Pixel Sift

This week we look at video game rumours reported by the mainstream media outlets,  and when popular news sites fall into the trap of reporting on speculation without fact checking. Reddit user el2mador confessed this week to tricking some of the biggest video game sites on the web with their glitch in “The Division.” Is the 24-hour news cycle causing journalists to skimp on fact checking and verification? We spoke to Fallout: Lanius creator Wade K. Savage this week and Wade told us about the challenges of filming a Fallout based short film in Perth. He also spoke about his new project Skourge Legacy, a new franchise spanning the mediums of television, toys and a videogame. You can watch Fallout: Lanius on YouTube here, or follow the progress of Skourge Legacy over on Facebook and Twitter. Lastly on this week’s show we examine the underground gambling culture within Counter Strike Global Offensive. Players are using the mechanics of the game to trade weapon skins for real world money independently of Valve’s i

On this week’s show Colton Onderwater, from Perth’s Bear-Tooth Studios, joins us in the studio and we talk all about his new game Super Salmon Migration, and his previous game Arbalest 3035. We explored the finer points of designing stimulating gameplay for games with simple mechanics, and even simpler user inputs. Colton also shared his personal attitude toward game feel and how the specific design elements work together to form a fun elegant experience. Super Salmon Migration will be out in the first half of 2016, but you can pick up the demo right now on the Google Play store. Video game retailer GameStop, the parent company of Australia’s EB Games, announced this week that they would start publishing games.  Already signed up to the new publishing deal are notable mainstream development studios Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank) and Ready At Dawn (The Order: 1886) will be publishing under the new subsidiary GameTrust. GameStop has been exploring alternative sources of income to compensate for a shrinki

This week we are joined by Jason Imms, he’s the founder of the Tasmanian Game Dev Society, a group that aims to raise awareness on the game development scene in Tasmania. High quality games can be made anywhere in the world, and states like Tasmania and Western Australia may not be as isolated as it seems. Jason talks about building the reputation of Tasmanian game development scene and the future of making games in states outside of the major capitals. You can follow Jason on Twitter @jasonimms Earlier this week private World of Warcraft server “Nostalrius” was shut down when the organisation’s hosting company “received a letter of formal notice from US and French lawyers, acting on the behalf of Blizzard”. With almost 150,000 active users, and over 1,000,000 registered accounts, private legacy servers were providing a service that Blizzard isn’t interested in selling.  Blizzard has every right to do this, but are they missing the demand for a product that could be a potential revenue source, following the e

This week we talk game mods and what happens when copyright owners decide that that are not on board with the changes players make to their games. What happens when the corporate world interferes with the artistic creation of mod creators. Forum RaceDepartment had over 30 pages of mods removed at the request of Formula One's rights holders, a move that is technically within their rights but leaving many fans annoyed. Can there be an equilibrium between user generated content and commercial ownership? We also reached across the country to speak to Queensland based developer Megan Summers and spoke about the “Short Form” arcade platformer her team is developing, Damsel. We talked about making games in Queensland, how you pay for indie game development and standing out from the rest of the crowd. You can find more information about Damsel on the Screwtape Studios site http://www.screwtape.net/ No one likes doing the same thing over and over again, so why do we seem to put up with it in some of our favourite

It's our extended LIVE episode from Perth's Oz Comic Con! First up we spoke all about the differences between linear and non-linear story telling, and the constructed narrative. We explore how creating fixed narrative can be a stylistic choice, or could be due to limitations in hardware. We also look at how a recent well articulate argument on the Overwatch beta forums was able to change a victory animation for character Tracer. We explore feedback from fans, how they can influence development, and how sometimes the squeaky wheels aren't always representative of the player base. Finally we talk all about moves to limit the communication in multiplayer games such as Hearthstone, to avoid the players from using their games to attack each other. Like all freedoms, it's a trade off and we look at whether or not that trade off is worth it. You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find u

