Play, Watch, Listen
156 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 556 ratingsJoin Alanah Pearce (game writer), Troy Baker (voice actor), Mike Bithell (game director), and Austin Wintory (game composer) as they talk about all the games, movies, TV and 'whatever else' that took their interest that week, from four unique perspectives in the games industry.
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Episodes
52. Why Games Use Motion Blur
February 27, 2021 05:49 - 1 hour - 127 MBgib nice review on aplpy podcast pls
51. We Are (not) Scientists
February 20, 2021 01:40 - 1 hour - 135 MBNo really, we mostly talk about science. And then a bit about what we consider a "scientist" to be, and then like the tiniest bit about TLOU casting at the very end. "Video Game Podcast."
50. CD Projekt's Data Breach & Warner Bros' Patent
February 13, 2021 03:40 - 1 hour - 116 MBWe made it to 50 episodes, what!? This week, we discuss how CD Projekt's data breach may actually influence the company, and Warner Bros' decision to patent the Nemesis System from Shadow of Mordor.
49. Jumping on Trains
February 06, 2021 05:47 - 1 hour - 142 MBThis week, we talk about how we'd like to die, and naturally that leads right into physics in video games. Also, jumping on trains, Tenet (sort of), and what individuals can bring to a job in the games industry.
48. The Last of Us Part 2's 200+ Awards
January 29, 2021 20:52 - 1 hour - 152 MBThis week, we're almost definitely getting demonetized on YouTube because of explicit fish content. We also talk about The Last of Us Part 2 winning a whole lot of GotY awards, plus how COVID influenced us over the last year.
47. We're Excited for a New James Bond Game
January 23, 2021 07:35 - 41 minutes - 76.8 MBThis week, Alanah wanted to talk about game demos but really we just ended up speaking about how much we like Hitman, and I0 Interactive.
46. Lucasfilm Games Returns!
January 16, 2021 07:14 - 49 minutes - 90.3 MBWhat does this mean for Play, Watch, Listen's #1 topic: Star Wars?
45. Is The Mandalorian is "Good" Fan Service?
January 09, 2021 03:11 - 1 hour - 123 MBThis week, we try to talk about The Medium, but mostly end up talking about the coup on the Capitol building, and a whole lot of The Mandalorian Season 2 (no spoilers).
44. Four Different Opinions on Pixar's "Soul"
January 02, 2021 03:43 - 1 hour - 166 MBAaaand we're back, hello 2021! This week, we talk about what we did over our Christmas break, a whole lot about video game music and composition thanks to The Pathless, and our thoughts on Pixar's "Soul".
43. Let's try to talk about Cyberpunk 2077
December 19, 2020 05:46 - 1 hour - 129 MBBut really we talk about almost everything else, including Seinfeld, Batman: The Animated Series, and Assassin's Creed.
42. The 2020 Game Awards
December 12, 2020 11:42 - 1 hour - 118 MBThis week, we talk about this year's Game Awards, plus Troy's hygiene, the shirt physics in the last of us, and juries.
41. Death of Theaters & How Scalpers Work
December 05, 2020 08:18 - 1 hour - 165 MBWe also talk about electric cars, Christmas movies, the most polarizing Star Wars films, Baby Yoda, neighbours having arguments, and... somehow more.
40. We're Thankful For Video Games (live)
November 27, 2020 11:04 - 59 minutes - 108 MBThis episode was recorded live to celebrate 40 episodes of PWL, and also, in part, our one year anniversary! We share some of our highlights of working in the industry, and our love for the show.
39. This episode is mostly about toilets
November 21, 2020 06:37 - 1 hour - 114 MBThis week, we talk about... toilets. Also a little on Alanah's new job, Austin's audition processes, and chasing awards.
38. How Open-World Games Actually Function
November 14, 2020 04:17 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBThis week, the boys go rogue and I am not responsible for any part of it. Also, cannibalism and open-world video games on the PlayStation 5.
37.2 Politicians and Social Media (BONUS EPISODE)
November 09, 2020 06:50 - 58 minutes - 107 MBTWO EPISODES IN ONE WEEK, WHAT!? On this episode of everyone's favourite video game podcast, we almost entirely talk about education, politicians, and social media.
