The Experience Points Podcast

He has been called a heartless, devilish, carpetbagger. He is unapologetic about his mission to take the fun out of making video games. He has inspired neo-folk protest songs. He is Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision. This week, we discuss one of gaming's most infamous characters and his influence on the medium. We cover capitalism, sensational journalism, and some light conspiracy theory in an attempt to fight against the culture "of skepticism and pessimism and fear," perpetuated by everyone's favorite villain.Some discussion starters:- How does Kotick's business philosophy affect your perception of Activision-Blizzard and the titles it publishes? To what extent are your more casually-interested friends and family aware of the business side of games?- Which (if any) company executives make a positive impression on you? How do they this? - To what extent is Kotick simply playing role for the public? Is this even plausible?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 the title. 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:- Run time: 27 min 50 sec - "Why We Love to Hate Activision - And Might Be Wrong," by Leigh Alexander, published on Kotaku- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Last month, previous EXP podcast guest Nels Anderson made an interesting claim: videogames have far more in common with television than film. Truly the Citizen Kane of comparisons. Scott and I watch a lot of television, but we're no experts. So this week we thought it appropriate to discuss these two mediums with another guest. Joining us this week is JustinKeverne of Groping The Elephant. We are honored to have such an intelligent blogger and designer in our midst. Justin provides plenty of insight to go around and one of those charming British accents to serenade our listeners.Join us while we discuss format breaks, self-created narratives, short attention spans, and television adaptations. Our hosting triad and the broad subject matter has made this podcast a little longer than normal. Don't worry, it is time well spent. You'll findNels's original article in the show notes, along with supplemental articles we mention in the show and links to Justin's own work. As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

The Fall release season is upon us, bringing with it its annual gaming bounty. While it may be humanly impossible for us to play all of the new releases, nothing is stopping us from trying to guess what other people will play. This week, Jorge and I channel our inner Michael Pachter and enter into a gentleman's agreement: We each came up with a list of what we believe will be the top ten best-selling games released between October and December. When February rolls around, we will take revisit our predictions and score them based on their accuracy.The winner will enjoy a (hopefully) tasty dessert of their choosing...made by the loser! Food, games, and gambling: What could be better? Below are our respective picks. As always, feel free to jump in with your choices in comments section. What are your predictions? While we can't promise dessert for anyone that beats us (or can we...?), the victory will undoubtedly be far sweeter than anything made by mere mortals.Jorge's List:1. Modern Warfare 22. New Super Mario Bros. Wii3. Wii Fit Plus4. Band Hero5. Uncharted 26. Left 4 Dead 27. Assassins Creed 28. Lego Indiana Jones 29. DJ Hero10. Dragon AgeScott's List:1. Wii Fit Plus2. Modern Warfare 23. New Super Mario Bros Wii4. Lego Indiana Jones 25. Dragon Age6. Lego Rock Band7. Assassin's Creed 28. Left 4 Dead 29. The Legend of Zelda: The Spirit Tracks10. Brutal LegendTo 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 the title. 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:- Run time: 28 min 11 sec- Music provided by Brad Sucks

You've put in hours into a game, the final boss is just on the horizon. While the end might be nigh, it probably isn't unpredictable. Game endings tend to be repetitive success stories, lacking the ambiguous or downer endings readily available in other mediums. Menveer Heir, of Raven Software and Design Rampage, inspires us again on this weeks podcast with his post lamenting the lack of depressing games. Join Scott and I while we discuss player agency, dead avatars, Roman aggression, and authorial control. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments section below and we'll shower you with praise. BE WARNED! This podcast contains potentially significant spoilers for about twelve games and two movies. These are listed in the show notes, along with Manveer's original article. If you are sensitive to spoilers and hear a game title, go ahead and skip ahead a few seconds. Some discussion starters:- Confession time. What downer game endings have tugged at your heart strings? - Does character failure equate to player failure? What about failure and downer endings in non-character driven games like Civilization? - So you've got a sad story to tell. How do you pull it off with out upsetting the all-powerful player?Show notes: - "Life is a Series of Down Endings," by Manveer Heir via Design Rampage- Run time: 29 min 3 sec- Music provided by Brad Sucks - Show includes spoilers for: Prince of Persia, Shadow of the Colossus, Chronotrigger, Passage, Halo 3, Call of Juarez, Call of Duty 4, Eternal Darkness, Far Cry 2, Final Fantasy X, Bioshock, Braid, Braveheart, and Marley and Me.

How we depict figures from our cultural history and actual history is our entertainment media is fascinating. We tend to overly praise and ridicule these individuals, particularly celebrities. Deciding which depiction of a cultural figure is too offensive or disrespectful is no easy task. The appearance is Kurt Cobain as a playable character in Guitar Hero 5 runs this border. Giving more options to players is great, but is allowing a deceased celebrity, particularly one who died in a tragic way, to sing ABBA too much? This week, Scott and I discuss this Cobain fiasco and the philosophy behind open access to potentially disrespectful material, and we don't stop there. Our topics include duck hats, Johnny Cash, mash-up culture, and Frederick Douglas. As always, we love to hear your thoughts, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

There is nothing like a little friendly competition to get a heated discussion going. In fact, according to Leigh Alexander's recent interview with Capcom senior director of communications Chris Kramer, rival development teams may lament their bygone days of battle. Join us this week while Scott and I discuss the Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter debate, the pros and cons of exaggerated competition, and some of the more memorable video game rivalries.As always, you can find the original article in the show notes. We would also love to hear your thoughts on the subject, as well as memorable rivalries we may have missed, which you can leave in the comments section below.Some discussion starters:- Have you ever found yourself picking sides on a video game rivalry? Did this enhance your experience with the game or the gaming community?- Do you think video game rivalries are healthy for the industry? Is there a genre or particular game that needs a boisterous competitor?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 the title. 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:- Run time: 25 min 1 sec- Interview, "Capcom 'Would Welcome' Return Of Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat Brand Rivalry" by Leigh Alexander via Gamasutra- Music provided by Brad Sucks

The final day of PAX 2009 has come to an end. Though saddened by the thought of an empty convention, eerily devoid of digital revelry, we are filled to the brim with satisfaction. The last day of PAX was as busy as ever. Panels included such interesting topics as the future of videogames, gamer culture, and depictions of sex and serious topics. The excellent panelists gave us loads to talk about on this episode, but we also discuss games from the show floor and out feelings towards the unique PAX event over all. We invite you to leave your thoughts in the comments section and join us next year for PAX 2010! 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 the title. 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:- Run time: 33 min 16 sec- Music provided by Brad Sucks

It's Day 2 of PAX and Experience Points is going strong! Today we sat in on on a variety of panels that covered everything from sex, to gender, to story telling methods in games. We also were lucky enough to witness the spectacle that is the Omegathon, a PAX-wide video game tournament featuring attendees. In this episode, we recap our thoughts on the panels and re-live the glory of the Omeganauts. As always, we love your comments, so feel free to jump in with your thoughts.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 the title. 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:- Run time: 29 min 10 sec- Music provided by Brad Sucks

Experience Points is in Seattle for PAX 2009! The days are unbelievably packed with all things gaming related. Much of our first day was spent in the various panels, so this podcast serves as a sort of debriefing session. Feel free to to leave your thoughts or questions in the comments, and if you are in Seattle, let us know so that we can stop by and say "Hi!"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 the title. 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:- Run time: 29 min 08 sec- Music provided by Brad Sucks