This week, Nigel and Tazziii don their capes, cowls, and hit the bricks for a deep dive into The LEGO Batman Movie (starting at 27:17), with Content Creator Chochy.

We tackle this high-octane, laugh-a-minute exploration of the Batman mythos told through the LEGO IP, as we question whether this animated view of Batman's trauma and his relationship with The Joker has given us the best story about the Dark Knight to date. It's a fun ride, but does it succeed as a narrative that can entertain audiences on multiple levels?

We examine its themes of family, trust, and vulnerability, debating which moments work and whether the redemption arc ends on a satisfying note. This week's storytelling tip is about creating meaningful setbacks on the path to redemption for your protagonist.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Mickey 17 (Cinema), Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Disney+), Superman & Lois (The CW), School Spirits (Paramount+), Supacell (Netflix), Superstore (Netflix), Sakamoto Days (Netflix), My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom (Crunchyroll), Captain America: Brave New World (Cinema), Gangs of London (Netflix), Klara and the Sun (Book), Daredevil: Born Again (Disney+)

Guest Links

Find Chochy online:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/chochyplays
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chochy.co.uk
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/chochyplays
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chochy1000
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@chochy1000
• Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chochyplays

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sit down with comic creator and Broken Frontier's "One to Watch," Shane Melisse, to discuss his journey from product design to forging his own path in the world of comics.

Shane has been on a real journey of learning since taking his first creative steps and shares with us the power of getting good advice and the benefit of being in a collective when starting out.

Listen in as we delve into how his style and background led him to create Road Knight, a story that has attracted audiences and Netflix's attention! We gain insight into creative ownership and understand the importance of trusting your own talent and stories while developing your craft.

Guest Links

- Website: https://www.shanefaced.com

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/shanefaced

- BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/shanefaced.bsky.social

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sadly put an end to the pursuit of perfection with a Retrospective deep dive into the second and final season of the hit animation series Arcane: League of Legends (starting at 28:52). Joining them are artist and digital content creator Liza N. Cooper and Wesley Louis from The Line Animation Studio.

After considering the first season a masterpiece, we explore whether the second season maintains the high standard set by the narrative and technical achievements of its predecessor.

We examine how the series has been able to adapt its lore to resonate so strongly with both fans and newcomers alike, debating its most impactful moments and whether the themes of redemption, grief, and the pursuit of perfection bring a satisfying conclusion to this 9-episode thrill ride!

Other stories we're enjoying include: Peppa Pig (BBC), Severance (Apple TV+), Jack Reacher (Prime Video), Dragon Ball DAIMA (Netflix), Scissor Seven (Netflix), Invincible (Prime Video), The Penguin (HBO Max), Umbrella Academy Season 4 (Netflix), A Man on the Inside (BBC iPlayer), Kiss Him Not Me! (Crunchyroll), The Apothecary Diaries (Manga), Blue Lock (Crunchyroll), I'm Still Here (Cinema), Blue Eyed Samurai (Netflix).

Guest Credits

Liza N. Cooper (Siberian Lizard)Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

Wesley Louis - The Line AnimationWebsite

TazziiiTwitter | Instagram | TikTok | Bluesky

mayamadaInstagram | TikTok | Bluesky | Twitter | YouTube

In this fourth and final segment of our 2024 "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" International Future Summit livestream Rewind, Tazziii and Nigel are joined by Trevor Graham, Gaming Ambassador for Virgin Media O2, and Marta Camilo, Gaming Community Manager for Lego, to explore the future of community building and events in games.

It's been a challenging year with the closure of major in-person events in the UK, mirroring a global shift toward more controlled online experiences from large games companies. Will this trend continue, or do players still crave those special moments that come from sharing physical space?

Check out the podcast feed for parts 1-3, and stay tuned for the launch of the 2025 "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" campaign this spring!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii host our first video game roundtable of the year and are joined by Content Creator TJBASC, Content Creator Fleur Nelle, and Presenter & Host Nimmz, who are on hand to share their thoughts on the games industry and make sense of it all through helpful situational family analogies!

In the first half, we dive into the games we've been playing before launching into the games industry news that has caught our collective attention (from 26.47). The recently revealed Nintendo Switch 2 is top of mind, as well as contrasting strategies from Microsoft and Sony. Can all three platform holders win the generation?

