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Welcome to Keywords in Play, a joint collaborative podcast between Critical Distance and the Digital Games Research Association! In this series, we deliver interviews with writers, thinkers, makers, and critics working with games in an approachable and conversational format, suitable for fans, players, and critical thinkers alike.
Episodes
Monday Nov 30, 2015
Monday Nov 30, 2015
Welcome to the last minisode of the year on the Critical Distance Confab.
How this works is that each of us will go back and forth listing off three games each that we feel haven't gotten the critical attention they deserve in the hopes one of your will take it as a challenge. These games will be anything from Ich.io art games to prestige level indie games to AAA games that fell through the cracks for whatever reason.
On co-hosting duties with me this month on this chilly November day is Giant Bomb writer and critic, Austin Walker.
Austin's Picks
Invisible Inc. by Klei Entertainment
Cradle by Flying Cafe for Semianimals
Cibele by Nina Freeman
Eric's Picks
The Cat Lady by Harvester Games
Tales from the Borderlands by Telltale Games
NaissanceE by Limasse Five
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Wednesday Nov 18, 2015
Wednesday Nov 18, 2015
Concluding this year's series of interviews of the authors and editors of video game criticism publications we turn our eyes to gonzo. Cara Ellison's Embed With Games: A Year on the Couch with Game Developers brings the long form, lifestyle gonzo journalism to video games as she chronicles her year long journey around the world to see various small and independent game artists in their element. Come and listen to us discuss the influence of an artist's location, the Hawthorne effect, the process of choosing who to cover in the first place and much more.
We hope you enjoyed our year of interviews looking into the books and periodicals of video game criticism and also hope that they managed to add something to the conversation. Next year, we're moving on to criticism in a different form.
SHOW NOTES
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Saturday Oct 31, 2015
Saturday Oct 31, 2015
Welcome to a new minisode on the Critical Distance Confab.
This month we have a special Halloween edition where we will be focusing on quote/unquote horror games to highlight. As usual these are games that haven't gotten what myself and a co-host feel is a fair shake in criticism and attention. We each will bring three such games to the table. They can be anything, Ich.io games, indie games or even AAA games you might not have tried.
With me for this theme month is fellow cohort of PopMatters Games' section and indie horror guru, Nick Dinicola.
Nick's Picks
Uncanny Valley by Cowardly Creations
Dead Space: Extraction by Electronic Arts
Dark Echo by RAC7 Games
Eric's Picks
The Cursed Forest by KPy3O
The Charnel House Trilogy by Owl Cave
Fingerbones + The Moon Sliver + The Music Machine + A Wolf in Autumn by David Szymanski
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Wednesday Sep 30, 2015
Wednesday Sep 30, 2015
Welcome back for a new minisode of the Critical Distance Confab.
If you don't know, the minisodes are a chance to introduce and highlight a bunch of games that hasn't gotten criticism...yet. Myself and a co-host will list off 3 such games each. They can be anything. Ich.io art games, prestige level indie games, all the way to AAA games that might have slipped between the cracks.
Joining me this month is critic and writer, Gita Jackson.
Gita's Picks
Siren for Hire by Maddy Myers
We Know The Devil by Aevee Bee and Mia Shwartz
Grow Home by Ubisoft
Eric's Picks
Framed by Loveshack
Technobabylon by Technocrat Games
Unwind by Jijjy
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Wednesday Sep 16, 2015
Wednesday Sep 16, 2015
This month we turn our attention to the genre anthology book, Shooter. Edited by Patrick Lindsey and Reid McCarter, the book bought 15 essays and a forward by Clint Hocking placing a wide variety of shooter video games in a historical and cultural context. We discuss their focus on a broad genre as opposed to a single game, what they were trying to say with the book and the process of putting together such an anthology.
Unlike previous books, as this one is an anthology and in that spirit we decided to get some of the writers for some micro interviews. Thank you to Robert Rath, Corey Milne and Javy Gwaltney for making the time.
