Game Theory Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Recorded on May 21, 2013 with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

Brian, Jim, and Tom discuss their plans to put the show on hold for a while. Jim is taking a road trip (follow that here) and Brian’s got a new baby in the house.

We intended to publish this right after Episode 19, but the reasons above contributed to extra delay.

We’ll let you know via this website or the podcast feed when we start up again, but we don’t expect to record any episodes this summer.

Recorded on May 21, 2013 with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

Streamlining - the way the sequels of a game, or games in a genre are re-worked to be simpler, easier - sometimes even with a dramatically transformed core mechanic - is covered in this live episode.

Brian also adds nostalgia to the discussion list. The group talks about the way we hold old, complicated games in reverence (as well as the resurgence of kickstartered ‘homage’ games). They also discuss what makes a sequel good or bad, and whether, as a rule, you should play the latest game in a series.

Referenced items:

World of Warcraft,
Nerf,
Community Building - Tobold,
How Microsoft Labs Invented a New Science of Play - Wired,
Eve Online,
XCom UFO Defense,
Isometric Game,
Bioshock 2,
Defender,
Stargate,
Halo,
Jaws 2,
Assassin’s Creed,
Grand Theft Auto,
Jason Statham,
Steve McQueen,
Mass Effect,
Desert Bus,
Fallout,
Elder Scrolls,
Madden NFL,
Tiger Woods Golf,
Tony Hawk Pro Skater,
SSX Snowboarding,
San Francisco Rush,
The Walking Dead,
Sam and Max,
Monkey Island,
Harry Potter,
Hunger Games,
Star Wars: Episode 1,
The Matrix: Reloaded,
King’s Quest V,
Space Quest,
Maniac Mansion,
Larry David,
National Public Radio,
Portal,
Killzone,
Gears of War,
Legend of Zelda,
Fallout,
Everquest,
Super Meat Boy,
World of Tanks,
Social Fabric - Tobold,
Red Dead Redemption,
Half Life,
Goldeneye,
Super Mario Bros.,
Doom,
The New SimCity,
Diablo Three.

Recorded on November 7th, 2012 with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

Incremental improvements in game hardware (faster processing speed, more colors/pixels, etc.) are inevitable each generation, but generally don’t enable new game concepts. Tom covers a history of transformative hardware/platform features, including advanced sound, mass optical storage and network connectivity.

Jim reviews middleware platforms and the group discusses how third-party libraries and game platforms like Game Maker influence how games are built today.

Links to referenced items:

Pong,
Computer Space,
Gun Fight,
Atari 2600,
Fairchild Channel F,
Breakout,
Nintendo Entertainment System,
Chiptune,
Intellivison,
Super Mario Bros.,
Legend of Zelda,
Atari 7800,
Ballblazer,
Sierra,
Pro Audio Spectrum 16,
MIDI,
Pinball Construction Set,
Hard Drivin’,
Battlezone,
I, Robot,
Doom,
3dfx,
OpenGL,
Wolfenstein 3D,
Math co-processor,
Ultima Eight,
Goldeneye,
Halo,
Playstation One,
Texture Mapping,
Sega Genesis,
Final Fantasy Seven,
EEPROM,
SRAM,
Defender,
R3000,
Playstation Two,
Emotion Engine,
Middleware,
Unreal Engine,
id Tech,
XBox,
XBox Live,
XBox 360,
Playstation Three,
Killer App,
Jaguar,
ColecoVision,
Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel’s Castle,
Analog Stick,
Nintendo 64,
Haptic Feedback,
Audio Game,
Pinching the Harmonica - Hypercritical
Playstation Controller,
“The Duke”,
Wii,
Power Glove,
Wii Sports,
Guitar Hero,
Madden,
Kinect,
Mass Effect Three,
Steel Battalion - Heavy Armor,
Steel Battalion Controller,
Kinectimals,
The Gunstringer,
Dance Central,
Capacitive Touchscreen,
App Store,
Indie Game,
Steam,
Havok,
Bink,
PhysX,
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Ragdoll Physics,
Mirror’s Edge,
Half Life Two,
F.E.A.R.,
Oblivion,
Dead Rising,
Bioshock,
Assassin’s Creed,
Killzone,
Red Faction,
Heavy Rain,
Rise of the Videogame Zinesters,
GameMaker,
Unity3D,
A Slower Speed of Light,
Unity Asset Store,
Area 51,
Return to Castle Wolfenstein,
Unfinished Swan,
Okami HD,
The Basement Collection,
Halo Four,
Catherine,
Mists of Pandaria,
World of Tanks,
Playstation Network,
Letterpress,
Game Center,
X-Com: Enemy Unknown,
Messing with the Aliens - Tobolds,
Dawn of War Two,
Super Hexagon,
The Moron Test,
Wario Ware.

