Wardcast

We’re ringing in the new year with a post-MAGFest debriefing. Dylan is joined by fellow RVA Game Jammers and MAGFest Indie Video Game Showcasers Ruthie Edwards and Sam Loeschen to talk about what they learned from showing their games at MAGFest 2017. But that’s not all! This week, Nintendo also announced the Nintendo Switch launch lineup, so we walk on down to the mean streets of New Donk City to talk neon-colored controllers, alternative input methods, and living hats. Lastly, we would also like to announce our panel for PAX East 2017 — Hidden Gems: Discovering the Undiscovered at PAX East. Keep a look out for more information about it as we get closer to PAX East in March! Games include Jupiter Lander, Black Emperor, Battletech: Firestorm, Food Fight, Windjammers, and Mario Kart 64. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Well, here we are. It’s been one heck of a year, but now it’s time for us to decide the best games we’ve played in 2016. Let’s lay some ground rules. First, our top ten considers any game played in 2016, not just games released in 2016. Second, everyone brings their personal top ten games of the year, and from those, we will decide upon the Ward Podcast’s top ten of the year. Lastly, once the ten games of the year have been set, we will create an award specific to each game. And that will put a close to the Ward Podcast for 2016. We’d like to thank everyone who joined us on the podcast this year: James Gross, Will Blanton, Momin Khan & Mike Odum, Ruthie Edwards, Sam Loeschen, Nick Nundahl & Joe Wetmore, Andy Bowers, Auverin Morrow, Rich Atlas, ​Henry Hoffman, and David Byers. And, of course, we’d like to thank Alex Rice and Dan Cotting for joining us this year on the Ward Podcast. We look forward to 2017: the year to stay stoked. So long 2016, and thanks for all the games. Awards include Grandest Adve

Dominated by holiday cheer, the core four collect together to complete our last episode before the Game of the Year podcast. We talk movies, television, and poor purchasing decisions on eBay. We also take another look at the announcements from the Game Awards and the PlayStation Experience and try to answer the age-old question, “What is Death Stranding even about?” We also discuss some of the guys’ Brandcenter projects as they relate to games, from Dan’s presentation on VR to Mason’s “More than Gamification” article series. Games include Gears of War 4, Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, Stardew Valley, Life is Strange, Google Maps VR, Pokémon Omega Ruby, Super Mario World, Pokémon Sun, Let It Die, Titanfall 2, Overwatch, BioShock Remastered, and Dishonored 2. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Dylan is joined by honorary fifth seat, Will Blanton, as well as Uncade’s own David Byers. The guys talk about Will’s Dark Souls level one run and reminisce about the DK Bongo controller. We also discuss the guests’ favorite games of the year, which includes discussing the ending of Inside from 1:02:52 to 1:07:19. The Game Awards also happened this past week, hosted by the Dorito Pope himself, so we talk about some of the announcements that occurred there. Lastly, we plan for MAGFest and beyond in 2017. Games include Dark Souls, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

It’s Thanksgiving Eve, and we’re thankful to be able to talk games, games, and more games. Dylan continues his journey through the Fallout 4 DLC, this time stopping at Nuka-World, and Dan proceeds through Episode Two of Life is Strange as well as some experiments with Newton VR. Alex and Mason start on some new first person sequel releases: Dishonored 2 and Titanfall 2 — our winner for Best Sci-Fi First Person Shooter for Q3 2016. We take a mental journey back to Charlottesville, where University of Virginia has banned Thomas Jefferson, and a quick pitstop to talk about Suicide Squad, coming to a dumpster near you. We also talk original Doom on the MacBook Touch Bar, NES Classic Edition shortages, and Pokémon cards worth five figures. Games include Fallout 4; Jackbox Party Pack; Quick, Draw!; Life is Strange; clickclickclick.click; Dishonored 2; Hyper Light Drifter; Colossatron; Overwatch; Titanfall 2; and Crypt of the NecroDancer. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or e

