80-Bit Podsmash
342 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratings80-bit Podsmash is a weekly podcast discussing video game industry and culture and how the medium relates to various other topics. It is hosted by Daniel Grathwol (Penguin) and Daniel Bowen (Termite).
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Episodes
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 037: Emulation and Piracy
June 04, 2018 04:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBPenguin & Termite discuss the morality and legality of emulating video games. We ask about game preservation in a digital age as well as other reasons for emulating games. Is it ok to just get a Raspberry Pi instead of a Nintendo Classics brand system? What do you guys think about it? https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html https://www.polygon.com/2016/3/18/11265988/emulation-isnt-a-dirty-word-and-one-man-thinks-it-can-save-gamings https://kotaku.com/why-people-pirate-video-g...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 036: Talking To Your 10 Year Old Self
May 28, 2018 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MBPenguin & Termite extend our DLC to an entire topic! We take a journey through time and talk to our 10 year old selves. With today's video game climate, what games would you suggest or dissuade? Music: 8-bit Hell All Hallows Eve - Ghosts of a Fallen Empire https://archive.org/details/AllHallowsEveIn8bitHellCompilation http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 035: Casual vs Hardcore Gamers Unite!
May 21, 2018 04:00 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MBPenguin & Termite examine the Casual vs Hardcore nature of our beloved gaming culture. We discover where it came from and explore its evolution over the years. Are you a casual gamer or hardcore? Footnotes: http://plusmana.com/casual-and-hardcore-players-history-of-hatred/ https://www.huffingtonpost.com/turnstyle/gamings-other-great-schis_b_4387661.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pyuFfKPCvY -funny video Penguin quoted https://imgur.com/gallery/7M5HC - Penguin mentioned Over...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 034: The Dark Side of Gaming
May 14, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBPenguin & Termite get serious about the dark side of gaming. We discuss some of the negative affects of gaming in our culture, addiction, toxic behavior, and a false sense of accomplish. Does gaming affect you this way? Footnotes: http://www.cracked.com/blog/how-violent-video-games-might-be-screwing-with-your-brain/ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/opinion/video-games-toxic-violence.html Music: The Guillotine Factory - Assembly Line Album: All Hallows Eve in 8bit Hell htt...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 033: Retro vs Modern
May 07, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MBTermite has collected issues 200 through 300 of Game Informer. That knowledge spans 2009 through today; Nine years of gaming. Penguin & Termite discuss what has changed in that time. We highlight big innovations in the industry as well as talk about our gaming history in that light. Do you think gaming has changed much in the past nine years? Music Ozzed - I Like Jump Rope ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 032: Fanatical Theorisation
April 30, 2018 04:00 - 58 minutes - 39.8 MBPenguin & Termite discuss Fan Theories! We seek to define what they are. We ask why do they matter and explore which ones actually came true. Come bring your own fan theories and explore with us! Footnotes: https://geeks.media/history-of-fan-theories http://www.cracked.com/article_20614_6-insane-video-game-fan-theories-that-make-total-sense.html https://whatwouldbaledo.com/2016/11/21/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-fan-theories/ Music: Ozzed - Copenhagen Funhouse ozz...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 031: Video Game Pricing
April 23, 2018 04:00 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBPenguin & Termite ask why video games are priced the way they are. Is $60 ok as a standard? We discuss why they're priced that way and explore how we got there. We also share our budgeting tips. Footnotes: https://www.polygon.com/2017/8/15/16152194/video-game-pricing Music: Ozzed - Cooking Together http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 030: Strong Female Leads!
April 16, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBPenguin & Termite reflect on the current gaming industry trend to bring females front and center in video games. Is Hollywood doing the same thing? We dive into the history of women characters in games and look at how that's evolved over the years. Music: Ozzed - Dragspel i Natten http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/study-tracks-31-year-history-of-female-sexualization-in-video-games https://www.huffingtonpo...
80 Bit Podmash Episode 029: Final Fantasy XXIX
April 09, 2018 04:00 - 56 minutes - 38.5 MBPenguin & Termite discuss Final Fantasy. How did this Japanese series of RPGs become relevant in the "West"? We rank our favorites and discuss our best memories of how we came to be fans of Final Fantasy. Listen in and tell us about your Final Fantasy experiences. Music: Ozzed - Introjuice http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Bonus Level 001: Ready Player One in Review
April 03, 2018 13:35 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBPenguin & Termite review the newly released book adaptation film, Ready Player One! What did we like about the movie? Did it line up with the book? What did you think? Join in on the discussion. Music: Daydream Anatomy - Combat http://daydreamanatomy.bandcamp.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 028: Trophy Earned!
