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Intelligame Radio

Intelligame Radio

By Intelligame

Game culture, criticism, and community for your ears.

Check out new episodes every Monday.

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4-02: Labor (ft. Lana Polansky)

Intelligame RadioJul 08, 2020

00:00
49:50
4-02: Labor (ft. Lana Polansky)

4-02: Labor (ft. Lana Polansky)

So many of the issues of our current moment stem from unequal power dynamics, people using their power to exploit others. In the game space, discussions about power dynamics come in all shapes and sizes. For this week's episode, we air a conversation from early May with Lana Polansky, video game critic, labor reporter, and host of the indie-focused showcase The Freak Museum. Her eye for unique games and her blending of criticism with historical grounding makes this conversation one worth listening to.

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Here's how you can help support Intelligame:

1. Tell a friend! Share a link to a podcast episode or an article that you found important.

2. Follow! We're on Twitch, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook...we even have a newsletter.

3. Subscribe! It takes money to keep this work going, and every dollar counts! Consider backing us monthly on Patreon. Also, if you have Amazon Prime, consider subscribing to our Twitch channel for free (it's included with your membership)!

Jul 08, 202049:50
4-01: Black Lives Matter. (ft. Zoe Schneider)

4-01: Black Lives Matter. (ft. Zoe Schneider)

2020's been a tough year for most everyone around the globe, but the past couple weeks in particular have been heavy for Black people in the United States and abroad. The murders of George Floyd, Briana Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and more have returned the spotlight to discussions of racism, anti-Blackness, and police brutality. For our first episode back from our break, we start by saying: Black Lives Matter.

This episode features an interview with Zoe Schneider, Community Manager at Harmonix, as well as a public speaker and activist. We talk about what it means to be a creator at this moment, and some of our personal experiences as Black professionals. We also discuss what it means to have platform at a moment like this, and how to work towards progress for all.

This week's game recommendation is SweetXHeart, a game created by Catt Small about being a Black woman in the Bronx. The main character, Kara, goes through a typical week in her world: working, going to class, and dealing with microaggressions. Still, the game isn't just about pain: it's about life, and the particular issues that take place for those who have multiple forms of marginalization they deal with on a regular basis.

Thanks for listening, folks.

-Josh

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Here's how you can help support Intelligame:

1. Tell a friend! Share a link to a podcast episode or an article that you found important.

2. Follow! We're on Twitch, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook...we even have a newsletter.

3. Subscribe! It takes money to keep this work going, and every dollar counts! Consider backing us monthly on Patreon. Also, if you have Amazon Prime, consider subscribing to our Twitch channel for free (it's included with your membership)!

Jun 16, 202001:08:53
What We're Playing - Something Old, Something New

What We're Playing - Something Old, Something New

This week Josh and Jenny talk about what they're playing! Here's a list of the games mentioned in this episode:

Jenny

Josh

Josh + Jenny:

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Three ways to keep up with Intelligame:

1. Subscribe to the Intelligame Newsletter

2. Follow Intelligame on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

3. Support Intelligame on Patreon!

May 18, 202041:29
3-08: Forward (ft. Malik Forté)

3-08: Forward (ft. Malik Forté)

How do we not just move on, but make things better? How do we confront challenges and not just strive to go back to earlier days, but to create brighter ones in the future? This week's episode: Forward. 

Our interview this week is with Malik Forté, gaming host who's worked with Nerdist, Bleacher Report, Blizzard's Overwatch League, and more. 

Our game recommendation this week is Celeste by Matt Makes Games Inc.

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Three ways to keep up with Intelligame:

1. Subscribe to the Intelligame Newsletter

2. Follow Intelligame on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

3. Support Intelligame on Patreon!

May 11, 202050:01
What We're Playing - Final Fantasy 7 Remake and 13
May 01, 202022:22
3-07: Flashback
Apr 20, 202054:07
3-06: Heart
Apr 09, 202028:04
3-05: Composition (ft. Andy Brick of Game On Concerts)
Mar 30, 202059:52
Bonus - HBO's Insecure: The Come Up (ft. Glow Up Games)
Mar 27, 202041:23
3-04: Wholesome (ft. PAX East Cozy Games Panel)

3-04: Wholesome (ft. PAX East Cozy Games Panel)

"Games" are just Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto? Not by a long shot. This week's episode dives into the world of "wholesome," featuring a spread of panelists who spoke on the subject at PAX East 2020.

Follow this week's interviewees on Twitter (in photo order):

Victoria Tran (Kitfox Games)

James Tillman (Wholesome Games)

Kara Holmes (Monomi Park)

Jenny Windom (Intelligame/Rose City Games)

Josh Boykin (Intelligame)

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Help support developers in financial hardship to to GDC by checking out the GDC Relief Fund.

Help needy families suffering from food insecurity by donating to Player vs. Hunger's Outplay Hunger initiative.

Three ways to keep up with Intelligame:

1. Subscribe to the Intelligame Newsletter
2. Follow Intelligame on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
3. Support Intelligame on Patreon!

