The 1099

When the newest, biggest video game launches, it's not long after that folks start complaining about bugs. But the art, business, and struggle of video game QA is something that few truly appreciate. So I recruited two incredible QA experts -- Chloe Read of QA-Quest.com and Shane Elliot of East Side Games -- to reveal what QA looks like from the inside, how the industry treats its QA workers and loses them, and all the misconceptions average gamers have about this very particular science. Enjoy the show! For more resources, check out QA-Quest.com and EastSideGames.com.

Gamasutra news editor and noted Hitman diehard Alissa McAloon joins the 1099 to discuss why Hitman 3 is so damn good. We talk all about the amazing new levels, how weird it is to care about Hitman's plot, how fun it is to kill rich douchebags, and how we think Hitman could influence IO's upcoming 007 game. Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com Follow Alissa at @ gliitchy on Twitter

Umurangi Generation blends the world of cyberpunk -- giant robots, kaiju, and penguins -- with the much more in-your-face world of today -- with COVID keeping us indoors, QAnon poisoning countless minds, and fascism on the rise. I talk with developer Veselekov about his Maori background, how neoliberal and conservative politics have failed nations like Australia, and how it all translates into a game where you take photos of mechs and giant squid monsters.

Truth is a pathless land. - J Krishnamurti These words influenced a young Matt Nava, who would go on to direct art for thatgamecompany's Journey, Flower, and later found Giant Squid and direct The Pathless and Abzu. On this week's episode, we dive into Matt's career, his father's art, and how the exhilarating and lush world and gameplay of The Pathless came to be. Matt also reflects on lessons learned from his early years of working on Flower and Journey, and what it means to find your own path in life that no one has walked before. The Pathless is out now on PS4, PS5, and Epic Game Store. Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of harassment, assault, mental health, and other sensitive topics. Have you ever experienced harassment, online or IRL? Have you ever felt like no one could truly understand the very particular types of vitriol you have to deal with? The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is a service that aims to give gamers, game developers, or anyone else who lives in the games community a tool to find support -- and most importantly, someone who listens, understands, and believes. My guest, hotline coordinator Jae Lin, joins the 1099 to discuss how the hotline came together, how it tailors its services to the unique (and universal) challenges that the gaming community faces, and how the lessons of the past can strengthen our future efforts. https://gameshotline.org/ TEXT “SUPPORT” to 23368 to get started. https://twitter.com/gameshotline Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow the 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

Kinda bug, kinda snack, 100% Chicago. Young Horses co-founder and CEO Philip Tibitoski joins the 1099 to discuss the six-year road to releasing Bugsnax, how Young Horses has stayed successful on their own terms and taken care of its employees, rejected Bugsnax designs, and how the Chicago game dev scene is thriving. We also discuss how Young Horses' history as a group of Depaul University students influenced them, why Pokemon Snap and other zoological adventures appeal to kids and adults, Follow the 1099 on Twitter @ The1099Podcast Follow Joseph: @ JosephKnoop Follow ZWbuckley.com for more music.

Bankruptcy, console bombed, legal wranglings, infighting, too ambitious...For so many reasons, video games get canceled and never see the light of day, leaving us in the dark on what could have been. Frank Gasking of GamesThatWerent.com has dedicated a large part of his life to unearthing those forgotten gems (and duds), digging into their eventual failures, and speaking to the men and women who did their damndest to make it work. Frank's new book, appropriately titled "The Games That Weren't" is a collection of 80+ unreleased or canceled games that you should absolutely check out. On this week's episode, Frank and your host Joseph Knoop explore the multitude of reasons why games get canceled, the impact such an experience can have on game developers, and the importance of game history preservation. Games That Weren't: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/ Bitmap Books: https://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/ Joseph: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Music: ZWBuckley.com

The earliest days of the video game industry were, to put it lightly, a wild west of new technology We all know Atari, and I’m sure plenty of folks know about Coleco, but among the competitors was a company known as APF, and their machines -- the MP1000 and later the Imagination Machine -- helped define that first generation. And we have people like engineer Ed Smith to thank for that. Ed grew up like any other black kid in New York City’s Brownsville, a tough community that exists as a testament to the power of systemic discrimination, crime, and a lack of opportunity. Like many engineers before him (such as Jerry Lawson), Ed eventually fell in love with the satisfaction and pride of taking machines apart and putting them back together, and it’s that passion and hard work that drove him to a career at companies like APF, Netware creators Novell, and even Apple. But it wasn’t until recent years that Ed even felt comfortable sharing his experiences and wisdom, thanks to a self-imposed belief that no one would believe a guy like him was ever responsible for such a cool thing. It took until 2016, when Ed’s story was featured in FastCompany, for him to realize that his story had value. And so, Ed Smith wrote his memoir, appropriately titled “Imagine That: The story of Ed Smith, one of the first African Americans to work in the design of video games and personal computers. And folks, I know I hype up a lot of episodes. It’s my job, but this truly was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever had the privilege of having. Not only does Smith provide an engaging look at those early years of the video game wars, he illustrates a massively compelling look at how the African American community he grew up in shaped him, the way he lives his life, and the way he championed his own intelligence and drive throughout his career. The video game and tech industries of course still struggle to diversify themselves, but as with all history, it behooves us to learn it so we can imagine a better future. Buy Ed Smith's memoir, Imagine That: https://www.amazon.com/Imagine-That-Americans-personal-computers-ebook/dp/B0846535TR Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Music by: ZWBuckley.com

On this week's episode Can I Play That staff members Courtney Craven and Grant Stoner join the show to discuss their work advocating for gamers with disabilities, and all the accessibility changes they want to see from next-gen consoles, as well as the games media giants. How can companies like Microsoft, Sony, IGN, GameSpot, Nintendo, and others improve to allow more gamers with disabilities the chance to play? Tune in to find out. Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Follow Can I Play That: CanIPlayThat.com Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician: ZWbuckley.com

The Final Fantasy series has made for some of the most beloved storytelling in all of video games, but it goes beyond giant swords, spiky hair, and fancy graphics. There's an entire world of psychology behind every cast of characters, every world full of crystals, and every mustache-twirling villain. Dr. Anthony M. Bean's new book, SURPASSING THE LIMIT BREAK: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FINAL FANTASY, explores the elements of psychological science that permeate these fantasy worlds, from trauma, to life and death, holistic crystals, and even gender identity and subtypes. If you've ever wanted to know how Final Fantasy's stories interact with our brains, he's the guy to listen to. Buy Surpassing the Limit Break: The Psychology of Final Fantasy at leylinepublishing.com Follow Dr. Bean: @ VideoGameDoc on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at zwbuckley.com

Decades after movies like The Thing and The Blob, why does the body horror genre still fascinate fans? Even better, how do you translate the experience of being a ravenous, sentient ball of spaghetti and meatballs into a video game? Krzysztof Chomicki, game and level designer on Carrion, is here to tell us how he and the team at Phobia Game Studios designed a "reverse-horror" game where YOU are the monster. Joe and Krzysztof dive into the roots of body and cosmic horror, why the Polish have such a dark sense of humor, and the development of Carrion from idea to a massively fun metroidvania game. Carrion is out now on PC, Switch, and Game Pass. Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: ZWbuckley.com

