The 1099

Episode 254: Art of Rally creator Dune Casu on racing culture, nomad life, and rally school Mar 26, 2021

Art of Rally is a gorgeous low-polygon take on the wild world of rally racing, with tight turns and plenty of burning rubber. Creator Dune Casu joins the show to discuss his love of rally racing, the sport's incredibly dangerous history, what it was like to take sketchy rally racing classes, and his stint as a digital nomad living out of a van. Apparently my old article helped inspire him to do it, dear god. I clearly have too much power. If you couldn't tell by my gushing, Art of Rally is an incredible game that I can't put down, and I was so thrilled to have Dune on the show to discuss all things game dev. Enjoy the show. Follow Joseph: @ JosephKnoop Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Follow Zach Buckley @ zwbuckley.com Follow Dune @ FunSelektor

Episode 253: What Nobody Understands About Video Game QA Feb 17, 2021

When the newest, biggest video game launches, it's not long after that folks start complaining about bugs. But the art, business, and struggle of video game QA is something that few truly appreciate. So I recruited two incredible QA experts -- Chloe Read of QA-Quest.com and Shane Elliot of East Side Games -- to reveal what QA looks like from the inside, how the industry treats its QA workers and loses them, and all the misconceptions average gamers have about this very particular science. Enjoy the show! For more resources, check out QA-Quest.com and EastSideGames.com.

Episode 252: Hitman 3 Review with Gamasutra's Alissa McAloon Feb 01, 2021

Gamasutra news editor and noted Hitman diehard Alissa McAloon joins the 1099 to discuss why Hitman 3 is so damn good. We talk all about the amazing new levels, how weird it is to care about Hitman's plot, how fun it is to kill rich douchebags, and how we think Hitman could influence IO's upcoming 007 game. Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com Follow Alissa at @ gliitchy on Twitter

Episode 251: Umurangi Generation Creator Veselekov on Fascism, QAnon, and Giant Robots Jan 25, 2021

Umurangi Generation blends the world of cyberpunk -- giant robots, kaiju, and penguins -- with the much more in-your-face world of today -- with COVID keeping us indoors, QAnon poisoning countless minds, and fascism on the rise. I talk with developer Veselekov about his Maori background, how neoliberal and conservative politics have failed nations like Australia, and how it all translates into a game where you take photos of mechs and giant squid monsters.

Episode 250: Matt Nava on Making The Pathless, Journey, and finding your own way in life Nov 23, 2020

Truth is a pathless land. - J Krishnamurti These words influenced a young Matt Nava, who would go on to direct art for thatgamecompany's Journey, Flower, and later found Giant Squid and direct The Pathless and Abzu. On this week's episode, we dive into Matt's career, his father's art, and how the exhilarating and lush world and gameplay of The Pathless came to be. Matt also reflects on lessons learned from his early years of working on Flower and Journey, and what it means to find your own path in life that no one has walked before. The Pathless is out now on PS4, PS5, and Epic Game Store. Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 249: The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is Here to Listen, with Jae Lin Nov 16, 2020

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of harassment, assault, mental health, and other sensitive topics. Have you ever experienced harassment, online or IRL? Have you ever felt like no one could truly understand the very particular types of vitriol you have to deal with? The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is a service that aims to give gamers, game developers, or anyone else who lives in the games community a tool to find support -- and most importantly, someone who listens, understands, and believes. My guest, hotline coordinator Jae Lin, joins the 1099 to discuss how the hotline came together, how it tailors its services to the unique (and universal) challenges that the gaming community faces, and how the lessons of the past can strengthen our future efforts. https://gameshotline.org/ TEXT “SUPPORT” to 23368 to get started. https://twitter.com/gameshotline Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow the 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 248: Bugsnax's Philip Tibitoski on Young Horses' Success, Chicago, and Rejected Snax Nov 09, 2020

Kinda bug, kinda snack, 100% Chicago. Young Horses co-founder and CEO Philip Tibitoski joins the 1099 to discuss the six-year road to releasing Bugsnax, how Young Horses has stayed successful on their own terms and taken care of its employees, rejected Bugsnax designs, and how the Chicago game dev scene is thriving. We also discuss how Young Horses' history as a group of Depaul University students influenced them, why Pokemon Snap and other zoological adventures appeal to kids and adults, Follow the 1099 on Twitter @ The1099Podcast Follow Joseph: @ JosephKnoop Follow ZWbuckley.com for more music.

Episode 247: The Games That Weren't...With Frank Gasking Oct 12, 2020

Bankruptcy, console bombed, legal wranglings, infighting, too ambitious...For so many reasons, video games get canceled and never see the light of day, leaving us in the dark on what could have been. Frank Gasking of GamesThatWerent.com has dedicated a large part of his life to unearthing those forgotten gems (and duds), digging into their eventual failures, and speaking to the men and women who did their damndest to make it work. Frank's new book, appropriately titled "The Games That Weren't" is a collection of 80+ unreleased or canceled games that you should absolutely check out. On this week's episode, Frank and your host Joseph Knoop explore the multitude of reasons why games get canceled, the impact such an experience can have on game developers, and the importance of game history preservation. Games That Weren't: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/ Bitmap Books: https://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/ Joseph: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Music: ZWBuckley.com

Episode 246: The story of Ed Smith, one of the first African Americans to work in video games Sep 21, 2020

The earliest days of the video game industry were, to put it lightly, a wild west of new technology We all know Atari, and I’m sure plenty of folks know about Coleco, but among the competitors was a company known as APF, and their machines -- the MP1000 and later the Imagination Machine -- helped define that first generation. And we have people like engineer Ed Smith to thank for that. Ed grew up like any other black kid in New York City’s Brownsville, a tough community that exists as a testament to the power of systemic discrimination, crime, and a lack of opportunity. Like many engineers before him (such as Jerry Lawson), Ed eventually fell in love with the satisfaction and pride of taking machines apart and putting them back together, and it’s that passion and hard work that drove him to a career at companies like APF, Netware creators Novell, and even Apple. But it wasn’t until recent years that Ed even felt comfortable sharing his experiences and wisdom, thanks to a self-imposed belief that no one would believe a guy like him was ever responsible for such a cool thing. It took until 2016, when Ed’s story was featured in FastCompany, for him to realize that his story had value. And so, Ed Smith wrote his memoir, appropriately titled “Imagine That: The story of Ed Smith, one of the first African Americans to work in the design of video games and personal computers. And folks, I know I hype up a lot of episodes. It’s my job, but this truly was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever had the privilege of having. Not only does Smith provide an engaging look at those early years of the video game wars, he illustrates a massively compelling look at how the African American community he grew up in shaped him, the way he lives his life, and the way he championed his own intelligence and drive throughout his career. The video game and tech industries of course still struggle to diversify themselves, but as with all history, it behooves us to learn it so we can imagine a better future. Buy Ed Smith's memoir, Imagine That: https://www.amazon.com/Imagine-That-Americans-personal-computers-ebook/dp/B0846535TR Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Music by: ZWBuckley.com

Episode 245: Next-Gen Accessibility Changes We Want to See with Can I Play That Sep 14, 2020

On this week's episode Can I Play That staff members Courtney Craven and Grant Stoner join the show to discuss their work advocating for gamers with disabilities, and all the accessibility changes they want to see from next-gen consoles, as well as the games media giants. How can companies like Microsoft, Sony, IGN, GameSpot, Nintendo, and others improve to allow more gamers with disabilities the chance to play? Tune in to find out. Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Follow Can I Play That: CanIPlayThat.com Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician: ZWbuckley.com

Episode 244: The Psychology of Final Fantasy with Dr. Anthony M. Bean Aug 24, 2020

The Final Fantasy series has made for some of the most beloved storytelling in all of video games, but it goes beyond giant swords, spiky hair, and fancy graphics. There's an entire world of psychology behind every cast of characters, every world full of crystals, and every mustache-twirling villain. Dr. Anthony M. Bean's new book, SURPASSING THE LIMIT BREAK: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FINAL FANTASY, explores the elements of psychological science that permeate these fantasy worlds, from trauma, to life and death, holistic crystals, and even gender identity and subtypes. If you've ever wanted to know how Final Fantasy's stories interact with our brains, he's the guy to listen to. Buy Surpassing the Limit Break: The Psychology of Final Fantasy at leylinepublishing.com Follow Dr. Bean: @ VideoGameDoc on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at zwbuckley.com

Episode 243: Carrion developer Krzysztof Chomicki on making a reverse-horror game Aug 03, 2020

Decades after movies like The Thing and The Blob, why does the body horror genre still fascinate fans? Even better, how do you translate the experience of being a ravenous, sentient ball of spaghetti and meatballs into a video game? Krzysztof Chomicki, game and level designer on Carrion, is here to tell us how he and the team at Phobia Game Studios designed a "reverse-horror" game where YOU are the monster. Joe and Krzysztof dive into the roots of body and cosmic horror, why the Polish have such a dark sense of humor, and the development of Carrion from idea to a massively fun metroidvania game. Carrion is out now on PC, Switch, and Game Pass. Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: ZWbuckley.com

Episode 242: Code-Switching in a World With COVID, Featuring Kahlief Adams and Riana Manuel Jul 06, 2020

Kahlief Adams (Spawn on Me) and Riana Manuel (What's Good Games, Xbox) join the 1099 to discuss how code-switching impacts the video game industry, particularly when we're all working from home because of COVID-19. Hear Joe, Kahlief, and Riana talk about struggling to find comfortable niches in the workplace when there are so few black people to be found in games and tech jobs, how letting coworkers and bosses see into their home lives on Zoom calls changes the way we live our formerly private lives, and what games depict the realities of code-switching with some accuracy. Follow Riana: https://twitter.com/RianaTweetsNow Lend your support to Spawn On Me: https://twitter.com/SpawnOnMe Follow Kahlief: https://twitter.com/kahjahkins Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Follow The 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Whats Good Games: https://twitter.com/WhatsGood_Games Spawn On Me's "A Lesson in Blackness: https://youtu.be/3SOlT1x8WXs

Episode 241: The Last of Us Part 2 Spoilercast with Natalie Flores Jun 29, 2020

SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US PART 2 The lovely Natalie Flores joins the 1099 to gush all about Naughty Dog's latest post-apocalypse journey, including its treatment of LGBTQ+ characters, violence, and racial diversity.

Episode 240: Yes, Your Grace lead Rafal Bryks on building a medieval narrative adventure Jun 09, 2020

Rafal Bryks had no idea what he was doing for the majority of Yes, Your Grace's long development, but he and the rest of the team at Brave at Night managed to create a fascinating little kingdom simulator where you're listening to the demands and pleas of your subjects while also taking care of your family and preparing for war. Mondays, am I right? Rafal joins the show to discuss how Game of Thrones' popularity influenced Yes, Your Grace's development, how to blend seemingly disparate styles of gameplay, and some of the other tough lessons from a five-year dev cycle. If you'd like to lend your support to the Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality movements, here are some excellent organizations to support: Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/ Movement For Black Lives: https://m4bl.org/ Black Voters Matter: https://www.blackvotersmatterfund.org/ National Council for Incarcerated Women and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls: https://www.nationalcouncil.us/donation Survived and Punished: https://www.alliedmedia.org/survived-and-punished/donate Highlander Center: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1417777 Fund for Black Newspapers: https://www.localmedia.org/journalism-fund-for-black-newspapers/ More resources: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/6/9/21281538/how-to-donate-to-black-lives-matter-charity

Episode 239: Touching Britney Spears' Butt & Other PR Hijinks With Stephanie Tinsley Jun 01, 2020

Stephanie Tinsley has had one hell of a career, from the early days of somehow getting to touch Brittney Spears' butt in a conga line, to living through the Enron scandal, and finally diving into the world of video game PR and all of its absolutely batshit shenanigans. Stephanie joins the show to discuss the wilder side of her years coming up in the business, the heartbreak you experience when a game's community comes together for something beautiful, and playing ping-pong with Pink and Billy Idol.

Episode 238: Cloudpunk Writer Thomas Welsh on Building a Cyberpunk World and Making Your First Game May 18, 2020

Cloudpunk is one of my favorite games of the year, so of course I had to have writer and narrative designer Thomas Welsh on to discuss how he helped Ion Lands build a cyberpunk world of floating cars, towering skyscrapers, and talking dog AI companions that are also your car. We talk about what it's like to go from authoring science fiction books to writing your first video game, how he developed some of the awesome characters you find in the game, and how you make a cyberpunk story that tries to do things a little differently, and what lessons he's learned from the experience. For anyone interested in the craft of game writing or world building, you should absolutely check this episode out. SUPPORT THE 1099: Review the show wherever you watch us and share it out on social media! FOLLOW JOE: @ JosephKnoop SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN: ZWBuckley.com

Episode 237: It's a Review Show! Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Gears Tactics, and Cloudpunk May 11, 2020

It's a review show! This week, Mr. John Phipps from SGDC and Red Bull's Jake Tucker join to dish all about the legacy of Final Fantasy 7 and what the Remake does right and wrong, how Gears Tactics is the best XCOM game in a year that already has one, and how Cloudpunk is giving off all sorts of big Blade Runner vibes. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow SDGC: @ OfficialSDGC Follow John: @ MisterMegative Follow Jake: @ _JakeTucker Leave a review of the show if you like it and share it around on Twitter. Let us know what you think of our very correct opinions. Music: ZWBuckley.com.

Episode 236: Overwatch Writer Michael Chu on 20 Years at Blizzard Apr 23, 2020

Michael Chu -- lead writer of Overwatch and game designer on World of Warcraft, Diablo 3 and more -- joins the show to talk about his 20 years at Blizzard developing some of the world's most influential games, his love for Tolkien and Star Wars, and all the lessons he learned trying to build the incredible world of Overwatch. It's an extra-length helping of game development and story design discussion, and even though I say this all the time, it truly was my favorite episode yet. Remember to subscribe to The 1099 for more podcasts from your favorite people in the game dev and games media worlds. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: ZWBuckley.com

Episode 235: How LudoNarraCon is Celebrating Indie Narrative Games Apr 13, 2020

LudoNarraCon is celebrating its second year! What's LudoNarraCon? It's the coolest all-digital convention that celebrates the best of narrative-focused indie games like Neo Cab, HypnoSpace Outlaw, Sam Barlow's Telling Lies, or *checks notes* Boyfriend Dungeon. Chris Wright, founder of indie publisher Fellow Traveller (who also runs LudoNarraCon) joins the show to talk about how the show comes together on Steam's homepage, why narrative games are having a modern renaissance, and what kinds of struggles indie developers face when trying to get their game noticed. If you want to hear plenty of game business talk, this is the show for you. LUDONARRACON IS APRIL 24 - 27 on the Steam homepage. More info: https://www.ludonarracon.com/ Support the 1099: Follow us on Twitter @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe on Twitter @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: zwbuckley.com

Episode 234: Brock Wilbur on Postal's Ridiculous Legacy, and Uwe Boll Mar 24, 2020

For some strange reason, Brock Wilbur took it upon himself to co-write a book about Postal, the infamously violent, confoundingly crass, and painfully 90's video game series about committing mass murder, among other things. Brock joins the show to discuss what it was like to sit down and chat with the creators of one of gaming's most infamous franchises, the chicken-and-the-egg conundrum of what Postal's influence on American kids really was, and how it all came to a head with the equally infamous movie director Uwe Boll. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Brock's book about a shitty game made me learn something about myself, and I think it'll make you learn something, too. BUY THE BOOK OUT ON APRIL 7) ON BOSSFIGHT BOOKS: https://bossfightbooks.com/products/postal-by-brock-wilbur-nathan-rabin BUY THE BOOK ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=postal+brock+wilbur&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 FOLLOW BROCK: https://twitter.com/brockwilbur

Episode 233: Mega Ran on His Former Life as a Middle School Teacher Before He Became A Hip Hop Star Feb 19, 2020

Raheem "Mega Ran" Jarbo wasn't always the hip-hop darling of the video game world. For almost six years, he was a middle school teacher in the Philly and Phoenix areas, helping shape a new generation of English class students and music lovers. Rather than solely discussing his hip-hop career, we dive into his background in the educational system, his own experiences at school, the teachers and students who impacted his life the most, how education has influenced his numerous albums throughout the years, what a Mega Ran music class would look like, and much much more. SUPPORT THE 1099! BUY JOE A COFFEE: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop FOLLOW THE 1099 ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop\ FOLLOW MEGA RAN: https://twitter.com/MegaRan SUPPORT OUR RESIDENT MUSICIAN: https://www.zwbuckley.com/

Episode 232: How the Women of the British Navy Won WWII With Tabletop Wargaming, With Simon Parkin Feb 11, 2020

Simon Parkin, writer for The New Yorker and The Guardian, joins the show to discuss his new book "A Game of Birds and Wolves," a fascinating history of the women of the British Navy who developed a massive war game (much like the Warhammer and tactics games of modern day) to help win WWII, creating a strategy to combat German U-Boats, which routinely decimated shipping and combat vessels in the Atlantic. Joe and Simon dive into the band of misfits that were the Wrens, a special all-women division of the British military, how Captain Gilbert Roberts used his wargaming experience to guide the British Navy in developing invaluable counter-manuevers, and the roots of wargaming that have influenced games like Warhammer, Total War, Final Fantasy Tactics, and more. BUY A GAME OF BIRDS AND WOLVES on Amazon or other major booksellers: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Birds-Wolves-Secret-that/dp/1529353033/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3H0KXX6LSTR0F&keywords=a+game+of+birds+and+wolves&qid=1581447207&sprefix=a+game+of+birds+and%2Caps%2C-1&sr=8-2 Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joseph on Twitter: @ JosephKnoop Simon will also be hosting a talk about A Game of Birds and Wolves at this year's Game Developers Conference. If you're attending, don't miss it!

