Built to Play

Bad Dreams

June 7, 2018

Quantic Dream has done something unprecedented, but unfortunately most of what they've done is distressingly average.

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We talk to journalists and a critic who have dove deep into what makes Detroit Become Human tick.

Thanks to the Free Music Archive for "silent eyes," "building stories," " and "unexplored corridor" by 2 Mello, and "Dream," by Chan Wai Fat, "Button" by Chad Crouch and "Sono Tranquile" by Obsibilo.

Built to play is a product of CJRU in the heart of downtown Toronto. It was produced by Arman Aghbali and Daniel Rosen.

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The Skin You Work In

September 29, 2017

Games writer Walt Williams likes to crunch, but the rest of the industry may not have as much of a choice.

In this episode, we make reference to the following:

Walt Williams, author of Significant Zero: Heroes, Villains, and the Fight for Art and Soul in Video Games.
Tanya Short, founder and general manager of Kitfox Games in Montreal.
Cameron Kunzelman, game critic and author of "Crunch culture is never just about individual choice."
That other time we talked about Spec Ops.
Crunch is a form of failure pledge
Those very, very good Street Fighter V skins.

A quick guide to avoiding crunch

These are not the only solutions, but as a start for what a team leader should be thinking about at a company. A quick summary is below, and a full description in the audio.

Set some core hours.
Set expectations on what you and your team should complete by the end of the day.
Build a social contract around those expectations – a 10 minute morning meeting can help.
Track long term, as well as short, so expectations for two weeks ahead as well as months ahead.
Know when you’re on schedule and when you’re off, so you can make adjustments.

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "Village Dreaming" by Visager, "Unanswered Question," and "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" by Kevin MacLeod, "Whispering Through" by Asura, and "Shake It" by Jahzzar.

We use clips from Wreck-It Ralph, Street Fighter II, and Street Fighter V.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF CJRU IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

Built to Play 70: Handmade

April 4, 2016

We talk handcrafted games, program detectives and memories

This episode contains the following segments:

Luke Whittaker and Daniel Fountain talk about the connection we have with physical constructed worlds, and how we might see them in video games. (0:00)
We look at the future of Ubisoft, Sony, and confirm that we're still pretty into memes. (11:45)
Alex Pieschel tells what he remembers of Final Fantasy VII, based on a neat essay he wrote (37:50)
Daniel Mullins made a "broken" game we can't really talk about, so instead we try to solve Grandia II (47:35)

Notes:

We did a brief history of Final Fantasy VII.
Here's what Lumino City looked like in its prime

Here's what Lumino City looks like right now.

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "eeeoooww" by Junior85, "Touch a Clown in the Frightness," by EAT, "watashi" BY JOHNNY_RIPPER, " inside my house; some place i keep dreaming about" BY Ricky Eat Acid (JOHNNY_RIPPER REMIX), "the clouds are like lace" BY Ben McElroy, "Celeste" BY Alex Fitch, "Another Version of You" by Chris Zabriskie.

WE USED CLIPS FROM FREESOUND FROM USERS LIKE obxjohn, tarquam, magnus589, and mapleleaf. Plus sound clips from Canada: A People's History, Final Fantasy VII, Pony Island.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF CJRU IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN. THE HEADER IMAGE IS BY Paul Townsend ON FLICKR.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

Built to Play 67: Around the World

December 2, 2015

Built to Play looks tries to leap from one place to another and builds a new world in Mario Maker

In this episode of Built to Play, there are the following segments:

Daniel creates a whole new world in Mario Maker and teaches Arman a thing or two about playing well and building an interesting world. (0:00)
Arman and Daniel talk about the news and the ongoing efforts of the Electronic Frontier Foundation to improve player agency. (14:20)
Meg Jayanth, Jon Ingold and Joseph Humfrey tell us about travel , movement and how it feels to go around the world in 80 Days. (33:13)

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "hey ragdoll" by Boyscout Discovery, "4 AM Party" by Alex Gross, "Celeste" by Alex Fitch, "Pretend and Walk Outside" by krackatoa and "Moonglow" by Podington Bear.

WE ALSO USED CLIPS FROM Super Mario Maker, 80 Days and the film Around the World in 80 Days (1989).

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF CJRU IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND WRITTEN BY AND DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

Built to Play 64: Fragments of Time

August 3, 2015

We break down full motion video, a level design marriage and the end of a company.

This episode contains the following segments:

Sam Barlow breaks down why Christopher Walken didn't hit it big in the full motion video game scene (0:00 - 15:20)
Daniel explains the history behind a very real possibility, the Super Nintendo Playstation (15:30 - 27:25)
We look into Robert Yang's concept of local level design and why a marriage proposal and a Los Angeles community centre can teach us about the way we interpret the world. Plus Rachel van der Meer's Portal project and Douglas Hoogland's work. (27:30 - 40:45)
Previous guests, Tale of Tales, explain why their game failed and what that means for them. (40:50 - 54:00)

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "I saw you on TV" by Jahzzar, "Everybody gots problems that aren't mine," by Chris Zabriskie, "Praise Book" by Broke for Free, "Are You a Dreamer (Instrumental)" by Ben McElroy, "☆ＳＥＩＮＷＡＶＥ☆２０００☆ What's the deal with airline food?" by Abelard, "Summer Breeze Let It Out (Johnny_Ripper Remix)" by Smoking Fox, "Flying Pea v1" by Daddy Scramble, and "Vilse" by Slutet.

