There's a new Assassin's Creed out, and there's lots to discuss. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about the structure of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the balance between protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, how the game might impact Ubisoft's future, and much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Search Engine with Ira Glass

Maddy: Heretic (2024)

Jason: Vantage Point (Sara Sligar)

LINKS:

Featuring excerpts from the AC Shadows soundtrack composed by The Flight and TEKE::TEKE

Shogun’s subtitles: https://www.polygon.com/24124644/star-wars-shogun-influence-subtitle-font

Polygon’s Heretic interviews: https://www.polygon.com/horror/476433/heretic-ending-explained-by-directorsHeretic’s directors unpack its ambiguous ending

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If the Triple Click gang worked in the video game industry, what would they each do? What's it like to pitch a game? And should Steam bring back its Greenlight process to help slow down the barrage of new games every year? This week, it's time for some burning questions!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Notifications

Maddy: We Are Lady Parts 

Jason: Dead Money (Jakob Kerr)

LINKS:

“The Writer Will Do Something” by Matthew Seiji Burns and Tom Bissell: https://matthewseiji.itch.io/twwds

Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread https://faroffgames.com/pages/arydia

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Video games: they're cool! There are a lot of new games out, so let's talk about them. Games discussed this week: Wanderstop, Expelled, Split Fiction, Rise of the Golden Idol DLC, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage

One More Thing:

Kirk: Reacher (Prime Video)

Maddy: Paradise (Hulu)

Jason: The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen)

LINKS:

Analysis of duplicated host introductions using spectral analysis: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EQmbU451Ob5rmqKUDAdwAjuSysx7oEvW/view?usp=sharing

“The Guilt of the Video Game Millionares” by Simon Parkin for The New Yorker, 2014 https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-guilt-of-the-video-game-millionaires

Featuring an excerpt from the Wanderstop theme by C418

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Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their Palicoes and pull out their dual blades for a monster hunt extraordinaire. This week, the gang is talking about Capcom's latest Monster Hunter. They talk about the appeal of the core gameplay loop, the thrill of the combat, and the approachability compared to previous entries.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells)

Maddy: The Contestant (2023)

Jason: Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars

LINKS:

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What's with the video game industry? Over the last three years, tens of thousands of jobs have been cut, dozens of studios were shut down and countless projects got canceled. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy break down why and how this is all happening, from flattened console growth to the rise of Fortnite and other Black Hole games like it.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Pitt (Max)

Maddy: Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool

Jason: This is the Tom Green Documentary (Amazon Prime)

LINKS:

Matthew Ball’s presentation on the state of the video game industry: https://www.matthewball.co/all/stateofvideogaming2025

Chris Hayes on Know Your Enemy talking about attention and his new book The Siren’s Call: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/know-your-enemy-pay-attention/

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The gang takes a deep dive into Obsidian's latest roleplaying game, Avowed. They talk about the crunchy combat, the ramifications of story decisions, and why the exploration works so well. Plus: SNL turns 50!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Ladies and Gentlemen…. 50 Years of SNL Music (Peacock)

Maddy: Priscilla (2023)

Jason: Lisa Jewell

LINKS:

Featuring “Avowed” by Venus Theory and Justin E. Bell

Hbomberguy’s “Fallout New Vegas is Genuis, Here’s Why”: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF7aHxk4Y4

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Civilization VII is out this week, and it's time to break down Sid Meier's iconic series. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about their favorite games in the franchise, what "4X" actually means, and why Civ games are so appealing to so many people.

One More Thing:

Kirk: “The Ghosts in the Machine” an excerpt from Mood Machine by Liz Pelly

Maddy: ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard Just Went From A Good RPG To One Of BioWare’s Most Important Games’ by Ken Shepard [Spoilers]

Jason: Avowed

LINKS:

“Casual Viewing: Why Netflix Looks Like That” by Will Tavlin for N+1: https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/

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The console wars are over. The winner? PC gaming! This week, the Triple Click gang gets into Maddy's recent quest to build a new PC and some of their favorite PC building experiences. Then they talk about the recent explosion of PC gaming, what's caused it, and what it might mean for the future of games.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

Maddy: Citizen Sleeper 2

Jason: The craziest trade in NBA history

LINKS:

Featuring “Sleeper” by Amos Roddy from Citizen Sleeper

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Wondering what makes some video game titles good and some bad? Just bring in Triple Click Consulting — we've got you covered. This week, the gang goes through a whole bunch of names and discusses what makes them work and what doesn't, from Balatro to EA Sports FC.

One More Thing:

Kirk: “All Work and No Play” - Sam Adler-Bell for Dissent, 2021

Maddy: Silo season 2

Jason: You Like It Darker (Stephen King)

LINKS:

The Know Your Enemy Podcast: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/category/podcast/know-your-enemy/

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A good name should be at least two of:

• Memorable (vs. Forgettable)
• Punchy (vs. Floppy)
• Understandable (vs. Confusing)
• Enticing (vs. Off-Putting)
• Surprising (vs. Predictable) (??)

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Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 last week, and there's oh so much to discuss. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk give their initial impressions of Nintendo's next console, talk about how it will fit into a post-Steam Deck world, and debate whether Mario Kart is any good. Then they talk about PlayStation's failing live-service initiative. Plus: a bonus Burning Question!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Trap (dir. M. Night Shaymalan)

Maddy: Building Outside the Lines (HGTV)

Jason: The Puzzle Maker: Cebba’s Odyssey (Steam)

LINKS:

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