Because there were so many games to love in 2017, there was a pretty good chance our individual top 10 lists were going to include games no one else featured. In an effort to give every possible game its due, Austin, Danielle, Rob, and Patrick decided to huddle around some microphones and propose and champion a game that came exclusively from one of our own lists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 27, 2017•43 min
One of the big reasons Waypoint exists was to create a space where it was not only accepted to talk about games and politics, but encouraged . That we stumbled into a year where politics dominated every conversation, sometimes to the point of exhaustion, only underscored our point. To take a closer look at the intersection of gaming and politics in 2017, Austin, Rob, Danielle, and Patrick gathered around their microphones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 26, 2017•37 min
There's no reason a game of the year list can't be filled with 15 or 20 games, but by constraining the list to only 10 games, you're forced into making interesting decisions about what you truly valued in the past year. Of course, that means leaving some games behind, especially in 2017! For today's podcast, Austin, Danielle, Rob, and myself picked one game that didn't make the list, and made the case for why it's great. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 25, 2017•1 hr 1 min
In-between preparing for next week's holiday break and organizing our game of the year lists, the Waypoint staff has been unable to shake this weird story from The New York Times that, seriously and soberly, suggests aliens are, uh, real?? With the rest of the Fake News mainstream media ignoring this extremely important story, it was time for Austin, Danielle, Rob, and Patrick to weigh in. Also, machine elves. MACHINE ELVES. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 22, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 123
There are only a few more days before the Waypoint staff has to finalize their game of the year lists, which means everyone is hurrying through various games, trying to figure out if there's a game they missed (or forgot about). This prompts myself, Austin, Rob, and Danielle to talk about everything from the subtle genius of Resident Evil 7, characters being jerks in Night in the Woods , the bad opening hours of Gravity Rush 2 , and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Dec 19, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 122
Few movie franchises inspire as many hot takes as Star Wars, and with the latest film dropping, you can already feel the Internet shaking. There are zero The Last Jedi spoilers in this podcast, but the movie's release prompted Patrick, Danielle, and Austin to consider why people so compelled to deliver their opinions ASAP, how hot takes relate to spoiler culture, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 15, 2017•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 121
A new trailer for Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Ready Player One dropped this weekend, which prompts Austin, myself, and Rob into a longer discussion about Ready Player One as a work, the kinds of films Spielberg is making these days, and more. We also dig into the new desert map in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds , and why Rob is playing so much Dead Rising 3 . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 12, 2017•57 min•Ep. 120
Earlier this week, the popular crowdfunding service Patreon announced some controversial changes to the way it handles processing payments, and basically nobody's happy about it? To wrap our heads around the rocky future of media and react to 2017's Keighleys, CNET editor editor at large (and frequent guest of Giant Bomb's Beastcast podcast) Jeff Bakalar joined Patrick, Rob, and Austin. We also spend way too much time speculating about a 30 second teaser for FromSoftware's new game. Hosted on Ac...
Dec 09, 2017•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 119
Austin is playing the extremely long and anime Xenoblade Chronicles X . Danielle is finishing up Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus . Patrick is working his way through the back half of The Evil Within 2 . Rob? Rob's playing Dead Space . If you're wondering why Rob's game of the year list sounds like it came distinctly from 2008, you have your answer. Elsewhere, we turn to the mailbag to discuss conflicts between established games writers and YouTube culture, what genres we've had to leave behind...
Dec 05, 2017•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 118
In this episode of Waypoint Radio Live, we're joined by none other than Scott Rogowsky from trivia app sensation, HQ. Austin and Danika talk to Scott about his beginnings in stand-up comedy, the transient bliss of HQ, grappling with new found fame, what exactly counts as cheating (no googling!), and the development of the HQ community. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 01, 2017•37 min•Ep. 117
Waypoint Senior Editor Rob Zacny reads his latest, which tackles Call of Duty: World War II, a game that sends the series back to its roots, and casts a modern warfare gaze on a past that suddenly seems mythic. Find the full article at: https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/pa37bn/watching-history-fade-away-in-call-of-duty-wwii Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 30, 2017•14 min
Though the holidays can be stressful, time off from work means there's way more time for games! So, there's that. Danika, Austin, Rob, and Patrick reconvened after Thanksgiving to discuss what everyone played over the brief break, ranging from Battle Chef Brigade to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp to ZombiU (yes, ZombiU!) to Yakuza 0 . Because Patrick didn't play any games, however, he was forced to express my ongoing anxiety about having purchased a robot cleaner. Rob didn't make Patrick feel any ...
