List of Extra Credits episodes
The first videos before the debut of webseries Extra Credits were released on YouTube by the series' co-creator Daniel Floyd. The show was then picked up by The Escapist for the first 54 episodes before a contractual dispute forced the show to leave and be picked up by PATV. Technical limitations with PATV's site forced the official episodes to be categorized in seasons of 26 episodes each since the move.
Beginning on January 1, 2014, episodes will be posted exclusively on Extra Credits' YouTube channel.
Extra Credits
YouTube-released episodes
This list deals with the videos initially released by Floyd under the loose title Video Games And...
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Video Games and Storytelling" | February 17, 2008 |
Talks about storytelling potential of video games. Originally created as a project for Daniel's art history course at SCAD. | |||
2 | 2 | "Video Games and Sex" | May 29, 2008 |
Talks about mishandling of sexuality in video games. Incorrectly flagged for mature content on YouTube. | |||
3 | 3 | "Video Games and Learning" | September 8, 2008 |
Introduces concept of tangential learning and its applications in video games. First video to include James Portnow. | |||
4 | 4 | "Video Games and the Uncanny Valley" | November 1, 2008 |
Talks about the uncanny valley in relation to video games. | |||
5 | 5 | "Video Games and Choice" | April 19, 2009 |
Talks about the difference between problems and choices in relation to game design. | |||
6 | 6 | "Video Games and the Female Audience" | June 28, 2009 |
Talks about the female demographic of video games. Features Gamasutra editor-at-large Leigh Alexander as writer instead of Portnow. | |||
7 | 7 | "Video Games and Facing Controversy" | September 6, 2009 |
Talks about controversy and how the game industry should face it. Includes clips from a debate video concerning Six Days in Fallujah. | |||
8 | 8 | "Video Games and Moral Choices" | April 16, 2010 |
Talks about how moral choice gameplay should be improved. |
Season 1
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "Bad Writing" | July 28, 2010 |
Writing in video games and the importance of narrative is discussed. | |||
2 | 2 | "The Future of MMOs" | August 4, 2010 |
The team talks about the current state of the MMO genre and where it may go in the future. | |||
3 | 3 | "Innovation" | August 11, 2010 |
The Indie and AAA branches of the game industry are contrasted, and joining forces to help them to drive innovation is discussed. | |||
4 | 4 | "Where Did Survival Horror Go?" | August 18, 2010 |
The relative shortage of "true" horror games and why the genre has deteriorated is discussed. | |||
5 | 5 | "No Redeeming Value" | August 25, 2010 |
In a spin on the usual format, the team deconstructs the God of War series and its triumphs and failings in storytelling. | |||
6 | 6 | "Free Speech" | September 1, 2010 |
The team discusses the then-called Schwarzenegger v. EMA case (upcoming at the time) and what it could mean for the future of video games as a medium. | |||
7 | 7 | "Enriching Lives" | September 8, 2010 |
Taking deconstruction a step further, the team discusses a moral choice sequence in Mass Effect 2 and the power video games have to teach people about themselves. | |||
8 | 8 | ""Gamer"" | September 15, 2010 |
The term "gamer" and the problems associated with its current usage are discussed. | |||
9 | 9 | "Video Game Music" | September 22, 2010 |
The team takes a look at the way video game music has evolved over the years, and compare the strengths of today's game music with the chiptunes of gaming past. | |||
10 | 10 | "Project Ten Dollar" | September 29, 2010 |
EA's post-market "Project Ten Dollar" is discussed and some alternatives are suggested. | |||
11 | 11 | "Kinect and Move" | October 6, 2010 |
The Kinect and PlayStation Move peripherals are discussed, and their chances for success are speculated on. | |||
12 | 12 | "Diversity" | October 13, 2010 |
As an opening to an ongoing episodic discussion, the team look at the lack of proper diversity in video games (and outlines numerous episode topics to come). | |||
13 | 13 | "Mailbag #1" | October 20, 2010 |
The team goes over some of the more common requests in their email inboxes, including why there is a lack of FPS innovation, how to enter the game industry, what the team's game industry experience is, a brief analysis of the current state of PC gaming and JRPGs, and others. | |||
14 | 14 | "Symbolism 101" | October 27, 2010 |
For Halloween, the team explores the use of symbols and psychology in horror games. | |||
15 | 15 | "Facing Controversy" | November 3, 2010 |
The team reiterates the Season 0 video about how the industry should be facing the various controversies surrounding video games. | |||
16 | 16 | "So You Want to be a Game Designer" | November 10, 2010 |
The team goes over some key points for those desiring to become a game designer. | |||
17 | 17 | "Easy Games" | November 17, 2010 |
The team discusses why games appear to have gotten easier over the years. | |||
18 | 18 | "The Skinner Box" | November 24, 2010 |
Operant conditioning (via the "skinner box") and its overuse in modern game design are discussed. | |||
19 | 19 | "Sex in Games" | December 1, 2010 |
Before building upon sexual diversity as introduced in an earlier episode, a previous episode from the pre-Escapist era was remade to discuss the current state of sex in games. | |||
20 | 20 | "Sexual Diversity" | December 8, 2010 |
To demonstrate the benefits of sexual diversity in games, the characters Kanji Tatsumi and Naoto Shirogane from Persona 4 are analyzed. | |||
21 | 21 | "Narrative Mechanics" | December 15, 2010 |
Missile Command is deconstructed to demonstrate how games can express an idea using only their mechanics. | |||