Recorded on October 11, 2012 with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

Many games treat loot as another facet of levelling with different mechanics. Jim, Brian and Tom all have issues with the way that loot mechanics appear to be evolving in current games. Jim also has a principled objection to the way that loot reinforces materialism/consumerism. Many themes from Episode 5 - Grind are invoked.

Loot can be a great cause of stress. First, rapidly-levelling players often “grow out” of their loot and gear needs to be constantly refreshed for a player to remain competitive. Games like Torchlight or Borderlands also throw a great volume of loot drops at players, which requires effort to sort and sell.

Still, loot - particularly interesting and creative loot, has the ability to tug at our heartstrings. Brian, Jim and Tom discuss the Gameological Society’s ‘best treasure ever’ bracket and their own favorite in-game items.

Links to referenced items:

Starcraft,
Limbo,
Passage,
Domesticated Foxes,
Material World,
Dead Space,
God of War,
Legend of Zelda,
Dungeons and Dragons,
Elder Scrolls,
Borderlands,
Deus Ex: Human Revolution,
Torchlight Two,
Diablo,
Bastion,
Boxinalia,
Inner Wealth,
Dungeon Defenders,
World of Warcraft,
Wowhead,
Dragon Kill Points,
Best Treasure Ever,
Wabbajack,
Fallout 2,
Alien Blaster,
Steam Tonk,
Nethack,
Mjollnir.

Recorded on September 29, 2012 with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

In the post MMO-RPG world, we tend to make a lot of assumptions about what leveling is and how characters develop as they level, but there’s a lot of diversity in how leveling mechanics are managed. Jim, Brian and Tom discuss how leveling has evolved over the years.

Many games purport to have multiple leveling paths that result in differentiated gameplay experiences, but often due to balance or complexity/cost reasons this ideal is not realized. Additionally, social pressure in online games tends to homogenize the character “builds”.

Tom loathes auto-scaling zones in open-world games. Jim develops an unhealthy obsession with the TV Tropes website while researching this topic (you have been warned). Everyone agrees that the prospect of losing a level or having XP stolen is terrifying.

Links to referenced items:

Pac-Man,
Defender,
Bioshock,
Robotron 2084,
World of Warcraft,
Halo,
Diablo,
CounterStrike,
1942,
Bullet Hell,
Final Fantasy,
Esper,
Dungeons and Dragons,
Deus Ex: Human Revolution,
Dark Souls,
Journey,
Amalur:Reckoning,
Torchlight,
Diablo III,
Elder Scrolls,
The Saga of Olaf,
EvE Online,
Guild Wars,
Anti-Grinding - TV Tropes,
Palladium Books,
[Rifts,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifts_(role-playing_game)
Bushido Blade,
Fable,
Day Z,
A Being of Indescribable Power,
Killzone Three,
Doom,
Half Life Two,
World of Commanders.

Recorded on September 12, 2012 with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

Fairness is slippery and it can be hard to find a definition that most players in a game share. Brian, Tom and Jim all agree that the perception of unfairness does tend to ruin fun in a game.

It can often be hard to differentiate between lack of balance and a gap in player skill. Often what a player might call unfair is just poor game design or balance.

Brian worries about players who apply arbitrary limitations or restrictions to a game in single player mode and get crushed when they try multiplayer. Tom thinks these people are crybaby losers.

