Listen Now

Yeah that second part was a band reference, but that’s not what this episode is about. This week Ian and James spend some time unpacking the concept of The Sublime. Have you ever stared at something so big, so awesome, so towering that it was jarring? Did it kick you in the shins, give you goosebumps or turn your stomach upside-down? That’s the sublime. Edmund Burke, a philosopher from the mid to late 1700s, popularized the notion of The Sublime. Not as just an expression of beauty, which it had been mostly up until that point, but as a way to express the delight that someone experiences by being dwarfed. You experience terror and delight at the same time when facing your own insignificance. Pretty dark, right? Oddly enough, it’s something lots of people have experienced, and it doesn’t quite have the negative connotation that you might think. If you look at something like a massive cliff face, a thunderstorm, a tornado or the vast open ocean you might be marveled by its beauty and intimidated by its power. Again, that’s the sublime. How does this apply to video games? What interesting now is perhaps that people probably have more opportunities to experience the sublime, but many will experience it at home via proxy. If you’ve seen “Free Solo,” a documentary about an expert rock climber summitting El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without any ropes… you’ve probably experienced the sublime. But… you weren’t there. We think about VR for instance, and it’s easy to see how the brain can by hijacked by virtual experiences. Even if you’re not fully immersed you can still have your stomach turned upside down by a powerful and terrifying experience. I often think about the “leap of faith” mechanic in the Assassin’s Creed franchise and how it’s been churning my stomach every time for the better part of a decade. We hope you enjoy the episode. It takes a while to warm up, but once we’re there we really dig into this concept. Thanks as always for listening. Later Player. P.S. We did also take a few minutes to discuss what we were playing. Those games are linked below. GRIS Void Bastards Insurgency: Sandstorm

This game is a doozie. An epic doozie, and it took us on our on Odyssey to complete it. Playing and discussing this game nearly broke us and turned us into just another game review podcast. But we swear it, we’re getting back to our roots. Funny how when a game takes so long, like a beloved TV series or Movie franchise, what you get at the end of the game can be very different than the beginning. Such was the case with the newest in the Assassin’s Creed game. This game highlights just how tight you have to keep an open world RPG in order to keep it all making sense and feeling good, and avoiding things that just seem downright silly. Like kissing people that tried to kill your whole family and wearing a mapped-on power suit while breaking the 4th wall (kinda). That level of silly. Thanks for the laughs AC Odyssey, you big scamp. Next time we’ll be back with more gaming philosophy, or thought provoking material. We’re looking to discuss either the ‘sublime,’ or start to dig into our remix culture and nostalgia obsession. Let us know if you have a preference @podcast_to Thanks for listening. Later Player. Ian & James

James and Ian join forces again this week to unpack some of the massive title: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Having started this game more than a month ago our opinions have shifted slightly from where they were. Having been somewhat rose-tinted before, that shine is starting to wear off for Ian – though James is still very much in the thick of it. What did you think of the title? Is this just Origin’s Lite? Or is it something that’s going to continue to spice up your life? We’ll be back soon to discuss the endings of the game and more of the plot at large. This week we focused more on the game play. James is going to finish the game so I can start to rip this narrative a new one. Thanks for listening. You can always follow us on Twitter @podcast_to and please tell your gamer friends who you think might enjoy listening. Later Player.

Hi all We’re back after the long vacation to talk about mobile games 80 Days, Florence, and Mini Metro. They’re all fantastic and we hope you enjoy. We also set up a chat for next week about Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. On this week’s podcast we also invited Theresa, a human who played video games when she was a kid but not any more, to talk about the award-winning mobile title “Florence.” Thanks for listening. Later Player

Feeling lost and confused? Not sure why the Skyrim intro seems to be killing the internet? Don’t understand the ebb and flow of Battle Royal style shooters? Think a Battle Royal is what they call a Big Mac in France? You’ve come to the right place. Ian and James channel their inner Abe Simpson and yell at a few passing cumulo nimbi as they wade throw the garbage storm that is gaming in the 21st century. This week they talked about Apex Legends, Frostpunk, Borderlands, EA, Guns of Icarus, and discuss whether or not chess is going to get that big comeback in 2019. Thanks for listening. Later Player. Apex Legends Frostpunk Guns of Icarus Skyrim Rust Rainbox Six: Seige