37. Video Games Are "Empathy Machines"
November 08, 2020 04:58 - 48 minutes - 89.4 MBThis week, Alanah, Austin, Troy, and Mike talk about video games, violence, and empathy. This is part 1 of episode 37, part 2 will be published as a bonus episode tomorrow.
What Makes Good Horror?
October 30, 2020 22:17 - 1 hour - 154 MBThis week, we're wearing costumes, so you should honestly very much go watch the video version on youtube.com/charalanahzard. That is all.
35. How To Work in Games
October 24, 2020 00:25 - 59 minutes - 108 MBThis week, we talk about agents, work ethic, and how to grow in competitive parts of the industry like voice acting, composing, and media.
34. We Let Austin Talk About Music
October 17, 2020 00:26 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBALSO: discussions of if people are excited about next-gen and what having multiple physical units means for developers.
33. Mike Released a New Game!
October 10, 2020 11:05 - 56 minutes - 103 MBThe title says it all. Or does it? Probably not. Tangents. And I still don't think we talk about the topic until like 20 minutes in.
32. How Developers Take Feedback
October 02, 2020 23:55 - 52 minutes - 72.4 MBMike gave a few people codes for his new game, Austin got a dog, and Troy took a really good shower!
31. Mike Announced A Video Game
September 26, 2020 08:04 - 1 hour - 143 MBOn this week's episode, we talk about the Queen. And the government. But mostly Mike's new game, and the process of an indie in 2020.
30. Live PAX Special!
September 18, 2020 19:04 - 1 hour - 89.4 MBThis week, we do the podcast as a PAX panel that's full of trips down memory lane, our first Q&A, and also: why do people like Dune?
29. Our PS5 Price Predictions
September 12, 2020 20:36 - 57 minutes - 79.1 MBMike's partner broke her foot. The PlayStation is probably getting a price tomorrow. Austin's name is now Steve. Why does Crysis look so bad? ALL THIS AND MORE, ON THIS WEEK'S PLAY, WATCH, LISTEN!
28. How Backwards Compatibility Works
September 05, 2020 07:04 - 1 hour - 88 MBThis week, we discuss David Blaine being suspended by balloons. And I guess also backwards compatibility and video game marketing.
27. Our Reaction to The Batman (and death)
August 29, 2020 22:32 - 1 hour - 104 MBThis week, we... don't talk about video games. We discuss our impressions of The Batman, the passing of Chadwick Boseman, and dealing with death.
26. The Epic v Apple War
August 22, 2020 06:01 - 1 hour - 137 MBThis week Alanah, Troy, Austin, and Mike talk about... God. For some reason. Honestly, a lot of things get covered here, and then about 30 minutes in to this absolute mess, they talk about Apple and Epic and what their legal battles could mean for game development.
25. The Nintendo Leaks, and Crunch Culture
August 16, 2020 08:59 - 1 hour - 113 MBThis week, we start off by talking about the Nintendo leaks, and end up diving into what is 'off-limits' for journalists to report on, and crunch culture!
24. Video Game Writing and "Morally Grey" Characters
August 07, 2020 22:01 - 1 hour - 125 MBThis week the PWL crew (Alanah Pearce, Troy Baker, Mike Bithell, and Austin Wintory) get... philosophical. We discuss an article from Polygon about video game characters being moral, ethical, and if games should be 'political'.
23. How Game Pass Works For Developers
July 31, 2020 19:32 - 1 hour - 95.6 MBThis week, we discuss the Xbox Showcase, plus how GamePass deals work for devs.
22. Why Ghost of Tsushima's Lip Sync Is Off
July 25, 2020 01:40 - 1 hour - 114 MBThis week, we discuss Ghost of Tsushima! We all played it! Woo!
21. The "Transformers" of Video Games
July 18, 2020 06:12 - 1 hour - 111 MBThis week, Alanah, Austin, Troy, and Mike discuss... patents, Sam Lake, Call of Duty campaigns, the "Transformers" of video games, Assassin's Creed, Alone in the Dark, Ubisoft, and... how do I title this episode, exactly?
20. Should Games Be More Expensive?
July 11, 2020 03:50 - 1 hour - 124 MBToday, the AATM-team chat about a potential price increase for next-gen games. This was a live episode, so I sorry if the audio is a jumpy!
