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Episode 68: Criminal Actions Per Minute - Starcraft Match Fixing Part 2

And we are back again with part II of more StarCraft crimes, featuring guest Chris Neuteboom! Except now it’s time to explore the corruption found behind some of the top competing players in Blizzard’s most anticipated sequel ever. Does that mean more high-profile arrests? You betcha!

Episode 67: Criminal Actions Per Minute - Starcraft Match Fixing Part 1

Guest Chris Neuteboom is back on the podcast this week as we run through the early beginnings of e-sports as well as the various scandals exposed in both the Starcraft and Starcraft II professional scenes. It’s a tangled web of match-fixing, broadcasting disputes, blackmail, Korean politics, and lawsuits, all culminating in one of gaming’s most expensive controversies yet!

Episode 66: Microtransactions #3

Microtransactions is back! And we’re here with another batch of hot stories for everyone this week as we talk about the wholesomeness of a solitary MMO player, the hilarious and blatant thievery of a long-lost PC game pulled from shelves, and the wild world of the crookedness behind EA’s FIFA pro scene.

Episode 65: Kicking Ass, Taking Names, and Making Games - The History of E3

It’s that time of year once again! E3 time! But unfortunately we can't run you through all of the news from E3 2020 as we did before. And that’s because E3 2020 isn't happening. So instead, we are going to go all the way back to 1995 and tell you the story of the very first E3 ever. Where it came from, who started it, and of course who else they pissed off along the way. Join us for this fascinating story of how one of the world’s largest trade shows was created, concluding with a nice 25-year walk down memory lane as we recap every E3 from the beginning to now. Kaz Hirai, Jamie Kennedy, and Mr. Caffeine await!

Episode 64: Forever's a Long Time, Bitch - The Development of Duke Nukem Forever

Video games take a long time to make these days. Most take about 2 to 3 years, others can take the better part of a decade. But only one game can hold the Guinness World Record for the longest development cycle ever. And that title is Duke Nukem Forever! On this episode, we follow ol’ Duke and his creator George Broussard on their famous and often hilarious 15 year journey to make the highly anticipated follow-up to 1997's Duke Nukem 3D. Hail to the King, Baby!

Episode 63: Millions to Billions - The History of Valve Part 2

We continue on today with part 2 in our multi-episode history of the Valve Corporation! After the release their first game Half-Life went so well, they figured "How hard can outdoing ourselves be?" Well, 5 years, millions of dollars, one huge security breach, and a few lawsuits later, they would come to regret asking that question. It's time for more Valve crunch, and for Gabe to let off a little steam.

Episode 62: Metropolis Down - The Rise and Fall of Maxis’ Sim City

Bad game launches can unfortunately be commonplace these days, but very few can reach levels of disaster so high that it effectively kills an entire long-running franchise AND beloved studio. Hear the story of how everyone’s favorite urban-planning simulation went from winning Game of the Year awards to instead topping lists of the most disappointing titles ever released. How once masterful design could somehow devolve into a pile of technical problems and ill conceived ideas so poor, that it would lead such an important series to it’s sad now often forgotten grave. So let’s all pour one out for company Maxis and find out just what in the hell went wrong with Sim City (2013).

Episode 61: Millions to Billions - The History of Valve Part 1

Today we answer the age old question of what happens when two extremely talented millionaire programmers gain access to a cutting edge engine and a team of creative geniuses. It's the perfect storm of privilege, timing, and know how. Join us for our new multi part series as we take a whack at the history of one of gaming's giants, the infamous Valve Corporation. In part 1, we discuses the beginnings of the company and the development of it's debut game Half-Life. A game so great that even John Carmack can't deny it.