Explore every episode of the podcast Y-Button
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. Alanna Okun (Writer, Programmer) | 10 Sep 2024 | 01:25:37 | |
Writer and programmer Alanna Okun shares how video games influenced the recent decision to leave her tenured career in journalism for an education in interactive technology — a conversation through the boom and bust of the 2010s media landscape to a revelation of control and expression found in making video games. ------ Links bitsy (website) Knit a Hat: A Beginner's Guide to Knitting (Microcosm Publishing) NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) (website) ------ Social Guest: Alanna Okun | |||
| 13. Tasha Sounart (Creative Director @ Pixar, Theme Parks) | 25 Jun 2024 | 01:11:26 | |
Pixar Creative Director (Theme Parks), Tasha Sounart, discusses her career journey, from animating at Pixar on A Bug's Life through Cars to directing Double Fine's Costume Quest, to her return to Pixar and overseeing the implementation of Pixar properties in Disney Parks. She shares how video games influence physical attractions, gaming as a family, and her fondness for RPGs and MMOs. [DISCLAIMER: Kyle here. My Host audio quality is subpar in this episode. I failed to realize that I was peaking a bit when captured. AJ did everything in their power to clean this up, but there's only so much that can be done with poorly captured audio. I've listened back to this episode a few times and I don't feel it detracts from Tasha's interview whatsoever. That said, I'll be more mindful in the future.] ------ Links Pikuniku (website) Pixar pixel-art tile artwork (LinkedIn) ------ Social Guest: Tasha Sounart | |||
| 4. Robert Ashley (A Life Well Wasted podcast) | 01 Jun 2023 | 01:14:02 | |
Robert Ashley, host of A Life Well Wasted, talks about games journalism, podcasting, music, food, parenting, learning, and why he cares about video games. A Life Well Wasted I Come to Shanghai | |||
| 3. Lana Bachynski (Associate Art Director @ Riot Games) | 18 May 2023 | 01:05:58 | |
Riot Games (League of Legends, VALORANT, Team Fight Tactics) Associate Art Director Lana Bachynski shares stories about her love of video games from a young age, her journey into animation, community in video games, work... in general... but also what it's like to work on something you love. The Riot Games Super Art Power Hour | Episode 4: Animation DLC Patreon | |||
| 2. Brendon Bigley (Into the Aether podcast) | 04 May 2023 | 01:17:46 | |
Brendon Bigley (co-host of Into the Aether) shares his experience being around video games since birth, the tolls and triumphs of generating loads of video game podcast content, Sketch Turner, and the excitement of the unknown. Into the Aether: Wavelengths Blog: Wavelengths Podcast: | |||
| 1. Christian Spicer (DLC podcast, The Official Last of Us podcast) | 20 Apr 2023 | 01:02:53 | |
Christian Spicer shares his story as a former attorney turned comedian, writer, and podcaster, and why he cares about video games. https://www.christianspicer.com/ DLC Podcast with Jeff Cannata and Christian Spicer: The Official Last of Us Podcast: | |||
| 12. Simon Parkin (Journalist @ The New Yorker, My Perfect Console) | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:56:11 | |
Award-winning journalist and non-fiction writer, Simon Parkin, discusses his journey into journalism, curiosity about video games, the transition from 2D to 3D gaming, and informing the broader culture about the medium. ------ Simon Parkin's website (with links to his books, articles, and audio) My Perfect Console Pushing Buttons newsletter from The Guardian Raiden (Youtube) DoDonPachi (Youtube) Return of the Obra Dinn Chants of Sennaar "The Wager" by David Grann ------ Social Guest: Simon Parkin Guest Show: My Perfect Console | |||
| 11. Chris Plante (Editor-in-chief @ Polygon; The Besties podcast) | 16 Feb 2024 | 01:13:33 | |
Chris Plante, Editor-in-chief of Polygon and co-host of The Besties podcast, chronicles his journey into games journalism, his fondness for "7/10 (rated)" video games, and what makes video games different (and the same!) as other mediums. ------ Polygon: Gaming and Entertainment News, Reviews, and More The Besties (podcast) The Besties (newsletter) GameDiscoverCo (Simon Carless's awesome newsletter) 1994 Fisher Price Magna Mover Town ------ Social | |||