If you want to play a game from a previous gen, there are many options available for gamers. One these options is emulation, this week we dive into emulation culture and why the technology is so popular for introducing new audiences to old games, and for playing old games in new ways. Though sometimes the games aren't all that old... We also caught up with the one of the creators of Blockpocalypse, Dan Clayton from Dime Studios. He told us all about the process of building on the foundation of a Global Game Jam project and how his game can unite and divide friendships at the very beginning of the world’s fiery end. You can find the original version of the game (called Ablockalypse) on the Global Game Jam 2015 site, and the game is planned for early access later this year. Lastly we tackle game piracy and take a look at some of the innovative methods developers use to protect their IP from being stolen. As time has gone by it seems the Digital Right management has become the staple in protecting games from

Digital delivery is becoming the preferred option for more people, but even though we pay real money for these products, are they really ours? Can we pass these games or digital goods to another person? We explore this topic off the back of a Twitch Partner losing their account in a division of assets after a divorce. There may be more questions than answers however.  Gianni also had the opportunity to speak to Perth based developer Matt Comi of Big Bucket. Matt filled us in on two of his games “The Incident” and “Space Age” as well as how the development process differed between the two titles. Matt also gave us some insight on how the indie dev scene has changed over time as well as how to make an in depth game for a mobile device. We also address the news that Microsoft has announced that cross-platform multiplayer connectivity will be possible between their Xbox Live network and any other network that chooses to join them. How will this change the online game-play? Will the impact of keyboard and mouse in

This week on the show, we're joined in the studio by Fremantle game developer Oscar Brittain. He's made the new World's Fastest Pizza, a top down pizza delivery game chock full with aussie references. We talked all about making the game, and releasing it out onto the web. You can pick up World's Fastest Pizza on Steam and Itch.io when it releases on March 15th 2016. We're also giving away a couple of copies of World's Fastest Pizza to listeners, so jump on over to http://www.pixelsift.com.au/pizza to enter the draw! Microsoft has been making a few waves in the game development world with their planned Universal Windows Platform, a new way to make and distribute apps and games, which has already been used for Rise of the Tomb Raider, and the upcoming Quantum Break. Tim Sweeney CEO of Epic Games has come out swinging with a scathing critique of this new platform that limits choice for gamers and developers, echoing what Gabe Newell of Valve said about Windows 8. We look at what this new

Reviews are a big part of the games industry, love them or loathe them. We don’t review here at Pixel Sift, but there a good review can make a game and a bad one can break it. In some excellent reporting Phil Iwaniuk from PCgamesN discovered that the site Fiverr is being used to solicit cash for positive user reviews. We look at how reviews from both the professionals and players have an impact on the games we play. With the HTC Vive preorder opening up this week we spoke to a couple of local devs about the potentials of the technology and where they thing the future lies. Robert Bruce from Immersia VR and Chris Parkin of Offpeak Games (who we spoke to in episode 14) gave us their two cents and and broke down some of the challenges and potentials of the technology that is currently the talk of the town. Finally we looked back into the annals of time and pulled into the present day some games inspired by the games we loved growing up. We look at spiritual successors such who take the core idea of a game and re

Today on the show we look at the double standard of annually released games. Why is it that gamers are so quick to criticize franchise A, when franchise B is given a free pass?  With some of the major franchises moving away from yearly release cycle are we seeing a shift in the way games are sold, and does gamer expectation play a big part? Gianni also had the chance to talk to Sofie Mather and Louis Roots both of SK Games and Kate Raynes-Goldie of FTI who run the brand new LEVEL ONE co-working space n the Perth CBD. They have a chat about what LEVEL ONE is all about and how their organisation is helping WA developers move from hobby to full-time game development. We also chat about the state of funding in WA for aspiring game devs and fighting the brain drain. LEVEL ONE is officially launching March 3rd 2016, with free tours throughout the day and a launch party in the evening. You can RSVP to the launch party here Finally we look at how we're taught how to play games, that's right we're talking