22 | 22 | "A Season of Hope" | December 22, 2010 |
The team takes a break from the "art and design" talk to appreciate the Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction. | |||
23 | 23 | "Choice and Conflict" | December 29, 2010 |
The team discusses what "choice" is, and how the use of conflict separates it from the often-substituted "calculations". | |||
24 | 24 | "Mailbag #2" | January 5, 2011 |
The team once again goes over some of the more common requests in their email inboxes, including the (over)use of gritty realism, the widespread poor translation of movies to games (and vice versa), e-sports, Minecraft, the decline of Sonic the Hedgehog, and others. | |||
25 | 25 | "Non-Combat Gaming" | January 12, 2011 |
The potential for game experiences that aren't combat based is explored, particularly exploring the game Echo Bazaar. | |||
26 | 26 | "Piracy" | January 19, 2011 |
The team carefully explores piracy as it affects games and the industry. |
Season 2
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
27 | 1 | "Amnesia and Story Structure" | January 26, 2011 |
The team talks about Three-act structure, In Medias Res and amnesia as a plot device in games. | |||
28 | 2 | "Playing Like a Designer (pt. 1)" | February 2, 2011 |
In the first of a two-part discussion, the team explains how a designer analyzes games as he plays. | |||
29 | 3 | "Playing Like a Designer (pt. 2)" | February 9, 2011 |
In the conclusion of the two-part discussion, the team explains how a designer analyzes games as he plays. | |||
30 | 4 | "Achievements" | February 16, 2011 |
The winner of a Child's Play auction for the topic of a complete episode, ostensibly Sparrow the Cat, requested that the team discuss Achievements and their influence in games today. | |||
31 | 5 | "An Open Letter to EA Marketing" | February 23, 2011 |
The Extra Credits team calls out EA on their recent marketing campaigns. | |||
32 | 6 | "Ludus Florentis" | March 2, 2011 |
The team discusses a big paradigm shift that they see on the horizon of the game industry. | |||
33 | 7 | "True Female Characters" | March 9, 2011 |
As a continued look at sexual diversity in games, the team discusses how to design strong female characters. | |||
34 | 8 | "Tutorials 101" | March 16, 2011 |
As foreshadowed in a previous episode, the team goes over how to build an effective tutorial. | |||
35 | 9 | "Tangential Learning" | March 23, 2011 |
The team reiterates the concept of tangential learning, which involves the exposure of educational topics to facilitate learning rather than directly educating. | |||
36 | 10 | "Gamification" | March 30, 2011 |
The team discusses how the principles of a game can be applied to various fields, related to tangential learning. Erin Siegel stars as the series' first guest artist. | |||
37 | 11 | "Metrics" | April 6, 2011 |
The team discusses the increasing focus on metrics in the game industry, and the possible results this trend might have, for better or worse. | |||
38 | 12 | "Consoles Are the New Coin-Op" | April 13, 2011 |
The team speculates that consoles are speculated to be going the way of the obsolete arcade, and why this may not be a bad thing. | |||
39 | 13 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried (Or Heard Of)" | April 20, 2011 |
A list of games is compiled that the members of the team feel are important or influential, but not necessarily popular or even good. Includes Fate of the World, Knights in the Nightmare, Europa Universalis III, Victoria II, Hearts of Iron III, Valkyria Chronicles, The World Ends with You, King's Field: The Ancient City, Demon's Souls, Radiant Historia, Desktop Dungeons, Super Crate Box, Dissidia Final Fantasy, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, Today I Die, Every Day the Same Dream, One Chance, The Company of Myself, The End of Us, Freedom Bridge, Passage, Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes, SpaceChem, Ilomilo, Dungeon Fighter Online, and Minecraft (technically disqualified as "everyone has already heard of it"). | |||
40 | 14 | "Learning from Other M" | April 27, 2011 |
Metroid: Other M is deconstructed to analyze its shortcomings, especially as pertains to gender roles. | |||
41 | 15 | "Gamifying Education" | May 4, 2011 |
Expanding on the previous gamification discussion, the team elaborates on how education could specifically benefit. | |||
42 | 16 | "Graphics vs. Aesthetics" | May 11, 2011 |
The difference between the often-confused "graphics" and "aesthetics" are discussed. | |||
43 | 17 | "The Myth of the Gun" | May 18, 2011 |
The team attempts to identify why the U.S. has always produced more first-person shooters than Japan. | |||
44 | 18 | "NOT a Security Episode" | May 25, 2011 |
Following the aftermath of the 2011 hacking of PlayStation Network, the team discusses the changing relationship between corporation and consumer, and the trust that relationship is going to require. | |||
45 | 19 | "Anonymous" | June 1, 2011 |
The team takes a quick break from all the games talk to discuss the internet group Anonymous, and whether or not they were actually behind the PSN outage. | |||
46 | 20 | "Our Oscars" | June 8, 2011 |
The team talks about the need for video games to have their own "Oscars", and what that show might look like. | |||
47 | 21 | "The Role of the Player" | June 15, 2011 |
The team gets into a little bit of video game theory, discussing the creative contribution of the player to a game. | |||
48 | 22 | "Game Reviews" | June 22, 2011 |
They talk about reviewing games, how to pursue a game reviewing career, and how game reviewing might be improved overall. | |||
49 | 23 | "Race in Games" | June 29, 2011 |
The team finally get around to talking about racial diversity and discrimination in games, thanks mostly to the release of L.A. Noire. | |||
50 | 24 | "Sharing Our Medium" | July 6, 2011 |
