Best Aaron & Zak Podcasts (2024)

1
Concord: An Unprecedented Failure 50:37

2d ago50:37

50:37

Alas, poor Concord, we hardly knew thee. That's right, Sony's next big foray into the wild world of live service shooters, is no more. And the real kicker? It barely lasted two weeks. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss the unprecedented failure of Concord. In addition to enumerating some of the factors that led to the AAA game's unceremon…

1
S4 E15 Vision 2024: Oak Ridge Completes a Cleanup Milestone- 08.26.24 - Joanna Hardin, DOE Federal Portfolio Director, East Tennessee Technology Park 24:32

21d ago24:32

24:32

Each year, the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management publishes a list of cleanup priorities for its sites around the country. Progress in the cleanup program is measured by how well these milestones are met. This week, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report joins in celebrating completion a major cleanup goal on DOE’s Oak Ridge Reserva…

1
Monopoly Go!: The Obscene Cost of Games Marketing 58:03

1M ago58:03

58:03

When you look at a game like Monopoly Go!, your first thought is probably not that its marketing budget was nearly twice the annual GDP of the Marshall Islands. That's right, Hasbro and Scopley spent a borderline-obscene $500 million to get their new mobile title in front of as many eyes as possible... and it seems to have worked. This week, Zak an…

1
Game Pass: Higher Prices, Higher Stakes 1:03:09

2M ago1:03:09

1:03:09

Xbox Game Pass has been called the best deal in gaming, and for a while that was hard to dispute. But the times are changing, and with it comes a new era for Microsoft's subscription service - one that costs considerably more than it used to. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss the Xbox Game Pass price hike, and why it's far more significa…

1
S4E14 Consent-Based Siting for Spent Nuclear Fuel: A National Conversation - 07/29/2024 - Energy Communities Alliance, Washington, DC 49:04

2M ago49:04

49:04

The Gone Fission Nuclear Report travels to the nation’s capital this week to join a national conversation on next steps for identifying a community to host interim spent fuel storage from America’s nuclear power plants. Our podcast sponsor, the Energy Communities Alliance, convened a meeting of elected officials, community leaders, economic develop…

1
Elden Ring: Game Difficulty & Accessibility 1:12:42

2M ago1:12:42

1:12:42

Every few years, notoriously sadistic game studio From Software releases a new title, and with it comes a heated debate about game difficulty. Well, that time has come again with the launch of Shadow of the Erdtree, the one and only (massive) expansion for auteur director Hidetaka Miyazaki's magnum opus, Elden Ring. So, with some people conflating …

1
S4E13 Recruiting the Next Generation of Hanford Workers - 07/08/2024 - John Eschenberg, President/CEO, Central Plateau Cleanup Company 43:41

2M ago43:41

43:41

Our guest on this week’s episode is John Eschenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Central Plateau Cleanup Company in Hanford Washington. An Amentum-led partnership with Fluor and Atkins, CPCCO is responsible for managing site operations, facility deactivation, decommissioning, decontamination and demolition, waste-site remediation, and …

1
Dragon Age: Homogenizing Video Games 1:04:35

3M ago1:04:35

1:04:35

Among the bombastic trailers showcased in the Xbox showcase at Not E3™ — er, I mean Summer Game Fest™ — was one particular reveal that some fans have been waiting for for the better part of a decade: Dragon Age: The Veilguard. And boy oh boy, was it ever a bewildering first look. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss their impressions of the…

1
S4E12 The 2024 DOE Interns Have Arrived! --06/24/2024-- Maurice Thompson, Susan Sparks, Shannon Potter and Samina Mondal 1:05:54

3M ago1:05:54

1:05:54

This is the time of year when hundreds of interns descend on DOE sites around the country. They are eager and enthusiastic, ready to soak up new information gleaned from being out of the classroom and on the job. They are a critical part of the essential pipeline that will ensure the Department of Energy's Environmental Management program will have…

1
IGN: Corporate Consolidation's Impact on Games Media 54:25

3M ago54:25

54:25

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the latest episode of Consolidation Watch - a show where we puff out our proverbial chests and celebrate all of the excellent acquisitions that mega-corporations have completed recently! This week, we've got a doozy for ya' from the world of games media, where IGN successfully ate up the Gamer Network, home of mains…