First up on Pixel Sift this week, we have a look at some of the recent data gathered by Quantic Foundry on how gamers attitudes toward games change as they get older, with the ESA reporting that the average gamer is now 35. It would seem that the motivations of gamers change as they progress down life's long road. Where do you think your gaming career will be in thirty years time? Scott sat down with Fabian Malabello, the Director of The Otherworld Agency about song writing and sound the power of sound design in games. He also was kind enough to give us some links to resources that can help aspiring video game song writers and sound designers get into the industry. If you are starting out you can head to Game Audio 101 for some great starting advice. Once you've been therejump on over to the FMOD user group or WWISE user group both on Facebook where people with experience using these programs can help you out. Finally make sure you grab yourself a copy of Unity 5 and Audio Toolkit.  Finally we polish

This week on the show we look at the obsessive nature of collecting games. Do you have a giant steam library? Do you scour the online stores for old cartridges and consoles. We talk about what it is that makes us collect, and sometimes never play. You can check out the value of your steam library, and how little of it you've actually played on Steam Gauge.  I spent many hours playing split-screen Halo on the original Xbox, and there was always the accusation of "screening" between me and my brothers when someone got a particularly good kill. As part of the Global Game Jam in 2014 Melbourne developers Samurai Punk created their game Screencheat where you need to look at other players screens to win. Mitch and Gianni spoke to Nick McDonnell about bringing their game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, lessons learnt and gamer entitlement. Screencheat is available on Playstation 4 and Xbox One on the 1st of March 2016. Finally this week we explore whether a game can be "awards bait" or designed to

36,000 people, 93 countries and nearly 6800 games. It's the Global Game Jam, a 48 hour challenge that pits game developers against the relentless march of time. This year game devs were tasked with making a full game based on the theme of "Ritual." Let's Make Games, hosted two events in Perth on the weekend and we dropped in to the ECU site to follow the progress and journey of the jammers taking up the challenge, in a special two part story this week. You can find all the games that were created this weekend at Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University below, featuring videos and download links so you can play at home. Amazing work that was very impressively created in just 48 hours. The games will also be featured at Playup Perth on the 26th of February 2016 where you can play the games with the developers. Tickets are $10 or $7 for FTI Members, and this is an 18+ event. ECU: http://globalgamejam.org/2016/jam-sites/lets-make-games-ggj-perth-ecu-north/gamesMurdoch: http://globalgamejam.or

This week we look at the cost of being a gamer. Like all hobbies there is a financial cost as well as a time cost. We break down some of the numbers about the game value proposition. Is it more expensive to be a gamer than ever before? When does gaming become too expensive a hobby? We spoke to Joshua Meadows organiser of Sydney Gaymers, and co-director of the brand new convention for LGBT gamers, GX Australia. We talked all about why a general gaming convention might not be as comfortable for some people and what planning an event like this meant. The first GX Australia will be held at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th of February 2015. You can find out more information on the special guests attending, and where to get tickets on the GX Australia website http://www.gxaustralia.com . Mitch is back from RTX Australia, another US convention that's made it's debut on Aussie shores. Spawned from the minds of those creative folks at Rooster Teeth, we recap everything

The sporting world had been rocked by a gambling scandal with tennis players in the UK fixing matches to alter the odds in gambling. eSports players aren't immune to the lure of bribes to manipulate the outcomes of matches. We look at how eSports and betting cross over and how people can be tempted to take a less than honest path We spoke to Lisa Rye and Brendan Ragan from Stirfire Studios, the makers of Freedom Fall . One of the first Australian devs to be greenlit on Steam, we asked about the lessons they had learnt and things to watch out for. We also spoke about their upcoming game Debug, a platformer where you glitch the game to win. This interview features some of the music from Freedom Fall by the talented Paramorph, make sure you check them out on Bandcamp. Finally we look and listen to the games that some of our favourite musicians lent their creative talents to such as Omikron: The Nomad Dream by the late David Bowie and Quantic Dream (of Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls). Musicians have had a b

