Origin Story artwork

Origin Story

46 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratings

Origin Story is a conversational podcast that interviews creators about their lives, their work, and what's fueling their creations. Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp.

Books Arts Technology games longform gaming interviews film video games books music conversations creative process
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

Study Hall 8: Killers of the Flower Moon

November 07, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 72.7 MB

In this episode of Study Hall, returning guest Joe Ostrander (of The Joeys fame) helps unpack the Killers of the Flower Moon. Does Scorsese still have the juice? When is the best time to pee during this movie? Should Joe be tried at the Hague for his current top ten 2023 movies list? These questions and so much more on the latest episode of Study Hall. Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp Visit our website: Originstory.show Follow us on Twitter @originstory_ Find Joe's (mid) Letterbox...

Jacob Geller on the Evolution of Video Essays and Games Criticism

October 24, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 71.3 MB

Jacob Geller is a YouTube video-essayist whose work grapples with video games, history, politics, empathy, and more. Recently his criticism has engaged with the politics of climate change and art in the pre-apocalypse as well as media preservation in the digital age. We talked with him about video essays as an art form and what it means that they are the most popular form of criticism.  Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp You can learn more about Jacob Geller here. Visit our website:...

Christine Lai (Landscapes) on How Art Endures Even After Apocalypse

October 03, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 71.8 MB

Christine Lai grew up in Canada and lived in England for six years during graduate studies. She holds a PhD in English Literature from University College London. Landscapes was shortlisted for the inaugural Novel Prize. Christine currently lives in Vancouver. We talk to Christine about Landscapes and our enduring relationship to art - even at the end of the world.  Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp You can learn more about Christine Lai here. Visit our website: Originstory.show Fo...

Jamel Brinkley (Witness) on Bearing Witness and How to Write a Good Ending

August 01, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 79.6 MB

Jamel Brinkley is the author of a new short story collection called Witness and previously published the short story collection  A Lucky Man which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Story Prize, the John Leonard Prize, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; and winner of a PEN Oakland Award and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence.  His writing has appeared in A Public Space, Ploughshares, The Paris Review, American Short Fiction, Gu...

Study Hall 7: Across the Spiderverse

June 29, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MB

In this episode of Study Hall, returning guest Joe Ostrander (of The Joeys fame) helps unpack the Spiderverse. Can two lit majors finally make peace with the canon? Will Miles Morales be forced into a flesh-and-blood body? What was Pter Ptarker's canon event, anyway? Find the answers to these questions and more on the latest episode of Study Hall.    Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp   Visit our website: Originstory.show   Follow us on Twitter @originstory_   Do you have feedba...

Hannah Nicklin (Salt Sea Chronicles) on Ensemble Storytelling and Building Equitable Workplaces

June 27, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MB

Hannah Nicklin is the creative director at Die Gute Fabrik, an award-winning game studio based in Denmark. Their latest game, Salt Sea Chronicles, was recently announced to release later this year. Hannah previously worked on the narrative design, writing, and production of the game Mutazione. Outside of making games, Hannah is an artist and performer, her book Writing for Games: Theory & Practices released through CRC Press in 2022 and she also holds a PhD in interactive practices as anti-...

Victor LaValle (Lone Women) on the Power of Monsters, and Writing a Different Kind of Historical Fiction Novel

June 13, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 86 MB

Victor LaValle is the author of a short story collection, five novels, and is also the creator and writer of two comic books.  His novel, The Changeling, will soon be airing on Apple TV+ starring LaKeith Stanfield. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, Bram Stoker Award, Whiting Writers' Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship,and many more. We talk with Victor LaValle about his newest novel, Lone Women, a historical fiction novel ab...

Josh Sawyer (Pentiment) on Art, History and What Will Be Remembered

May 31, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 75.7 MB

Josh Sawyer is a studio design director for Obsidian Entertainment. He has worked as the director on Pentiment, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2, and Fallout: New Vegas. His most recent title, Pentiment, has won numerous awards including the Nebula for best game writing and best narrative and game of the year at the Game Developers Choice Awards.  Pentiment  is a historical narrative-driven game focusing on character development, heavily stylized art, and choice-driven storytelling in early 16th...

