Gamers with Glasses Podcast

In this episode Nate and Samantha set out to recap and wrap up our summer series on games, childhood, and nostalgia, and end up…somewhere else. We cover all the deep questions, like, “Does nostalgia have to be melancholic?”; “Are console generations a marketing lie, just like other generational divides?”; “Do any of us leave childhood unscathed?”; and, “Isn’t Assassin’s Creed just Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoons?”

In this episode, Nate interviews NikkiJay, developer of the just-released "plotformer" Quantum Witch. Come for the in-depth discussion about cults, conditioning, and choices - stay for the impromptu ukelele concert.

We make learning fun! In this episode, Samantha and Luis interview Dr. Erik Verlage, a research scientist at the Ohio State University who works on interactive media and games in education. Discussion ranges from the use and value of games in education to GeoGuessr and the difference between toys and tools. Where’s the dividing line between a game and a simulation? Why were Skyrim players willing to spend hours on the same thing at the forge, even when it wasn’t fun?

We thought it would be fun to do an “Oops! No Games” episode, in which we try not to talk about games. Inevitably, we totally fail, to the degree that we even end up recommending games at the end. We were all going to bring a book and a movie to talk about, and that somehow inspires us to complain about AI a lot, but probably not enough, because it really is so, so bad.

How do game critics contribute to Western hegemony, and what can we do about it? Nate Schmidt interviews Felipe Pepe, creator of The CRPG Book Project, on his recent essay, “The Gentrification of Video Game History.” Drawing on Mia Consalvo and Christopher Paul’s critique of the concept of “ real games,” their wide-ranging conversation covers mods and mobile games, the relationship between internet cafes and free-to-play RPGs, and the emptiness of the stereotypical “nerd and jock” divide between narrative-driven and sports games.

These are definitely times in which many of us could use...a break. Also, it's fall. So get that comfy sweater on and hear us debate the definition of video game coziness. Enjoy our wishful thinking about Tom Nook's lending practices, throwing apples at Pikachu, and those infamous Stardew Valley rabbit feet.

It's the Paper Mario episode! Man, when you look at him from the right angle, Mario is one bad dude. No wonder Bowser hates this guy. We love these games, but do we love them enough to buy them all over again so that we can play them on the Switch? Or is the GameCube an equally portable console? There's only one way to find out...

Our adventures in the world of Wizardry continue! We were so excited to all be playing the same game that we had to do a whole podcast about it. We uncover the finer points of the game's thoughtfully brutal dungeon design, and we think through the surprisingly deep narrative possibilities of old-school RPGs. Watch out for Temple Healthcare Reaganomics, because there's no such thing as free loot. Don becomes a corpse retrieval specialist. Tof creates Six Dwarf Lords in Their Halls of Stone. Nate broke his ankles so you could run. We all got bushwhacked.

Nate, Samantha, and Luis do their best not to get lost in the hall of mirrors as they think through various types of self-referential games, covering everything from product tie-ins and Fortnite (it's bigger on the inside) to critical hits like Inscryption, The Stanley Parable, and There Is No Game.