Mar 23, 202059:20
Bonus Ep: PAX East, Coronavirus, and Finding Hope in the Future
Mar 20, 202049:27
3-03: Depth (featuring Darren Malley and Robyn Haley)
Mar 09, 202045:26
Bonus Episode: Welcome to IntelligameClub!
Feb 14, 202041:31
3-02: Narrative (ft. Xalavier Nelson Jr.)

3-02: Narrative (ft. Xalavier Nelson Jr.)

It's narratives that transform us. The narratives we create with each other shape our lives, help heal pain or inflict it, deepen connection or destroy it. Narratives are key.

This week's episode: Narrative, featuring an interview with Narrative Director Xalavier Nelson Jr. He's worked on Hypnospace Outlaw and Can Androids Pray?, and is currently developing An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs

For the Director's Cut, we discuss Overwatch and ludonarrative dissonance (there's a $1000 phrase) in Why is "The Last Bastion" Stuck in Eternal Deathmatches?

Finally, we close with a game recommendation from Jenny Windom, talking a bit about how game mechanics in The Pedestrian shape her personal experiences.


Help keep Intelligame going by supporting on Patreon! You can help keep this work going for as little as $1/month.

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Feb 10, 202055:35
3-01: Relaunch (ft. Jenny Windom)
Feb 04, 202059:33
See You Next Week!

See You Next Week!

Get excited: Intelligame Radio is going to be on the air again! Next Monday we'll air the first episode of the new season of the Intelligame Podcast. 

Dec 31, 201902:44
Podcast Extra: Interview with Rina Purdy (PAX South 2019)
Feb 12, 201933:15
S2E47: A Little Long-Term Planning

S2E47: A Little Long-Term Planning

Josh discusses some thoughts on long-term planning, and its effects on both gaming and real-world projects.

Intelligame Radio will be taking a temporary hiatus starting Friday, September 14th! Leave your thoughts/comments about the show by emailing podcast@intelligame.us, or leave a message using the Anchor app!
Sep 10, 201818:55
S2E46: Jenny and Josh Go to PAX West
Aug 31, 201825:43
S2E45: On the Jacksonville Madden Shooting
Aug 28, 201821:25
S2E44: Accessibility, Revisited
Aug 22, 201813:52
S2E43: PixelPop Festival Interviews
Aug 20, 201827:26
S2E42: Shining Light, or Fanning Flame
Aug 15, 201811:18
S2E41: The Power of Platform
Aug 13, 201818:34
Intelligame Podcast - Episode 7: Represent
Aug 10, 201855:42
S2E40: Make Those Small Communities!
Aug 08, 201814:51
S2E39: Protest is Messy

S2E39: Protest is Messy

Jenny takes on Detroit: Become Human in this week's IG Radio. There's a lot to talk about, but today we'll focus in on one of the more frustrating components: the oversimplification and gamification of protest movements.
Aug 03, 201809:04
S2E38: Setting Intention
Aug 01, 201813:45
S2E37: The Call-in Show
Jul 30, 201812:21
S2E36: GDoC 2018 - Here's How it Happened

S2E36: GDoC 2018 - Here's How it Happened

In our final part of our Game Devs of Color Expo special, Josh plays an improv/murder mystery game called "Here's How it Happened" with the folks at Team Murder Squad. How exactly does the corpse of a woman with an extra finger end up in the overhead compartment of an airplane, anyway?

Learn more about Team Murder Squad at their website:
teammurdersquad.com

Learn more about Game Devs of Color Expo: gamedevsofcolorexpo.com

Find more Intelligame content at our homepage: intelligame.us
Find our social media and recent links on our Linktree: linktr.ee/intelligameus

(Episode Image Caption: Franchesca and Avery, the developers of Here's How it Happened, sit at a table with a sign for the title alongside a display of various cards for the game.)
Jul 27, 201821:30
S2E35: Game Devs of Color Expo, Pt. 2: Solace State
Jul 25, 201820:06
S2E34: Game Devs of Color Expo Interviews, pt 1

S2E34: Game Devs of Color Expo Interviews, pt 1

This week we air interviews from Game Devs of Color Expo 2018! Our first episode features small segments about four different projects on the floor and their creators.

This podcast features:

Discord Duels:
discordbots.org/bot/292789588399751168
Stress Express: http://stressexpress.company/
Final Spike: twitter.com/seanjcheron
The Last Stop: z04.itch.io/thelaststop

Find more Intelligame content at our homepage: intelligame.us
Find our social media and recent links on our Linktree: linktr.ee/intelligameus

(Episode Image Caption: A number of people at Game Devs of Color Expo in a room sitting and playing games at laptops.)
Jul 23, 201820:06
S2E33: What Drives Our Gaming?

S2E33: What Drives Our Gaming?

