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Criticaldistance
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Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 18 - Esther Wright on Rockstar and History
Esther Wright is Lecturer in Digital History at Cardiff University. Her work is situated within the field of Historical Game Studies, critically examining how digital representations of the past found in popular visual media have the potential to shape public understandings of history. Her PhD, awarded by the University of Warwick in August 2019, is a study of Rockstar Games as developer-historian, and the company’s long-established project of negotiating and representing U.S. History in their games – in particular, focussing on Red Dead Redemption (2010), Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), and L.A. Noire (2011). This project is forthcoming as a book entitled Rocks...
2022-03-11
39 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 17 - April Tyack on Ordinary Player Experience
April Tyack is a postdoctoral researcher at Aalto University and vice-president of DiGRA Australia. April researches player experience and how games facilitate different types of experiences. In this episode, April discusses the paper Off-Peak: An Examination of Ordinary Player Experience (2021), published with Elisa D. Mekler. The paper critiques the focus in game research, culture and development on extraordinary, optimal or peak experiences, and how this focus has shaped the field of HCI in particular. Ordinary player experience is conceptualised as familiar, emotionally moderate, co-attentive, and abstractly memorable, providing a new model for thinking about and researching digital games.
2022-02-11
20 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 16 - Felan Parker on Cutural Intermediaries
This episode we speak with Felan Parker about his work on cultural intermediaries and indie games. Felan is Assistant Professor of Book & Media Studies at St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, and a scholar of media industries and cultures specializing in games, digital media, and film. His ongoing research, supported from 2016-2019 by the Indie Interfaces SSHRC Insight Development Grant, explores the production, distribution, and reception of independent or “indie” digital games with a particular focus on the role of intermediary actors like curators, critics, and community organizers in the cultural ecosystem of the game industry. ...
2021-11-19
33 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 15 - Leon Xiao
This episode we speak with Leon Xiao about the paper "What are the odds? Lower compliance with Western loot box probability disclosure industry self-regulation than Chinese legal regulation", co-authored with Laura Henderson and Philip Newall. This empirical study of loot boxes and probability disclosure is (as of this interview) a preprint and hence subject to change during peer-review. The current version is available here: https://osf.io/g5wd9/ Leon is a Teaching Associate at Queen Mary University of London. He researches video game law, particularly the regulation of loot boxes, a quasi-gambling monetisation mechanic in video...
2021-10-15
26 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 14 - Adrienne Shaw
This episode we speak with Adrienne Shaw about the paper "Encoding and decoding affordances: Stuart Hall and interactive media technologies". This paper brings Stuart Hall's concepts of encoding and decoding into proximity with ideas of affordance and technology. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0163443717692741 Adrienne Shaw is an Associate Professor in Temple University’s Department of Media Studies and Production and a member of the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication graduate faculty. From 2019-2022 she will serve the first director of Temple’s new Graduate Certificate in Cultural Analytics. Shaw is author of Gaming at the Edge: Sex...
2021-09-17
29 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 13 - Alenda Y. Chang
This episode we speak with Alenda Y. Chang about games, ecology, literature, and environmental relations. Alenda is an Associate Professor in Film and Media Studies at UC Santa Barbara. With a multidisciplinary background in biology, literature, and film, she specializes in merging ecocritical theory with the analysis of contemporary media. Her writing has been featured in Ant Spider Bee, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, Qui Parle, the Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, and Ecozon@, and her first book Playing Nature: Ecology in Video Games (University of Minnesota Press, December 2019), develops ecological frameworks for understanding and designing digital games. ...
2021-06-11
29 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 12 - Aaron Trammell
This episode we talk with Aaron Trammell about challenging canonical thinkers, race, torture and TTRPGs, with special reference to his open-access piece "Torture, Play and the Black Experience" https://www.gamejournal.it/torture-play/. Aaron is Assistant Professor of Informatics and Core Faculty in Visual Studies at UC Irvine. He writes about how Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, and board games inform the lived experiences of their players. Specifically, he is interested in how these games further values of white privilege and hegemonic masculinity in geek culture. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Analog Game Studies and the Multimedia e...
2021-05-14
35 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 11 - Victor Navarro-Remesal and Thiago Falcão
Víctor Navarro-Remesal is a media scholar specialized in games. He teaches History of Videogames and Interactive Narrative at Tecnocampus, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and Game Design at UOC. He’s the author of ‘Libertad dirigida: Una gramática del análisis y diseño de videojuegos’ (Shangrila, 2016) and ‘Cine Ludens: 50 diálogos entre el juego y el cine’ (Editorial UOC, 2019), as well as the editor of ‘Pensar el juego. 25 caminos para los game studies’ (Shangrila, 2020). His research interests are player freedom, Zen-inspired games, gêmu, and game preservation. He is one of the founding members of DIGRA Spain. https://m...
2021-04-14
34 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 10 - Thi Nguyen
C. Thi Nguyen is a former food writer, now a philosophy professor at University of Utah. He writes about trust, art, games, and communities, and is interested in the ways that our social structures and technologies shape how we think and what we value. His first book is Games: Agency as Art. It’s about how games are the art form that work in the medium of agency. A game designer doesn’t just create a world – they create who we are in that world. Games shape temporary agencies for artistic purposes. And games turn out to be our...
2021-03-12
27 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 9: Sonia Fizek
This episode's guest is Sonia Fizek, to discuss a forthcoming book on 'delegated' and 'interpassive' play. Sonia is a digital wanderer and a ludic thinker. On a more formal note, a professor at Cologne Game Lab in media and game studies and a co-editor in chief of the Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds. Previously a lecturer at Abertay University, a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Digital Cultures at Leuphana University Lüneburg and a guest lecturer at: Leuphana University Lüneburg, Goethe University Frankfurt, Hamburg Media School...