The team discusses how challenging it is to introduce others to video games, and offers some tips for how to successfully do so. Erin Siegel returns as guest artist. | |||
51 | 25 | "Microtransactions" | July 13, 2011 |
The team discusses microtransactions and how they are not fulfilling their potential within the games industry. Erin Siegel returns as a guest artist. | |||
52 | 26 | "S.978 and Operation Rainfall" | July 20, 2011 |
The team shares some of their thoughts on the S.978 bill and Operation Rainfall. |
Season 3
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
53 | 1 | "The Pre-Production Problem" | July 27, 2011 |
The Guest Art Marathon is kicked off with a discussion on why games really need to start making time for pre-production. Features guest artist Molly Maloney. | |||
54 | 2 | ""Art" is Not the Opposite of Fun" | August 3, 2011 |
The team addresses a common claim that advancing games as an art means making them less fun. Features guest artist Annelie "Gab" Kretzschmar. | |||
55 | 3 | "The MMORTS" | August 10, 2011 |
The team addresses the potential for the MMORTS (massive multiplayer online real-time strategy) genre, as well as the reasons why making one seems to be such a difficult challenge. Features guest artist Cat Sze. | |||
56 | 4 | "Game Addiction, Pt. 1" | August 17, 2011 |
The team begins a two-part series on the much-debated topic of game addiction, properly referred to here as "game compulsion". Features guest artist Hyunwoo "Mac" Ko. | |||
57 | 5 | "Game Addiction, Pt. 2" | August 24, 2011 |
The team concludes the two-part series on the much-debated topic of game addiction. At over 25 minutes long, the video is a drastic departure from the usual format of the series, as it consists of a live-action recording by writer James Portnow as he shares his life experiences as an example of game compulsion. Features guest artist Hyunwoo "Mac" Ko. | |||
58 | 6 | "Let's Talk About Publishing" | August 31, 2011 |
This episode discusses how the excess money from the fundraiser regarding artist Allison Theus's surgery would be put into a fund for indie games. Features guest artist Andrew Gregoire. | |||
59 | 7 | "Pacing" | September 7, 2011 |
The team discusses proper pacing and its influence on game design. Features the brief return of Allison Theus. | |||
60 | 8 | "Cutscenes" | September 14, 2011 |
The role (and frequent misuse) of cutscenes in video games is discussed. Features guest artist Shannon Meissner. | |||
61 | 9 | "Pro Gaming" | September 21, 2011 |
The team considers the reasons why professional gaming hasn't really yet caught on in the West. Features guest artist Miel Daroqui. | |||
62 | 10 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried #2" | September 28, 2011 |
The team expands their list of recent video games worth mentioning, but often forgotten. Daniel Floyd additionally takes over art duties for this episode. Includes Outland, Terraria, Kingdom of Loathing, Metro 2033, Depths of Peril, Monday Night Combat, Trenched, OGame, World of Tanks, The Cat and the Coup, Earth Defense Force 2017, Panzer Corps, Runespell: Overture, Catherine, Monster Hunter, Bastion, and The Stanley Parable. | |||
63 | 11 | "So You Want to be a Producer" | October 5, 2011 |
The team takes a close look at one of the game industry's less-appreciated roles: the producer. Features guest artist LeeLee Scaldaferri. | |||
64 | 12 | "Propaganda Games" | October 12, 2011 |
With the return of Allison, the team considers the unfortunate potential games have as tools for propaganda, and the potential to terribly misinform their audience in a similar way. | |||
65 | 13 | "Call of Juarez: The Cartel" | October 19, 2011 |
The team further examines the "lazy design" briefly discussed in the previous episode by picking apart Call of Juarez: The Cartel. | |||
66 | 14 | "Zombies" | October 26, 2011 |
To commemorate Halloween the same week, the team talks about zombies in video games. | |||
67 | 15 | "Working Conditions" | November 2, 2011 |
The team looks into the working conditions of the game industry. | |||
68 | 16 | "The Uncanny Valley" | November 9, 2011 |
The team reiterates their pre-Escapist video on the Uncanny Valley and its use in games. | |||
69 | 17 | "The Diablo III Marketplace" | November 16, 2011 |
The team considers the intended goal (and possible results) of Blizzard's plan for a "real money" marketplace in Diablo III. | |||
70 | 18 | "Deus Ex: Human Revolution" | November 23, 2011 |
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is picked apart to identify what makes it appealing. | |||
71 | 19 | "The Singularity" | November 30, 2011 |
The team begins a two-episode "science distraction" derived from the previous episode by looking at what role games might play in the path to technological singularity. | |||
72 | 20 | "Technobabble" | December 7, 2011 |
The team concludes the two-episode "science distraction" by examining the common "technobabble" cliche in video games. | |||
73 | 21 | "Playtesting" | December 14, 2011 |
The team explains the value of playtesting one's game, and offers some tips on how to get the best data possible. | |||
74 | 22 | "Puzzle Games" | December 21, 2011 |
Departing from the usual deconstruction format, Bejeweled 2 is instead analyzed on the surface with actual data points (in segments so the viewer can do so as well) to show just how complex and elegantly designed even a simple game can be. | |||
75 | 23 | "Skyrim's Opening" | January 11, 2012 |
The team deconstructs the first several minutes of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and compares it to an early part of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to demonstrate the importance of a game's introduction. | |||
76 | 24 | "SOPA & PIPA" | January 25, 2012 |