Episode 231: How California's AB5 Law Is Decimating Freelance Writers and Could Hurt Game Developers Feb 04, 2020

California's new AB5 law is here, and it's already harmed the lives of countless west coast freelance writers, photographers, musicians, and more. And it could potentially harm California-based freelance game developers, too. Long story short, AB5 originally intended to provide greater worker protections for exploited workforces like those working for Uber, Lyft, and other contractor agencies. Instead, the bill was written so broadly that it now arbitrarily restricts the number of submissions we can make to a company per year. Imagine only being able to write or produce 35 pieces of work, including smaller examples like a news story, PER YEAR. To that end, I spoke with Richard Hoeg of Hoeg Law, an experienced lawyer who's been following AB5 and its impact since mid-2019. We discuss the law's impact on the freelancer community, its history and background, why so many more powerful groups managed to get exemptions for their industries, and what the future holds for California companies and the freelancers they now can't bring on. If you want to speak up about AB5, contact your local representative. Who is my representative: https://whoismyrepresentative.com/ Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, mastermind of AB5: (916) 319-2080 Governor Gavin Newsom: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/ You can find Hoeg Law: https://hoeglaw.com/ You can also watch his wonderful YouTube series Virtual Legality at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5RTzzeCFurWTPLm8usDkQ FOLLOW THE 1099 ON TWITTER! @ The1099Podcast

Episode 230: Michael Martin on Running Capcom eSports, Mental Health, and Why He Had to Leave Jan 20, 2020

Dear friend of the show Michael Martin spent the last year running Capcom Esports before unexpectedly stepping down. In this episode, we'll hear from him on what it was like to run the esports division of the franchise (Street Fighter) that shaped him as a young man, how working for the game's community impacted his mental health, and ultimately why it's important to step away, even from supposed dream jobs. SUPPORT Mike: @Bizzaro_Mike

Episode 229: What Memoir Games Have to Teach Us About Therapy, with Emma Kidwell Jan 13, 2020

Memoir games - that is, a video game designed as a personal reflection on some part of your life. They have a LOT to teach us about ourselves, both their creators and the people who play them. Emma Kidwell is a former Gamasutra editor who's made a number of really beautiful memoir games (check out "Nod if You Can Hear Me" and "Half" on her itch.io page linked below), and she's learned a lot about herself, her craft, and also some negative stuff. While memoir games can be therapuetic, they can also easily be a crutch that game devs rely on. So Emma and I unpack what makes for a good memoir game, and what makes for a constructive experience making one. We also talk plenty about therapy in general, and how our favorite artform has impacted our journeys to healthier living. Check out Emma Kidwell's work: https://emmkid.itch.io/ Emma Kidwell on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmaKidwell Support The 1099 by following us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Support our musician ZWBuckley: https://www.zwbuckley.com/

Game of the Year 2019 Discussion with Baldur's Gate 3 + Divinity: Original Sin 2's Kevin VanOrd Dec 23, 2019

Happy holidays, 1099ers! It's that time of year, where we kick back, relax, and gush over the games that made 2019 such an incredible time to love video games. This week's guest? You know him as a writer on Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity Original Sin 2 (plus Earthnight, which just released), longtime friend of the show, Mr. Kevin VanOrd. Kevin's expertise in the video game world makes this a wonderful conversation, full of insight into indie games and big-budget AAA experiences alike. The boys discuss everything from Hypnospace Outlaw, to Apex Legends, to Metro: Exodus, and finally our absolute game of the year....well, you'll just have to listen to find out. Grab the cocoa, charge your Dualshock, and let us take the wheel for a whopping 90 minutes. Thank you to Kevin for joining the show. You can find him on Twitter @FiddleCub, and go buy Earthnight on Steam or Switch.

Episode 227: Elise Favis on What Games Journalism Looks Like at The Washington Post's Launcher Dec 16, 2019

One day after the Game Informer layoffs, Elise Favis applied to the Washington Post's new games media vertical, Launcher. She didn't expect to get it, but the universe said "ha, you're moving to D.C." Elise joins the show to answer the question: What does games journalism look like at Washington Post, the media outlet responsible for some of the world's most important reporting? And what responsibilities do games journalists have in this age of controversy and social upheaval? We talk about all that, plus the aftermath of the Game Informer layoffs, the internship program, and what you need to know if you plan on pitching a story to WaPo. SUPPORT THE 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter

Episode 226: Jedi: Fallen Order Writer Chris Avellone on What Makes Star Wars & RPG Lore Special Dec 10, 2019

You know Chris Avellone as the writer for classic RPGs and action games like Jedi: Fallen Order, KOTOR 2, Pillars of Eternity, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Fallout New Vegas, and dozens more. We dive into what makes Star Wars lore so special, and what makes it resonate across three trilogies and countless spinoffs. We also go in-depth with what it's like to be a freelance writer, not in games media, but in game development, and how he navigates those less stable waters. We also touch on why D&D and other fantasy realms are such rich tapestries for storytelling. If you love chatter about the art of writing in games, you can't ask for a better guest than Chris. SUPPORT THE 1099: FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ THE1099PODCAST SUPPORT JOE @ JOSEPHKNOOP

Episode 225: Ben Hanson on Leaving Game Informer, Forming MinnMax, and Getting Better Nov 18, 2019

As far as my career goes, I owe Ben Hanson a heck of a lot for helping shepherd me through my Game Informer days. Now that he's departed from Game Informer and created MinnMax, a new Patreon-funded outlet, he's ready to share his thoughts on the tragic layoffs, the state of games media, and how he's using nearly a decade of experience at GI to build something meaningful over att MinnMax. The boys also talk about the magic of community building using Discord, and what it means to make a difference in games media. SUPPORT MINNMAX https://www.patreon.com/minnmax https://www.youtube.com/minnmaxgames https://twitter.com/MinnMaxGames https://twitter.com/yozetty SUPPORT THE 1099 https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast SUPPORT JOE https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Subscribe to the show, and give us a review on iTunes or anywhere else!

Episode 224: The Outer Worlds' Nitai Poddar & Brian Heins on Making a Late Stage Capitalism Universe Nov 11, 2019

On this week's episode of The 1099, The Outer Worlds narrative designer Nitai Poddar and senior game designer Brian Heins join Joe to talk about how they made such a weird and comedic universe full of sci-fi late-stage capitalism. The guys talk about creating complicated communities like Edgewater, how each companion reflects a different point-of-view on the plight of the universe, and how gray area game design fills in all the gaps. If you love hearing about how narrative and game design intertwine, this is the podcast for you. SUPPORT THE 1099 Follow us on Twitter at @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe @ JosephKnoop And please share the show on your social media and give us a review on iTunes.

Episode 223: Javy Gwaltney on Helping Launch Outer Worlds, Game Informer Layoffs, Deadspin and More Nov 04, 2019

Ex-Game Informer editor Javy Gwaltney joins to talk about the tragic Game Informer layoffs, finding a new home with The Outer Worlds PR team, that awkward situation over at Deadspin and what it means for online media. We also gush over Javy's Game of the Year. Can you guess what it is? It's...Outer Worlds...duh. But the boys talk about the game's comforting RPG gameplay, its Late Stage Capitalism politics, and more. Show edited by Aidan Hall: https://twitter.com/AidanHall93 Show hosted by Joseph Knoop - @JosephKnoop on Twitter FOLLOW THE 1099 ON TWITTER: @The1099Podcast on Twitter

Episode 222: Good COD Y'all: Talking 'Bout That Modern Warfare With PC Gamer Writer Morgan Park Oct 28, 2019

PC Gamer's resident Rainbow Six Siege authority Morgan Park joins the show to talk about an entirely different shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It's been like...a long time since we had a proper Modern Warfare game, but how does this reboot stack up compared to the original trilogy and more recent games? Are the politics behind its huge focus on chemical weapons anything to think twice about? How does multiplayer hold up when things get slowed way the heck down? And is Captain Price a good boy? Check out the show to hear what we thought. We also discuss how Morgan landed a job covering Rainbow Six for PC Gamer, if you're interested in hearing Follow Morgan: @ MorganRPark or https://twitter.com/MorganRPark SUPPORT THE 1099: Follow us on Twitter @ The1099Podcast

Episode 221: The History of NBA Jam, Midway, and a Touching Shaq Anecdote with Reyan Ali Oct 22, 2019

On this week's episode, journalist and author Reyan Ali joins us to discuss his new book -- appropriately titled NBA JAM: THE BOOK. Get an inside look at how one of Midway's most famous games came together, how it helped spark off a renaissance of arcade playtime across the country, how it invigorated a devout fan community of amateur detectives, and how it found its way into the hearts and minds of actual NBA players like SHAQ. Seriously, Shaq has this amazingly touching anecdote. I say this every damn week, but this really was one of the greatest episodes. BUY NBA JAM THE BOOK: https://twitter.com/nbajambook Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YSZZXVQ

Episode 220: Neo Cab's Patrick Ewing Schools Us on the Gig Economy, Narrative Design, and UBER GOD Oct 07, 2019

You ain't lived until you've put in your time in the gig economy. NEO CAB is a game all about being the last human Uber driver in a futuristic San Francisco-ish city, and we've got creative director Patrick Ewing on the show to tell us about how this weird, beautiful narrative about long rides, short conversations, and flaky friends came together. You'll hear about the people they consulted, like the enigmatic UBER GOD, how you design a game narrative focused on brief conversations with (possibly hostile) strangers, and what lessons Patrick learned from working at Campo Santo making Firewatch. Enjoy! SUPPORT THE 1099: @The1099Podcast on Twitter! SUPPORT JOE: @JosephKnoop on Twitter!

Episode 219: Reviewing Untitled Goose Game, Control, & Hitman 2 with Gamasutra's Alissa McAloon Sep 30, 2019

What do a government employee, an assassin, and a mischievous bird all have in common? Well, they all enjoy murdering and/or annoying other people, but they're also getting reviewed by yours truly and Gamasutra news editor Alissa McAloon. That's right, we review Untitled Goose Game, Remedy's Control, and the conclusion of Hitman 2, and quite frankly, what's the difference? So get ready for a honkin' good time, because Alissa is the world's premiere authority on the world of assassination. FOLLOW ALISSA: @Gliitchy FOLLOW JOE: @JosephKnoop FOLLOW THE 1099: @The1099Podcast

Episode 218: IGN Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment Terri Schwartz on the Art of Covering Hollywood Sep 16, 2019

Terri Schwartz is many things. She's IGN's editor-in-chief of entertainment (the Hollywood and Netflix half of IGN), she's the embodiment of hustle, and she's one of my favorite people I've ever worked for. On this week's episode of the 1099, Terri and I talk about the art of covering Hollywood as colossal giants like Disney sweep up properties left and right, while Netflix and others raise their defenses for the ongoing streaming wars. What does it take to cover such a different world of movies and TV then what we had even 10 years ago? What does it take to put on a show like Comic Con, where IGN hosts countless movie and TV stars, and get something meaningful out of it? What do you do when Game of Thrones is over? And what does it take to go from freelancing in Boston to running one half of a massive website like IGN? Terri and I discuss all that and more, and if you're a new writer hoping to break into the field, she's got plenty of advice for you, too. Check it out, and we hope you enjoy. SUPPORT THE 1099 BY FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER @ THE1099PODCAST SUPPORT JOE @ JOSEPHKNOOP SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 217: Sam Barlow on writing Telling Lies, a love for Hitchcock, Walmart, and David Beckham Sep 09, 2019

In what might be one of my favorite episodes in some time, Telling Lies and Her Story creator Sam Barlow joins the 1099 to talk about how you write, shoot, and build a live-action mystery game like Telling Lies. Oh, and we also talk about how Alfred Hitchcock was the first great game designer, how reading grocery receipts can tell you all you need to know about a person's life, and how a video of a sleeping David Beckham served as inspiration for Telling Lies' more intimate tone. Support the 1099! Follow us on Twitter (@ the1099podcast), follow Joe (@ JosephKnoop), and retweet/share the show on Twitter, Facebook, and your local NSA wiretap.

Episode 216: Game Devs of Color Expo Organizer Shawn Alexander Allen on Making Change Happen Sep 02, 2019

On this week's episode, Game Developers of Color Expo Organizer Shawn Alexander Allen joins to talk about all the lessons we can learn from an event that aims to change the industry, not just talk about it. Whether it's providing more opportunities for students, increasing diversity in the workplace, or just reflecting the lived experiences of black and brown people through a game's systems, there's a lot - a LOT - to dig into here. SUPPORT GDOC: https://gamedevsofcolorexpo.com/ Shawn Alexander Allen: https://twitter.com/aNuChallenger Treachery in Beatdown City: https://twitter.com/Beatdown_City FOLLOW THE 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop

Episode 215: Brian Crecente on the Ups + Downs of Starting (and Fundraising) a New Games Media Site Aug 26, 2019

You don't need me to tell you that games journalism is a tough business. Shortly after we recorded this episode, Game Informer laid off nearly half of their staff. Brian Crecente, a co-founder of Kotaku, Polygon, Rolling Stone's Glixel, and Variety's gaming coverage has been through those same ringers, and they never get any easier. But picking yourself back up and starting a new games media website doesn't have to be an insurmountable task. Crecente joins the 1099 to discuss the aftermath of Variety shutting down its otherwise successful video game coverage, what he hopes to achieve next, and all the lessons he's learned along the way about fundraising, talking to boardroom execs who control the purse strings, building a staff that will carry you beyond the starting line, the use of freelancers, and plenty more. SUPPORT THE 1099 BY FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER @THE1099PODCAST SUPPORT JOE @JOSEPHKNOOP SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 214: Rooster Teeth Games on Building a Studio & Creating Vicious Circle Aug 19, 2019

On this week's episode, I hang out with Rooster Teeth Games director Michael Hadwin and lead designer Casey Donnellan to talk about how they've built up Rooster Teeth's very own game development studio, plus the road to releasing Vicious Circle, their brand new "un-cooperative" sci-fi shooter game, available now on Steam! We talk about Hadwin's history with 3D Realms and founding multiple studios, lessons learned from developing games based on the RWBY franchise, Rooster Teeth's design philosophy behind all its games, and all the weird sci-fi nonsense that's gone into building the world of Vicious Circle. FOLLOW THE 1099 on TWITTER: @ The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE: @ JosephKnoop

Episode 213: The Allure of Cults with The Church In The Darkness Director Richard Rouse Aug 12, 2019

Cults are a fascinating (and occasionally gruesome) thing, and perhaps no one knows this better than Richard Rouse III, director on The Church in the Darkness. Imagine telling someone you're making a top-down stealth action game where you infiltrate a cult in the middle of South America to rescue your sibling. Rouse walks us through the design process for such an experience, and how the complicated reality of a cult influenced how he built this hostile community. We also discuss our favorite cults in games and what they do right and wrong when it comes to depicting cult think. IGN's Donation Links for Victims in Texas and Ohio Shootings: https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/08/05/how-to-donate-el-paso-dayton-relief-victims-support-charity SUPPORT THE 1099 Follow on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @JosephKnoop Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com The Church in the Darkness is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch now.

