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Play, Watch, Listen

Play, Watch, Listen

Alanah Pearce

Troybaker, Videogames, Video Games, Leisure, Mikebithell, Games, Austinwintory, Alanahpearce

4.8697 Ratings

Overview

Join Alanah Pearce (game writer), Mike Bithell (game director), and Austin Wintory (game composer) as they talk about all the games, movies, TV and 'whatever else' that took their interest that week, from three unique perspectives in the games industry.

170 Episodes

168. Our Nintendo Switch 2 Reactions!

This week, Alanah and Mike discuss the Switch 2 presentation! 

Transcribed - Published: 6 April 2025

167. Lay-Offs, Microsoft's new AI (sorry, Phil), and Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This week, Alanah and Mike start out by talking about the lay-offs across WB Games, then jump into talking about Microsoft's newly announced AI "Muse", and then we - finally - get Alanah's thoughts on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2025

166. Talking to Eternal Strands director Mike Laidlaw!

This week, Austin and Alanah sit down to talk to Mike Laidlaw, the game director of Dragon Age: Origins who most recently started his own studio and make ETERNAL STRANDS. Which Austin also worked on, because of course he did. He cannot be contained.

Transcribed - Published: 26 February 2025

165. The Studio Making Four Games A YEAR!? (ft. Xalavier Nelson)

Apologies for the delay here - the audio file was corrupted! This week, Mike and Alanah are joined by Strange Scaffold's Xalavier Nelson Jr to talk about how the studio makes so many high quality games, and what it really means to be a good game director.

Transcribed - Published: 15 February 2025

164. The State of Video Games in 2025

After a break due to the LA fires - which we talk about to begin with here - we chat about a recent 200-page document called "The State of Video Games in 2025" from Matthew Ball. If you'd like links to the charities we mentioned, please check those out on the YouTube version of the podcast!

Transcribed - Published: 27 January 2025

163. Game Design Challenges & the Indiana Jones Game!

Happy four years of PWL! Sorry about Mike's audio here, we don't know what happened.

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2024

162. Can Indies Save The Games Industry?

Alanah left her job at Sony, and Mike got in trouble for saying something on Bluesky. We discuss the state of the games industry now that it's December 2024, and the notion that "indies will save" everything.

Transcribed - Published: 6 December 2024

161. Should DLC Be Nominated for Game of the Year?

We're back from a brief hiatus! Immediately discussing: should Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree be nominated for GOTY even though it's a DLC? Also: Mike announced another video game! 

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2024

160. We Love 11 Bit Studios

This week, FROSTPUNK 2! 

Transcribed - Published: 18 October 2024

159. Star Wars: Outlaws and Bugs in Video Games

This week, AUSTIN TURNS 40 (technically over a week ago at the time of publishing). So, we indulge him with almost an entire episode about Star Wars (Outlaws) and video game bugs.

Transcribed - Published: 20 September 2024

158. Should Games Cost More?

This week, Alanah, Austin, and Mike discuss the economic state of the games industry and if game prices need to go from $60 to $70.

Transcribed - Published: 7 September 2024

157. This Episode is Mostly About The Expanse

After a month off, we have returned to bring you TOP QUALITY VIDEO GAME CONTENT! But mostly, a lot of us talking about the TV show The Expanse. And Sex in the City?

Transcribed - Published: 21 August 2024

156. GamePass gets a Price Increase

Austin, Mike, and Alanah chat about Austin's demanding freelance schedule, the GamePass price increase (and GamePass' impact as a whole), and the Halifax Harbor Explosion. Note: almost all details of said Halifax explosion are, indeed, incorrect.

Transcribed - Published: 20 July 2024

155. Alanah is Suddenly Obsessed with 1993's Myst

Alanah and Mike discuss OLD game development! And Myst! 

Transcribed - Published: 2 July 2024

154. Our thoughts on Summer Game Fest... & Music Licensing

This week we talk about Summer Game Fest and, because we never stay on topic, music licensing! Also featuring Rahul. 