James is back this week, and Ian couldn’t be happy to have his social life preserver back in house. Join in as James and Ian discuss new titles like Return of the Obra Dinn (for the last time we swear… for now), Apex Legends, and Frostpunk. We also take a detour to talk about how much fun it is to play Dungeons and Dragons, provided you have as good a DM as Ian. Ian also reviews James’s review, it our most true-to-title Review Review yet. …We hope you enjoy. Later Player. The games we mentioned this week were: Return of the Obra Dinn Apex Legends DnD Frostpunk Guitar Hero They Are Billions Surgeon Simulator  

What a silly title. Definitely our silliest. James is away this week so Ian got the website codes. And he’s going to break something for sure. I mean the title’s not even related to Charmeleon OR Charmillionaire. Ian takes a moment to lay waste to the snoozefest of No Man’s Sky. It has some good qualities but eventually that negative reputation starts to make sense to Ian, it’s just a shame that he realized it after buying the game. He also takes some time to unpack the steampunk apocalypse title “They Are Billions,” which has given Ian a lot to work on over the last several weeks. It’s a great challenge will tonnes of replay potential. We also take a moment to discuss a little indie release called “Alien Scumbags,” though Ian for sure calls it Scumbag Aliens once or twice. It’s a charming, fun, and funny game, and it’s clear that a lot of TLC went into its production. Well done to Monster Finger Games who put it together. Ian also takes a minute to wade through a real life MMO ghost story as he re-uncovers streamer “Vinesauce’s” video of stepping back into 20 year old MMO title “Active Worlds” only to discover he wasn’t alone. Watch the video, linked below, and enjoy the thoroughly disturbing experience. We’re starting to play around with some more music in the podcast. This week you’ll find “Battle of Pogs,” by Komiku and “Album Instrumental” by Cheese N Pot. Good stuff you guys. Discussed this week we’ve got: Alien Scumbags by Monster Finger Games No Man’s Sky by Hello Games Terraria They Are Billions Vinesauce’s Active Worlds Ghost Story Experience [VIDEO LINK] Thanks for listening. Later Player.

We’re a little late on our new year’s post but we had to peel ourselves off the couch after the holidays for this one. James and Ian discuss 2018’s greatest hits – well sort of. The games we played in 2018 at least. Ian fought off his sickness to get this one to you, and James was there too. We gots some helpful links below. @podcast_to Later Player On our hate list: Stick Fight: The Game (even their website is garbage) Hello Neighbor Ghost Recon: Wildlands Our Greatest Hits of the Year: Return of the Obra Dinn (Play this game for the love of god) The Witcher 3 and its DLCs (feel free to write hate mail to James for being so late to this) Most improved player: No Man’s Sky – Next Update What we’re looking forward to this year: We. The Revolution (Ian) Cyberpunk 2077 (James)

This week James did his homework and takes Ian on a psychonautical journey into the fifth chapter of “Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World,” by Stephen Johnson. The idea that human fascination in projecting illusions into our universe has continued to be a pattern in the modern world makes sense. Think about it. We’ve gone from cave drawings to the Oculus Rift. Where our imaginations used to be the only vehicle, we can now almost touch for real – almost. Join us as we discuss the internet, Nvidia’s insane new AI city rendering technology, and how they’re already applying that to deepfake videos. Knowing the difference between the real and the unreal has clearly never been more important. Has our fascination with fun and whimsy led us to a point of living in a surreal fantasy IRL? We also talk about repairing your own computers, Fallout: New Vegas, Bad Company, Hearts of Iron, not the Witcher, and start to get hyped about Obsidian’s (of Fallout New Vegas fame) new project: The Outer Worlds. Did you know Nigerian conspiracy theorists think their president is a clone? True. Thanks for listening. Tell a friend why don’t you! Later Player.

