Wardcast

Dylan, Will, and Ruthie Edwards come together to discuss Pokémon symphonies, paperclips of the universal variety, and the eternal wait for Super Mario Odyssey. Will tries to fit in some more Heat Signature before he’s no longer a bachelor, we return to a talk about Tumbleseed and gameplay difficulty, and briefly converse about IGN acquiring Humble Bundle. Games include Heat Signature, Universal Paperclips, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Super Mario Run, Tumbleseed, Jackbox Party Pack 3, and Viridi. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

We begin this episode discussing our hatred of Funko Pop figurines and the massive intelligence required to enjoy McDonald’s szechuan sauce. In other news, Cuphead came out, and it’s good! But people aren’t talking about Echo, and that’s bad. The Game by Its Cover game jam has ended, and Sam discusses his favorite pick from the lot, Hell, which fully convinces us that games presented through a desktop OS aesthetic are now “a thing.” We also talk about FPS Requakes on the heels of Quake Live having recently — as in, back in 2015 — going to a paid model. HD rumble is being used for nefarious purposes, and several studios are downsizing, leading to a discussion about unionization and business sustainability in games. Games include Cuphead, Beasts of Balance, Echo, Hell, Cube 2: Sauerbraten, Star Wars Battlefront II, and Golf Story. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, we’re joined by a bunch of moms. Momma Ilvento completes her tale of acquiring an SNES Classic. Mother Damrath checks in to see what this whole Fortnite: Battle Royale is about, and Grandma Blanton is feeling a little faint, but she powered through her illness to be with us today. We get back to all the MGS V we played this past week while we talk about the mommiest game in the world. And we round out the podcast with a debate about which controller is the best. Games include Star Fox, Super Mario Kart, Golf Story, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite: Battle Royale, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Metroid: Samus Returns, Absolver, Echo, and Heat Signature. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Dylan is joined by Ruthie Edwards, Kirk Musngi, Mike Odum, and Momin Khan on this glorious September morning to camp out to get their hands on the SNES Classic. It’s early. Very early. But no sacrifice is too great for our chosen prize. No regrets, no regurts, and no Ragnaros. While we wait for the doors of the Best Buy to open, we define what it means to be “mom,” spend some more time on Martio Rabius Kingdom Journey, and wax nostalgic about Warcraft and Starcraft mods. We get a Brandcenter check-in with Ruthie, sample some baby swiss brought by Momin, and discuss the most seminal games available on the SNES Classic. Games include Pokémon Go, Golf Story, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Metroid Fusion, StarCraft II Mafia, and Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

If Will and Sam can ever forgive Dylan for never playing Journey, they may find the time to learn more about thatgamecompany’s new game, Sky, and everything else that happened during the iPhone X event. We’re also excited to announce: Will’s getting married! Before he ties the knot, things are gonna get pretty steamy: with him trying out the Steam Link and us talking about our longest played games on Steam. We suggest some Metal Gear Solid V to play, talk about Fortnite: Battle Royale and the ensuing scrap Epic and Bluehole are entering into, discuss Super Mario 64 Online being taken down by Nintendo, and memorialize the death of Flappy Bird on iOS 11. Games include Sonic Mania, Dark Souls, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, 1001 Spikes, Heat Signature, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Echo, Flippy Knife, Mount Your Friends, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and Super Mario 64 Online. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at con

