Studying Pixels show

Studying Pixels

Summary: Studying Pixels combines game studies and a joyful engagement with video game culture. Every Sunday, game studies scholar Stefan Heinrich Simond and Japanese scholar Dan Hughes cover anything from reviews of contemporary games to news stories and from academic deep-dives to controversial discussions—all wrapped up in a sincere appreciation of everything geeky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Podcasts:

 God of War Ragnarök | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:12:38

Is it getting chilly in here? God of War: Ragnarök has landed and received raving reviews across the board. We took some time, engaged with it deeply, and yes…it is totally awesome. Here’s our review!Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | InstagramShownotesOur brand new Discord serverPlus 14. How God of War Works (Studying Pixels) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Extremism in Gaming Communities (with Rachel Kowert) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 45:37

Gaming communities can be a lovely place of bonding and encouragement. However, and in no contradiction to the former, they can also be excluding, pervaded by extremism, and profoundly hostile towards anything ‘different’. Why is that so and what can we do about it? – Those are the questions we ask Dr. Rachel Kowert, renowned research psychologist, best selling author, and research director of Take This.Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | InstagramShownotesNot just a game: Identity fusion and extremism in gaming cultures (Rachel Kowert, Alexi Martel, and William B. Swann)Rachel’s website: rkowert.comRachel’s YouTube channel: PsychgeistRachel on Twitter: @DrKowert Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Replay: The Myth of Missing No. | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 32:04

This is a replay episode, originally aired on October 24, 2021. Could that school friend really be right about this Pokémon that is not supposed to exist? Is there really a way to infinitely multiply items as this Nintendo magazine suggests? – We're diving back into our childhood to unravel how Missing No. changed the ideas about how video games work and who owns their lore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Bayonetta 3 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:09:56

The witch is back in town—frantic, silly, and always in the mood to dance. We played through Bayonetta 3 and consider it exceedingly stylish though some of the shots it fires miss the mark. Here’s our review, including our commentary to the drama that revolved around the change in voice actresses.ShownotesPlatinumGames confirms Jennifer Hale is the new voice actress for Bayonetta in Bayonetta 3 (Brian)Original videos by Hellena TaylorA Tense Pay Dispute Overshadows Nintendo’s Upcoming Bayonetta 3 (Jason Schreier)Rebuttal by Hellena TaylorGet Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Games That Actually Scared Us | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:04:12

Okay, in this Halloween special Dan and Stefan are talking about games that actually scared them. And some of those titles you probably have not heard of so far. Buckle up, it’s pumpkin time!Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Games as Historical Problem Spaces (with Jeremiah McCall) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 47:31

From Assassin’s Creed to Civilization and from The Oregon Trail to Valiant Hearts—video games are profoundly fascinated with history. But how can we analyse those representations of history without simply ‘fact checking’ the games? We are joined by the historian and long-running high school teacher Dr. Jeremiah McCall for a conversation about his framework of games as historical problem spaces.ShownotesThe Historical Problem Space Framework: Games as a Historical Medium (Jeremiah McCall)This is Jeremiah’s blog: gamingthepast.netHere’s a link to Jeremiah McCall’s book: Gaming the Past: Using Video Games to Teach Secondary HistoryHistorical Game Design Theory and Practice with Luke Homes (Jeremiah McCall)Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Unusual Findings & 80s Nostalgia | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 56:50

In recent years, we have seen a wave of media nostalgically embracing the 80s. Unusual Findings is the latest entry: a Maniac Mansion inspired point’n’click adventure. Does the crowdfunded project manage to transport us back to the childhood we never had? And what is the appeal of 80s nostalgia anyway? Here’s our review!Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Replay: Three Truths, Two Lies | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 35:34

This is a replay episode, originally aired on September 26, 2021.It is finally time for our very first episode! Our mascot Pixel-kun is celebrating and so are we. For introductions, we share five stories of our gaming biography, only three of which are true. Can you tell the difference? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 The End of Stadia, Dunkey Turns Publisher, GTA 6 Leaks, and More | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:02:38