2020-12-11
20 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 8 - Lindsay Grace
This episode we speak with Lindsay Grace about love and affection in games. Lindsay is Knight Chair in Interactive Media and an associate professor at the University of Miami School of Communication. He is Vice President for the Higher Education Video Game Alliance and the 2019 recipient of the Games for Change Vanguard award. Lindsay's book, Doing Things with Games, Social Impact through Design, is a well-received guide to game design. In 2020, he edited and authored Love and Electronic Affection: a Design Primer on designing love and affection in games. “Keywords in Play” is an interview series about game research...
2020-11-13
37 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 7 - Malath Abbas
This episode we speak with Mal Abbas, an independent game designer, artist and producer working on experimental and meaningful games. Malath established Scotland's first game collective and co-working space Biome Collective, a diverse, inclusive melting pot of technology, art and culture for people who want to create, collaborate and explore games, digital art and technology. Work includes Killbox, an online game and interactive installation that critically explores the nature of drone warfare, its complexities and consequences, and Garden, a beautiful music based exploration interactive experience set in space. “Keywords in Play” is an interview series about ga...
2020-10-16
29 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 6:Jamie Woodcock
This episode we speak with Dr Jamie Woodcock. Jamie is a researcher based in London. He is the author of The Gig Economy (Polity, 2019), Marx at the Arcade (Haymarket, 2019), and Working The Phones (Pluto, 2017). His research is inspired by the workers' inquiry. His research focuses on labour, work, the gig economy, platforms, resistance, organising, and videogames. He is on the editorial board of Notes from Below and Historical Materialism. Jamie completed his PhD in sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London and has held positions at Goldsmiths, University of Leeds, University of Manchester, Queen Mary, NYU...
2020-09-11
23 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 5: Eli Smith
This episode we have a departure from academia; a different approach to the creation and transmission of knowledge. We interview Eli Smith, Traditional Music Consultant for Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2. In our first COVID-19 recording (you may hear some sirens), we discuss the American music archive both as living tradition and recording technology, and the ways in which these interface with the virtual space of a digital game. Eli is a folk singer, banjo player and guitarist who grew up in New York’s Greenwich Village. Smith has recorded for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and regularly performs as a...
2020-08-17
19 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 4 - Rob Gallagher
“Keywords in Play” is an interview series about game research supported by Critical Distance and the Digital Games Research Association. As a joint venture, “Keywords in Play” expands Critical Distance’s commitment to innovative writing and research about games while using a conversational style to bring new and diverse scholarship to a wider audience. Our goal is to highlight the work of graduate students, early career researchers and scholars from under-represented groups, backgrounds and regions. The primary inspiration comes from sociologist and critic Raymond Williams. In the Preface to his book Keywords: a vocabulary of culture and society, Willi...
2020-07-17
22 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 3: Bo Ruberg
In this episode we speak with Bo Ruberg, who is Assistant Professor at UC Irvine in Film & Media. Their interdisciplinary research crosses media studies, queer studies, the Digital Humanities, cultural studies, and an engagement with computational fields. From 2015-2017, Bo served as a Provost’s Postdoctoral Scholar in the Interactive Media & Games Division and a member of the Society of Fellows at the University of Southern California. In 2015, Bonnie received their Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley in conjunction with the Berkeley Center for New Media and the Department of Women and Gender Studies. Prior to entering academia...
2020-06-12
21 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 2: Emilie Reed
“Keywords in Play” is a monthly interview series about game research supported by Critical Distance and the Digital Games Research Association. As a joint venture, “Keywords in Play” expands Critical Distance’s commitment to innovative writing and research about games while using a conversational style to bring new and diverse scholarship to a wider audience. Our goal is to highlight the work of graduate students, early career researchers and scholars from under-represented groups, backgrounds and regions. The primary inspiration comes from sociologist and critic Raymond Williams. In the Preface to his book Keywords: a vocabulary of culture and society, W...
2020-05-15
24 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Keywords in Play Episode 1
“Keywords in Play” is an interview series about game research supported by Critical Distance and the Digital Games Research Association. As a joint venture, “Keywords in Play” expands Critical Distance’s commitment to innovative writing and research about games while using a conversational style to bring new and diverse scholarship to a wider audience. Our goal is to highlight the work of graduate students, early career researchers and scholars from under-represented groups, backgrounds and regions. The primary inspiration comes from sociologist and critic Raymond Williams. In the Preface to his book Keywords: a vocabulary of culture and society, Willi...
2020-04-11
25 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 16 - Milkmaids and Vikings
Last minisode of the year for the Critical Distance Confab. I tried to think of a theme, but really it's just two indie games worthy of some attention and love. Angelina Bonilla aka Red Angel co-hosts with me this month. We've been able to bring the minisodes back thanks to our listeners' support on Patreon. To help us to add more new features to the site, including foreign-language coverage and videos, please consider supporting us. In case you don't know, the purpose here is to...
2017-11-30
17 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 51 - Red Angel
This month on the Critical Distance Confab, Angelina Bonilla better known as Red Angel was kind enough to come on. Red Angel started off as a writer for online publications. However, after some time there, she wanted to for a while to turn her efforts to video. Ignorant of the wider YouTube critical community, she just started her channel. She began her Late Night Ponderings series as an extension of the editorials she wrote for Noobfeed and Game Skinny, but they evolved beyond the constraints of editorial mandates and game journalism "style" into something more...
2017-11-16
1h 01
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 15 - Horror Games Mark II
I'm not dead, the minisodes are back, back from the dead that is, on the Critical Distance Confab. In the spirit of October, we bring you another minisode installment on horror games. Co-hosting with me this month is my podcast associate from PopMatters, Nick Dinicola. In case you don't know, the purpose here is to highlight some games we feel aren't getting the critical attention they deserve for whatever reason. The hope is that one of you intrepid listeners will sort that out by playing and writing about them...