In this episode of Intelligame Radio, Josh talks about two recent releases for the Nintendo Switch: the D&D-esque/action hybrid Hand of Fate 2, and the exclusive, eight character driven RPG Octopath Traveler. After finding draws and drawbacks with each title, he wonders: what exactly drives us to play the games we play? Find more Intelligame content at our homepage: http://intelligame.us Find our social media and recent links on our Linktree: http://linktr.ee/intelligameus (Episode Image Caption: The left half of the image is from Hand of Fate 2, a cloaked man with a veil covering his face, sitting at a table. The right half is from Octopath Traveler, featureing a tall man in armor and a shorter woman, dressed in red looking out in the distance.)
Jul 20, 201810:12
S2E32: Let Us Play as Families!

S2E32: Let Us Play as Families!

Josh digs into something he'd love to see more of: families in video games. Where are the places that families commonly show up, and where could they be more often?

Check out our Call to Action resource, Player vs. Hunger:
playervshunger.org

Find more Intelligame content at our homepage: intelligame.us
Find our social media and recent links on our Linktree: linktr.ee/intelligameus

(Episode Image Caption: King Regis from Final Fantasy XV, clad in a black cloak with his hand resting on his son, Noctis', shoulder.)
Jul 19, 201813:22
S2E31: Learning to Be Better from Small Communities
Jul 16, 201817:26
S2E30: Getting Ready for Game Devs of Color Expo 2018!
Jul 13, 201825:44
S2E29: The Power of Platform

S2E29: The Power of Platform

Josh discusses the power we all have as holders of informative platforms, big and small. In a world of nearly unlimited information, what does it mean for us to "share?"
Jul 09, 201817:44
S2E28: A Case for Couch Co-op

S2E28: A Case for Couch Co-op

Through the wonders of the internets, games don’t have to be a communal experience in an (oftentimes cramped) living room. Why would we want to go back to having to lug around systems, controllers, or--heaven forbid--sharing snacks and couch space with others to play a game?
Intimacy. Connection. And even, for us older folks: a little nostalgia.
Jul 06, 201811:56
S2E27: Games and Mental Health with Dr. Kelli Dunlap
Jul 04, 201820:24
S2E26: Reevaluating Stress

S2E26: Reevaluating Stress

Stress is a common mechanic in many games we play...so how can rethinking our relationship with stress be a benefit to us? Josh talks Azure Striker Gunvolt and Kelly McGonigal's book "The Upside of Stress" in this edition of Intelligame Radio.
Jul 02, 201814:54
S2E25: A Little Practice
Jun 26, 201818:14
S2E24 The Principle of Charity

S2E24 The Principle of Charity

Video games often offer a seemingly simple resolution to conflicts: just fight it out! You mad bro? Time to squad up. The gods got you down? Boy, come here and bring my ax. While satisfying in the moment, Jenny discusses how she hasn't seen very many examples where games readily offer up ways we can apply conflict resolution or effective argumentation into our own lives, and offers up one possible method to apply on your own.

Ooblets Devlog mentioned in the episode: https://ooblets.com/2018/06/the-secret-ooblets-feature-weve-been-working-on.../
Jun 22, 201811:55
S2E23: Juneteenth and Community Standards
Jun 20, 201819:18
S2E22: Vampyr and the Thirst for Power

S2E22: Vampyr and the Thirst for Power

Returning from the weekend, Josh reflects on the moral quandary presented in Dontnod Entertainment's latest release, Vampyr. How do you incentivize people to do the right thing when there's no specific reward...other than doing the right thing?
Jun 19, 201813:27
Intelligame Podcast 006 - Food, ft. Sylvie Dao
Jun 16, 201801:04:54
S2E21: Doing the Direct Work

S2E21: Doing the Direct Work

In preparation for the episode of the Intelligame Podcast on Friday, Josh talks about the importance of direct action in the communities we care about. Also, the debut of the Community Call to Action!
Jun 14, 201813:22
S2E20: Happy Birthday, Intelligame Radio!

S2E20: Happy Birthday, Intelligame Radio!

The beginning of E3 marks Intelligame Radio's birthday! Josh takes a trip down memory lane, recalling the last year of IG audio content.
Jun 12, 201809:04
S2E19: When Fandoms Go Rogue

S2E19: When Fandoms Go Rogue

In this latest episode of Intelligame Radio, we introduce our newest host, Jenny. She starts by diving into the deep end of pop culture news this week, asking the question: how does a fandom turn toxic?
Jun 10, 201815:58
S2E18: Alternatives to Steam-Power

S2E18: Alternatives to Steam-Power

Josh discusses the recent controversy in Steam's sudden change in game policy, then delves into some alternative marketplaces for PC gamers: GOG, Itch.io, and Game Jolt.
Jun 07, 201812:39
IGPC 005 - Team (ft. Jenny Windom)

IGPC 005 - Team (ft. Jenny Windom)

This episode of the Intelligame Podcast dives into the power of teams: the ways we can improve when we collaborate. Our guest star is Kimchica, AKA Jenny Windom, the newest contributor to Intelligame. After her interview, Josh does a Director's Cut run-through of a 2015 IG article about Halo 5. Finally this episode's recommendation is Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, a game made possible by collaboration of a large team of diverse individuals.

Find more Intelligame content at http://intelligame.us!
Jun 04, 201801:01:26