Rafal Bryks had no idea what he was doing for the majority of Yes, Your Grace's long development, but he and the rest of the team at Brave at Night managed to create a fascinating little kingdom simulator where you're listening to the demands and pleas of your subjects while also taking care of your family and preparing for war. Mondays, am I right? Rafal joins the show to discuss how Game of Thrones' popularity influenced Yes, Your Grace's development, how to blend seemingly disparate styles of gameplay, and some of the other tough lessons from a five-year dev cycle. If you'd like to lend your support to the Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality movements, here are some excellent organizations to support: Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/ Movement For Black Lives: https://m4bl.org/ Black Voters Matter: https://www.blackvotersmatterfund.org/ National Council for Incarcerated Women and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls: https://www.nationalcouncil.us/donation Survived and Punished: https://www.alliedmedia.org/survived-and-punished/donate Highlander Center: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1417777 Fund for Black Newspapers: https://www.localmedia.org/journalism-fund-for-black-newspapers/ More resources: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/6/9/21281538/how-to-donate-to-black-lives-matter-charity

Stephanie Tinsley has had one hell of a career, from the early days of somehow getting to touch Brittney Spears' butt in a conga line, to living through the Enron scandal, and finally diving into the world of video game PR and all of its absolutely batshit shenanigans. Stephanie joins the show to discuss the wilder side of her years coming up in the business, the heartbreak you experience when a game's community comes together for something beautiful, and playing ping-pong with Pink and Billy Idol.

Cloudpunk is one of my favorite games of the year, so of course I had to have writer and narrative designer Thomas Welsh on to discuss how he helped Ion Lands build a cyberpunk world of floating cars, towering skyscrapers, and talking dog AI companions that are also your car. We talk about what it's like to go from authoring science fiction books to writing your first video game, how he developed some of the awesome characters you find in the game, and how you make a cyberpunk story that tries to do things a little differently, and what lessons he's learned from the experience. For anyone interested in the craft of game writing or world building, you should absolutely check this episode out. SUPPORT THE 1099: Review the show wherever you watch us and share it out on social media! FOLLOW JOE: @ JosephKnoop SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN: ZWBuckley.com

It's a review show! This week, Mr. John Phipps from SGDC and Red Bull's Jake Tucker join to dish all about the legacy of Final Fantasy 7 and what the Remake does right and wrong, how Gears Tactics is the best XCOM game in a year that already has one, and how Cloudpunk is giving off all sorts of big Blade Runner vibes. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow SDGC: @ OfficialSDGC Follow John: @ MisterMegative Follow Jake: @ _JakeTucker Leave a review of the show if you like it and share it around on Twitter. Let us know what you think of our very correct opinions. Music: ZWBuckley.com.

Michael Chu -- lead writer of Overwatch and game designer on World of Warcraft, Diablo 3 and more -- joins the show to talk about his 20 years at Blizzard developing some of the world's most influential games, his love for Tolkien and Star Wars, and all the lessons he learned trying to build the incredible world of Overwatch. It's an extra-length helping of game development and story design discussion, and even though I say this all the time, it truly was my favorite episode yet. Remember to subscribe to The 1099 for more podcasts from your favorite people in the game dev and games media worlds. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: ZWBuckley.com

LudoNarraCon is celebrating its second year! What's LudoNarraCon? It's the coolest all-digital convention that celebrates the best of narrative-focused indie games like Neo Cab, HypnoSpace Outlaw, Sam Barlow's Telling Lies, or *checks notes* Boyfriend Dungeon. Chris Wright, founder of indie publisher Fellow Traveller (who also runs LudoNarraCon) joins the show to talk about how the show comes together on Steam's homepage, why narrative games are having a modern renaissance, and what kinds of struggles indie developers face when trying to get their game noticed. If you want to hear plenty of game business talk, this is the show for you. LUDONARRACON IS APRIL 24 - 27 on the Steam homepage. More info: https://www.ludonarracon.com/ Support the 1099: Follow us on Twitter @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe on Twitter @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: zwbuckley.com

For some strange reason, Brock Wilbur took it upon himself to co-write a book about Postal, the infamously violent, confoundingly crass, and painfully 90's video game series about committing mass murder, among other things. Brock joins the show to discuss what it was like to sit down and chat with the creators of one of gaming's most infamous franchises, the chicken-and-the-egg conundrum of what Postal's influence on American kids really was, and how it all came to a head with the equally infamous movie director Uwe Boll. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think Brock's book about a shitty game made me learn something about myself, and I think it'll make you learn something, too. BUY THE BOOK OUT ON APRIL 7) ON BOSSFIGHT BOOKS: https://bossfightbooks.com/products/postal-by-brock-wilbur-nathan-rabin BUY THE BOOK ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=postal+brock+wilbur&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 FOLLOW BROCK: https://twitter.com/brockwilbur

Raheem "Mega Ran" Jarbo wasn't always the hip-hop darling of the video game world. For almost six years, he was a middle school teacher in the Philly and Phoenix areas, helping shape a new generation of English class students and music lovers. Rather than solely discussing his hip-hop career, we dive into his background in the educational system, his own experiences at school, the teachers and students who impacted his life the most, how education has influenced his numerous albums throughout the years, what a Mega Ran music class would look like, and much much more. SUPPORT THE 1099! BUY JOE A COFFEE: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop FOLLOW THE 1099 ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop\ FOLLOW MEGA RAN: https://twitter.com/MegaRan SUPPORT OUR RESIDENT MUSICIAN: https://www.zwbuckley.com/

Simon Parkin, writer for The New Yorker and The Guardian, joins the show to discuss his new book "A Game of Birds and Wolves," a fascinating history of the women of the British Navy who developed a massive war game (much like the Warhammer and tactics games of modern day) to help win WWII, creating a strategy to combat German U-Boats, which routinely decimated shipping and combat vessels in the Atlantic. Joe and Simon dive into the band of misfits that were the Wrens, a special all-women division of the British military, how Captain Gilbert Roberts used his wargaming experience to guide the British Navy in developing invaluable counter-manuevers, and the roots of wargaming that have influenced games like Warhammer, Total War, Final Fantasy Tactics, and more. BUY A GAME OF BIRDS AND WOLVES on Amazon or other major booksellers: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Birds-Wolves-Secret-that/dp/1529353033/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3H0KXX6LSTR0F&keywords=a+game+of+birds+and+wolves&qid=1581447207&sprefix=a+game+of+birds+and%2Caps%2C-1&sr=8-2 Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joseph on Twitter: @ JosephKnoop Simon will also be hosting a talk about A Game of Birds and Wolves at this year's Game Developers Conference. If you're attending, don't miss it!