1
S4E11 Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center Celebrates 20 Years - 06/03/2024 - Melody Bell, Deputy Director, Aaron Deckard, Procurement Director 47:46

4M ago47:46

47:46

DOE’s Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month. Called the “Swiss army knife of Environmental Management”, the EMCBC is a multi-faceted organization, serving as the centralized hub for procurement, financial management, and technical support for DOE’s environmental management progr…

1
Josh Bowlby Interview: UI/UX Design & Community Building 1:02:54

4M ago1:02:54

1:02:54

This week, Zak and Aaron chat with Josh Bowlby, a UI/UX designer (user interface and user experience, for the neophytes out there) who has experience at companies like Virtuix and Wayfinder developer Airship Syndicate, among others. Not only was he kind enough to speak on some of his experiences in that space, but also his active role in the Austin…

1
S4E10 Depleted UF6: A By-Product for Industry - 05/20/24 - Zak LaFontaine, DOE Program Director, Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Program 26:21

4M ago26:21

26:21

The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is more than tearing down aging, contaminated buildings. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, we’ll take a look at another dimension of cleanup--the conversion of depleted uranium hexafluoride—or UF6--at Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio. A by-product of the conver…

1
S4E9 K-25 Reunion: Recalling Nuclear History - 05-06-24 - Dr. Harold Conner Jr. and Pam Toon 56:43

4M ago56:43

56:43

On April 27, 2024, more than 650 former workers at the historic K-25 gaseous diffusion plant in Oak Ridge, TN, came together for their first-ever reunion. As Daniel Dassow wrote in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, it was the first time many had driven their private cars into the complex, the first time they weren’t required to show a badge and perhaps …

1
Fallout: A New Era of Multimedia Franchises? 56:17

5M ago56:17

56:17

War. War never changes... but the media landscape sure does. With Amazon's new Fallout show dominating headlines and streaming charts alike, Zak and Aaron returned to the vault this week to dust off an old favorite topic: video game adaptations. This time, the question at hand isn't the program's quality (spoilers: it's pretty good), but rather wha…

1
S4E8 Meet DOE's Top Project Director - 4/22/24 - Jud Lilly, DOE Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office 55:14

5M ago55:14

55:14

Thousands of workers show up each day to advance the environmental cleanup mission at DOE sites around the country. They are talented and dedicated but for the most part their work goes unheralded without awards or accolades. In this week’s Gone Fission Nuclear Report host Michael Butler talks with a DOE official who has been singled out by the Sec…

1
Epic vs. Apple Lawsuit: The Fate of Platform Monopolization 58:36

5M ago58:36

58:36

Ahh, Apple. Creators of the smartphone, pioneers of industry, the gold standard for excellence, the last bastion of inspiration in a world that's gone dull, and... an illegal monopoly? That's what a recent set of lawsuits allege - and they're gaining traction. Between an all-out assault from Epic Games' Tim Sweeney and an 88-page treatise on illega…

1
S4E7 National Laboratories Speed Hanford Cleanup - 04/08/24 - Connie Herman, SRNL, Delmar Noyes, DOE-Hanford 30:46

5M ago30:46

30:46

The Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories conduct research and development on some of the world’s most vexing challenges—from climate change to the origins of the universe. Most recently, six labs have turned their attention to speeding cleanup of underground tank waste at DOE’s Hanford site in Washington State. The labs are using $27 mil…

1
Dragon's Dogma 2: Does Review Bombing Work? 58:07

6M ago58:07

58:07

Rejoice, RPG fans, for Dragon's Dogma 2 is finally here! The reviews are in, and the consensus is... well, complicated as hell. While critics are stoked overall, fans seem to have some grievances — and they're quite happy to share them. This brings Zak and Aaron to the ever-relevant topic of review bombing, or the practice of leaving droves of nega…

1
S4E6 Cleanup and the Nuclear Renaissance - 03/25/24 - Ashley Saunders, UCOR, Dr. Wes Hines, Head, UT Nuclear Energy Department, Jim Little, Board Member, E-4 Carolinas 1:01:50

6M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is boosting a resurgence in the growth of nuclear energy. Cleaning up formerly contaminated land has created a new home for advanced reactor concepts that have become the centerpiece of the nuclear renaissance. In this week’s episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report examines how environmental…

