The Insert Credit Show

Game designer and author Mathew Kumar joins a panel guest hosted by editor Esper Quinn to cover famous famiclones, the latest in Nintendo developments, and Tommy Tallarico’s unexpected ascent into backgammon legend. Hosted by Esper Quinn, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Mathew Kumar. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: merritt k asks, what are some of the more interesting bootleg or knockoff consoles? (06:50)

2: What The Hell Is Going On At Nintendo? Part II Chapter 2 - Online Network Test (20:16)

3: What The Hell Is Going On At Nintendo? Part III - Nintendo Music (26:50)

4: At this point in your life, what would it take to get you to play more video games? (32:34)

5: Is Tommy Tallarico a backgammon champion now? (40:37)

6: Alex Jaffe asks, what is the strongest emotion that video games can produce? (43:49)

7: If you, somehow, wrote an essay for every game you’ve finished, what would you do with those? (51:04)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Magic: the Gathering Cards (58:24)

Recommendations and Outro (01:10:45):

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Writer and game designer merritt k joins the Insert Credit panel on the most haunted podcast of the year, delving into how one really evokes fear in games, Skibidi Toilet costumes, and vampire streaming services. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and merritt k. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

1: What’s the most you were ever scared by a video game? (08:34)

2: How do you scare someone in a text or turn-based game where you aren’t required to act immediately? (16:32)

3: What are the best ghosts in video games? (22:26)

4: What are some last-minute DIY video game costumes our listeners can make at home? (28:03)

5: Nineteenletterslong asks, what are the grossest looking hands in video games? (35:17)

6: Without looking anything up, what do you think the “Tails Doll” creepypasta is about? (41:23)

7: What is the The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) of video games? (45:41)

8: Merritt, have you worked on any video games with compelling narratives about awful people? (49:34)

FRIGHTENING ROUND: Dating Draculas (58:53)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:22):

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View the full video for this episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi7Sfj3quMA

00:00 - introduction

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Ash Parrish of The Verge returns as host to implement new segments, consider community Halo grievances, and weigh evidence that Frank might have been the first person to ever draw a dick in Pictochat. Hosted by Ash Parrish, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

1: When did animals pivot from enemies to allied NPCs in video games? (13:58)

2: (New Segment) What the hell is going on at Nintendo? Part I - Alarmo (23:00)

3: What should Nintendo’s next lifestyle product be? (31:20)

4: What the hell is going on at Nintendo? Part II - Switch Online Playtest (34:15)

5: (New Segment) r/OffMyChest (43:00)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Metaphor: ReFanpastio (01:19:28)

Recommendations and Outro (01:29:34):

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Reporter for The Verge Ash Parrish guests hosts our panel as they correctly guess the discourse around Zelda and Dragon Age, briefly review Megalopolis, and develop a free exclusive phrase you can use! Hosted by Ash Parrish, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

1: Are there any games that take heavily from Jewish mythology? (11:01)

2: How do you feel about the direction Dragon Age is going? (19:16)

3: What is the Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis (2024) of video games? (36:56)

4: Design a serious triple-A video game about Moo Deng (44:45)

5: How can Nintendo make a well-rounded all-ages video game with a female protagonist that isn’t Samus? (48:34)

6: Design a game starring either Princess Peach or Zelda (56:58)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (01:03:32)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:43):

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Journalist and author of Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment Jason Schreier sits for an interview on Blizzard’s many transformations, diversity scores, and what ultimately happened to Starcraft Ghost and Project Titan. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Jason Schreier. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

1: Was there something about Blizzard in particular that made you want to write a book? (03:21)

2: Did you actually interview more than three hundred people for this book over three years? (06:19)

3: Was there anyone you couldn’t get an interview with? (07:45)

4: What was your personal investment in Blizzard before writing this book? (08:22)

5: How would you describe Blizzard’s brand identity? (11:03)

6: When did the “mergers and acquisitions” era of the video game industry really begin? (12:31)

7: Is the “loremaster” a real thing? (16:14)

8: What was the deal with “diversity scores?” (18:42)

9: How involved was Bobby Kotick in development? (20:55)

10: How did Titan become Overwatch? (26:10)

11: If you had to pick an Overwatch character to be the new CEO of Blizzard, who would be best and who would be worst? (27:15)

12: EvanArnett asks, in the early 2000s, World of Warcraft was the game most associated with gaming addiction. What was Blizzard’s stance on that? (27:58)

13: Yeso asks, do you still stand by your EPIC/5 review for Final Fantasy XIII on rpgamer.com? (31:01)

14: Aleph asks, what is the Day the Clown Cried of Video Games? (32:22)

15: Is there a book about games you’d really like to read, but have no interest in writing yourself? (34:44)

16: What should readers take away from Play Nice? (37:17)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Rapid Fire Blizzard Trivia(38:23)

Recommendations and Outro (42:11):

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Video essayist and composer ThorHighHeels joins video game historian Frank Cifaldi to answer questions about the Dreamcast’s legacy, the PS5 Pro, and penis worms. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi and ThorHighHeels. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