California's new AB5 law is here, and it's already harmed the lives of countless west coast freelance writers, photographers, musicians, and more. And it could potentially harm California-based freelance game developers, too. Long story short, AB5 originally intended to provide greater worker protections for exploited workforces like those working for Uber, Lyft, and other contractor agencies. Instead, the bill was written so broadly that it now arbitrarily restricts the number of submissions we can make to a company per year. Imagine only being able to write or produce 35 pieces of work, including smaller examples like a news story, PER YEAR. To that end, I spoke with Richard Hoeg of Hoeg Law, an experienced lawyer who's been following AB5 and its impact since mid-2019. We discuss the law's impact on the freelancer community, its history and background, why so many more powerful groups managed to get exemptions for their industries, and what the future holds for California companies and the freelancers they now can't bring on. If you want to speak up about AB5, contact your local representative. Who is my representative: https://whoismyrepresentative.com/ Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, mastermind of AB5: (916) 319-2080 Governor Gavin Newsom: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/ You can find Hoeg Law: https://hoeglaw.com/ You can also watch his wonderful YouTube series Virtual Legality at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5RTzzeCFurWTPLm8usDkQ FOLLOW THE 1099 ON TWITTER! @ The1099Podcast

Dear friend of the show Michael Martin spent the last year running Capcom Esports before unexpectedly stepping down. In this episode, we'll hear from him on what it was like to run the esports division of the franchise (Street Fighter) that shaped him as a young man, how working for the game's community impacted his mental health, and ultimately why it's important to step away, even from supposed dream jobs. SUPPORT Mike: @Bizzaro_Mike

Memoir games - that is, a video game designed as a personal reflection on some part of your life. They have a LOT to teach us about ourselves, both their creators and the people who play them. Emma Kidwell is a former Gamasutra editor who's made a number of really beautiful memoir games (check out "Nod if You Can Hear Me" and "Half" on her itch.io page linked below), and she's learned a lot about herself, her craft, and also some negative stuff. While memoir games can be therapuetic, they can also easily be a crutch that game devs rely on. So Emma and I unpack what makes for a good memoir game, and what makes for a constructive experience making one. We also talk plenty about therapy in general, and how our favorite artform has impacted our journeys to healthier living. Check out Emma Kidwell's work: https://emmkid.itch.io/ Emma Kidwell on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmaKidwell Support The 1099 by following us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Support our musician ZWBuckley: https://www.zwbuckley.com/

Happy holidays, 1099ers! It's that time of year, where we kick back, relax, and gush over the games that made 2019 such an incredible time to love video games. This week's guest? You know him as a writer on Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity Original Sin 2 (plus Earthnight, which just released), longtime friend of the show, Mr. Kevin VanOrd. Kevin's expertise in the video game world makes this a wonderful conversation, full of insight into indie games and big-budget AAA experiences alike. The boys discuss everything from Hypnospace Outlaw, to Apex Legends, to Metro: Exodus, and finally our absolute game of the year....well, you'll just have to listen to find out. Grab the cocoa, charge your Dualshock, and let us take the wheel for a whopping 90 minutes. Thank you to Kevin for joining the show. You can find him on Twitter @FiddleCub, and go buy Earthnight on Steam or Switch.

One day after the Game Informer layoffs, Elise Favis applied to the Washington Post's new games media vertical, Launcher. She didn't expect to get it, but the universe said "ha, you're moving to D.C." Elise joins the show to answer the question: What does games journalism look like at Washington Post, the media outlet responsible for some of the world's most important reporting? And what responsibilities do games journalists have in this age of controversy and social upheaval? We talk about all that, plus the aftermath of the Game Informer layoffs, the internship program, and what you need to know if you plan on pitching a story to WaPo. SUPPORT THE 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter

You know Chris Avellone as the writer for classic RPGs and action games like Jedi: Fallen Order, KOTOR 2, Pillars of Eternity, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Fallout New Vegas, and dozens more. We dive into what makes Star Wars lore so special, and what makes it resonate across three trilogies and countless spinoffs. We also go in-depth with what it's like to be a freelance writer, not in games media, but in game development, and how he navigates those less stable waters. We also touch on why D&D and other fantasy realms are such rich tapestries for storytelling. If you love chatter about the art of writing in games, you can't ask for a better guest than Chris. SUPPORT THE 1099: FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ THE1099PODCAST SUPPORT JOE @ JOSEPHKNOOP

As far as my career goes, I owe Ben Hanson a heck of a lot for helping shepherd me through my Game Informer days. Now that he's departed from Game Informer and created MinnMax, a new Patreon-funded outlet, he's ready to share his thoughts on the tragic layoffs, the state of games media, and how he's using nearly a decade of experience at GI to build something meaningful over att MinnMax. The boys also talk about the magic of community building using Discord, and what it means to make a difference in games media. SUPPORT MINNMAX https://www.patreon.com/minnmax https://www.youtube.com/minnmaxgames https://twitter.com/MinnMaxGames https://twitter.com/yozetty SUPPORT THE 1099 https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast SUPPORT JOE https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Subscribe to the show, and give us a review on iTunes or anywhere else!

On this week's episode of The 1099, The Outer Worlds narrative designer Nitai Poddar and senior game designer Brian Heins join Joe to talk about how they made such a weird and comedic universe full of sci-fi late-stage capitalism. The guys talk about creating complicated communities like Edgewater, how each companion reflects a different point-of-view on the plight of the universe, and how gray area game design fills in all the gaps. If you love hearing about how narrative and game design intertwine, this is the podcast for you. SUPPORT THE 1099 Follow us on Twitter at @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe @ JosephKnoop And please share the show on your social media and give us a review on iTunes.

Ex-Game Informer editor Javy Gwaltney joins to talk about the tragic Game Informer layoffs, finding a new home with The Outer Worlds PR team, that awkward situation over at Deadspin and what it means for online media. We also gush over Javy's Game of the Year. Can you guess what it is? It's...Outer Worlds...duh. But the boys talk about the game's comforting RPG gameplay, its Late Stage Capitalism politics, and more. Show edited by Aidan Hall: https://twitter.com/AidanHall93 Show hosted by Joseph Knoop - @JosephKnoop on Twitter FOLLOW THE 1099 ON TWITTER: @The1099Podcast on Twitter

PC Gamer's resident Rainbow Six Siege authority Morgan Park joins the show to talk about an entirely different shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It's been like...a long time since we had a proper Modern Warfare game, but how does this reboot stack up compared to the original trilogy and more recent games? Are the politics behind its huge focus on chemical weapons anything to think twice about? How does multiplayer hold up when things get slowed way the heck down? And is Captain Price a good boy? Check out the show to hear what we thought. We also discuss how Morgan landed a job covering Rainbow Six for PC Gamer, if you're interested in hearing Follow Morgan: @ MorganRPark or https://twitter.com/MorganRPark SUPPORT THE 1099: Follow us on Twitter @ The1099Podcast

On this week's episode, journalist and author Reyan Ali joins us to discuss his new book -- appropriately titled NBA JAM: THE BOOK. Get an inside look at how one of Midway's most famous games came together, how it helped spark off a renaissance of arcade playtime across the country, how it invigorated a devout fan community of amateur detectives, and how it found its way into the hearts and minds of actual NBA players like SHAQ. Seriously, Shaq has this amazingly touching anecdote. I say this every damn week, but this really was one of the greatest episodes. BUY NBA JAM THE BOOK: https://twitter.com/nbajambook Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YSZZXVQ

You ain't lived until you've put in your time in the gig economy. NEO CAB is a game all about being the last human Uber driver in a futuristic San Francisco-ish city, and we've got creative director Patrick Ewing on the show to tell us about how this weird, beautiful narrative about long rides, short conversations, and flaky friends came together. You'll hear about the people they consulted, like the enigmatic UBER GOD, how you design a game narrative focused on brief conversations with (possibly hostile) strangers, and what lessons Patrick learned from working at Campo Santo making Firewatch. Enjoy! SUPPORT THE 1099: @The1099Podcast on Twitter! SUPPORT JOE: @JosephKnoop on Twitter!