1
Suicide Squad: The Desperate State of AAA Games 58:00

6M ago58:00

58:00

When you think of AAA games, does your mind fill with excitement imagining what spectacular worlds dedicated artists have crafted for you with the benefit of near-limitless resources? Or do you imagine boardrooms filled with disinterested people demanding endless compromises in pursuit of maximum profit? This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to politel…

1
S4E5 Celebrating WIPP's 25th Anniversary - 03/11/24 -- Mark Bollinger, Tammy Hobbes, Brandon Jones 42:39

6M ago42:39

42:39

This month, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Located in Southeast New Mexico about 26 miles east of Carlsbad, WIPP was constructed for disposal of defense-generated transuranic--or TRU-- waste. WIPP is the nation’s only repository for the permanent disposal of TRU waste. In this week’s episode, Host Mic…

1
Adam Powell Interview: Union Organizing and the Games Industry 1:12:03

7M ago1:12:03

1:12:03

At this point, trying to find a new or clever way to say that the games industry is in turmoil is a profound exercise in futility. There is no one way to "fix" the problems that seem to follow developers from studio to studio, but there's one pretty clear step in the right direction: unions. This week, Zak and Aaron sit down with former union organ…

1
S4E4 Black History Month: Scarboro 85 - Desegregating Oak Ridge Schools - 02/26/24 - Ray Smith, Oak Ridge Historian 42:51

7M ago42:51

42:51

As we near the end of Black History Month, in this week’s podcast host Michael Butler features the story of the Scarboro 85. In August 1955, 85 young African American students entered all-white classrooms in the Oak Ridge High School and the Robertsville Junior High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This desegregation stands as an important milestone…

1
Palworld: Imitation, Inspiration, and Poké-Plagiarism 1:00:56

7M ago1:00:56

1:00:56

If you've spent any time on the internet as of late, odds are you've stumbled across something about a new game called Palworld - otherwise known as "Pokémon with guns." Hell, with north of 19 million downloads and record-breaking player counts on Steam, it's easily set to be one of the biggest games of the year. But what is it, really? This week, …

1
S4E3 The Birth of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus - 02/12/24 - Former Congressmen Doc Hastings (WA) and Zach Wamp (TN) 45:53

7M ago45:53

45:53

Consistent, reliable Congressional funding is an essential element of success in the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast, host Michael Butler interviews two former members of Congress who were instrumental in creation of the Nuclear Cleanup Caucus in the mid-1990s. …

1
Chasing Pre-Orders: Early Access Monetization Madness 54:13

8M ago54:13

54:13

Hello, everybody, and welcome to season three of Some Patches Required! Our intrepid hosts have been away for a while, but the games industry certainly didn't take a break with them, as mass layoffs, leaks, hacks, studio closures, and more dominated the headlines. This week, Zak and Aaron tackle the messy topics of true early access and the recent …

1
S4E2 DOE Procurement Process -- How EM Contracts Work -- 01/29/24 -- Angela Watmore, DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary, Aaron Deckard, Proocurement Director, EM Consolidated Business Center as I by 51:13

8M ago51:13

51:13

The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is now focused on 15 remaining sites around the country, down from 107 at the start of the program three decades ago. It is a multi-million dollar, multi-decade effort that depends on qualified contractors to get the job done. DOE is the largest civilian contracting agency in the federal gove…

1
S4E1 Remembering Gary Petersen - Hanford "Force of Nature" -- 01/08/24 -- Former Congressman Doc Hastings, Duane Schmoker, David Reeploeg, Seth Kirshenberg, Carl Adrian 44:18

9M ago44:18

44:18

Every DOE community has local leaders who step up to advocate for funding and new missions and to hold the Department of Energy accountable for its cleanup obligations. These leaders take the time to educate themselves on site issues, get to know DOE leaders and members of Congress, and use their voices and influence to represent their communities.…

1
S3E33 Manhattan Project National Park: Three Sites, Many Stories - 11/20/23 - Wendy Behrman, Park Superintendent 39:52

10M ago39:52

39:52

In 2015, the United States welcomed its 409th National Park. Known as the Manhattan Project National Historic Park, it tells the story of the men and women who developed the atomic bomb that ended World War II. The Park features three key locations across the U.S.—Oak Ridge TN, Los Alamos NM, and Hanford WA. National Park Service Superintendent Wen…

1
S3E22 A DOE View: Community Support is Essential - 11/13/23 - Kristen Ellis, Yvette Cantrell, Paradio Maith 28:03

10M ago28:03

28:03

In our last episode, the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast examined the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee’s decision to close in two years. This week, Department of Energy officials at Headquarters and two sites discuss the continuing need for CROs and the importance of community support in the success of DOE’s cleanup mission. Hear …

1
S3E21 A Community Reuse Organization Closes: CROET Says Mission Accomplished - 11/06/23 - David Bradshaw, CROET, Seth Kirshenberg, ECA 44:19

11M ago44:19

44:19

The Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee (CROET) recently announced its plans to close after three decades of successfully representing the Oak Ridge community with the Department of Energy. Why now? And what does this decision mean for the CROs that continue to operate in other DOE communities? Learn the answers in this week’s episode of…

1
S3E20 EM Young Professionals: Building the Workforce - 09/25/2023 - Ike White, EM Senior Advisor, Ken Rueter, UCOR President & CEO 23:36

12M ago23:36

23:36

If you want job security and the feeling of doing something meaningful, the Department of Energy’s Environmental Management program is the place to be. That was the message of top government and industry leaders—and young professionals themselves—at the 2023 National Cleanup Workshop in Washington, DC. EM Senior Advisor Ike White says about half th…

1
S3E19 Two Congressmen Talk Cleanup - 09/18/23 - Congressmen Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), 2023 National Cleanup Workshop 17:18

1y ago17:18

17:18

Cleanup is essential. Budgets are tight. Partnership is imperative. That was the message delivered by two members of Congress at the National Cleanup Workshop in Washington, DC, last week. Hear Congressmen Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) assess the current status of the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program in this w…

1
S3E18 Stuart MacVean - Looking Back over 40 Years - 09/11/23 - Stuart MacVean, Retired President and CEO, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions 35:50

1y ago35:50

35:50

This week's episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast features an in-depth interview with Stuart MacVean, recently retired President and CEO of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, DOE's lead environmental cleanup contractor at the Savannah River Site. MacVean looks back on his four decades in the nuclear industry and discusses the challenges…

1
S3E17 Labor Day 2023: Saluting America's Workers - 09/04/23 - Sean McGarvey, President and CEO, NABTU 49:08

1y ago49:08

49:08

The Gone Fission Nuclear Report podcast celebrates the American worker on Labor Day 2023. Our skilled crafts work daily in hazardous environments and all kinds of weather to carry out the EM cleanup mission. Sean McGarvey, president and CEO of North America’s Building Trades Unions, joins us on this week’s episode to thank these workers for all the…

1
Baldur's Gate 3: Breaking the AAA Mold 1:15:20

1y ago1:15:20

1:15:20

Have you ever felt exhausted by the neverending onslaught of updates, microtransactions, generic mechanics, and performance issues that seem to define modern AAA games? Well, do we ever have a new title for you! This week, Zak and Aaron discuss the myriad ways that the newly released Baldur's Gate 3 - and Larian Studios - break the mold established…

1
Alan Wake 2: Physical Distribution & Game Preservation 1:12:37

1y ago1:12:37

1:12:37

The world is changing, and media is changing with it. What do you own? What does renting even mean in the era of subscription services and online storefronts? More importantly, what happens to a work of art when it's lost to time? This week, Zak and Aaron dive into the topic of game preservation in the (Alan) wake of several high-profile games goin…

1
S3E16 Electrifying the EM Vehicle Fleet - 07/31/23 - Rob Seifert, EM HQ, Stuart MacVean, President & CEO, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions 45:10

1y ago45:10

45:10

The Department of Energy's Environmental Management office spends a lot of time remediating the problems of the past. But that doesn't mean they don't have an eye on the future. Perhaps nowhere is that more evident than in EM's current push to electrify it's gasoline-powered vehicle fleet. In this week’s episode of the Gone Fission Nuclear Report, …

1
S3E15 Environmental Cleanup: A Family Affair - 07.24.23 - Meet families who work together at DOE sites 52:35

1y ago52:35

52:35

Environmental cleanup at Department of Energy sites is a family affair. Each day, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, uncles and nephews show up together to perform the hazardous tasks and myriad support services necessary to carry out one of the world’s largest environmental cleanup missions. In this week’s episode of th…