Question 1: What does the Dreamcast represent? (02:04)

Question 2: Is it ever worth getting the Pro version of a console? (07:28)

Question 3: When in your experience have recent video games been most nakedly attempting to generate a meme? (12:56)

Question 4: What happened to everybody that was making browser flash games? (17:09)

Question 5: Which phylum in the animal kingdom has the best monster design? (18:38)

(Content warning: most of these are links to types of worms)

Question 6: Psynuxie asks, what is the “George R. R. Martin should just hire a ghost writer to finish the series” of video games? (21:50)

Question 7: Ayla asks, what is the most specifically personalized video game recommendation you’ve offered to someone? (28:06)

Question 8: LeFish asks, what game would be most improved with the addition of Satan? (32:46)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Guess the Top 10 Vtubers (35:25)

Recommendations and Outro (42:05):

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While our panel is scattered, enjoy a Bonus Credit-style arrangement of good conversation among brilliant friends. Featuring Frank’s SDCC misadventures, Brandon’s X-Men 97 opinions, and Tim’s pitch for the Bioshock movie. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

The Insert Credit Patreon

Horrifying Knowledge Regarding the Flapjack (00:54)

Brandon summons Frank specifically to inform him of another appalling revelation regarding the insidious British.

Ep. 348: Pre-show (07:12)

Frank is going to a cereal panel at San Diego Comic Con. Jaffe got a job as the official Question Answerer in the DC Comics Official Discord Server, and got Cool Gel Foam Headphone Pads. Tim demonstrates his lowly stature with his blown-out headphones, as a visual gag.

Ep. 348: Extended break (11:20)

Mimsy has excellent comic timing. Brandon needs a haircut. Frank would listen to some nerds talk about there being too much Star Trek, but is avoiding the Browncoat Meeting Room. Jaffe wonders what a Firefly fan is even like in 2024. Jim Henson is back now. We don’t know if Nurse Nancy can revive people from the dead.

Ep. 349: Pre-show (14:17)

Special guest Simon Parkin lives very close to The Repair Shop. Brandon enjoys the names of cities that are near rivers. Tim wishes he had a room.

Ep. 349: Extended break (17:11)

Tim believes the Dreamcast 2’s slogan should be “en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamcast” and invents a future Lightning Round in the process. Brief dog talk!

Ep. 349: Post-show (19:03)

Tim finds the perfect video game for Queen Elizabeth. Brandon thinks her tiktok channel would be pretty interesting.

Ep. 350: Pre-show (20:24)

Frank shows off a few of his purchases from his time at San Diego Comic Con, and shares a story about being behind enemy lines. Brandon briefly reviews X-Men 97. Funko fans are very special, and get it. Tim shares something with the panel but not with you, and has a very meticulous reason for it.

Ep. 351: Pre-show (32:16)

Brandon and Jaffe improvise some Seinfeld theme music. Tim’s dog smells unpleasant at time of recording. Frank shares his recommendation. Brandon shares one last Snake Break observation.

Ep. 352: Pre-show (35:59)

Tim wanted to talk about a few more Street Fighter games during the recent episode ranking them. Brandon always ends up making the same person when presented with a character creator. Tim shares what he considers the only way to do it, regarding character creators.

Ep. 352: Extended break (38:50)

Movie talk! Jack Black is in a bunch of video game movies. Frank is not eating pisketty. Brandon ponders the future of seafood. Tim gives his pitch for a Bioshock movie.

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Your Insert Credit Panel takes a look at the failure of Concord, finds the Normandy Beach of Racing Games, and gets ready to Wake n’ Quake. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

Question 1: Which games have the nicest fans, and which games have the smartest fans? (04:07)

Question 2: What’s the most you’ve been hurt by a video game? (10:45)

Question 3: Let’s talk about Concord. Have we seen the death of multiplayer shooters outside the free to play model? (16:43)

Question 4: Which businesses in 1994 would you try to expand arcade cabinets to? (25:33)

Question 5: MoxBagel asks, select the ideal game for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper, and Fourthmeal. (34:45)

Question 6: Which has the best game design: duck hunting, deer hunting, or fishing? (50:32)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (57:26)

Recommendations and Outro (01:00:54):

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Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield convene once again to eulogize Game Informer, give Tim Walz more Dreamcast games, and declare themselves Clown Man. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

Question 1: Game Informer is dead. Let’s talk about it. (03:17)

Question 2: What was the last game you bought in a store? (10:16)

Question 3: Game Science recently released Black Myth: Wukong to creators with warnings against discussing “feminist propaganda.” What? (15:50)

Question 4: What games would you add to Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz’s Dreamcast library? (21:36)

Jaffe’s Snake Break (29:06)

Question 5: Feral asks, are there any games that you played as a child that you’ve never been able to find, or must have dreamt? (30:05)

Question 6: What’s the most underutilized real world location for driving games? (36:17)

Question 7: What are the best video games to play on your birthday? (41:54)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Wikipedia Shootout (48:25)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:28):

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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