Y-Button

By Kyle Starr

Interviews with video game creators, enthusiasts, journalists, and media personalities about their origins with video games, what keeps them so interested in the medium, and what excites them about th... more

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FAQs about Y-Button:

How many episodes does Y-Button have?

The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.

Y-Button episodes:

May 08, 202516. Kevin Nguyen (Author, Features Editor @ The Verge)
Kevin Nguyen, author and Features Editor at The Verge, discusses his new novel "Mỹ Documents", what it means to write about video games, comparisons between mediums as a critic, and the unfortunate sale of Polygon.
(01:30) - Intro and Blue Prince
(03:08) - The sale of Polygon to Valnet
(06:42) - Pivoting to My Documents
(15:04) - Brazil and Bossa Nova in New Waves and My Documents
(16:34) - First gaming memory
(18:47) - How does gaming come up in the writing?
(30:08) - Gaming sweet spots
(34:40) - A-ha moments
(37:24) - Favorite games
(39:37) - What is the draw to games?
(46:36) - Lightning round
(50:43) - The future of games
(51:58) - Blue Prince pro strats
(52:46) - Final thoughts

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Links
"Mỹ Documents" (Penguin Random House)
"New Waves" (Penguin Random House)
Strong Songs Podcast (Website)
Game Maker's Toolkit - Developing (YouTube)
Press Reset: The Story of Polygon (YouTube)
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Social
Guest: Kevin Nguyen
Bluesky
Host: Kyle Starr
Bluesky | Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
Show: Y-Button
Bluesky | Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
...more
57min
February 21, 2025 15. Andy Robertson (Ludocene, Family Gaming Database, Taming Gaming)
Video game journalist Andy Robertson discusses his new project Ludocene — a game discovery service in the form of a deck-building dating app. Ludocene is based on human-curated data and offers users the ability to augment their recommendations with filters and "Expert cards" — games journalists and trusted curators who've been paid to provide recommendations — to offer a truly one-of-a-kind discovery experience.
Andy also dives into his origins with video games and why he thinks they're important for people of all ages and the culture at large.
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Links
Ludocene (Kickstarter)
Family Gaming Database (website)
Taming Gaming (Unbound | Amazon)
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Social
Guest: Andy Robertson
Bluesky | Twitter/X
Host: Kyle Starr
Bluesky | Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
Show: Y-Button
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
...more
52min
September 10, 2024 14. Alanna Okun (Writer, Programmer)
Writer and programmer Alanna Okun shares how video games influenced the recent decision to leave her tenured career in journalism for an education in interactive technology — a conversation through the boom and bust of the 2010s media landscape to a revelation of control and expression found in making video games.
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Links
bitsy (website)
Knit a Hat: A Beginner's Guide to Knitting (Microcosm Publishing)
NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) (website)
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Social
Guest: Alanna Okun
Website | itch.io | Instagram
Host: Kyle Starr
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
Show: Y-Button
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
...more
1h 26min
June 25, 2024 13. Tasha Sounart (Creative Director @ Pixar, Theme Parks)
Pixar Creative Director (Theme Parks), Tasha Sounart, discusses her career journey, from animating at Pixar on A Bug's Life through Cars to directing Double Fine's Costume Quest, to her return to Pixar and overseeing the implementation of Pixar properties in Disney Parks. She shares how video games influence physical attractions, gaming as a family, and her fondness for RPGs and MMOs.
[DISCLAIMER: Kyle here. My Host audio quality is subpar in this episode. I failed to realize that I was peaking a bit when captured. AJ did everything in their power to clean this up, but there's only so much that can be done with poorly captured audio. I've listened back to this episode a few times and I don't feel it detracts from Tasha's interview whatsoever. That said, I'll be more mindful in the future.]
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Links
Pikuniku (website)
Pixar pixel-art tile artwork (LinkedIn)
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Social
Guest: Tasha Sounart
Mastodon | LinkedIn
Host: Kyle Starr
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
Show: Y-Button
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
...more
1h 12min
April 17, 2024 12. Simon Parkin (Journalist @ The New Yorker, My Perfect Console)