The team criticizes the SOPA and PIPA bills in their various forms, rather than try to keep up with its legislative status. Released 2 weeks after the last episode, as the skipped week instead held the release of an affiliated video calling for game developers and journalists to protest E3 2012 as part of the anti-SOPA protests. | |||
77 | 25 | "Mailbag #3" | February 1, 2012 |
The team once again goes over many questions that have piled up since their last Mailbag episode. The questions include how to become a producer in the game industry, requesting a look at other fields in the industry, how to start an independent studio and the reason for region locking in games. | |||
78 | 26 | "Mailbag #4" | February 8, 2012 |
The team does a second mailbag to clear up more questions with Erin Siegel aiding in the art once again. They go over questions such as the show's resources for information, how to pitch an idea for a video game and what game design books are recommended for designers. |
Season 4
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
79 | 1 | "So You Want to be a Developer, Part 1" | February 15, 2012 |
The start of a two-part look into how to be a programmer or developer. Assisted by Stack Exchange Network. | |||
80 | 2 | "So You Want to be a Developer, Part 2" | February 22, 2012 |
The end of a two-part look into how to be a programmer or developer. Assisted by Stack Exchange Network. | |||
81 | 3 | "Western & Japanese RPGs, Part 1" | February 29, 2012 |
The start of a three-part look into discussing (and defining) Western RPGs and JPRGs. | |||
82 | 4 | "Western & Japanese RPGs, Part 2" | March 7, 2012 |
The second of a three-part look into discussing (and defining) Western RPGs and JPRGs. | |||
83 | 5 | "Western & Japanese RPGs, Part 3" | March 14, 2012 |
The end of a three-part look into discussing (and defining) Western RPGs and JPRGs. | |||
84 | 6 | "Mass Effect 3 DLC" | March 21, 2012 |
The group observes both the positive and negative aspects of Mass Effect 3's DLC. | |||
85 | 7 | "TransGaming" | March 28, 2012 |
The group discusses the positive aspects of exposure to gaming through other mediums and experience through different genres. | |||
86 | 8 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried #3" | April 4, 2012 |
The team goes over another list of games that are either underrated or worth learning from. Includes Rock of Ages, The Dark Meadow, Xotic, Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale, Dungeon Defenders, Triple Town, King Arthur II: The Role-playing Wargame, PoxNora, Realm of the Mad God, and Dear Esther. | |||
87 | 9 | "Kinect Disconnect" | April 11, 2012 |
Months after the first time they've analyzed it, the team deconstructs the Kinect after much exposure to it to examine the positive and negative aspects of its motion control and how to improve it. | |||
88 | 10 | "Crowdfunding" | April 19, 2012 |
This week, the team discusses the exciting possibilities of crowd-funded games. | |||
89 | 11 | "Harassment" | April 25, 2012 |
This week, the team tackles the rampant bullying, misogyny and hate speech that occurs within the gaming community. | |||
90 | 12 | "ARGs (Part 1)" | May 2, 2012 |
This week, the team begins a two-part discussion on ARGs, starting with Alternate Reality Games. | |||
91 | 13 | "ARGs (Part 2)" | May 9, 2012 |
This week, the team concludes their discussion on ARGs, this time with Augmented Reality Games. | |||
92 | 14 | "EC Fund Update" | May 16, 2012 |
This week, the team give a progress update on the EC Indie Fund. | |||
93 | 15 | "Spectrum Crunch" | May 30, 2012 |
This week, the team discusses a major bandwidth problem we're about to run into. | |||
94 | 16 | "Hard-Boiled" | June 6, 2012 |
Using Max Payne 3 as an example, the team goes over how making a series more mature can go wrong and what actually makes a game mature. | |||
95 | 17 | "Politics" | June 13, 2012 |
This week, the team offers a handy guide to making your voice heard in U.S. politics. Guest appearance by Jared Polis. | |||
96 | 18 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried #4" | June 20, 2012 |
This week, the team recommends some more interesting, "under the radar" games. Includes Lone Survivor, DayZ, A Valley Without Wind, Legend of Grimrock, Avernum: Escape from the Pit, Artemis, and Crusader Kings II. | |||
97 | 19 | "Power Creep" | June 27, 2012 |
This week, the team finally gets around to talking about the trouble with power creep. Features guest artist Scott DeWitt. | |||
98 | 20 | "The Hero's Journey (Part 1)" | July 4, 2012 |
This week, the team begins a two-part series on the Hero's Journey as applied to games. LeeLee Scaldaferri returns as guest artist. | |||
99 | 21 | "The Hero's Journey (Part 2)" | July 11, 2012 |
This week, the team concludes their two-part series on the Hero's Journey as applied to games (like Journey). Annelie "Gab" Kretzschmar returns as guest artist. | |||
100 | 22 | "Perfect Imbalance" | July 18, 2012 |
This week, the team discusses the benefits of subtle imbalances in games (and welcomes LeeLee Scaldaferri as their newest team member). | |||
101 | 23 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried: 16-bit" | July 25, 2012 |
This week, the team list some under-appreciated titles from the beloved 16-bit era. Includes Starflight, E.V.O.: Search for Eden, Warsong, Shadowrun , Terranigma, Uncharted Waters: New Horizons, Inindo: Way of the Ninja, and U.N. Squadron. | |||
102 | 24 | "Digital Resale" | August 1, 2012 |
This week, the team speculates on the future possibilities of reselling digital copies of games. | |||
103 | 25 | "Mechanics as Metaphor (Part 1)" | August 8, 2012 |
This week, the team discuss how games can convey meaning through mechanics alone. Shannon Meissner returns as guest artist. | |||
104 | 26 | "Mechanics as Metaphor (Part 2)" | August 15, 2012 |
