyroll), Spy x Family (Crunchyroll), Rick and Morty (Netflix), His & Hers (Netflix), Carry-On (Netflix), People We Meet on Vacation (Netflix), Marty Supreme (Cinema)

Connect with Mavitivo online:

• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mavitivo
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mavitivo
• TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@mavitivo

This week, we're sharing the closing roundtable from the 2025 "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" Next 1UP: End of Year Livestream. Nigel and Tazziii are joined by three prominent voices from the gaming community: Sally Sheppard (game educator and founder of Wyrdren Games), InDeeDee (content creator and community builder), and Daniel Morrison (founder of Creative Genius Games).

This conversation explores what community means for the future of gaming - especially as major UK events like EGX and Insomnia have closed their doors as standalone events. We also discuss what needs to improve in games education to better prepare the next generation of developers, and what gives them hope as we look towards 2026.

It's an insightful discussion about resilience, representation, and the responsibility we all share in shaping a more welcoming gaming industry.

This is our final Rewind episode before Season 8 begins next week! We'll be back in February with brand new interviews, discussions, and stories from across the creative industries.

Tune in to the mayamada Twitch channel each month for more content with our hosts and the mayamada community: Studio77 Report, Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, and Games Night.

Connect with Sally online:

• Website: https://www.wyrdren.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wyrdrengames
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sallygamedev

Connect with InDeeDee online:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialindeedee
• Twitter: https://x.com/InDeeDeeEffect
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@indeedee
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/officialindeedee.bsky.social

Connect with Daniel online:

• Website: https://www.creativegeniusgames.co.uk
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativegeniusgames
• Twitter: https://x.com/CreativeGeniusG
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@creativegeniusgames

In this Rewind episode, we're revisiting three gameplay interview segments from the 2025 "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" Next 1UP: End of Year Livestream, where Tazziii played indie games live while Nigel interviewed the developers behind them.

First up, Vicky and Luxille from Studio Lavacado showcase their cosy tiling puzzle game Floramino. Then HaZ Dulull from Beyond The Pixels brings us Astro Burn, a nostalgic cute-em-up shooter featuring a jetpack-wearing cat astronaut. Finally, Nareice Wint of Miami Avalon shares her transition from AAA to indie development whilst showcasing Ascend.

These conversations explore fantastic and practical insights from each developer, from understanding scope and building awareness around your game to the challenges of moving from AAA to the indie space. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the realities of indie game development.

This is Part 3 of our Next 1UP Rewind series. Throughout January, we'll be sharing more segments from the livestream before recording new episodes for Season 8 in February!

Tune in to the mayamada Twitch channel each month for more content with our hosts and the mayamada community: Studio77 Report, Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, and Games Night.

Connect with Studio Lavacado online:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/studiolavacado/
• Twitter: https://x.com/StudioLavacado

Connect with HaZ & Beyond The Pixels online:

Website: https://www.beyond-the-pixels.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazdazzle
• Twitter: https://x.com/HaZ_Dulull
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/beyond-the-pixels.bsky.social
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haz-dulull

Connect with Nareice online:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nareice
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nareicejwint

In this Rewind episode, we're revisiting the first roundtable discussion from the 2025 "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" Next 1UP: End of Year Livestream, where Nigel talks with three super supportive voices from across the games industry.

Joining the conversation were Jarvs Tasker, Head of Communications at Happy Volcano and an award-winning accessibility advocate; Roshelle Patterson, a games UX researcher whose work spans AAA titles like World of Warcraft and indie projects focused on climate and social issues; and Dom Shaw, a passionate champion for neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ communities with over a decade of experience across events, charity, and advocacy work.

This roundtable explored the personal lessons each took from a difficult year in 2025, the invaluable power of community in sustaining creative work, the importance of putting your work out into the world even when it feels unpolished, and the real value of industry awards and recognition. Despite rocky times in games, we managed to pick out great encouragement and some practical wisdom for anyone navigating the games industry during uncertain times.

This is Part 2 of our Next 1UP Rewind series. Throughout January, we'll be sharing more segments from the livestream before recording new episodes for Season 8 in February!

Tune in to the mayamada Twitch channel each month for more content with our hosts and the mayamada community: Studio77 Report, Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, and Games Night.

Connect with Jarvs

• Twitter: https://x.com/Jarvdusa

Connect with Roshelle

• Story x Story #212: Behind The Story With Roshelle Patterson https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mayamada/episodes/Story-x-Story-212-Behind-The-Story-With-Roshelle-Patterson-Video-Games-e31t99l

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roshelleantoinette

Connect with Dom

• Twitter: https://x.com/DominicShaw94

Happy New Year! In this Rewind episode, we're revisiting the opening interview from the 2025 "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" Next 1UP: End of Year Livestream, where Nigel sat down with Dean Gichukie, CEO and Game Producer at Kunta Content.

Dean shares his journey founding an African game studio with a vision to make great African games. We talk about his experience building Kunta Content in Kenya, and the inspiration behind their Maasai-inspired 3D game HIRU. This conversation explores what representation means from an African lens, the unique opportunities and challenges in the global gaming industry, and Dean's advice for aspiring game developers in underrepresented regions looking to break into the industry.

This is Part 1 of our Next 1UP Rewind series. Throughout January, we'll be sharing more segments from the livestream before recording new episodes for Season 8 in February!

Tune in to the mayamada Twitch channel each month for more content with our hosts and the mayamada community: Studio77 Report, Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, and Games Night.

Connect with Dean & Kunta Content online:

• Website: http://kuntacontent.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kuntacontent
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kuntacontent

It's the final episode of 2025!! For our Season 7 Wrapped episode, Nigel and Tazziii are back with their personal top five favourite stories of the year. And this year we're adding some new categories including 'In Memoriam' for stories we've said goodbye to, and 'Personal Story Highlight' for those moments that really stood out.

Of course, we've still covering honourable mentions, stories that surprised and disappointed us, as well as our favourite ongoing or unfinished stories. So join us as we recap our favourite comic, anime, TV, film and video game stories that made us stop and take notice over the past 12 months.

We want to hear from you too! What were your favourite stories of 2025? Which moments or characters stood out to you? Join the conversation in our Discord and share your own picks with us.

We're going on a recording break over January, but will be back in February with Season 8 of Story x Story. In the meantime, you'll be able to enjoy some great bonus Rewind episodes until we start recording again in 2026 - Happy New Year!

The end of another means it's time to look back at the past 12 months of incredible story discussions!

This special episode brings you the best highlights, pre and post-show chats, and (many, many) bloopers from Season 7 of the podcast, featuring Nigel, Tazziii, and a brilliant line-up of guests from across the creative industries.

We've packed our favourite moments into this episode, celebrating the fantastic guests who've joined us throughout the year and the unforgettable bloopers that kept us entertained over many recording sessions - from forgetful moments and unexpected laughs to mute button mishaps.

Season 7 has been filled with insightful and entertaining conversations with diverse voices across comics, manga, TV, and video games. So sit back and enjoy the ups, downs, insightful wisdom, and everything in between as we recap another season of Story x Story!

A huge thank you to everyone who has joined us as guests and also listened to another year, and here's to more great stories ahead 🎉