This week James and Ian continue the discussion on Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World, and wonder themselves if this conclusion seems a little broad for their liking. They also talk about what kinds of games might be the coziest, curl up next to a fire, get a cat on your lap, and frag some noobs kinda games. We talk about the Danish custom of Hygge, aka that sweet cozy hibernation station exercise, and figure out how we can square-peg-round-whole this paradigm shift into our own lifestyles. What’s Hygge and what’s not is what we’re up to here. Extra sleepytime tea is definitely Hygge. Thanks for listening. You can follow us at @podcast_to on twitter. Later Player.

We have chosen our new read for the series. It's a nifty non-fiction called Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World by Stephen Johnson. We found it on the MIT Press Game Design tab, and Johnson had previously been on the New York Times Bestseller's List for his book How We Got to Now. The book's thesis is wonderfully straightforward, as it argues that delight - not necessity, not hunger, not capitalism, etc - led to the most forward thinking and powerful innovations of our modern world. James and Ian take some time to unpack the introduction of this book, and look at how some early drawings by scholars and engineers in Baghdad had some of their mechanisms realized throughout the renaissance in Europe. We dig deeper into this, and look at the uncanny series of direct causes and consequences that led from early automatons to modern computers. Finally, we're getting closer to understanding the importance of play in our modern and complicated world. In play, there is no fixed goal or structure, and with that absence of structure comes the absence of a fixed mindset. Those who 'play' rather than 'do' are free to make mistakes, to build for the sake of building, and to explore possibilities they would not have known existed. Play is vital, and we are excited to start a new series to understand how play made the modern world. As always, thanks for listening. Later, Player.

Today we get philosophical and discuss Jean Baudrillard and his views on simulation and simulated experiences. Games provide simulated experiences, but the emotions and choices that they invoke are still real. So, are we in a simulation or the straight up base reality? We also bring on a guest, Dr. Jonathan Arendt, who helps us wade through the monster of this philosophy. As we continue to creep towards a world with more incorporated virtual experiences, it's important to weigh how important the distinction between the real and virtual really is. Are you more free in the simulation or reality? Ian also eats a big old pile of crow and grudgingly talks about how good The Witcher 3 and its expansions are, fanboys be damned. James talks about playing Heatmap, and Ian talks about what it's like to buy a game he's afraid he'll hate. Happy Halloween y'all. Thanks for listening. Later player.

We're taking a pause before the next book series to talk about some games we've been playing. Ian gets up on his soap box, James talks about Magic the Gathering and Hearthstone. We talk a little about nostalgia, and a surprising amount about a 'girlfriend' simulator in VR. It's a weird world, but we're still happy to be a part of it. More on the Witcher 3, Empire: Total War, Together VR, Magic the Gathering, Hearthstone, and other sweet sweet things. Ian also botches an effort to promote the show by missing our twitter handle several times too many. What's a internet? Thanks for listening, later player. @podcast_to

Then you get the power. Esports, we are sure, are here to stay. Listen to Ian and James discuss the rise and continued growth of the esports industry in the final chapter of Sport 2.0. Esports is huge business, which streamers bringing millions of views a day, going head to head with major league sports franchises around the world. Also, we finally decide to include esports into the category of sport, but try not to hound to hard on the semantics. If we can establish that there is a sliding scale of physicality involved in sports, why not the haptically control speed and precision involved in a gaming rig? We also take a moment to discuss whether, after all, we think the Olympic games will open their arms to the videogame industry. If so, is it a winter sport or a summer sport? Which games will go first? Does that present any unique challenges? James also takes a moment to catch us up on some blockbuster hits he has been playing recently, including the totally not racist or repetitive Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and The all-too-risqueee Witcher 3. Ian avoids talking about Terraria for the 3rd episode in a row. Thanks for listening!

