Extra Credits
Season 2022
A weekly show discussing various topics on the video game industry and the consumers.
Where to Watch Season 2022
21 Episodes
- Shopping in Games is Garbage but it doesn't have to be! - Video Game DesignE1
Shopping in Games is Garbage but it doesn't have to be! - Video Game DesignShopping in games is Garbage! However, it's only because we're breaking the surface on a mechanic that hasn't been fully developed yet. Many Tabletop Games have a vast number of player interactions and situations that help these mechanics along but how do we translate some of these highly developed ideas into your next video game? Join us as we discuss where to get started with your bartering mechanics and game design here! - Don't be a Victim of Dark Patterns! - Game DesignE2
Don't be a Victim of Dark Patterns! - Game DesignAre you a victim of Dark Patterns?!? Dark patterns are being used in video games and subscription-based services but what is the line between helping players out in a game and intentionally or unintentionally obscuring, subverting or impairing a players' autonomy, decision-making, or choice? Find out in our latest dive into video game design in Extra Credits! - The Pandemic is Killing Board Games - A Tabletop Extinction Level EventE3
The Pandemic is Killing Board Games - A Tabletop Extinction Level EventDid you know the tabletop game industry is having an extinction-level event? With small and even large publishers like IDW Games stepping out of the industry due to the paperpocolypse, the rising cost of shipping, containers left sitting at the port, and the pandemic eating into convention sales. It's shaken the industry to the core and who will make it out of the fray? - Confessions of a Licensed Video Game DeveloperE5
Confessions of a Licensed Video Game DeveloperEver wonder why most licensed games don't live up to all the hype? Game Developer Eddie Webb discusses the challenges associated with designing a game around an IP. Confessing all the gritty details of why these games might not please the fans and may be under-produced. - Decision Trees: Video Game's Secret Weapon for Story and GameplayE6
Decision Trees: Video Game's Secret Weapon for Story and GameplayPlayer decisions make good video games great but what goes into making your choices truly matter? Join us as we discuss how your choices not only influence the game but create your own unique game state. - Should You Care About Canon?E7
Should You Care About Canon?Does Canon Matter? Or should we even care? Canon refers to a collection of rules or texts that are considered to be authoritative. Which has come into play BIG TIME with today's, Marvel Movies, Game of Thrones, video games, and more. However, does the following canon ultimately help or hurt these creative projects? Let's join Game Designer Eddie Webb and find out today in "Should You Care About Canon" - Design Land: High ConceptE8
Design Land: High ConceptAfter spending a few years away working on his next game in the wilds of Design Land, James Portnow writes in to tell us what he’s learned about crafting a High Concept for a video game and how you can avoid the many perils and pitfalls that happen along the way. - 5 ODD Design Choices in Elden RingE9
5 ODD Design Choices in Elden RingWhy do designers make the choices they do in a game? Did Fromsoftware purposely discourage players from using the sword and board strategy? Why did they make more builds dependent on magic? We'll answer all that and more as we dissect Elden Ring! - Design Land: Video Game Art StyleE10
Design Land: Video Game Art StyleAfter crossing through the Concept Cliffs of Design Land, James Portnow writes in to tell us what he’s learned about crafting the concept art for a video game in the Art Arroyo and how you can avoid the many perils and pitfalls that happen along the way to creating your very own game! - Will Play to Earn Games Remain Legal?E11
Will Play to Earn Games Remain Legal?In 2018 we discussed blockchain and how it might potentially change the gaming industry. Now that it's 2022, we've found that the few games giving players the ability to acquire, buy, and sell virtual items in an open decentralized marketplace often are leading to legal troubles, money laundering, predatory crypto-related scams, and less interesting games with lower player retention. AKA: Not exactly the change we were hoping for. But since these open-loop economy games now exist, how might the industry (and the law) better protect players in the future? - Design Land: Creating Great Design DocsE12
Design Land: Creating Great Design DocsDesign documents! One of the most important things you can create for your video game. However, getting it right can be troublesome! Design docs don't only convey information to different groups but also retain all your gaming info. If it's done well it can provide your team with a straight path to follow to success! End formula for fun1 (angled brackets aren't allowed in descriptions lol): IF: - FAITHVALUE * RAND(0-100) greater than 1000 THEN: CRISISOFCONSCIENCE End formula for fun 2: RULERRESPECT = RULERRESPECT+ ((FAITH/100)*FAITHVALUEINCREASE) - Designing Around RageE13
Designing Around RageEVERYONE has had to deal with a little tilt now and then, but would it help to let you know that there's a reason behind every death? In fact, failing just may help you win faster! Giving you the right data and feedback to push you further in your game. Join us as we talk about this Game Developer's secret and you'll Never Tilt Again! - How Games Twist ProbabilityE14
How Games Twist ProbabilityProbability! A cornerstone for the design of any game. It can build excitement and suspense but, it can also confuse and upset players. So how do you keep probability and players' choices in games meaningful without bogging them down with the specifics? Let's enter the psychology of gaming and how you can twist and obscure probability to build anticipation and emotion for your next game design. - You Deserve Better Side QuestsE15
You Deserve Better Side QuestsYou deserve better side quests than having to bring 10 rat butts to the local tavern owner, in EVERY game EVER! That's right! Because creating meaningful relationships between characters and quests can make your world more insightful and interesting for the player. Keeping them invested in what's happening and ready to explore every corner of your world. - Do Emotes Make Us Worse People?E16
Do Emotes Make Us Worse People?Emotes! They're everywhere! On your phone and in your games but are they making us worse people? Are they being used the way we think they should Or should we be trying to craft more emotes with the players' well-being in mind? Find out more in "Trolling with Emotes"! - Designing Heartbreak, Propaganda and DeathE17
Designing Heartbreak, Propaganda and DeathHow do you create emotion and heartbreak with math? Video games can create meaningful player interactions and connections with characters but we need to stop treating them like trophies. Instead, we need immersion that makes you connect with the character to make them feel more real in the world around you. So sit back and let us drop some mathematical knowledge into your game's next design! - Can Tetris Treat Trauma?E18
Can Tetris Treat Trauma?"Cognitive behavior specialists are always working to reduce traumatic memories and flashbacks. In line with that mission, professor Emily Holmes began researching a new idea on how to lower the occurrence and severity of these flashbacks via an experimental preventive care method - one that uses Tetris to engage with a patient's mind in hopes to affect how long-term traumatic memories are formed. But is this method "too good to be true?" - The Economics of ObsessionE19
The Economics of Obsession Is there a franchise that you spend on average an hour a day playing, watching, engaging with on Wikis, Reddit, with friends or just generally thinking about? Do you ever wonder why you keep coming back and obsessing about these franchises? Have a seat as we discuss the intricacies of how companies design user retention and why we just can't stop playing their games. - How a Genre Died in 5 YearsE20
How a Genre Died in 5 YearsRock Band and Guitar Hero were two multi-billion dollar video game franchises that just disappeared practically overnight. So what's the story of what really happened to the most popular rhythm games on the market and why haven't they returned? - How Disney Inspired a Generation of DesignersE21
How Disney Inspired a Generation of DesignersWould you believe us if we told you that game designers are constantly stealing open-world designs from Disneyland theme parks? From the moment you walk through the gates to the highly themed areas. Designers have been stealing these key points to find better ways to organize their own open world and help players feel more immersed in their content.