Shall We Play a Game?

‘Carne y Arena’ - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 20, 2018

You’ve got 11 days left to go see Alejandro González Iñárritu’s virtual-reality installation “Carne y Arena.” We saw it/did it/played it, and tell you why you should, too (if you’re anywhere near Washington, D.C.).

PS: It feels great to be back!

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NEXT TIME, WE HOPE: ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’

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‘Assassin’s Creed’: ‘Origins’ vs. ‘Syndicate’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 26, 2018

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.”

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NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“God of War”

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‘Solo’ (and ‘God of War’!) - Shall We Play a Game? May 25, 2018

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.

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NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“God of War”

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‘Ready Player One’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 13, 2018

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?

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NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy”

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‘Florence’ - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 20, 2018

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

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NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“Ready Player One”

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2017’s All-Star GOTY Spectacular - Shall We Play a Game? Feb 06, 2018

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

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NEXT TIME, WE HOPE:

“Florence”

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‘Gorogoa’ - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 21, 2017

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

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Butterfly Soup”

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‘The Last Jedi’ spoilercast - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 15, 2017

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.”

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Gorogoa”

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‘Universal Paperclips’ - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 12, 2017

A new Game of the Year contender.

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THIS WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Gorogoa”

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‘Subsurface Circular’ - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 01, 2017

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.

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Universal Paperclips”

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‘Star Wars Battlefront 2’ & More ‘Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 21, 2017

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

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Subsurface Circular”

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‘Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’ - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 15, 2017

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

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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”

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More ‘Super Mario Odyssey’ - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 09, 2017

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.

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Wolfenstein 2”

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‘Super Mario Odyssey’ - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 02, 2017

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

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Super Mario Odyssey”

SHOW NOTES:

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

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What Would Donald Trump Play? - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 24, 2017

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!

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Super Mario Odyssey”

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‘Divinity: Original Sin 2’ - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 17, 2017

Is there joy in Fort Joy?

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Divinity: Original Sin 2”

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‘Thimbleweed Park’ - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 09, 2017

We would rather Switch than fight.

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Divinity: Original Sin 2”

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‘Nier: Automata’ - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 03, 2017

A divisive game divides us against ourselves.

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

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

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‘Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 28, 2017

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

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Nier: Automata”

SHOW NOTES:

Chris’ New York Times interview with Miyamoto

Chris’ Rolling Stone interview with Nintendo designer Jordan Amaro

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‘Uncharted: The Lost Legacy’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 18, 2017

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

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle”

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‘Tacoma’ & ‘Gone Home’ designer Steve Gaynor - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 12, 2017

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

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‘Hellblade’ & More ‘Tacoma’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 06, 2017

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

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

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

SHOW NOTES:

Katherine Cross’s Gamasutra review of “Tacoma”

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‘Typeshift’ designer Zach Gage - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 24, 2017

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.

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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”

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‘Edith Finch’ director Ian Dallas on ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 16, 2017

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

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‘Dream Daddy’ - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 10, 2017

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

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‘Tacoma’ - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 01, 2017

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.

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

JJ on “Tacoma”

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Even More ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 14, 2017

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!

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

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

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More ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 08, 2017

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”?

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

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

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‘Zelda’ on Switch & the End of ‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 01, 2017

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.”

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

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

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Even More ‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game? May 24, 2017

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.

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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

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More ‘Prey’ & Nintendo Switch - Shall We Play a Game? May 18, 2017

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.

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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

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‘Prey’ - Shall We Play a Game? May 11, 2017

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.

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

More “Prey”

SHOW NOTES:

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‘Prey,’ ‘Night in the Woods’ & More ‘Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game? May 03, 2017

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”?

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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

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‘What Remains of Edith Finch’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 26, 2017

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

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Night in the Woods”

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What I Play: Sam Biddle - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 18, 2017

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.

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

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The Economist’s Ryan Avent & More ‘Persona 5’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 13, 2017

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.”

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NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

Sam Biddle: What I Play

SHOW NOTES:

“Escape to Another World,” by Ryan Avent

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‘Persona 5’ & ‘Psychonauts’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 06, 2017

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:

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‘Everything’ & More ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 30, 2017

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

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‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 20, 2017

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

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‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ & ‘Robo Recall’ - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 14, 2017

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

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The End of ‘The Witcher 3’ - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 07, 2017

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:

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‘Torment: Tides of Numenera’ & the GDC awards - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 03, 2017

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:

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More ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ - Shall We Play a Game? Feb 20, 2017

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.