2017-10-31
12 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 50 - PostMesmeric
This month on the Critical Distance Confab we welcome Alex Carlson from the YouTube channel PostMesmeric. Alex Carlson is a relative newbie to the world of YouTube video game criticism. He had some experience with written criticism, most notably on Hardcore Gaming 101, but transferred over when he was introduced to the idea that YouTube could be used for more than simple entertainment. His channel is a hidden gem, which I came upon one day when Youtube's algorithm was feeling particularly kind: toiling away in relative obscurity, perhaps thanks to the capricious nature of this algorithm...
2017-10-19
53 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 49 - Heavy Eyed
This month on the Critical Distance Confab, all the way from New Zealand, is YouTuber Mitch Cramer. Mitch Cramer, aka HeavyEyed, is a relatively new to the world of YouTube video game criticism. Starting off as a band manager, he moved away from that to put some video production skills to use. He started a channel and steadily plucked away at it until some attention came his way after one video spiked in viewers. We talk about his in depth criticism of the Star Fox games, the local video game development scene in New Zealand...
2017-09-21
34 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 14 - We're Back
After a year long hiatus, the minisodes are back on the Critical Distance Confab. In case you missed them the first time around, the idea behind these minisodes is for myself and a co-host to highlight some games that haven't gotten a lot of criticism or much attention at all. The hope is that one of you intrepid listeners will try one of them out and write about it. The games on the docket range from itch.io art games, to prestige level indie games, right on up to AAA games that have...
2017-08-30
13 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 48 - The Critic and the Dragon
Joining me for this month's interview is author of actual books and YouTube critic Joseph Anderson. Starting from a desire to build up his online presence to attract a book agent, Joseph Anderson decided to create some YouTube videos to release himself of some "petty gripes" he had regarding the Dark Souls vs. Dark Souls 2 debate. He felt that a lot of what Dark Souls 2 was getting knocked on for was present in the original game. From there the channel grew to surpass his original occupation. We talk about the extreme amount of prep work...
2017-08-16
1h 00
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 47 - A Measured Response: Hbomb
I managed to snag critic, rhetorician and YouTube vaudevillian Harry Brewis, more commonly known as Hbomberguy for this month's interview. Mr. Hbomberguy is a bit of an odd duck with regards to YouTube games criticism. He first came to internet prominence through his videos of ridiculing internet dumbasses and that work forms a clear line regarding how he talks about video games. His earlier video game videos we far more conventional, while the videos he made afterwards are far more bizarre, funny and in line with the breaking down arguments and rhetoric displayed in those "...
2017-07-19
1h 03
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 46 - Talking on Games
Freshly back from E3, YouTuber Hamish Black, the man behind the Writing on Games channel, sat down with me for this month's interview. Nearly two years ago exactly, Hamish Black took the plunge and began making critical YouTube videos. He began by tying the academic work he learned at university to video games. However, he soon found his formula a little restricting and began stretching beyond his original conception. At the time, he was ignorant of the larger community of in-depth critics and so was alone in building his channel. But as he continued plugging...
2017-06-29
41 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 45 - Documentary Delight
With this interview, we move away from YouTube for the moment to talk with Philip Jones, the director of the 2015 documentary Gaming in Color. The documentary started with an intent to focus on the then-new Gaymer X convention. But as the original crew fell away due to lack of funding, Philip Jones and others picked up where they left off and expanded the scope of the film. With a focus on the intersection of the queer and gaming communities, the documentary seeks to answer the question of many outside observers, why is something like Gaymer...
2017-05-19
42 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 44 - A Cagey Interview
This month I interview YouTuber Kevin John, also known as Cagey. Cagey is a small time YouTube essayist, a jolly old soul from Scotland. From writing at fan sites he struck out on his own with his own YouTube channel. His output is much shorter than many of the other people we've featured here as he prefers concise arguments. We discuss his worships of the temple of the red pen, ambiguous channel iconography and what he has learned during his time making videos. SHOW NOTES Cagey Videos YouTube Channel
2017-04-05
37 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 43 - Think, Game, Love
In this episode, I interview the newly crowned Critical Distance 2016 Journalist of the Year, Heather Alexandra. Each new interviewee seems to bring some new aspect to the video criticism form. Heather Alexandra instead of jumping straight into video essays, began with the longer form of Let's Play, but with a critical bent. From there she continued to evolve her voice down two paths, the more structured video essay we are familiar with, and a more casual conversation format developed from the Let's Play style. We discuss that two pronged approach as well as her freelance...
2017-02-28
49 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 42 - Great Levels, The Best Levels in Gaming
Our first interview of 2017 is with Great Levels in Gaming YouTube producer Max Barnyard. Like our previous interviewee, Max Barnyard focuses his criticism on specific elements of video games; in this case, the construction and purpose of exemplary level design. video games. But what is a level in a contemporary video games? We discuss that question, along with how he chooses what levels to showcase, his work with Achievement Hunter, and his penchant for puns. SHOW NOTES Max Barnyard YouTube Channel Great Levels in Gaming at Achievement...
2017-02-08
53 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 41 - Every Game a Painting
We end this year of interviews with Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit. Mark Brown went a different direction with his video based video game criticism. Instead of interviews, opinion shows or holistic game examinations, he devoted his channel to the exploration of craftsmanship in video games. Devoting his energy to explaining a singular thing in each video, what it does and how it is accomplished. We discuss how he explores a game design concept, the use it has found in various different audiences, and where he hopes to take the channel into the future.
2016-11-30
36 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 40 - Games Literary Studies on YouTube
Continuing on with our series of video in video game criticism, this month, I have Sam Gronseth, the Game Professor of the YouTube channel Games as Literature, on to talk. Sam Gronseth taught a class to teach literary analysis using video games instead of novels or short stories for several charter schools. He then turned those lesson plans into a YouTube channel. His videos are filled with accessible explanations, from basic 101 concepts to understanding the deeper meaning of video games. In addition, he has created Literary Analysis videos that go in-depth on a specific title...
