Shall We Play a Game?

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‘Assassin’s Creed’: ‘Origins’ vs. ‘Syndicate’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 01:26:29 +0000

JJ talks about why he liked “Syndicate” more than “Origins,” while Chris begs for Discovery Modes to be retrofitted into every game in the series. Plus a dash of “God of War” (2018) and “Pillars of Eternity II.”

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“God of War”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Solo’ (and ‘God of War’!) - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 25 May 2018 04:56:24 +0000

Our instant review of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” the first “Star Wars” movie to reference “Masters of Teras Kasi,” preceded by a paean to the “God of War” camera.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“God of War”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Ready Player One’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 01:37:54 +0000

Our review of Steven Spielberg’s movie *and* Ernest Cline’s book answers the question you’ve been waiting for: What if Halliday had been into walking simulators?

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Florence’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 00:17:23 +0000

Unknowingly, we have undertaken a journey to become America’s hottest Annapurna Interactive podcast.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“Ready Player One”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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2017’s All-Star GOTY Spectacular - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 02:48:23 +0000

Better late than never: We asked 25 of the smartest people we know–game developers, critics, professors of theater and history, comedy writers, political journalists, podcasters–for their favorite video game of 2017, and got 20 answers.

Counting Chris and JJ, that’s 27 people and 20 video games (21 if you count an honorable mention).

STARRING, in order of appearance:

Harvey Smith, creative director of Dishonored and Dishonored 2;

Zach Gage, designer of Really Bad Chess, Typeshift, and SpellTower;

Simon Parkin, author of Death by Video Game and contributor to the New Yorker;

Brett Douville, lead programmer of Skyrim;

Michael Abbott, theater professor at Wabash College;

Caroline Petit, Feminist Frequency writer;

Chris Remo, Idle Thumbs host and Campo Santo composer and designer;

Daniel Radosh, writer for The Daily Show;

Benjy Sarlin, political reporter for NBC News;

Patrick Klepek, senior reporter for Vice’s Waypoint;

Nina Freeman, level designer for Tacoma;

Nick Suttner, author of Boss Fight Books’ Shadow of the Colossus;

John Davison, founding editor of Rolling Stone’s Glixel;

Bob Whitaker, Louisiana Tech historian and host of History Respawned;

Evan Narcisse, io9 reporter and writer of Rise of the Black Panther;

Steve Gaynor, writer and designer of Gone Home and Tacoma;

Tom Bissell, author of Extra Lives and Apostle and writer on Gears of War 4 and Uncharted 4;

Winnie Song, designer at Square Enix Montreal;

Chris Plante, executive editor of Polygon;

Mike Drucker, comedian and former writer for The Tonight Show;

Theresa Duringer, founder of Temple Gates Games;

Stephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of Kotaku;

Peter Molyneux, creator of Populous, Black and White, and Fable;

Jon Lovett, host of Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It;

Ian Dallas, creative director of What Remains of Edith Finch

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“Florence”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Gorogoa’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 15:14:40 +0000

The second game from Annapurna Interactive is a meditative puzzle by Jason Roberts.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Butterfly Soup”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘The Last Jedi’ spoilercast - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 15 Dec 2017 05:14:19 +0000

The annual “Shall we watch a ‘Star Wars’ movie?” episode of the “Shall We Play a Game?” podcast. WARNING: Do not listen to more than a minute or so if you haven’t seen “The Last Jedi.”

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Gorogoa”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Universal Paperclips’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:19:16 +0000

A new Game of the Year contender.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

THIS WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Gorogoa”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Subsurface Circular’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 01 Dec 2017 13:48:05 +0000

Mike Bithell’s short interactive robot detective fiction–how’s that for a five-word phrase–is good. Plus, JJ reveals the most embarrassing/proud public place he has played his Nintendo Switch. And Chris talks about minivan radio interfaces.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Universal Paperclips”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Star Wars Battlefront 2’ & More ‘Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 15:19:10 +0000

Alright, Der Fuhrer, it’s time for my closeup.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Subsurface Circular”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 15 Nov 2017 19:14:54 +0000

We’re about three hours in, up to the part when BJ arrives in Manhattan.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Wolfenstein 2,” some “Star Wars Battlefront 2”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s New York Times review of “Wolfenstein: The New Order”

Chris’s “Zombies are the new Nazis” review of “The Walking Dead”

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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More ‘Super Mario Odyssey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 18:54:45 +0000

Now when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, Mario rose and dressed himself. He bound his sandals on to his comely feet, girded his sword about his shoulder, and left his room looking like an immortal god.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Wolfenstein 2”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Super Mario Odyssey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 14:26:40 +0000

Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of World 1-1.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Super Mario Odyssey”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s review of “Super Mario Odyssey” in Slate

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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What Would Donald Trump Play? - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 03:24:01 +0000

We’re busy with “Super Mario Odyssey” this week–which we’ll talk about on next week’s show–so we’re sharing this Patreon members-only mailbag with the wider listening public. Try it! It’s good!