April 02, 2018 04:00 - 58 minutes - 40.3 MBPenguin & Termite tackle Termite's beloved topic surrounding video games; Trophies and Achievements! We explore their relevance and their impact in today's video games. Footnotes: http://www.cracked.com/pictofacts-746-10-video-game-achievements-you-have-to-be-nuts-to-complete/ http://business.financialpost.com/technology/gaming/barely-a-quarter-of-gamers-complete-their-games-and-other-interesting-facts-gleaned-from-playstation-trophy-data Music: Daydream Anatomy - Nin10day ...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 027: Shut Up Kristen! Ready Player One
March 26, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 53.4 MBPenguin & Termite welcome back esteemed cos-player and YouTube extraordinaire, "Shut Up Kristen!"s own Kristen Corradeno! We discuss Ready Player One as we anticipate the movie launching on March 29th. We take a deep dive in to the book and all things nerd culture. Shut Up Kristen! https://twitter.com/shutupkristen https://www.patreon.com/shutupkristen https://www.youtube.com/user/kristencakess Music: Halcyonic Falcon X Of Rainbows and Unicorns and Cuppycakes http://creat...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 026: Enigmatic Character Creation
March 19, 2018 04:00 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBPenguin & Termite discuss Character Customization. We dive deep into what it is and why people create the characters avatars that they do. Why do male gamers create female characters? Why do you think so? References: https://kotaku.com/im-a-man-who-plays-as-a-woman-in-games-and-im-definite-1576592743 https://www.quora.com/What-motivates-guys-to-play-female-characters Black Desert Online https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNP2OQB3MWs Music: 8-bit Hell All Hallows Eve - Ghosts o...
This Month in Gaming, 2010
March 15, 2018 15:14This month in gaming, eight years ago. March 2010. Why eight years ago? Game Informer is coming out with their 300th issue this month. I've gone back and started reading issues beginning at 200, 100 issues ago, to see where gaming was then to draw comparisons for today. What was the gaming landscape back then? What new releases were arriving in March, that sweet sweet spring spot right before the E3 hype and summer lull? The landscape was different from today but if you simply switch the...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 025: Absorbing Mannerisms
March 12, 2018 04:00 - 51 minutes - 35.7 MBPenguin & Termite have picked up a ton of mannerisms from various media over the years. How many of them are from video games? How about movies or TV shows? How about you? Music: Ozzed - Off-Color Outro http://ozzed.net
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 024: Frames per Second
March 05, 2018 05:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBPenguin & Termite discuss the history and effect frames per second has on our video content. We also dive into its relevance in video games. It all started with The Silent Film Era. Resources: https://www.dualshockers.com/30-fps-vs-60-fps-both-options-are-perfectly-fine-but-its-situational https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/128113-why-movies-are-moving-from-24-to-48-fps https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/hacking-film-24-frames-per-second/ https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/lcdt...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 023: Analog Games!
February 26, 2018 05:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBPenguin & Termite discuss analog games including but not limited to board games, card games, tabletop RPGs, etc. We ask questions about why they're so fun and how they relate to video games. We also talk about our favorite ones. Join in on the fun, and hopefully, you'll be inspired to play with your friends. Music Halcyonic Falcon X - Those of Us Who Fight http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 022: Combo Breaker!
February 19, 2018 05:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBPenguin & Termite take a deep dive into the world of fighting games. We go over some history, current events, and discuss the innovation that fighting games bring to the video game industry. https://www.geek.com/games/street-fighter-mortal-kombat-smash-bros-and-beyond-the-ultimate-history-of-fighting-games-1646671/ http://evo.shoryuken.com/ https://kotaku.com/how-to-get-better-at-fighting-games-using-your-brain-1630498427 Music: Ozzed.net Ozzed - Lingonsalt http://creat...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 021: Dating Gamers
February 12, 2018 05:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBPenguin and Termite asked our wives to join us to discuss, a very Valentine's Day topic, marriage and relationships with gamers! We dive into the minds of our spouses to reveal truths and secrets that we hope you can apply to your relationships. Music: Ozzed.net Ozzed - Sanity Not Included http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 020: PC vs Console, The Legendary Debate
February 05, 2018 05:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MBPenguin & Termite go head to head in the age old debate about which platform is "better" for gaming. Come see which side you fall on and join in on the discussion. Resources: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3118250/software-games/9-reasons-why-pc-gaming-is-a-better-value-than-consoles.html http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/12-reasons-console-gaming-beats-pcs-489212 https://www.statista.com/chart/8525/most-important-gaming-platforms/ https://www.bigfishgames.com/blog/2017-video...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 019: Spoiler Alert!
