Built to Play sacrifices the news for another day! We're talking to our guests about Phoenix Wright, ZZT, and the future of E3. If you played something Japanese in the 2000s, chances are Alexander O. Smith translated it. Alex has translated everything from the Final Fantasy series, the novel All You Need is Kill, and the Dr. Slump manga. But here at Built to Play, there's really only one game in his long portfolio that matters: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. The game is a visual novel from Capcom...
Jul 14, 2014•53 min
Built to Play visits E3 from our living room. We talk about Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, EA and Ubisoft. Plus we discuss our favourite games, like No Man's Sky, Valiant Hearts, Bloodborne, and The Division stage play.
Jun 16, 2014•1 hr 7 min
We venture into the history of the beloved Super Nintendo role playing game, EarthBound and the whole Mother series in North America. As part of our localization month, we're going to recount the history of EarthBound' release in North America. That means we're going to look at everything from EarthBound Zero to the fan translation of Mother 3. But first, what's an EarthBound? Download Here. Subscribe on iTunes. Subscribe on Stitcher. You play as a kid from the suburbs, Ness. Ness lives in Eagle...
Jun 09, 2014•1 hr 2 min
We visited Toryuken last week to chat with Justin Wong about the role of small fighting game tournaments. We finish off the Bit Bazaar with N++ and famed narcissist Jon Remedios. And our localization month continues with Steve Demeter reminding us of Radical Dreamers.
May 25, 2014•1 hr 5 min
As we enter a new theme month, we're talking about translation. That's translating languages and translating mediums. Colin Williamson joined us from Seattle to discuss the process of localization. Colin used to work for Square Enix as a localization expert back in the mid-2000s, and helped retranslate some of the oldest Final Fantasy games, even going back and correcting the work of industry legend, Ted Woolsey. Download Here . Subscribe on iTunes . Subscribe on Stitcher. Woolsey's work was fla...
May 19, 2014•58 min
We explore accessible arcades with AbleGamers founder Mark Barlet and U of T assistant professor Sara Grimes, examine user research with Anatole Chen from Xbox's natural user interface platform team. And we look at beautiful environment design with Kate Craig, the brick builder of Gone Home. Plus, in the news, Naughty Dog is leaking professionals, Microsoft boosts the Xbox One with TV shows, and a community manager decides to defend a racist.
May 05, 2014•55 min
Built to Play went to PAX East and came back with short interviews with far out games. We talked to Game Oven about their dancing game Bounden and Jordi de Paco about his point and click thriller Gods Will Be Watching. We took a glance into the fourth dimension with Marc ten Bosch's Miegakure and popped into the diversity lounge to check in on Toronto Gaymer's Samson Romero. Plus spam emails and hat-stacking in Max Gentlemen.
Apr 27, 2014•59 min
We're discussing lost worlds with Robin Arnott of Soundself, Frank Cifaldi of Lost Levels and lost neighbourhoods with Benjamin Rivers of Snow and Ryan Couldrey, director of the upcoming Snow film. Plus in the news, we talk Amazon Fire TV, the five year old who broke in Microsoft, and the nightmarish GAME_JAM
Apr 20, 2014•58 min
This week on Built to Play, we talk to Kan Gao about music and memories in To the Moon. Heidi MacDonald tells us which video game character would have the most success on OKCupid. George Buckenham of the Wild Rumpus discusses how to make a sweet game party. Plus, Facebook buys Oculus, 3D Realms wants to make a new Duke Nukem and Iron Galaxy develops a Killer Instinct, season two.
Mar 31, 2014•1 hr 2 min
We explore open worlds, looking for games with great environments and were our favourites to explore.
Mar 17, 2014•27 min
We finally wrap up Vector 2014 on this week's episode! Angela Washko talks about teaching feminism in World of Warcraft. Alex Myers discusses the relationship between games and the military. Plus Skot Deeming, Diana Poulson and Martin Zeilinger reflect on the festival. In the news Disney buys Maker, WB invests in Machinima, ShiftyLook ends, and King thinks they're worth more than Instagram.