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Super Mario Odyssey”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post What Would Donald Trump Play? appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Divinity: Original Sin 2’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 18:42:30 +0000

Is there joy in Fort Joy?

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Divinity: Original Sin 2”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Thimbleweed Park’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 23:52:22 +0000

We would rather Switch than fight.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Divinity: Original Sin 2”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Nier: Automata’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 19:01:20 +0000

A divisive game divides us against ourselves.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Thimbleweed Park” — but the Patreon Game Club for October will discuss “Divinity: Original Sin 2”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 13:47:49 +0000

Surely the only podcast on this game that delves into Shigeru Miyamoto’s reflections after the Sandy Hook massacre.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Nier: Automata”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’ New York Times interview with Miyamoto

Chris’ Rolling Stone interview with Nintendo designer Jordan Amaro

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 21:18:28 +0000

Someone liked this game. Someone else didn’t. Someone gets angry. Someone else says, “But it’s ‘Uncharted’!”

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Tacoma’ & ‘Gone Home’ designer Steve Gaynor - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:38:06 +0000

Steve Gaynor, the designer and writer of “Gone Home” and 2017’s “Tacoma,” talks about why “Tacoma” was so hard to make, what he learned by working with Ken Levine on “BioShock Infinite,” and whether he sees his work as part of a video-game movement.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Uncharted: The Lost Legacy”

SHOW NOTES:

The Rolling Stone/Glixel version of Chris’s interview with Steve Gaynor

The New York Review of Video Games, a pop-up magazine Chris edited

Steve Gaynor’s NYRVG review of The Evil Within and Alien: Isolation

Steve Gaynor’s review of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Hellblade’ & More ‘Tacoma’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 23:05:36 +0000

Chris and JJ agree, more or less, about Ninja Theory’s “Hellblade” and then disagree, vehemently, about Fullbright’s “Tacoma.”

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

The audio cut of Steve Gaynor’s Rolling Stone/Glixel interview

SHOW NOTES:

Katherine Cross’s Gamasutra review of “Tacoma”

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Hellblade’ & More ‘Tacoma’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Typeshift’ designer Zach Gage - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 13:38:17 +0000

Zach Gage, the designer of mobile games like “SpellTower,” “Really Bad Chess,” “Sage Solitaire,” and 2017’s “Typeshift,” talks to Chris and JJ during a live show from the Play NYC convention. Plus, JJ’s “Tacoma” mini review.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Hellblade” and a “Tacoma” spoiler ’cast

SHOW NOTES:

“Who says games need to be fair?”: Chris’s Slate article on “Really Bad Chess”

Sam Anderson’s New York Times Magazine cover story on Zach Gage and “stupid games”

Email us at questions at shallweshow dot com

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Edith Finch’ director Ian Dallas on ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 04:07:27 +0000

Ian Dallas, the creative director of Giant Sparrow, talks about whether Molly starved to death, how he wrote a headline for The Onion that became a self-fulfilling prophecy, and why he wishes he had made an “Edith Finch” level with Weird Al Yankovic.

This is an extended audio version—close to uncut—of Chris’s Rolling Stone interview with Dallas.

SHOW NOTES:
The print edition of the interview, as seen in Rolling Stone’s Glixel

The post ‘Edith Finch’ director Ian Dallas on ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Dream Daddy’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 15:28:49 +0000

Chris Suellentrop and guest critic Laura Hudson–a contributor to Wired, Slate, The New York Times, and more–talk about “Dream Daddy,” the dad-dating sim that hit No. 1 on Steam.

We’re doing a live show at 1 p.m. on August 19 at Terminal 5 in New York as part of the Play NYC convention. If you’re in the area, come watch and say hi!

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Giant Sparrow creative director Ian Dallas on “What Remains of Edith Finch”

SHOW NOTES:

Laura Hudson’s Wired review of “Dream Daddy”

“The Daddening of Video Games” by Stephen Totilo

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Tacoma’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 07:01:08 +0000

Chris Suellentrop and guest critic Chris Plante–now the culture editor of The Verge, soon to be executive editor of Polygon–talk about “Tacoma,” Fullbright’s follow-up to “Gone Home.” No spoilers! We’ll save those for when JJ returns next week.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

JJ on “Tacoma”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Tacoma’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

Even More ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 18:51:02 +0000

Two divine beasts down, two more to go. Could we play this game forever? Also, some E3 ranting.

We’re taking a brief hiatus for the next few weeks. See you (hear us?) in August!

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

In August: “Tacoma” and the end of “Zelda”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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More ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 14:38:44 +0000

Is the new “Zelda” being graded on a curve? Or is JJ playing it wrong? Can you even play it wrong? Does it matter that there isn’t much of a story? Will Chris ever stop bringing up “Horizon: Zero Dawn”?

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Even more “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post More ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Zelda’ on Switch & the End of ‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 15:09:57 +0000

At last, we have new Nintendo consoles. Our playthrough of “Breath of the Wild” begins, followed by a spoilercast on the end of Arkane’s “Prey.”