This week, the team finishes discussing how games can convey meaning through mechanics alone. |
Season 5
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
105 | 1 | "Spec Ops: The Line (Part1)" | August 22, 2012 |
The team talks about what makes Spec Ops: The Line so great (without spoilers). Guest art by Arvydas. | |||
106 | 2 | "Spec Ops: The Line (Part2)" | August 29, 2012 |
The team continues their talk about Spec Ops: The Line this time with spoilers. | |||
107 | 3 | "On Game Schools" | September 5, 2012 |
This week, the team gives a step-by-step guide on how to choose a good game school. | |||
108 | 4 | "Energy Systems" | September 12, 2012 |
This week, the gang talks about those playtime-limiting systems often found in social games. | |||
109 | 5 | "Starting Off Right" | September 19, 2012 |
This week, the team talk about the crucial "first five minutes" of a game. | |||
110 | 6 | "Digital Rentals and the Online Arcade" | September 26, 2012 |
This week, the gang discusses two alternate monetization methods that could work for certain games. | |||
111 | 7 | "Mailbag #5" | October 3, 2012 |
This week, we are reminded once again that Mailbags are a thing we do. | |||
112 | 8 | "Beyond Fun" | October 10, 2012 |
This week, we explain why games shouldn't be constrained exclusively to "Fun". | |||
113 | 9 | "Aesthetics of Play" | October 17, 2012 |
This week, we talk genres and some game design theory. | |||
114 | 10 | "Demo Daze" | October 24, 2012 |
This week, we explain why you don't see more game demos being released. | |||
115 | 11 | "Horror Protagonists" | October 31, 2012 |
This week, we talk about the importance of protagonists in the horror genre. | |||
116 | 12 | ""My Name Is Ozymandias…"" | November 14, 2012 |
This week, we discuss the unfortunate lack of preservation for gaming's history. | |||
117 | 13 | "Counter Play" | November 21, 2012 |
This week, we discuss the design concept of Counter Play (with thanks to Tom Cadwell) | |||
118 | 14 | "Combining Genres" | November 28, 2012 |
This week, we discuss the best way to approach genre blending. | |||
119 | 15 | "Balancing For Skill" | December 5, 2012 |
This week, we talk about the factor of player skill when balancing multiplayer games. | |||
120 | 16 | "Religion in Games (Part 1)" | December 12, 2012 |
This week, we start discussing religion in games. Finally. | |||
121 | 17 | "Religion in Games (Part 2)" | December 19, 2012 |
This week, we talk a bit about Faith in games. | |||
122 | 18 | ""God Does Not Play Dice"" | January 9, 2013 |
This week, we address the rather large reaction to our previous episode. | |||
123 | 19 | "Depth vs. Complexity" | January 16, 2013 |
The team talks about the importance of balancing a game's depth and complexity. | |||
124 | 20 | "How to Start Your Game Narrative" | January 23, 2013 |
The team explains why settling on a story before you've started your game may be a bad idea. | |||
125 | 21 | "The Beast Macabre" | January 30, 2013 |
The team does a (somewhat premature) horror monsters episode. | |||
126 | 22 | "Global Games: Brazil" | February 6, 2013 |
The team begins a series on the potential for game industry growth in new regions around the world. First up: Brazil! | |||
127 | 23 | "Funding XCOM (Part 1)" | February 13, 2013 |
The team entertains ourselves by pondering the question: "Should we fund a real-life Xcom?" | |||
128 | 24 | "Funding XCOM (Part 2)" | February 20, 2013 |
The team concludes our musing on the need for a real XCOM program. | |||
129 | 25 | "More Than Exposition" | February 27, 2013 |
The team discusses some basic story principles as they apply to games. | |||
130 | 26 | "Word Choice" | March 6, 2013 |
The team continues talking about effectively handling exposition in games. |
Season 6
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
131 | 1 | "Intrinsic or Extrinsic" | March 13, 2013 |
The team explains the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. | |||
132 | 2 | "Why Console Specs Don't Matter" | March 20, 2013 |
The team enjoys some speculation on Sony's PlayStation 4. | |||
133 | 3 | "Differences in Scale vs Differences in Kind" | March 27, 2013 |
The team discusses two fundamental game design principles (the ones in the titles). | |||
134 | 4 | "Raising the Dead" | April 3, 2013 |
The team begins a three week series on various topics relating to Telltalle's The Walking Dead. | |||
135 | 5 | ""For Whom the Bell Tolls"" | April 10, 2013 |
The team talks about one of The Walking Dead's major themes. | |||
136 | 6 | "Minority" | April 17, 2013 |
The team concludes our little series about The Walking Dead's numerous strengths. | |||
137 | 7 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried #5" | April 24, 2013 |
The team lists off a few more interesting games you may not have looked into yet. Includes Thomas Was Alone, Tokyo Jungle, Home, Mark of the Ninja, FTL, Natural Selection 2, Commander: The Great War, Kerbal Space Program, The Unfinished Swan. | |||
138 | 8 | "Like a Ninja" | May 1, 2013 |
The team talks about how to make good stealth games. | |||
139 | 9 | "Global Games: Mexico, Argentina & Chile" | May 8, 2013 |
The team takes a look at some more Latin American nations and their potential for game industry growth. | |||
140 | 10 | "The JC Penny's Effect" | May 15, 2013 |
The team examines the pros and cons of the loot system design in Firefall. | |||
141 | 11 | "Toxicity" | May 22, 2013 |
The team discusses how members of the gaming community treat each other. | |||
142 | 12 | "Dansky" | May 29, 2013 |
The team talks about an early example of games attempting to push boundaries and do good. | |||
143 | 13 | "Moving Forward" | June 5, 2013 |
The team discusses the need to change the conversation around video games. | |||
144 | 14 | "In Service to the Brand" | June 12, 2013 |