2016-10-18
45 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 39 - This is Innuendo Studios
Somewhat late, we present this month's interview of the Critical Distance Confab! I interview Ian Danskin of the Innuendo Studios YouTube channel. In 2014, Ian Danskin made his first YouTube video about celebrity in internet culture, This is Phil Fish, and what that means. He expected a few views and he would build his audience over time, except that video went viral and is to date, by far, his most viewed video. Since then, he's mostly trekked his own path and talked about whatever interested him. We cover some of those interests in talking about adventure...
2016-10-03
49 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 38 - The Spawn of History
We are back with another interview on the Critical Distance Confab! This month we are joined by Bob Whitaker, associate professor in Modern History at Louisiana Tech University and founder of History Respawned. In 2013, he started the YouTube channel by looking at video games from a historical perspective. Not content to focus only on games portraying histories within his wheelhouse, he soon began bringing on other scholars to share their expert insights into the histories portrayed in games. In the process, he has brought their knowledge to a wider audience, beyond the confines of the...
2016-08-23
50 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 37 - Noah's Crit
Welcome back for another interview on the Critical Distance Confab! This month our guest is Noah Caldwell-Gervais, a video maker who is skilled at creating richly layered arguments. He started making long-form video essays on games in 2013 with a thorough look at the Fallout series. Since then he has been applying his critical lens in videos that examine an entire franchise, or games connected by a common theme. We talk about these advantages of his long form style, how he chooses games, and his plans to branch out into travel writing. ...
2016-07-18
54 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 13 - Soundscapes and Dreamscapes
The good, the bad and the ugly with the Critical Distance Confab. For those who don't know, the idea behind these minisodes is for myself and a co-host to highlight 3 games each. These are games that haven't gotten a lot of criticism or much attention at all. The hope is that one of you intrepid listeners will try one of them out and write about it. The games on the docket range from itch.io art games, to prestige level indie games, right on up to AAA games that have slipped through the...
2016-07-08
46 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 36 - The Hows and Whys of TWIVGB
Welcome to another episode of the Critical Distance Confab! We are taking a mid-summer break from our series on video producers and critics to talk about Critical Distance. Senior Curator Zoya Street and I have decided to talk about the site and our process of curation, mainly in the This Week In Videogame Blogging feature. Every person is different with what they curate and why, and so we felt it might be a good idea to introduce our newest Senior Curator's views on the matter now that he's settled into the...
2016-06-27
44 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 12 - Not Dark Souls
Time for a few games more on the Critical Distance Confab. The purpose of these minisodes is for two of us to highlight 3 games each. These are games that haven't gotten a lot of criticism or any at all. The idea is that one of you listening right now will try one of them out and write about it. The games we talk about range from itch.io art games, to prestige level indie games, right on through AAA games that may not have tried. Co-hosting with me this...
2016-05-02
47 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 35 - Camp's Signal
Welcome to another interview on the Critical Distance Confab! This month our guest is Chris Franklin, aka Campster, talking about his YouTube series Errant Signal. Over time, he has innovated on an established YouTube format to evolve his own personal style, featuring holistic close readings on games as well as video essays on theoretical concepts. He has also experimented with short form, quick-turnaround content, and he reveals what this experience taught him about criticism and video creation. During our interview, we talk about his process, the technical challenges he faces in...
2016-04-19
57 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 11 - Grab Bag of Games
A fistful of games on the Critical Distance Confab. These minisodes highlight games that haven't gotten a lot of critical attention, in the hope that one of you intrepid listeners will try one of them out and correct that oversight. The games we talk about range from itch.io art games, to prestige level indie games, right on through AAA games that might have slipped through the cracks. Co-hosting with me this month is editor of CreativeFluff, Fred McCoy. Fred's Picks Salt by...
2016-04-06
37 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 34 - Chat with Matt
Welcome another interview here at Critical Distance! This month we interview the host of Matt Chat, English Professor at St. Cloud State University, Matt Barton. Inspired by the books he published on the history of video games, Dungeons & Desktops and Vintage Games, Matt Chat became a channel focused on older game. As the episodes went on he was fortunate enough to get the creators of these older games on for interviews and has been doing so for 6 years. He has interviewed such gaming luminaries as John Romero, Ralph Baer, Chris Avellone, Brian Fargo, Lord British...
2016-03-22
57 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 10 - Abstract Aesthetics
More undiscussed games on the Critical Distance Confab. For those who may not know, the purpose behind these minisodes is highlight some games, 3 a piece, that haven't got a lot criticism or any criticism at all. The hope being that it will inspire some of you to go out, play them and write something about them. The games we highlight run the gamut from itch.io art games, through prestige level indie games, right on through AAA games that might have slipped through the cracks. Co-hosting with me this...
2016-02-29
45 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 33 - Game OverThinker
Welcome another new podcast here at Critical Distance! Continuing with video-based criticism, we have one of the original videogame pundits, Bob Chipman. His Game Overthinker series began in 2008, making his one of the few early voices to set up shop on YouTube. The original run of the show ran for 100 episodes, during which time it started with the angry young man shtick that was popular at that time, before incorporating skits and ongoing storylines. Now the show has been revamped using a personality-driven, pundit-like presentation style. During the interview, we talk...
2016-02-15
54 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 09 - Long Games and Short Games
New year, new games to discuss on the Critical Distance Confab. With the minisodes, every month, both I and a co-host, go back and forth listing off a game we think hasn't gotten the critical attention it deserves until we've each done three. The hope being that some of you listening will take the initiative and fix that oversight. These games can be from anywhere. Itch.io art games, prestige level indie games or even AAA games that fell through the cracks for whatever reason. Co-hosting with me this...
2016-02-01
39 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 32 - Supplementary Grades
Welcome to the new year of podcasts here at Critical Distance! Last year we went over publications, both books and magazines, in the critical video game sphere. Having, for the most part, run out of those we turn our eyes to different forms of criticism. Now we turn out eyes to video. Joining me this month is game designer and the writer behind the Extra Credits series, James Portnow. Starting out as a final course project for fellow Extra Credits creator, Daniel Floyd, the series has only grown in the years...