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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Even More ‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 24 May 2017 22:48:37 +0000

We’re almost finished with Arkane’s “Prey.” Before we gripe about an otherwise excellent game, we answer a listener mail about our “first favorite” video games.

This episode is brought to you by Eddy Boswell-Correa, a listener and Patreon supporter.

Join Eddy at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

The end of “Prey” and the beginning of the Nintendo Switch

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s “First Crush” essay on video games in The New York Times

“How ‘Prey’’s designers turned technical limitations into inspiration,” in Gamasutra

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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More ‘Prey’ & Nintendo Switch - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 18 May 2017 14:20:34 +0000

We’ve explored Crew Quarters in Arkane’s still-terrific “Prey.” Chris has one quibble, but the spoilers wait until after he talks to Sofija Stefanovic, a Serbian-Australian-New-Yorker writer about her decreasingly quiet longing for a Nintendo Switch.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Even more “Prey”

SHOW NOTES:

“The Nintendo Switch of My Dreams,” by Sofija Stefanovic in The New York Times

Chris’s interview with Sid Meier in Glixel

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post More ‘Prey’ & Nintendo Switch appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 11 May 2017 15:35:08 +0000

Do the first eight hours or so of Arkane’s love letter to the immersive sim live up to the promise of the demo? This episode is brought to you by Troy Gilbert, our very first Patreon patron.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Prey”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Prey’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Prey,’ ‘Night in the Woods’ & More ‘Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 03 May 2017 20:02:33 +0000

Did the hourlong demo for “Prey,” Arkane’s highly referential immersive sim, sell us on playing the whole thing? Can JJ stomach the storyline in “Night in the Woods?” Can Chris get a do-over to explain why he adores “What Remains of Edith Finch”?

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Prey”

SHOW NOTES:

PC Gamer’s immersive-sim podcast roundtable

“Video Games Are Better Without Stories” by Ian Bogost in the Atlantic

Ben Lindbergh in The Ringer on the “deceptive scariness” of the walking simulator

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 02:56:08 +0000

The second game from Giant Sparrow, and the first from Annapurna Interactive, is a virtuosic take on the walking simulator.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Night in the Woods”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

What I Play: Sam Biddle - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 14:15:39 +0000

The Intercept reporter, and former Gawker writer and Valleywag editor, talks about growing up as a Dreamcast kid, playing Yakuza 0 and Persona 5, and what it was like to be in the middle of a Gamergate skirmish.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:
Still more “Persona 5”

The post What I Play: Sam Biddle appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

The Economist’s Ryan Avent & More ‘Persona 5’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 17:04:36 +0000

Ryan Avent of The Economist talks about research showing that some people may be dropping out of the workforce to play video games. Plus, JJ and Chris are still playing “Persona 5.”

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Sam Biddle: What I Play

SHOW NOTES:

“Escape to Another World,” by Ryan Avent

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post The Economist’s Ryan Avent & More ‘Persona 5’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Persona 5’ & ‘Psychonauts’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 06 Apr 2017 22:49:19 +0000

Two video games, one old and one new, about children who navigate fantastical mental landscapes. Not to mention literal subway systems. Plus, the shortest “What I Play” in history.

We have a Patreon at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Persona 5”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Persona 5’ & ‘Psychonauts’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Everything’ & More ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 17:57:20 +0000

Can a video game do philosophy? Everything in David OReilly’s “Everything” is playable, to try to convey the perspective of, well, everything. Our review.

We have a Patreon now at www.patreon.com/shallweshow! We are eternally grateful to everyone who has made a pledge.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Psychonauts,” just ’cause

SHOW NOTES:

Ian Bogost’s review of “Everything” in the Atlantic

Quantic Foundry’s gamer motivation profile

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Everything’ & More ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 07:01:21 +0000

The truth is…you’re the weak, and I am the tyranny of evil men. But I’m trying, Ringo. I’m trying real hard to be Commander Shepard.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:
“Everything” and more “Mass Effect: Andromeda”

SHOW NOTES:
Chris’s interview with CD Projekt Red founder Marcin Iwiński, in Glixel

The post ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ & ‘Robo Recall’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 22:35:09 +0000

We started Nintendo’s latest masterpiece on the Wii U instead of the Switch, and then rebuilt our finicky VR setups for Epic’s free Oculus Touch shooter. Plus, what game did Chris give up for Lent?

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Mass Effect: Andromeda”

SHOW NOTES:

Natasha Dow Schüll’s “Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas,” recommended by Janet Murray

“How one man lost over 50 pounds playing a VR game,” PC Gamer’s article about Telltale’s Job Stauffer

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ & ‘Robo Recall’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

The End of ‘The Witcher 3’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 13:57:15 +0000

As always, we bring our listeners the hottest takes on the newest, freshest video games, which is why we just finished “The Witcher 3.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Robo Recall”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Torment: Tides of Numenera’ & the GDC awards - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 20:13:10 +0000

It’s Nintendo Switch release day! So of course we give you a smidgen of “Torment: Tides of Numenera,” a smattering of the Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards, and a smorgasbord of plans to start a membership drive.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Robo Recall,” and/or The End of “The Witcher 3”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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More ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Mon, 20 Feb 2017 12:48:22 +0000

Chris Plante, the culture editor of The Verge and a founder of Polygon, tells us why he liked “Horizon Zero Dawn.” Like Michael Jordan with the flu, JJ shows up despite his pneumonia.

