EXP Podcast #508: The 2018 Gamey Awards

Where can I get this in poster size?

It's late December and you know what that means: it's Gamey season!  There are many contenders, but only a select few will contend for the illustrious title of being the Gamey-est game of 2018.  But don't worry, there are plenty of other categories to go around.  Husbandos, gear grinders, roommates and more are all up for grabs!

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 1 hr 1m 33s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #507: The Game Awards 2018 Debrief

Calling it.

Geoff Keighley hosted his annual Game Awards show again this year, which is half awards show and half massive promotional event. Not only has the show gotten more lavish since its inception, but more publishers are using the platform to make huge announcements.

Today on the EXP Podcast, we go over some of the more exciting game trailers and updates from the show. Journey with us to the far reaches of space to the depths of Hades.

Also, major credit to Scott for predicting the latest Smash Bros. Ultimate character. 2B here we come!

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 31m 22s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #506: Playing Our Cards Right

Setting cards on fire isn't tournament legal.

There's never been a better time for people that love cards but lack table space.  With the release of Artifact, Valve is wading into the collectible card game market and retrofitting some of the traditional economic models onto their own marketplace.  This week we do a survey of the landscape and weigh the pros and cons of converting our retirement funds into rare foil cards.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 31m 22s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #505: All Out on Fallout

"Guess I'll pack up and wait for the next game."

Fallout 76 released a couple weeks ago and fans are, well, not happy with it. News came out today that Bethesda can't even bag the game right. Today on the EXP Podcast, we discuss some of the failures of the latest Fallout and how the game could be victim to its own franchise history. Who else might be under the yoke of their own success?

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 33m 19s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #504: Thanksgiving Gaming Analogies

It tastes as good as it looks.

It's Thanksgiving time here in the states, so we're doing a bit of a theme episode this week.  Food, football, and feuding with the family: Thanksgiving carries with it many unique traditions.  But what is the gaming equivalent to arguing about the gold standard with that one weird uncle you see once a year?  This week, we kick off the holiday season with some of our favorite (and least favorite) seasonal rituals.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 32m 0s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #503: Game Time

"I spent an hour fishing for THIS!?"

If there's one thing that takes longer than downloading Red Dead Redemption 2, it's playing it. With all this time spent playing Red Dead, it's hard not to notice how the game marks its own passage of time. The sun rises and sets, animals rot, and townsfolk walk around town on some personal errand.

How does the passage of time make a game feel more real? And how do some games convey the passage of time better than others? All of this and more in this week's episode!

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 36 m
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #502: Smashing Blizzard

"Of course I have a phone!"

Between the recent news from Blizzcon and the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct, it seems like everyone is itching for a fight.  Blizzard has been doing some damage control after dunking on its own fans while Nintendo is pre-apologizing for the existence of DLC.  And of course, Professor Layton is still nowhere to be seen.  This week, we recap a few of the big news announcements and welcome our new mobile-only, pro-wrestling Pokemon overlords.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 41m 57s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #501 - Red Dead Redemption 2 First Impresssions

"I'm Wanted... for this sexy beard."

We pack our saddlebags and head out West this week to finally talk about Red Dead Redemption 2. This is a long game, so while the full debrief has to wait, today we'll share our first impressions, give some tips on hogtying insolent strangers, and accidentally kick a dog.

Since you're undoubtedly playing the game yourself, let us know your early thoughts by shooting us an email!

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 37m 23s
- Music from the Red Dead Redemption 2 Official Soundtrack

EXP Podcast #500: Ten Years of Trends

10 years later and my Wii Fit bod is going strong.

We've been at this old podcasting game for nigh on a decade now.  We've seen a lot of comings and goings over the years, so this week we do a little retrospective on some of the standout trends that have changed the medium over the past ten years.  Somewhere, our Farmville plots are overgrown and our Xbox 360 HD DVD drives are gathering dust, but our progress bars and eSports careers are growing by the day.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 37m 23s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #499: Spiders, Messengers, and Breaches

Gotta download the new EXP Podcast!

This week on the EXP Podcast, we swing back into some games we've been playing. From the tall buildings of New York to the deep breaches of space-time, we take you on a journey of some recent hits and hidden gems. On our list today: Spider-Man, The Messenger, Into the Breach and the oddly named The MISSING: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories.

What's been in your consoles these days?

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 41m 17s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #498: Streaming Gets Serious

Master Chief's new house.

Brace your routers: another generation of streaming game services is careening across the web and towards your wallet.  This week, we talk about Project xCloud, along with efforts from Google, Ubisoft, and others to make a push for delivering games on demand.  Will this be the beginning of the end for the single-game purchase or are our intertubes too clogged up to meet our demands?  Listen in for a chance to hear what two people who are in no way networking experts think.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 41m 17s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #497: The Sony Classic

This is not a mini.
Those are just huge hands.

Just look at the Sony Classic, a miniaturized version of the iconic PlayStation that's so small it has to be legally marked as a choking hazard. Which is perfect, because if there's one thing Sony wants us to shove down our throats, it's their back-catalogue of amazing games. This week on the EXP Podcast, we discuss the games we think deserve a place on this system.

Oh, and we also come up with a concept for the mini that would have been WAY better than this thing.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 40m 42s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #496: Telltale Troubles

Happy trails, guys

Late last week, Telltale announced it was closing down the studio.  It's never easy seeing so many people lose their jobs and some of the revelations about the questionable work environment make it even worse.  The fact remains that Telltale had a huge influence on the adventure game genre as well as the larger game industry, so we're taking this week to look back on the company's run and recognize the company's impact.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 34m 15s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #495: Peachette Direct

Who are you really!?

Shocking revelations from Nintendo this past week with the news that Princess Peach is, in fact, a mushroom-person who is merely granted a human form using the powers of her royal crown. This week on the podcast, we discuss the latest news from Nintendo.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 36m 37s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #494: Swinging into the Donut Breach

Man, I could really go for a donut.

It's September, which means it's back to school and back to games!  This week to do a check in on three current games we've been playing: Marvel's Spiderman, Donut County, and Into the Breach.  Now that I look at it, I find the variety between those games extremely cool.  Hopefully I can use this bounty to redirect my urge to binge on donuts into an urge to binge on games.  My waistline will thank me.

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 40m 09s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #493: Hard Pass

"Exactly Ryuji. Exactly."

Fishing? Who needs it. Crafting? No thanks. Alchemy? That's someone else's job.

This week on the EXP Podcast, we're discussing all the wonderfully crafted game systems we just never seem to care about. From skinning animals to make larger wallets to harvesting herbs to brew all kinds of potions. With so much to do, how could we possibly do all of it?

Have you got a game system you always ignore? Shoot us an email and let us know!

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 31m 10s
- Music by Brad Sucks

EXP Podcast #492: Dead Cells Debrief

My wallet is somewhere on that island.

I used to be worried about gene splicing, but then Motion Twin synthesized a hybrid of Dark Souls, Spelunky, Castlevania, along with a generous helping of their own secret sauce.  Now I'm fully onboard with our wonderful future of procedural, rogue-like, side-scrolling combat exploration games.  This week, we talk about Dead Cells!

- Here's the show's stand-alone feed
- Listen to the podcast in your browser by clicking here, right-click and select "save as link" to download the show in MP3 format, or click play below.

Show Notes:

- Runtime: 43m 17s
- Music by Brad Sucks