January 29, 2018 05:00 - 53 minutes - 36.4 MBPenguin & Termite take a deep dive into the concept of spoilers. Are you offended by spoilers? Do you like having movies, books, games etc spoiled for you? Join in on the discussion! Resources: https://kotaku.com/5830092/spoiler-alert-people-like-spoilers http://www.cracked.com/article_20330_5-factors-that-secretly-influence-how-much-you-like-movie.html http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-reasons-spoiler-alert-going-away-forever/ http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 018: Video Game Movies
January 22, 2018 05:00 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MBPenguin & Termite discuss the movie adaptations of video games. Why aren't they good? What would it take? Is it even possible? Join in on the discussion! Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_based_on_video_games -Comparison to comic book adaptations https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/the-rise-of-superhero-films/ http://blog.moviepass.com/evolution-of-the-comic-book-movie/ http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-great-video-games-that-would-be-horrible-movies/ http:...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 017: Craft Gaming
January 15, 2018 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBPenguin & Termite take our "gaming goes to grab a beer" to the next level. We pair up craft beer styles with specific video games. We discuss what aspects of the beer brings out aspects of the video games we chose. Music Ozzed - All for me NES A cover of the Irish drinking song "All for me grog". http://ozzed.net/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Resources: http://allaboutbeer.com/learn/styles/ beeradvocate.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley_wine
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 016: Does Canon Really Matter?
January 08, 2018 05:00 - 52 minutes - 36.1 MBPenguin & Termite discuss what canon means for various mediums and how it applies to video games. Do you take canon seriously? References: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/op-ed-disney-takes-a-chainsaw-to-the-star-wars-expanded-universe/ http://www.zeldainformer.com/daily-debate-does-canon-matter/ Music: 8-bit Hell All Hallows Eve - Ghosts of a Fallen Empire https://archive.org/details/AllHallowsEveIn8bitHellCompilation http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 015: Happy New Year!
January 01, 2018 05:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBPenguin and Termite wish you and yours a very Happy New Year! We discuss highlights from the 2017 year in gaming. Spoiler! It was an amazing year! We discuss our vision and hope for 2018. Music: Ozzed 8-Bit Party http://ozzed.net/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 014: Merry Christmas!
December 25, 2017 05:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBPenguin & Termite wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We discuss our favorite Christmas video games and memories around them, our Christmas wish lists and we want to know what games you guys play for Christmas! Music Ozzed - JingleNES http://ozzed.net/music/site-releases.shtml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 013: Choose Your Controller!
December 18, 2017 05:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MBPenguin & Termite discuss controllers! What makes them good? Which ones are the worst? What are your favorites? Why do they matter? Footnotes: https://thebests.kotaku.com/the-best-video-game-control-pads-1785680071 https://kotaku.com/the-quest-to-make-a-better-video-game-controller-1818823822 - compares controller design to musical instruments https://waitbutwhy.com/2017/04/neuralink.html -brain machine interfaces Controller Poster: https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/23...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 012: First Person Experience
December 11, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 41.7 MBPenguin & Termite discuss the first person perspective and compare/contrast it to various other ways to portray video games as art Footnotes: http://www.denofgeek.com/us/games/12152/the-superiority-of-third-person-shooters Music: Ozzed Ferrous Rage http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 011: Trading Games
December 04, 2017 05:00 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBPenguin & Termite discuss the value of holding onto video games. We also talk about the ethics around buying used games vs pirating software and its affect on the gaming industry. Gamestop PowerPass https://kotaku.com/gamestop-offering-unlimited-6-month-access-to-preowned-1819957746 Music: ozzed - Game at Heart http://ozzed.net/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 010: Everything Zelda
November 27, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 49.2 MBPenguin & Termite discuss the best franchi.... their favorite franchise in all of video games, The Legend of Zelda. We talk favorites, as well as the impact of Zelda on industry. Reference: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/16779-How-The-Legend-of-Zelda-Changed-Gaming Music: 8-bit Hell All Hallows Eve -H-Pizzle - Ghosts of a Fallen Empire https://archive.org/details/AllHallowsEveIn8bitHellCompilation http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 009: Giving Thanks
November 20, 2017 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBPenguin & Termite reflect on the gaming industry and discuss what we're thankful for this year in gaming as well Thanksgiving gaming memories. Music http://ozzed.net Ozzed - Lesser than Three - 04 Delicious Keys http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 008: Let's Talk About Mo-Cap
November 13, 2017 05:00 - 54 minutes - 37.2 MBPenguin & Termite interview an Actor, Motion Capture Performer, Fight Director, Certified Stage Combat Instructor, Andrew Ray a.k.a A -Ray. Resources: http://a-rayfights.blogspot.com/ https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/27/16373944/volition-layoffs-agents-of-mayhem-sales Find A-Ray on Twitter: @adr612 Music http://ozzed.net/ Lesser Than Three - No Fight But Cool http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 007: 2017 Wishlist
November 06, 2017 05:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBPenguin & Termite banter over their most wanted wish list of video games. Sequels, remasters, and completely off the rails requests. Marvel and Square Enix article: https://na.square-enix.com/us/blog/marvel-entertainment-square-enix-announce-avengers-project Music: Ozzed.net - Nackskott http://ozzed.net/music/nackskott.shtml
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 006: Do Video Games Need Storytelling?