WE ALSO USED CLIPS FROM Portal 2, The Gary Hudson Project, Pyst, Ripper, and Her Story.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF THE SCOPE AT RYERSON RADIO STATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED, EDITED AND WRITTEN BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

Built to Play 63: Change the Reel

July 7, 2015

Cult cinema, changing aesthetics and the year of 1972 are all on the forefront of our minds in an episode all about film and aesthetics.

In this episode we have the following segments:

We've all seen movies adapted into games, but usually those movies are good, even if the games are not. But in 1991 an Irish studio set out to make a adaptation of the worst film ever made, Plan 9 From Outer Space. (0:30 - 15:20)
Daniel and Arman discuss Nintendo's reaction to the world of virtual reality and then examine how film, comics and animation meld into a Gotham theme park in Batman: Arkham Knight. (15:20 - 34:00)
Blake Reynolds trained as a composer like his idols, John Williams and Koji Kondo. He still composes music, but he's now a game artist who specializes in pixel art. Even in this job, however, Blake's found that his work just doesn't send the right message. (34:00 - 45:00)
Auriea Harvey and Michael Samyn describe the aesthetic behind Ebony magazine, Playboy, and why that time and place is so important to the world of Sunset. (45:00 - 57:30)

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "Old Movies" by Pianochocolate, "OLCP" by Marco Raaphorst, "水中(Johnny_ripper Remix)" by little Cloud, "Sunset" by Podington Bear, "Third Man Theme Live" by Rat City BRass, "Inspiration" by Box Cat Games.

WE ALSO USED CLIPS FROM Plan 9, Super Mario Bros., Auro, Star Wars, Blacula, Superfly, and Shaft's Big Score. We also used several pieces of music composed by Blake Reynolds.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF THE SCOPE AT RYERSON RADIO STATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED AND EDITED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

Built to Play 61: Cyber Life

June 15, 2015

Graveyards, cyber brains, and beautiful flora make us think about the relationship between stories, cinema and the way we view games.

In this episode we talk to the following people about their work:

Matthew Ritter discusses storytelling in epitaphs and why he's spent so much time wandering graveyards. Plus, Daniel and Arman discover a secret society. (00:20)
Arman and Daniel discuss how Twitch is not for adults and Microsoft can't say Mojang. (13:00)
James Dearden breaks down the appeal of cyberpunk in his new adventure game, Technobabylon, while Arman geeks out over Ghost in the Shell. (30:00)
Danny Oakes tell us about an Academy Award winning tool used by cinema and games, and why that tie may actually drive the mediums further apart. (42:25)

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "The Libra Lunologist" by Fields of Ohio, "Lila" by Lanark, "School Boy" by Pietnastka, and "Air Hockey Saloon" by Chris Zabriske. Thanks Patrick Ellis for "Nightmares" and "Sheffield Park."

WE ALSO USED CLIPS FROM Ghost in the Shell, Technobabylon, Avengers 2 and the Witcher 3.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF THE SCOPE AT RYERSON RADIO STATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED AND EDITED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

Built to Play 59: Film Grain

May 12, 2015

Built to Play ventures into the wild west, junior high, and the trope tank.

In this week's episode you'll hear from the following people:

John Gottschalk and Jordi Boin on the relationship between the gun, the game and the western in Westerado: Double Barrelled. (00:00 - 10:30)
Daniel and Arman discuss Konami's transition into maybe never making another massive-budget game (10:30 - 33:30)
Nick Montfort and Andrew Plotkin tell us about the Trope Tank, studying the past, interactive fiction, and Pac Man. (33:30 -43:46)
Creator Miriam Verburg and story director Susanne Alyssa Andrew talk about life in junior high, the horrors of modern dating, and why it's okay to fail in their visual novel, Long Story. (43:45 - 57:45)

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "Fantasy" BY PODINGTON BEAR, "Toy Cupboard" by Bleak House, "No Home In This World" BY Shanghai String Band, "Western Firefight 2" BY MC Cullah, "End of the Machine Age" BY Mobster, "Goosedance" by Paperclip Galaxy, "Western Chow Yun-Fat" by This One AND "La ere gymnopedie" BY Peter Johnson.

WE ALSO USED CLIPS FROM Django Unchained, Fistful of Dollars, Maginificent Seven, Degrassi, Pac-Man (Atari 2600, Apple II, Arcade) and KC Munchkin.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF THE SCOPE AT RYERSON RADIO STATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED AND EDITED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

Built to Play 58: Dead and Dinosaurs

April 28, 2015

Built to Play explores the legal realities of games preservation, the utter nonsense around Metal Gear Solid V and why we love to feel vulnerable.

In this week's episode you'll hear from the following people:

Kendra Albert talks about how games are becoming increasingly online, and why that means they may not live forever. (00:10 - 11:50)
Daniel and Arman follow a NeoGaf forum to a Metal Gear conspiracy involving clones, head transplants and a would-be supervillain (11:50 - 28:00)
Rommel Romero tells us about why Minority Media is working on a virtual reality game that asks you to study dinosaurs. (28:00 - 35:45)
We talk to the designers of Darkest Dungeon and Sunless Sea, alongside an English professor, about the appeal of the Gothic, and why more games don't give us full control. (35:45 - 55:50)

THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "Algo Natural Rhythm" and "DARK MATTER" BY PODINGTON BEAR, "hey ragdoll" by Boyscout Discovery, "Eileen" by Lee Rosevere, "Positive Space" by Cosmic Analog Ensemble, "Buildings Stay Afloat" by Augustus Bro Gallery Six and "Oxygen Garden" by Chris Zabriskie.

WE ALSO USED clips from Jurassic Park, True Detective, The Leftovers, and freesound clips from ermine and shepardr.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF THE SCOPE AT RYERSON RADIO STATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED AND EDITED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.