| 10. Stephen Hilger (Into the Aether podcast) | 24 Aug 2023 | 01:16:35 | |
| 9. Tom Mullen (Washed Up Emo) | 10 Aug 2023 | 01:10:46 | |
Music industry extraordinaire and founder of Washed Up Emo, Tom Mullen, joins the show to discuss his lifelong fascination with video games, the link between music and games, staying relevant with the youths, and his love of strategy guides. Can you guess the song he brought to Guitar Hero III? ------ Washed Up Emo Is This Band Emo? ------ Music 'Liminal Fields' by Vulture Feather https://vulturefeather.bandcamp.com/album/liminal-fields ------ Social Guest: Tom Mullen (Washed Up Emo) | |||
| 8. AJ Fillari (Podcast Producer: Into the Aether, Ten Very Big Books, Y-Button) | 27 Jul 2023 | 01:29:14 | |
Y-Button producer AJ Fillari doubles up as a guest to discuss their fascination with games, why video games media doesn't get old, how chip tunes change their world, and why it's important to enjoy the simple act of playing. Podcasts Ten Very Big Books - A Malazan Read-through Podcast Into the Aether - A Low Key Video Game Podcast Asynchronous - A Video Game Catch-Up Show Frog of the Week Music 'Atebite and the Warring Nations' by Disasterpeace https://disasterpeace.bandcamp.com/album/atebite-and-the-warring-nations 'Simulant Rain' by _amaranthine ------ Social Guest: AJ Fillari | |||
| 7. Paul Levering, Paul Owens (Filmmakers @ Double Fine: PsychOdyssey, 2 Player Productions) | 13 Jul 2023 | 01:20:44 | |
Paul Levering and Paul Owens discuss the history of 2 Player Productions, the game development insights they learned over seven years of filming PsychOdyssey — Double Fine's 32 episode documentary of the making of Psychonauts 2 — and depths of artistry, critique, and misunderstandings of video games. PsychOdyssey 2 Player Productions Behind the Scenes Making of Halo 2 | |||
| 6. Naoko Takamoto (Principle Producer @ Double Fine) | 29 Jun 2023 | 01:05:57 | |
Naoko Takamoto, Principle Producer at Double Fine Productions, shares how music led her into games and ultimately production, working at Double Fine and on Psychonauts 2, the challenges of working through the pandemic, and what games mean to her. https://www.naokotakamoto.com/ Double Fine PsychOdyssey Princess Problems That Handsome Devil | |||
| 5. Chris "CJ" Johnston (User Experience @ Enhance, Player One Podcast) | 15 Jun 2023 | 00:57:27 | |
From creating a self-published zine, to writing for EGM, to working for one of the most innovative game studios in Enhance, Chris “CJ” Johnston shares his extensive journey in the industry, the games that opened his eyes to what’s possible, and the through line that holds it all together. Mastodon Twitter Humanity Player One Podcast "Mystery Box" Vintage Video Game Magazines - Video Game History Foundation | |||
| 15. Andy Robertson (Ludocene, Family Gaming Database, Taming Gaming) | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:51:45 | |
Video game journalist Andy Robertson discusses his new project Ludocene — a game discovery service in the form of a deck-building dating app. Ludocene is based on human-curated data and offers users the ability to augment their recommendations with filters and "Expert cards" — games journalists and trusted curators who've been paid to provide recommendations — to offer a truly one-of-a-kind discovery experience. Andy also dives into his origins with video games and why he thinks they're important for people of all ages and the culture at large. ------ Links Ludocene (Kickstarter) Family Gaming Database (website) Taming Gaming (Unbound | Amazon) ------ Social Guest: Andy Robertson | |||
| 16. Kevin Nguyen (Author, Features Editor @ The Verge) | 08 May 2025 | 00:56:47 | |
Kevin Nguyen, author and Features Editor at The Verge, discusses his new novel "Mỹ Documents", what it means to write about video games, comparisons between mediums as a critic, and the unfortunate sale of Polygon.
------ Links "Mỹ Documents" (Penguin Random House) "New Waves" (Penguin Random House) Strong Songs Podcast (Website) Game Maker's Toolkit - Developing (YouTube) Press Reset: The Story of Polygon (YouTube) ------ Social Guest: Kevin Nguyen | |||
| Reset: Awestuck | 30 Dec 2025 | 00:14:43 | |