October 30, 2017 04:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBThe journalism website, The Atlantic, posted an article questioning the existence of storytelling in games. Penguin and Termite take them to task in this episode of 80-Bit Podsmash! https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/video-games-stories/524148/ Music courtesy of: This House - Welcome to HorrorLand Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Nestrogen - https://archive.org/details/@nestrogen Licensed under Thunder Sound: http://soundbible.com/about.php Creative Commons:...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 005: Personality Matters
October 23, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 42.5 MBPenguin and Termite discuss how differing personality types may affect which games you buy and play as well as how you might approach playing them. We also come up with our top 10 must have N64 Classic titles. Resources: Link to N64 Classic leak http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1408657 Article about personalities and video games https://www.16personalities.com/articles/might-or-magic-a-study-of-gamers-personality-types 16 personalities' test https://www.1...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 004: Shut Up Penguin and Termite!
October 16, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 50.5 MBPenguin and Termite interview the fabulous, wonderful, internet sensation, Kristen Corradeno aka "Shut Up Kristen!" We discuss cosplay and video gaming culture and we dare take on the hot button topic of women in gaming. Shut Up Kristen's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/users/kristencakess Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/shutupkristen Kristen's collaboration with Pemberley Digital https://www.youtube.com/user/PemberleyDigital/featured https://kotaku.com/wom...
Fall 2017 Video Game Releases are a Mess!
October 11, 2017 15:42This fall's gamut of video game releases is a mess. Publishers and studios' decisions regarding pre-orders, microtransactions, and downloadable content (DLC) have marred what is usually the most exciting time of the year in video games. Caveat lector: This is a (not so) veiled personal venting of frustration against microtransactions in general. Here’s a brief description of the controversy for each of the key releases this fall. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (MvC:I) MvC:I’s character ...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 003: What Makes Video Games Timeless?
October 09, 2017 04:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBPenguin and Termite discuss the issue of timelessness in video games. Is it just nostalgia or is there something more to it? Music: 8-Bit Heroes | Daydream Anatomy Nin10day Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 002: Is Pre Order Culture Ruining the Video Game Industry?
October 02, 2017 04:00 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MBReleasing unfinished video games seems to be normal and acceptable. We are declaring it "acceptable" because it keeps happening. Why does this happen, what are the causes? GameStop circle of life issue http://kotaku.com/new-gamestop-program-leads-employees-to-lie-to-customer-1791874332 Mass Effect Andromeda released March 21st, big patch Thursday April 6th http://gematsu.com/2017/04/mass-effect-andromeda-update-roadmap-detailed Batman Arkham Knight PC version https:...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 001: Can Video Games be Art?
September 25, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 52.7 MB-Roger Ebert famously claimed that "video games cannot be art". We take that argument to task. http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/video-games-can-never-be-art -Links to the TED talk given at USC by Kellee Santiago are in the link provided. -Kojima's comment http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news240106kojimaart -Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_games_as_an_art_form#List_of_artistic_video_games -Majora's Mask art http://www.zeldainformer.com/eiji-aonum...
80 Bit Podsmash Episode 000: Who We Are
September 25, 2017 00:14 - 52 minutes - 36.5 MBGet to know the personalities behind Penguin and Termite as well as the 80 Bit Podsmash name. We discuss the reasons we want to start this Podcast as well as lay the foundation for what types of things we'll be discussing. Music Credit: 8-Bit Heroes | Daydream Anatomy https://daydreamanatomy.bandcamp.com/album/8-bit-heroes Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/#
Is Nintendo Doing Right by Their Fans?
September 12, 2017 12:44Nintendo has been doing everything right for their fans since the announcement and release of the Nintendo Switch console. They left the Wii U behind and have a renewed focus on their core fan base. This was true in all areas of Nintendo except for one, these "Classics" systems. When the NES Classic was announced, journalists and fans thought surely this would be everywhere. We thought we'd be able to just walk into like a Kohl's and pick one up at the checkout line. We were far from wrong...