Transcribed - Published: 17 June 2024

153. Games Journalism is Very, Very Broken

This episode features journalist Nathan Grayson chatting to Mike and Alanah about the state of games journalism (and that side of the industry) in 2024. This comes after IGN announced multiple aquisitions.

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2024

152. The Fallout TV Show ft. Tim Cain (the creator of Fallout!)

This week, Alanah and Austin chat to one of the creators of the Fallout franchise, Tim Cain, all about the Fallout TV show. Includes spoilers.

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2024

151. From Actor to Game Director!

This week, we talk to Abubakar Salim about his transition from actor to full-blown game director. How did he do it!?

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2024

150. WE TURN ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY!

Featuring Rahul Kohli, and the return of Troy, AND we're all in the same room!?

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2024

149. This year's GDC

This week, Mike and Alanah chat about GDC, LinkedIn, business cards, and give great life advice.

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2024

148. TikTok Ban, Kate Middleton, Dune 2 & More!

A LOT OF TOPICS THIS WEEK, WE SIMPLY CAN'T BE CONTAINED.

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2024

147. Even More Games Industry Lay-Offs

This week Mike and Alanah chat about the continued lay-offs impacting the games industry.

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2024

146. Games We Wish We Could Play Again for the First Time

It's an Austin and Alanah special, and we actually talk about video games the WHOLE TIME!? This week, we talk about games we wish we could play again, and games that fundamentally 'change' however many hours in.

Transcribed - Published: 17 February 2024

145. Zoom of Theseus

The title says it all, I don't understand what more context you could possibly need?

Transcribed - Published: 6 February 2024

144. The Gang Has an Existential Crisis

Apologies for the weird audio mix here. Regardless, this week we talk about Society of the Snow (a little), and then delve into the world of AI and capitalism. Again. Oh no.

Transcribed - Published: 20 January 2024

143. What is "game direction", anyway?

This is publishing a little later than planned because of internet issues, but this week we talk about Cunk on Earth, game direction, and more! Thanks for another year of listening to Play, Watch, Listen, everyone!

Transcribed - Published: 26 December 2023

142. The Lay-Offs (& Our Favourite Things of the Year)

You can't talk about good games this year without also talking about lay-offs, so hey, let's do both!

Transcribed - Published: 10 December 2023

141. The Fall of the House of Usher ft. Rahul Kohli & Andy Grush!

This week, Austin and Alanah chat to Rahul (actor) and Andy (composer and 1/2 of the Newton Brothers) about their work on The Fall of the House of Usher! Also, Stray Gods gets nominated for a Grammy, and the F1 Grand Prix debuts in Vegas. Apologies for the audio levels.

Transcribed - Published: 19 November 2023

140. Unity's CEO Resigned

An update on the Unity system, and an important question: do you own any baskets? Why?

Transcribed - Published: 15 October 2023

139. We Have Questions About Starfield's Design

This week, Mike and Alanah go over some of the biggest question's about Starfield.

Transcribed - Published: 25 September 2023

138. Explaining the Unity Engine drama ft. Rami Ismail

We're back! This week Austin chats about Jacob Collier - apparently the best musician alive - and then Alanah asks Mike and special guest Rami Ismail all about the Unity drama.

Transcribed - Published: 20 September 2023

137. The Games Industry and Communication

This week, Mike and Alanah discuss some of the responses to Baldur's Gate 3's exceptional quality.

Transcribed - Published: 23 August 2023

136. Taylor Swift and Stray Gods (ft. Liam Esler!)

We have our first ever guest! Summerfall Games' Liam Esler joins Alanah and Austin to talk about Taylor Swift's enormous Eras Tour, plus, of course, the launch of Stray Gods.

Transcribed - Published: 17 August 2023

135. Austin talks Stray Gods

This week, Alanah, Mike, and Austin are back to chat about Stray Gods, plus a little bit of Barbie and Oppenheimer at the very end.

