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The GamesIndustry.biz team gathers behind their mics to discuss the biggest story of the week: the Steam Deck. With Valve's long-rumoured Switch-like handheld gaming PC finally unveiled, we discuss our reactions to the reveal and who the audience for this device might be. We also explore the possibilities for indie developers -- or indeed any developers -- and the potential for Steam Deck to introduce a new route into the PC games market in a way that has not been seen in years. In the last segment of this week's show, Brendan offers a breakdown of this year's report on the use of conflict minerals in the games industry. You can find the full report here. Title music by Thomas Marchant. Episode mastered by Thomas Quillfeldt.
This week, Brendan and James are joined by Michael Varner, director of executive compensation research at CtW Investment Group, to discuss recent developments in the world of AAA publishing. Earlier this month, Activision delayed its say-on-pay vote at the request of shareholders amid an ongoing campaign by CtW and other parties to persuade shareholders to vote against compensation proposals for its biggest execs, including CEO Bobby Kotick. That vote was later passed with 54% approval -- an all-time company low -- meaning Kotick and co will continue to receive what CtW describes as "outsized equity pay" Meanwhile, Electronic Arts recently unveiled several changes to its executive compensation program -- although CEO Andrew Wilson still stands to receive $39.2 million, an increase of 83% year-on-year. Our guest helps us dive into all this and more as we try to better understand these companies' justification for executives' more than generous compensation. Title music by Thomas Marchant. Episode mastered by Thomas Quillfeldt.
Joining Leon Cox for this week's Sound of Play podcast is Thomas Quillfeldt. Every Wednesday in Sound of Play, we bring you some of our, and your, favourite pieces from the many videogame soundtracks we’ve enjoyed over the decades. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/sound/sound_of_play_291.mp3 Music tracks featured in this podcast:1. Long Gate by Skewsound/Steve Pardo - Signs of the Sojourner, 20202. Serpent Eating the Ground by Revo (Yasuo Kamanaka) - Bravely Default, 20123. Lullaby Over the Lake by David Garcia Diaz - Arise: A Simple Story, 20194. Overworld (Restored) by Koji Kondo - Super Mario World, 19905. Moving Evergreens by Eli Rainsberr - A Monster’s Expedition, 20206. Mekadragon by Enrique Martin - Cyber Shadow, 20217. Nostalgia Trip by Kevin Penkin/Jeremy Lim - Necrobarista, 20208. Harry’s Voyage by Olivier Deriviere - 11-11: Memories Retold, 20189. Blood Dragon Theme by Power Glove - Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, 201310. Paper Boats (Songs of Supergiant Games: 10th Anniversary Orchestral Collection) by Darren Korb, vocal by Ashley Barrett, 2020Sound of Play 291 was edited by Jay Taylor
For this Sound of Play Extra, Thomas Quillfeldt spoke to Hades audio director and composer Darren Korb. Since 2011's Bastion, the small, stable team at Supergiant Games have been putting out distinctive, emotive, aesthetically rich games. While their second and third games Transistor and Pyre garnered plenty of praise, they were somewhat headier than what came next.Launched in early access in 2018, the action roguelike Hades saw its 1.0 release in 2020 marked by rave reviews. The game’s run-based design brought in new fans to the genre thanks to impeccable storytelling, character design and voice acting. Unsurprisingly, Hades has been nominated for, and won a bunch of industry awards; and appeared on, and often topped Game of the Year lists everywhere.Like a mad musical scientist, Korb has been fusing genres to make all of Supergiant’s soundtracks stand out from the crowd. For Hades, his blend of ‘Mediterranean prog rock Halloween music’ has especially hit home with fans — a truly riff-tastic triumph of a score. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/sound/sound_of_play_extra_darren_korb.mp3 Music featured in this podcast by Darren Korb unless otherwise credited:1. No Escape – Hades (2020)2. Through Asphodel – Hades (2020)3. The Painful Way – Hades (2020)4. From Olympus – Hades (2020)5. Good Riddance (feat. Ashley Barrett) – Songs of Supergiant Games: 10th Anniversary Orchestral Collection (2020)6. Downriver – Pyre (2017)7. Out of Tartarus – Hades (2020)8. Tielle Heitetty by Värttinä – Vihma (1998 album)9. Scene Six: Home by Dream Theatre – Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999 album)10. Köppen As Fuck by Chris Christodoulou – Risk of Rain 2 (2020)11. Dancing Mad by Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy VI (1994)12. Field of Souls – Hades (2020)13. Lament of Orpheus – Hades (2020)14. Dungeon Keeper OST by Russell Shaw (1997)15. On the Coast – Hades (2020)
Thomas Quillfeldt interviews composer Gareth Coker, best known for his emotive, melodic scores for Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Other credits of his also include expansion packs for Minecraft, Darksiders Genesis, […] The post Sound of Play Extra: An interview with Gareth Coker appeared first on Cane and Rinse.