The post More ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ & More ‘Yakuza 0’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 15:07:51 +0000

Our first-ever preview: Chris played four hours of “Horizon Zero Dawn.” Then, “Yakuza 0” and the disappearance of the medium-budget video game.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Resident Evil 7” in VR, if Chris can stop playing “Yakuza 0”

SHOW NOTES:

Holly Green’s tweets about crafting

Tevis Thompson on the Clockwork Game Design podcast

Wesley Morris on the Bill Simmons Podcast

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Planescape: Torment’ & ‘Yakuza 0’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 01:54:12 +0000

To prepare for the February release of “Torment: Tides of Numenera,” we’re playing “Planescape: Torment.” When we’re not playing “Yakuza 0,” that is.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

A preview of “Horizon Zero Dawn”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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Ronan Farrow: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 03:53:58 +0000

The NBC News investigative journalist talks about why he bought a PlayStation Pro, whether it’s OK to talk about “Myst” in mixed company, and what Mia Farrow thinks about “BioShock Infinite.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Planescape: Torment”

SHOW NOTES:

“A New Art Form May Arise From the ‘Myst,’” by Edward Rothstein in 1994 in The New York Times

“The Only Thing I Have To Say About Gamergate,” by Felicity Day

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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Nintendo Switch - Shall We Play a Game?

Sat, 14 Jan 2017 00:23:29 +0000

Impressions of the Nintendo Switch after playing with it during its reveal event in New York City. Plus, why does “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” put jump on the same button as “The Last Guardian”? And the first reality TV show from Shall We Studios.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:
Ronan Farrow: What I Play

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2016’s All-Star GOTY Spectacular - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 04:27:51 +0000

What was your favorite video game of 2016? We asked 23 of the smartest people we know–game designers, podcasters, YouTubers, journalists, a screenwriter, a playwright–and got 19 answers.

Counting Chris and JJ, that’s 25 people and 20 games in our second annual GOTY Podcast Spectacular. Plus, intense disagreement about the merits of “The Last Guardian.”

STARRING, in order of appearance:

Jason Concepcion & Ben Lindbergh, hosts of Achievement Oriented;

Chris Remo, Idle Thumbs host and Campo Santo developer;

Austin Walker, Waypoint editor-in-chief;

Carolyn Petit, Feminist Frequency writer;

Nina Freeman, “Cibele” designer and Fullbright level designer;

Theresa Duringer, founder of Temple Gates Games;

Adrian Chen, staff writer for The New Yorker;

Jon Lovett, a Keepin’ It 1600 host, screenwriter, and former speechwriter for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton;

Stephen Totilo, editor-in-chief of Kotaku;

Susan O’Connor, writer for games like “BioShock,” “Gears of War,” “Far Cry 2,” and “Tomb Raider”;

Virginia Heffernan, author of “Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art”;

Clive Thompson, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, a columnist for Wired, and the author of “Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better”;

Anita Sarkeesian, founder of Feminist Frequency;

Lucy Prebble, playwright of “The Effect”;

Meg Jayanth, writer of “80 Days”;

Helen Lewis, deputy editor of the New Statesman;

John Davison, Glixel general manager;

Gabriel Winslow-Yost, assistant editor of The New York Review of Books;

Jason Killingsworth, writer for Riot Games and co-author of “You Died: The ‘Dark Souls’ Companion”;

Brett Douville, lead programmer for “Skyrim” and “Fallout 4” and Dev Game Club host;

Simon Parkin, contributing writer for NewYorker.com and author of “Death By Video Game”;

Laura Hudson, writer for FiveThirtyEight, Wired and Slate

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Ronan Farrow: What I Play

SHOW NOTES:

Chris in The New York Times on “The Witness” and “Quadrilateral Cowboy” as his most anticipated games–of 2014

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Movie - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 30 Dec 2016 15:19:18 +0000

Is the first “Assassin’s Creed” movie better than the first “Assassin’s Creed” video game? Plus, what JJ is playing in VR with Oculus Touch.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Our 2017 Game of the Year Podcast Spectacular

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s Glixel interview with Respawn’s Vince Zampella

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Movie appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

More ‘Super Mario Run,’ ‘I Expect You To Die’ & Oculus Touch - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 23 Dec 2016 17:26:55 +0000

What happens when a podcast rant about Nintendo turns into a New York Times op-ed. Plus, comparing PlayStation Move and Oculus Touch while playing “I Expect You to Die,” Schell Games’ VR spy puzzler.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

The “Assassin’s Creed” movie

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s New York Times op-ed on “Super Mario Run”

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Super Mario Run’ & ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Sat, 17 Dec 2016 17:43:38 +0000

Is Mario’s first iPhone game–and JJ’s first Mario game (!!!)–brilliant, despicable, or both? Plus, our apparently annual review of a new “Star Wars” movie.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Oculus Touch and “I Expect You To Die”

SHOW NOTES:

“Why I Hacked ‘Donkey Kong’ For My Daughter” by Mike Mika

Anita Sarkeesian’s “Damsels in Distress” video, Part One of “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games”

Chris’s Slate essay on whether the golden age of “Star Wars” video games is gone forever

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘The Last Guardian’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 02:48:03 +0000

“Confounding and transcendent” or infuriating?