What do a government employee, an assassin, and a mischievous bird all have in common? Well, they all enjoy murdering and/or annoying other people, but they're also getting reviewed by yours truly and Gamasutra news editor Alissa McAloon. That's right, we review Untitled Goose Game, Remedy's Control, and the conclusion of Hitman 2, and quite frankly, what's the difference? So get ready for a honkin' good time, because Alissa is the world's premiere authority on the world of assassination. FOLLOW ALISSA: @Gliitchy FOLLOW JOE: @JosephKnoop FOLLOW THE 1099: @The1099Podcast

Terri Schwartz is many things. She's IGN's editor-in-chief of entertainment (the Hollywood and Netflix half of IGN), she's the embodiment of hustle, and she's one of my favorite people I've ever worked for. On this week's episode of the 1099, Terri and I talk about the art of covering Hollywood as colossal giants like Disney sweep up properties left and right, while Netflix and others raise their defenses for the ongoing streaming wars. What does it take to cover such a different world of movies and TV then what we had even 10 years ago? What does it take to put on a show like Comic Con, where IGN hosts countless movie and TV stars, and get something meaningful out of it? What do you do when Game of Thrones is over? And what does it take to go from freelancing in Boston to running one half of a massive website like IGN? Terri and I discuss all that and more, and if you're a new writer hoping to break into the field, she's got plenty of advice for you, too. Check it out, and we hope you enjoy. SUPPORT THE 1099 BY FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER @ THE1099PODCAST SUPPORT JOE @ JOSEPHKNOOP SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN at ZWBuckley.com

In what might be one of my favorite episodes in some time, Telling Lies and Her Story creator Sam Barlow joins the 1099 to talk about how you write, shoot, and build a live-action mystery game like Telling Lies. Oh, and we also talk about how Alfred Hitchcock was the first great game designer, how reading grocery receipts can tell you all you need to know about a person's life, and how a video of a sleeping David Beckham served as inspiration for Telling Lies' more intimate tone. Support the 1099! Follow us on Twitter (@ the1099podcast), follow Joe (@ JosephKnoop), and retweet/share the show on Twitter, Facebook, and your local NSA wiretap.

On this week's episode, Game Developers of Color Expo Organizer Shawn Alexander Allen joins to talk about all the lessons we can learn from an event that aims to change the industry, not just talk about it. Whether it's providing more opportunities for students, increasing diversity in the workplace, or just reflecting the lived experiences of black and brown people through a game's systems, there's a lot - a LOT - to dig into here. SUPPORT GDOC: https://gamedevsofcolorexpo.com/ Shawn Alexander Allen: https://twitter.com/aNuChallenger Treachery in Beatdown City: https://twitter.com/Beatdown_City FOLLOW THE 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop

You don't need me to tell you that games journalism is a tough business. Shortly after we recorded this episode, Game Informer laid off nearly half of their staff. Brian Crecente, a co-founder of Kotaku, Polygon, Rolling Stone's Glixel, and Variety's gaming coverage has been through those same ringers, and they never get any easier. But picking yourself back up and starting a new games media website doesn't have to be an insurmountable task. Crecente joins the 1099 to discuss the aftermath of Variety shutting down its otherwise successful video game coverage, what he hopes to achieve next, and all the lessons he's learned along the way about fundraising, talking to boardroom execs who control the purse strings, building a staff that will carry you beyond the starting line, the use of freelancers, and plenty more. SUPPORT THE 1099 BY FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER @THE1099PODCAST SUPPORT JOE @JOSEPHKNOOP SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN at ZWBuckley.com

On this week's episode, I hang out with Rooster Teeth Games director Michael Hadwin and lead designer Casey Donnellan to talk about how they've built up Rooster Teeth's very own game development studio, plus the road to releasing Vicious Circle, their brand new "un-cooperative" sci-fi shooter game, available now on Steam! We talk about Hadwin's history with 3D Realms and founding multiple studios, lessons learned from developing games based on the RWBY franchise, Rooster Teeth's design philosophy behind all its games, and all the weird sci-fi nonsense that's gone into building the world of Vicious Circle. FOLLOW THE 1099 on TWITTER: @ The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE: @ JosephKnoop

Cults are a fascinating (and occasionally gruesome) thing, and perhaps no one knows this better than Richard Rouse III, director on The Church in the Darkness. Imagine telling someone you're making a top-down stealth action game where you infiltrate a cult in the middle of South America to rescue your sibling. Rouse walks us through the design process for such an experience, and how the complicated reality of a cult influenced how he built this hostile community. We also discuss our favorite cults in games and what they do right and wrong when it comes to depicting cult think. IGN's Donation Links for Victims in Texas and Ohio Shootings: https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/08/05/how-to-donate-el-paso-dayton-relief-victims-support-charity SUPPORT THE 1099 Follow on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @JosephKnoop Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com The Church in the Darkness is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch now.

Our best buddy Kalief Adams (of Spawn on Me fame) returns to chat about why we loved watching EVO 2019, the tournament's biggest moments, how diversity played a huge role, and why people of color love the fighting game community. DONATE to IGN's fundraiser for the victims of the Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas shooting. LINK: https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/08/05/how-to-donate-el-paso-dayton-relief-victims-support-charity SUPPORT SPAWN ON ME: https://twitter.com/SpawnOnMe FOLLOW KAHLIEF: https://twitter.com/Kahjahkins FOLLOW THE 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop

Friend of the show and PCGamesN writer Ian Boudreau joins Joe to talk about war games that go beyond World War II, and helps us analyze why we're so dang obsessed with "Tacticool," or the hypersexualization of guns. If you've ever obsessed over strategy games, but wondered how they could push the envelope in terms of storytelling, this is a talk for you. Ian also shares his experiences as a military journalist, and many an anecdote about the Game Informer intern days are shared. Follow Ian: @IBoudreau Follow The 1099: @The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @JosephKnoop Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

When you think about streaming, especially Fortnite streaming, you don't really think about groups of people. You think of a solitary streamer hustling away and landing sick headshots all day long. In a world full of young men and women trying to hustle to stardom, we especially don't think about the mentors in our lives who helped guide us along the way. Fortnite pro Jack AKA Cizzorz of the FaZe clan has taken it upon himself to mentor one lucky contest winner, so I caught up with him on what the experience has been like, what mentorship looks like in such a solitary kind of career, what the FaZe team has imparted unto him, and the future of Fortnite's Creative Mode World Cup competitions. Hopefully you all find it a bit more introspective than the usual Fortnite interview. I know I had fun. SHARE AND RATE THE SHOW ON YOUR PLATFORM OF CHOICE, PLEASE AND THANK YOU! Follow the 1099 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Support ZW Buckley: ZWBuckley.com TOSS US A BUCK OR TWO: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop

The man of many headlines returns. Famed analyst and host of the Pachter Factor, Michael Pachter, joins the 1099 once again to discuss the shaky future of GameStop after its stock value plummets, what the future of game streaming looks like for Google Stadia, Microsoft's XCloud, and even PlayStation, and what prices we can expect for next-gen hardware like the PS5 and Xbox Scarlett. If you want all the business talk you can handle, you've found it. Follow the 1099: @ the1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joseph: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW BY DONATING: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop Support our musician @ zwbuckley.com Follow the Pachter Factor on SIFTD.net or @ https://www.youtube.com/user/SIFTDGAMES/videos