The team discusses BioShock Infinite and the problem with clinging to "the brand". | |||
145 | 15 | "When Difficult is Fun" | June 19, 2013 |
The team discusses how to make a game challenging, yet still enjoyable. | |||
146 | 16 | "Not a Babysitter" | June 26, 2013 |
The team talks about how games can be a shared experience between kids and their parents. | |||
147 | 17 | "Used Games" | July 3, 2013 |
The team talks some more about the used games issue. | |||
148 | 18 | "Designing for a Touch Screen" | July 10, 2013 |
The team lays out some basic guidelines for designing a game on touch devices. | |||
149 | 19 | "A Little Bit of Yesterday" | July 17, 2013 |
The team tries to figure out why it is we cherish that "retro" era of games so much. | |||
150 | 20 | "Game Compulsion (Part 3)" | July 24, 2013 |
The team returns to the subject of game compulsion and its causes. | |||
151 | 21 | "So You Want to be an Indie" | July 31, 2013 |
The team offers some tips on how to be a successful indie game developer. | |||
152 | 22 | "Games in Education" | August 7, 2013 |
The team discusses some of the difficulties of integrating games into our education system. | |||
153 | 23 | "A Case for Board Games" | August 14, 2013 |
The team discusses the importance of board games in the study of game design. | |||
154 | 24 | "Myers Briggs and Character Creation" | August 21, 2013 |
The team discusses a handy method for broadly defining one's character. | |||
155 | 25 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried #6" | August 28, 2013 |
The team brings you a fresh batch of interesting games worth checking out. Includes "Cart Life", "Papers, Please", "Crimson Shroud", "Eador Genesis", "Etrian Odyssey IV", "Guns of Icarus Online", "Rogue Legacy", "Warframe", and "Sifteo Cubes". |
Season 7
Total | # | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|---|
156 | 1 | "The Feeling of Agency" | September 11, 2013 |
The team kicks off a series of episodes on Choice in games. | |||
157 | 2 | "The Illusion of Choice" | September 18, 2013 |
The team discusses the use of the illusion of choice in game design. | |||
158 | 3 | "How Much Agency Do Games Need?" | September 25, 2013 |
The team attempts to reframe the question of how much choice a game needs to successfully engage the player. | |||
159 | 4 | "Negative Possibility Space" | October 2, 2013 |
The team concludes their month-long discussion of Choice in video games. | |||
160 | 5 | "Overlooked" | October 9, 2013 |
The team familiarizes themselves with an often-ignored game genre, hidden object games. | |||
161 | 6 | "Competitive Storytelling" | October 15, 2013 |
The team examines the difficult challenge of storytelling in a competitive multiplayer game space. | |||
162 | 7 | "Spectacle Creep" | October 23, 2013 |
The team discusses the increase in franchise scale and spectacle over time. | |||
163 | 8 | "Games You REALLY Might Not Have Tried" | October 30, 2013 |
In time for Halloween, the team pulls out some creepy games you REALLY may never have heard of. Includes Memories of a Broken Dimension, Castle Doctrine, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, No One Has to Die, Starseed Pilgrim, OFF, Pathologic, Song of Saya (Saya no Uta), and Outlast. | |||
164 | 9 | "Collectible Games (Part 1)" | November 6, 2013 |
The team begins a two-part series on the Collectable monetization model. | |||
165 | 10 | "Collectible Games (Part 2)" | November 13, 2013 |
The team continues the discussion of Collectable Games, their benefits and their potential dangers. | |||
166 | 11 | "Community Management" | November 20, 2013 |
The team discusses the under-appreciated role of the Community Manager. | |||
167 | 12 | "What Is a Game?" | November 26, 2013 |
The team discusses the debate over what does and doesn't qualify as a "game". | |||
168 | 13 | "Incentive Systems and Politics (Part 1)" | December 11, 2013 |
The team starts a series looking at design problems in the US political system. | |||
169 | 14 | "Incentive Systems and Politics (Part 2)" | December 18, 2013 |
The team continues their series about design problems in the U.S. political system. Grey Jenkins is a guest artist. | |||
170 | 15 | "Incentive Systems and Politics (Part 3)" | December 25, 2013 |
The team concludes their series on design problems in the US political system. Gerrymandering and filibustering are discussed. |
Post-Penny Arcade Episodes
Total | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|
171 | "The Good We Do" | January 8, 2014 |
The team discusses some of the positive impact the gamer community has on the world, including gaming charities and charitable events. | ||
172 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried: Collectable Games" | January 15, 2014 |
Following up on previous episodes on collectable games, the team recommends some interesting collectable games on mobile and tablet platforms. Includes Fantastica, Tyrant Unleashed, Puzzle & Dragons, Puzzle Trooper, Dragon Era, Quiz RPG: The World of Mystic Wiz, Rev Ersi Quest, Injustice: Gods Among Us (tablet version), Order & Chaos Duels, and Assassin's Creed: Recollection. | ||
173 | "The Magic Circle" | January 22, 2014 |
The team discusses a crucial storytelling device, the magic circle, and how it is used in video games. | ||
174 | "Affordances" | January 29, 2014 |
The team discusses intuitive design in games. | ||
175 | "Fail Faster" | February 5, 2014 |
The team discusses why it is important to identify problems early in production. | ||
176 | "Growing With Our Heroes" | February 12, 2014 |
The team postulates that gritty reboots in films, comics and games are a reflection of an audience's desire for the properties they loved during their childhood to be relevant and mature enough to enjoy as adults. | ||
177 | "Simulation Sickness" | February 19, 2014 |