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Super Mario Run”

SHOW NOTES:

The Ringer’s “Last Guardian” review

Chris talks “The Last Guardian” on The Ringer’s “Achievement Oriented” podcast

Chris’s essay on dogwalking and video games in The New York Times

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Kentucky Route Zero: Act IV’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Sat, 03 Dec 2016 19:44:49 +0000

Finally.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“The Last Guardian”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s Glixel interview with “Dishonored 2” creative director Harvey Smith

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Skyrim’ lead programmer Brett Douville: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:37:22 +0000

Brett Douville, a former lead programmer at Bethesda Game Studios on games like “Skyrim” and “Fallout 4,” talks about why he sees himself in the kill animations for “Skyrim,” why he loves “Rez,” and what he’s doing for “Tacoma,” the next game from Fullbright.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Kentucky Route Zero: Act IV”

SHOW NOTES:

Dev Game Club, a podcast hosted by Brett Douville and Tim Longo

“‘Fallout 4’ Is Full of Bugs, But Fixing Them Could Ruin It,” by Double Fine’s Zak McClendon, in Wired

Chris’ Glixel interview with Bethesda’s Todd Howard

Email us at shallweshow at gmail

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Skyrim’ lead programmer Brett Douville: What I Play appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Dishonored 2’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Sat, 19 Nov 2016 23:06:18 +0000

Emily or Corvo? High chaos or low chaos? Xbox One S or PlayStation 4 Pro? Unmentioned in the podcast: You can sing “Corvo Attano” to the tune of “Hakuna Matata” from “The Lion King.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Kentucky Route Zero: Act IV”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’ review of the first “Dishonored” in the New York Times

Rob Zacny’s Glixel review of “Dishonored 2”

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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The Ringer’s Jason Concepcion: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Sat, 12 Nov 2016 23:13:06 +0000

Jason Concepcion, a staff writer for The Ringer, talks about why JJ and Chris misunderstood “Overwatch,” taking a cathode-ray tube TV to a friend’s house to play multiplayer “Halo,” and the muddy frisson of “Battlefield 1.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

‘Dishonored 2’

SHOW NOTES:

The Ringer’s Channel 33 podcasts, including “Achievement Oriented” hostee by Jason Concepcion and Ben Lindbergh

Jason Concepcion on “Halo 5” in Grantland

Vanity Fair on Vince Zampella, Jason West, “Call of Duty” and Activision

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Titanfall 2’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 17:39:53 +0000

The sequel to Respawn’s multiplayer-only shooter has a single-player campaign with puzzle-platformer levels that are reminiscent of “Half-Life” and “Portal.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Act IV of “Kentucky Route Zero” & the “Dishonored” story DLC

SHOW NOTES:

Geoff Keighley’s The Final Hours of Titanfall

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Skyrim,’ ‘Gears of War 4’ & ‘Civilization VI’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Sat, 29 Oct 2016 16:22:47 +0000

Spending 300 hours of your life on “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” staying awake until 3 a.m. playing “Civilization VI” and reliving the release of the Xbox 360 through the Xbox One’s “Gears of War 4.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Titanfall 2”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Skyrim,’ ‘Gears of War 4’ & ‘Civilization VI’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

Former Obama and Clinton speechwriter Jon Lovett: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:38:06 +0000

Screenwriter and former political speechwriter Jon Lovett, who created the NBC sitcom “1600 Penn,” talks about whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama plays video games, why he loves “Portal” and “Portal 2,” and what HBO’s “Westworld” has to say about our interactive fantasies.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Gears of War 4”

SHOW NOTES:

“Keepin’ It 1600,” a Ringer podcast with Jon Lovett

“Westworld” story editor Charles Yu, writing for the Slate “Gaming Club” in 2011

Chris talks about “Westworld” in Glixel

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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’Thumper’ & ‘Westworld’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 22:15:55 +0000

The “rhythm violence” of “Thumper” is one of the best experiences for PlayStation VR. Does it hold up on a two-dimensional screen? Then, why HBO’s new series “Westworld” is the most video-gamey TV show ever made. And did Chris quit “Clash Royale”?

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Former Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton speechwriter Jon Lovett: What I Play

SHOW NOTES:

Chris talks about “Westworld” in Glixel

“Who Would Actually Go to Westworld?”: Jason Concepcion on “Westworld” in The Ringer

Email us at shallweshow at gmail

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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PlayStation VR - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 19:31:02 +0000

Impressions after a week with Sony’s new virtual-reality headset. (Correction: Apparently Oculus Connect is going on right now. Who knew?)

