Triple Click

The video game industry is broken. Perhaps it's time to... Press Reset? On this week's first-ever LIVE episode of Triple Click, the gang discusses Jason's latest book about the video game industry. They talk about the closures of game companies like Irrational Games and 38 Studios, the industry's sustainability problems, and lots more. Plus: find out how to win a free copy of Press Reset!One More Thing:Kirk: For All MankindMaddy: The Mitchells vs. The MachinesJason: Killing EveLinks:Buy Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry: https://www.grandcentralpublishing.com/titles/jason-schreier/press-reset/9781538735480/Press Reset giveaway: https://app.viralsweep.com/sweeps/full/7b4618-86973?framed=1Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Which is more recognizable: the video game Undertale or NFL quarterback Josh Allen? This week, Maddy, Jason, and Kirk open up the mailbag and answer your questions on all sorts of things, including video game addiction, ethics in AAA game development, and rejected names for the Triple Click podcast.One More Thing:Kirk: Shadow and Bone by Leigh BardugoMaddy: This Is A RobberyJason: Turnip Boy Commits Tax EvasionLinks:Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tripleclickpodSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

It's the one-year anniversary of Triple Click - happy birthday, Triple Click! Jason, Maddy, and Kirk update the Triple Click Picks with some special new games and then take some time to reminisce on the past year and what this show has meant to them. Thank you all for supporting the show!One More Thing:Kirk: SubnauticaMaddy: Emily Is Away 1-3Jason: StarCraft IILinks:Kirk’s 2018 article about video games and guns: https://kotaku.com/real-guns-virtual-guns-and-me-1824159338Our Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/tripleclickpodSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy dive back into their ongoing playthrough of Final Fantasy VI, picking up where they left off last time (the Opera House) and going until the end of the Floating Continent. Do Maddy and Kirk like it more now? What's the deal with that flake Shadow? Why is Edgar such a creeper? And whoa, did Kefka really just do THAT?One More Thing:Kirk: Monster Hunter Rise (Finishing/Friction)Maddy: The Content Mines podcastJason: Saga Frontier RemasteredLinks:What did Edgar really say about Relm? https://legendsoflocalization.com/what-does-edgar-say-about-relm-in-each-final-fantasy-vi-translation/The Caves of Narshe FF6 Walkthrough: https://www.cavesofnarshe.com/ff6/walkthrough.phpSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Just what is the deal with indie games? When did they become financially viable? How did they become so popular? And what is "indie" anyway??? This week, Jason, Maddy, and Kirk look at the modern history of indie games, from Braid and Castle Crashers to the Nintendo Switch's big bumps. They talk about the rise of digital distribution, some misguided old comments from former Nintendo boss Reggie Fils-Aime, and whether "indie" even means anything anymore.One More Thing:Kirk: Monster Hunter RiseMaddy: Vaccine appointment tipsJason: GnosiaLinks:The excellent Double Fine Adventure documentary series:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVwg-9WL3dEArekkz Gaming’s MH Rise longsword tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jscDTUOHdw&ab_channel=ArekkzGamingSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Here's the only true thing you will read on the internet today: This episode is not a prank. Instead of trying to fool everyone, Maddy, Jason, and Kirk are going back in time to look at the history of video game April Fool's jokes: the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly. From fake Zelda movies to Assassin's Creed Kinect, there's a lot to laugh at this week.Correction 4/1/2021: We initially thought the Assassin's Creed Kinect joke video was made by Ubisoft, but it actually wasn't. That part of the conversation has been updated and edited for accuracy. Sorry about that!One More Thing:Kirk: Monster Hunter Rise, baybeeeeeMaddy: Incomparable by Brie and Nikki BellaJason: The Grace of Kings by Ken LiuLinks:Gamespot’s 2006 Wii ‘Joke’: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/april-fools-analyst-revolution-will-take-lead-in-2010/1100-6146958/The IGN Zelda Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBCzkz3gHb8Assassin’s Creed for Kinect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NufHsmITjMThe Virgin America 2013 pre-flight safety song (sorry): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQQaNuqY-kU&ab_channel=top10commercialsSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk dive into the latest big indie game hit, Loop Hero. They talk about its strengths, its weaknesses, the nature of addiction, opacity, and repetition. Plus: the best cookbook ever?One More Thing:Kirk: RE ViIIage Maiden Demo (and demos like this)Maddy: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy (Jenny Odell)Jason: The Food Lab (J Kenji Lopez)Links:Jenny Odell’s Bureau of Suspended Objects: https://www.jennyodell.com/bso.htmlOdell’s interview on the Ezra Klein show: https://www.vox.com/ezra-klein-show-podcast/2019/5/23/18636332/jenny-odell-how-to-do-nothingSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk open up the mailbag to answer listener questions about all sorts of things, from game company secrecy to the pros and cons of digital gaming. Plus: How do you know when a game just isn't working for you?One More Thing:Kirk: Progression and InconvenienceMaddy: WandavisionJason: GnosiaLinks:Maddy’s X-Men podcast The Mutant Ages: https://mutantages.comSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

What's an Assassin's Creed? Who's an Assassin's Creed? Allow the Triple Click gang to explain. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy dive into Ubisoft's action-adventure-RPG franchise, talking about how the series has evolved over the past decade, their favorite games, and just what the heck is up with all those aliens.One More Thing:Kirk: Hollow KnightMaddy: Learning to parry in Dark SoulsJason: Loop HeroLinks:Kirk’s Hollow Knight arrangement: https://youtu.be/eIVtGlcpZS0Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

It's time for some news!!! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason pick some of the biggest stories in gaming this year, from Covid's effect on game production to the Harry Potter controversy, and break them all down. The gang also talks Google Stadia's woes, EA canceling Anthem Next, and all the hot Mario and Zelda news from the most recent Nintendo Direct.One More Thing:Kirk: Spider Man: Miles MoralesMaddy: “Britney Spears Was Never In Control” by Tavi GevinsonJason: Bravely Default 2 and video game challengeLinks:“Trans Inclusion Means More Than Just Adding Potential Gender Options To Hogwarts Legacy” by Riley MacLeod: https://kotaku.com/trans-inclusion-means-more-than-just-adding-potential-g-1846388481Tevis Thompson’s essay “Saving Zelda”: http://tevisthompson.com/saving-zelda/The Splitscreen Stadia interview with Phil Harrison: https://kotaku.com/google-stadia-boss-answers-and-dodges-our-questions-1833422137“Britney Spears Was Never In Control” by Tavi Gevinson: https://www.thecut.com/2021/02/tavi-gevinson-britney-spears-was-never-in-control.html“The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls” by Mara Wilson: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/opinion/britney-spears-mara-wilson-hollywood.htmlSupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/