This episode, Dylan is joined by trailer craftsman M. Joshua Cauller, whose work includes trailers for games such as That Dragon, Cancer; Tricky Towers; and Poly Bridge. Josh touches on a lot of different topics related to his craft, including how he got started, how to create player-centric trailers, and the importance of balancing emotional tension in trailers. We also discuss the tight-knit trailer-making community, problems with indies not viewing game dev as a business, setting the right player expectations while also using emotional intelligence to craft your trailer. Games include Celeste. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Dylan, Dan “Quasar” Cotting, and Justin Mitchell collect together just in time for the return of the Food Minute. This time, it’s all about seasonal lattes and beers of the pumpkin variety as well as a conversation about Hamburger Helper. We also discuss Pewdiepie hurling a racist slur on Twitch, Campo Santo then filing a DMCA takedown of Pewdiepie’s Firewatch video, and the subsequent review bombing of Firewatch on Steam. To add nauseum to the vomitorium, the NES Classic returns and Nintendo hosted a new Direct: Mario has nipples, Link’s a lizard, Doom and Wolfenstein II are on Switch, Mario Party is on the wrong platform, and a bunch of JRPGs are coming out to please Justin’s senses. Games include The Hard Way: A Virtual Reality Training Experience, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Octopath Traveler, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and Pyre. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This episode, Dylan is joined by Mike Futter, former News Editor at Game Informer and author of the Game Dev Business Handbook. Dylan and Mike discuss the various topics covered in the book, from business development to IP law to assessing your personal finances before you start. We also talk about interviewing various devs and more for the book, publishing through Bithell Games, reverse stock splits, and the death and rebirth of THQ. Lastly, we touch on Mike’s trip to PAX West, the differences between PAX West and East, and where you can leave your carrots in the Washington State Convention Center. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

It’s Wardcast’s centennial episode! To celebrate, we’re bringing you a new series, Wardcast at Night. It’s the same Wardcast experience, only at night. On our one hundredth episode, we talk about Metal Gear Solid’s memes, genes, and submarines as well as the differences in Western and Eastern games culture. In other news: Mario is no longer a plumber, a VentureBeat playthrough of Cuphead reignites the debate about getting good at games, Early Access games are getting considered for Game of the Year, and waves are being caused by Walt William’s book excerpt, “Why I Worship Crunch.” We’d like to thank everyone that’s been on the podcast these past one hundred episodes, from special guests across the games industry to everyone that’s a part of our extended RVA Game Jams family. You all make the Wardcast awesome to do. Here’s to the next hundred episodes. Games include Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater 3D, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Robo Recall, Jackbox Part

Dylan, Will, and Sam collect together to talk about game frameworks, including Phazer and its creator, Rich Tapestry. Will plays Sonic Mania and reminisces about the Sonic Retro Forum and the potential end of the Sanic Cycle. We also discuss gregorian chants, a Twitter thread full of game dev tricks, Nintendo’s Nindies showcase, and more. Games include Sonic Mania, Life is Strange, Tokyo 42, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Destiny 2, Flippy Knife, Disney Crossy Road, and War Wings. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, we’re joined by Nick Nundahl and Joe Wetmore of Instant Replay Live, where we reprise our talk on cartoons and TV, leading us to talk about Marvel’s Defenders and expectations. Speaking of expectations, No Man’s Sky has hit us with a new update, so we discuss the changes that have been made to the game one year later. We also talk about the Unsung Story story, Kickstarter, and crowdfunding in general — including Nick’s friend Jack’s GoFundMe to bring tabletop RPGs to people with visual impairment. But the fun doesn’t stop there! There’s even more to discuss, including Skyrim mods, Dream Daddy and Game Grumps, gay Magic cards, Joe’s tabletop system, solar eclipses, SNES Classic preorders, and more! Games include Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition; Bloodborne; Hyper Light Drifter; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Grand Theft Auto V; Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together!; and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at con

This episode, Dylan is joined by special guest Callum Underwood, formerly Senior Developer Relations at Oculus and currently starting his new role at indie un-publisher Raw Fury. Callum talks about the difficult choice of leaving Oculus and Facebook to join Raw Fury, how and when to speak to a publisher, and a conversation about game pricing sparked by a recent article by SteamSpy’s Sergey Galyonkin. We also discuss showing your game at conventions to receive player feedback and the thrill of going to GDC. Games include PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

It’s eSports week here at the Wardcast. Wendy and Dylan just returned from exhibiting at Super Smash Con, and Alex has been keeping tabs on the lead up to the Overwatch World Cup and a For Honor tournament won by someone using an exploit. Also, I guess The International happened? And we return to discussing Nick Robinson’s sexual harassment and removal from Polygon. Games include King of the Hat, Super Clash Bros., Splatoon 2, Overwatch, Flippy Knife, Balloon Fight, Super Mario Bros., and Jackbox Party Pack 3. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

