The Experience Points Podcast

As consummate professionals, Jorge and I are always on the lookout for others striving to be the best in their fields. That's why we are fascinated by the upcoming esports estorm that is professional Overwatch. Blizzard seems intent on fostering regional rivalries and after watching the World Cup exhibition and learning about the forthcoming location-based Overwatch teams, we are hooked. I want to believe that if Winston from Overwatch had a choice, he'd play for the Bay Area Brawlers. We're very progressive when it comes to animal rights.

While your reeling under the weight of the recent presidential election, we bring you this belated discussion of the Nintendo Switch. Consider it a memory of an earlier, more peaceful time, when all we did was go to rooftop parties and play videogames.

Show notes:

• Music by Brad Sucks
• Run time: 35 mins 16 secs

Hey, I don't want to alarm anyone, but this esports thing is getting wild. So wild in fact, that Jorge ventured into the belly of the beast to bring us a report. This week, we talk about the League of Legends 2016 World Championship. Enjoy stories about the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and the sweet smell of stadium chicken tenders.

The world of sports and the world of gaming have never been so intertwined. We've got real life announcers adding color commentary to Madden patches and professional soccer players raising a fit over in-game FIFA stats. What's going on here? And more importantly, when are Americans finally going to care about soccer!? This week on the show, we kick around the influence games and sports have on each other.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 33 mins 33 sec

- "How Video Games Are Changing the Way Soccer Is Played," by Rory Smith, via the New York Times

- Music by Brad Sucks

Consider this an old west time capsule, amigos. It was buried under the digital soil during a simpler time; a time before we knew about Red Dead Redemption 2. Essentially, Jorge and I got super excited and we recorded this the day after Rockstar began tweeting cryptic pictures of Red Dead Redemption 2. Since we still don't know too much about it, feel free to partake in our child-like hope and whimsical speculation.

If you're a fan of bizarre or surreal television, then we have a game for you! This week on the EXP Podcast, we debrief on Virginia, a narrative-based game that's part Twin Peaks and part X-Files. Is this short little game worth your time? And more importantly, what's the buffalo and the weird racist cult? All this and more in our journey to the Old Dominion.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 34 mins 15 sec

- Music by Lyndon Holland via Virginia OST

Fall is well underway and that means gearing up for new games. This week, we take a look at two of our most anticipated titles that couldn't be more different from one another: Super Mario Run and Titanfall 2. Join us as we wistfully imagine a world where we tweet Mario levels while using Titans as farming equipment.

I recently went on an extended vacation. While I was gone, Sony dropped the big news that Project Neo would actually be called the PS4 Pro. And not only is this fancy new piece of hardware selling for $399, it's launching this November. What does this mean for early adopters and folks who don't make the upgrade? Will VR games take a hit on old hardware? All this and more on this week's podcast!

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 32 mins 59 sec

- Music by Dan Deacon and Brad Sucks

Almost all modern games share something in common, regardless of genre and style: patches! Whether it's a single-player sci-fi epic like No Man's Sky or an annual sports franchise like Madden, the game released on launch day is often significantly different than the one we play a week, month, or even year later. In this episode we talk about the good, bad, and wacky sides of version updates.

Before we head into the busy fall season, we're wrapping up summer with a relaxing news update. Well, it was relaxing until we stumbled upon Miyamoto-san's secret time travel abilities. How else can you explain Nintendo's plans to put out a Mario Maker game that doesn't allow you to upload courses to the Internet? Clearly 1987 Miyamoto-san has usurped his modern self and taken over Nintendo. Also: Picross 3D is back, baby!