The team discusses a disorientation that affects players, most commonly while playing first person shooters. | ||
178 | "Quest Design Part 1" | February 26, 2014 |
The team discusses how to design quests that do not simply fall into the categories of "Kill X Enemies", "Collect X Items" or "Transport Item/Person from A to B". | ||
179 | "Quest Design Part 2" | March 5, 2014 |
The team continues to discuss how to design an immersive and interesting quest, drawing on some prime examples. | ||
180 | "Games You Might Not Have Tried: Cyberpunk" | March 12, 2014 |
The team offers a list of potentially interesting cyberpunk-themed games, including Snatcher, Shadowrun (SNES), Shadowrun (Genesis), Shadowrun Returns, System Shock 2, Uplink, Hacker Evolution, Gemini Rue, Burn Cycle and Chaos Overlords. The book Burning Chrome is also mentioned. | ||
181 | "Collectable Games Part 3" | March 19, 2014 |
Part 3 of the series on collectable games, focusing on the positive aspects of the genre. | ||
182 | "Designing for Youth" | March 26, 2014 |
The team discuss the importance of distinguishing between age groups when designing for children. | ||
183 | "Net Neutrality" | April 2, 2014 |
The team discuss the importance of net neutrality and the effect it will have on games should it vanish. | ||
184 | "Doing Free to Play Wrong" | April 9, 2014 |
The team discuss why poor monetization in free-to-play games harms both the consumer and the developer. | ||
185 | "Comedic Games" | April 16, 2014 |
The team discuss the general lack of comedy-oriented video games, and the potential of interactive comedy. | ||
186 | "Candy Crush's Success" | April 23, 2014 |
The team discuss why Candy Crush had been phenomenally successful compared to other Bejeweled-style match 3 games. | ||
187 | "Education: An End to Fear" | April 30, 2014 |
The team discuss how video games could benefit education by personalized assessment, instant feedback and easing the work load on the teacher . | ||
188 | "Education: Responsive Learning" | May 7, 2014 |
The team continue their discussion on education and games, and consider how educational games could track student progress and relay information to teachers. | ||
189 | "Education: 21st Century Skills" | May 14, 2014 |
The team continue their discussion on education and games and emphasise the importance of using modern teaching techniques over rote learning. | ||
190 | "Education: Agency" | May 21, 2014 |
The team continue their discussion on games and education, and emphasise the importance of seeing the consequences of one's choices. | ||
191 | "Why Games Do Cthulhu Wrong" | May 28, 2014 |
The team talk about using Cthulhu as a force or as part of the atmosphere rather than as an enemy in Lovecraft-based games. | ||
192 | "Minecraft Generation" | June 4, 2014 |
The team postulate a shift in market domination from the traditional combat focus of most games to a more creation-based focus, in the wake of games like Minecraft. | ||
193 | "Roguelike Returns" | June 11, 2014 |
The team talk about the current revival in roguelike RPGs. | ||
194 | "The Fighting Game Problem" | June 18, 2014 |
The team talk about how fighting games' vast skill set deters many new players from becoming good at the game. | ||
195 | "Why the Vita Failed" | June 25, 2014 |
The team talk about why the Vita failed to break the market and become the dominant handheld system. | ||
196 | "Early Access" | July 2, 2014 |
The team talk about the pitfalls of allowing players to access incomplete versions of games. | ||
197 | "The Waiting Game" | July 9, 2014 |
The team talk about a curious emergence of games whose primary gameplay only becomes apparent with perseverance. | ||
198 | "Open World Design" | July 16, 2014 |
The team talk about two different methods of designing quests in open world games. | ||
199 | "Choices vs Consequences" | July 23, 2014 |
The team talk about how building a game around players actively making a decision and seeing the results of such affects gameplay. | ||
200 | "Episode 200" | July 30, 2014 |
The team celebrate their 200th episode and mention the progress in the video game industry since 2008. |
Other Series
Extra Curricular
# | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|
1 | "Microtransactions, DLC and Price" | September 13, 2011 |
2 | "Genre" | September 20, 2011 |
3 | "Sound Design" | September 27, 2011 |
4 | "Genericism" | October 4, 2011 |
5 | "Modding" | October 11, 2011 |
6 | "Tutorials" | October 18, 2011 |
7 | "Diversity (with Dan & James)" | October 25, 2011 |
8 | "Horror Games" | October 31, 2011 |
9 | "Localisation" | November 8, 2011 |
10 | "Culture and Games" | November 15, 2011 |
11 | "Role Playing in Games" | November 22, 2011 |
12 | "The Portrayal of War" | November 29, 2011 |
13 | "Content Ratings" | December 6, 2011 |
14 | "Licensed Games" | December 20, 2011 |
15 | "The Extra Curricular Holiday Special" | December 25, 2011 |
16 | "Science Fiction in Games" | March 12, 2012 |
17 | "Science Fiction in Games... Continued!" | March 13, 2012 |
18 | "Sexism in Gaming" | March 20, 2012 |
19 | "Games Journalism" | March 27, 2012 |
20 | "Social Media in Gaming" | April 3, 2012 |
21 | "Easter Special" | April 10, 2012 |
22 | "Video Game Award Shows" | April 17, 2012 |
23 | "Religion in Games" | April 24, 2012 |
24 | "Sexuality in Games" | May 1, 2012 |
25 | "Difficulty in Games" | May 8, 2012 |
26 | "Authentic Combat in Games" | May 15, 2012 |
27 | "The Role of Avatars" | May 22, 2012 |
28 | "The Rise of Indie Games" | May 29, 2012 |
29 | "Games Communities" | June 19, 2012 |
30 | "RPG Combat Systems" | June 26, 2012 |
31 | "Romance in Games" | October 13, 2012 |
32 | "Psychological Horror" | October 28, 2012 |
33 | "End of Year Special" | December 30, 2012 |
Extra History
The Punic Wars
# | Title | Air date | |
---|---|---|---|
EH1 | "The Punic Wars Begin" | September 6, 2013 | |
