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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
Friday Aug 15, 2014
Friday Aug 15, 2014
This month we bring you another interview from the unheard archives. A few years ago Kirk Battle, going under the pseudonym L.B. Jefferies, was one of the most prolific critics of the burgeoning amateur bloggers arising from the boom of 2007 and 2008. Now he is retired from the video game criticism game. We look back on his time as a critic and his view of criticism itself.
In addition to being a personal inspiration to podcast moderator Eric Swain, Kirk Battle was named Critical Distance's 2010 Blogger of the Year.
SHOW NOTES
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Review
Samuel Johnson and Video Games
Does Video Games Need a Lester Bangs?
The New YouTube Video Games Criticism: An Interview with "moviebob"
Does Video Games Need a Pauline Kael?
Telling Tales in Gabriel Knight 2
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Tuesday Jul 15, 2014
Tuesday Jul 15, 2014
This month's podcast is all about a subject near and dear to our hearts: curation.
Here at Critical-Distance we curate games writing and other forms of criticism. We go through the massive amount of output on the internet that we can find and put it into a regular roundup. But what about curation of the games themselves. Steam is getting flooded with new releases to say nothing about the games that never seem to get the spotlight at all, hidden away individual projects scattered around the web.
For this month's podcast, Mattie brings two curators of small, free indie games (Merritt Kopas and Chris Priestman) to discuss the process and the philosophy behind what games they try to give the spotlight to and what audience they are trying to reach.
CAST
Mattie Brice: Alternate Ending
Merritt Kopas: mkopas
Chris Priestman: Warp Door
SHOW NOTES
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Sunday Jun 15, 2014
Sunday Jun 15, 2014
Due to some unforeseen circumstances (namely, an impromptu digital game conference), Mattie Brice is unavailable to bring us a podcast this month.
Fortunately, we dug into the archives and found this gem: an unreleased interview with Michael "Brainygamer" Abbott. Recorded about two years ago, most of what we talk about is his historical perspective from the beginning wave of internet bloggers and critics and his own view on video game criticism.
We hope you enjoy!
SHOW NOTES
Look at the camera and smile: No More Heroes and the New Wave
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Thursday May 15, 2014
Thursday May 15, 2014
Welcome to the first podcast in the brand new Critical Distance Confab!
We were so impressed with Mattie Brice's moderation of our Black History Month podcast that we've asked her back to helm a new, monthly series. Each month on the 15th, Mattie will be tackling exciting, weighty topics flanked by special guests from across the critical landscape - and perhaps a few surprises as well!
This month, Mattie sits down with fellow critic-developers Lana Polansky and Cameron Kunzelman, to discuss how they got involved in game design, why game development interests them, and how becoming a developer has changed how they write about games.
CAST
Mattie Brice: Alternate Ending
Lana Polansky: Sufficiently Human
Cameron Kunzelman: This Cage is Worms
SHOW NOTES
Rise of the Videogame Zinesters
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Wednesday Mar 05, 2014
Wednesday Mar 05, 2014
In honor of Black History Month or maybe, as the discussion recognizes, in submission to it, we at Critical Distance are honored to be host to a discussion of three highly intelligent black critics to discuss both the concept of Black Hisotry Month and what it means to be black in video games and the wider culture. Now, I'll just get out of the way and let them take it from here.
CAST
Mattie Brice: Alternate Ending
Zolani Stewert: The Fengxi Box
Evan Narcisse: Kotaku
SHOW NOTES
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Friday Jan 10, 2014
Friday Jan 10, 2014
And comes close another year and along with it our fourth end of year look back podcast. 2013 is behind us and we at Critical Distance look one last time at the major points that occurred along the way. We did our best to keep the podcast as manageable as possible, time wise. This year, instead of breaking it up between the events that happen and games that came out we've done them all at once in a single chronological run through of the year.
CAST
Eric Swain: The Game Critique
Kris Ligman: Dire Critic
Alan Williamson: Five out of Ten
Cameron Kunzelman: This Cage is Worms
SHOW NOTES
Tropes vs. Woman in Video Games
The Collapse of the Animal Crossing Economy and the Rise of Villager Trading
Opening Theme: 'Close' byThe Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Friday Jan 10, 2014
Friday Jan 10, 2014
And comes close another year and along with it our fourth end of year look back podcast. 2013 is behind us and we at Critical Distance look one last time at the major points that occurred along the way. We did our best to keep the podcast as manageable as possible, time wise. This year, instead of breaking it up between the events that happen and games that came out we've done them all at once in a single chronological run through of the year.
CAST
Eric Swain: The Game Critique
Kris Ligman: Dire Critic
Alan Williamson: Five out of Ten
Cameron Kunzelman: This Cage is Worms
SHOW NOTES
Tropes vs. Woman in Video Games
The Collapse of the Animal Crossing Economy and the Rise of Villager Trading
Opening Theme: 'Close' byThe Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Wednesday Oct 09, 2013
Wednesday Oct 09, 2013
For quite a while now Lara Croft and her Tomb Raider franchise has been wallowing in irrelevance. One too many subpar games with date control scheme and sensibilities holding it down. Then, earlier this year, the reboot of Tomb Raider launched the franchise back into the public eye and brought with it much examination and discussion. Three people were driven to have a voice-to-voice conversation about it. They did so. This is that conversation.
CAST
Zach Alexander: Hailing From the Edge
Kris Ligman: Dire Critic
Cameron Kunzelman: This is Cage of Worms
SHOW NOTES
Tomb Raider Review Mutliplatform
Legends Of The Hidden Template
Tomb Raider: Lara Croft and the Secret of the Tenth Death Totem
Tomb Raider: How long does it take to become an axe murderer?
Why The Fearful Hero Is A Good Thing For Video Games
This isn't the article I wanted to write about Tomb Raider
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
>Thursday Apr 18, 2013
Thursday Apr 18, 2013
Back in March of 2011 I played Deirdra Kiai's recently released Life Flashes By and wanted to talk to her about it. I asked for an interview and she graciously accepted. Through a series of semi-ludicrous events that interview has ended up here for your enjoyment. You can download and play Life Flashes By at Deirdra's site as well as check out her other work.
Opening Theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Friday Dec 28, 2012
Friday Dec 28, 2012
And here it is. After much loss of sleep and sanity the 2012 end of year podcast has finally arrived. After last year's hopefulness of things being better, on one front 2012 proved to be an even worse year than its predecessor. And on the other hand, proved to be one of the best years in gaming. Those of us willing to brave the recording hours tackled it all.
The first three parts deal with the events and controversies in the gaming community. The third one was a trigger warning for the entire thing. Then in the last four we talk games from Katawa Shoujo to Far Cry 3.
CAST
Eric Swain: The Game Critique
Kris Ligman: Dire Critic
Alan Williamson: Five out of Ten
Ian Miles Cheong: Gameranx
SHOW NOTES
38 Studios Downfall: The Gamasutra Report
Lost Humanity 18: A Table of Doritos
Why are we still so bad at talking about video games?
Image Based Harassment and Visual Misogyny
Opening theme: 'Close' by The Alpha Conspiracy
Closing Theme: 'Wishing Never' by The Alpha Conspiracy