Episode 212: Why We Love EVO and the Fighting Game Community with Spawn On Me's Kahlief Adams Aug 06, 2019

Our best buddy Kalief Adams (of Spawn on Me fame) returns to chat about why we loved watching EVO 2019, the tournament's biggest moments, how diversity played a huge role, and why people of color love the fighting game community. DONATE to IGN's fundraiser for the victims of the Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas shooting. LINK: https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/08/05/how-to-donate-el-paso-dayton-relief-victims-support-charity SUPPORT SPAWN ON ME: https://twitter.com/SpawnOnMe FOLLOW KAHLIEF: https://twitter.com/Kahjahkins FOLLOW THE 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop

Episode 211: PCGamesN's Ian Boudreau Talks Alternative War Games and What They Say About the World Jul 23, 2019

Friend of the show and PCGamesN writer Ian Boudreau joins Joe to talk about war games that go beyond World War II, and helps us analyze why we're so dang obsessed with "Tacticool," or the hypersexualization of guns. If you've ever obsessed over strategy games, but wondered how they could push the envelope in terms of storytelling, this is a talk for you. Ian also shares his experiences as a military journalist, and many an anecdote about the Game Informer intern days are shared. Follow Ian: @IBoudreau Follow The 1099: @The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @JosephKnoop Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 210: Fortnite Pro Cizzorz and mentoring the next generation of streamers Jul 15, 2019

When you think about streaming, especially Fortnite streaming, you don't really think about groups of people. You think of a solitary streamer hustling away and landing sick headshots all day long. In a world full of young men and women trying to hustle to stardom, we especially don't think about the mentors in our lives who helped guide us along the way. Fortnite pro Jack AKA Cizzorz of the FaZe clan has taken it upon himself to mentor one lucky contest winner, so I caught up with him on what the experience has been like, what mentorship looks like in such a solitary kind of career, what the FaZe team has imparted unto him, and the future of Fortnite's Creative Mode World Cup competitions. Hopefully you all find it a bit more introspective than the usual Fortnite interview. I know I had fun. SHARE AND RATE THE SHOW ON YOUR PLATFORM OF CHOICE, PLEASE AND THANK YOU! Follow the 1099 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Support ZW Buckley: ZWBuckley.com TOSS US A BUCK OR TWO: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop

Episode 209: Michael Pachter Returns to Tell Us the Future of GameStop, Streaming, and Next-Gen Jul 08, 2019

The man of many headlines returns. Famed analyst and host of the Pachter Factor, Michael Pachter, joins the 1099 once again to discuss the shaky future of GameStop after its stock value plummets, what the future of game streaming looks like for Google Stadia, Microsoft's XCloud, and even PlayStation, and what prices we can expect for next-gen hardware like the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett. If you want all the business talk you can handle, you've found it. Follow the 1099: @ the1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joseph: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW BY DONATING: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop Support our musician @ zwbuckley.com Follow the Pachter Factor on SIFTD.net or @ https://www.youtube.com/user/SIFTDGAMES/videos

Episode 208: How Evangelion Opened Washington Post Editor Gene Park's Eyes to Mental Illness Jul 01, 2019

That's right. We're talking about anime. Washington Post editor Gene Park happened to watch the world famous anime Neon Genesis Evangelion at the tender age of 16. Like many young adults around him, as well as Evangelion's cast, Park grappled miserably with his mental health, and felt like he had nowhere to go. A year later, he would attempt to take his own life, and was hospitalized and kept in a psychiatric ward. It was only after another 19 years of mental health issues, alcoholism, and various drug addictions that Park managed to achieve sobriety and, like Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, better understand himself. On this week's episode of the 1099, Park joins me to discuss a brilliant piece he wrote about how Evangelion helped him recognize and contextualize his own history of depression (https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/06/27/how-evangelion-opened-my-eyes-my-depression/?utm_term=.5526fc57c07e). We discuss his article, how Evangelion approaches the subject of mental health through a very Asian lens, the relationship between obsessive fandom and mental health, and the realities of mental illness we see illustrated in the show. Trust me, it's not as heavy as it sounds, because Gene Park is a wonderful human and I absolutely had a blast speaking with him, and I think you'll gain something extra meaningful from this conversation. FOLLOW GENE PARK: @GenePark FOLLOW JOSEPH: @JosephKnoop FOLLOW THE 1099: @The1099Podcast SUPPORT THE 1099 BY DONATING TO OUR KO-FI: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop

Episode 207: Let's go backpacking through space with the Outer Wilds team Jun 24, 2019

I absolutely cannot believe Outer Wilds exists. It is a game that is so...me, and everything I love about video games. Discovery, curiosity, cosmic beauty, and cosmic dread. As soon as I sat down to play it, I knew I had to interview the team on how they brought this interstellar Indiana Jones mystery to life. I'm joined by creative director Alex Beachum and art director Wesley Martin of Mobius Digital, two gentlemen who grew up loving the outdoors and video games. After a student version of Outer Wilds won the 2015 Seamus McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival, a long journey began to broaden and refine the scope of this incredible experience. The three of us discuss the beauty of discovery in games, player curiosity, and nature's influence on the game's design. SUPPORT THE 1099 BY DONATING: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop FOLLOW THE 1099: @The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE: @JosephKnoop SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 206: A Letter to Call of Duty's Infinity Ward with John Phillips Jun 20, 2019

Content Warning: Discussions of warfare, trauma, death, and suicide. On this week's episode, I let my good friend John Phillips take the mic to talk about his thoughts and feelings on how Infinity Ward and Activision are marketing the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot as the grittier, extra-realistic take on modern combat. Rather than having a full conversation, John has given me permission to rehost the audio he posted a little while back. I felt it illustrated his thoughts more eloquently than I ever could in a real conversation. This isn't an easy conversation to have, but John is a brilliant person, and if this means this much to him, then I think it should mean something to a lot of folks. In this episode, John discusses his background as a former marine, the mental struggles he's carried ever since, and how Infinity Ward is still failing to respectfully or accurately portray the harsh realities of war. Take a seat, and listen in. Follow John on Twitter: @mistermegative Follow his show, the Super Deformed Gamescast: https://twitter.com/officialSDGC For those in need of support: Wounded Warrior: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Substance Abuse: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline PTSD: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ Mental Health: https://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/therapy

Episode 205: "No, YOU'RE breathtaking" - The Big E3 2019 Hype Show Jun 10, 2019

Xbox Scarlett, Bethesda, MOTHERFUCKING KEANU REEVES. OK, we didn't get Keanu for the show, but we do have Aiden Strawhun and Joseph Knoop to talk about E3 hopes and reactions to Microsoft's HUGE show. The duo also discuss what's happening in the IGN War Room and what it's like to work there during E3. Joe has moved into his damn LA apartment finally, so there's that too. E3! Hype! KEANU! Follow Aiden: @astraww Follow Joseph @JosephKnoop Support ZW Buckley at zwbuckley.com SHARE THE SHOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND RATE/REVIEW IT ON YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM. IT REALLY HELPS!

Episode 204: The Wild World of Sex (Video Games) with Ana Valens Jun 03, 2019

When was the first time you encountered sex in a video game? I've wanted to talk to Ana Valens for a long while about the amazing world of sex in video games, and how it intersects with marginalized identities. She's a trans/sex columnist at Daily Dot and a brilliant authority on the intersections between, sex, gender, and geek culture. We dive into the ways gaming culture still struggles to take its queer players seriously, how famous characters are "reclaimed" as queer icons, and the difference between a good, meaningful sex video game, and a lame one. It's a damn good show, y'all. Ana Valens on Twitter: @ACValens Joseph Knoop on Twitter: @JosephKnoop The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com And please consider sharing the show on social media and rating/reviewing us on your favorite platform! Happy E3 y'all!

Episode 203: The Magic of Long Distance Gaming with Aiden Strawhun and Joe May 27, 2019

I'm ridiculously busy getting ready to move to LA in less than a week, so you bet your ass I forgot to schedule a guest for The 1099. This week we're taking things easy, and I'm joined by my wonderful partner Aiden Strawhun, who you may recognize from IGN, GameSpot, Kotaku, and elsewhere. We talk about 1) how video games brought us together, and 2) the magic of long distance gaming, and how sharing virtual spaces like Stardew Valley or Overcooked has help us not only get through the first months of getting to better understand each other, but also strengthen our bonds and solidifying who we are as individuals rather than as a pair. If you've ever wondered how some couples just Make It Work, or if you want to think a little harder about how the psychology of multiplayer spaces can create and shape human bonds, you'll want to give this a listen. Our story isn't the fanciest, but we have learned a lot and grown along the way. Follow Aiden on Twitter @Astraww Follow Joe on Twitter @JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 @The1099Podcast Support ZW Buckley's music at zwbuckley.com Consider supporting the show by tossing a few bucks towards me on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop

Episode 202: What's it like to make games in India with the team behind Raji: An Ancient Epic May 20, 2019

At this year's ID @ Xbox event during GDC, I fell in love with a little game called Raji: An Ancient Epic. The game blends old God of War-style action with Indian, Balinese, and Hindu mythology into a really beautiful and polished package. It made me eager to talk with the developers, and I got not one, not two, but three. Avichal Singh, Ian Maude, and Shruti Ghosh from Nodding Heads Games joined me to talk about how the stars aligned for them all to meet and make Raji, how difficult it can be to make a video game in India where infrastructure is poor and the government doesn't give two wits about digital media, and the personal parts of Indian culture they're putting into the game. I think you'll find this to be a really fascinating discussion about family, what the game developer hustle looks like on another continent, and why Indian culture can make for some compelling new ground for games to tackle. Raji Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/f9gnFVP Raji Twitter: https://twitter.com/RajitheGame Raji Steam Page:https://store.steampowered.com/app/730390/Raji_An_Ancient_Epic/ Follow Joseph on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow the 1099 on Twitter: The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 201: Detective Pikachu Writer Dan Hernandez on Building a Pokémon World May 13, 2019

Detective Pikachu is, believe it or not, the first legitimately good video game movie, and a big part of that is thanks to the wonderful writing by folks like Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. On this episode of The 1099, Hernandez joins me to talk about growing up with Pokémon, how he helped build the Pokémon world of Ryme City, and the film's themes of striking out on your own and striving for redemption. It's without a doubt one of my favorite conversations I've ever had on this show, and I think you'll love it too. Pika-Pika, indeed. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Follow Dan Hernandez on Twitter: @CubanMissileDH Follow Joseph on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Support our musician at zwbuckley.com

Episode 200 PART 2 - Morgan Webb on X-Play's legacy and building Bonfire Studios May 06, 2019

THE BIG ONE, folks! Former X-Play host Morgan Webb joins us to talk about the glory days of broadcast games media, plus a big focus on how she's building a constructive culture over at Bonfire Studios as they work on their first game, and all the lessons she's learned between. Also there's some stuff about cutie oranges, morbid jokes about book clubs, and swearing. It's fun for the whole family. Thank you for coming this far on this incredible journey with us. Time to start planning for Episode 300. Anyone got President Obama's number? Support our musician over at ZWBuckley.com Follow Joe on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow Morgan: @MorganWebb Follow the 1099: @The1099Podcast

Episode 200 PART 1 - Josiah Renaudin Says Hello From the Shores of EA May 06, 2019

On PART ONE of Episode 200, I'm joined by the former and far more handsome host of The 1099, Josiah Renaudin, back from the halls of EA for one brief moment in time. The boys discuss Josiah's job at EA, his team, and reflect back on Josiah's time steering the show. It's a prelude filled with lots of touchy-feely good times and gratitude. Don't miss out on it, and don't miss out on PART TWO of Episode 200, featuring former X-Play host and current Bonfire Studios member Morgan Webb, which should be available right now as well.

Episode 199: Celebrating 18 Years as Wonder Woman with Susan Eisenberg Apr 29, 2019

If you're like me, you grew up in a heyday of superhero cartoons, and none stood higher than Justice League. On this week's episode, an integral part of those heroics joins me. Voice actress Susan Eisenberg has helped define Wonder Woman's image and mass popularity since 2001, working on Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and later the Injustice video games from NetherRealm. We chat about the evolution of the character through the years, why Wonder Woman has persisted, and the latest DC animated film, Justice League vs. The Fatal Five. We also talk about lessons learned from the SAG-AFTRA strikes, and what the video game world can take from it. TL;DR: This episode was so much fun that Susan and I are hanging out in LA later. Don't miss this one. Follow Susan Eisenberg on Twitter: @SusanEisenberg1 Follow Joe on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Support our musician Zach Buckley at ZWbuckley.com Buy Justice League vs. the Fatal Five: https://www.amazon.com/Justice-League-Fatal-Five-Blu-ray/dp/B07KZHVHV6 SUPPORT JOE VIA KO-FI: http://ko-fi.com/josephknoop And don't forget to voice your support for more DC animated adventures.

Episode 198: Fostering a community of color in games media with Spawn On Me's Kahlief Adams Apr 22, 2019

On this week's episode of The 1099, Spawn On Me co-founder and very rad dude Kahlief Adams joins me to talk about 6+ years of highlighting people of color in the games industry, plus their new GoFundMe drive for 2019-2020. In a media field that still struggles to achieve greater diversity, what does it take to foster up-and-coming writers and creators of color? What steps does the industry need to take to create a better platform for marginalized voices? And how are people of color and other marginalized creatives out there adapting to the industry as it is? Kahlief gives us some very sincere, very enlightening perspective into all this and more. Plus, we end up shooting the shit about Hideo Kojima, the art of podcasting, and building each other up as creatives. You don't need to tell me twice to be grateful for cool guys like Kah. Follow Kahlief on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kahjahkins Follow Spawn on Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/spawnonme DONATE TO SPAWN ON ME's GoFundMe PAGE: https://www.gofundme.com/help-spawn-on-me Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Send some love to our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com!

Episode 197: Falcon Age's Chandana 'Eka' Ekanayake on colonialism, family, and cute birds Apr 15, 2019

On this week's episode, Falcon Age creative director Chandana Ekanayake AKA 'Eka' joins The 1099 to talk about the game's themes of colonialism, family, and reclamation. It's not often we get to see Southeast Asia (Sri Lanka in this case) represented so proudly in gaming, and we dig into Eka's life growing up in Sri Lanka, then Maryland, and how his identity has shifted throughout adulthood. Plus, how they made one of the most convincing (and cute) animals in games to date, and what it's like sticking around in the VR game business this long. Follow Joe on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Follow Eka on Twitter: @Ekanaut Support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com and give him some work!

Episode 195: The one where we talk about cancer and alcoholism with Blake Hester Apr 08, 2019

Content Warning: Discussion of serious illness, including cancer and alcoholism. You know, there are plenty of writers and media folks out there that I idolize. But one of the guys I look up to most is a guy named Blake Hester, a writer most seen on Polygon, but also a former intern at Game Informer, just like me. I’ve always been captivated by his features writing, where he’s explored the history of Red Dead, Crash Bandicoot, Sonic the Hedgehog, and interviewing Geoff friggin’ Keighley for six months about the Game Awards. Jesus. But I really admire him as a person with a lot of strength and, well, chill, and even more so after this conversation. About 32 weeks ago, Blake announced that he had cancer. His treatment happened, I happened to hang out with him for an afternoon in San Francisco in October 2018, and then a few months after that he checked himself into rehab for his alcoholism, where halfway through he was informed that on top of all that, his cancer had come back. On this week’s episode, we discuss his journey through treatment, recognizing his illness, and how he’s kept pushing forward with his work despite the weight of it all, and if you know anything about Blake Hester, let me assure you it’s a VERY Blake kind of discussion, haha. I think a lot of people, whether they’ve worked in art or technology or any mix of the two know what it’s like to precariously balance your health, your happiness, and your career, especially if life throws you a curveball...or three. Like any episode of The 1099, it’s my hope that you get something meaningful out of this, but this episode maybe more than any other I’ve recorded so far. If you struggle with illness and its effects on your life or career in any way, please know that you’re not alone, and that there are resources that can help you, some of which I’ve linked to in the show description on Soundcloud. Of course, if discussion of these sensitive topics might cause you emotional or mental distress, exercise caution. You fans of The 1099 are slowly becoming more and more like family to me, and the last thing we need is for you to be in a worse place. So yeah, as always, thank you for listening, and thank you for all the kind words you folks have sent the past few weeks. It’s kept me going too. Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.aa.org/ Cancer.Gov: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types Rehabilitation: https://www.rehabs.com/ Healthcare.Gov: https://www.healthcare.gov/ Follow Blake on Twitter @metallicaisrad Follow Joe on Twitter @JosephKnoop Support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com

Episode 194: Aiden Strawhun goes to her very first GDC via the Xbox Game Changers Scholarship Apr 01, 2019

You know her from her work at IGN, GameSpot, and Paste, plus her fan club over at Kinda Funny - and now she's a big fancy grad student at Berkeley, California! Aiden Strawhun joins me to talk about going to her very first GDC (Game Developers Conference) after sleeping until 2pm the weekend after. Aiden was lucky enough to go via the Xbox Game Changers Scholarship, which gives promising (and often marginalized) voices a chance to network and establish relationships with fellow creators and big industry names. We also talk about how vastly our experiences differed when it came to certain interactions with gatekeepers in the industry, plus we gush over some of our favorite games we got to play. Short version: Play some damn Cat Quest 2, y'all. Follow Aiden on Twitter: @Astraww

Episode 193: Sarah Elmaleh on voicing Anthem's freelancer & co-founding GameDev.world Mar 25, 2019

Anthem voice actress and GameDev.world co-founder Sarah Elmaleh joins Joe this week to talk about how she's working to make game developer events more inclusive by hosting a "global game developers conference" called GameDev.world, which will be translated into dozens of different languages all over the world. Sarah also opens up about her experiences voicing the freelancer in Anthem, Katie Greenbriar in Gone Home, and her significant history of being an industry worker advocate! Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/selmaleh Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop

GDC 2019 Mini-sode: Harmonix producer Matt Kelly talks Audica, their new VR music game Mar 22, 2019

Harmonix producer Matt Kelly joins Joe to talk about Audica, the company's new VR music action game! The guys chat about what goes into making a kickass music game in VR, Harmonix's journey into different genres and formats. Follow @The1099Podcast

Episode 192: IGN's Cassidee Moser on Captain Marvel & Top Star Wars Games Mar 18, 2019

On this week's episode, IGN social editor and dear friend of the pod CASSIDEE MOSER joins Joe to gush about Captain Marvel and what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and fans. PLUS, being huge nerds who have a questionable affinity for Disney products, we list out the five best Star Wars video games ever! Cassidee: https://twitter.com/CassideeMoser Joseph: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast

Episode 191: IGN Editor-in-Chief of Games Tina Amini on running a games media giant Mar 11, 2019

On this week's episode, the one and only Tina Amini -- Editor-in-Chief of Games at IGN -- joins Joe to talk about how she runs one of the biggest names in games journalism. We dive into Tina's one year anniversary with IGN, what she's learned about leading such a huge team, the evolution of games media over the past decade, and the perspective of the industry she's been afforded as IGN's Big Boss. Support the show by following us @The1099Podcast and @JosephKnoop on Twitter, and support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com.