Austin Walker (Possibility Space) On What Makes Good Criticism

May 09, 2023 09:00 - 2 hours - 121 MB

Austin Walker is the IP Director at the game studio Possibility Space. He has an extensive background in gaming journalism and criticism. He holds a Masters in Aesthetics and Politics from CalArts and also served as the Editor in Chief for Waypoint and Host of Waypoint Radio. Since 2014, Austin has hosted the popular tabletop roleplaying podcast Friends at the Table, and co-host the Star Wars podcast A More Civilized Age. We talked with Austin about his approach to criticism, his move to ga...

Study Hall 6: Where'd Everyone Go? Bingo?

April 18, 2023 07:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB

In this episode of Study Hall, Ben and Phil talk about Resident Evil. Specifically, the new release of Resident Evil 4 Remake, how it holds up compared to the original and how Ben is getting a little scared while playing Resident Evil 2 Remake.   Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp   Visit our website: Originstory.show   Follow us on Twitter @originstory_   Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]   Cover art and website design by Melody Hi...

Study Hall 5: The End of Englishgelion

April 05, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 57.1 MB

We're back to shoot the shit about what we're reading, playing, and watching. Why The Black Count by Tom Reiss rules and a long discussion of The End of the English Major. Come listen.   Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp   Visit our website: Originstory.show   Follow us on Twitter @originstory_   Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected]   Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch   Original Study Hall Art by J. Dylan Denison   Ori...

Natalie Watson (Immortality) on the State of Games Criticism and Transitioning into Games Development

March 09, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 78.9 MB

Natalie Watson is a producer at Half Mermaid Productions where she worked on Immortality. Previously she was a games critic for Vice’s games outlet Waypoint. She also co-owns the successful Star Wars podcast "A More Civilized Age” alongside former editor-in-chief Austin Walker, Rob Zacnay, and Ali Acampora. We talked to Natalie about her work on Immortality, the games journalist to game dev pipeline, and the absolute state of games criticism in 2023.  Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thor...

Xalavier Nelson Jr. (Strange Scaffold) on Creating a More Sustainable Games Industry

February 07, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MB

Xalavier Nelson Jr. is a writer and narrative designer who also founded the game studio Strange Scaffold. He is most well known for titles such as Hypnospace Outlaw, Can Androids Pray, An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs, and more. He’s currently working on titles such as Sunshine Shuffle, and the neo-noir shooter El Paso, Elsewhere. We talked to Xalavier about trying to create sustainability in the games industry, why games are the best way to explore how systems work, and why he s...

Study Hall 4: Some of us are very happy now

January 26, 2023 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MB

It's a new year and Phil has a new job and a new lease on life. We give a general life update and see whether the new job offers any new insights into game dev. Plus a look back on some of our fave things of 2022 and one of the games we're both enjoying right now: Chained Echoes. Come listen.   Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp   Visit our website: Originstory.show   Follow us on Twitter @originstory_   Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us theoriginstorypod@gmail....

Welcome to the Joeys: "let Batman be a weird little freak"

December 29, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MB

Come one, come all to an episode where we introduce and announce the Joey awards. Named after special guest Joe Ostrander, who represents the entire voting body of the Joeys, we discuss his picks for best movies, performances, and directors of the year. It may *seem* a lot like the Oscars but no, it's absolutely not, it's the Joeys.   You can follow Joe Ostrander on Letterboxd @ostyghosty   Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp   Visit our website: Originstory.show   Follow us on T...

Study Hall 3: Witches, Robots, and Mercenaries

October 18, 2022 15:10 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MB

"Study Hall," a series of short conversations between Ben, Phil, and people they admire about a particular work or what's fueling their creative lives right now.   Expect informal conversations with new and familiar names in the games, film, music, and writing world. Think of it like an audio newsletter, a taste of what we're up to off the air, now recorded.   This week we talk about a new Senegalese revenge thriller called Saloum, and then the new Gundam series, Mobile Suit Gundam: The ...