19. Are Video Games Too Long?
July 04, 2020 04:23 - 58 minutes - 108 MBThis week, Alanah, Austin, Troy, and Mike discuss the length of video games, the importance of length to publishers, and the idea of 'editing' games down.
18. The Design of The Last of Us Part 2
June 29, 2020 00:43 - 1 hour - 122 MBSorry this episode is a little late this week, we had some technical issues! BUT, we're here to discuss the gameplay, level, narrative, and sound design of The Last of Us Part 2.
17. Discussing Review Scores, As Developers
June 20, 2020 04:09 - 1 hour - 129 MBThe title pretty much says it all okay I'm in a rush I can't write a description but I did want to apologise for the occasional audio interference in this ep - edited out as much as I could!
16. Reacting to the PS5 Conference
June 13, 2020 01:59 - 1 hour - 125 MBAaaand we're back! This week Alanah, Austin, Troy and Mike talk all about the PlayStation 5 reveal conference.
Play, Watch, Listen: Episode for Friday June 5th, 2020
June 06, 2020 00:39 - 2 minutes - 4.39 MBPlease watch or listen to Spawn On Me. Please consider donating to: The Innocence Project, Go Get It Tobacco, REBUILDTHEBLOCK - 4 Black Owned Small Businesses, Scores Sports Bar Mpls Rebuild, Access PR Small Biz Relief, Consignment Store, Rebuild Guns and Roses Boutique, Reclaim the Block, Northstar Health Collective, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Black Visions Collective, Black Disability Coalition, The Marshall Project, ACLU, Campaign Zero, or Advancement Project.
15. Anticipating The Last of Us Part 2
May 30, 2020 00:15 - 1 hour - 195 MBI'm going to be honest, there are a lot of very big topics covered here, and they're all great, but they are numerous. I don't even know what to write in the description, except that we are not sorry. (Also, Troy is back!)
Anticipating The Last of Us Part 2
May 30, 2020 00:15 - 1 hour - 195 MBI'm going to be honest, there are a lot of very big topics covered here, and they're all great, but they are numerous. I don't even know what to write in the description, except that we are not sorry. (Also, Troy is back!)
14. How Games and Films Influence Eachother
May 23, 2020 02:43 - 1 hour - 143 MBAlanah, Austin, and Mike talk about Ghost of Tsushima, plus how games influence films and vice versa.
13. How the Unreal Engine 5 Demo Works
May 16, 2020 03:30 - 1 hour - 154 MBThis week, Alanah, Austin, Troy, and Mike talk about books, drugs (?), and next-gen gaming, including the Unreal Engine 5 demo.
12. The Doom Eternal vs. Mick Gordon Controversy
May 09, 2020 04:58 - 59 minutes - 82.3 MBThis week, we chat about the controversy surrounding the Doom Eternal soundtrack (it is majority of the podcast, I swear, we just take a brief tangent at the start), as well as the difficulties of PR in the games industry.
11. Is Final Fantasy 7 really a "remake"?
May 02, 2020 04:37 - 1 hour - 175 MBThis week we talk about remakes, why they're made, and if games are 'aging' faster than other kinds of media.
10. The "rules" of making games
April 25, 2020 06:17 - 1 hour - 156 MBThis episode, Alanah, Austin, Troy, and Mike ARE LIVE! We talk about contract law, game design, the rules of writing and how different industries approach exclusivity.
9. What do "game directors" actually do?
April 25, 2020 06:09 - 1 hour - 101 MBThis episode, Alanah, Austin, Troy, and Mike accidentally talk about directing, and how that works for video games in terms of voices, composing, and overall game design, as well as some tidbits about editing. Also: apologies for the audio quality, we had some hardware issues on the recording side.
8. The Games That "Saved" Us
April 11, 2020 06:57 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBOn this week's episode, things get personal, with stories of video games that helped us through tough times, as well as a lot of tangents, because of course.
7. Are Game Trailers Tricking You?
April 03, 2020 19:15 - 1 hour - 168 MBOn this episode, Alanah, Austin, Troy, and Mike talk about game trailers, including some of their favourites, and then devolve into a rant.
6. Troy, Mike, and Austin React to Let's Plays of Their Games
March 28, 2020 04:14 - 1 hour - 115 MBApologies for the imperfect audio this episode, BUT, AAT&M talk about YouTube's restrictions on creators, as well as how they've reacted to people doing let's plays of games they've worked on.