2016-01-15
59 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 31 - Back to the 2015
Welcome back to another end of year podcast! 2015 is behind us, so just lean back and listen as myself and a couple of colleagues skim over some of the major discussions that came up during the year. CAST Eric Swain: The Game Critique Kris Ligman: Dire Critic Alan Williamson: Five out of Ten Riley MacLeod: Twitter SHOW NOTES Colorblind: On The Withcer 3, Rust and gameing's race problem by Tauriq Moosa Battlefield Hardline Review: Cop Out by Austin Walker
2015-12-30
2h 26
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 08 - Breaking the Mold and Cultural Musings
Welcome to the last minisode of the year on the Critical Distance Confab. How this works is that each of us will go back and forth listing off three games each that we feel haven't gotten the critical attention they deserve in the hopes one of your will take it as a challenge. These games will be anything from Ich.io art games to prestige level indie games to AAA games that fell through the cracks for whatever reason. On co-hosting duties with me this month on this chilly...
2015-11-30
47 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 30 - Everything's Better Embed
Concluding this year's series of interviews of the authors and editors of video game criticism publications we turn our eyes to gonzo. Cara Ellison's Embed With Games: A Year on the Couch with Game Developers brings the long form, lifestyle gonzo journalism to video games as she chronicles her year long journey around the world to see various small and independent game artists in their element. Come and listen to us discuss the influence of an artist's location, the Hawthorne effect, the process of choosing who to cover in the first place and much more. ...
2015-11-18
1h 04
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 07 - Horror Games
Welcome to a new minisode on the Critical Distance Confab. This month we have a special Halloween edition where we will be focusing on quote/unquote horror games to highlight. As usual these are games that haven't gotten what myself and a co-host feel is a fair shake in criticism and attention. We each will bring three such games to the table. They can be anything, Ich.io games, indie games or even AAA games you might not have tried. With me for this theme month is fellow cohort...
2015-10-31
36 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 06 - Relationships and Forward Motion
Welcome back for a new minisode of the Critical Distance Confab. If you don't know, the minisodes are a chance to introduce and highlight a bunch of games that hasn't gotten criticism...yet. Myself and a co-host will list off 3 such games each. They can be anything. Ich.io art games, prestige level indie games, all the way to AAA games that might have slipped between the cracks. Joining me this month is critic and writer, Gita Jackson. Gita's Picks Siren for Hire...
2015-09-30
34 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 29 - Shoot Them!
This month we turn our attention to the genre anthology book, Shooter. Edited by Patrick Lindsey and Reid McCarter, the book bought 15 essays and a forward by Clint Hocking placing a wide variety of shooter video games in a historical and cultural context. We discuss their focus on a broad genre as opposed to a single game, what they were trying to say with the book and the process of putting together such an anthology. Unlike previous books, as this one is an anthology and in that spirit we decided to get some of the...
2015-09-16
56 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 05 - Text Games and Far Away Places
We have a new minisode of the Critical Distance Confab. These minisodes are a chance for myself and a new co-host each time, to highlight some games that have gotten virtually no criticism written about them. This is our chance to correct that. They can be anything. Ich.io art games, prestige level indie games, all the way to AAA games that might have slipped between the cracks. Though generally they will skew a little smaller. Joining me this month is Critical Distance's own senior curator and my boss...
2015-07-31
28 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 28 - Uninterviewable
Continuing our vaguely in chronological order of video game critical publications, we turn our lonely eyes to a site that last year turned itself into a weekly e-zine. This month Stu Horvath was gracious enough to join me to talk about Unwinnable, Unwinnable Weekly and all the other Un-labled projects that he grants a platform to. We get a little silly near the end, hope you wont hold that against us. SHOW NOTES Unwinnable Unwinnable Weekly Unwinnable Weekly Special Summer Fun Issue Unlistenable Playable
2015-07-15
51 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 04 - Wandering Around and Feeling
Welcome to another minisode of the Critical Distance Confab. Unlike our main podcast series, the minisodes are a chance for myself and co-host to highlight some games that have gotten virtually no criticism written about them. This is our chance to correct that. They can be anything. Ich.io art games, prestige level indie games, all the way to AAA games that might have slipped between the cracks. Though generally they will skew a little smaller. Joining me this time is freelance writer for Paste Magazine, Imran Khan.
2015-06-30
29 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 27 - A Review Comes For The Arcade
With us this time is founding editor of The Arcade Review Zolani Stewart. Coming up on a year now, The Arcade Review is a publication that situates itself as an arts magazine first and a games magazine second. Wanting to break away from the stagnant circles of what is traditionally considered games writing, Zolani, with some help, created a space where he could foster the type of writing he wanted to see. We go into his sharpening focus over time of both the philosophical bedrock as well as the more physical aspects of its improving...
2015-06-16
54 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 03 - B-grade Games
Welcome to another minisode of the Critical Distance Confab. These minisodes are something different than our main podcast series. At the end of every month, myself and a guest, will list off a few games each that haven't gotten the attention of critical discourse we feel they deserve. These games can be anything from ich.io art games to prestige indie games to left by the wayside AAA games. This month I'm joined by the editor-in-chief of the micro zine ZEAL, Aevee Bee. Aevee's Picks
2015-05-29
43 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 26 - Five out of Ten: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Escape to Na Pali, Side B
This month we have a double, yet related, feature. First, in side A, I talk with Alan Williamson and Lindsey Joyce, the editor-in-chief and managing editor respectively of Five out of Ten. We chat about the creation and ongoing process of creating the magazine, what it's like working with a hand of experience and what it's like learning the ropes. Then, in side B, Alan Williamson returns, this time, with his co-author Kaitlin Tremblay to talk about their book, Escape to Na Pali: Journey to the Unreal, that came out of...