Play;Write is a podcast about creating and sharing new ways to play. We workshop seedlings of ideas for video games in hopes of coming up with something timeless. It's not just about us, though! Join in the conversation! Pitch your own game ideas to be read and explored on air on our website at www.playwritecast.com, tweet us @playwritecast, or email us at playwritecast@gmail.com.In this episode of the podcast, Ryan Hamann (@InsrtCoins) and guest Thomas Quillfeldt (@tquillfeldt) from Laced Records plan a perfect assassination, break the code, and set up an adventure for another hero. The community pitch was submitted by Scott F.Our theme song is "Hello World." by PROTODOME from the album BLUENOISE.
Thomas Quillfeldt interviews Jim Fowler and Joe Thwaites. Jim is former Principal Composer at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe but is still heavily involved in projects at PlayStation’s London offices as a freelance composer. Joe is […] The post Sound of Play Extra: Blood & Truth appeared first on Cane and Rinse.
In our newest B-side, Video Game Grooves' good buddy, good interviewer, and all-around good egg Thomas Quillfeldt spends a quality hour with Laced Records' frequent contributing audio engineer and vinyl mastering wizard Joe Caithness. The two discuss Joe's roots in audio work, the nature of vinyl mastering (how do you get two stereo tracks out of one needle, anyway?), the process of keeping those pesky contaminants off your records, and a little bit of his relationship with video games. Please enjoy! Thanks to Tom and Joe! And, congratulations to Joe, his beautiful new bride, and his blushing new website. @laced_records, @tquillfeldt, @joecaithness http://www.joecaithnessmastering.com/ Outro: "False God" - The Talos Principle, by Damjan Mravunac
Video Game Grooves is proud to present our first B-side production: an audio interview between friend-of-the-show Thomas Quillfeldt and artist/musician Niklas "El Huervo" Åkerblad. El Huervo is known for his musical compositions in Hotline Miami as well as his prolific work on his own music, but most recently the vinyl-collecting community will know him for the artwork he's done for the Laced Records release of Absolver. In the interview, Tom and Niklas discuss his colorful artistic stylings, how he came to work on the project, and what it's like to be a collaborator on the Austin Wintory soundtrack with RZA from The Wu-Tang Clan. We heartily invite you to dive into the Laced Records deep dive into the art and production of the Absolver vinyl at the Laced Records blog. (That's one amazing gif! -J) In the meantime, watch this space for your regularly-scheduled podcast! Thanks for listening! Twitter Links: @TQuillfeldt (Tom) @ElHuervo (Niklas)
Here’s another Sound of Play extra – an interview with ToyTree This show’s presenter, Thomas Quillfeldt (@tquillfeldt) offers us up another Sound of Play extra in way of an interview with Amos Roddy also know […] The post Sound of Play Extra – an interview with ToyTree appeared first on Cane and Rinse.
Here’s a Sound of Play extra – an interview Jim Fowler This show’s presenter, Thomas Quillfeldt (@tquillfeldt) offers us up a Sound of Play extra in way of an interview with Jim Fowler (@JimFowlerMusic), Principal […] The post Sound of Play Extra – an interview with Jim Fowler appeared first on Cane and Rinse.