For multiplayer games, open communication about exploits is just as important as how fast they are resolved. We talked about what it means for a single player game to be unfair, but didn’t come to firm conclusions. If a game’s AI “cheats”, is it unfair?

Links to referenced items:

My First Cow Clicker,
Cow Clicker,
Internet [Jerk]wad Theory,
World of Tanks,
Backgammon,
Supreme Commander Two,
Halo,
Military Madness,
Secret World - Tom Chick,
World of Warcraft,
Dungeons and Dragons Minion,
WoT is Rigged - Greedy Goblin,
League of Legends,
Street Fighter Two,
Wimbledon,
You Will Die Instantly! - Hypercitical,
Playing to Win in Badminton - Sirlin,
Sumo Wrestling Collusion - Freakonomics,
Blood Doping,
Warsong Gulch,
Insider Trading,
Red Weenie,
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock,
Big Bang Theory,
Eve Exploit Notice,
Hacking Scrabble,
Qwordy,
Eternal Darkness,
Gaslighting,
Team Fortress Two,
Rocket Jumping,
Artemis,
Killzone Three,
Catherine,
Dark Souls,
Scroll of Resurrection,
Guild Wars Two,
EvE Online,
Champions Online,
Guild Wars,
Left 4 Dead,
Kill Screen,
Gameological Society,
Sawbuck Gamer.

Recorded on August 28, 2012 with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

The group tries to avoid talking about Farmville-type games unsuccessfully, and eventually pulls the focus around to the new wave of F2P games, converted MMOs like DDO, free to play monetization models, the “whales” that support them, and the impact these models have on gameplay and experience.

Tom argues that future MMOs must be free to play, and unless Blizzard has another rabbit in their hat WoW is likely to be the last smash-hit subscription-supported MMO. Brian sings the praises of World of Tanks as an ‘almost perfect’ free to play design.

The group wraps up with some discussion on the major technology platforms, PC, iOS, Android, Xbox, PS3 and how they support F2P.

Links to referenced items:

Starship Artemis,
PAX Prime,
Free to Play,
Smurfs Village,
Zynga’s Quest for Big-Spending Whales,
Zynga,
Claw Games,
Cow Clicker,
Popcap Games,
Lord of Ultima,
Pox Nora,
League of Legends,
World of Tanks,
Tribes: Ascension,
Team Fortress Two,
Lord of the Rings Online,
Dungeons and Dragons Online,
Airmech,
World of Warcraft,
Harry Potter,
Star Wars: The Old Republic,
Magic: The Gathering,
Evony,
Street Fighter,
Guild Wars,
Diablo 3,
Downloadable Content,
Dungeon Defenders,
Assassin’s Creed,
Braid,
Fez,
Counter Strike,
EA ‘allplay’ mode,
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning,
Journey - Collector Edition,
Skyrim,
Pong.

Recorded on August 8th with Brian Fife, James Fingal, Thomas Westberg and the crickets in Brian’s basement.

Brian, Jim and Tom talk about grind. Grind is eventually defined as time or effort that isn’t enjoyable, that must be spent in a game reach an objective, gain an item, or an achievement.

Some may look fondly (in retrospect) on past labors that led to high achievement in a game - but often we look back at time we spend grinding and wish we had done something different.

Grind doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. It’s sometimes nice to be able to kill time with a game – just like junk television. Persistent/MMO games also allow you to upgrade your character status while you do this.

Links to referenced items:

Carrot-Stick Forum Article,
World of Warcraft,
Final Fantasy,
Halo Skulls,
Braid Stars,
Banjo-Kazooie,
Super Mario,
Beyond Skill - Tobolds,
Sonic,
Left 4 Dead,
Angband,
Akimbo Assassin Achievement,
World of Tanks,
Workification,
Runecloth,
Winterspring Furbolgs,
Chess,
Starcraft,
Counterstrike,
Borderlands,
Torchlight,
Angry Birds,
Comfort Grind,
Jetpack Joyride,
Call of Duty,
Captured Firefly,
Captuar - Final Fantasy 3,
Dawn of War,
God of War,
Turtling,
Diablo 3,
Civilization,
Grand Theft Auto 3,
Pigeon,
BFG,
Morrowind,
Umbra,
Half Life 2.