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‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ & More ‘Yakuza 0’ - Shall We Play a Game? Feb 03, 2017

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

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‘Planescape: Torment’ & ‘Yakuza 0’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jan 30, 2017

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:

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Ronan Farrow: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Jan 19, 2017

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

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Nintendo Switch - Shall We Play a Game? Jan 14, 2017

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? Jan 06, 2017

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

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The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Movie - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 30, 2016

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

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More ‘Super Mario Run,’ ‘I Expect You To Die’ & Oculus Touch - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 23, 2016

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”

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‘Super Mario Run’ & ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 17, 2016

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

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‘The Last Guardian’ - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 12, 2016

“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

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‘Kentucky Route Zero: Act IV’ - Shall We Play a Game? Dec 03, 2016

Finally.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“The Last Guardian”

SHOW NOTES:

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

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‘Skyrim’ lead programmer Brett Douville: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 23, 2016

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

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‘Dishonored 2’ - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 19, 2016

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”

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The Ringer’s Jason Concepcion: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 12, 2016

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

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‘Titanfall 2’ - Shall We Play a Game? Nov 05, 2016

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

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‘Skyrim,’ ‘Gears of War 4’ & ‘Civilization VI’ - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 29, 2016

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:

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Former Obama and Clinton speechwriter Jon Lovett: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 19, 2016

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

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’Thumper’ & ‘Westworld’ - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 13, 2016

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

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PlayStation VR - Shall We Play a Game? Oct 05, 2016

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

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‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’ & ‘Virginia’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 30, 2016

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”

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‘Reigns,’ ‘Bound,’ & Even More ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 22, 2016

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

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‘Stardew Valley’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 16, 2016

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

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More ‘Kentucky Route Zero’ & ‘Damaged Core’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 08, 2016

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

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Bound”

SHOW NOTES:

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The End (?) of ‘No Man’s Sky’ - Shall We Play a Game? Sep 01, 2016

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

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‘Kentucky Route Zero’ - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 22, 2016

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:

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More ‘No Man’s Sky’ - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 17, 2016

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”

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‘Abzû’ & ‘No Man’s Sky’ - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 10, 2016

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:

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‘Batman: The Telltale Series’ - Shall We Play a Game? Aug 05, 2016

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:

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‘Inside’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jul 27, 2016

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:

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Oculus Rift & Gabriel Winslow-Yost: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Jul 22, 2016

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

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‘Pokémon Go’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jul 15, 2016

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

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Virginia Heffernan: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Jul 07, 2016

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

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New Statesman deputy editor Helen Lewis: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 28, 2016

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:

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Summer School with NYU’s Frank Lantz - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 23, 2016

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”

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‘Warcraft’ & ‘World of Warcraft’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 17, 2016

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

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‘Doom’ & ‘Overwatch’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 10, 2016

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

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

E3 & the iOS novella “Pry”

SHOW NOTES:

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A Rerun of an Episode You Probably Didn’t Hear - Shall We Play a Game? Jun 01, 2016

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:

Email us at shallweshow at gmail

Review us on iTunes

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Join the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

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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? May 26, 2016

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

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This Is Only a Test - Shall We Play a Game? May 26, 2016

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? May 20, 2016

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

SHOW NOTES:

Join the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

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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? May 12, 2016

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 New York Times columns

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? May 06, 2016

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:

Join the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

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‘1979 Revolution’ & the End of ‘Life Is Strange’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 28, 2016

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:

Join the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

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The post ‘1979 Revolution’ & the End of ‘Life Is Strange’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

New York Times Magazine writer Clive Thompson: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 21, 2016

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:

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

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

The post New York Times Magazine writer Clive Thompson: What I Play appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

Even More ‘Life Is Strange’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 14, 2016

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:

Join the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

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

HTC Vive & ‘Clash Royale’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 08, 2016

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 Neewer light stands Chris uses for his Vive base stations

The “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

The “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post HTC Vive & ‘Clash Royale’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

Who Shot Alison Rapp? Plus ‘Life Is Strange’ & ‘Witcher 3’ - Shall We Play a Game? Apr 01, 2016