That's right. We're talking about anime. Washington Post editor Gene Park happened to watch the world famous anime Neon Genesis Evangelion at the tender age of 16. Like many young adults around him, as well as Evangelion's cast, Park grappled miserably with his mental health, and felt like he had nowhere to go. A year later, he would attempt to take his own life, and was hospitalized and kept in a psychiatric ward. It was only after another 19 years of mental health issues, alcoholism, and various drug addictions that Park managed to achieve sobriety and, like Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno, better understand himself. On this week's episode of the 1099, Park joins me to discuss a brilliant piece he wrote about how Evangelion helped him recognize and contextualize his own history of depression (https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/06/27/how-evangelion-opened-my-eyes-my-depression/?utm_term=.5526fc57c07e). We discuss his article, how Evangelion approaches the subject of mental health through a very Asian lens, the relationship between obsessive fandom and mental health, and the realities of mental illness we see illustrated in the show. Trust me, it's not as heavy as it sounds, because Gene Park is a wonderful human and I absolutely had a blast speaking with him, and I think you'll gain something extra meaningful from this conversation. FOLLOW GENE PARK: @GenePark FOLLOW JOSEPH: @JosephKnoop FOLLOW THE 1099: @The1099Podcast SUPPORT THE 1099 BY DONATING TO OUR KO-FI: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop

I absolutely cannot believe Outer Wilds exists. It is a game that is so...me, and everything I love about video games. Discovery, curiosity, cosmic beauty, and cosmic dread. As soon as I sat down to play it, I knew I had to interview the team on how they brought this interstellar Indiana Jones mystery to life. I'm joined by creative director Alex Beachum and art director Wesley Martin of Mobius Digital, two gentlemen who grew up loving the outdoors and video games. After a student version of Outer Wilds won the 2015 Seamus McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival, a long journey began to broaden and refine the scope of this incredible experience. The three of us discuss the beauty of discovery in games, player curiosity, and nature's influence on the game's design. SUPPORT THE 1099 BY DONATING: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop FOLLOW THE 1099: @The1099Podcast FOLLOW JOE: @JosephKnoop SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN at ZWBuckley.com

Content Warning: Discussions of warfare, trauma, death, and suicide. On this week's episode, I let my good friend John Phillips take the mic to talk about his thoughts and feelings on how Infinity Ward and Activision are marketing the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot as the grittier, extra-realistic take on modern combat. Rather than having a full conversation, John has given me permission to rehost the audio he posted a little while back. I felt it illustrated his thoughts more eloquently than I ever could in a real conversation. This isn't an easy conversation to have, but John is a brilliant person, and if this means this much to him, then I think it should mean something to a lot of folks. In this episode, John discusses his background as a former marine, the mental struggles he's carried ever since, and how Infinity Ward is still failing to respectfully or accurately portray the harsh realities of war. Take a seat, and listen in. Follow John on Twitter: @mistermegative Follow his show, the Super Deformed Gamescast: https://twitter.com/officialSDGC For those in need of support: Wounded Warrior: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Substance Abuse: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline PTSD: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ Mental Health: https://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/therapy

Xbox Scarlett, Bethesda, MOTHERFUCKING KEANU REEVES. OK, we didn't get Keanu for the show, but we do have Aiden Strawhun and Joseph Knoop to talk about E3 hopes and reactions to Microsoft's HUGE show. The duo also discuss what's happening in the IGN War Room and what it's like to work there during E3. Joe has moved into his damn LA apartment finally, so there's that too. E3! Hype! KEANU! Follow Aiden: @astraww Follow Joseph @JosephKnoop Support ZW Buckley at zwbuckley.com SHARE THE SHOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND RATE/REVIEW IT ON YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM. IT REALLY HELPS!

When was the first time you encountered sex in a video game? I've wanted to talk to Ana Valens for a long while about the amazing world of sex in video games, and how it intersects with marginalized identities. She's a trans/sex columnist at Daily Dot and a brilliant authority on the intersections between, sex, gender, and geek culture. We dive into the ways gaming culture still struggles to take its queer players seriously, how famous characters are "reclaimed" as queer icons, and the difference between a good, meaningful sex video game, and a lame one. It's a damn good show, y'all. Ana Valens on Twitter: @ACValens Joseph Knoop on Twitter: @JosephKnoop The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com And please consider sharing the show on social media and rating/reviewing us on your favorite platform! Happy E3 y'all!

I'm ridiculously busy getting ready to move to LA in less than a week, so you bet your ass I forgot to schedule a guest for The 1099. This week we're taking things easy, and I'm joined by my wonderful partner Aiden Strawhun, who you may recognize from IGN, GameSpot, Kotaku, and elsewhere. We talk about 1) how video games brought us together, and 2) the magic of long distance gaming, and how sharing virtual spaces like Stardew Valley or Overcooked has help us not only get through the first months of getting to better understand each other, but also strengthen our bonds and solidifying who we are as individuals rather than as a pair. If you've ever wondered how some couples just Make It Work, or if you want to think a little harder about how the psychology of multiplayer spaces can create and shape human bonds, you'll want to give this a listen. Our story isn't the fanciest, but we have learned a lot and grown along the way. Follow Aiden on Twitter @Astraww Follow Joe on Twitter @JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 @The1099Podcast Support ZW Buckley's music at zwbuckley.com Consider supporting the show by tossing a few bucks towards me on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/josephknoop

At this year's ID @ Xbox event during GDC, I fell in love with a little game called Raji: An Ancient Epic. The game blends old God of War-style action with Indian, Balinese, and Hindu mythology into a really beautiful and polished package. It made me eager to talk with the developers, and I got not one, not two, but three. Avichal Singh, Ian Maude, and Shruti Ghosh from Nodding Heads Games joined me to talk about how the stars aligned for them all to meet and make Raji, how difficult it can be to make a video game in India where infrastructure is poor and the government doesn't give two wits about digital media, and the personal parts of Indian culture they're putting into the game. I think you'll find this to be a really fascinating discussion about family, what the game developer hustle looks like on another continent, and why Indian culture can make for some compelling new ground for games to tackle. Raji Discord: https://discordapp.com/invite/f9gnFVP Raji Twitter: https://twitter.com/RajitheGame Raji Steam Page:https://store.steampowered.com/app/730390/Raji_An_Ancient_Epic/ Follow Joseph on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow the 1099 on Twitter: The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

Detective Pikachu is, believe it or not, the first legitimately good video game movie, and a big part of that is thanks to the wonderful writing by folks like Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. On this episode of The 1099, Hernandez joins me to talk about growing up with Pokémon, how he helped build the Pokémon world of Ryme City, and the film's themes of striking out on your own and striving for redemption. It's without a doubt one of my favorite conversations I've ever had on this show, and I think you'll love it too. Pika-Pika, indeed. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Follow Dan Hernandez on Twitter: @CubanMissileDH Follow Joseph on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Support our musician at zwbuckley.com

THE BIG ONE, folks! Former X-Play host Morgan Webb joins us to talk about the glory days of broadcast games media, plus a big focus on how she's building a constructive culture over at Bonfire Studios as they work on their first game, and all the lessons she's learned between. Also there's some stuff about cutie oranges, morbid jokes about book clubs, and swearing. It's fun for the whole family. Thank you for coming this far on this incredible journey with us. Time to start planning for Episode 300. Anyone got President Obama's number? Support our musician over at ZWBuckley.com Follow Joe on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow Morgan: @MorganWebb Follow the 1099: @The1099Podcast

On PART ONE of Episode 200, I'm joined by the former and far more handsome host of The 1099, Josiah Renaudin, back from the halls of EA for one brief moment in time. The boys discuss Josiah's job at EA, his team, and reflect back on Josiah's time steering the show. It's a prelude filled with lots of touchy-feely good times and gratitude. Don't miss out on it, and don't miss out on PART TWO of Episode 200, featuring former X-Play host and current Bonfire Studios member Morgan Webb, which should be available right now as well.