2015-05-25
36 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 26 - Five out of Ten: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Escape to Na Pali, Side A
This month we have a double, yet related, feature. First, in side A, I talk with Alan Williamson and Lindsey Joyce, the editor-in-chief and managing editor respectively of Five out of Ten. We chat about the creation and ongoing process of creating the magazine, what it's like working with a hand of experience and what it's like learning the ropes. Then, in side B, Alan Williamson returns, this time, with his co-author Kaitlin Tremblay to talk about their book, Escape to Na Pali: Journey to the Unreal, that came out of...
2015-05-25
1h 01
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 02 - Interactive Fiction and Object Toys
Welcome to a new minisode of the Critical Distance Confab. In case you are just joining us or need a refresher, we here at Critical Distance are trying something new with a series of minisodes in the podcast. Here, each month, myself and a guest, will list off a number of games, aiming for a minimum of three each, that have not gotten the spotlight we feel they deserve. These are games that haven't gotten any criticism or otherwise aren't part of the conversation for whatever reason and we think they should be...
2015-04-30
30 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 25 - The History of Everyday Games
This month we are joined by game historian, University of Lancaster PhD candidate and editor-in-chirf of Silverstring Media's Critical Publishing arm, Zoya Street. Zoya has written two seminal books on games, Dreamcast Worlds and Delay, and is the founder of the wonderful free e-zine, Memory Insufficient. Here, we talk about his background in design history and what that lens means for video games as artifacts as well as what isn't said by the artifact itself, but rather is left to the community surrounding to interpret and define. Have a listen. SHOW NOTES Dreamcast...
2015-04-16
53 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Minisode 01 - Cyberpunk and Personal Stories
Welcome to the first Critical Distance Confab minisode! We're trying something new with the podcast. There are so many games coming out at every level, everyday. So many of them fall through the cracks for one reason or another. Everybody has asked themselves the question, "How did this game not get talked about? How is there no criticism on it?" We are a curatorial site. As curators we see the conversations that happen and as individuals often the conversations that do not happen. In an effort to combat this...
2015-03-31
24 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 24 - The Zine Knight Rises
Continuing on with our theme of notable published video game books, we turn our eye to the other major work on 2012, Anna Anthropy's Rise of the Videogame Zinesters: How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreams, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives, and People Like You Are Taking Back an Art Form. As much as it was a manifesto and a revelation back in 2012, it feels even more prescient now with all the changes and advancements that has occurred on the fringes of videogame creation since its publication. I talk with Anna about not only Rise, but also her other...
2015-03-26
58 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 23 - Books Fight Boss
Continuing on the theme of video game book publishing, we decide to talk with Gabe Durham, the founder and editor of BossFightBooks, right now, the leader in single game book criticism. As of recording he had just wrapped up the Second Season Kickstarter and was taking pitches for the backer chosen game, Shadow of the Colossus. We talk about where the idea for BossFightBooks came from, how their publishing system works and what he's looking for in both authors and pitches to continue providing a variety of voices, styles and games. ...
2015-03-12
1h 05
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 22 - On 'Killing is Harmless'
In 2012, critic and Royal Melbourne Insitute of technology PhD candidate Brendan Keogh released his long form critical piece on Spec Ops: The Line in the form of an ebook. Killing is Harmless: A Critical Reading of Spec Ops: The Line was at the time the first known published book of criticism on a single game. In the years since a cavalcade of books of video game criticism has been published and more to come in the future. Two years after initially publishing the book, we decided to interview Brendan to get his perspective on the...
2015-01-13
51 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 21 - Actually, It's About...2014
It's that time again, the end of the year is upon us. Rather than exhaustively go over everything of note that happened in 2014, instead we more skim over several various broad topics of interest. 2014 hasn't been a pleasant year overall, but in the spirit of glader tidings we decided to focus as much as we can on better things. CAST Eric Swain: The Game Critique Kris Ligman: Dire Critic Alan Williamson: Five out of Ten Lana Polansky: Sufficiently Human SHOW NOTES ...
2014-12-17
2h 18
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 20 - The Founderhead
Our regular podcast host Mattie Brice needs a bit of extra time for her latest interview, so we've dug into our archives again for yet another heretofore unheard Critical Distance Confab episode. In this installment, Eric Swain interviews our very own founder and former head curator Ben Abraham. Part of the original games blogger boom in 2007-2008, Ben Abraham has always found himself focused on the community of critics. It led him to try and bridge many of those working unknown and segregated by the internet's distance to eventually founding a curation site (this one...
2014-09-22
42 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 19 - A Critic By His Window
This month we bring you another interview from the unheard archives. A few years ago Kirk Battle, going under the pseudonym L.B. Jefferies, was one of the most prolific critics of the burgeoning amateur bloggers arising from the boom of 2007 and 2008. Now he is retired from the video game criticism game. We look back on his time as a critic and his view of criticism itself. In addition to being a personal inspiration to podcast moderator Eric Swain, Kirk Battle was named Critical Distance's 2010 Blogger of the Year. SHOW NOTES
2014-08-15
1h 27
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 18 - The Great Curator
This month's podcast is all about a subject near and dear to our hearts: curation. Here at Critical-Distance we curate games writing and other forms of criticism. We go through the massive amount of output on the internet that we can find and put it into a regular roundup. But what about curation of the games themselves. Steam is getting flooded with new releases to say nothing about the games that never seem to get the spotlight at all, hidden away individual projects scattered around the web. For this month's podcast...
2014-07-15
44 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 17 - The Blogfather
Due to some unforeseen circumstances (namely, an impromptu digital game conference), Mattie Brice is unavailable to bring us a podcast this month. Fortunately, we dug into the archives and found this gem: an unreleased interview with Michael "Brainygamer" Abbott. Recorded about two years ago, most of what we talk about is his historical perspective from the beginning wave of internet bloggers and critics and his own view on video game criticism. We hope you enjoy! SHOW NOTES Brainy Gamer Podcast Bloody Play
2014-06-15
1h 00
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 16 - The Artist Formally Known As Critic
Welcome to the first podcast in the brand new Critical Distance Confab! We were so impressed with Mattie Brice's moderation of our Black History Month podcast that we've asked her back to helm a new, monthly series. Each month on the 15th, Mattie will be tackling exciting, weighty topics flanked by special guests from across the critical landscape - and perhaps a few surprises as well! This month, Mattie sits down with fellow critic-developers Lana Polansky and Cameron Kunzelman, to discuss how they got involved in game design, why game development...