Sam Barlow (Immortality) On Games As Imperfect Immortality Machines

October 11, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 79.2 MB

Sam Barlow is the writer and director of Immortality, Telling Lies, and Her Story and the founder of the Half Mermaid production company. His most recent games are interactive fiction experiences that allow players to search through archives of footage such as police interrogations and video calls. Sam’s latest game, Immortality, asks players to comb through footage from three unreleased movies to uncover what happened to actress named Marissa Marcel. We spoke with Sam about the untapped po...

Graham Parkes (Before Your Eyes) On Turning Blinks into a Game Mechanic

September 21, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MB

Graham Parkes is the Writer and Creative Director of Before Your Eyes, a game about the fleeting nature of life that garnered attention because of its eye-tracking technology and the integration of blinks into the narrative of the gameplay. We talk to Graham about trying to capture the fleeting nature of life in a video game. We also discuss how Graham felt he and his friends working on the project needed to grow up before they could tell the story they wanted to in the game. Plus, an OS cl...

Study Hall 2: How to get Xenoblade brainworms with Autumn Wright

September 13, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 36 MB

In the second episode of Study Hall, we're diving into the Xenoblade series with writer Autumn Wright. Autumn has written extensively about the Xenoblade games, including with their coverage of Xenoblade 3 for Polygon. We talk with Autumn about what drew them into the series, why you have to go all in on the games, and how to know if you're susceptible to Xenoblade brain worms.   Follow Autumn on Twitter @TheAutumnWright   Visit our website: Originstory.show   Follow us on Twitter @ori...

Gareth Damian Martin (Citizen Sleeper) On Creating a More Meaningful Choices in RPGs

September 06, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 76.9 MB

Episode Description Gareth Damien Martin (They/Them) is an award-winning writer, designer and artist. Their first game, In Other Waters won the Jury Prix at IndieCade Europe. Most recently, they’ve released the critically acclaimed role playing game Citizen Sleeper which places players in the role of an escape worker on a lawless space station on the edge of interstellar society and explores themes around capitalism, gig work, precarity, and more. We talk to Gareth about the genesis of Ci...

Gareth Damian Martin (Citizen Sleeper) On Creating More Meaningful Choices in RPGs

September 06, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 76.9 MB

Episode Description Gareth Damien Martin (They/Them) is an award-winning writer, designer and artist. Their first game, In Other Waters won the Jury Prix at IndieCade Europe. Most recently, they’ve released the critically acclaimed role playing game Citizen Sleeper which places players in the role of an escape worker on a lawless space station on the edge of interstellar society and explores themes around capitalism, gig work, precarity, and more. We talk to Gareth about the genesis of Ci...

Neil Jones (Never Yield) on Listening to Fan Feedback and the State of Indie Game Development

August 23, 2022 10:00 - 52 minutes - 48 MB

Episode Description Neil Jones is a game artist currently working out of Detroit, MI. Jones is an artist and game designer who worked on indie titles like Clique and Aerial Knight’s Never Yield. Neil garnered a lot of attention after his game was featured as part of Nintendo's 2021 indie world showcase. We talk with him about creating new DLC for Never Yield through listening to fan feedback, and the trials and tribulations of indie game development today. Hosted by Phillip Russell and B...

Study Hall 1: Dark Souls, Dragon's Dogma, and Berserk

August 17, 2022 10:00 - 46 minutes - 42.6 MB

We present you our new side show "Study Hall," a series of short conversations between Ben, Phil, and people they admire about a particular work or what's fueling their creative lives right now. Expect informal conversations with new and familiar names in the games, film, music, and writing world. Think of it like an audio newsletter, a taste of what we're up to off the air, now recorded. Visit our website: Originstory.show Follow us on Twitter @originstory_ Do you have feedback or questi...

Eric Obenauf and Eliza Wood-Obenauf (Two Dollar Radio) on Defining the Voice of an Indie Press

August 10, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MB

After years of working in the service industry, Eric Obenauf had an idea for an indie press that opened up space to publish bold, edgy, new voices he admired in the literature he loved. With the help of his wife Eliza the couple created Two Dollar Radio. Two Dollar Radio is an indie press founded in 2005 with the mission to reaffirm the cultural and artistic spirit of the publishing industry. With an aim to publish bold works of literary merit, each book, individually and collectively, pro...