Video games we're playing: Stardew Valley (PC/Switch), Just Dance 2025 (Switch), Uncharted 3 (PS5), Fortnite (PC), Warframe (PC), Mario Party Jamboree (Switch), Granblue Fantasy: Relink (PS5), Loco Motive (PC), Titanfall 2 (Xbox), Echoes of Wisdom (Switch), Infinity Niki (PC), Little Nightmares 2 (Switch), Astrobot (PS5), Sifu (PC), Marvel Rivals (PC)

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sit down with Alexis Trust, Marketing & Publishing Product Lead at Chucklefish, to discuss their journey from AAA games to the world of indie game publishing.

We delve into their early days of sharing second hand game consoles with siblings led them to the army which prepared them to build communities for some of the biggest brands in games. Alexis later took that experience to support smaller teams in releasing games to the public, even trying their hand at making their own title.

Check out the conversation and discover how your unique path and experiences can be the reason you thrive in the video games industry!

We're back for a brand new season of the Story x Story podcast! This week, Nigel and Tazziii are making magic solo as we dive into the enchanting melodic adventures of Encanto (starting at 29:52).

We break down this musical narrative rooted in Colombian culture as it explores the challenges of stewarding gifts given to an individual and how to approach life when you believe you didn't receive something special. It's an emotionally colourful tale that manages to trigger some introspective moments with our hosts.

We examine themes of family, generational trauma and comparison with those around you. We also debate the narrative usefulness of one of Disney's most popular recent songs (and memes) as we finally get to talk about Bruno! This week's storytelling tip is about maintaining narrative momentum through music.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Gamers! (Crunchyroll), Mob Psycho (Crunchyroll), Sex in the City (Sky), Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (Crunchyroll), One Piece (Crunchyroll), Blue Lock (Crunchyroll), Tokyo Revengers (Crunchyroll, Disney+), Gangs of London (Netflix), A Real Pain (Cinema), Little Nightmares 2 (Nintendo Switch).

We're on a recording break in January before returning with Season 7 of the Story x Story podcast next month. During this time, we're giving our voices a rest (sort of) while treating you to some great Rewind episodes featuring conversations from our "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" campaign launch livestream in December.

In this third segment, Tazziii and Nigel explore the evolving ways we play video games and discuss whether the industry has found the right balance between single-player, co-op, and live service games. Jay also shares insights on educating future gaming talent, what she enjoys about her role and potential impact on the industry that young people can have.

We'll return in February with Season 7 of Story x Story, packed with exciting discussions—from deep dives to roundtable conversations and interviews with creative industry professionals. Until then, enjoy this month's line up of episodes!

We're on a recording break over January and will be back with Season 7 of the Story x Story podcast. In the meantime, over January, we give our voices a rest (sort of) and give you a bunch of great Rewind episodes to enjoy as we revisit the amazing conversations we had from our "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" campaign launch livestream in December.

This second segment sees Tazziii and Nigel recap the highs and lows of gaming in 2024 with Dames4Games' own Destinee Cleveland alongside Content Creator Chochy.

We get into what continued to be a rocky year for the video games industry across the world, with the loss of favourite games events and the ongoing redundancies and studio closures. But it's not all bad as we're able to highlight personal positives from the year and look forward to (hopefully) a brighter 2025 for ourselves, the industry and wider culture!

We'll be back recording new episodes for Season 7 of Story x Story, and we've got a lot of great discussions in store—from deep dives to round table discussions and interviews with creative industry professionals. So enjoy this month's episode lineup and we'll see you again for Season 7 in February.

We're on a recording break over January and will be back with Season 7 of the Story x Story podcast. In the meantime, over January, we give our voices a rest (sort of) and give you a bunch of great Rewind episodes to enjoy as we revisit the amazing conversations we had from our "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" campaign launch livestream in December.

This first segment is a play-along with Mel Taylor, the Creative Director of MELLOW Games, a games studio working on a really intriguing narrative game called Blueberry. It's about a woman's life, memory processing, and trauma. Nigel spoke with Mel while Tazziii played her game live on stream, and you can hear that discussion in this week's Rewind episode.

We'll be back recording new episodes for Season 7 of Story x Story, and we've got a lot of great discussions in store—from deep dives to round table discussions and interviews with creative industry professionals. So enjoy this month's episode lineup and we'll see you again for Season 7 in February.