If you're like me, you grew up in a heyday of superhero cartoons, and none stood higher than Justice League. On this week's episode, an integral part of those heroics joins me. Voice actress Susan Eisenberg has helped define Wonder Woman's image and mass popularity since 2001, working on Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and later the Injustice video games from NetherRealm. We chat about the evolution of the character through the years, why Wonder Woman has persisted, and the latest DC animated film, Justice League vs. The Fatal Five. We also talk about lessons learned from the SAG-AFTRA strikes, and what the video game world can take from it. TL;DR: This episode was so much fun that Susan and I are hanging out in LA later. Don't miss this one. Follow Susan Eisenberg on Twitter: @SusanEisenberg1 Follow Joe on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Support our musician Zach Buckley at ZWbuckley.com Buy Justice League vs. the Fatal Five: https://www.amazon.com/Justice-League-Fatal-Five-Blu-ray/dp/B07KZHVHV6 SUPPORT JOE VIA KO-FI: http://ko-fi.com/josephknoop And don't forget to voice your support for more DC animated adventures.

On this week's episode of The 1099, Spawn On Me co-founder and very rad dude Kahlief Adams joins me to talk about 6+ years of highlighting people of color in the games industry, plus their new GoFundMe drive for 2019-2020. In a media field that still struggles to achieve greater diversity, what does it take to foster up-and-coming writers and creators of color? What steps does the industry need to take to create a better platform for marginalized voices? And how are people of color and other marginalized creatives out there adapting to the industry as it is? Kahlief gives us some very sincere, very enlightening perspective into all this and more. Plus, we end up shooting the shit about Hideo Kojima, the art of podcasting, and building each other up as creatives. You don't need to tell me twice to be grateful for cool guys like Kah. Follow Kahlief on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kahjahkins Follow Spawn on Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/spawnonme DONATE TO SPAWN ON ME's GoFundMe PAGE: https://www.gofundme.com/help-spawn-on-me Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Send some love to our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com!

On this week's episode, Falcon Age creative director Chandana Ekanayake AKA 'Eka' joins The 1099 to talk about the game's themes of colonialism, family, and reclamation. It's not often we get to see Southeast Asia (Sri Lanka in this case) represented so proudly in gaming, and we dig into Eka's life growing up in Sri Lanka, then Maryland, and how his identity has shifted throughout adulthood. Plus, how they made one of the most convincing (and cute) animals in games to date, and what it's like sticking around in the VR game business this long. Follow Joe on Twitter: @JosephKnoop Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @The1099Podcast Follow Eka on Twitter: @Ekanaut Support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com and give him some work!

Content Warning: Discussion of serious illness, including cancer and alcoholism. You know, there are plenty of writers and media folks out there that I idolize. But one of the guys I look up to most is a guy named Blake Hester, a writer most seen on Polygon, but also a former intern at Game Informer, just like me. I’ve always been captivated by his features writing, where he’s explored the history of Red Dead, Crash Bandicoot, Sonic the Hedgehog, and interviewing Geoff friggin’ Keighley for six months about the Game Awards. Jesus. But I really admire him as a person with a lot of strength and, well, chill, and even more so after this conversation. About 32 weeks ago, Blake announced that he had cancer. His treatment happened, I happened to hang out with him for an afternoon in San Francisco in October 2018, and then a few months after that he checked himself into rehab for his alcoholism, where halfway through he was informed that on top of all that, his cancer had come back. On this week’s episode, we discuss his journey through treatment, recognizing his illness, and how he’s kept pushing forward with his work despite the weight of it all, and if you know anything about Blake Hester, let me assure you it’s a VERY Blake kind of discussion, haha. I think a lot of people, whether they’ve worked in art or technology or any mix of the two know what it’s like to precariously balance your health, your happiness, and your career, especially if life throws you a curveball...or three. Like any episode of The 1099, it’s my hope that you get something meaningful out of this, but this episode maybe more than any other I’ve recorded so far. If you struggle with illness and its effects on your life or career in any way, please know that you’re not alone, and that there are resources that can help you, some of which I’ve linked to in the show description on Soundcloud. Of course, if discussion of these sensitive topics might cause you emotional or mental distress, exercise caution. You fans of The 1099 are slowly becoming more and more like family to me, and the last thing we need is for you to be in a worse place. So yeah, as always, thank you for listening, and thank you for all the kind words you folks have sent the past few weeks. It’s kept me going too. Alcoholics Anonymous: https://www.aa.org/ Cancer.Gov: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types Rehabilitation: https://www.rehabs.com/ Healthcare.Gov: https://www.healthcare.gov/ Follow Blake on Twitter @metallicaisrad Follow Joe on Twitter @JosephKnoop Support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com

You know her from her work at IGN, GameSpot, and Paste, plus her fan club over at Kinda Funny - and now she's a big fancy grad student at Berkeley, California! Aiden Strawhun joins me to talk about going to her very first GDC (Game Developers Conference) after sleeping until 2pm the weekend after. Aiden was lucky enough to go via the Xbox Game Changers Scholarship, which gives promising (and often marginalized) voices a chance to network and establish relationships with fellow creators and big industry names. We also talk about how vastly our experiences differed when it came to certain interactions with gatekeepers in the industry, plus we gush over some of our favorite games we got to play. Short version: Play some damn Cat Quest 2, y'all. Follow Aiden on Twitter: @Astraww

Anthem voice actress and GameDev.world co-founder Sarah Elmaleh joins Joe this week to talk about how she's working to make game developer events more inclusive by hosting a "global game developers conference" called GameDev.world, which will be translated into dozens of different languages all over the world. Sarah also opens up about her experiences voicing the freelancer in Anthem, Katie Greenbriar in Gone Home, and her significant history of being an industry worker advocate! Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/selmaleh Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop

Harmonix producer Matt Kelly joins Joe to talk about Audica, the company's new VR music action game! The guys chat about what goes into making a kickass music game in VR, Harmonix's journey into different genres and formats. Follow @The1099Podcast

On this week's episode, IGN social editor and dear friend of the pod CASSIDEE MOSER joins Joe to gush about Captain Marvel and what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and fans. PLUS, being huge nerds who have a questionable affinity for Disney products, we list out the five best Star Wars video games ever! Cassidee: https://twitter.com/CassideeMoser Joseph: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast

On this week's episode, the one and only Tina Amini -- Editor-in-Chief of Games at IGN -- joins Joe to talk about how she runs one of the biggest names in games journalism. We dive into Tina's one year anniversary with IGN, what she's learned about leading such a huge team, the evolution of games media over the past decade, and the perspective of the industry she's been afforded as IGN's Big Boss. Support the show by following us @The1099Podcast and @JosephKnoop on Twitter, and support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com.