Nov 28, 2017•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 116
First up, an apology. Though we’ve tried to find a way to make Waypoint 101 run on a schedule, the bandwidth of Waypoint’s staff makes that really tough. That said, we’re happy to present this three-hour (!!!) podcast in which myself, Danielle, Austin, and Rob talk through the second half of Wolfenstein: The New Order and make sense of the sequel, The New Colossus . We tried to keep things short, but managed to talk for nearly four hours, anyway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...
Nov 23, 2017•3 hr 7 min
Video games have been especially busy lately, which means we’ve only had time for one or two questions at the end of most podcasts. With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up for many, including everyone at Waypoint, we figured it was a good time to get our hands dirty in The Question Bucket. This helps explain why Danielle, Rob, and myself went on an extremely long tangent about garage culture, and how people lose their minds after moving to the suburbs. We talk about video games sometimes, too. H...
Nov 20, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 115
A new Star Wars video game launched this week, but Battlefront II isn’t on our minds right now. Instead, Rob, Danielle, and Patrick used the launch of Electronic Arts’ loot box simulator to look back at their individual histories with Star Wars video games. If you want to hear about Danielle’s special “flight pants” while playing Shadows of the Empire , or how Dark Forces forced Patrick to understand how computers work, this is the podcast for you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...
Nov 17, 2017•49 min
Austin has recorded a bonus podcast for those of you who don't have time to swing by the site to read his latest article, "The New 'Need for Speed' Sees a Future Where Loot Boxes Are in Control." You can find that story (and many others) at waypoint.vice.com, and read it here: https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/9kqvzp/the-new-need-for-speed-sees-a-future-where-loot-boxes-are-in-control We'll be back as usual this Friday with more Waypoint Radio! Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...
Nov 15, 2017•15 min
Because it’s 2017, it’s impossible to go a day without something big, which is why Patrick, Austin, Danika, and Rob spend a big chunk of the podcast discussing why some people end up harassing developers when they’re upset about a game. Later, Danika discusses her time with Horizon: Zero Dawn ’s big DLC, The Frozen Wilds, Rob relays the confusion of entering the world of 4K with the Xbox One X, and Austin accidentally becomes a speedrunner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...
Nov 14, 2017•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 113
We welcome special guest Adam Conover from Adam Ruins Everything for a chat about Dark souls, fairness in games, and how much fun it is to ruin common misconceptions. We also talk seriously about comedy, Louis C.K., and sexual harassment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 10, 2017•1 hr 1 min
With half the team missing or wounded, Austin and Rob have to conduct an after-hours stealth podcast. Austin's been playing some Need for Speed: Payback and the Longshot narrative campaign from Madden 18 , while Rob is really surprised by how much War of the Chosen turned him around on X-COM 2 . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 07, 2017•1 hr 28 min
11-time UFC Flyweight champion (and prolific game streamer) Demetrious Johnson joins Danielle and Austin today for a chat about Battlegrounds, fighting games, and MMA. “Mighty Mouse” came prepared, with plenty to say about streaming platforms, esports casting, and the business of putting on a good show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 03, 2017•44 min
In an epic spoilercast that lasts almost—but not quite—as long as the film itself, Austin, Rob, and Danielle dig deep into the world of Blade Runner 2049. There are no holds barred here, as they go into the cinematography, politics, race and gender issues and deeply individual reads of the movie, along with a little dose of everyone’s history with the series. So strap into your spinner (or, uh, audio device) and prepare for a long, spoiler-y journey into Los Angeles, 2049. Hosted on Acast. See a...
