TikTok is facing a U.S. ban, so what does that mean for influencers, marketers, gaming fans, and the future of short-form video? Kaitlyn and Sam answer that question, as well as explain Escape From Tarkov’s bad week and their thoughts on Fallout’s fifth episode and Fallout 4’s next-gen update. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:03:19 – What’s the Futur…

Embracer Group is splitting into three companies, Star Wars Outlaws’ premium day-one content is upsetting fans, and Fallout is returning for a second season on Prime Video. Kaitlyn and Sam break down these headlines, their updated Fallout impressions, and Kaitlyn’s Coachella experience on this week’s episode. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:01:13 – …

Kaitlyn, Sam, and special guest Trisha Hershberger exit the vault this week to review Prime Video’s Fallout. They discuss how well it adapts Bethesda’s beloved game franchise, spoilers from the first two episodes, and what other game adaptations can learn from the series. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:01:45 – Trisha’s Favorite Fallout Games 00:13:…

IGN’s creative staff formed the IGN Creators Guild this year to collectively work toward a stronger, more equitable workplace. IGN video editor and guild member Chelsea Miller joins Kaitlyn and Sam to explain why the IGN Creators Guild was founded, how it’s brought the staff closer together, and what the union hopes to accomplish next. Timecodes: 0…

Larian Studios isn’t making a Baldur’s Gate 3 sequel or expansion, Rockstar may miss Grand Theft Auto’s “early 2025” launch window, and Dragon’s Dogma 2 launched with a surprising, and to some upsetting, range of microtransactions. Sam and Kaitlyn discuss these headlines, as well as their favorite (and least favorite) April Fool’s gags this year. T…

Entertainment journalists Lin Codega and Chase Carter launched Rascal News, an independent outlet covering tabletop roleplaying games, in February. One month later, they join Sam to discuss why they launched the reader-supported, worker-owned outlet, their love for tabletop, and why passionate journalists tell the best stories. Timecodes: 00:00:00 …

World of Darkness – a connected story universe including Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and more – is coming off its most successful year ever in 2023. Jason Carl, brand marketing manager for World of Darkness and storyteller for the “By Night” actual play series, joins Sam and Kaitlyn to dive deep into the universe, what makes …

It’s finally time for Kaitlyn and Sam to flex their love for movies. This week, they discuss the 2024 Academy Awards and how Hollywood’s biggest night compares to gaming’s awards slate. They break down where The Game Awards, DICE Awards, and BAFTA Games Awards stand in the gaming industry, how a video game adaptation could be recognized at the Osca…

PlayStation and EA laid off hundreds of people last week, adding to the thousands of people affected by layoffs in the games industry in 2024. Sam and Kaitlyn discuss why layoffs are sweeping the industry, what they mean for the state of AAA game development, and how PlayStation and EA’s cuts signal major changes for their content strategies. Timec…

Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior reinvents the hack ‘n’ slash genre by empowering players to rewind time and fight with an army of their past selves. Thibault Legouet, game director and lead game designer at Sand Door Studio, joins Sam to discuss Lysfanga’s innovative combat, its origins as a student project, and the challenges of making a game whe…

Xbox is staying in the hardware and exclusives business, PlayStation has no “major existing franchise titles” this year, and Nintendo’s next console is reportedly delayed to 2025. Sam and Kaitlyn break down the state of the first parties and what their strategies mean for major gaming franchises, as well as share their favorite (and least favorite)…

A record-breaking Super Bowl, Disney’s $1.5 billion Fortnite deal, and rampant speculation about Xbox’s multiplatform future dominated this week in pop culture, so Kaitlyn and Sam break it all down on this week’s episode. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro (Super Bowl Chat) 00:04:07 – Favorite Super Bowl Commercials 00:10:10 – Deadpool & Wolverine Trailer…

Spawn On Me founder Kahlief Adams joins Sam to discuss The Spawnies, his annual awards show celebrating game developers. This year marks the third annual Spawnies, airing February 29, and Kahlief breaks down the making of the show and its mission to recognize underrepresented artists. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro (Kahlief’s Dream Co-Host for The Spa…

IGN executive editor Tom Marks joins Sam and Kaitlyn to discuss his new position leading game reviews at IGN and how the outlet approaches reviews of remasters like The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Early Access games like Palworld, and titles with staggered launches like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro (Tom’s M…

Kinda Funny Xcast host Mike “SnowBikeMike” Howard joins Sam and Kaitlyn to preview Xbox’s year ahead. The trio reviews Xbox’s Developer Direct presentation, discusses the platform’s big 2024 releases (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed), and predicts what we’ll see from Xbox’s summer showcase. Note: This episode …

Artificial intelligence was the hot tech topic of 2023, and 2024 will be no different. Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher dig into the industry’s evolving relationship with AI, how legislation and workers’ groups will affect AI usage, and how AI does (or does not) relate to the Switch 2’s launch. Then the duo closes out with their impressions of Princ…