Devin McKnight (Maneka) on Creating More Than Just "Sad Boy" Music

July 26, 2022 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MB

Devin McKnight is a musician and songwriter currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Previously hes played guitar in rock projects such as Speedy Ortiz, Grass is Green, and Philadelphia Collins. At the moment, his main focus is the rock band he fronts, Maneka(Monica), which fuses elements of jazz, improvisation, math rock and shoegaze. Under this project he’s released three records Is This You, Devin, and most recently Dark Matters. We talk to Devin about creating his new record "Dark Matters," the...

Abhi (Venba) on How Food Brings Family Together and Going All in On Game Development

July 12, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.9 MB

Abhi is a Game Designer and Programmer working on his new narrative cooking game, Venba. Together with his Sam Elkana, the Art Director for the game, the two head Visai Studios, based in Toronto-based. Venba is a narrative cooking game, where you play as an Indian immigrant mom, who immigrates to Canada with her family in the 1980s. Players will cook various dishes and restore lost recipes, hold branching conversations and explore in this story about family, love, loss and more. We talked ...

Chandana Ekanayake (Falcon Age) on Creating a More Diverse and Inclusive Games Studio and Industry

June 28, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 66.5 MB

Chandana Ekanayake is the Co-Founder and Studio Director at Outerloop Games and has over twenty years of experience as a video game designer and art director. Outerloop's first game Falcon Age is a sci-fi VR action adventure about raising a baby falcon and reclaiming a cultural legacy from a force of automated colonizers. Outerloop’s second game, Thirsty Suitors, is a stylish, story-driven adventure that unfolds through turn-based battles, skateboarding, and cooking and is slated for release...

John Elizabeth Stintzi (My Volcano) On Writing A Doomscroll Novel And Finding Humanity In The Absurd

June 14, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 107 MB

JES (John Elizabeth Stintz)i is a non-binary and trans writer, educator, and visual artist who grew up on a cattle farm in northwestern Ontario. Their work has been awarded the 2019 RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers, and The Malahat Review’s 2019 Long Poem Prize. Their writing has appeared in Ploughshares, Kenyon Review, Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Best Canadian Poetry, and many others. JES is the author of the novels My Volcano and Vanishing Monuments, as well as the poetry...

Allegra Hyde (Eleutheria) On Writing a Different Kind of Climate Change Novel and the Power of Utopian Thinking

May 31, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 106 MB

Allegra Hyde is the author of Eleutheria" as well as the short story collection, Of This New World which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award through the Iowa Short Fiction Award Series.  In her debut novel, Eleutheria, is a story of idealism, activism, and systemic corruption, centered on a naïve young woman's quest for agency in a world ravaged by climate change. We talked with Hyde about writing her debut novel, the power in utopian thinking in both fiction and real life, the promis...

Matthew Milia (Frontier Ruckus) On Calibrating His Music and Creativity Through New Phases of Life

May 17, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 101 MB

Matthew Milia is a critically acclaimed songwriter, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for Frontier Ruckus. He is also a poet and visual artist. He’s released three solo records as well as five records with his band Frontier Ruckus. His music explores themes of suburbia, nostalgia, mundanity , and his lyrics paint a sprawling landscape of a Michigan that is both here and elsewhere. We talked with Milia about where he’s at creatively these days, how getting a desk job wasn’t about ...

Origin Story XV Remix (A Momentary Interlude)

December 30, 2021 13:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MB

Podcastings most handsome duo is back to try and convince you that they're still relevant and have good things to say. But do they? Find out on this, our intermission episode. Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp Visit our website: Originstory.show Follow us on Twitter @originstory_ Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected] Cover art and website design by Melody Hirsch Origin Story original score by Ryan Hopper 

Cautious Clay (Deadpan Love) On Having A Public Identity And Staying Authentic

October 07, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MB

Joshua Karpeh, more widely known as Cautious Clay, is a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter from Cleveland, OH, and currently based in Brooklyn, NY. His music mixes hip-hop and r&b, and blends organic and electronic instrumentation to create a unique sound. He’s collaborated with musicians like Taylor Swift, John Mayer, Billie Eillish, and more and has released three EPs, Bloodtype, Resonance, and Table of Context. Most recently he released his debut album, Deadpan Love. ...