Episode 190: Game Workers Unite's Emma Kinema on the fight for games industry unionization Mar 04, 2019

On this week's episode of The 1099, Game Workers Unite co-founder Emma Kinema joins Joseph to talk all about the struggle to unionize the video game industry. Why are so many studios laying off hundreds of workers without any severance packages? Why are so many studios overworking their employees? How could collective bargaining (AKA a union) help those employees stave off the financial, physical, or mental toll of working for exploitative studios? Games media is rife with accounts of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into our favorite games, but maybe it's time to cut back a little on all of those and give developers the security and freedom any modern American deserves from their full-time job. Question is: How do we get there? Game Workers Unite: https://www.gameworkersunite.org/ Emma Kinema: https://twitter.com/EmmaKinema Game Developers Conference: https://www.gdconf.com/ Joseph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop 1099 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/the1099Podcast ZWBuckley: https://www.zwbuckley.com/

Episode 189: Metro creator Dmitry Glukhovsky on what inspired him to create the Russian apocalypse Feb 25, 2019

Metro series creator and author Dmitry Glukhovsky joins me to talk about the tense political and personal history behind his version of the Russian post-apocalypse, how he helped 4A Games bring it to video game life, and a hell of a lot more. You don't want to miss this one. As always, support our resident musician at zwbuckley.com and let us know your thoughts on Twitter @The1099Podcast

Episode 188: Dragon Prince creators Aaron Ehasz & Justin Richmond on their diverse fantasy world Feb 18, 2019

This week, Joe is joined by Netflix's The Dragon Prince creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond to discuss how they've built their new fantasy world, how they strive to make its characters meaningful and diverse, how they work with fans to find ways they can do better, and what went into making them the writers they are today. Joe also happened to write the first article on Wonderstorm, Aaron and Justin's company. https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/30/16716400/last-airbender-uncharted-wonderstorm Make sure to support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com.

Episode 187: Amanda Farough on the Art of Business Reporting in Games Media and Epic vs. Valve Feb 11, 2019

On this week’s episode of The 1099, GameDaily.biz managing editor Amanda Farough joins Joe to talk about the art of business reporting in an industry that’s dominated by enthusiast press. Joe and Amanda discuss the kinds of standards business reporters hold themselves to, how to make boring old financial reports interesting to someone who doesn’t know what a euro is, and how to build up a new brand like GameDaily! We also dive into the ongoing war between the Epic Games Store and Valve’s Steam and more. Gird your loins, y’all. As always, music is provided by ZW Buckley, who you can find at ZWBuckley.com. Episode edited by Aiden Strawhun.

Episode 186: Matt Silverman of No Man's Sky Fan Film Nomad Squadron Feb 04, 2019

Matt Silverman, creator of the Free Dad Videos YouTube channel, went and made a No Man's Sky short film starring his 5-year-old daughter Amelia, Greg Miller, and WWE star Austin Creed. Joe and Matt talk about how the channel has become a living picture album of Amelia's life, how he used No Man's Sky to create the short film, and how fatherhood has changed him as a creator. Music provided by ZW Buckley, which you can find at zwbuckley.com

Episode 185: JT Music reflect on 10 years of making video game raps Jan 28, 2019

The guys behind JT Music are celebrating 10 years of making video game rap music, and they join Joe to talk all about it. The crew touches on how YouTube has changed the video game fan culture landscape, how they run a businesses like JT Music day-to-day, and what games have influenced them in their endeavors. You can find JT Music on Twitter @JTMusicTeam and Joe @JosephKnoop. Music provided by ZW Buckley, who you can find at zwbuckley.com

Episode 184: Steven Spohn on the AbleGamers charity, accessibility in gaming, and finding strength Jan 21, 2019

On this week's episode, Joseph Knoop officially takes over the reins of the 1099. Joe is joined by AbleGamers COO and Game Awards' Global Gaming Citizen Steven Spohn, who works to improve accessibility for gamers with disabilities. The two chat about Steven's work leading such an important cause, the issues that gamers with disabilities and AbleGamers face, and how he cultivates hope and strength in a world that hasn't always shown him either. 1099 music (episode 184 onward) provided by Zach Buckley. Find his work at www.zwbuckley.com.

Episode 183: Top 10 Game Franchises That Should Change Genre with Jake Baldino and Todd Schlickbernd Jan 16, 2019

On this week's episode, a video producer for PeanutButterGamer, producer for Hardcore, and video wizard, Todd Schlickbernd; the leader of the Gameranx video team, internet celebrity, and first-ever The 1099 guest, Jake Baldino; and podcast founder Josiah Renaudin come together to discuss 10 different series that should change their genres. Jake and Todd join Josiah for his final show to pitch new ideas for franchises like Assassin's Creed, Dead Rising, Dark Souls, and much more.

Episode 182: Josiah Joins EA and Details the Future of the Podcast Jan 07, 2019

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin breaks down his crazy last few months with the help of freelancer and The 1099 MVP, Joseph Knoop. Josiah explains his new job at Electronic Arts, all the different meetings he's been taking, and the future of the podcast.

Episode 181: Geneviève St-Onge on Game Marketing, Helping Indies Stand Out, and Work-Life Balance Dec 31, 2018

On this week's episode, a co-founder at popagenda, former brand manager at Square Enix, and noted Canadian, Geneviève St-Onge, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how indie games are promoted. Gen details her new company's mission, why teams need people to think about the marketing/PR side of the business, the competitive nature of the industry, starting your own business, knowing how many hours you should be working per week, and what to expect from popagenda in 2019.

Episode 180: Greg Kasavin on Creating Hades, Early Access Challenges, and Constantly Updating Games Dec 24, 2018

On this week's episode, a developer, designer, writer, and creative director at Supergiant Games and one of the main minds behind hits like Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and now Hades, Greg Kasavin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss Early Access games. Greg details the origins of Hades, the importance of getting excited about a project, listening to audience feedback, The Game Awards, future Hades update plans, and his team's biggest inspirations.

Episode 179: The 2018 Game of the Year Awards Spectacular Dec 17, 2018

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin is joined by a familiar cast to determine the top 10 games of 2018. The crew includes podcaster, past GameSpotter, and current writer, Tom Mc Shea; the managing editor at Feminist Frequency, podcaster, streamer, and writer, Carolyn Petit; and game designer and writer for Divinity Original Sin 2 and former GameSpot reviews editor, Kevin VanOrd. The crew argues for the best games of the year, including names like Spider-Man, Florence, Moonlighter, Frostpunk, Tetris Effect, and much more.

Episode 178: Will Partin on the State of Esports, Overwatch League, and League of Legends Dec 14, 2018

On this week's episode, a writer at the Atlantic, Variety, Outline, and Rolling Stone and a foremost expert on esports, Will Partin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss all things competitive gaming. Will explains the current dynamics of the industry, comparisons to other sports, the health of Overwatch league, broadcast deals, inclusion, sponsorships, and major trends moving forward.

Episode 177: Josiah Reviews Dragon Quest XI, Life is Strange Season 2, NBA 2K19, and Strange Brigade Dec 03, 2018

On the latest edition of the "Josiah Reviews" series, prolific freelancer and The 1099 champion Joseph Knoop joins host Josiah Renaudin to review four major releases. The duo explains why Dragon Quest XI might be the best JRPG (and game) of the year, how Life is Strange Season 2 slips in some of its biggest moments, why Strange Brigade is the Left 4 Dead game some people didn't know they wanted, and how NBA 2K19's MyCareer mode makes the whole package one of the best sports games of all time.

Episode 176: Michael Pachter on the PS5, Problems with Netflix for Games, and Future of Fortnite Nov 26, 2018

On this week's episode, a research analyst at Wedbush Securities, the host of the Pachter Factor, and one of the biggest names in the business of games, Michael Pachter, joins host Josiah Renaudin for a deep dive into the current state of the industry. The two tackle the release date of next-gen consoles, the problems with the concept of "Netflix for games," the success of Fortnite and what it means for the rest of the industry, the state of Nintendo, and Sony pulling out of E3.

Episode 175: Top 10 JRPGs You Need to Play Now with Kim Wallace Nov 19, 2018

On this week's episode, Game Informer features editor and JRPG guru, Kim Wallace, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the JRPGs you need to play—whether you're a hardcore fan or entirely new to the genre. From Dragon Quest XI to Chrono Trigger, the duo details why turn-based games still have a place in modern video games.

Episode 174: Life Update and Jana Sloan van Geest on Writing for Assassin's Creed and Horizon Nov 12, 2018

On this week's episode, a game writer at Wooga, former scriptwriter at Guerrilla Games, former writer for Ubisoft on Assassin’s Creed, former narrative designer at Ludia, and an advocate for aspiring professionals in the industry, Jana Sloan van Geest, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss writing stories for games. Jana explains what it's like crafting narratives for AAA titles, how to get into games writing, why each team is an entirely different experience, the differences between main and side quests, and which characters still stick with her. Also, Josiah provides an update on his job situation.

Episode 173: Rich Gallup on Joining OtherSide Entertainment, Old GameSpot Days, and Game Production Nov 05, 2018

On this week's episode, former game director at Disruptor Beam, former lead producer at 38 Studios, former host at GameSpot, and now the executive producer at OtherSide Entertainment, Rich Gallup, joins host Josiah Renaudin to dig into game production. Rich details his time at GameSpot, how games media has changed, his fondest memories from 38 Studios, what good game production can do for a development team, the state of mobile games, and what he's working on now at OtherSide.

Episode 172: Let's Talk About Life, Mental Health, and What Comes Next Oct 29, 2018

On this week's episode, Josiah goes solo to explain what's been going on with his life and why his mindset has changed. He details his departure from Tangent Games, all the crazy things that have happened since, the importance of mental health, and the future of the podcast.

Episode 171: Shadow of the Tomb Raider Lead Game Designer Heath Smith on Creating AAA Games Oct 22, 2018

On this week's episode, the lead game designer on the recently released Shadow of the Tomb Raider, a former senior game designer at Beenox, and a man with a dozen years in the games industry, Heath Smith, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how Eidos Montréal built the new Tomb Raider. Heath details how the series has changed over time, key design decisions, his philosophy on gameplay design, the subtle touches that make Shadow of the Tomb Raider work so well, and what to expect from the DLC.

Episode 170: Ben Esposito on Creating Donut County, Chill-Ass Video Games, and Indie Dev Cycles Oct 15, 2018

On this week's episode, a game developer who’s worked on projects like What Remains of Edith Finch, The Unfinished Swan, Room of 1000 Snakes, Sonic Dreams Collection, and the recently released Donut County, Ben Esposito, joins host Josiah Renaudin for a deep dive into indie development. Ben explains why Donut County took five years to make, the lessons he's learned, idea theft, how to manage your time in the games industry, how to write humor into games, and what comes next.

Episode 169: Felix Kramer on Game Production, Marketing, and Eating Chicken Nuggets in the Bathtub Oct 08, 2018

On this week's episode, a producer on projects like Tunic, Neo Cab, and SUPERHYPERCUBE, as well as someone with marketing, PR, and production experience within a wide variety of teams and games, Felix Kramer, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss game production. The duo tackles why indie teams can benefit from being forward-thinking, how good production can prevent crunch, whether or not word-of-mouth is enough when launching a game in 2018, and why it's OK to eat chicken nuggets in the bathtub.

Episode 168: Top 10 Side Characters Who Deserve Their Own Games with Jeff Bakalar Oct 01, 2018

On this week's episode, a big-time editor and host at CNET, as well as the king of the rotating chair on the Giant Beastcast, Jeff Bakalar, joins host Josiah Renaudin to list off the top 10 side characters who need their own games/series. Characters from franchises like Alan Wake, Banjo-Kazooie, BioShock, and Viewtiful Joe are all mentioned and discussed in detail.

Episode 167: Brandon Jones on Easy Allies, GameTrailers, and Building Positive Communities Sep 24, 2018

On this week's episode, the editor-in-chief and voice of Easy Allies, co-founder of GameTrailers.com, and voice of video game reviews, Brandon Jones, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss building communities and the state of games media. Brandon details how GameTrailers features came together, experimenting with the Easy Allies formula, YouTube burnout, how to balance what's popular with what interests the overall group, and how we talk about games differently today.

Episode 166: Fall Games Preview with The Ringer's Jason Concepcion Sep 17, 2018

On this week's episode, the host of NBA Desktop, half of the Binge Mode Podcast, a writer at The Ringer, and a former writer at Grantland, Jason Concepcion, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the biggest and best games yet to come out in 2018. The two share what they're most excited about (and their concerns) for games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Super Smash Bro. Ultimate, Hitman 2, and much more.

Episode 165: Doug Veney on YouTube, Building an Audience, and Successfully Streaming Fortnite Sep 10, 2018

On this week's episode, a YouTuber, streamer, and content creator on Facebook, Doug Veney, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how to build an audience across multiple video platforms. Doug explains how he built GoodGameBro, balancing YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook, burning out, deciding if you should create an online persona, what people look for in a Fortnite streamer, and the value of talking directly to your viewers.

Episode 164: Chris Avellone on Writing Fallout: New Vegas, Dying Light 2, and KOTOR 2 Sep 04, 2018

On this week's episode, a narrative designer and writer for games like FTL, Into the Breach, Original Sin II, Prey, and Fallout: New Vegas, who’s currently working on Dying Light 2 and an unannounced game with Ken Levine, Chris Avellone, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss narrative design. Chris covers what it means to be a story doctor, what stage of development a games writer most often enters a project, the number of projects some freelancers juggle, how to make additional text in RPGs appealing for the player, and the difficulty of writing a Star Wars game.

Episode 163: Top 10 Underappreciated Games with Tommy Toe Hold Aug 27, 2018

On this week's episode, popular YouTuber and podcaster in the world of MMA, Tommy Toe Hold, joins host Josiah Renaudin to list the top 10 hidden gems/underappreciated video games. From Full Metal Furies to 20XX, the duo details a medley of different games you missed out on—all available for download on modern consoles.

Episode 162: Julie Muncy and Blake Hester on Game Reviews and Hiring for Passion Aug 20, 2018

On this week's episode, a creative writer, journalist, and critic for Wired, Waypoint, and Gizmondo, Julie Muncy, and a writer seen on Polygon, Variety, Playboy, Motherboard, and Rolling Stone, Blake Hester, join host Josiah Renaudin for a games media round table. The group tackles what should and shouldn't be in a game review, how we talk to developers, avoiding PR messaging, why so many reviews read similarly, what it means to hire for passion in games media, and tips for writers getting into games.

