Life Imitates Video Games: Polygoing Off

I'm hitting pause on the podcast for a few weeks due to a convergence of life, work and personal stuff. Here's a quick update for April of 2017.

Sometimes one star is all you need to guide you home. In this episode I'm exploring how ratings and reviews don't always tell the whole story.

Readied actions are an old Dungeons & Dragons tactic. They're also a great tool for springing to action when free time opens up.

I was out clothes shopping - an act I don't enjoy - and realized something: buying new clothes is just like upgrading your armor in video games.

I recorded a podcast this week but hated it. Instead of releasing a show I'm lukewarm on I'm sacrificing "right now" for a better episode.

We're six episodes deep in 2017! Time for a mailbag episode covering feedback, random topics and a rant on the phrase, "Live every moment like your last."

I explore the similarities between how game characters level up and how we acquire skills in real life, especially focusing on school.

As a kid, the world is full of items you can't reach and places you can't access. Like Samus. Life is a Metroidvania, especially in the early years.

The New England Patriots just staged one of the greatest comebacks in sports. We take a look at underestimating your opponent as it pertains to gaming PvP.

Working under a looming deadline often leads to panic and rushed decisions. When infected by any number of gaming poisons, the same perils apply.

Gaming in bursts sucks. It's the same pursuing creativity. In this episode I'm exploring the importance of focus and concentration in accomplishing goals.

I got a PS4 for Christmas and am finally playing Bloodborne. It's a masterpiece. We're also making some podcast resolutions for the new year.

We're two weeks deep and have yet to air the first episode of 2017. Fear not, however. It's coming soon! Here's the skinny ...

The holidays are a time for family bonding, reflection and eating too much food. This has me thinking about implementations of food in games.

It's been a few weeks since our last listener feedback session. I'm fireside chatting about comments, updates and improvements to the show for 2016's end.

The Holidays are always crazy for scheduling. I'm committed to keeping the weekly'ish cadence, though we may miss a Friday here and there; details here.

We're not talking about the election! In light of the election, however, I'm thinking on echo chambers and the dangers they pose to all of us.

As good as it was, even Stranger Things left us with a slew of questions. What's to come with season two? Why do people love Barb? We explore in part three.

I'm exploring some popular Stranger Things theories and sharing a few of my own. What IS the upside down? Is Eleven the monster? Yup. Well, probably ...

Stranger Things was the sleeper hit of the summer. In part 1 of 2, I'm talking about the vibe, production and specialness of this Netflix original show.

I recently bought a new GPU for my gaming setup. It was an angst-ridden process filled with worry about the future and whether I was spending money wisely.

Addressing listener feedback from the past few shows, we revisit unique fantasy settings and how game communities try to bring balance in unbalanced games.

During a return to Souls PvP I got some hate mail about weapon choices I'd made . As a result I'm reflecting on community pressure gone good and bad.

Most fantasy feels Tolkien-esque; in this podcast I'm exploring underutilized fantasy settings like the wild west, colonial periods and space.

I owned a PlayStation Vita and didn't like it; I didn't care for the Nintendo 3DS, either. What's up with the current gen of portable gaming?

Listener feedback and responding to comments on the last couple episodes of the podcast, covering VR theories, the Steam Controller and release frequency.

During a week of travel I'm reflecting on the portable game systems I've owned over the years. Some of them were great; some of them were duds. My favorite?

How many is too many? This episode of the podcast explores a few long-running franchises and tries to pinpoint when game sequels start to feel stale.

Talking Dark Souls III, Pokemon Go, VR enthusiasm and Nioh amidst tangents on this grab-bag episode of the podcast. Pokemon Go away! Don't make me move.

Most people use "retro gaming" to mean old games. I don't think age has much to do with it. In this week's show I'm wondering: what does retro gaming mean?

Does inventing a system of faux-profanity in fantasy/science fiction create a better fictional world? I talk about swearing and its effects on immersion.

Part 3 in our podcast series covers the Dark Siders in The Force Awakens. Who is Snoke? Where did the Knights of Ren come from? What's next for Kylo?

Part 2 in our theory-crafting and speculation podcast series on The Force Awakens. Who are Rey's parents? Is she a Skywalker? No way. She's a Kenobi.

The Force Awakens! Exploring the possibility of a Dark Side Luke Skywalker in the next Star Wars trilogy. This is part 1 in a multi-part podcast series.

The last show was from 2015; it's now July of 2016. Are we finally back to podcasting? In this fireside chat I talk about the hiatus and its root causes.

The console wars have raged since the second-ever gaming platformed launched. I take a faux-philosophical look at what "better" really means in hardware.

I'm not a fan of using strategy guides. Given time constraints, though, I make use of them to ensure I progress through games unhindered.

I talk Pillars of Eternity in this episode, praising the game's fresh approach to stats, races and classes and how it plays with expectations in novel ways.

The first podcast episode! I talk motivations on transitioning a niche YouTube channel into a show about pop-culture, exploring life beyond Dark Souls.