2014-05-15
49 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 15 - Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month or maybe, as the discussion recognizes, in submission to it, we at Critical Distance are honored to be host to a discussion of three highly intelligent black critics to discuss both the concept of Black Hisotry Month and what it means to be black in video games and the wider culture. Now, I'll just get out of the way and let them take it from here. CAST Mattie Brice: Alternate Ending Zolani Stewert: The Fengxi Box Evan Narcisse: Kotaku ...
2014-03-05
1h 10
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 14 - In This The Year Of... Part 2
And comes close another year and along with it our fourth end of year look back podcast. 2013 is behind us and we at Critical Distance look one last time at the major points that occurred along the way. We did our best to keep the podcast as manageable as possible, time wise. This year, instead of breaking it up between the events that happen and games that came out we've done them all at once in a single chronological run through of the year. CAST Eric Swain: The Game Critique Kris...
2014-01-10
1h 21
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 14 - In This The Year Of... Past 1
And comes close another year and along with it our fourth end of year look back podcast. 2013 is behind us and we at Critical Distance look one last time at the major points that occurred along the way. We did our best to keep the podcast as manageable as possible, time wise. This year, instead of breaking it up between the events that happen and games that came out we've done them all at once in a single chronological run through of the year. CAST Eric Swain: The Game Critique Kris...
2014-01-10
1h 23
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 13 - The Raidy Bunch
For quite a while now Lara Croft and her Tomb Raider franchise has been wallowing in irrelevance. One too many subpar games with date control scheme and sensibilities holding it down. Then, earlier this year, the reboot of Tomb Raider launched the franchise back into the public eye and brought with it much examination and discussion. Three people were driven to have a voice-to-voice conversation about it. They did so. This is that conversation. CAST Zach Alexander: Hailing From the Edge Kris Ligman: Dire Critic Cameron Kunzelman: This is...
2013-10-09
1h 23
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 12 - Deirdra Kiai's Life Flashes By
Back in March of 2011 I played Deirdra Kiai's recently released Life Flashes By and wanted to talk to her about it. I asked for an interview and she graciously accepted. Through a series of semi-ludicrous events that interview has ended up here for your enjoyment. You can download and play Life Flashes By at Deirdra's site as well as check out her other work. Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
2013-04-18
54 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 11 - The Talking Dead, part 7
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all. The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the...
2012-12-28
51 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 11 - The Talking Dead, part 5
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all. The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the...
2012-12-28
1h 03
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 11 - The Talking Dead, part 6
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all. The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the...
2012-12-28
54 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 11 - The Talking Dead, part 3
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all. The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the...
2012-12-28
56 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 11 - The Talking Dead, part 4
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all. The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the...
2012-12-28
59 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 11 - The Talking Dead, part 1
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all. The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the...
2012-12-28
1h 36
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 11 - The Talking Dead, part 2
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all. The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the...
2012-12-28
43 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 9 - A Braid Companion
Yes, only 6 months late Critical Distance is proud to bring you episode 9 of the CDC podcast. This time we decided to focus on an actual game: Braid came out many years ago and sparked critics to write a megaton of criticism. 3 years after its initial release we bring you a panel of people with strong opinions on the game. Some loved it, some with not so kind feelings towards it. Consider this a companion piece to our Critical Compilation on the game. CAST Eric Swain: The Game Critique
2012-01-19
1h 12
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 10 - Winter Round-up, Winter Round-up, Part 5
No, you did not read that incorrectly. This is indeed episode 10. Episode 9 is in the works still. (It's a little more evergreen of a topic.) Another year has come to a close and with it another year-end podcast to try and catalog it all. This time around we got the whole Critical Distance crew around the Skype fire to chat. This being that time of year a few of our panelists had to leave for family and friends, but the rest of us stuck it out. We don't get around to talking very often, but...
2011-12-28
1h 18
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 10 - Winter Round-up, Winter Round-up, Part 4
No, you did not read that incorrectly. This is indeed episode 10. Episode 9 is in the works still. (It's a little more evergreen of a topic.) Another year has come to a close and with it another year-end podcast to try and catalog it all. This time around we got the whole Critical Distance crew around the Skype fire to chat. This being that time of year a few of our panelists had to leave for family and friends, but the rest of us stuck it out. We don't get around to talking very often, but...
2011-12-28
47 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 10 - Winter Round-up, Winter Round-up, Part 3
No, you did not read that incorrectly. This is indeed episode 10. Episode 9 is in the works still. (It's a little more evergreen of a topic.) Another year has come to a close and with it another year-end podcast to try and catalog it all. This time around we got the whole Critical Distance crew around the Skype fire to chat. This being that time of year a few of our panelists had to leave for family and friends, but the rest of us stuck it out. We don't get around to talking very often, but...
2011-12-28
1h 03
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 10 - Winter Round-up, Winter Round-up, Part 2
No, you did not read that incorrectly. This is indeed episode 10. Episode 9 is in the works still. (It's a little more evergreen of a topic.) Another year has come to a close and with it another year-end podcast to try and catalog it all. This time around we got the whole Critical Distance crew around the Skype fire to chat. This being that time of year a few of our panelists had to leave for family and friends, but the rest of us stuck it out. We don't get around to talking very often, but...
2011-12-28
1h 10
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 10 - Winter Round-up, Winter Round-up, Part 1
No, you did not read that incorrectly. This is indeed episode 10. Episode 9 is in the works still. (It's a little more evergreen of a topic.) Another year has come to a close and with it another year-end podcast to try and catalog it all. This time around we got the whole Critical Distance crew around the Skype fire to chat. This being that time of year a few of our panelists had to leave for family and friends, but the rest of us stuck it out. We don't get around to talking very often, but...