Recorded on July 25th with Brian Fife, James Fingal and Thomas Westberg.

Tom talks about early arcade games, starting with Spacewar! and ending with Donkey Kong. Jim describes his present-day arcade experiences.

Brian asks the group about game development, and they briefly discuss game development frameworks.

World of Tanks,
38 Studios - Boston Magazine,
Scott Jennings - Broken Toys,
Copernicus - MMO,
Todd McFarlane,
R.A. Salvatore,
Portal 2 Book,
Bastion,
Penny Arcade Expo,
Fieldrunners 2,
Subatomic Studios,
Madfinger Zombie Game,
King of Dragon Pass,
Final Fantasy 3 - Google Play,
Space Pirates and Zombies,
Subspace,
Spec Ops: The Line,
Max Payne 3,
Fake Sponsor - Cardboard Council,
Metal Gear Solid,
Alien vs. Predator,
Midway Games,
Gauntlet: Dark Legacy,
Computer Space,
Electro-Mechanical Game,
Vertical Sync,
Gun Fight,
Space Invaders,
Battlezone,
Tempest,
Xybots,
Mortal Kombat,
Street Fighter,
3DFX,
Dance Dance Revolution,
Kinect,
Dance Maniax,
Guitar Hero Arcade,
Fruit Ninja,
Chuck E Cheese’s,
Big Buck Hunter,
Golden Tee,
Brady Bunch Movie,
Pong,
Galaga,
Galaxian,
Centipede,
Missile Command,
Atari,
The Sopranos,
Little Big Planet 2,
Pac-Man,
Asteroids,
Lunar Lander,
Spacewar!,
Galaxy Game,
Digital PDP–11,
Donkey Kong,
ECL Logic,
General Computer Corp,
Racing the Beam,
Atari 2600,
Breakout,
Tank,
Warlords,
Boom Blox,
Smash TV,
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery,
Unity3D Engine,
Kongregate,
PyGame,
Löve2d,
Crafty,
Geometry Wars,
Particle Effects,
Flixel,
Remember the Milk,
Turbografix 16,
Bonk’s Adventure,
Millitary Madness.

Recorded on July 16th, 2012 with Brian Fife, James Fingal, and Thomas Westberg.

Tom, Brian and Jim talk about the Steam Summer Sale and how the Hunger games is similar to Special Ops: The Line.

Jim drove the main topic for discussion - Quality and Value in games. Is cost per hour of attention a valid way to talk about entertainment value? This doesn’t seem to be a factor with printed material, but it often comes up with video or video games.

Games as Art are great, but junk games and junk food both have their place (just ask the deep fried Twinkie guy at the county fair).

Links to Referenced Items:

Tribes: Ascend,
World of Tanks,
Majesty,
Evil Genius,
Steam Summer Sale,
Harvest: Massive Encounter,
Serious Sam,
Starcraft,
S.P.A.Z.,
Eve Online,
The Ur-Quan Masters,
Skyrim,
The Witcher 2,
From Dust,
Splice,
Scoregasm,
Dear Esther,
Offspring Fling,
Wine,
Cider,
Borderlands 2,
Special Ops 2: The Line,
White Phosphorus,
NHS - The Line,
Heart of Darkness,
Binding of Isaac,
Procedural Generation,
Zelda,
Max Payne 3,
Gladiator,
Hunger Games,
Fake: Sponsor: Tanooki Tailors,
Journey,
Ars - Diablo is a game that ends,
Hurricane Irene,
The Sopranos,
Starsky and Hutch,
Murphy Brown,
The Sims,
Halo,
Angry Birds: Seasons,
Harry Potter,
Words with Friends,
Twilight,
Marauder Map,
The Wire,
Road Rules,
Jersey Shore,
Saved by the Bell,
Modern Warfare,
Madden NFL,
Crytek,
M*A*S*H*,
Kindoms of Amalur: Reckoning,
Planescape: Torment,
Darklands,
X-Com: UFO Defense,
Super Meat Boy,
Nintendo Hard,
Bioshock.