Extra Credits begins its 4-part look into the Punic Wars. A miniseries cosponsored by The Creative Assembly, made in conjunction with the release of Total War: Rome II. | |||
EH2 | "The Second Punic War Begins" | September 13, 2013 | |
Part 2 of Extra Credits' 4-part look into the Punic Wars. Features the start of the Second Punic War. | |||
EH3 | "The Second Punic War Rages On" | September 20, 2013 | |
Part 3 of Extra Credits' 4-part look into the Punic Wars. Features Hannibal's continued victories in Italy and his push toward the Roman capital. | |||
EH4 | "The Conclusion of the Second Punic War" | September 27, 2013 | |
The final part of Extra Credits' 4-part look into the Punic Wars. Features the Romans turning the tide against Hannibal and ultimately winning the Second Punic War. |
The Seminal Tragedy
# | Title | Air date | |
---|---|---|---|
EH5 | "The Concert of Europe" | October 3, 2014 | |
Extra Credits begins its 4-part look into the events that started World War 1. | |||
EH6 | "One Fateful Day in June" | October 3, 2014 | |
Part 2 of Extra Credits' 4-part look into the events that started World War 1. | |||
EH7 | "The July Crisis" | October 3, 2014 | |
Part 3 of Extra Credits' 4-part look into the events that started World War 1. | |||
EH8 | "The Final Act" | October 11, 2014 | |
The final part of Extra Credits' 4-part look into the events that started World War 1. | |||
EHL1 | "WW1 Lies" | October 25, 2014 | |
The lies, omissions, glossing overs and corrections of Extra Credits' 4-part look into the events that started World War 1. |
Warring States Japan: Sengoku Jidai
# | Title | Air date | |
---|---|---|---|
EH9 | "The Battle of Okehazama" | November 8, 2014 | |
The first part of Extra Credits' 6-part look into the events of the Sengoku period. | |||
EH10 | "The Siege of Inabayama Castle" | November 22, 2014 | |
The second part of Extra Credits' 6-part look into the events of the Sengoku period. | |||
EH11 | "Warrior Monks of Hongan-ji and Hiei" | December 6, 2014 | |
The third part of Extra Credits' 6-part look into the events of the Sengoku period. | |||
EH12 | "The Death of Oda Nobunaga" | December 20, 2014 | |
The fourth part of Extra Credits' 6-part look into the events of the Sengoku period. | |||
EH13 | "The Battle of How Toyotomi Unified Japan" | January 17, 2015 | |
The fifth part of Extra Credits' 6-part look into the events of the Sengoku period. | |||
EH14 | "The Campaign of Sekigahara" | January 31, 2015 | |
The sixth part of Extra Credits' 6-part look into the events of the Sengoku period. | |||
EHL2 | "Sengoku Jidai Lies" | February 14, 2015 | |
The lies, omissions, glossing overs and corrections of Extra Credits' 6-part look into the events of the Sengoku period. |
England: The South Sea Bubble
# | Title | Air date | |
---|---|---|---|
EH15 | "The Sharp Mind of John Blunt" | February 28, 2015 | |
The first part of Extra Credits' multi-part look into the events of the South Sea Company. | |||
EH16 | "Too Big to Fail" | March 14, 2015 | |
The second part of Extra Credits' multi-part look into the events of the South Sea Company. | |||
EH17 | "Buying Out Britain" | March 28, 2015 | |
The third part of Extra Credits' multi-part look into the events of the South Sea Company. | |||
EH18 | "The Bubble Pops" | April 11, 2015 | |
The fourth part of Extra Credits' multi-part look into the events of the South Sea Company. | |||
EH19 | "One Little Green Ledger" | April 25, 2015 | |
The fifth part of Extra Credits' multi-part look into the events of the South Sea Company. |
James Recommends
# | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|
JR1 | "The Swapper" | March 28, 2014 |
JR2 | "Dragon's Dogma" | April 4, 2014 |
JR3 | "Two Brothers" | April 11, 2014 |
JR4 | "Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons" | April 18, 2014 |
JR5 | "Pandora: First Contact" | April 25, 2014 |
JR6 | "Risk of Rain" | May 2, 2014 |
JR7 | "Long Live the Queen" | May 9, 2014 |
JR8 | "Device 6" | May 16, 2014 |
JR9 | "Last Dream" | May 23, 2014 |
JR10 | "Pretentious Game" | May 30, 2014 |
JR11 | "One Finger Death Punch" | June 6, 2014 |
JR12 | "Emperor of the Fading Suns" | June 13, 2014 |
JR13 | "Enemy Mind" | June 20, 2014 |
JR14 | "Capsule" | June 27, 2014 |
JR15 | "Ether One" | July 4, 2014 |
JR16 | "King's Field: The Ancient City" | July 11, 2014 |
JR17 | "Divekick" | July 16, 2014 |
JR18 | "Kentucky Route Zero" | July 26, 2014 |
Extra Remix
# | Title | Air date |
---|---|---|
ER1 | "CarboHydroM" | April 15, 2014 |
ER2 | "Big Giant Circles" | April 22, 2014 |
ER3 | "Bladiator" | April 29, 2014 |
ER4 | "djpretzel" | May 6, 2014 |
ER5 | "OverClocked Remix" | May 13, 2014 |
ER6 | "Sixto" | May 20, 2014 |
ER7 | "zircon" | May 27, 2014 |
ER8 | "Jillian Aversa" | June 3, 2014 |
ER9 | "Benjamin Briggs" | June 10, 2014 |
ER10 | "Metroid Metal" | June 17, 2014 |
Design Club
{{Episode list
# | Title | Air date | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
DC1 | "Level 1-1" | June 5, 2014 | ||
The team discuss the tutorial elements used in the first level of Super Mario Bros.. | ||||
DC2 | "Summoner's Rift" | June 19, 2014 | ||
The team discuss the level layout of a map in League of Legends and how it forces the players to think tactically. | ||||
DC3 | "Portal: Test Chambers" | July 3, 2014 | ||
The team discuss the early levels of Portal and the tutorial contained within. | ||||
DC4 | "Mark of the Ninja" | July 17, 2014 | ||
The team discuss Mark of the Ninja and how to make stealth games fair, yet challenging. | ||||
EpisodeNumber=DC5 | Title=The Animation of Punch Out!! - How the Wii Sequel Scored a KO | OriginalAirDate=December 18, 2014 | ShortSummary= The team discusses how animation in video games is different from that in film, and how Punch Out!! manages to work with this. | LineColor=add8e6
}} |