Episode 161: Simon Viklund on Crafting Music for Payday 2, Bionic Commando Rearmed, and GTFO Aug 13, 2018

On this week's episode, the composer at 10 Chambers, former audio director at Starbreeze, and man behind the sound design in favorites like Payday 2, Bionic Commando Rearmed, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Simon Viklund, joins host Josiah Renaudin to explain how sound gets into games. Simon details what it's like creating both music and sounds for major video games, how aspiring designers can break into the industry, whether or not you have to capture all of your own original sounds, and what makes upcoming co-op shooter GTFO special.

Episode 160: Game Informer's Ben Hanson on the Changing Games Media Landscape Aug 06, 2018

On this week's episode, the video producer for Game Informer, host of The Game Informer Show podcast, and one of the key creative forces behind Replay, Ben Hanson, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the growth of games media. Ben explains how GI successfully created a video and podcast presence, the tools hopeful video producers should learn about, why GI staff members often stay at the company for many years, why your potential podcast needs a unique hook, and the real difference between a 7.75 and 8.25 when it comes to game reviews.

Episode 159: Josiah Reviews Mothergunship, The Crew 2, Vampyr, and More Jul 30, 2018

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin reviews a medley of new game releases. He covers why Yoku's Island Express hearkens back to the glory days of N64 platformers, why The Crew 2 might be an incredible racing game in 6 months to a year, the value of short-burst games like Mothergunship, the risks that Vampyr takes (and why they matter), and why Moonlighter is a top 3 game of 2018.

Episode 158: Giant Bomb's Matt Rorie on Community Management, Obsidian, and Game Production Jul 23, 2018

On this week's episode, the senior community producer at Giant Bomb, former lead editor at Whiskey Media, and former marketing and PR producer at Obsidian Entertainment, Matt Rorie, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss moving from media to development and back again. Matt details how he got into games media, his work at Obsidian on Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas, the struggles of video game production, freelancing before Giant Bomb, what he does at Giant Bomb, and some of the craziest support emails.

Episode 157: Villa Gorilla's Jens Andersson on Yoku's Island Express and Why Game Dev Takes So Long Jul 16, 2018

On this week's episode, a co-founder of Villa Gorilla, former lead designer at LucasArts, former lead designer at Starbreeze, and developer behind Yoku's Island Express, Jens Andersson, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss why video games take so damn long to make. Jens details why he went indie, how the timeline of Yoku's Island Express changed, understanding how to market smaller games, the success of the Nintendo Switch, whether or not reviews actually impact sales, and if devs should worry about trends.

Episode 156: Joshua Queen on Sound Design, Retro Tracks, and How Music Gets into Games Jul 09, 2018

On this week's episode, a composer, sound designer, half of The DROiDS, and new musician in the world of video games, Joshua Queen, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the how, what, and why of game soundtracks. They tackle retro tracks, why music sticks with us decades later, competing with classic music in today's market, how to start working for developers both big and small, different tools that can help you get started, and why the gaming industry can be so welcoming to experienced composers from other industries.

Episode 155: Sable Creators Gregorios Kythreotis and Daniel Fineberg on Their E3 Hit Jul 02, 2018

On this week's episode, the creators of indie darling Sable, Gregorios Kythreotis and Daniel Fineberg, join host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how they made their game look so damn good. The two devs detail where they came up with the idea for Sable, its visual inspirations, the buildup to E3, working out of a shed, comparisons to Journey, meeting incredible expectations, maintaining the correct work-life balance, and when you can expect the final game.

Episode 154: Mike Futter on the Business of Games, Ethical Issues, and Media Positivity vs. Snark Jun 25, 2018

On this week's episode, the author of The GameDev Business Handbook and The GameDev Budgeting Handbook, as well as former news editor at Game Informer, Mike Futter, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss video games as a business. The two tackle how game news is handled, the importance of understanding the publisher/developer relationship, media snark vs. media positivity, jumping back and forth between development and media, how to critique video game marketing campaigns, and the most common misconception about how games are made.

Episode 153: Biggest Storylines, Games, and Winners from E3 2018 Jun 18, 2018

On this week's episode, IGN, Polygon, and Waypoint freelancer, Joe Knoop, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss every aspect of E3 2018. The two talk Beyond Good & Evil 2's spec work, Microsoft's big swings, the future of major press conferences, the best games at the show (including Sable, Dying Light 2, and Control), the IGN news experience, stories from the show floor, and what to expect next year.

Episode 152: E3 Reactions/Drifter Entertainment CEO Ray Davis on Gears of War and Gunheart Jun 11, 2018

On this week's episode, the CEO and co-founder at Drifter Entertainment, former studio manager at Epic Games and lead programmer on Gears of War 1 and 2, and a VR/AR expert, Ray Davis, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss Gears, Gunheart, and game dev. Ray details what it was like making the original Gears of War, how the series has evolved over time, what he thinks a modern Gears game should look like, the success of Fortnite at Epic Games, building a social VR game like Gunheart, and where he sees VR going in the near future.

Episode 151: Chris Bratt on People Make Games and What's Missing from Games Media Jun 04, 2018

On this week's episode, the former video producer at Eurogamer and VideoGamer, the host and creator of Here’s a Thing, and now his own boss at People Make Games, Chris Bratt, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss long-form games media. Chris details the value of People Make Games, what it's like to launch a big Patreon, how major websites handle news, how much you can change your own concept after people pledge money to it, and crazy stories surrounding game dev.

Episode 150: Trisha Hershberger on Defining an Image, Building a Twitch Community, and YouTube Tips May 28, 2018

On this week's episode, a host, producer, and writer seen on IGN, Nerdist, The Philip Defranco Show, Rhett & Link, as well as a Streamy Award winner for Sourcefed, Trisha Hershberger, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how you can find your online image in the age of social media and YouTube. Trisha explains how her acting background helped her on Twitch, the importance of creating a schedule for streaming, the pressure people feel to exaggerate their personalities online, how to avoid burning out on your passion, and the complexities of starting your own production company.

Episode 149: MMAFighting Deputy Managing Editor Marc Raimondi on the Highs and Lows of Sports Media May 21, 2018

On this week's episode, the deputy managing editor for MMAFighting.com and the treasurer at the Mixed Martial Arts Journalists Association, Marc Raimondi, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss sports media and the challenges of covering combat sports. Marc details what it was like covering sports in New York City, the value of a journalism degree today, whether or not you need to live in a big city to cover sports, how CTE impacts the way we watch MMA, the difficulties of writing about an athlete and then watching them get knocked out, and the major story lines to watch in 2018.

Episode 148: Ian Milham on the Rise of Dead Space, Battlefield Hardline's Message, and AAA Dev May 14, 2018

On this week's episode, former franchise art director for Dead Space, the creative director behind Battlefield Hardline, and the creative director of Outpost Games, Ian Milham, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss what it takes to ship a AAA game. Ian details the rise of Dead Space as a franchise, the tone of the third game vs. the first, the story behind Battlefield Hardline and its place in society, the pressure of working on massive franchises like Star Wars and Tomb Raider, and what he's working on now.

Episode 147: Massive Monster Co-Founder Jay Armstrong on Switch Development and Family Games May 07, 2018

On this week's episode, Massive Monster co-founder and a key developer behind the recently released The Adventure Pals, Jay Armstrong, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how to make your 2D platformer shine in a crowded market. Jay explains how The Adventure Pals came together, knowing when to scrap major portions of your game, appealing to younger audiences, balancing challenge with fun, how to create memorable boss fights, and developing games on the Nintendo Switch.

Episode 146: The Ultimate Games Criticism Mailbag with Nick Capozzoli May 01, 2018

On this week's episode, game critic seen on sites like Waypoint, GameSpot, and Giant Bomb, Nick Capozzoli, joins host Josiah Renaudin to answer all your questions about game reviews. The two tackle the purpose of scores, AAA game reviews and why they should be tackled differently, writing for free to get exposure, mainstream criticism, dealing with backlash, and the disconnect between the changes writers want to see in games media vs. what audiences reward.

Episode 145: Ben Pack on Joining Giant Bomb, Filling Past Editors' Shoes, and Being a Public Figure Apr 23, 2018

On this week's episode, associate editor and former intern at Giant Bomb, co-host on the Giant Bombcast, and noted Millennial, Ben Pack, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss Ben's transition from intern to editor. Ben explains how he got he Giant Bomb job, adjusting to his many new responsibilities, learning how to deal with audience feedback, getting comfortable talking to/working with his heroes, and what to expect from Giant Bomb in 2018.

Episode 144: John Vignocchi on Life After Disney Infinity and How Developers Play Video Games Apr 16, 2018

On this week's episode, the former vice president of production at Disney Interactive Studios, a former lead designer and product strategist at Midway, and a legend in the Giant Bomb community, John Vignocchi, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about everything that's been going on since the end of Disney Infinity. John details his recent wedding bonanza, what he went through after Disney Infinity ended. how being a developer makes him play games differently, what he's working on next, and the Giant Bomb community.

Episode 143: Sirius XM Host and MMAFighting Senior Editor Luke Thomas on MMA Media Apr 09, 2018

On this week's episode, the host of The Luke Thomas Show on SiriusXM Rush 93, a senior editor at MMAFighting.com, and one of the best technical analysts in MMA media, Luke Thomas, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss what it's like covering the UFC. They talk about the comparisons between Dana White and Donald Trump, whether or not you should practice BJJ in order to write about MMA, the issues fighters are facing today that casual fans might not know about, and how to connect with your audience in modern sports media.

Episode 142: Josiah Reviews Ni no Kuni II, Yakuza 6, The Council, and EA Sports UFC 3 Apr 06, 2018

On this week's episode, Tangent Games associate producer, former GameSpot and IGN writer, and host of this very podcast, Josiah Renaudin, reviews four major games from the first half of 2018. Josiah explains why EA Sports UFC 3 might be the best MMA game yet, how The Council replaces boss battles with unique conversation mechanics, why the side quests in Yakuza 6 are better than most open-world main quests, and why Ni no Kuni II isn't the follow-up he ever expected.

Episode 141: GDC Tips, E3 Prep, and How to Make Money at Conferences with Joseph Knoop Apr 02, 2018

On this week's episode, freelancer for PCGamer, Waypoint, Playboy, Polygon, IGN, and Rolling Stone, Joseph Knoop, joins host Josiah Renaudin to explain how you can make money as a freelancer at major conferences. The two recap the Game Developers Conference, finding big outlets who will pay to send you to shows, the best way to network, the mysteries of the press room, whether or not it's worth losing money to go to a show, and how editors assign stories.

Episode 140: Danny O'Dwyer on Noclip, Modern Games Media, and How to Talk to Devs Mar 26, 2018

On this week's episode, the founder of the video game documentary company Noclip, a former host and editor at GameSpot, and former Trending Gamer nominee, Danny O'Dwyer, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how media should talk to developers. Danny details his exit from GameSpot, how he's able to get access to major developers, why developers have been so transparent with him, future dream projects, finding motivation after GameSpot, and what you can expect from Noclip in the future.

Big Life News and Podcast Update Mar 22, 2018

Hello, friends! This is not a regular podcast episode, just a quick update about a big change in my life and a discussion about the future of the podcast. If you have any questions, please Tweet me @JosiahRenaudin.

Episode 139: Samantha Kalman on Sentris, Astroneer, and the Giant Bomb Community Mar 19, 2018

On this week's episode, the developer behind Sentris on PC and Mac, a developer on Astroneer, and a former QA director for Unity, Samantha Kalman, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss creating indie games and how to manage expectations. Samantha details the development of Sentris, creating passion projects vs. games built for wide appeal, understanding how to work on a team, jumping on Astroneer deep into development, and the Giant Bomb community.

Episode 138: Mailbag Special with Actor, Singer, and Host Lisa Foiles Mar 16, 2018

On this week's episode, the host of the UFC Minute, former cast member of All That, and current YouTuber, model, and singer, Lisa Foiles, joins host Josiah Renaudin to answer your Tweets, emails, and Reddit comments. The two discuss whiskey, singing, cosplay, the worst video games they've played, anime, modern TV for kids, dealing with haters, surprising interviews, and much more.

Episode 137: Alix Wilton Regan on Assassin's Creed, Dragon Age, and Voice Acting Mar 12, 2018

On this week's episode, award-winning actress, voice-over artist, writer, and the voice of Aya from Assassin’s Creed Origins, Alix Wilton Regan, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss voice acting in video games. Alix covers her many roles in AAA RPGs, how she got into the business, the process of doing voice acting with motion capture, the journey of Assassin's Creed Origins, the personal weight of saving a franchise, and what she's working on next.

Episode 136: Jeff Cannata on Podcasting, Hosting, and Being Politically Active on Twitter Mar 05, 2018

On this week's episode, Jeff Cannata, an actor, show host, and podcaster for shows like DLC, We Have Concerns, and The /Filmcast, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss games media and podcasting. Jeff explains how he got his start, balancing creative passions, how to create a successful podcast in 2018, being outspoken on Twitter, personality-based games coverage, and why it's OK to have conversations with people who you disagree with.

Episode 135: Cellar Door Games' Teddy Lee on Full Metal Furies and the Possibility of Rogue Legacy 2 Feb 26, 2018

On this week's episode, co-founder and game designer for Cellar Door Games, Teddy Lee, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss indie games, how to gauge success, and balancing difficulty. Teddy details the development of Full Metal Furies, how the success of Rogue Legacy changed expectations for the studio, the longer sales tail of modern indie games, understanding when to put your game on sale, and what Rogue Legacy 2 would look like.

Episode 134: ID@Xbox Director Chris Charla on the State of Xbox One Indie Games Feb 19, 2018

On this week's episode, the director of ID@Xbox at Microsoft and the former executive producer at Backbone Entertainment, Chris Charla, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the current state of indie games on Xbox One. They cover the initial narrative surrounding Microsoft's console, competing with Sony and Nintendo, how the indie release calendar is set, what the success of something like Cuphead does for the program, the most common genres he sees, and what to expect on Xbox One in 2018.

Episode 133: Abubakar Salim on Voicing Bayek of Siwa from Assassin’s Creed Origins Feb 12, 2018

On this week's episode, an actor seen on such shows as Black Mirror, Jamestown, and Strike, as well as the voice of Bayek of Siwa from Assassin’s Creed Origins, Abubakar Salim, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss voice acting in AAA video games. Abu explains how he got the role of Bayek, the process of voicing and motion capturing a character, behind-the-scenes development stories, how he created his unique accent for the game, and his dream role.

Episode 132: Greg Miller on Kinda Funny, IGN, Games Media, and Avoiding Burnout Feb 05, 2018

On this week's episode, CEO and cofounder of Kinda Funny and the former face of IGN, Greg Miller, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss starting your own business and how games media has changed over the years. Greg explains what he's learned since founding Kinda Funny, what it felt like to leave IGN, what you need to do to land a games media job today, how to avoid burning out when pouring your time into a passion, dream guests, and what you can expect from Kinda Funny in 2018.

Episode 131: Chuck Mindenhall on Sports Media, The Ringer, and the UFC's Polarizing Politics Jan 29, 2018

On this week's episode, senior writer at MMAFighting, columnist for The Ringer, and a panelist on The MMA Beat, Chuck Mindenhall, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss sports media in relation to games media and the insanity of covering MMA. They discuss why UFC fighter pay should be an even bigger story, how Dana White mirrors Donald Trump, how the UFC battles media, writing for hardcore fans vs. more casual observers, and the human side of cage fighting.

Episode 130: Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2018 Jan 22, 2018

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin and freelancer Joseph Knoop list the games they're most excited to play in 2018. They give thoughts, predictions, and analysis on upcoming releases such as Darksiders 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Valkyria Chronicles 4, and much more.

Episode 129: Jan Ochoa on Giant Bomb, MythBusters, and Personality-Based Media Jan 15, 2018

On this week's episode, Jan Ochoa, the brand new associate video producer at Giant Bomb and former cameraman for MythBusters, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the interview process for Giant Bomb and adjusting to the new games media landscape. Jan explains his Giant Bomb fandom, the surreal nature of meeting your heroes and getting your dream job, what it's been like suddenly having a Twitter following, how he got to work for MythBusters, his Giant Bomb goals for 2018, and his surprise answer to a well-known GB community question.

