Join Alanah Pearce (games media), 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' they've experienced that month, from four unique perspectives in the games industry.
The Play, Watch, Listen podcast is a delightful and engaging show that offers a unique perspective on the video game industry and beyond. With hosts Alanah Pearce, Troy Baker, Mike Bithell, and Austin Wintory, each episode is filled with insightful discussions, humor, and a genuine camaraderie that makes it feel like you're part of their conversation.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the diverse range of topics discussed. While video games are often the starting point for their conversations, they quickly branch out into broader subjects such as philosophy, art, music, and even politics. This variety keeps the show fresh and exciting, offering listeners new perspectives and insights into different aspects of life and creativity. The hosts' depth of knowledge across various fields adds depth and substance to these discussions.
Another standout aspect of The Play, Watch, Listen podcast is the chemistry among the hosts. It's evident that they genuinely enjoy each other's company and have a deep respect for one another's opinions. Their dynamic creates a comfortable environment where they can engage in friendly debates while still maintaining a sense of unity. This creates an enjoyable listening experience where you can't help but be captivated by their banter and wit.
However enjoyable this podcast may be, there are some drawbacks worth mentioning. Occasionally, tangents take over the discussion to the point where it becomes difficult to follow the initial topic or find relevance to gaming at all. While these tangents can be entertaining at times, they can also feel disjointed and detract from the overall coherence of the episode. Additionally, there are moments when certain hosts talk over others or dominate the conversation more than necessary. Finding a balance in speaking time could improve listener engagement.
In conclusion, The Play, Watch Listen podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in video games or entertainment as a whole. The combination of knowledgeable hosts with diverse backgrounds makes for fascinating discussions that offer both intellectual stimulation and lighthearted enjoyment. While there may be some room for improvement in terms of staying on topic and balancing airtime, the overall quality of the show far outweighs any minor flaws. Give it a listen and prepare to be entertained, enlightened, and inspired.
This week, Alanah, Mike, and Austin sat down to chat to Tonda Ros - the director of Blue Prince. Apologies for Tonda's echo!
Alanah and Austin chat Blue Prince, addictive video games, and Satisfactory.
This week, Mike, Alanah, and Austin chat to co-founder of Stoic, the creators of The Banner Saga and, more recently, Towerborne!
This week, Alanah and Mike discuss the Switch 2 presentation!
This week, Alanah and Mike start out by talking about the lay-offs across WB Games, then jump into talking about Microsoft's newly announced AI "Muse", and then we - finally - get Alanah's thoughts on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
This week, Austin and Alanah sit down to talk to Mike Laidlaw, the game director of Dragon Age: Origins who most recently started his own studio and make ETERNAL STRANDS. Which Austin also worked on, because of course he did. He cannot be contained.
Apologies for the delay here - the audio file was corrupted! This week, Mike and Alanah are joined by Strange Scaffold's Xalavier Nelson Jr to talk about how the studio makes so many high quality games, and what it really means to be a good game director.
After a break due to the LA fires - which we talk about to begin with here - we chat about a recent 200-page document called "The State of Video Games in 2025" from Matthew Ball. If you'd like links to the charities we mentioned, please check those out on the YouTube version of the podcast!
Happy four years of PWL! Sorry about Mike's audio here, we don't know what happened.
Alanah left her job at Sony, and Mike got in trouble for saying something on Bluesky. We discuss the state of the games industry now that it's December 2024, and the notion that "indies will save" everything.
We're back from a brief hiatus! Immediately discussing: should Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree be nominated for GOTY even though it's a DLC? Also: Mike announced another video game!
This week, AUSTIN TURNS 40 (technically over a week ago at the time of publishing). So, we indulge him with almost an entire episode about Star Wars (Outlaws) and video game bugs.
This week, Alanah, Austin, and Mike discuss the economic state of the games industry and if game prices need to go from $60 to $70.
After a month off, we have returned to bring you TOP QUALITY VIDEO GAME CONTENT! But mostly, a lot of us talking about the TV show The Expanse. And Sex in the City?
Austin, Mike, and Alanah chat about Austin's demanding freelance schedule, the GamePass price increase (and GamePass' impact as a whole), and the Halifax Harbor Explosion. Note: almost all details of said Halifax explosion are, indeed, incorrect.
Alanah and Mike discuss OLD game development! And Myst!
This week we talk about Summer Game Fest and, because we never stay on topic, music licensing! Also featuring Rahul.
This episode features journalist Nathan Grayson chatting to Mike and Alanah about the state of games journalism (and that side of the industry) in 2024. This comes after IGN announced multiple aquisitions.