Lydia Millet (A Children's Bible) On Facing Down The Creative Process And The Climate Apocalypse

September 30, 2021 12:15 - 1 hour - 69.8 MB

Lydia Millet has written more than a dozen novels and story collections which have both won and been nominated for numerous awards - including her story collection Love In Infant Monkeys which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Her latest novel, A Children’s Bible, was a finalist for the national book award and shows children grappling with climate disaster - and their parents - in the wake of n apocalyptic storm. When not writing novels Millet works for the Center for Biological Diversity in Ar...

Greg Lobanov and Alexis Dean-Jones (Chicory) On The Anxieties Of Making Art and the Importance of Finishing Things

September 23, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 85.6 MB

Greg Lobanov is a game designer from Philadelphia currently living in Canada. He is the director of Chicory: A Colorful Tale and has previously created Wandersong, and Coin Crypt, and a number of other projects. Alexis Dean-Jones Storyboarder, illustrator, animator, and character designer originally from Brisbane, Australia, and currently based in Canada. She’s worked on projects for the Australia Post, as well as Slap Happy Cartoons where she worked on Tom & Jerry and the Hollow. Most rece...

Jeff Pianki (Remember It Now) on Being Present and Living a More Intentional Creative Life

September 16, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 71.9 MB

Jeff Pianki is a singer-songwriter based in LA. He's released two full-length albums, Paper Window, and most recently, Remember It Now, after a 10-year hiatus from releasing music. We sat down with Jeff to talk about what he's been up to for all these years, the creation of his new album Remember It Now, and his new determination for forging a path in music as his full-time profession. Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp You can listen to Remember It Now here. Visit our website: Orig...

Steven James Aguilar (Heatmaps) On The Power of Storytelling and Brevity In Music

September 09, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 93.2 MB

Steven James Aguilar is a producer, songwriter, sound engineer, and musician based in Seattle, WA. He has worked with artists including The Head and The Heart, Billie Eilish, Macklemore, Dave Matthews Band, and many more. He also releases his own music under the name Heatmaps and most recently put out his new record, Kissing Teeth. We talk to Steven about the power of brevity in music, and his working theory that there are no good band names.  Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp You ...

Naphtali Faulkner (Umurangi Generation) On Politics, Game Design, And The End Of The World

September 02, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 63.7 MB

Tali Faulkner is a Maori game developer behind Umurangi Generation, a semi-realistic photography game set in an apocalyptic future with mechs, an occupational United Nations, and the looming threat of the end of the world. The game recently won the top prize at the Freeplay Independent Games Festival. We talk to Tali about making politics explicit in games, and what it means to be part of the last generation. Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp You can follow Tali Faulkner here. Visi...

Neil Jones (Never Yield) On His Fight To Stay In Gaming

August 26, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 66.3 MB

Neil Jones is a game artist currently working out of Detroit, MI. Jones is an artist and game designer who worked on indie titles like Clique and Aerial Knight’s Never Yield. Neil garnered a lot of attention after his game was featured as part of Nintendo's 2021 indie world showcase. We talk with him about how Never Yield was his last-ditch effort to see if he could stay in an industry that is unwelcoming to black creators and his complicated feelings around the attention the showcase gave ...

Brooke Maggs (Control) On New Kinds Of Story in Video Games

August 19, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 73.7 MB

Brooke Maggs is a Senior Narrative Designer for Remedy Games in Helsinki - although she originally hails from Austrailia. She’s worked on a host of award winning games including Control, Florence, Paperbark, and The Gardens Between. In 2017 she won the MCV Pacific Xbox Women in Games Creative Impact award for her role in the game industry. We talk about how Brooke got into gaming and what "narrative design" really means.  Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp You can find Brooke Maggs ...

Steve Pardo (Signs of the Sojourner) on the Sounds of Home

August 12, 2021 12:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MB

Steve Pardo is a composer and interactive audio designer in the video game industry. He’s the co-founder of audio production house SkewSound, a game developer at The Pardo Brothers, and an audio director at Authentic Artists. Pardo has a background in jazz, and his professional career began at legendary music-game studio Harmonix Music Systems where he led the audio team for games such as Rock Band VR, Dance Central, and Super Beat Sports. In addition to collaborating on some of the world’...