In what will surely be an unforgettable week in American history, the guys decide to speak to the subject that they know best: video games. Dylan returns to Fallout 4 — season pass in tow — with the Far Harbor DLC, leading to a discussion on the use of AI in popular culture. Dan has finished building his VR-ready machine, and with Vive in hand, he tries out all the experiences Steam VR has to offer. We also answer our first podcast email, deal with wild Gengars, and convince Dan to start posting on Medium. Games include Fallout 4, Mafia III, Tilt Brush, The Lab, Overwatch, Batman: The Telltale Series, and Rec Room. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

The Richmond Utilities Podcast comes back to discuss this nation’s greatest utility: democracy. We encourage all our listeners to rock the vote this upcoming Election Day. This week’s primary topic of discussion: Oxenfree. All the gents have played it, so we dedicate most of the podcast to analyze and critique it. For those who wish to avoid spoilers, the Oxenfree talk starts at 11:20 and ends at 1:30:23. And since we missed you during Hallow’s Eve, we talk about all our Halloween experiences, which primarily involve parties, both political and bacchanalian. Also, be sure to check out our own Dan Cotting’s continued discussion on UX in virtual reality on his blog and his newly minted article about VR. Games include Oxenfree, Overwatch, and Job Simulator. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, Dan talks about VR-ready PC builds, Dan and Alex both talk about their enjoyment with Oxenfree, and Mason and Dylan continue with some more Mafia III impressions. We also deal with some huge announcements from the game industry this week: from Red Dead Redemption 2 to Nintendo Switch. And Dylan brings his entire Pokémon card collection for show and tell. Games include Oxenfree, Overwatch, and Mafia III. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Dan and Alex are dealing with the heavy loss of bodily fluids from pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into their mid-semester projects, so the original Ward Podcast duo have returned for a one-night event. Tonight, we try to shout over the roar of a neighboring lawnmower to talk about résumés, wireframes, GNU, and other intimidating open source acronyms. Dylan brings his impressions of the first dozen or so hours of Mafia III, while Mason expresses his fizzling interest in Destiny: Rise of Iron. Games include Mafia III, Tomb of the Mask, and Destiny: Rise of Iron. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

With Hurricane Matthew bringing us a little bit of wind and rain, we huddle inside to talk about video games. But first, we talk about the new HBO show Westworld and the blurring line between reality and simulation that the show portends, as well as violence in simulations and games. And then there are even more shows and films to discuss, from Steve Jobs to Luke Cage to X-Men: Apocalypse. We also talk about the waning memory of Hanson’s “MMMBop” and Dan’s new Ward theme. Games include Super Mario 3D World, Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, Rocket League, BioShock Remastered, Sportsfriends, Tricky Towers, and Overwatch. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

We come to the table with a bevy of topics. Mason, Alex, and Dan visited the RVA Maker Fest, where many of our game dev friends were showcasing their wares. The gents also discuss bad Brandcenter presenters and the PS4 System Software 4.00. While Dan recollects his bad recent experience with GameStop, Dylan recounts being disappointed with the endings of two recent games. We also talk Bruce Wayne’s mad libs, the discography of Train, and Palmer Luckey’s involvement with Nimble America. Games include ReCore, Journey, Inside, Hitman Go, Virginia, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Overwatch, Fallout 4, and Destiny: Rise of Iron. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, Dylan listens as the Brandcenter Boys talk about all the experience design learnin’ they’ve gotten from school and how they apply it to games. We question the National Sandwich Guild’s judgment over whether a hot dog is a sandwich, and discuss the cardinal sin of eating pizza with a knife and fork. Additionally, we lament the death of the game manual and debate what we are doing for game of the year. Games include Overwatch; Dark Souls III; Guns, Gore, and Cannoli; Fallout 4; For Honor; Call of Juarez: Gunslinger; Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime; Batman: Arkham Knight; Inside; Super Mario 3D World; and Tomb of the Mask. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