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:

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

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? Mar 25, 2016

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:

The “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

The “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

The post ‘Hitman’ & Listener Mail appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

GDC 2016 Field Report: VR Mania - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 18, 2016

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:

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

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? Mar 10, 2016

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 “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

The “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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

‘Superhot’ - Shall We Play a Game? Mar 03, 2016

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:

Join the “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

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

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

‘The Walking Dead: Michonne’ & ‘Invisible, Inc.’ - Shall We Play a Game? Feb 26, 2016

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:

The “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam Curators page

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

The “Shall We Play a Game?” Steam community

The post ‘The Walking Dead: Michonne’ & ‘Invisible, Inc.’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘XCOM 2’ & ‘The Witness’ - Shall We Play a Game? Feb 18, 2016

Sometimes you recognize that a video game is good, but you still don’t like it. Sometimes you recognize that a game is bad, at least in part, but you don’t care. This podcast is about two of these games.

We start with “XCOM 2,” then talk about “The Witness” (20:11). For the intermission: Why Chris is still playing Donald Rumsfeld’s “Churchill Solitaire” (17:38). And listener mail! (28:37)

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“The Walking Dead: Michonne” & “Invisible, Inc.”

SHOW NOTES:

The official ‘Braid’ walkthrough

“Defending a Video Game Designer,” the Social Q’s column by Philip Galanes in The New York Times

The post ‘XCOM 2’ & ‘The Witness’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Firewatch’ & Leigh Alexander - Shall We Play a Game? Feb 10, 2016

We review ‘Firewatch,’ the new video game from Campo Santo, without spoilers. Then (at 20:22), Chris talks to Leigh Alexander, the former editor-in-chief of Boing Boing’s Offworld, about why she is quitting writing about video games, why the culture’s collective amnesia about video games is harmful to the medium, and whether the sexism in video games is worse than the sexism in movies and television.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“XCOM 2” and “The Witness”

SHOW NOTES:

Boing Boing’s Offworld

Leigh Alexander’s Gamasutra essay, “‘Gamers’ don’t have to be your audience. ‘Gamers’ are over.”

Leigh Alexander’s Vice essay, “The Final Word on ‘The Phantom Pain,’ a Video Game About Video Games”

The post ‘Firewatch’ & Leigh Alexander appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

Slate editor Julia Turner: What I Play - Shall We Play a Game? Feb 02, 2016

Julia Turner, the editor-in-chief of Slate and a host of Slate’s Culture Gabfest podcast, talks about why she plays games on her iPhone, why she aspires to be called a gamer, and why she can’t stop playing Two Dots. LANGUAGE WARNING: Chris forgot to tell Julia that this podcast is supposed to be PG rated.

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Firewatch” and “The Witness”

SHOW NOTES:

Michael Kinsley’s essay: “The Secret Vice of Power Women”

Frank Lantz’s GDC talk: “Hearts and Minds”

Donald Rumsfeld’s Churchill Solitaire in the Wall Street Journal

Donald Rumsfeld’s Churchill Solitaire in the New Yorker

The post Slate editor Julia Turner: What I Play appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

‘Gone Home’ & ‘Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist’ - Shall We Play a Game? Jan 27, 2016

Fullbright’s “Gone Home” was released for consoles this month. How does JJ feel about one of the most acclaimed “walking simulators” ever made? Then (at 25:49), we review “Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist,” a short, free game from the co-designer of “The Stanley Parable.”

SHOW NOTES:

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

The post ‘Gone Home’ & ‘Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist’ appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

More ‘The Witcher 3’ & Listener Mail - Shall We Play a Game? Jan 19, 2016

We continue our serial review of “The Witcher 3,” and then answer a batch of listener mail. Topics include: Why it might be unwise to play the Bloody Baron quest right after “That Dragon, Cancer”; what Geralt of Rivia has in common with Beyoncé; and why we have yet to review a Nintendo game.

SHOW NOTES:

Our review of “That Dragon, Cancer” on NPR’s “All Things Considered”

NEXT WEEK, WE HOPE:

“Pony Island,” “Dr. Langeskov, the Tiger, and the Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist,” and “Gone Home”

The post More ‘The Witcher 3’ & Listener Mail appeared first on Shall We Play a Game?.

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