This week we look at when games get cloned. Blink and you may have missed it but, but a sequel to one of the biggest games in the world came out and was quickly pulled. Minecraft 2 raced to the top of the charts, but it was a dodgy clone cashing in on the Minecraft name. We look at some famous clones and ripoff games. Such as the gem Super Noah's Ark 3D, or the over 60 Flappy Bird clones that hit the App Store every day. We got up bright and early and we spoke to those lovely chaps at Gnomic Studios about their game Square Heroes. We talked to Aranda Morrison and Mark Mennell about bringing their game to Playstation 4, selling their game as a bundle and managing a fledgling multiplayer community. Finally some over zealous lawyers from Sony decided to try trademark the term "Let's Play". We talk about some legal decisions that changed the way games were made and played. The High Court was brought in to rule on what Australians could do with their Playstation consoles, setting a legal precedent

In a major eSports shakeup, Activision Blizzard has purchased Major League Gaming, in a move that has left some shareholders of MLG stunned. Activision has been making moves into the eSports space already and this brings a major league under their wing. What this will mean for the future of eSports is yet to be seen. We spoke to Christopher Parkin, he's a developer and CEO of Offpeak Games, makers of the virtual reality medieval combat game Valiant. We talked about their Kickstarter campaign, and launching a new game at the infancy of VR. Oculus have just announced their pricing and preorders for their Rift headset, so gamers will soon be able to experience VR in their own homes. Finally today we wrap up the year that was 2015. We look at some of the major stories and releases of last year and talk about some of our favourite games. You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!Support the

This week we look at companion apps and the rise of toys and addons. Skylanders was one of the first games to hit the scene that used collectible figurines to play the game, but it's been joined by many others. We also explore whether apps such as Destiny's Companion app or the Fallout 4 Pip-Boy add more to your second screen experience or does it take away from the main experience. We spoke to Drew Morrow from Three Phase Interactive all about his game Defect Spaceship Destruction Kit. We spoke all about the early access process, building a game from fan feedback and nurturing a community so they come along for the ride. We played a bit of Defect over on out twitch page and you can check that on www.twitch.tv/pixelsift We also explore movie tie-in games. Many games have been made as spin offs from bigger franchises, but few do it quite as well as the Star Wars games or the legendary N64 Goldeneye. We look at what makes a good tie-in game and what causes a tie-in game to flop. You can find us on all t

When gamers explore games they can make some awesome new play styles that weren't originally designed. Bungie released an official version of the Sparrow Racing League, which was created in game by players. Day Z started out as a mod for ARMA II before spinning off into it's own game. The whole MOBA genre originated as a custom map in Warcraft III. This weekend we had the Playstation Experience (PSX) convention where Sony laid out it's plans for the next year. Some of the big announcements included on of the first gameplay trailers for the anticipated Final Fantasy VII remake, the crazy looking 100 Foot Robot Golf and Ratchet & Clank Finally this week we explore the use of drugs in gaming. Popular streamer Jayson Love AKA MANvsGAME admitted that his 50 hour gaming sessions were fueled by the use of dextroamphetamine to keep him awake. The major eSports leagues such as the ESL will start drug testing their players for performance enhancing drugs like those used by MANvsGame after a major drug s

This week for our eleventh episode we broadcast live from somewhere a little bit different, we were at Casa Del Scott but you would have seen the fresh decor on our Twitch stream of this episode. If you missed us live you catch the whole episode on http://www.twitch.tv/pixelsift any time you like! This week we spoke to Trent Kusters, he's one of the co-founders of League of Geeks and we learnt all about their game Armello. We had such a great chat with Trent we split the interview in two, with the first part focusing on the challenges and benefits of developing a completely digital board game. In the second half of the interview, we talked about managing the expectations of more than 6000 backers after their successful Kickstarter campaign, and what it took to get it to that point. We also looked at when games fail to meet fan expectations, or don't meet the hype. The fans of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 have been calling out for updated rosters, with all the current trades and injury lists, but have bee