Award-winning journalist and non-fiction writer, Simon Parkin, discusses his journey into journalism, curiosity about video games, the transition from 2D to 3D gaming, and informing the broader culture about the medium.
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Simon Parkin's website (with links to his books, articles, and audio)
simonparkin.com
My Perfect Console
shows.acast.com/my-perfect-console
Pushing Buttons newsletter from The Guardian
theguardian.com/games/series/pushing-buttons
Raiden (Youtube)
DoDonPachi (Youtube)
Return of the Obra Dinn
obradinn.com
Chants of Sennaar
rundisc.io/chants-of-sennaar/
"The Wager" by David Grann
davidgrann.com/book/the-wager/
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Social
Guest: Simon Parkin
Instagram | Twitter/X
Guest Show: My Perfect Console
Instagram | Twitter/X
Host: Kyle Starr
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
Show: Y-Button
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
...more
57min
February 16, 2024 11. Chris Plante (Editor-in-chief @ Polygon; The Besties podcast)
Chris Plante, Editor-in-chief of Polygon and co-host of The Besties podcast, chronicles his journey into games journalism, his fondness for "7/10 (rated)" video games, and what makes video games different (and the same!) as other mediums.
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Polygon: Gaming and Entertainment News, Reviews, and More
Polygon.com
The Besties (podcast)
themcelroy.family/besties
The Besties (newsletter)
thebesties.substack.com
GameDiscoverCo (Simon Carless's awesome newsletter)
gamediscover.co
1994 Fisher Price Magna Mover Town
Youtube
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Social
Host: Kyle Starr
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
Show: Y-Button
Threads | Instagram | Mastodon
...more
1h 14min
August 24, 2023 10. Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether podcast)
Stephen Hilger, co-host of Into the Aether podcast, discusses the power of video games on childhood, art, and imagination.
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Into the Aether
intothecast.online
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Social
Guest: Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether)
Twitter/X | Instagram
Host: Kyle Starr
Mastodon | Threads | Twitter/X | Instagram
Show: Y-Button
Mastodon | Twitter/X
...more
1h 17min
August 10, 2023 9. Tom Mullen (Washed Up Emo)
Music industry extraordinaire and founder of Washed Up Emo, Tom Mullen, joins the show to discuss his lifelong fascination with video games, the link between music and games, staying relevant with the youths, and his love of strategy guides. Can you guess the song he brought to Guitar Hero III?
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Washed Up Emo
https://www.washedupemo.com/
Is This Band Emo?
http://isthisbandemo.com/
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Music
'Liminal Fields' by Vulture Feather
https://vulturefeather.bandcamp.com/album/liminal-fields
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Social
Guest: Tom Mullen (Washed Up Emo)
Twitter | Instagram
Host: Kyle Starr
Mastodon | Threads | Twitter | Instagram
Show: Y-Button
Mastodon | Twitter
...more
1h 11min
July 27, 2023 8. AJ Fillari (Podcast Producer: Into the Aether, Ten Very Big Books, Y-Button)
Y-Button producer AJ Fillari doubles up as a guest to discuss their fascination with games, why video games media doesn't get old, how chip tunes change their world, and why it's important to enjoy the simple act of playing.
Podcasts
Ten Very Big Books - A Malazan Read-through Podcast
https://www.patreon.com/tenverybigbooks
Into the Aether - A Low Key Video Game Podcast
https://intothecast.online/
Asynchronous - A Video Game Catch-Up Show
https://feeds.transistor.fm/asynchronous
Frog of the Week
https://frogpod.online/
Music
'Atebite and the Warring Nations' by Disasterpeace
https://disasterpeace.bandcamp.com/album/atebite-and-the-warring-nations
'Simulant Rain' by _amaranthine
https://amaranthine.bandcamp.com/album/simulant-rain
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Social
Guest: AJ Fillari
Twitter | Mastodon
Host: Kyle Starr
Mastodon | Threads | Twitter | Instagram
Show: Y-Button
Mastodon | Twitter
...more
1h 30min
July 13, 2023 7. Paul Levering, Paul Owens (Filmmakers @ Double Fine: PsychOdyssey, 2 Player Productions)
Paul Levering and Paul Owens discuss the history of 2 Player Productions, the game development insights they learned over seven years of filming PsychOdyssey — Double Fine's 32 episode documentary of the making of Psychonauts 2 — and depths of artistry, critique, and misunderstandings of video games.
PsychOdyssey
https://www.doublefine.com/dftv/psychodyssey
2 Player Productions
https://www.youtube.com/user/2PlayerProductions
Behind the Scenes Making of Halo 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q69Msy8ttM

Twitter
https://twitter.com/2pproductions
...more
1h 21min

FAQs about Y-Button:

How many episodes does Y-Button have?

The podcast currently has 16 episodes available.