We’re back at it again talking about Apple’s headphonejackgate and all the courage that comes with it. We also discuss bad teachers we’ve had, the games we made for Ludum Dare 36 — shown on a recent episode of Instant Replay Live, the PS4 Pro announcement, and Alex teaching Dylan muay thai. The guys are also tasked with figuring out how to handle Game of the Year for the Ward Podcast by the next episode. Games include Fallout 4, Overwatch, Tomb of the Mask, and Super Mario 3D World. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, Dylan sits down to chat with Henry Hoffman, one of the creators of the recently-released game Hue and co-founder of indie developer Fiddlesticks. Henry talks about Hue’s development, such as the addition of accessibility features for people with color blindness. He also gives us his impressions of Brexit’s potential effects on the British games industry and the UK as a whole. The pair also discusses old, gritty Mario games versus newer, chibi Mario games and the nerve racking experience of getting recognized by the staff at restaurants and coffee shops. Games include Inside, Tomb of the Mask, and Super Mario 3D World. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

The core four are back in action, here to talk sock revelations, Carmex debates, Bill Nye Saves the World, and upsetting website design trends. Dylan and Dan bring two hefty games to the table. Dylan regales the group about his No Man’s Sky experience, which leads to a conversation about setting proper expectations for your game, and Dan finally plays the re-re-re-release of Resident Evil 4 — the missing piece in his Resident Evil collection — letting the guys discuss its influence on game design. Games include Reigns, Overwatch, Batman: Arkham Knight, No Man’s Sky, Super Mario 3D World, Tomb of the Mask, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ennuigi, Secret Hitler, So Many Me, Spelunky, and Resident Evil 4. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

When they’re not arguing over what sound a VHS makes when it’s being rewound, the guys talk about the games they’ve been playing. Dylan’s back from his Missouri trip, and he talks about Midwest arcades, flying, grilled meats, and guest-starring on a recent episode of the Geeks Under the Influence Podcast. Mason finished Tales from the Borderlands, so Dylan and Alex finally get to gush about their favorite parts. Finally, Ludum Dare 36 is happening this weekend, and Mason and Dylan talk about what their plans are for the jam. Games include World of Warcraft, Burgertime, Tron, Tapper, Lunar Lander, Tales from the Borderlands, Nuclear Throne, and Overwatch. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

Dylan’s trapped in a corn maze somewhere in Missouri, so the Brandcenter Boys come together around Mason’s kitchen table to have an intervention about his World of Warcraft addiction. The guys also talk about clearing off the back catalog and how it shows their changing preferences for games. Alex reviews his playthrough of the first episode of Telltale’s Batman, and Dan sparks a conversation about Inside and viewing it through the lense of art criticism. And everyone expresses cautious excitement for playing No Man’s Sky and whether or not to wait until further content is added. Games include World of Warcraft, Batman: The Telltale Series, and Inside. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, Dan and Dylan are joined by Rich Atlas, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Clever Endeavor Games, developers of Ultimate Chicken Horse. Rich gives us the lowdown on Ultimate Chicken Horse’s creation, managing an indie dev studio, and the game dev scene — both indie and AAA — in Montreal. We also talk about the disappointment that is Suicide Squad, and, since it’s release week for No Man’s Sky, we talk about the reception of the hotly anticipated game. Games include Rocket League and Videoball. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

On this episode, we’re joined by Auverin Morrow, Commissioning Editor and Program Coordinator at Gameskinny. She talks to us about the journalistic side of the games industry including Gameskinny’s Journalist Training Program for aspiring games journalists. The rest of the podcast is all about games, from trying out more Life is Strange, thinking about formative games of our youth, and figuring out if Dylan really wants to catch them all. Games include Pokémon Yellow, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX, Tap My Katamari, Can You Defeat the Chess Computer?, Life is Strange, Smite, Tales from the Borderlands, and Downwell. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!

This week, it’s a Will Blanton two-fer. This time, we’re also visited by Andy Bowers, member of RVA Game Jams and iOS developer extraordinaire. We talk DOS memories, PC games of years past, and hacking pranks. Will also tells about his creation Karaoke Nightmare, a horrifying twist on a classic activity. We also discuss booting jerks off of Twitter and dealing with public comments and criticism on your games and beyond. Games include Pokémon Yellow, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, and Overwatch. Got a question for the show? Join us on Discord at ward-games.com/discord or email us at contact@ward-games.com!