This week, Alanah and Austin chat to one of the creators of the Fallout franchise, Tim Cain, all about the Fallout TV show. Includes spoilers.
This week, we talk to Abubakar Salim about his transition from actor to full-blown game director. How did he do it!?
Featuring Rahul Kohli, and the return of Troy, AND we're all in the same room!?
This week, Mike and Alanah chat about GDC, LinkedIn, business cards, and give great life advice.
A LOT OF TOPICS THIS WEEK, WE SIMPLY CAN'T BE CONTAINED.
This week Mike and Alanah chat about the continued lay-offs impacting the games industry.
It's an Austin and Alanah special, and we actually talk about video games the WHOLE TIME!? This week, we talk about games we wish we could play again, and games that fundamentally 'change' however many hours in.
The title says it all, I don't understand what more context you could possibly need?
Apologies for the weird audio mix here. Regardless, this week we talk about Society of the Snow (a little), and then delve into the world of AI and capitalism. Again. Oh no.
This is publishing a little later than planned because of internet issues, but this week we talk about Cunk on Earth, game direction, and more! Thanks for another year of listening to Play, Watch, Listen, everyone!
You can't talk about good games this year without also talking about lay-offs, so hey, let's do both!
This week, Austin and Alanah chat to Rahul (actor) and Andy (composer and 1/2 of the Newton Brothers) about their work on The Fall of the House of Usher! Also, Stray Gods gets nominated for a Grammy, and the F1 Grand Prix debuts in Vegas. Apologies for the audio levels.
An update on the Unity system, and an important question: do you own any baskets? Why?
This week, Mike and Alanah go over some of the biggest question's about Starfield.
We're back! This week Austin chats about Jacob Collier - apparently the best musician alive - and then Alanah asks Mike and special guest Rami Ismail all about the Unity drama.
This week, Mike and Alanah discuss some of the responses to Baldur's Gate 3's exceptional quality.
We have our first ever guest! Summerfall Games' Liam Esler joins Alanah and Austin to talk about Taylor Swift's enormous Eras Tour, plus, of course, the launch of Stray Gods.
This week, Alanah, Mike, and Austin are back to chat about Stray Gods, plus a little bit of Barbie and Oppenheimer at the very end.
This week, we talk about Apple's new Vision Pro and how it might assist with each of our vocations, as well as AI, again. Turns out it's still relevant. Who'd have thought?
This week (technically last week, the audio file just got stuck in processing and I didn't realise), Austin, Alanah, and Mike discuss The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and if players can be prevented from over-thinking puzzles.
We're back from a month off! And this week, we catch up on Bithell Games' latest release - Tron: Identity. Then Austin (and his dog Canvas) join to catch us up on a game he and Troy have been hard at work on, called Stray Gods. Turns out both games excell in player choice. Neat. Did I mention Canvas?
This week, Alanah and Mike talk about what makes Zelda's recent physics so impressive, E3's cancellation, and the latest from Bithell Games - Tron: Identity!
This week, Alanah and Mike aggressively interrogate Troy about his experience playing Joel in The Last of Us (spoilers).
Alanah and Mike talk about DICE, and how alcohol is often encouraged at games industry events (but probably shouldn't be), plus why Rocksteady may have gone from making the Arkham series to making a game like Suicide Squad.
This week, Alanah and Austin talk about The Grammys, and why/how Assassin's Creed: Valhalla won while games like Elden Ring and God of War were not nominated.
This week, all four of the Play, Watch, Listen horsemen are together to discuss the third episode of HBO's The Last of Us series. There are spoilers.
This week, Alanah and Mike discuss The Menu, then Troy joins and the group talks about the fine dining experience and food as 'art'. Then, of course, we step into talking about The Last of Us episode 2.
This week, Alanah asks Mike an impossible question about programming, we talk a tiny bit about The Menu, and then jump into our reactions of HBO's The Last of Us episode 1.
This week, AUSTIN IS LATE! But Troy, Mike, and Alanah are there from the start to chat about The Last of Us TV show, plus successful game-to-movie adaptations.
This week, Alanah and Mike discuss AI art and it's inevitability, and then are joined by Austin and Troy who close out with a discussion on The Last of Us TV show.
This week, Alanah and Mike chat about The Game Awards, which I cut short for the public version just because it was definitely a conversation we've had numerous times. Then, Austin joins and we get to chatting about the latest update regarding Mick Gordon and Doom Eternal's music.
This week, Mike and Alanah chat about Immortality, their picks for 2022's game of the year, and then get into details regarding why some oft requested features can't make it into published video games.
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