1
Graphics vs. Gameplay: BattleBit & Stylized Games 1:09:36

1y ago1:09:36

1:09:36

After a few unfortunate delays, Zak and Aaron are back to ask you a simple question: Do you value visual extravagance over gameplay excellence, or do you think they can work together? Moreover, is there a seat for style at the table? Between the blocky art of BattleBit, the breathtaking but broken Jedi Survivor, and an endless supply of Aaron's use…

1
S3E14 Oppenheimer: The Movie - 7/17/23 - Dr. Thom Mason, Director, Los Alamos National Laboratory 38:02

1y ago38:02

38:02

A controversial figure to this day, J. Robert Oppenheimer led the development and construction of the world's first atomic bomb. After World War II, his past communist leanings came to a head when his government security clearance was revoked after several contentious hearings at the height of the "Red Scare". In this week’s episode of the Gone Fis…

1
S3E13 - EM Strategic Plan - 7/10/23 - Erik Olds, EM Communications Director, Lee Tucker, EM External Relations 46:08

1y ago46:08

46:08

The Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is complex, expensive and long-term. It requires federal oversight, experienced contractor management, a skilled workforce, continual funding from Congress, negotiations with regulators, buy-in and support from communities and stakeholders, and lots of careful planing. That planning is convey…

1
Apple Vision Pro: Is this a Watershed Moment? 1:17:07

1y ago1:17:07

1:17:07

This week, Zak and Aaron chat about what the semi-recently-announced Apple Vision Pro could mean for the VR, AR, and MR market. Will it fall flat on its face like Google Glass? Will it spur on competition like the original Oculus or HTC Vive? Or could it change the game entirely through the power of brand cachet and good marketing? Only time will t…

1
Alex Malcolm Interview: Music Licensing in Video Games 1:21:56

1y ago1:21:56

1:21:56

This week, Zak and Aaron chat across three different time zones! Was that sensationalist enough to grab your attention?? Good, because the third time zone is occupied by Alex Malcolm, who works in music licensing for Warner Music Group. This fella has brokered deals for numerous games, and was kind enough to share some insight into the process of w…

1
Cameron Paxton Interview: Composing Music for Indie Games 1:18:24

1+ y ago1:18:24

1:18:24

This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to talk with the profoundly talented Cameron Paxton - the composer for the game Dome Keeper - about the intricacies of writing music for games. Naturally, Aaron rambles on about esoteric ideas, Zak stays on topic, and our guest brings insight to spare. If you're interested in musical composition, creativity, or jus…

1
Tears of the Kingdom: What Makes a Successful Sequel? 1:16:42

1+ y ago1:16:42

1:16:42

At this point, it's only a few degrees shy of impossible that you haven't heard of the newest Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom. Was that sentence confusing? Well, so is trying to evaluate what makes a good sequel. And yet, Zak and Aaron dive into the murky depths of media to discuss what makes a successful sequel, especially when it comes…

1
S3E12 Preserving K-25 History - 05/22/23 - Jim Dunn, UCOR National Historic Preservation Manager 24:18

1+ y ago24:18

24:18

Officials have taken another step forward in preserving the history of the K-25 site in Oak Ridge, breaking ground for a new viewing platform that will provide a bird’s eye view of the former gaseous diffusion plant’s footprint. A nearby K-25 History Center focuses on the men and women who built and operated the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant du…

1
S3E11 Gone Fission Nuclear Report - 05/15/23 - DOE-EM is Hiring - Today and Tomorrow, Dameone Ferguson, DOE-EM HQ 32:37

1+ y ago32:37

32:37

Ensuring an adequate workforce for the Department of Energy’s environmental cleanup program is a continuing concern and a high priority. There are decades of cleanup work left to do, and much of the current workforce is approaching retirement age. EM is now engaged in an aggressive program to hire more professionals. In this week's episode, we exam…

1
Fortnite: The Evolution of UGC Platforms 1:12:34

1+ y ago1:12:34

1:12:34

This week, Zak and Aaron hop right back into the maelstrom that is the modern games industry. Wait, were you expecting something different? Maybe you don't know their particular brand. On this particular, acronym-filled venture, Zak and Aaron try to unpack the evolution of UGC, especially as it pertains to Fortnite and the Unreal Engine. Between th…

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