On this week's episode of The 1099, Game Workers Unite co-founder Emma Kinema joins Joseph to talk all about the struggle to unionize the video game industry. Why are so many studios laying off hundreds of workers without any severance packages? Why are so many studios overworking their employees? How could collective bargaining (AKA a union) help those employees stave off the financial, physical, or mental toll of working for exploitative studios? Games media is rife with accounts of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into our favorite games, but maybe it's time to cut back a little on all of those and give developers the security and freedom any modern American deserves from their full-time job. Question is: How do we get there? Game Workers Unite: https://www.gameworkersunite.org/ Emma Kinema: https://twitter.com/EmmaKinema Game Developers Conference: https://www.gdconf.com/ Joseph on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop 1099 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/the1099Podcast ZWBuckley: https://www.zwbuckley.com/

Metro series creator and author Dmitry Glukhovsky joins me to talk about the tense political and personal history behind his version of the Russian post-apocalypse, how he helped 4A Games bring it to video game life, and a hell of a lot more. You don't want to miss this one. As always, support our resident musician at zwbuckley.com and let us know your thoughts on Twitter @The1099Podcast

This week, Joe is joined by Netflix's The Dragon Prince creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond to discuss how they've built their new fantasy world, how they strive to make its characters meaningful and diverse, how they work with fans to find ways they can do better, and what went into making them the writers they are today. Joe also happened to write the first article on Wonderstorm, Aaron and Justin's company. https://www.polygon.com/features/2017/11/30/16716400/last-airbender-uncharted-wonderstorm Make sure to support our resident musician at ZWBuckley.com.

On this week’s episode of The 1099, GameDaily.biz managing editor Amanda Farough joins Joe to talk about the art of business reporting in an industry that’s dominated by enthusiast press. Joe and Amanda discuss the kinds of standards business reporters hold themselves to, how to make boring old financial reports interesting to someone who doesn’t know what a euro is, and how to build up a new brand like GameDaily! We also dive into the ongoing war between the Epic Games Store and Valve’s Steam and more. Gird your loins, y’all. As always, music is provided by ZW Buckley, who you can find at ZWBuckley.com. Episode edited by Aiden Strawhun.

Matt Silverman, creator of the Free Dad Videos YouTube channel, went and made a No Man's Sky short film starring his 5-year-old daughter Amelia, Greg Miller, and WWE star Austin Creed. Joe and Matt talk about how the channel has become a living picture album of Amelia's life, how he used No Man's Sky to create the short film, and how fatherhood has changed him as a creator. Music provided by ZW Buckley, which you can find at zwbuckley.com

The guys behind JT Music are celebrating 10 years of making video game rap music, and they join Joe to talk all about it. The crew touches on how YouTube has changed the video game fan culture landscape, how they run a businesses like JT Music day-to-day, and what games have influenced them in their endeavors. You can find JT Music on Twitter @JTMusicTeam and Joe @JosephKnoop. Music provided by ZW Buckley, who you can find at zwbuckley.com

On this week's episode, Joseph Knoop officially takes over the reins of the 1099. Joe is joined by AbleGamers COO and Game Awards' Global Gaming Citizen Steven Spohn, who works to improve accessibility for gamers with disabilities. The two chat about Steven's work leading such an important cause, the issues that gamers with disabilities and AbleGamers face, and how he cultivates hope and strength in a world that hasn't always shown him either. 1099 music (episode 184 onward) provided by Zach Buckley. Find his work at www.zwbuckley.com.

On this week's episode, a video producer for PeanutButterGamer, producer for Hardcore, and video wizard, Todd Schlickbernd; the leader of the Gameranx video team, internet celebrity, and first-ever The 1099 guest, Jake Baldino; and podcast founder Josiah Renaudin come together to discuss 10 different series that should change their genres. Jake and Todd join Josiah for his final show to pitch new ideas for franchises like Assassin's Creed, Dead Rising, Dark Souls, and much more.

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin breaks down his crazy last few months with the help of freelancer and The 1099 MVP, Joseph Knoop. Josiah explains his new job at Electronic Arts, all the different meetings he's been taking, and the future of the podcast.

On this week's episode, a co-founder at popagenda, former brand manager at Square Enix, and noted Canadian, Geneviève St-Onge, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how indie games are promoted. Gen details her new company's mission, why teams need people to think about the marketing/PR side of the business, the competitive nature of the industry, starting your own business, knowing how many hours you should be working per week, and what to expect from popagenda in 2019.

On this week's episode, a developer, designer, writer, and creative director at Supergiant Games and one of the main minds behind hits like Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and now Hades, Greg Kasavin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss Early Access games. Greg details the origins of Hades, the importance of getting excited about a project, listening to audience feedback, The Game Awards, future Hades update plans, and his team's biggest inspirations.

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin is joined by a familiar cast to determine the top 10 games of 2018. The crew includes podcaster, past GameSpotter, and current writer, Tom Mc Shea; the managing editor at Feminist Frequency, podcaster, streamer, and writer, Carolyn Petit; and game designer and writer for Divinity Original Sin 2 and former GameSpot reviews editor, Kevin VanOrd. The crew argues for the best games of the year, including names like Spider-Man, Florence, Moonlighter, Frostpunk, Tetris Effect, and much more.

On this week's episode, a writer at the Atlantic, Variety, Outline, and Rolling Stone and a foremost expert on esports, Will Partin, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss all things competitive gaming. Will explains the current dynamics of the industry, comparisons to other sports, the health of Overwatch league, broadcast deals, inclusion, sponsorships, and major trends moving forward.

On the latest edition of the "Josiah Reviews" series, prolific freelancer and The 1099 champion Joseph Knoop joins host Josiah Renaudin to review four major releases. The duo explains why Dragon Quest XI might be the best JRPG (and game) of the year, how Life is Strange Season 2 slips in some of its biggest moments, why Strange Brigade is the Left 4 Dead game some people didn't know they wanted, and how NBA 2K19's MyCareer mode makes the whole package one of the best sports games of all time.

On this week's episode, a research analyst at Wedbush Securities, the host of the Pachter Factor, and one of the biggest names in the business of games, Michael Pachter, joins host Josiah Renaudin for a deep dive into the current state of the industry. The two tackle the release date of next-gen consoles, the problems with the concept of "Netflix for games," the success of Fortnite and what it means for the rest of the industry, the state of Nintendo, and Sony pulling out of E3.

On this week's episode, Game Informer features editor and JRPG guru, Kim Wallace, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the JRPGs you need to play—whether you're a hardcore fan or entirely new to the genre. From Dragon Quest XI to Chrono Trigger, the duo details why turn-based games still have a place in modern video games.

On this week's episode, a game writer at Wooga, former scriptwriter at Guerrilla Games, former writer for Ubisoft on Assassin’s Creed, former narrative designer at Ludia, and an advocate for aspiring professionals in the industry, Jana Sloan van Geest, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss writing stories for games. Jana explains what it's like crafting narratives for AAA titles, how to get into games writing, why each team is an entirely different experience, the differences between main and side quests, and which characters still stick with her. Also, Josiah provides an update on his job situation.