Mar 16, 2014•59 min
We went to the Vector Game Arts Festival and brought back interviews with Rachel Weil on 8-bit politics, Kara Stone on Sexting, and Sagan Yee and Nadine Lessio talk about using a knife to cheat on your boyfriend. Plus in the news the week, Steam sales for all, Nintendo drops Wifi support, and Sony Santa Monica has a big round of layoffs.
Mar 03, 2014•56 min
Twitch Plays Pokemon madness on this week's Built to Play. Followed by Conrad Kreyling talking about visual novels and the problems selling adult content.
Feb 23, 2014•57 min
This week, Matt Hammill joins us to talk about Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime. Kara Stone puts her hand to her heart. Vagabond Dog talks Always Sometimes Monsters, lost loves and relationships. Plus Supreme Commander denies the Holocaust according to its Steam tags, Nintendo dives into free to play and Flappy Bird disappears.
Feb 16, 2014•1 hr 1 min
In this episode, Jason Oda joins us to talk about Continue?9876543210 and Peruvian shamans. Then Gerry Pugliese showcases his 500+ paged alternate ending to Mass Effect 3. Plus, in the news: The Resident Evil composer is a sham. Nintendo is contemplating a unified OS. Disney and Square Enix are doing shockingly well. And the new Metal Gear Solid game is potentially a $40 demo.
Feb 10, 2014•1 hr 1 min
This week we're looking at the relationship between board games and video games with Larian Studio designer Farhang Namdar, and Colby Dauch, the chief designer and president at Plaid Hat Games. In the news, we're talking about Angry Birds leaking personal information to the NSA, Nintendo's earning response, and the co-founder of IndieStatik sexually harassed a developer.
Feb 02, 2014•1 hr 1 min
We're taking a break from video games as we talk card games, documentaries and tabletop RPGs. We have Damian Sommer on Without Question and David Dufrense on Fort McMoney. Plus, as always, we kick off with the news this week and the shocking revelation that all use of the word Candy is now illegal. Except that one.
Jan 26, 2014•57 min
In the final part of this series, we go through the Playstation 2 and 3 Final Fantasy games, touching on the MMOs and why the future of the series looks as murky as ever, despite its origins
Jan 09, 2014•1 hr 12 min
In part 2 of this series on the history of the Final Fantasy RPG games, we talk about the development of all the main Playstation titles, some of the spin offs and our favourite Final Fantasy, the motion picture.
Jan 02, 2014•1 hr
Beginning with the first, and going to the worst, Daniel and Arman recount the turbulent history of the final fantasy series. This is part 1.
Dec 29, 2013•1 hr
Daniel and Arman talked to designer Christine Love about the ISS, Steve Engels about the University of Toronto's game design program, Lennart Nacke on psychology and design, David Craddock on the origins of Diablo and finally scifi author Peter Watts on narrative in games.
Dec 26, 2013•1 hr 3 min
This week we talked to Chad Sapieha about the PS4 and Xbox One launch, and we went to the Wordplay festival to talk to Jim Munroe, co-founder of the Hand Eye Society. The designers of Kentucky Route Zero, Tamas Kemenczy and Jake Elliot, talked to us about Kentucky and magical realism. Plus, Atlus announced Persona 5,. Sony had a porn crisis on the PS4. And Double Fine got the rights to Stacking and Costume Quest back from Nordic Games.
Dec 01, 2013•55 min
This week we talk about the PS4, Xbox One, our bafflement at Namco High, and League of Legends record numbers. For our interviews, we talk about choices. The designer of the Stanley Parable talks about how to market the unmarkerable. Then two locals from Capybara Games, and one from Polytron talk about the best place to go drinking. And Ryan North explains how to build a choose your own adventure game.
Nov 24, 2013•59 min