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“The Knife of Dunwall” (the “Dishonored” DLC), and maybe Jon Favreau’s Vive thing, “Gnomes and Goblins”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s review of PlayStation VR in Glixel

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’ & ‘Virginia’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 20:21:13 +0000

Why JJ didn’t play “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided,” and whether Blendo Games’ “Thirty Flights of Loving” ruined “Virginia” for Chris.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

PlayStation VR

SHOW NOTES:

“Thirty Flights of Living” from Blendo Games

Warren Spector’s GDC 2013 talk on “Narrative in Games”

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Reigns,’ ‘Bound,’ & Even More ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 12:58:03 +0000

It’s special request hour at “Shall We Play a Game?”: We play “Reigns,” the mobile hit billed as “Tinder for monarchs,” and “Bound,” the PlayStation 4 dance platformer. Then we indulge our own desires with Act 3 of “Kentucky Route Zero.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Deus Ex: Mankind Divided” and “Wheels of Aurelia.”

SHOW NOTES:

“Reigns” developer François Alliot’s essay in Polygon

Chris’s New York Times post on video games as ballet

Game Oven’s “Bounden,” with choreography from the Dutch National Ballet

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Reigns,’ ‘Bound,’ & Even More ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Stardew Valley’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 22:39:12 +0000

JJ couldn’t get his PlayStation 4 to work in Zurich (really). So we played “Stardew Valley” instead of “Bound.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Bound.” Or “Reigns.” Or “Kentucky Route Zero: Act 3.” Or “Wheels of Aurelia.” Or all of them?

SHOW NOTES:

Chris and Ken Levine talk about ‘BioShock’ for Rolling Stone’s Glixel

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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More ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ & ‘Damaged Core’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 19:31:00 +0000

Act 2 of “Kentucky Route Zero,” plus an intriguing Oculus shooter and a little “Auralux: Constellations”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Bound”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post More ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ & ‘Damaged Core’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

The End (?) of ‘No Man’s Sky’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 20:24:16 +0000

We haven’t reached the center of the galaxy, but we’re ready to deliver our verdict on “No Man’s Sky.” Play it? Or don’t play it?

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Damaged Core” and Act II of “Kentucky Route Zero”

SHOW NOTES:

Will Wright on “Spore” at the 2005 Game Developers Conference

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Kentucky Route Zero’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 20:47:34 +0000

The first act of Cardboard Computer’s evocative point-and-click adventure. Plus a little “Deus Ex Go”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Still more “No Man’s Sky”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

More ‘No Man’s Sky’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 18:54:06 +0000

We’re still playing Hello Games’ universe simulator/plutonium shooter/alien-language puzzler.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Kentucky Route Zero: Act I”

SHOW NOTES:

Listen to us talk about “No Man’s Sky” on NPR’s “All Things Considered”

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Abzû’ & ‘No Man’s Sky’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 10 Aug 2016 05:25:28 +0000

Do you want to serenely explore an underwater video game world for two hours, or serenely explore an outer-space video game world for infinity?

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “No Man’s Sky”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Abzû’ & ‘No Man’s Sky’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Batman: The Telltale Series’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:16:38 +0000

Is this the game we need, or the game we deserve?

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Abzû.” Still dreaming about finding time “Quadrilateral Cowboy” before “No Man’s Sky.”

SHOW NOTES:

Email us at shallweshow at gmail

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Batman: The Telltale Series’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Inside’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 14:55:33 +0000

Playdead’s “Inside” rouses us from our summer video-game torpor. A spoiler-free review, followed (at 18:22) by a very spoiler-y discussion of the ending, including JJ’s persuasive theory of What It All Means.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Batman: The Telltale Series.” Maybe “Abzû.” Dreaming about “Quadrilateral Cowboy.”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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Oculus Rift & Gabriel Winslow-Yost: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 18:21:16 +0000

We pre-ordered Rifts in February. They’re both finally here. We talk about “Lucky’s Tale” and compare the hardware to the HTC Vive. Then, Chris talks to Gabriel Winslow-Yost, an editor at the New York Review of Books, about why he plays video games, even when he’s a little ashamed of it.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Inside”

SHOW NOTES:

“Why Would an Adult Man Play Video Games?” by Gabriel Winslow-Yost

Gabriel’s review of “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” in the New York Review of Books

His NYRB review of Michael W. Clune’s “Gamelife” and Liel Leibovitz’s “God in the Machine”

His N+1 essay on video games

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Pokémon Go’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 16:09:18 +0000

Everyone’s playing it. But is it any good?

