The Experience Points Podcast

Alas, the year has come to an end! With 2013 around the corner, what better time to look back on some of our favorite games from the past year. In Experience Points tradition, Scott and I discuss each of our three favorite games of 2012. What makes our lists? Will we continue the trend of sharing the same Game of the Year? Listen and find out!

Also, what are your favorite games of 2012? Or even your favorite "things", period? We would love to feature it on the podcast. Find out more here!

Show notes:

SPOILER WARNING: Our picks are listed below!

Jorge

1. Journey

2. The Walking Dead3. Borderlands 2Scott1. Journey2. The Walking Dead3. Papa y Yo

- Runtime: 39 min 09 secs

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

This week, Jorge and I return from top secret mission with classified info on Call of Duty: Black Ops II. This show (which is for your ears only) covers everything from multiplayer dynamics to geo-political commentary, so there's something for everyone. BlOps 2 (as we affectionately call it) offers some intriguing changes to both the mechanical and thematic aspects of the series, so there is plenty to discus. As always don't hesitate to infiltrate the comments with your thoughts!- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes- Find the show on Stitcher- Here's the show's stand-alone feed- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.Show notes:- Runtime: 41 min 50 sec- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Image from Telltale Games

At least, Lee's story has come to end. After the fifth and final episode of The Walking Dead (Season 1, I hope), we have so much to talk about. What decisions did you make in the end? And, more importantly, does the game satisfy our expectations? Join us this week on the podcast as Scott and I dissect The Walking Dead, Episode 5, and discuss the game's many accomplishments.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 56 min 34

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

We mentioned in our 200th episode that the Experience Points Podcast would try out some new things. Well here is one of our first experimental podcasts. At the heart of this one is a great story by Drew Dixon about his time with Day Z. Initially I wanted to explore why good people do bad things in video games. Instead, I learned more about how reflecting on ethical dilemmas, even ones that turn out less than perfect, can be more rewarding than first imagined. A huge thanks is owed to Matt Lightfoot, Carolyn Jong, and Drew Dixon, for their incredibly insight and willingness to chat. The conversations we had were dramatically shortened for brevity, but every word was fascinating.

Of course we encourage you to share your thoughts on both the topic and this more experimental/themed podcast episode in the show notes! If you like the show, be sure to share this episode with your friends and review us in iTunes. This type of podcast not your "cup of tea"? Never fear! We will be back tomorrow with another regular EXP Podcast!

To listen to the podcast:

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.

- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.

- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 22 min 56 sec

- "It's all gonna break," by Drew Dixon via GameChurch

- Music provided by Brad Sucks, Alastair Cameron, Broke For Free, Hey Rosetta!

Alright, so we haven't actually been doing the podcast for two hundred years, but it's still been a pretty long time! Two hundred episodes ago, Jorge and I started the podcast. It's been more fun than we could have imagined. This week, we get a little bit meta and talk about the show on the show. Don't worry: it's not just self congratulation. We're looking to switch some things up and try out some new ideas in hopes of making the next two hundred episodes even better. As always, we couldn't be more grateful to our great audience. To everyone who has ever listened: thank you!To listen to the podcast:- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.Show notes:- Runtime: 34 min 39 sec

- New site banner and logos by Phillip Andrew Wong, Knowrhythm.net

- Sound effect from Freesound user Halleck

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Peter Molyneux is at it again! This time with a massive experiment involving millions of cubes, a mindbogglingly persistent player base, and an almost mythological promise that could only come from the eccentric mind of the infamous game designer. So what is in the heart of Curiosity - What's Inside the Cube? Is it a prize that can literally "change your life", or is it an exploitative train wreck of an experience? Join Scott and I this week as we discuss the power of Curiosity.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 36 min 42 sec

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

This week, we are pleased to welcome Jim Crawford to the podcast! Jim is a game designer whose latest work, Frog Fractions, teaches us all about the hidden wonders of math. Well, it actually does a lot more than that, but you really owe it to yourself to play it (it's free!). Jim was kind enough to come on the show and chat with us about everything from design philosophy, the role of nostalgia, and the legend of the Twin Beard. We hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening!To listen to the podcast:- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.Show notes:- Runtime: 42 min 38 sec- Jim Crawford's website: Twinbeard Studios- Follow Jim on Twitter- Music provided by Brad Sucks

What do Master Chief, James Bond, John Carter, Luke Skywalker, and Shakespear have in common (besides huge egos)? They are all lasting cultural icons that show no sign of disappearing from popular consciousness anytime soon. Can we consider all of these "pulp" works in a sense? Join us this week on the podcast as Scott and I discuss Halo 4, the strength of Halo's lore, and the lasting repercussions of 343i taking creative control over a modern gaming hero.

As always, check out the articles that inspired this conversation in the show notes below and be sure to leave your thoughts on the matter in the comments below.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 33 min 49 sec

- "How Halo Went From Video Game to Pulp Empire," by Erik Sofge via Popular Mechanics.

- "Why Video Games Are the New Pulps," by Mark Bernardin via io9.

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

You didn't think we'd let Dishonored sneak by without talking about it, did you? This week, we dedicate an entire episode to the game. It's dense in the most positive sense: with multiple solutions to even the most mundane obstacles, an open-ended upgrde system, and a surprisingly massive (albeit hidden) amount of lore, everyone's playthrough will be slightly different. For example, one of us was an unassuming (and slightly bumbling) assassin, while the other was a terrifying rat lord. As always, feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments!

To listen to the podcast:

- Subscribe to the EXP Podcast via iTunes here. Additionally, here is the stand-alone feed.

- Listen to the podcast in your browser by left-clicking here. Or, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format.

- Subscribe to this podcast and EXP's written content with the RSS link on the right.

Show notes:

- Runtime: 49 min 41 sec

- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Happy Halloween listeners! The witching hour is tonight, and as a means to satiate the hunger of the elder gods, we submit to you this aural offering. This week on the EXP Podcast, Scott and I enter the haunted crypts, blood hallways, and creepy forests of Slender, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Home, and more. What we bring back might terrify you, or at least entertain you with our insight into the construction of excellent horror games.

As always your comments are appreciated. Let us know what horror games make you favorites list, especially if you play them yearly as a Halloween treat!

Show notes:

- Runtime: 36 min 01 sec

- Music by Frederick Magle, performing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d Minor, and Parsec Productions, Slender music after locating Page 1.

- Music provided by Brad Sucks