This week Ian and James discuss e-sports and their possible place in the Olympics. Ninja gets more than 30 millions views a month, and that's roughly the number of folks that tuned into the Rio Olympics in the USA. Should that matter? We think so. We also discuss how video games and sports continue to replicate each others' structure and format more and more, and how viewers and players alike are changing their tastes to match. Kids these days are involved in just as much hero worship and tribalism as we saw with our generation, and our parents' generation, with sports stars on TV - it's just that tastes are different these days. We also take a brief detour through some of the games we've been playing, Ian takes another stab at that mudcrab, and we talk about some contenders for the worst sports games ever created. Hope you love it. Later Player

While James was away this week, Ian discusses some of the new (and old) games he has been playing, including: Terraria, They Are Billions, and the new update for No Man's Sky. These are just some quick updates on some new releases and some oldies-but-goodies. Ian also takes a moment to talk about the tragic shooting following the Madden 2K event in Jacksonville, Florida just over a week ago. While trying not to get to political and stick to what this podcast is about, this is something that happened in our own virtual backyard. James and Ian have just been talking about video game culture, e-sports, and sports and so it seems necessary to address. If we are going to put sports and e-sports side by side and compare them, then it's easy to notice a lack of coaching and sportsmanship that can sometimes be present in online gaming communities. Does this happen all the time? No. Are most people just there to enjoy themselves and do what they love? Of course. However, it might be necessary to further promote the idea that sharing a passion with people from all over the world, who all participate in a common activity, may alone have to super cede being the best all the time. It's normal to lose at things, and gaming is no different in this regard. Agree or disagree, this is an important conversation that needs to take place now. Also, on a very different note, Ian explores Skyrim's newest addition. VR? Nope, he's done that already and it almost made him puke. This time Bethesda's really done it. They've released it on the most powerful, most accessible, most user friendly platform yet: Alexa. Thanks for listening! Later player.

In this episode James and Ian introduce the book Sport 2.0, written by author and sports researcher Professor Andy Miah. The worlds of physical and digital games are converging, and that's forcing us to have some important conversations with one another. What is a sport, anyway? We talk about how sports games challenge us while promoting accessibility and participation for all, and how games previously only possible in our imaginations are being created by studios around the world. The Oculus Rift makes a rock climbing video game, The Climb, Xbox releases games with dual joystick control, all in an effort to make the user experience the sport as if they were there in person. We also talk about how stereotypes play a big role in how gamers sometime view sports, or sports culture. Probably in the same way as those that identify as 'sporty' people might not play video games for one reason or another. As the physical and digital sports experiences converge, players of both are forced to critically examine their own biases and stereotypes and realize that perhaps defining their identity based on what they are not, rather than what they are or what they like, may be counterproductive. Thanks for listening. New episode will be out on Sept 6. Later player.

James and Ian discuss the game "This War of Mine," which was developed in partnership with War Child. It is a bleak game designed with the intention to build empathy in its players, having them experience some of the difficulties of wartime through an indie-game lens. This game dealt with some very difficult subjects, and so with that in mind we think its important to put a trigger warning in place. This game has instances of violence, both physical and sexual in nature. Though sexual violence is not a major topic of this episode, it is briefly mentioned as it comes up in the narrative of the game. This War of Mine is a bleak and powerful emotional experience. It is tough to play at times, but creates a visceral experience for gamers by shedding some light on what it might be like to survive a modern siege.

James and Ian discuss the Telltale hit "The Walking Dead, Season One" and the difficult pathways it lays out for the player. Continuing with the book "Beyond Choices" by MIT researcher Miguel Sicart as a guide, they talk about how the game creates player complicity in this dark post-apocalyptic title. The Walking Dead, Season 1 consists of five episodes and was released between April and November 2014. It is an amazing immersive and emotional experience, and we highly recommend it!

James and Ian discuss indie title "Papers, Please" and how it is designed to create a gaming experience that deals with difficult choices, and forces the player to engage ethically with NPCs in the fictional setting of Aristotzka. We also discuss the book "Beyond Choices" written by game design scholar Miguel Sicart, and published by the MIT Press. It is also stated, incorrectly, that Dr. Sicart works at the "MIT Research Labs," which not only isn't a thing but incorrect either way. He works out of the IT University of Copenhagen in the Centre for Computer Games Research. Papers, Please is a compelling narrative and game designed by developer Lucas Pope and was released on August 8 2013.