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Lucky’s Tale” and the Oculus Rift. Maybe “Inside.”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s review of “Ingress” in the New York Times

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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Virginia Heffernan: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 16:18:50 +0000

Virginia Heffernan, the author of “Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art” and a former TV critic for the New York Times, talks about playing “1010!” on the subway, reaching the top 1,000 on the “Angry Birds” leaderboard, and why the Internet is both a realist work of art and a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

JJ gets his Oculus Rift

SHOW NOTES:

“Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art” by Virginia Heffernan

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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New Statesman deputy editor Helen Lewis: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 23:54:39 +0000

An interview with a British political journalist that isn’t about Brexit: Helen Lewis, the deputy editor of the New Statesman, talks about why “BioShock” is her favorite game, why she plays as Queen Elizabeth in “Civilization,” and what “Fallout 4” might tell us about the future of America.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Magic and Loss” author Virginia Heffernan: What I Play

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post New Statesman deputy editor Helen Lewis: What I Play appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

Summer School with NYU’s Frank Lantz - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 14:25:55 +0000

Frank Lantz, the designer of “Drop7” and the director of the New York University department of game design, talks about why “Crackdown” is his favorite game, why video games are worth studying, and which games (“World of Warcraft”! “Galcon”! Poker!) he has spent the most time playing.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Magic and Loss” author Virginia Heffernan: What I Play

SHOW NOTES:

Zeke Virant’s “Soft Body”

McKenzie Wark’s “Gamer Theory”

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘Warcraft’ & ‘World of Warcraft’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 17 Jun 2016 13:55:19 +0000

A review of “Warcraft,” the movie, plus an interview with Daniel Lisi, the author of “World of Warcraft,” the book, from Boss Fight Books.

SHOW NOTES:

Daniel Lisi’s “World of Warcraft”

“The Life of the Chinese Gold Farmer” by Julian Dibbell

Seth Schiesel’s “World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade” travelogue

Jeffery Lin of Riot Games on “The Science of Shaping Player Behavior in Online Games” at GDC

Email us at shallweshow at gmail

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‘Doom’ & ‘Overwatch’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 15:09:01 +0000

What’s the better Shooty McShootface? Plus, a little more VR.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

E3 & the iOS novella “Pry”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Doom’ & ‘Overwatch’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

A Rerun of an Episode You Probably Didn’t Hear - Shall We Play a Game?

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 02:55:36 +0000

Eleven days ago, we posted an episode (“More ‘Quantum Break’ and Listener Mail”) that did not reach the overwhelming majority of our listeners, because our RSS feed was broken. So we’re posting it again. If you’ve already heard this, take the week off! It’s a short week! If you haven’t, here’s what we have in store:

Should “Quantum Break” get rid of its shooting? Does it have the funniest optional narrative pick-up in game history? Did you bless the rains down in Africa? Plus, listener mail, and a shocking confession from JJ that will forever change how you listen.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Doom” (really!) and “Overwatch”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post A Rerun of an Episode You Probably Didn’t Hear appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Dark Souls’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 26 May 2016 20:00:17 +0000

Keza MacDonald and Jason Killingsworth, the authors of “You Died: The ‘Dark Souls’ Companion,” talk about how “Demon’s Souls” hooked them, whether “Dark Souls” is a 21st-century “Super Mario Bros., ” and why “Souls” players are like figure skaters.

MacDonald is the editor of Kotaku UK and Killingsworth is a writer for Riot Games, the studio behind “League of Legends.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Doom”

SHOW NOTES:

“You Died: The ‘Dark Souls’ Companion”

Chris’s Wall Street Journal essay on “Dark Souls III”

Chris’s Glixel interview with “Uncharted 4” writer/director Neil Druckmann

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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This Is Only a Test - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 26 May 2016 16:42:05 +0000

We're trying to see if our feed is still broken. We hope you download this podcast to confirm that all is well.

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More “Quantum Break,” and Listener Mail - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 20 May 2016 14:56:22 +0000

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Doom” and the “Far Harbor” expansion for “Fallout 4”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

J.C. Herz’s New York Times columns

The post More “Quantum Break,” and Listener Mail appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

More Vive, ‘Quantum Break’ & J.C. Herz - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 12 May 2016 14:45:16 +0000

Playing “Audioshield” in virtual reality on the HTC Vive, the first act of “Quantum Break,” and an interview with J.C. Herz, the first video game critic for the New York Times and the author of “Joystick Nation” and “Learning to Breathe Fire.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“More Quantum Break”

SHOW NOTES:

J.C. Herz’s website

The post More Vive, ‘Quantum Break’ & J.C. Herz appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 06 May 2016 23:46:43 +0000

We played “Uncharted 4.” We review it. We don’t spoil it, but if you are sensitive to spoilers, the spoiler-y stuff begins at 23:25.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Quantum Break”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘1979 Revolution’ & the End of ‘Life Is Strange’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:07:51 +0000

Two games are played. One ascends to the Shall We Play a Game? canon. The other is tossed onto the ash heap of history. For newcomers to “Life Is Strange,” a spoiler-free verdict of the entire series begins at 20:55. The spoiler ’cast for the fifth and final episode of “Life Is Strange” begins at 24:52.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

The first act of “Quantum Break”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

“The ‘Minecraft’ Generation,” Clive Thompson’s New York Times Magazine cover story