Two months ago, Nick Calandra and The Escapist’s former video team launched Second Wind after Nick was fired. Today, Second Wind has over 400,000 YouTube subscribers and over 14,000 Patreon supporters. Nick joins Sam Mosher and Kaitlyn Red Wing to discuss Second Wind’s success, the business of independent content creation, the failings of corporate…

A new year means new games, so Kaitlyn Red Wing, Mel Gazazian, and Sam Mosher share their most anticipated releases and predictions for 2024. Topics include Hades II, Nintendo’s next console, and the big game adaptations coming to TV and film this year. Then the trio closes out the episode with their favorite media from the holiday break. Timecodes…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — Game of the Year season — so PC Gamer global editor-in-chief Evan Lahti joins us to break down how PC Gamer picks the best games of every year. He also pulls back the curtain on other PC Gamer projects, including game adaptation coverage, the PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted showcase, and the Top 100 PC games l…

The Game Awards 2023 was jam-packed with trailers (Light No Fire!), surprises (Blade!), and celebrities (Jordan Peele!), but did it give enough time to the awards themselves? Kaitlyn Red Wing, Mel Gazazian, and Sam Mosher review this year’s show, discuss how it can better celebrate developers, and share their favorite announcements. Timecodes: 00:0…

The Grand Theft Auto VI trailer is finally here, so Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher break it down, discuss its leak, and predict how Rockstar will show the game next. As if that trailer wasn’t enough, Fortnite and Amazon Prime’s Fallout series released huge trailers this week, so the duo also digs into Fortnite’s new experiences (Lego Fortnite, Roc…

The Game Awards are a week away, and Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are ready to duke it out! Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher dig into this year’s TGA nominations and predict the big winners, cameos, and surprises of the night. Then the duo discusses the recently announced The Last of Us Part II Remastered and t…

It’s a huge gaming news month, and hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher are joined by Mel Gazazian to break it all down. The trio discusses Blizzard’s first BlizzCon since 2019, the first trailer for the “next Grand Theft Auto” (a.k.a. Grand Theft Auto 6) coming in December, and Nintendo’s announcement of a live-action Legend of Zelda movie. Timec…

Puzzmo is a digital reinvention of the daily newspaper puzzle page, complete with a more accessible crossword, hit word games like Spelltower and Typeshift, and more to come. Co-founder and game designer Zach Gage joins Sam this week to discuss Puzzmo, its puzzle-locked limited launch, and how it rethinks newspaper games while preserving what makes…

NYU Game Center director Frank Lantz set out to explain why games are beautiful in his book, “The Beauty of Games,” and it became one of Sam’s favorite reads of the year. Frank and Sam discuss the book, how to reframe the “are games art?” conversation, why games are most similar to music, and more. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:00:44 – Frank’s Fav…

TwitchCon moved to Vegas for its 2023 event, and host Kaitlyn Red Wing and TriplePointer Mel Gazazian have the first-hand report. They join Sam to discuss the streamer convention, the state of Twitch, and how it’s competing with rival services. Then they enter the Spider-Verse to discuss Spider-Man 2, Kaitlyn’s first hours with the game, and whethe…

Microsoft has officially closed its Activision Blizzard acquisition, so what does that mean for Xbox? Kaitlyn and Sam discuss the largest gaming acquisition ever and what to expect from it on this week’s episode, as well as rumors of Disney making a major gaming acquisition and John Riccitiello stepping down as Unity’s CEO. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – In…

It’s spooky season, so let’s get into the ghoulish spirit and talk horror games! TriplePointers Alyx Evans and Paul Lombardo join Sam this week to discuss their introduction to the horror genre, their favorite scary games, memorable horror marketing, and more. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:02:15 – Adapting scary movies into games 00:09:36 – Horror…

We go under the sea this week with lead game designer Thomas Bardet to talk about Under The Waves, the new narrative-driven adventure game from Paris-based Parallel Studio. Thomas explains the challenges of making a game set underwater, the team’s visual and narrative inspirations, striking a balance between cozy gameplay and emotional storytelling…

MMORPG managing editor Joseph Bradford joins us to discuss the week’s biggest headlines, including Starfield reviews, the Unity Runtime Fee controversy, and our favorite games from the latest Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play. Look forward to new weekly episodes of Real Time Strategy every Wednesday. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:07:41…

Five years after its announcement, Starfield is finally here. TriplePoint’s Sam Mosher, Nick Shepherd, and Blane Humphries break down its campaign from announcement to launch and discuss what other games can learn from Starfield’s deep-dive showcase, messaging, and review strategy. Timecodes: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:01:50 – Baldur’s Gate 3 and other fa…

Games journalist Patrick Klepek (VICE’s Waypoint, Kotaku, Giant Bomb) has covered the industry for over 20 years, and now he’s applying his experience to a needed space for games writing: parenting. Patrick joins us to discuss his gaming and parenting newsletter, Crossplay, give his advice to TriplePoint’s newest dad Nick Shepherd, explain Roblox, …