We doubled up on Alexes this week. Joining Dylan and Alex Damrath is former Wardcaster Alex Rice, making his triumphant return to the show, just in time to tell us that he’s leaving to go work for eBay, but not before he raided NYC’s Nintendo World for their precious Switches. We discuss getting our hands on a NES Classic, the disastrous Pokémon Go Fest, Geralt in a bathtub, cancelled SNES Classic preorders, and our prep for Super Smash Con next weekend. Additionally, we talk about a member of the games press who is being investigated for sexual harassment and how sexual harassment and the mistreatment of women and other minority groups plagues the tech and gaming industries. Games include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Final Fantasy, Mega Man 2, Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream, Prey, Splatoon 2, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Dylan “Two-Mics” Ilvento and Will Blanton collect together with game jammer and dungeon master extraordinaire David Byers to talk about his ongoing D&D campaign and what football will look like in the future. A cornucopia of throwback console news happened this week, with Walmart letting SNES pre-orders out into the wild, more information about the Ataribox coming out, and a N64 Classic trademark being filed. We also discuss Pac-Man Jr.: Act Zero, Cookie Clicker patch notes, the return of Skullomania, and traveling to distant stars. Games include Downwell; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild; Cave Story+; Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition; Jackbox Party Pack 3; Dark Souls; Rocksmith 2014; Rain World; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; Splatoon 2; and Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together! Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Jay Tholen, designer and developer on Dropsy, joins Dylan to talk about his experiences in indie game development. He speaks to us about Dropsy’s evolution from a boss in an action platformer to a choose-your-own adventure on the Something Awful forums to eventually becoming the adventure game it is today, with the Kickstarter successes and failures he had along the way. We also talk about working with indie publisher Devolver Digital, how to demo your games to game outlets as an indie, his aspirations for his new game — Hypnospace Outlaw, and what themes and ideas he tries to communicate with his games. Games include Dropsy the Clown and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Dylan is joined by Justin Mitchell and Alex Damrath to talk Switch ownership, egg cup debates, and a multitude of minutes of the food, superhero, and tech variety. Justin walks Dylan through all the Final Fantasies, we make a quick mention of Doomfist, but most importantly, we talk about Dunkey’s dunking on game critics and its effect on the discussion of game reviews and criticism. Games include Prey, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, and Overwatch. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Welcomed back into the fold is our friend Dan Cotting, here to talk about game celebrity freak outs, VR projects, and the triumphant return of the Super Nintendo. We’re strapping Game Boy Cameras to telescopes; we’re baking magnetic tapes in the oven; things are getting real crazy on this week’s episode of the Wardcast. Games include The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Accounting, Dark Souls, Rocksmith 2014, Superhot VR, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, NeiR: Automata, Dear Esther, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Special guest Mike Odum of Root 76 drops by to talk about a litany of topics with Dylan, Sam, and Will. We discuss the Arcane Kids’ breadth of work, Summer Games Done Quick and the world of speedrunning, the SNES Classic announcement and the state of emulation, designing a PS Vita 2, and the mystery surrounding the new Braindeer Games Twitter account. But a big topic for this week revolves around the postmortems about the lackluster releases of Tumbleseed and Scanner Sombre, spurring the op-eds “Your Indie Game Will Flop and You Will Lose Money” by Cliff Harris and “Lol we’re all poor” by Robert Yang. Games include Life is Strange, Fire Emblem Heroes, Puyo Puyo Tetris, Super Bomberman R, Jackbox Party Pack 3, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and Akinator the Genie. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, Dylan is rejoined by Will Blanton, Wendy Rivera, and our fourth member: the 19th century nautical map that adorns our apartment wall. From Fez to Sunken Rock, we talk about all the summer game sales going on — including 90% off Will’s game Redshift Blueshift. RVA Game Jams has a new website and a Patreon up, we give our protips on bathroom etiquette, share pinball opinions, discuss illicit music downloading, and critique GameMaker Studio 2’s ridiculous pricing structure. Games include Stardew Valley and Disney Crossy Road. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!