On this week's episode, former game director at Disruptor Beam, former lead producer at 38 Studios, former host at GameSpot, and now the executive producer at OtherSide Entertainment, Rich Gallup, joins host Josiah Renaudin to dig into game production. Rich details his time at GameSpot, how games media has changed, his fondest memories from 38 Studios, what good game production can do for a development team, the state of mobile games, and what he's working on now at OtherSide.

On this week's episode, Josiah goes solo to explain what's been going on with his life and why his mindset has changed. He details his departure from Tangent Games, all the crazy things that have happened since, the importance of mental health, and the future of the podcast.

On this week's episode, the lead game designer on the recently released Shadow of the Tomb Raider, a former senior game designer at Beenox, and a man with a dozen years in the games industry, Heath Smith, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how Eidos Montréal built the new Tomb Raider. Heath details how the series has changed over time, key design decisions, his philosophy on gameplay design, the subtle touches that make Shadow of the Tomb Raider work so well, and what to expect from the DLC.

On this week's episode, a game developer who’s worked on projects like What Remains of Edith Finch, The Unfinished Swan, Room of 1000 Snakes, Sonic Dreams Collection, and the recently released Donut County, Ben Esposito, joins host Josiah Renaudin for a deep dive into indie development. Ben explains why Donut County took five years to make, the lessons he's learned, idea theft, how to manage your time in the games industry, how to write humor into games, and what comes next.

On this week's episode, a producer on projects like Tunic, Neo Cab, and SUPERHYPERCUBE, as well as someone with marketing, PR, and production experience within a wide variety of teams and games, Felix Kramer, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss game production. The duo tackles why indie teams can benefit from being forward-thinking, how good production can prevent crunch, whether or not word-of-mouth is enough when launching a game in 2018, and why it's OK to eat chicken nuggets in the bathtub.

On this week's episode, a big-time editor and host at CNET, as well as the king of the rotating chair on the Giant Beastcast, Jeff Bakalar, joins host Josiah Renaudin to list off the top 10 side characters who need their own games/series. Characters from franchises like Alan Wake, Banjo-Kazooie, BioShock, and Viewtiful Joe are all mentioned and discussed in detail.

On this week's episode, the editor-in-chief and voice of Easy Allies, co-founder of GameTrailers.com, and voice of video game reviews, Brandon Jones, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss building communities and the state of games media. Brandon details how GameTrailers features came together, experimenting with the Easy Allies formula, YouTube burnout, how to balance what's popular with what interests the overall group, and how we talk about games differently today.

On this week's episode, the host of NBA Desktop, half of the Binge Mode Podcast, a writer at The Ringer, and a former writer at Grantland, Jason Concepcion, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the biggest and best games yet to come out in 2018. The two share what they're most excited about (and their concerns) for games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Super Smash Bro. Ultimate, Hitman 2, and much more.

On this week's episode, a YouTuber, streamer, and content creator on Facebook, Doug Veney, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how to build an audience across multiple video platforms. Doug explains how he built GoodGameBro, balancing YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook, burning out, deciding if you should create an online persona, what people look for in a Fortnite streamer, and the value of talking directly to your viewers.

On this week's episode, a narrative designer and writer for games like FTL, Into the Breach, Original Sin II, Prey, and Fallout: New Vegas, who’s currently working on Dying Light 2 and an unannounced game with Ken Levine, Chris Avellone, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss narrative design. Chris covers what it means to be a story doctor, what stage of development a games writer most often enters a project, the number of projects some freelancers juggle, how to make additional text in RPGs appealing for the player, and the difficulty of writing a Star Wars game.

On this week's episode, popular YouTuber and podcaster in the world of MMA, Tommy Toe Hold, joins host Josiah Renaudin to list the top 10 hidden gems/underappreciated video games. From Full Metal Furies to 20XX, the duo details a medley of different games you missed out on—all available for download on modern consoles.

On this week's episode, a creative writer, journalist, and critic for Wired, Waypoint, and Gizmondo, Julie Muncy, and a writer seen on Polygon, Variety, Playboy, Motherboard, and Rolling Stone, Blake Hester, join host Josiah Renaudin for a games media round table. The group tackles what should and shouldn't be in a game review, how we talk to developers, avoiding PR messaging, why so many reviews read similarly, what it means to hire for passion in games media, and tips for writers getting into games.

On this week's episode, the composer at 10 Chambers, former audio director at Starbreeze, and man behind the sound design in favorites like Payday 2, Bionic Commando Rearmed, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Simon Viklund, joins host Josiah Renaudin to explain how sound gets into games. Simon details what it's like creating both music and sounds for major video games, how aspiring designers can break into the industry, whether or not you have to capture all of your own original sounds, and what makes upcoming co-op shooter GTFO special.

On this week's episode, the video producer for Game Informer, host of The Game Informer Show podcast, and one of the key creative forces behind Replay, Ben Hanson, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the growth of games media. Ben explains how GI successfully created a video and podcast presence, the tools hopeful video producers should learn about, why GI staff members often stay at the company for many years, why your potential podcast needs a unique hook, and the real difference between a 7.75 and 8.25 when it comes to game reviews.

On this week's episode, host Josiah Renaudin reviews a medley of new game releases. He covers why Yoku's Island Express hearkens back to the glory days of N64 platformers, why The Crew 2 might be an incredible racing game in 6 months to a year, the value of short-burst games like Mothergunship, the risks that Vampyr takes (and why they matter), and why Moonlighter is a top 3 game of 2018.

On this week's episode, the senior community producer at Giant Bomb, former lead editor at Whiskey Media, and former marketing and PR producer at Obsidian Entertainment, Matt Rorie, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss moving from media to development and back again. Matt details how he got into games media, his work at Obsidian on Alpha Protocol and Fallout: New Vegas, the struggles of video game production, freelancing before Giant Bomb, what he does at Giant Bomb, and some of the craziest support emails.

On this week's episode, a co-founder of Villa Gorilla, former lead designer at LucasArts, former lead designer at Starbreeze, and developer behind Yoku's Island Express, Jens Andersson, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss why video games take so damn long to make. Jens details why he went indie, how the timeline of Yoku's Island Express changed, understanding how to market smaller games, the success of the Nintendo Switch, whether or not reviews actually impact sales, and if devs should worry about trends.

On this week's episode, a composer, sound designer, half of The DROiDS, and new musician in the world of video games, Joshua Queen, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss the how, what, and why of game soundtracks. They tackle retro tracks, why music sticks with us decades later, competing with classic music in today's market, how to start working for developers both big and small, different tools that can help you get started, and why the gaming industry can be so welcoming to experienced composers from other industries.

On this week's episode, the creators of indie darling Sable, Gregorios Kythreotis and Daniel Fineberg, join host Josiah Renaudin to discuss how they made their game look so damn good. The two devs detail where they came up with the idea for Sable, its visual inspirations, the buildup to E3, working out of a shed, comparisons to Journey, meeting incredible expectations, maintaining the correct work-life balance, and when you can expect the final game.

On this week's episode, the author of The GameDev Business Handbook and The GameDev Budgeting Handbook, as well as former news editor at Game Informer, Mike Futter, joins host Josiah Renaudin to discuss video games as a business. The two tackle how game news is handled, the importance of understanding the publisher/developer relationship, media snark vs. media positivity, jumping back and forth between development and media, how to critique video game marketing campaigns, and the most common misconception about how games are made.