Some interesting stories flew under our radar and so it is time to catch up! We are talking about the end of Google Stadia, videogamedunkey starting a publishing company, the turmoil revolving around the GTA 6 leaks, and the unification of chargers in the EU.Afterwards we are sharing our impressions of games we have recently played: Infernax, GRIS, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R, and Layers of Fear.Shownotes6:25 Stadia ShutdownA message about Stadia and our long term streaming strategy (Phil Harrison)17:16 Dunkey’s BigModehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEt27Jgp8gs28:27 GTA 6 LeaksGTA 6 (Americas) leak - 90+ .mp4 footage/videos (teapotuberhacker)Huge GTA 6 leak includes gameplay footage of robbery, Vice City locations, and two playable characters (Jody Macgregor)43:17 EU and the USB-C48:06 Infernax50:42 GRIS52:44 Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R57:15 Layers of FearGet Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Lovecraft and Cosmic Horror | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 41:01

The influence of H.P. Lovecraft on the domain of (video) games can hardly be overestimated. The introduction of the sanity meter, the ripples of madness in Bloodborne, and Batman’s Arkham Asylum—the exploration on the fringes of knowledge fascinates today still. We discuss Lovecraftian aesthetics with horror aficionado Richard Mertens, who is not only the newest addition to the Studying Pixels team, but also hosts his own show, titled The Pike Horror Show.Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Return to Monkey Island | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 52:36

Time to return to Monkey Island! For the series’ original creator Ron Gilbert as well as for us—after many years and some mixed experiences. Does Return to Monkey Island hold up as a proper sequel to the original titles? – Here’s our review!ShownotesGet Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Would You Rather? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:07:56

We are turning 50 years, uhm, episodes old! And at the same time, we are celebrating our one year anniversary. What an occasion! So let’s go ahead and ponder some “would you rather” questions. For fun!ShownotesNintendo Direct, 09/13/2022 (Nintendo)Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 How 9/11 Affected Video Games | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 48:19

Many of us still have vivid memories of 11 September 2001. The worlds deadliest terrorist attack left a gaping wound of societal trauma. Video games are no exception to this. So today, on the attack’s anniversary, we are dissecting how 9/11 changed video game culture, how individual games were altered, and how games actively engaged with the ensuing consequences.ShownotesThe Post-9/11 Video Game: A Critical Examination (Marc A. Ouellette)Playing War. Military Video Games After 9/11 (Matthew Thomas Payne)How 9/11 Affected Games (Rick Lane)List of entertainment affected by the September 11 attacks (Wikipedia)How 9/11 Impacted Metal Gear Solid 2 (Shannon Lawlor)How 9/11 affected video games (Reddit thread by RCizzle65)Reading Gonzalo Frasca: Simulation vs Narrative (Studying Pixels)September 12th (Newsgames)The title image of this episode comes from here. The original link is no longer valid, but the image depicts the box art of Command & Conquer 2: Red Alert before it had been altered following the attacks at 9/11.Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Stray | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 49:21

Exploring a cyberpunk dystopia from a cat’s perspective—best idea ever. But does Stray hold up to scrutiny? Or does it cutify the dire setting? – Here’s our review!Get Studying Pixels PlusWebsite | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Gamescom 2022 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1:30:50

Gamescom, the biggest video game trade show in the world, has come and gone. Of course, we were there to check out a whole range of games and to discuss the status quo of video game culture with experts. Here is our report!Shownotes00:05:42 One P I E C E Odyssey (Our hoster does not allow the word to be written normally here, sorry. It is that famous manga/anime series about the guy in the straw hat.)00:09:24 Floodland (with Kacper Kwiatkowski, Co-Boss and Creative Advisor at Vile Monarch)00:21:10 Goat Simulator 3 (with Sebastian Erikkson, CEO at Coffee Stain)00:37:32 Video Games vs Social Media (with Karol Severin, Senior Analyst at MIDiA Research)00:49:55 Blockchains and the Metaverse (with Michelle Kang, Head of Growth at Nervos Network)01:01:59 Vikings on Trampolines01:08:46 Lies of P01:11:20 Using Games for Citizen Science (with Attila Szantner, CEO & Co-Founder of Massively Multiplayer Online Science)01:23:21 ConclusionGet Studying Pixels Plus Website | Twitter | Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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