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Hello everybody, and welcome to Some Patches Required. Every other Wednesday, your hosts Aaron and Zak use their backgrounds in game development and analysis to discuss various facets of the ever-turbulent games industry. From interviews with AAA/indie devs to deep dives on timely topics, the duo hopes to entertain and educate you on this wild medium we all love.
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This week, Zak and Aaron chat with Josh Bowlby, a UI/UX designer (user interface and user experience, for the neophytes out there) who has experience at companies like Virtuix and Wayfinder developer Airship Syndicate, among others.Not only was he kind enough to speak on some of his experiences in that space, but also his active role in the Austin, TX, game development community. From tips on networking to thoughts on how to get through a rough layoff, Josh proved to be a font of wisdom and g...
War. War never changes... but the media landscape sure does. With Amazon's new Fallout show dominating headlines and streaming charts alike, Zak and Aaron returned to the vault this week to dust off an old favorite topic: video game adaptations. This time, the question at hand isn't the program's quality (spoilers: it's pretty good), but rather what its success means for the future of some of your favorite IPs. Namely, are we moving towards a world where successful games will be forced t...
Ahh, Apple. Creators of the smartphone, pioneers of industry, the gold standard for excellence, the last bastion of inspiration in a world that's gone dull, and... an illegal monopoly? That's what a recent set of lawsuits allege - and they're gaining traction.Between an all-out assault from Epic Games' Tim Sweeney and an 88-page treatise on illegal practices from the US Department of Justice, Apple's lawyers almost certainly have their briefcases full to the brim. But what does any of this me...
Rejoice, RPG fans, for Dragon's Dogma 2 is finally here! The reviews are in, and the consensus is... well, complicated as hell. While critics are stoked overall, fans seem to have some grievances — and they're quite happy to share them. This brings Zak and Aaron to the ever-relevant topic of review bombing, or the practice of leaving droves of negative reviews on a product as a response to some real or perceived slight at the hands of its makers. The whole endeavor is a political, econom...
When you think of AAA games, does your mind fill with excitement imagining what spectacular worlds dedicated artists have crafted for you with the benefit of near-limitless resources? Or do you imagine boardrooms filled with disinterested people demanding endless compromises in pursuit of maximum profit?This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to politely inform you that option A is likely a nice dream you once had, while option B may very well be playing out somewhere right now. With high-profile f...
At this point, trying to find a new or clever way to say that the games industry is in turmoil is a profound exercise in futility. There is no one way to "fix" the problems that seem to follow developers from studio to studio, but there's one pretty clear step in the right direction: unions.This week, Zak and Aaron sit down with former union organizer and current Austin, TX City Council candidate Adam Powell to chat about — you guessed it — unions. How do they benefit workers? What makes them...
If you've spent any time on the internet as of late, odds are you've stumbled across something about a new game called Palworld - otherwise known as "Pokémon with guns." Hell, with north of 19 million downloads and record-breaking player counts on Steam, it's easily set to be one of the biggest games of the year. But what is it, really?This week, Zak and Aaron talk about the nitty-gritty of Palworld, from its borderline-plagiaristic use of Pokémon designs to its disjointed art style to its......
Hello, everybody, and welcome to season three of Some Patches Required! Our intrepid hosts have been away for a while, but the games industry certainly didn't take a break with them, as mass layoffs, leaks, hacks, studio closures, and more dominated the headlines. This week, Zak and Aaron tackle the messy topics of true early access and the recent boom in paid "early" access as a pre-order bonus. Long story short, one is a frequently misused tool with incredible potential and the other one is...
Have you ever felt exhausted by the neverending onslaught of updates, microtransactions, generic mechanics, and performance issues that seem to define modern AAA games? Well, do we ever have a new title for you!This week, Zak and Aaron discuss the myriad ways that the newly released Baldur's Gate 3 - and Larian Studios - break the mold established by the major players in the AAA game market. They even dip into some AA and all-indie examples for a healthy dose of contrast.You'll hear them agai...
The world is changing, and media is changing with it. What do you own? What does renting even mean in the era of subscription services and online storefronts? More importantly, what happens to a work of art when it's lost to time?This week, Zak and Aaron dive into the topic of game preservation in the (Alan) wake of several high-profile games going exclusively digital and try to dissect the importance of preserving games for both entertainment and education.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl ...