Episode 128: Mailbag Special with Former Dragon Age Creative Director Mike Laidlaw Jan 12, 2018

On this week's episode, former creative director for the Dragon Age series and a long-time BioWare staple, Mike Laidlaw, joins host Josiah Renaudin to answer your Tweets and emails. Mike details the lessons he learned from working on Dragon Age, story regrets, the importance of strong characters, his team's response to certain memes and fan discussions, the state of AAA development, other RPGs that inspire him, and much more.

Episode 127: Brian Crecente on Glixel, Rolling Stone, and How to Build Successful Games Media Sites Jan 08, 2018

On this week's episode, the editorial director at Glixel, a founding editor and former executive editor for Polygon, and the founding editor-in-chief of Kotaku, Brian Crecente, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how Rolling Stone covers video games. Brian details how he got his current editorial role, what he looks for in freelancers, how he determines what the site should cover, how to create a successful website in a video-driven era, and what you can expect from Glixel in 2018.

Episode 126: Mailbag Special on Microsoft's Future, AAA Dev Costs, and More with Shinobi602 Jan 01, 2018

On this week's episode, video game enthusiast, game industry insider, and the host of Shinobi Speaks, Shinobi602, joins host Josiah Renaudin to answer your Tweets and emails! The duo tackles the Xbox One X and how games media talks about Microsoft, the unsustainable state of AAA game development, the most interesting games of 2018, hopeful gaming trends for the coming months, why there hasn't been any new Halo updates, and much more.

Episode 125: The 2017 Game of the Year Awards Spectacular Dec 22, 2017

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin is joined by a familiar cast to determine the top 10 games of 2017. The crew includes podcaster, past GameSpotter, and current freelancer, Tom Mc Shea; the managing editor at Feminist Frequency, podcaster, streamer, and writer, Carolyn Petit; and game designer and writer for Divinity Original Sin 2 and former GameSpot reviews editor, Kevin VanOrd. They discuss games such as Universal Paperclips, Hellblade, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Resident Evil 7, The Evil Within 2, Butterfly Soup, and much more.

Episode 124: Andrea Rene on What's Good Games, Kinda Funny, and the State of Games Media Dec 18, 2017

On this week's episode, Andrea Rene, a co-host for Kinda Funny Games Daily, the COO of What’s Good Games, and a prolific host/presenter, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss personality-based games coverage and the future of media. Andrea details how What's Good Games came together, the struggles of crowdfunding, still getting starstruck by developers, why it's OK for people at major sites to parlay their popularity into new opportunities, and her future goals as a host.

Episode 123: Alysia Judge on Hosting for IGN and How Women in Games Media are Viewed Dec 11, 2017

On this week's episode, video host for IGN, a Games Jury Member for the BAFTAs, and a former freelancer for Sky News, BBC Radio, and more, Alysia Judge, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss what it's like hosting and doing videos for IGN. Alysia explains her strange journey to IGN, what it's like always being on camera, how women in games media are currently viewed, misconceptions about IGN, and the state of games criticism.

Episode 122: Jessica Saunders on Crafting Sound Design for Rocksteady, Rare, and Lionhead Studios Dec 04, 2017

On this week's episode, director at Salix Games and former sound designer at Rocksteady, Splash Damage, Rare, and Lionhead, Jessica Saunders, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the process of creating sound in video games. Jessica details how sound is designed in games like Arkham Knight and Fable Heroes, what her time at Rare was like, how to find sound design jobs after college, why you need to be established before delving into a Kickstarter, and the differences between working on known franchises and new IP.

Episode 121: Giant Bomb's Jason Oestreicher on Games Media's Shift to Video and Ignoring SEO Nov 27, 2017

On this week's episode, video maverick for Giant Bomb, fighting game guru, and former Game Informer video editor, Jason Oestreicher, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss creating videos on the internet. Jason explains his journey to Giant Bomb, what it's like training new hires, the growth of crowdfunding, the struggles of doing live shows, showing your personality online, and how important the community really is.

Episode 120: Tamoor Hussain on Video Game Violence, Tackling Sensitive Issues, and Games Criticism Nov 20, 2017

On this week's episode, UK Editor for GameSpot and a former freelancer, Tamoor Hussain, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how to handle sensitive topics in video games. The two tackle the times and places for extreme violence, what should and shouldn't be shown at a press conference, how difficult it can be to ask direct, critical questions to a developer, how we can improve as an industry, and whether review scores even make sense for a game like Detriot: Become Human.

Episode 119: Halo Co-Creator Marcus Lehto on Bungie, How to Fix Crunch, and Loot Boxes Nov 13, 2017

On this week's episode, former creative director at Bungie, a co-creator of the Halo franchise, and the president and creative director for V1 Interactive, Marcus Lehto, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about AAA development. Marcus details his time at Bungie, the evolution of Halo throughout the years, early Destiny dev stories, what he's learned about development crunch (and how to improve working conditions), the problems with modern microtransactions, and what he's currently working on at V1 Interactive.

Episode 118: Jeff Bakalar on the Growth of Game Reviews, Being on Camera, and the Beastcast Nov 06, 2017

On this week's episode, podcaster, video game critic, and tech guru seen on CNET and the Giant Beastcast, Jeff Bakalar, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about games and tech coverage. Jeff details how games criticism has evolved over the years and where it can still improve, the process of feeling comfortable on podcasts/videos, the value of the Xbox One X, and what it's been like getting to know the Giant Bomb community.

Episode 117: Nick Scarpino on Kinda Funny, Leaving IGN, and Overcoming Personal Barriers Oct 30, 2017

On this week's episode, co-founder/host for Kinda Funny and former IGN head of production, Nick Scarpino, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss starting Kinda Funny and overcoming personal barriers. Nick details why he left IGN, how expectations have changed for Kinda Funny over time, dealing with different fears, what it's like doing open mic appearances, and how to become comfortable being on camera.

Episode 116: Bonus Q&A Show on the State of Games Media, Pitching Features, and Dream Guests Oct 26, 2017

On this bonus episode of The 1099, host Josiah Renaudin and freelancer Joseph Knoop answer all the burning listener questions you can handle. Topics include the future of games media, how to interview your heroes, YouTube vs. traditional games coverage, how to pitch to big outlets, making money writing about games, dream guests, and tips for podcasting that people don't talk about.

Episode 115: Lucy James on GameSpot, YouTube, and Being Transparent with Your Audience Oct 23, 2017

On this week's episode, Lucy James, a video producer at GameSpot and former freelance writer/presenter at VideoGamer and GameReactor, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the pros and cons of video game media on YouTube. Lucy explains how she became one of the faces of GameSpot, how the different GameSpot teams work together, the benefits of learning how to write video scripts, why disclosure matters for sponsored content, and why personalities at websites are becoming so important.

Episode 114: Eric Pope on For Honor, Building a Community, and Taking Risks Oct 16, 2017

On this week's episode, community developer at Ubisoft Montreal, a former product manager at Harmonix, and the color commentator for the League of Heels video game wrestling league, Eric Pope, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss building a community for a new IP like For Honor. They tackle how to run alphas/betas, what community feedback you should actually listen to, how difficult it can be to break into someone's multiplayer rotation, how the different Ubisoft Studios work together, the wonders of Canada, and what you can expect from For Honor moving forward.

Episode 113: GameSpot's Peter Brown on Games Criticism and if We Need Review Scores Oct 09, 2017

On this week's episode, GameSpot senior reviews editor, Peter Brown, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how GameSpot does reviews. Peter details how GameSpot has changed since he first took the job, what belongs in a review and should be separated into its own feature, why scores can confuse things more than anything else, the health of games criticism as a whole, and how freelancers can write for GameSpot.

Episode 112: Mark Brown on Game Maker's Toolkit and Teaching Players Game Design Oct 02, 2017

On this week's episode, the host of Game Maker's Toolkit as well as a writer seen on Edge, Wired, Eurogamer, VideoGamer, and Pocket Gamer, Mark Brown, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss smart, analytical YouTube gaming videos. Mark details the research that goes into his projects, how an understanding of game design can lessen the toxicity of the community, what developers have to say about his videos, the risks of turning to Patreon, and the biggest lessons learned from creating this style of content.

Episode 111: Danika Harrod on Waypoint, Social Media, and Why Games Culture Matters Sep 25, 2017

On this week's episode, social editor and regular presence on all Waypoint content, Danika Harrod, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss social media and games culture. Danika details what it's like running Waypoint's social media accounts, how to balance comical, silly posts with more serious issues, the struggles of moderation in the age of Trump, how to establish a consistent social media voice, and what she's learned about game development over the last year.

Episode 110: Greg Kasavin on Pyre's Development, Reviews, and Supergiant Sequels Sep 18, 2017

On this week's episode, writer and designer at Supergiant Games and former editor-in-chief at GameSpot, Greg Kasavin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the development of Pyre. Greg details how the game changed over time, the writing process, how to develop games with so many different narrative variables, the critical and community reaction to the game, why Supergiant hasn't done sequels up to this point, and the importance of sound design.

Episode 109: VideoGamer's Alice Bell on UK Games Media and What Game Reviews Get Right Sep 11, 2017

On this week's episode, leading editor at VideoGamer.com and a UK games industry 30 under 30 recipient, Alice Bell, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the UK games media scene and what it's like running a major website. Alice details how she became the leading editor at VideoGamer, how to determine which games are worth covering, how following traffic trends isn't always the answer, the ups and downs of modern games criticism, and why UK and US games media feel so separated at times.

Episode 108: Michael Pachter on Xbox One X Sales, the Switch's Future, and Console Exclusives Sep 04, 2017

On this week's episode, research analyst at Wedbush Securities, the host of the Pachter Factor, and a returning guest, Michael Pachter, joins host Josiah Renaudin to cover the business side of video games. They cover the sales projections and possible struggles of the Xbox One X, the surprising success of the Nintendo Switch, why Nintendo isn't selling many SNES Classics, whether or not console exclusives still matter, and what we can expect from the next PlayStation.

Episode 107: Todd Schlickbernd on YouTube Economics and Working for PeanutButterGamer Aug 28, 2017

On this week's episode, video producer for PeanutButterGamer and a co-host for the Stuck Together Podcast, Todd Schlickbernd, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about how successful YouTubers make money. Todd explains the benefits of long vs. short videos, how sponsored content works, why you need to be honest with your audience, the responsibilities YouTubers when controversial topics arise, and the value of creating secondary channels.

Episode 106: Jeff Green on the Evolution of Games Media and Why Game Reviews Still Matter Aug 21, 2017

On this week's episode, Jeff Green, a consultant for Hit Detection, former games writer for Computer Gaming World and 1UP, and a former writer for PopCap and EA, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the evolution of games media. Jeff details how veterans of games media can enter the world of consultancy, the move from writing to video, how to find success with Twitch streaming, the right time to jump into crowdfunding, and the difficulties of working for a game publisher/developer.

Episode 105: Rami Ismail on International Game Dev, the Health of Indie Games, and Vlambeer's Future Aug 14, 2017

On this week's episode, co-founder for indie studio Vlambeer and speaker/world traveler, Rami Ismail, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the state of independent game development. Rami explains the benefits of being open to your audience, the biggest misconception the average "gamer" has about how games are made, how he deals with media criticism, the impact geography has on game design, how to predict new genre trends, and what it was like watching his mom play a video game for the first time.

Episode 104: Brad Shoemaker on Giant Bomb, Hosting the Bombcast, and Games Criticism Aug 07, 2017

On this week's episode, Giant Bomb senior editor and host of the Bombcast, Brad Shoemaker, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss Giant Bomb and the state of games media. Brad details his long career in games writing, how he dealt with the shift from writing to video, how long it took to feel comfortable in front of the camera, how the site continues to find great new talent, what he sees as the next big shift in games coverage, and what's coming up on Giant Bomb.

Episode 103: Iron Galaxy's Dave Lang on Extinction, Game Ports, and Giant Bomb Jul 31, 2017

On this week's episode, founder and C3PO of Iron Galaxy Studios and a co-host of TeamGFB Radio, Dave Lang, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the ins and outs of Iron Galaxy. Dave explains how the studio came together, the process of porting games to PC/other consoles, pitch meetings for upcoming action title Extinction, the pressures of being a founder of a company, and his exploits at Giant Bomb.

Episode 102: Abby Russell on Giant Bomb, Improv, and Women in Games Media Jul 24, 2017

On this week's episode, new Giant Bomb crew member and Twitter sensation, Abby Russell, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the process of getting hired by Giant Bomb. Abby details her past experience, meeting everyone at E3, what it's like being the first woman hired at Giant Bomb, what she feels she brings to the site, her love for improv, and what she's playing.

Episode 101: Kevin VanOrd on Writing for Divinity: Original Sin II and Life After GameSpot Jul 17, 2017

On this week's episode, designer and writer for Divinity: Original Sin 2 and EarthNight and former senior editor at GameSpot, Kevin VanOrd, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the process of moving from games media to development. Kevin details his big move to Belgium, the ins and outs of writing for Original Sin II, what he misses most about reviewing games, dealing with Early Access criticism, the current state of games media, and his favorite games of the year.

Episode 100: Drew Scanlon on Cloth Map, Giant Bomb, World Travel, and Crowdfunding Jul 10, 2017

On this week's 100th episode, former producer at Giant Bomb and the current world traveler for Cloth Map, Drew Scanlon, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how games impact people all around the globe. Drew explains his departure from Giant Bomb, his crowdfunding strategy, what it's like traveling the world alone, his best memories at his old job, the power of the Giant Bomb community, the struggles of creating your own schedule, and much more.

Episode 99: Steve Burns on Opportunities Outside of Games Media and the Health of Criticism Jul 03, 2017

On this week's episode, SpecialGun Productions co-founder and former VideoGamer staple, Steve Burns, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss life after games media. Steve explains what it's like working on projects for game publishers, lists the risks of crowdfunding, lays out the health of games writing and reviews, names the best games of the year, and describes what the perfect modern video game website would look like.

Episode 98: Mike Laidlaw on How Dragon Age is Made and the Probability of Jade Empire 2 Jun 26, 2017

On this week's episode, the creative director of Dragon Age, Mike Laidlaw, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how the team at BioWare creates such massive open worlds. Mike explains the different roles he's played at BioWare, the struggles of even starting a five-year AAA project, what a linear Dragon Age (similar to Uncharted) would look like, how he deals with Dragon Age reviews, and the possibility of a Jade Empire 2.

Episode 97: E3 Awards and Games Media vs. Influencers with Jake Baldino Jun 22, 2017

On this week's episode, Gameranx video king and The 1099 MVP, Jake Baldino, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss E3 2017. The duo covers what it's like covering the show as a YouTuber, how influencers are being misused at press conferences, how Reggie Fils-Aimé can dunk, and what E3 2018 can do to better serve the general public. Afterwards, they give out their E3 2017 awards, including the “Where’s Waldo?” award for missing game, and the game we thought might be total trash but now we’re actually going to buy... award.

Episode 96: Motion Twin's Steve Filby on Dead Cells' Success, Early Access, and Console Versions Jun 12, 2017

On this week's episode, game communication and marketing dude from Motion Twin, Steve Filby, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the new Steam hit, Dead Cells. Steve explains how the idea came about, the advantages of putting your game on Early Access, the impact positive reviews have had on sales, when you can expect the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions, and what to expect from the game moving forward.

Episode 95: Giant Bomb’s Jeff Gerstmann on E3, the State of the Industry, and Scorpio vs. PS4 Pro Jun 06, 2017

On this week’s episode, Giant Bomb co-founder and former GameSpot mainstay, Jeff Gerstmann, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the past, present, and future of the games industry. The two discuss Giant Bomb’s focus on video over written content, what the company would look like if it started in the age of Patreon, the possible storylines to come out of next week’s E3 conference, how console half-steps like Pro and Scorpio have changed the industry, what Microsoft needs to do to succeed moving forward, and what you can expect from Giant Bomb for the rest of the year.

Episode 94: Carli Velocci on Going Freelance to Full-Time and Why Writing About Games Can Suck May 29, 2017

On this week's episode, TV reporter at The Wrap and former games freelancer, Carli Velocci, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the process of going from prolific freelancer to full-time writer. The duo explains how difficult it can be to enjoy games while writing about them, how to find new motivation after the freelance hustle ends, the differences between writing about games and writing about TV, and what TV shows you should be watching.

Episode 93: Fullbright's Nina Freeman on Tacoma and Creating Personal Games May 22, 2017

On this week's episode, Nina Freeman, a level designer at The Fullbright Company and the creator of Cibele, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about creating indie games both big and small. Nina details her work with Fullbright, how the team made major changes to Tacoma deep into development, the differences between working with a team and doing smaller, more personal projects, what games she's jealous of, and how she deals with game reviews.