Podcasting legend Danny Peña is the founder and host of Gamertag Radio, the first gaming podcast to reach 1,000 episodes. He was an inaugural inductee to the Podcasters Hall of Fame, and he’s interviewed countless industry icons like Phil Spencer, Reggie Fils-Aimé, and more. Danny breaks down his career, how his hip-hop promoting experience helped …

iam8bit founders Jon Gibson and Amanda White are experts at bringing games into the real world, whether through collectibles, vinyls, physical editions, or some of the year’s coolest events like Summer Game Fest and Day of the Devs. Jon and Amanda join us to break down the company’s history, growth, and mission to celebrate gaming communities. Time…

Kate Sánchez, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of But Why Tho? and recruiter for Iron Galaxy Studios, joins us to talk about her many years of experiences as a diversity specialist. Kate dives into what exactly is a diversity specialist, what recruitment in the games industry looks like, especially for underrepresented groups, and more. We also d…

PCMag senior analyst Jordan Minor joins us to discuss his book “Video Game of the Year,” available wherever you buy books on July 11. The book chronicles over 40 years of video game history by selecting the defining game of each year. Jordan breaks down how he wrote the book and brought it to life with the help of illustrator Wren McDonald and doze…

Apple is entering the VR and AR race with the Apple Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset releasing early next year for $3,500. How will it change the VR and AR industry? Rob Alvarez, the marketing director at Owlchemy Labs (Job Simulator, Cosmonious High), joins us to answer that question, discuss the technology powering the headset, and explain why…

GameSpot managing editor Tamoor Hussain has reviewed massive games like Elden Ring and managed reviews for other behemoths like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. He sits down with hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher to discuss GameSpot’s review process, how to cover a massive game, finding the passion in a review, and more. Timecodes: 00…

Spring 2023 will go down as one of the busiest release windows for games ever, including huge titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Street Fighter 6, and more. Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher are joined by TriplePointers Nick Shepherd and Hailey Mohney to discuss why so …

Victoria 3 game director Mikael Andersson joins us this week to discuss the making of the historically epic grand strategy game, how Paradox approaches strategy game storytelling, and what makes a great game design team. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro / Getting to Know Mikael (Cozy Puzzle/Strategy Games) 11:01 - Upcoming Paradox Games 17:13 - Going from I…

Doug Perry, IGN co-founder and head of public relations at Pearl Abyss America, returns to the show to discuss his transition from games journalism to games PR, his advice for journalists making the same move, and his key learnings from leading PR for Warframe at Digital Extremes. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 2:36 - Game Reviews (Halo, Driver, Grand The…

In our first two-part episode, Doug Perry, head of public relations at Pearl Abyss America, joins us to discuss his work as co-founder and editor-in-chief of IGN. He discusses his magazine journalism background, how IGN competed with print media, and his favorite stories from covering the N64, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro / …

TV critic Alison Herman has not played The Last of Us. Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher consider it one of their favorite games of all time. Together, the trio reviews HBO’s hit adaptation of the game and discusses its successful creative decisions, award-worthy performances, and what its popularity says about pop culture today. Timecodes: 0:0…

Voice actor Gabe Kunda’s work is everywhere - video games, commercials, anime, and more. He’s the voice behind KAY/O in Valorant, Newcastle in Apex Legends, “rated PG-13” at the end of your favorite movie trailer, and Macaron in 2023’s surprise gaming hit Hi-Fi Rush. Gabe joins hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher to discuss his career, the voice …

IGN senior features editor Matt Kim has written about games for over 10 years and has sharpened his skills through news, features, and freelance work. He joins hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher to discuss his new role at IGN, what makes a compelling feature story, and how to bring personal voice to writing about games. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro /…

Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher are back and ready to discuss what Nintendo has been cooking for 2023. They break down the year’s first Nintendo Direct, including the latest on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Nintendo Switch Online. And with the 2023 shadow drops of Metroid Prime Remastered and Hi-Fi Rush, the duo asks when surp…

TriplePoint reunited in Los Angeles to attend The Game Awards, and there are so many announcements, awards, and moments to discuss. Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher are joined by fellow TriplePointer Zach Ferenchak to discuss the live production, 3+ hour runtime, their favorite reveals, and more. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro / Housekeeping 1:53 - O…

The IGN review is a staple of the games industry, and there’s a lot of work that goes into each one. IGN executive editor of reviews Dan Stapleton joins us this week to discuss his review process, review scores, and how IGN manages “review seasons” - jam-packed release periods with too many good games to play. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro / Getting to K…

Best Adaptation, Best Indie Game, Best Narrative, and of course, Game of the Year… what do this year’s The Game Awards nominees say about the state of the industry? Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher dig into this question and more 2022 gaming goodness. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro / Kaitlyn’s LA Move 4:15 - What Are We Playing? (Two Point Campus, A …

Popagenda is a publisher for hire. It offers services like business development, public relations, platform release support, trailer editing, and more to indie teams behind hits like Bugsnax, Cuphead, and Toem. Co-founder Nick Verge joins us this week to discuss publishing as a service, how Popagenda has built its brand, and how the company is grow…