After a few unfortunate delays, Zak and Aaron are back to ask you a simple question: Do you value visual extravagance over gameplay excellence, or do you think they can work together? Moreover, is there a seat for style at the table?Between the blocky art of BattleBit, the breathtaking but broken Jedi Survivor, and an endless supply of Aaron's useless opinions on films like Avatar, this is the episode for anyone who has ever engaged in the "gameplay vs. graphics" debate. Or, someone who just ...
This week, Zak and Aaron chat about what the semi-recently-announced Apple Vision Pro could mean for the VR, AR, and MR market. Will it fall flat on its face like Google Glass? Will it spur on competition like the original Oculus or HTC Vive? Or could it change the game entirely through the power of brand cachet and good marketing? Only time will tell.As an addendum, Zak's new recording space isn't fully set up yet, so there may be a smidge of echo on his side. Meanwhile, Aaron's computer and...
This week, Zak and Aaron chat across three different time zones! Was that sensationalist enough to grab your attention?? Good, because the third time zone is occupied by Alex Malcolm, who works in music licensing for Warner Music Group. This fella has brokered deals for numerous games, and was kind enough to share some insight into the process of what it takes to get your favorite songs into your favorite entertainment products. As they always say in Hollywood, "it's a good time for your ears...
This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to talk with the profoundly talented Cameron Paxton - the composer for the game Dome Keeper - about the intricacies of writing music for games. Naturally, Aaron rambles on about esoteric ideas, Zak stays on topic, and our guest brings insight to spare. If you're interested in musical composition, creativity, or just hearing about how someone found their gateway into the industry, this is the episode for you.Oh, and we'll let you guess who wrote the opening an...
At this point, it's only a few degrees shy of impossible that you haven't heard of the newest Legend of Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom. Was that sentence confusing? Well, so is trying to evaluate what makes a good sequel. And yet, Zak and Aaron dive into the murky depths of media to discuss what makes a successful sequel, especially when it comes on the heels of a game-changing work of art. Be prepared for opinions aplenty, hot takes, and a (magical right) handful of puns.Please, enjoy.List...
This week, Zak and Aaron hop right back into the maelstrom that is the modern games industry. Wait, were you expecting something different? Maybe you don't know their particular brand.On this particular, acronym-filled venture, Zak and Aaron try to unpack the evolution of UGC, especially as it pertains to Fortnite and the Unreal Engine. Between the Unreal Engine for Fortnite, CoD in Roblox, and a million other examples, it seems like user-generated content is poised to become the next big thi...
Hello everybody, and welcome to an unseasonably spooky episode of Some Patches Required! This week, Zak and Aaron dive back into the murky waters of microtransactions, this time within the context of the Resident Evil 4 Remake. Is it okay to add pay-to-win mechanics after launch? Why would a developer or publisher decide to do so? How many times can Aaron use the same word in one sentence? There's only one way to find out.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl on SpotifyCheck out edouggieart on E...
Well, would you look at that!? This one's on time! And it's interesting, to boot.This week, Zak and Aaron have a chat about Jason Schreier's exceptional book "Press Reset," and each chooses a few topics that fascinate them. Zak is mostly articulate and focused. Aaron rambles a bit and bloviates a lot. But, all-in-all, the conversation incorporates everything you could want from an episode of SPR.Please, enjoy.Listen to Beach Girl on SpotifyCheck out edouggieart on EtsyCheck out even more edou...
This week on SPR, Zak and Aaron team up with the crew from the Undercommon Taste podcast to discuss the lasting impact and influence of TTRPGs (or table-top roleplaying games for you neophytes out there) on the world of video games. It's a fun conversation full of laughs, relatable anecdotes, good vibes, and a lower-than-normal number of curse words. Plus, Aaron resisted the urge to list off all of the great D&D character names he's come up with over the years. You're welcome.Please, enjo...
With all evidence pointing to The Last of Us being HBO's next big hit, Zak and Aaron decided to take a moment to discuss a few things surrounding the show, especially the difficulties intrinsic to translating games to film and TV. Naturally, Aaron bloviated beyond belief (after one successful sentence) and steered the conversation in the wrong direction a few times while Zak desperately tried to keep things concise. Aaron also mistook episode 8 for episode 7, and in doing so confirmed his inc...
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