Episode 92: Shea Serrano on The Ringer and Why You Should Never Write for Free May 15, 2017

On this week’s episode, The Ringer staff writer, New York Times bestselling author of The Rap Year Book, and the best follow on Twitter, Shea Serrano, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the ins and outs of pop culture and sports freelance writing. Shea explains how he went from a middle school science teacher to writing for Bill Simmons, how you should never write for free, the different editors who influenced him, how daunting it can be to write a book for the first time, and the importance of building yourself up on Twitter.

Episode 91: Simon Miller on Crowd Funding Mistakes, Traditional Games Media, and the Freelance Life May 08, 2017

On this week's episode, freelance video game mercenary, YouTube personality, wrestler in training, and returning guest, Simon Miller, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the European freelance scene. The duo covers the current state of VideoGamer, the process of going from full-time back to freelance work, why crowdfunding isn't always the answer, how to find success on YouTube, and why going to the gym can really change your life.

Episode 90: Adam Sessler on Game Reviews, New Games Media, and X-Play May 01, 2017

On this week's episode, former co-host of G4’s X-Play and the current president of TheoryHead, Adam Sessler, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the new games media landscape. They cover modern game reviews, how we talk about games, the importance of sites like Waypoint, how X-Play was done from episode to episode, the brilliance of Horizon: Zero Dawn's design, and what Adam's up to now.

Episode 89: Dan Ryckert on Giant Bomb and Getting Married in a Taco Bell Apr 24, 2017

On this week's episode, senior editor at Giant Bomb and author of The Dumbest Kid in Gifted Class and Anxiety as an Ally, Dan Ryckert, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss Dan moving from Giant Bomb West to Giant Bomb East, the difficulties of getting full-time games writing work, the current best route for breaking into the industry, the responsibility a video game personality has to their audience, and Taco Bell weddings.

Episode 88: MMAjunkie and USA Today's Ben Fowlkes on the State of Sports and MMA Journalism Apr 17, 2017

On this week's episode, MMAjunkie and USA Today columnist and co-host of the Co-Main Event Mixed Martial Arts Podcast, Ben Fowlkes, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss what it's like covering the UFC. They explore how the UFC often sees the media as an extension of PR, how to handle the discussion of concussions, the process of getting a short story published, covering live sporting events from home, and the growth of the Co-Main Event Podcast.

Episode 87: Jake Baldino on YouTubers Getting Paid for Coverage and Persona 5's Streaming Ban Apr 10, 2017

On this week's episode, Jake Baldino, captain of the Gameranx YouTube channel, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how and why you can't stream Persona 5, the state of paid coverage on YouTube, video criticism vs. traditional written criticism, the responsibility a YouTuber has to their audience, and what to do when dangerous rhetoric is pushed by popular channels.

Episode 86: Mafia III Senior Writer Charles Webb on Building AAA Narratives and Handling Criticism Apr 03, 2017

On this week's episode, the senior writer for Mafia 3, Charles Webb, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the process of building the story for a AAA game. They cover how to craft an open-world narrative, side quests vs. main quests, the response to Mafia III, diversity in big-budget projects, and the upcoming DLC being worked on.

Episode 85: No Man's Sky Writer Greg Buchanan on How Game Stories are Made Mar 27, 2017

On this week's episode, Greg Buchanan, a writer at Hello Games, Salix Games, and former narrative designer at Supermassive Games, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how video game stories come together. They discuss the writing process, narrative design, indie vs. AAA projects, understanding a game's lore, and whether or not video game writing needs to catch up with other media.

Episode 84: Reid McCarter on Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Lazy Games Criticism Mar 20, 2017

On this week's episode, freelance writer for Paste, PCGamer, and Bullet Points Monthly, Reid McCarter, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the state of AAA video game reviews. The two tackle the response to Ghost Recon: Wildlands, cover how some writers can slip into a cycle of lazy criticism, wonder how the writing in Wildlands ever made it by an editor, and argue over whether certain reviews should be called out for ignoring troubling thematic elements.

Episode 83: Vinny Caravella on Giant Bomb's Future and the Balance Between Written and Video Content Mar 13, 2017

On this week's episode, the head of video for Giant Bomb and the host of the Giant Beastcast, Vinny Caravella, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the progress of Giant Bomb East, the importance of personality at Giant Bomb, Drew's departure, the balance between written and video content at the website, how special the Giant Bomb community has become, the current trends in games media, and what you can expect from Giant Bomb this year.

Episode 82: GDC in Review and How to Make Money at Conferences as a Freelancer Mar 06, 2017

On this week's episode, freelancer Joseph Knoop joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss this year's Game Developers Conference. The duo cover the best panels the conference had to offer, how to get paid to go to GDC or any other big video game show, the costs involved in traveling across the country to cover an event, how to handle post-show parties and bar outings, and why GDC might be the best conference for freelancers to attend.

Episode 81: Elias Toufexis on Being the Voice of Deus Ex's Adam Jensen Feb 27, 2017

On this week's episode, actor from TV shows like Smallville, The Expanse, and Supernatural and the voice of Adam Jensen from Deus Ex, Elias Toufexis, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss games, TV, and motion capture. Elias details his different TV roles, the process of voicing someone with as many lines as Adam Jensen, how his distinct voice has both helped and hurt his career, and what he's working on in 2017.

Episode 80: Justin McElroy on the MBMBAM Seeso Show, Polygon, and Podcasting Feb 20, 2017

On this week's episode, Justin McElroy, the editor-at-large at Polygon and a co-brother on My Brother, My Brother, and Me, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about how MBMBAM became a series on Seeso, the challenge of adapting a podcast for a live audience, the process of making crazy shows like Things I Bought at Sheetz, and what it's been like to see Polygon grow and change.

Episode 79: Lisa Foiles on All That, the UFC, and Being a New Mom Feb 13, 2017

On this week's episode, actor, writer, host of the UFC Minute, and former All That cast member, Lisa Foiles, joins Josiah Renaudin to discuss how she got into acting, her experiences on All That, being a new mom, her former work with major video game sites like GameSpot and IGN, the UFC, and what games she's most looking forward to in 2017.

Episode 78: Bleacher Report's Chad Dundas on His First Book, the UFC, and Podcasting Feb 06, 2017

On this week's episode, author of Champion of the World, lead MMA writer for Bleacher Report, and host of the Co-Main Event Podcast, Chad Dundas, joins Josiah Renaudin to discuss what it's like to get a book published, the nature of covering the UFC and mixed martial arts, freelance opportunities in sports writing, and the big success of the Co-Main Event Podcast.

Episode 77: Michael Pachter on Switch Projections, PlayStation 5 Date, and Xbox One's Future Jan 30, 2017

On this week's episode, Wedbush Securities research analyst and host of the Pachter Factor, Michael Pachter, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the business of making video game projections. Pachter explains why the Nintendo Switch might need a price cut, when we can expect to see the PlayStation 5, why Microsoft will always be second in the console race, the future of virtual reality, and why you don't need to worry about 4K until 2020.

Episode 76: IGN's Lucy O’Brien on AAA Game Reviews, Diversity, and Parity in Criticism Jan 23, 2017

On this week's episode, IGN's entertainment editor for games and film, Lucy O’Brien, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss why people expect major sites to score AAA games an 8 or above, the state of diversity in games writing, how most reviewers come to a certain consensus on major new releases, and what game she'd most like to review in 2017.

Episode 75: Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2017 and Nintendo Switch Reactions Jan 16, 2017

On this week's episode, MMA aficionado, life-long gamer, and host of the Bushido Talk podcast, Tommy Toe Hold, joins host Josiah Renaudin to rank the top 10 most anticipated games of the year. They cover the open world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, how Horizon: Zero Dawn looks like nothing else out there, the viability of 3D platformers in 2017, and the launch lineup of the Nintendo Switch.

Episode 74: The 2016 Game of the Year Awards Spectacular Jan 09, 2017

On this week's episode, Tom Mc Shea, Carolyn Petit, and Joseph Knoop join host Josiah Renaudin to determine the 10 best games of 2016. The crew debates the narrative consistency of Uncharted 4, discuss the concept of addiction in Overwatch, dig in to a medley of indie games, and spend more than two hours trying to come to some sort of compromise.

Episode 73: Will Smith on the Present and Future of Virtual Reality Jan 02, 2017

On this week's episode, FOO VR CEO Will Smith joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the current state of virtual reality and where it's going in the next few years. Will discusses his new work at FOO, the differences between the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Oculus Rift, which games make the best use of the medium, his former work at Tested, and what 2017 could mean for VR.

Episode 72: Waypoint's Mike Diver on VICE's Dream Team and Games Culture Dec 26, 2016

On this week's episode, Waypoint senior editor, Mike Diver, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss VICE's new video game vertical, joining forces with Austin Walker and Patrick Klepek, the split between full-time and freelance work at Waypoint, the value of traditional game reviews, and culture writing in video games.

Episode 71: Alexis Kennedy on BioWare, Dragon Age Lore, and Choice in Games Dec 19, 2016

On this week's episode, Failbetter founder and Paradox/BioWare writer, Alexis Kennedy, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss contracted games writing, what it's like working with BioWare, the joys (and difficulties) of the Dragon Age lore, and how to best handle choice/agency in video games.

Episode 70: Shinobi602 on NeoGAF, Getting News Tips, and 2016's Best Games Dec 05, 2016

On this week's episode, NeoGAF extraordinaire and industry insider, Shinobi602, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the ins and outs of the largest and most infamous gaming community. He explains why the NeoGAF forums are so important, how he went from a fan of games to an insider, why people get so mad at him for being positive, and what games we should look forward to next year.

Episode 69: Adam Boyes on Leaving PlayStation to Become the CEO of Iron Galaxy Nov 28, 2016

On this week's episode, the current CEO of Iron Galaxy Studios and former vice president of third party relations at PlayStation, Adam Boyes, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss his years working with indie devs, the success of the PlayStation 4, the nerves that come with speaking at an E3 press conference, the Giant Bomb community, and his new role at Iron Galaxy.

Episode 68: Tevis Thompson on What's Wrong with Games Criticism Nov 21, 2016

On this week's episode, writer and critic, Tevis Thompson, joins host Josiah Renaudin to break down games criticism. They cover what makes for good criticism, the elements of a bad review, why not all games should just be escapism, which writers you should follow, and what Waypoint and Glixel could mean for the future of gaming culture.

Episode 67: Spawn On Me's Kahlief Adams on Podcasting and Diversity Nov 14, 2016

On this week's episode, Kahlief Adams, the owner and host of the Spawn On Me Podcast, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how to start a podcast, getting the right audio quality, representation in video game coverage, the improving diversity in games, and where we go from here.

Episode 66: Holly Green on Paste Games, Pitching, and Twitter Nov 07, 2016

On this week's episode, games reporter and assistant editor at Paste Games, Holly Green, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the future of Paste, how and why you should pitch them, taking online criticism, what we're missing in games writing, and why you need to get off Twitter from time to time.

Episode 65: Benjamin Rivers on Horror Games, Home, and Alone With You Oct 31, 2016

On this week's episode, the developer of Home and Alone With You, Ben Rivers, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss what makes horror games scary, avoiding jump scares, developing on the PS4 and Vita, dealing with game reviews as a developer, and bouncing around between genres.

Episode 64: Glixel's Rachel Weber on Rolling Stone and PlayStation VR Oct 24, 2016

On this week's episode, brand new Glixel writer, Rachel Weber, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how she landed her new job, what it's like getting your work edited by Rolling Stone staff members, the present and future of virtual reality, and the state of games culture writing.

Episode 63: Evolve PR Director Tom Ohle on Video Game PR and The Witcher Oct 17, 2016

On this week's episode, Evolve PR director, Tom Ohle, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the state of video game PR, how to promote an indie game versus a AAA release, what it's been like working with The Witcher team since the start, what good PR can do to small games, and what Evolve titles to look forward to in the near future.

Episode 62: Ubisoft's Dan Amrich on Review Backlash and Evolving Criticism Oct 03, 2016

On this week's episode, Ubisoft community developer and long-time games journalist, Dan Amrich, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss Dan's early days in the industry, his book, how reviews have changed over the years, publisher backlash to negative reviews, and how he transitioned to community work.

Episode 61: Harmonix's Nick Mudry on Rock Band 4 and Virtual Reality Sep 26, 2016

On this week's episode, Harmonix product manager, Nick Mudry, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the state of music games, the reception of Rock Band 4, the struggles of a crowd-funding campaign, the joys of virtual reality, and what you can expect from Harmonix moving forward.

Episode 60: Kotaku's Jason Schreier on Breaking Stories and Real Games Reporting Sep 19, 2016

On this week's episode, Kotaku news editor, Jason Schreier, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how Kotaku breaks such big stories, why investigative reporting is so important in the games industry, the response to early reports about major game delays, and the difference between YouTubers and traditional writers.

Episode 59: Kotaku Managing Editor Riley MacLeod on How the Site Covers Games Sep 12, 2016

On this week's episode, Kotaku managing editor, Riley MacLeod, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the way Kotaku covers games. They talk about the freelance market, how to balance light-hearted posts with investigative reporting, writing stories about games well after launch, and the future of Kotaku.

Episode 58: Brendan Sinclair on News Writing, GameSpot, and the Crumbling Internet Ad Model Sep 05, 2016

On this week's episode, GamesIndustry.biz writer and former senior news editor at GameSpot, Brendan Sinclair, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the failures of the ad model on websites, hosting the HotSpot after the firing of Jeff Gerstmann, the issues with news writing in games, and why we need to cover stories that don't get that many clicks.

Episode 57: Game Informer's Javy Gwaltney on Landing a Full-Time Writing Job Aug 29, 2016

On this week's episode, Javy Gwaltney from Game Informer joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss what it's like to interview for a full-time games media job, what Game Informer's done to stay relevant for so long, the challenges of writing for print, freelancing for Paste, and the importance of personality-based writing.

Episode 56: ESPN's Jacob Wolf on The International and Esports Coverage Aug 22, 2016

On this week's episode, ESPN reporter and esports aficionado, Jacob Wolf, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss ESPN's new focus on esports, the types of stories that fans care about the most, the success of The International 2016, and what the business of competitive gaming will look like in 2020.

Episode 55: No Man's Sky Review with Jake Baldino and Tommy Toe Hold Aug 15, 2016

On this week's episode, Jake Baldino and Tommy Toe Hold join host Josiah Renaudin to talk about their expectations going in to No Man's Sky, their frustrations with the inventory system, the coolest moments they had on new planets, and what can be done to make the game better.

Episode 54: GoodGameBro's Doug Veney on YouTube Tips, Tricks, and Econmics Aug 08, 2016

On this week's episode, GoodGameBro owner Doug Veney joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the business behind YouTube. They cover how to build subscribers, methods to grow your daily views, how much editing goes into a single video, and what you can do to stand out among the flood of Let's Play channels.

Episode 53: VideoGamer's Simon Miller on Video Essays and YouTube Characters Aug 01, 2016

On this week's episode, VideoGamer's head of video production, Simon Miller, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the growth of VideoGamer's YouTube channel, the many different characters they've created, how to balance the video and editorial sides of the site, why it's sometimes important to take games less seriously, and the future of VideoGamer.

Episode 52: Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro on Game Reviews and the Prominence of Video Jul 25, 2016

On this week's episode, Giant Bomb senior editor, Alex Navarro, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss post-E3 vacations, the origins of Giant Bomb, how personality-based sites have flourished, the health of game reviews, the state of the industry as a whole, and the expansion of Giant Bomb.

Episode 51: John Davison on Glixel, Regular Freelancers, and Games Culture Writing Jul 18, 2016

On this week's episode, Glixel leading man John Davison joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the direction of the new Rolling Stone site, how Glixel will tackle the culture surrounding games, the use of regular freelancers, whether or not games writing is on the upswing, and when you can expect the Glixel's full launch.

Episode 50: Phil Kollar on Polygon's Entertainment Coverage and the Health of Games Criticism Jul 11, 2016

On the 50th episode of The 1099, Polygon's Phil Kollar joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the direction of The Rift Herald, the changes Polygon has made since its inception, the obstacles new gaming websites face, and how the industry can start writing better reviews.