2011-12-28
1h 05
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 8 - A Very GDC Podcast, Side B
So a podcast that was recorded in April about a conference in March, is finally released in May. Here we have our two part GDC podcast. We asked developers, journalists, academics and critics to join us in multiple round tables to discuss the panels and the overall feel of GDC '11. Hear us talk about the GDC trifecta of Hocking, Hudson and Worch, the fan-gasming over SWERY, the fawning discussion of Brenda Braithwaite, the exasperation caused by Brian Moriarty, the disappointment in the keynote and much much more. (Plus a special celebrity guest voice.) All...
2011-05-13
1h 11
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 8 - A Very GDC Podcast, Side A
So a podcast that was recorded in April about a conference in March, is finally released in May. Here we have our two part GDC podcast. We asked developers, journalists, academics and critics to join us in multiple round tables to discuss the panels and the overall feel of GDC '11. Hear us talk about the GDC trifecta of Hocking, Hudson and Worch, the fan-gasming over SWERY, the fawning discussion of Brenda Braithwaite, the exasperation caused by Brian Moriarty, the disappointment in the keynote and much much more. (Plus a special celebrity guest voice.) All...
2011-05-13
54 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 7 - A Post-Comment World
It's time for another episode of the Critical Distance Confab. Before we get into it, a little background information. Right around the last podcast a debate sprung up over Ben's refusal to allow comments on his personal blog, finding them not worth worth the time and effort. This had been his policy since starting his new blog, but after reading his post Rhetorical Questions many wanted to engage with the post and found they couldn't. The discussion/argument moved to twitter, as it often does, and became one about the nature and usefulness of comments. ...
2011-02-10
1h 00
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 6 - 2010 in Review, Part 3
And so comes to pass the resurrection of the Critical Distance Confab podcast. We've been away for almost a year and a half. We decided to return in a big way. We gathered our panelists to review the year 2010: the biggest stories, events and of course games of the past year. We discuss them, from Bayonetta to Cataclysm. You can download it here or wait the few days till it gets up on iTunes. Being this is the first time I've done audio editing on this scale I hope you all enjoy it. Please critique...
2010-12-28
1h 16
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 6 - 2010 in Review, Part 2
And so comes to pass the resurrection of the Critical Distance Confab podcast. We've been away for almost a year and a half. We decided to return in a big way. We gathered our panelists to review the year 2010: the biggest stories, events and of course games of the past year. We discuss them, from Bayonetta to Cataclysm. You can download it here or wait the few days till it gets up on iTunes. Being this is the first time I've done audio editing on this scale I hope you all enjoy it. Please critique...
2010-12-28
52 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 6 - 2010 in Review, Part 1
And so comes to pass the resurrection of the Critical Distance Confab podcast. We've been away for almost a year and a half. We decided to return in a big way. We gathered our panelists to review the year 2010: the biggest stories, events and of course games of the past year. We discuss them, from Bayonetta to Cataclysm. You can download it here or wait the few days till it gets up on iTunes. Being this is the first time I've done audio editing on this scale I hope you all enjoy it. Please critique...
2010-12-28
48 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 5 - Gender in Games
AND WE ARE BACK! After a long hiatus the CDC Podcast has returned with a force-music and an icon. This week we talk about under privileged voices in games, specifically women in games, where all your questions will be answered and the issue will finally be put to "rest." Of course I am joking but please come continue the discussion in IRC. We have moved to the irc.quakenet.org server, the room as always is #GBConfab. For those wondering why this hasn't been updated on iTunes yet, we changed hosts for the podcast and the RSS is still...
2009-07-30
1h 01
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 4 - Genre Bending Discourse
This episode of the CDC Podcast is extra long to make up for the missed days in releasing last week's CDC Podcast. This week we discuss genre in videogames by starting off with the Western and eventually interrogating the role of genre between videogames and other medium, videogame genres in general, and the role of genre and videogame hardware. After this week's episode the CDC Podcast will be taking a brief hiatus, but stay tuned for future episodes. As always, I urge you to leave feedback in the comments thread and don't be shy to drop by IRC to...
2009-05-18
1h 17
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 3 - Showing, Telling, Performing Narrative
It has arrived! Episode 3 of the CDC Podcast. This week we discuss the approaches to videogame narrative, specifically the differences between showing and telling narrative in games. We have a very special international cast this week. So sit back and enjoy as once again we interrogate game narrative, go off on an array of tangents, and eventually come back to the question of "show and tell." Feel free to leave us feedback on the Critical-Distance comments thread and continue the discussion on IRC. That is the freenode.net server, the room is #GBConfab. The Cast:
2009-05-05
47 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 2 - Descent into Dissonance
This week on the CDC Podcast we discuss Bioshock and narrative dissonance. Join us as we attempt to wrap our heads around the subject and come up with the definitive answer to the question "How do we define narrative dissonance?" You don't need to go to GameFAQS or Youtube to discover the ending of this conundrum; we don't end up coming up with a consensus on the subject! My apologies to Roger Travis who become disconnected midway through the podcast and could not return due to prior obligations. CAST: D. Murray, Denis Farr...
2009-04-27
41 min
Critical Distance: Keywords in Play
Episode 1
Welcome to Episode 1 of the Critical Distance Confab. The CDC podcast is a weekly discussion with a cast drawn from an irregular pool of videogame bloggers and contributors to the Critical Distance website. We discuss issues of design, culture, art, and the industry viewed through the lens of videogame criticism. In this, the first of a tentatively scheduled weekly podcast, we have an extended discussion about the daunting topic that is Games Criticism. Our cast for this episode includes: Ben Abraham, Randy Ma (aka demonicmurry), Travis Megill, Alex Myers...
2009-04-23
55 min