Armchair Arcade Radio

In the second installment of my interview with Bill Volk, we chat about his days at Avalon Hill and the dawn of the computer games industry. Bill was a programming machine, writing games and ports for TRS-80, Commodore Pet, Atari 400s, and CoCo! We also talk about his games Controller and Voyager. Support Matt Chat with a one-time donation or recurring "set it and forget it" subscription! http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/3793 Download the video here. read more

This is the first installment of my interview with Playscreen co-founder and Avalon/Activision veteran Bill Volk. An industry veteran with 30+ years experience, Bill is the man to talk to about the current state of affairs and where the future lies for Ouya, Facebook and mobile gaming, and Google Glasses. In this part of the interview we focus on his current projects. Support Matt Chat with a one-time donation or recurring "set it and forget it" subscription! http://www.armchairarcade.com/neo/node/3793 Download the video here. read more

Dynamix founder Jeff Tunnell is back this week to give his views on educational software, patents, Sierra, and behind-the-scenes looks at Betrayal at Krondor, Incredible Machines, and Sid & Al. Download the mp4 here. read more

In my 200th episode of Matt Chat, Jeff Tunnell, founder of Dynamix, returns to talk about his company's greatest hits, which probably aren't the games you're thinking of. Then he talks about his fall out with Electronic Arts. Needless to say, if you're a fan of classic adventure games or flight sims, you won't be able to turn away from this episode. Download the mp4 here. read more

In the first slice of my interview with Dynamix founder Jeff Tunnell, we chat about his latest projects, including Contraption Maker and why Jeff doesn't like Apple or Google's app stores. Then we talk about his background and how he met Damon Slye and Ken Williams. Then we talk about Stellar 7 and Arctic Fox, one of my favorite Amiga games. Download the episode here. Get The Incredible Machine Mega Pack from GOG for only $5! Use the link below, and you'll be supporting this show as well. Matt Chat Affiliate Link Check out Jeff's awesome blog below: http://jefftunnell.com/ read more

Hi, guys, I had the itch to do an audio podcast today, so here ya go! Don't expect slick production values, though--this is just some off-the-cuff stuff about all the exciting things Bill and I have been working on. Those projects include the forthcoming Vintage Game Consoles book, Frayed Knights II dungeons, and of course Matt Chat interviews and retrospectives. If you'd like to propose topics for me to cover in future episodes, please do so below! Download or stream the podcast here. Now back to work! read more

Lord British returns this week to flesh out our discussion of the later Ultima games, including the groundbreaking virtue system. Richard relates some of his favorite fan mails and comments, which include a heartfelt letter about a little girl whose life was changed forever by Ultima. Please help spread the word about Matt Chat by posting this episode on your favorite social networking and bookmarking sites! Download the episode here. read more

In the second part of my interview with Richard Garriott--aka Lord British, we chat about the origins of Ultima, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Apple II. Download the mp4. read more

This episode is a review of the game Towns, a 2012 release reminiscent of games like Settlers, Rogue, Dungeon Keeper, and Minecraft. Download the mp4. read more

In the fourth and final installment of my interview with Betrayal at Krondor designer Neal Hallford, we chat about a variety of topics starting with Dungeon Siege. Was Dungeon Siege too big for its britches? Then we chat about the hit game Champions of Norrath and why Neal prefers PC gaming to consoles. We wrap up with a discussion about Chris Taylor and his excellent leadership. Download the mp4. read more

I'm back this week with part three of my interview with Neal Hallford, designer of Betrayal at Krondor. In this installment, we chat about why Ron Gilbert's Cavedog company failed followed by a discussion of Neal's book Swords & Circuitry, the best-ever guide to creating your own computer role-playing games. Download the mp4 here. Sadly, Neal's Thief of Dreams kickstarter failed, but a third party has emerged to back him anyway. read more

In my second installment of my interview with Neal Hallford, we chat about his masterpiece, Betrayal at Krondor. Famous among CRPG aficionados for its epic story and superb writing, BaK is set in the fantasy world of Raymond E. Feist. Unfortunately, Neal did such a great job mimicking Feist's style that many people wrongly assume that it was Feist who penned the game script! The interview also covers why a proper sequel to the game was never made. Download the mp4. read more

I'm back this week with a retrospective of Larian Studio's Divine Divinity, a 2002 release. It's a brilliant take on the Diablo genre, with immaculate artwork and one of the best soundtracks ever. Download the mp4. Support the Divinity: Original Sin kickstarter--3 days left! Buy Divine Divinity from GOG.com using this link. No extra cost to you, but the show gets a kickback! read more

Hi, all! I'm back this week to chat with Swen Vincke, the founder of Larian Studios, a Belgian outfit. Swen is a hilarious and passionate dude, so this is a riot even if you're not a big fan of Divine Divinity. The new game is definitely worth checking out, though, since it's a big move from action to turn-based battles. They've also got some great ideas for item combining and co-op concepts. This is one where I really want them to not just hit the basic goal, but start getting into their stretch goals. Check out their Kickstarter and see this thing; I'm sure you're enjoy it if you're at all into RPGs. Their kickstarter video has a genuine LOL moment that will have you in tears. Download the video here. read more

Joel Billings is back for one final time (at least for this interview series!) to tell us about the decline and fall of his one great company. Why isn't SSI with us today? Then there's the great What-ifs--What if Trip Hawkins had been at the meeting with EA? What if SSI had held off just a bit longer before selling out to Mindscape? Enjoy! Download the episode. read more

This week, I'm pleased to present a very special guest: Richard "Lord British" Garriott, the father of computer role-playing games. I'm sure this man needs no introduction with you guys. We talk mostly here about his Shroud of the Avatar kickstarter, which you definitely don't want to miss if you're a fan of Ultima and Ultima Online. The game will offer some really neat innovations, including a scalable multiplayer option and tons more interactivity than we've grown accustomed to. I'm in at the $125 tier for the box and cloth map. Download the mp4. read more