Episode 49: Lorne Lanning on Oddworld: Soulstorm and PS4 Neo/Project Scorpio Jul 04, 2016

On this week's episode, Lorne Lanning, co-founder and president of Oddworld Inhabitants, revisits the podcast to discuss the development of Oddworld: Soulstorm, the benefits and struggles of putting your game on PlayStation Plus, why there will be new consoles almost every year, and the state of the indie market.

Episode 48: Kyle Orland on Games Writing’s Shrinking Role and E3’s Relevance Jun 27, 2016

On this week’s episode, Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor at Ars Technica, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the state of the industry and the basic blueprint for getting a full-time job at a major website. They cover how you get your editorial footing, writing’s decreasing significance in games coverage, what E3 will look like in a few years, the importance of PlayStation VR for the immediate future of the industry, and what you might expect from emerging sites like Glixel.

Episode 47: The Highs and Lows of E3 2016 with Miguel Concepcion and Ashley Esqueda Jun 20, 2016

On this week's show, freelance extraordinaire and GameSpot E3 representative, Miguel Concepcion, joins host Josiah Renaudin to recap the E3 2016 show floor experience. Then, CNET senior editor and Tomorrow Daily host, Ashley Esqueda, discusses her favorite games at E3 and explains how PlayStation VR can succeed this fall.

Episode 46: Big E3 News and I Get This Call Every Day Creator David Gallant Jun 13, 2016

On this week’s episode of The 1099, host Josiah Renaudin starts off by discussing the debut trailer of his studio’s first game, Here They Lie, as well as what he expects from E3. After that, I Get This Call Every Day creator, David Gallant, covers the game’s long development cycle, why games don’t have to be fun, the market for smaller indie experiences, and what he plans on doing next.

Episode 45: IGN's Vince Ingenito on Game Reviews, Scores, and Angry Comments Jun 06, 2016

On this week's episode, IGN editor and Game Revolution/Total Playstation alum, Vince Ingenito, joins host Josiah Renaudin to cover anything and everything games criticism. They go over why writers struggle to articulate what makes a game good, the purpose of scores, fan culture affecting reviews, and what you can do to work for IGN.

Episode 44: Uncharted 4 Critique and the Future of Overwatch May 30, 2016

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin enlists GameSpot editor Mike Mahardy and prolific freelancer Joseph Knoop to discuss the two biggest releases of May. The crew covers Uncharted 4's improved narrative and character interaction, the balance between traversal and set-piece moments, and whether or not we need a new Uncharted game. From there, they discuss why Overwatch works for newcomers, its long-term appeal, and character balance.

Episode 43: The State of Freelance Games Writing with Carli Velocci May 23, 2016

On this week's episode, Carli Velocci, weekend editor at Gizmodo and freelancer published on The Boston Globe, Polygon, and ZAM, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the current state of freelance games writing. They cover the viability of full-time freelancing, how editors can impact your future work, and the best way to earn an actual living through your pitches.

Episode 42: Ask Me Anything with Jake Baldino from Gameranx May 16, 2016

On this week's episode, Jake Baldino, the face of GameranxTV, BecauseVideoGames, and PMI, joins host Josiah Renaudin to answer all your burning questions. The duo tackles the value of a college degree when searching for a games media job, forced esports, milking franchises, fast food, bathroom habits (we're sorry), and Jake's origin story.

Episode 41: Nick Capozzoli on Building Your Platform, Bad Games Writing, and Patreon May 09, 2016

On this week's episode, game critic and Twitter curmudgeon, Nick Capozzoli, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss who can actually pull off a successful Patreon, the importance of a mission statement/statement of intent, building platforms for professional development and the improvement of games journalism, and how to fix game previews.

Episode 40: Yahoo's Michael Martin on Esports, the FGC, and Full-time Games Writing May 02, 2016

On this week's episode, former full-time freelancer and current Street Fighter V and fighting game expert at Yahoo Esports, Michael Martin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the competitive gaming scene, how to find full-time work in the games industry, and the struggles of diving head-first into freelancing.

Episode 39: GAW's Vanessa Fernandez on Indie Sites, Getting Your Start, and the Frag Dolls Apr 25, 2016

On this week's episode, Gamer Assault Weekly founder, Vanessa Fernandez, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how smaller sites build writers, why you need editors even for unpaid work, what the Frag Dolls did for female gamers, and how you can write for GAW.

Episode 38: IGN's Dan Stapleton on Review Comments, Backlash, and Parity Apr 18, 2016

On this week's episode, IGN’s executive editor of reviews, Dan Stapleton, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how IGN handles reviews, when to respond to comments, traditional press vs. YouTube influencers, games that were scored incorrectly, and how you can write for IGN.

Episode 37: VideoGamer's Steve Burns on the Current State of Games Criticism Apr 11, 2016

On this week's episode, VideoGamer's deputy editor, Steve Burns, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about what makes for a good review, parity in games criticism, writers who can't stop showering praise on their favorite franchises, the importance of YouTube, and the best way to cover TV and movies on a video game site.

Episode 36: The Best and Worst of Dark Souls 3 with Kevin VanOrd and Suriel Vazquez Apr 04, 2016

On this week’s episode, Kevin VanOrd, Suriel Vazquez, and host Josiah Renaudin share their impressions, favorite moments, and gripes surrounding the upcoming Dark Souls 3. After sinking dozens of hours into the game, the crew goes in-depth on the best bosses, whether or not there are enough surprises, the difficulty (or lack thereof), one of the best moments in the entire series, and whether or not this feels like a good ending point for the franchise.

Episode 35: The Ringer’s Jason Concepcion on the Dichotomy of Games Writing Mar 31, 2016

On this week's episode, former Grantland regular and new writer for The Ringer, Jason Concepcion, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about having multiple editors while freelancing, how games writing can really suck, why Firewatch has a perfect ending, what makes The Division both fun and terrible, and the big games that will be covered at The Ringer.

Episode 34: How to Make Money Writing About Video Games Mar 21, 2016

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin covers how he started making money writing about video games and how you can, too. He explains the best first steps, why you need an editor, steps you should never skip, and where he feels the industry is going.

Episode 33: GrandPOObear on How to Become a Twitch Partner Mar 14, 2016

On this week's episode, Twitch Partner and Mario Marker phenom, GrandPOObear, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss getting your start on Twitch, finding a niche, balancing your streaming with full-time work, and the process of becoming a Twitch Partner.

Episode 32: Mode 7 Games' Paul Kilduff-Taylor on Frozen Synapse 2 Mar 07, 2016

On this week's episode, Mode 7 Games co-founder, Paul Kilduff-Taylor, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the origin of Mode 7, the success of Frozen Synapse, the current games scene in the UK. and what to expect from Frozen Synapse 2.

Episode 31: Todd Schlickbernd of Rated S Games on Building Popular YouTube Channels Feb 29, 2016

On this week's episode, the host of Rated S Games, Todd Schlickbernd, joins Josiah Renaudin to talk about getting your start on small websites, why you need to be persistent to find success in the games industry, how to build YouTube subscribers, and the growth of video essays.

Episode 30: Chris Figueroa on the Origin of Snow Horse Feb 22, 2016

On this week's episode, Christopher Figueroa of KinifiGames explains how Snow Horse went from a gag to a real, fully featured video game. He explains where it all started, how the press helped this odd concept go viral, and why he's still cautiously optimistic about the game's future success.

Episode 29: Firewatch Spoilercast and Most Anticipated 2016 Games with Tommy Toe Hold Feb 16, 2016

On this week's episode, the host of TTTHS and Bushido Talk, Tommy Toe Hold, joins Josiah Renaudin to share detailed theories and opinions on the recently released adventure game, Firewatch. After that, the duo covers the games they're most excited to play in 2016, including titles like Cuphead, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, Sea of Thieves, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. WARNING: Firewatch is fully spoiled during the first half of the show. If you haven't played Firewatch, skip ahead to the 58:00 mark to listen to the discussion on the most interesting games of 2016

Episode 28: Kotaku's Patrick Klepek on the State of the Games Industry Feb 08, 2016

On this week's episode, Kotaku senior reporter, Patrick Klepek, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the ever-growing Mario Maker Mornings, whether or not writing about video games is viable, how we should cover games after their initial release, and the value of reviews.

Episode 27: Steve Gaynor on Tacoma's Development and Lessons Learned from Gone Home Feb 01, 2016

On this week's episode, The Fullbright Company's co-founder, Steve Gaynor, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss why Gone Home is totally a video game, the development of BioShock 2's Minerva's Den DLC, how his studio deals with reviews/criticism, and what to expect from Tacoma.

Episode 26: Wadjet Eye Games' Dave Gilbert on Modern Adventure Games and Double Fine's Kickstarter Jan 25, 2016

On this week's episode, the founder of Wadjet Eye Games, Dave Gilbert, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the current state of adventure games, the spotlight Double Fine's Kickstarter campaign put on the genre, how bundles can devalue your games, and the latest project coming out of Wadjet Eye.

Episode 25: Adult Swim Games' Senior Producer Chris Johnston on Video Game Publishing Jan 18, 2016

On this week's episode, Adult Swim Games' senior producer, Chris Johnston, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about how Adult Swim discovers new games, how far video game coverage has come, how to transition from writing about games to publishing them, and how a single embarrassing moment can change your career.

Episode 24: The 2015 Game of the Year Awards Spectacular Dec 28, 2015

On this week's episode, Tom Mc Shea, Carolyn Petit, Ian Williams, and host Josiah Renaudin come together to discuss the top 10 games of 2015. A hefty list of 30 wonderful video games is narrowed down and (properly?) ordered, with each member of the crew fighting to show why their choice deserves top billing. So, what's the best game of 2015? Could it be Metal Gear Solid V? Life is Strange? Dragon Ball XenoVerse? OK, probably not that last one, but tune in to find out.

Episode 23: Nathan Meunier on Self-Publishing and Full-Time Freelancing Dec 22, 2015

On this week's episode, Nathan Meunier, a freelance writer, author, and indie developer, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about how to succeed at full-time freelancing, the best ways to publish books and actually make money, and what it's like to go from reviewing video games to making them.

Episode 22: Paste Magazine's Garrett Martin on How to Pitch Editors Dec 14, 2015

On this week's episode, Paste Magazine's comedy and games editor, Garrett Martin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about what editors look for in a pitch, how Paste Magazine talks about games differently, and what you can do right now to get your first feature published.

Episode 21: Jake Baldino on Becoming a YouTube Personality Dec 08, 2015

On this week's episode, Gameranx host and producer, Jake Baldino, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about reaching 1.2 million YouTube subscribers, how he was able to focus on making videos full-time, and what you need to do to become a successful YouTuber.

Episode 20: MagicalTimeBean (Ian Stocker) on Double Fine Deal and Overcoming Disappointing Sales Nov 23, 2015

On this week's episode, Ian Stocker, the developer of Soulcaster and Escape Goat, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about MagicalTimeBean's publishing deal with Double Fine, how his games went from XBLIG to the PS4, and why Escape Goat 2 struggled on both Steam and consoles.

Episode 19: Chris Floyd on the Indie MEGABOOTH and Concise Writing Nov 16, 2015

On this week's episode, Chris Floyd, the operations manager at the Indie MEGABOOTH and co-founder of the Indies Workshop, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the viability of indie games, how to use your freelance work to get a different job in the industry, and why shorter reviews are often better reviews.

Episode 18: Lorne Lanning on Sony's Indie Focus and the State of the Industry Nov 09, 2015

On this week's episode, co-founder and president of Oddworld Inhabitants, Lorne Lanning, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about behind-the-scenes craziness from Sony's E3 2013 press conference, how indie games are where all the risks and innovation now take place, and why now is the best time to make a game.

Episode 17: Daym Drops on Viral Videos and Keeping YouTube Subscribers Nov 02, 2015

On this week's episode, food critic and YouTube personality, Daym Drops, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about becoming a YouTube celebrity, how to find and maintain subscribers, Daym's appearances on Rachael Ray and Jimmy Fallon, and why it's critical to stay grounded.

Episode 16: Disco Dodgeball Developer Erik Asmussen Oct 26, 2015

On this week's episode, Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball creator, Erik Asmussen, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about how to get your game on Steam, the best way for your game to catch the attention of major websites, and the impact of Steam sales.

Episode 15: Tom Mc Shea on Editorials and Developer Interviews Oct 19, 2015

On this week's episode, former GameSpot editor and current IGN freelancer, Tom Mc Shea, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about pitching features, how to interview developers during tense situations, and why writing reviews might not be the best use of your time.

Episode 14: Polygon Entertainment Reporter Julia Alexander Oct 12, 2015

On this week's episode, new entertainment reporter at Polygon, Julia Alexander, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about landing a full-time job in the industry, finding a writing mentor, writing weekly feature pitches, and why Drake might be the best living human.

Episode 13: Ian Williams on Video Game QA and Criticism Tipping Point Oct 05, 2015

On this week’s episode, Ian Williams, a freelancer for Jacobin, The Guardian, Paste, and Vice Sports, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss working QA for Age of Conan, the best place to send your first pitch to, how we might be reaching a games criticism tipping point, and why you should always send your invoices early.

Episode 12: Carolyn Petit on Games Criticism and Diversity Sep 21, 2015

On this week's episode, Carolyn Petit, a former GameSpot editor and current freelancer/podcaster, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how video game reviews need to get better. They also tackle diversity in games, why dissenting opinions are OK, and the issues with Metal Gear Solid V coverage.

Episode 11: Spec Ops: The Line Creative Lead Cory Davis Sep 14, 2015

On this week's episode, creative director of Daedalus at Tangentlemen and creative lead for Spec Ops: The Line, Cory Davis, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about how to get into game development, the possibility of a sequel to The Line, and what he's working on now.

Episode 10: Dillon Skiffington and Jacob Wolf on eSports Sep 07, 2015

On this week's episode, Hearthhead site director and Kotaku freelancer, Dillon Skiffington, and reporter/video producer for the Daily Dot, Jacob Wolf, join host Josiah Renaudin to talk about who buys eSports coverage, why it's not a fad, and the best way to get paid for this type of writing. Josiah also learns quite a bit about fantasy eSports, which is totally a thing.

Episode 09: Nick Capozzoli of GameSpot Aug 31, 2015

On this week's episode, freelancer Nick Capozzoli joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss what needs to change about video game reviews, common errors editors point out, and how to discover your own critical voice.

Episode 08: Kevin VanOrd of Trion Worlds Aug 24, 2015

On this week's episode, Kevin VanOrd, former GameSpot senior editor and current English editor at Trion Worlds, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about changing jobs, the best ways to start writing reviews for a major website like GameSpot, and tips to make your writing better. They also discuss Journey for a solid 15 minutes, because why not?

Episode 07: Greg Kasavin of Supergiant Games Aug 17, 2015

In this week's episode, former GameSpot editor-in-chief and current developer at Supergiant Games, Greg Kasavin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about past and present review writing, how to transition from writing about games to writing for games, and methods for bettering yourself through proper scheduling.

Episode 06: Gamertag Radio's Danny Peña Aug 10, 2015

On this week's episode, Gamertag Radio's Danny Peña joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about what podcasting was like 10 years ago, how to amass a consistent audience, what it takes to reach a million downloads, and why investing in travel is better than buying new equipment.

Episode 05: Eric Jackman (NewYorkRic) and Doug Veney Aug 03, 2015

In this week's episode, The MMA Hour's Eric Jackman and GoodGameBro's Doug Veney join host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the power of a single email, how to grow a YouTube audience, establishing your personality, and the harmful effects of sugarless gummy bears.

Episode 04: Tommy Toe Hold Jul 20, 2015

On this week's episode, YouTube sensation (and somehow a cartoon?) Tommy Toe Hold joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about how to build a channel from the ground up, tips for making a viral video, and the best ways to create a dedicated audience.

Episode 03: Brian Shea and Nathan Meunier Jul 13, 2015

On this week's episode, Game Informer's Brian Shea and freelancer Nathan Meunier join host Josiah Renaudin to talk about breaking into full-time work, self-publishing books, how Florida has terrible weather, and the best ways to become a better writer.

Episode 02: Max Parker and Miguel Concepcion Jun 22, 2015

In this week's episode, Max Parker and returning guest Miguel Concepcion join Josiah Renaudin to talk about E3, how freelancers and full-timers cover conferences, the best games from the show, and additional tips for getting into the business. All the hottest E3 snacks are also judged.

Episode 01: Jake Baldino and Miguel Concepcion Jun 08, 2015

In the inaugural episode, Josiah Renaudin, Miguel Concepcion, and Jake Baldino talk about how they all got into the industry, their personal favorite projects, the upcoming E3 hurricane, and their favorite Metal Gear Solid games. They also close with a few crucial tips for aspiring freelancers.

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