Transcribed - Published: 30 July 2023

134. Who is the Apple Vision Pro for?

This week, we talk about Apple's new Vision Pro and how it might assist with each of our vocations, as well as AI, again. Turns out it's still relevant. Who'd have thought?

Transcribed - Published: 10 June 2023

133. Zelda and When Players Over-Think Puzzles

This week (technically last week, the audio file just got stuck in processing and I didn't realise), Austin, Alanah, and Mike discuss The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and if players can be prevented from over-thinking puzzles.

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2023

132. Tron: Identity and Stray Gods

We're back from a month off! And this week, we catch up on Bithell Games' latest release - Tron: Identity. Then Austin (and his dog Canvas) join to catch us up on a game he and Troy have been hard at work on, called Stray Gods. Turns out both games excell in player choice. Neat. Did I mention Canvas?

Transcribed - Published: 6 May 2023

131. Physics in Zelda and E3 got Cancelled

This week, Alanah and Mike talk about what makes Zelda's recent physics so impressive, E3's cancellation, and the latest from Bithell Games - Tron: Identity!

Transcribed - Published: 3 April 2023

130. Troy on playing James in The Last of Us

This week, Alanah and Mike aggressively interrogate Troy about his experience playing Joel in The Last of Us (spoilers). 

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2023

129. Games Industry Networking & Rocksteady's Suicide Squad

Alanah and Mike talk about DICE, and how alcohol is often encouraged at games industry events (but probably shouldn't be), plus why Rocksteady may have gone from making the Arkham series to making a game like Suicide Squad. 

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2023

128. Austin on Why Assassin's Creed Won at the Grammys

This week, Alanah and Austin talk about The Grammys, and why/how Assassin's Creed: Valhalla won while games like Elden Ring and God of War were not nominated.

Transcribed - Published: 11 February 2023

127. The Last of Us TV Show Episode 3

This week, all four of the Play, Watch, Listen horsemen are together to discuss the third episode of HBO's The Last of Us series. There are spoilers. 

Transcribed - Published: 9 February 2023

126. The Menu (again), Fine Dining, and The Last of Us Ep. 2

This week, Alanah and Mike discuss The Menu, then Troy joins and the group talks about the fine dining experience and food as 'art'. Then, of course, we step into talking about The Last of Us episode 2.

Transcribed - Published: 30 January 2023

125. Programming, The Menu (a little), & The Last of Us ep. 1

This week, Alanah asks Mike an impossible question about programming, we talk a tiny bit about The Menu, and then jump into our reactions of HBO's The Last of Us episode 1.

Transcribed - Published: 25 January 2023

124. The Last of Us TV Show Premiere, Reviews, and Games as Movies

This week, AUSTIN IS LATE! But Troy, Mike, and Alanah are there from the start to chat about The Last of Us TV show, plus successful game-to-movie adaptations.

Transcribed - Published: 14 January 2023

123. AI Art (Again) & The Last of US TV Show

This week, Alanah and Mike discuss AI art and it's inevitability, and then are joined by Austin and Troy who close out with a discussion on The Last of Us TV show. 

Transcribed - Published: 18 December 2022

122. Game Awards & The Mick Gordon Doom Eternal Situation

This week, Alanah and Mike chat about The Game Awards, which I cut short for the public version just because it was definitely a conversation we've had numerous times. Then, Austin joins and we get to chatting about the latest update regarding Mick Gordon and Doom Eternal's music. 

Transcribed - Published: 10 December 2022

121. Why You Can't Pause/Rewind Video Game Cutscenes

This week, Mike and Alanah chat about Immortality, their picks for 2022's game of the year, and then get into details regarding why some oft requested features can't make it into published video games.

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2022

120. This is an Episode of This Show

You'll see.

Transcribed - Published: 26 November 2022

119. God of War Ragnarok Review Scores

This week, Alanah reacts live to seeing the God of War Ragnarok metacritic score, and Austin joins to chat about review embargoes, scores, and Bear McReary.

Transcribed - Published: 8 November 2022

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Alanah Pearce, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

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