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New York Times Magazine writer Clive Thompson: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 14:48:49 +0000

Clive Thompson, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and Wired and the author of the book “Smarter than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better,” talks about how fatherhood changed what video games he plays, how “World of Warcraft” almost ruined his life, and why “Mario Bros.” is better than “Super Mario Bros.” Then (at 40:00), JJ talks about his “Clash Royale” addiction. And (at 47:08) Chris tries to rebut Clive’s notion that the designers of games like “Gone Home” are backward-looking prisoners of noninteractive media.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“1979 Revolution” & Episode 5 of “Life Is Strange”

SHOW NOTES:

Steven Poole’s “Working for the Man: Against the Employment Paradigm in Videogames”

“How Microsoft Labs Invented a New Science of Play,” Clive’s Wired cover story on ‘Halo 3’

Clive’s book, “Smarter Than You Think”

Tristan Harris: Ethics for Designers

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Even More ‘Life Is Strange’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 16:09:11 +0000

A spoiler ‘cast on “Dark Room,” the fourth–the penultimate!–episode of “Life Is Strange.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Episode 5 of “Life Is Strange”

SHOW NOTES:

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The Neewer light stands Chris uses for his Vive base stations

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HTC Vive & ‘Clash Royale’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 19:11:40 +0000

On setting up an HTC Vive Pre, playing the VR adventure game “The Gallery: Call of the Starseed,” and crawling around on the floor while playing “Unseen Diplomacy.” Then (at 24:00), why the best thing about Nintendo’s “Miitomo” mobile app is that it got us playing Supercell’s “Clash Royale.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Episode 4 of “Life Is Strange”

SHOW NOTES:

“The Ugly New Front in the Neverending Video Game Culture War” by Patrick Klepek

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Who Shot Alison Rapp? Plus ‘Life Is Strange’ & ‘Witcher 3’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 17:48:43 +0000

Kotaku reporter Patrick Klepek talks with Chris and JJ about his reporting on Alison Rapp, a Nintendo employee who was fired for moonlighting, according to the company. Rapp also was the target of a sustained campaign of online harassment. Was she a victim of the video-game culture wars?

Then (at 28:51), we have a spoiler-y discussion of Episode 3 of “Life Is Strange,” followed by a toe-dip (at 39:26) into our progress in “The Witcher 3.”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

The release of the HTC Vive & the return of “Baldur’s Gate”

SHOW NOTES:

Klepek’s Kotaku report on Alison Rapp’s departure from Nintendo

The post Who Shot Alison Rapp? Plus ‘Life Is Strange’ & ‘Witcher 3’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Hitman’ & Listener Mail - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 25 Mar 2016 15:38:04 +0000

A review of the new “Hitman” game, which is conveniently called “Hitman.” Then (at 21:32): Are the tastes of video game critics and video game players starting to diverge? Does it matter? Plus (at 19:16), what Barack Obama needs to do when he’s no longer the president.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

(Even more!) “The Witcher 3” & (Still more!) “Life Is Strange”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’s article in The New York Times on his seven favorite VR experiences at GDC

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GDC 2016 Field Report: VR Mania - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 20:04:19 +0000

A tightrope walk between the Twin Towers, why noses are the fix for simulator sickness, rhythm violence on the dark side of the moon, and the enduring influence of “Tron.” Chris reports from the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, where the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR were all showing off games this week.

SHOW NOTES:

The post GDC 2016 Field Report: VR Mania appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Oxenfree’ & More ‘Life Is Strange’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 04:58:44 +0000

A review of “Oxenfree,” a dialogue-driven adventure game about high school students in the Pacific Northwest grappling with a mysterious, supernatural force. Then (at 10:58), a spoiler-y discussion of the second episode of “Life Is Strange,” a dialogue-driven adventure game about high school students in the Pacific Northwest grappling with a mysterious, supernatural force.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

VR mania at the Game Developers Conference

SHOW NOTES:

The post ‘Oxenfree’ & More ‘Life Is Strange’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Superhot’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 14:50:29 +0000

A review of “Superhot,” the first-person shooter in which time moves when you move. Then (at 10:00), Chris gives his provisional, spoiler-free thoughts about the second episode of “Life Is Strange,” partly to make JJ feel guilty for not playing it this week.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Oxenfree” & (more!!) “Life Is Strange”

SHOW NOTES:

Follow the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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‘The Walking Dead: Michonne’ & ‘Invisible, Inc.’ - Shall We Play a Game?

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:45:21 +0000

A spoiler-free review of the first episode of “The Walking Dead: Michonne,” a new miniseries from Telltale Games. Has the studio that’s widely regarded as the premier creator of episodic interactive drama lost a step? Could “Michonne” learn something from “Life Is Strange” (6:03)? Then, why “XCOM 2” should have been more like “Invisible, Inc.” (13:14)

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Superhot” & (more!) “Life Is Strange”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris Suellentrop’s very first New York Times video game review, of “The Walking Dead: Season One”