Matthew Seiji Burns (Eliza) on Our Connection to Technolgy and the Allure of Interactive Fiction

August 05, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.1 MB

Matthew Seiji Burns is a writer, director, composer, and game designer. With the help of Zachtronics game studio, he created Eliza a visual novel about an AI counseling program, the people who develop it, and the people who use it. Prior to Eliza, Burns worked on a variety of games. He’s the creator of the interactive fiction projects Apology Simulator, The Writer Will Do Something, and The Arboretum. He’s also worked with Zachtronics to write and compose for titles such as EXAPunks, Opus M...

Owen Dennis (Infinity Train) on Making Cartoons for Everyone

July 29, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 72.1 MB

Owen Dennis is a writer, producer, voice actor, and storyboard artist who has worked on animated series like the Regular Show, Infinity Train, and Close Enough and movies including The Greatest Ape and Regular Show: The Movie. We talk about Dennis' frustration over the idea that cartoons are only for kids and pitching complicated shows to studio executives.  Watch Infinity Train streaming on HBO Max Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp Follow Owen on Twitter here. Visit our website: ...

Gina Nutt (Night Rooms) on Horror and the Power of What Goes Unsaid

July 22, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 62.7 MB

Gina Nutt is the author of the essay collection Night Rooms (Two Dollar Radio) and the poetry collection Wilderness Champion (Gold Wake Press). She earned her MFA from Syracuse University. Her writing has appeared in Cosmonauts Avenue, Joyland, Ninth Letter, and other publications. We talk about her relationship to horror movies and how that's informed her approach to writing. Gina's writing is constantly finding a way to make real what goes unsaid - and to make essays that, not unlike a ho...

Greg Kasavin (Hades) on Writing as a Form of Exorcism and the Role of Narrative in Games

July 15, 2021 11:31 - 1 hour - 84.9 MB

Greg Kasavin is the creative director and writer at Supergiant games where he’s helped create critically acclaimed titles such as Bastion, Pyre, Transistor, and Hades. Prior to working at SuperGiant Games, Greg worked as a games journalist for Gamespot where he rose the ranks from being an intern all the way to executive editor (editor in chief) of the publication. He’s also worked in various producer roles for games in the Command & Conquer franchise, and as a publishing producer on Spec O...

Nick Guérin (Spiritfarer) on Death Positivity and Making Care into a Game Mechanic

July 08, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 67.5 MB

Nick Guérin is the creative director at Thunder Lotus Games where he directed and wrote Spiritfarer, which has been described as a “cozy management sim about dying.” Nick’s other work includes design work on several Assassin’s Creed games including Origins and Syndicate as well as design for Watch Dogs 2. In this episode, we interview Nick Guérin about how he translated the experience of caring for someone who is dying into a video game and why it is important to demystify and talk about de...

Our Origin Story

July 06, 2021 00:49 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MB

What is the origin story of Origin Story? In this brief intro episode we break down who we are and the basic concept of the show. We'll be talking to artists across music, games, novels, and TV about how they got involved with their different craft and makes stories meaningful to them. Hosted by Phillip Russell and Ben Thorp Visit our website: Originstory.show Follow us on Twitter @originstory_ Do you have feedback or questions for us? Email us [email protected] Cover art and ...

Twitter Mentions

@originstory_ 40 Episodes
@jumpovertheage 2 Episodes
@aerial_knight 2 Episodes
@thebanov 1 Episode
@lydia_millet 1 Episode
@nataliewatson 1 Episode
@theautumnwright 1 Episode
@oweeeeendennis 1 Episode
@manekadevin 1 Episode
@jestintzi 1 Episode
@brooke_maggs 1 Episode
@victorlavalle 1 Episode
@allegra_hyde 1 Episode
@ekanaut 1 Episode
@austin_walker 1 Episode
@cautiousclayton 1 Episode
@veselekov 1 Episode
@jesawyer 1 Episode
@kasavin 1 Episode
@musclewing 1 Episode