Backstage Gaming

This week, Dylan and Chris dive into a discussion of McGuffins; what they are, how they're used, and how adding them to game stories can be a little more complicated than it first seems! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Day After Halloween! For this week's festivities, we return to our old favorite of "Spot The Dud," where it's up to Dylan to guess the numerical ranking of a number of game reviews (and he does SHOCKINGLY well). Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we return from a long hiatus to chat about attract modes: those splashy trailers and snippets of gameplay that pop on when you've let a game idle on the title screen for too long. We talk about their arcade origins and the different ways they can impact how we think about the games we play. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we're thrilled to once again have our friend Dakota Curry on to talk about concept art, illustration, and all the ways that artists put their minds to creating the games we love. Also, Chris enters a fugue state trying to succinctly summarize the rules of Magic the Gathering. Enjoy! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we kick off a two part special looking at the visual design aspect of games. Today, we take a look at some fighting games near and dear to our hearts to figure out all the little ways that the designs of their characters make a difference to the feel of the game. And next time? Well... you'll just have to tune in and see! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we talk about what happens after the credits role; content that's unlocked or context that's expanded after you have "finished" a game. The energy on this one is also... let's say 'unique.' Give a listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we take a deep dive into a small, goofy scene from the classic PC stealth game, Thief. Sometimes, the best scenes are the ones you just sort of walk through. Anyway, you shoulda seen the bears in my day. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We made it to episode 100! Thanks to all of you for your support and for coming along for the ride. To celebrate, we headed back to the Writer's Room to try taking Street Fighter in our own direction and synthesizing all of the adaptations that have come before. A tall order, it turns out! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we hunker down and get into our core competency: acting! We take a scene from Vagrant Story, one of Dylan's favorite games, give it a read through, and help direct each other to better and more nuanced performances to give you a glimpse into the real work we do as performers. Come give a listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we discuss some games with weird design choices. Whether it's a control scheme that chooses not to use established rules or cameras that behave strangely, we dig into designs that have been maligned and ask if they may have something else to offer. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A shorter episode this week as we vent about what we see as a general lack of... willingness to play, let's say. We look at silent protags and RPG characters as examples of how to mine out intent from characterization. Come along! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's topic is a niche one, but we dive into a few examples of games that really put their themes out there to be seen. Come along as we take a look at these uniquely up-front games! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we wax super philosophical about the nature of acting, art, pursuing a craft, and shonen anime. Come along for the ride, won't you! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we dive into the world of online games, talking through what makes them so fun, and how so many great stories can come out of them! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we return to our fun mini-game, Spot the Dud! We read through some game reviews, talk about how they talk about games, and try to figure out which one got the lower score. It's fun! Come listen! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we offer an overview of how games bring people together, even if they aren't *technically playing together. From couch co-op to Twitch streaming to live performance, the ways we interact with each other because of games are as varied and interesting as the games themselves. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Games are complex things that take time to figure out, and how we learn their systems varies wildly from game to game. How we go about that learning can say a lot about the games we're playing, and us as players! Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, all! Been a while! We're back, and 2021 we're going to be CONSISTENT again. To shake off the rust, we take a look at the gaming landscape of 2020 and wax a bit poetic about "what it all means." Nothing like staying on brand. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week is short and rambly, but we give a brief overview of the inherent dramatic mechanics of sports, and how eSports tap into those ideas in their own unique ways. Chris also learns about his new favorite thing of all time. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)

This week, we finish our discussion of maps in games by looking at the other end of the topic: map-making and exploration. From the flavorful side of well-crafter, diegetic maps to the actual in-game mechanics of cartography, how a game chooses to reveal its world can have a huge impact on the feel of the experience. Backstage Gaming is a proud member of the HP Video Game Podcast Network (@hpvgpodnetwork on Twitter) Enjoy our show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! (patreon.com/bsgpod)