Nov 01, 2017•2 hr 36 min
This morning, Sony held an event in Paris to make a bunch of surprising (and not-so-surprising) announcements about video games. While we won't be able to play most of them until next year, there was plenty to talk about, especially when it came to some "interesting" trailers for The Last of Us Part II and Detroit: Become Human . Austin, Patrick, and Danielle talk through Sony's news before touching on how much fun we've having with Super Mario Odyssey . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...
Oct 30, 2017•1 hr 11 min
Between Super Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and Assassin’s Creed: Origins, it’s one of the biggest weeks for video games in a long time. What connects all three of them is that once you start a new game, they have to introduce themselves. Patrick, Danielle, and Austin use the powerfully dark introduction from Wolfenstein II, the botched introduction from Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and the trope-y introduction from Super Mario Odyssey as a launching pad for a larger discussion ...
Oct 27, 2017•1 hr 18 min
272 moons later, I've "beaten" Super Mario Odyssey , but it feels like I've only scratched the surface of Mario's latest, a breathlessly creative adventure equal parts surprising and bewildering—in a good way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 26, 2017•8 min
Over the weekend, allegations of sexual misconduct by the owner of the popular gaming forum NeoGAF surfaced. Patrick spent the weekend looking into the story, which turned into a lengthy examination about the last 48 hours at NeoGAF , including comments from NeoGAF's owner, the woman who raised the original allegations, and the moderators who helped run the site. Austin, Danielle, and Patrick have complicated feelings about NeoGAF, so a podcast seemed the best way to work them out. Hosted on Aca...
Oct 23, 2017•1 hr 8 min
Earlier this week EA shut down Visceral Studios, leaving many to wonder about the future of linear, AAA single player games. It’s a complex topic, which is why we’re grateful that we got to sit down and talk about it with Manveer Heir, a 12 year veteran of the industry who worked on games including Mass Effect 3, Andromeda, and Wolfenstein (2009). We also dig into issues of representation, toxic work cultures, harassment, and talk about how to make the games industry a better place. We’re optimi...
Oct 20, 2017•1 hr 24 min
Following a weekend where an ex-Naughty Dog employee alleged they were sexual harassed, Austin, Danika, Rob, and myself took stock of the various (and often inappropriate) ways different actors responded to the situation. Elsewhere, we discussed a bizarre but extremely good trivia app called HQ , and after telling a great joke, I shared some initial impressions of South Park: The Fractured But Whole , a game that's likely to be disappointing, even to South Park fans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...
Oct 17, 2017•1 hr 11 min
We’re trying something different with the Friday episodes of Waypoint Radio. One, Danielle is the host! Two, the discussion is framed around a single topic. That doesn’t mean we won’t talk about games we’ve been playing (or big news), but generally, this is the new format. In the future, we’ll be announcing topics in advance, so you can weigh in with questions. On today’s episode, the future of the immersive sim genre (aka Deus Ex, Dishonored, Prey ) is explored by Danielle, Rob, Austin, and Pat...
Oct 13, 2017•51 min
Though the beta for Star Wars: Battlefront II just started, it's only added fuel to the fire for a conversation that's dominated the last few weeks of games: loot boxes. Rob, Danielle, and myself weigh in on whether some players are being overdramatic, or if the industry is overreaching in a way that'll quickly backfire. In The Question Bucket, we mull over how boring it can be to play a "bad" character in a video game, the ongoing debate over whether you can like a game when its creators are sh...
Oct 10, 2017•52 min
It's taken too long, but the second installment in Waypoint 101, where we revisit old games and have a community discussion about them, is here. Austin, Rob, Danielle, and Patrick have played through the first six chapters of Wolfenstein: The New Order, in anticipation of the game's sequel, The New Colossus, arriving later this month. (And also because the real world is, weirdly, full of Nazis again?) There are abundant spoilers, obviously, as we discuss how The New Order was perceived when it a...
Oct 07, 2017•2 hr 3 min