CAST
Patrick Lindsey: Han Freaking Solo
Reid McCarter: Digital Love Child
Robert Rath: Rob Writes Pulp
Corey Milne: The Serious Work of Play
Javy Gwaltney: Antagonize The Horn/p>
SHOW NOTES
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Friday Jul 31, 2015
Friday Jul 31, 2015
We have a new minisode of the Critical Distance Confab.
These minisodes are a chance for myself and a new co-host each time, to highlight some games that have gotten virtually no criticism written about them. This is our chance to correct that. They can be anything. Ich.io art games, prestige level indie games, all the way to AAA games that might have slipped between the cracks. Though generally they will skew a little smaller.
Joining me this month is Critical Distance's own senior curator and my boss, Kris Ligman.
Kris's Picks
Shall we date? The Neflheim+ by NTT Solmare Corp.
Killing Time At Light Speed by Gritfish
Tour de Akiba by AM Cosmos
also Six Japanese Dating Sims to Fall In Love With by AM Cosmos
Eric's Picks
Unrest by Pyrodactyl
Monument Valley by ustwo
Escape from the Man Sized Closet by Stephen Colbert
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Wednesday Jul 15, 2015
Wednesday Jul 15, 2015
Continuing our vaguely in chronological order of video game critical publications, we turn our lonely eyes to a site that last year turned itself into a weekly e-zine. This month Stu Horvath was gracious enough to join me to talk about Unwinnable, Unwinnable Weekly and all the other Un-labled projects that he grants a platform to. We get a little silly near the end, hope you wont hold that against us.
SHOW NOTES
Unwinnable Weekly Special Summer Fun Issue
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Tuesday Jun 30, 2015
Tuesday Jun 30, 2015
Welcome to another minisode of the Critical Distance Confab.
Unlike our main podcast series, the minisodes are a chance for myself and co-host to highlight some games that have gotten virtually no criticism written about them. This is our chance to correct that. They can be anything. Ich.io art games, prestige level indie games, all the way to AAA games that might have slipped between the cracks. Though generally they will skew a little smaller.
Joining me this time is freelance writer for Paste Magazine, Imran Khan.
Imran's Picks
Petrichor by Sundae Month
Fallow by Rook
Rain, House, Eternity by Kitty Horrorshow
Eric's Picks
EDDA by Diane Mueller
Small Worlds by David Shute
The Graveyard by Tale of Tales
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Tuesday Jun 16, 2015
Tuesday Jun 16, 2015
With us this time is founding editor of The Arcade Review Zolani Stewart.
Coming up on a year now, The Arcade Review is a publication that situates itself as an arts magazine first and a games magazine second. Wanting to break away from the stagnant circles of what is traditionally considered games writing, Zolani, with some help, created a space where he could foster the type of writing he wanted to see. We go into his sharpening focus over time of both the philosophical bedrock as well as the more physical aspects of its improving design. Enjoy.
SHOW NOTES
Predatory Queerness: A Response to "Neighborhood Bondage"
Lana and Zolani Visit A Gallery
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Friday May 29, 2015
Friday May 29, 2015
Welcome to another minisode of the Critical Distance Confab.
These minisodes are something different than our main podcast series. At the end of every month, myself and a guest, will list off a few games each that haven't gotten the attention of critical discourse we feel they deserve. These games can be anything from ich.io art games to prestige indie games to left by the wayside AAA games.
This month I'm joined by the editor-in-chief of the micro zine ZEAL, Aevee Bee.
Aevee's Picks
Drakengard 3 by Square Enix
DaganRompa: Trigger Happy Havoc and DagenRompa 2: Goodbye Dispair by Nippon Ichi Software
Odin's Sphere by Atlus
Eric's Picks
Hand of Fate by Defiant Development
Memoria by Daedalic Entertainment
ICBM by REPVBLIC
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy