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Podcast: Gamer Era

Gamer Era Episode 020 – Attack of the Blockheads

Gamer Era Episode 020 – Attack of the Blockheads

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 020 - Attack of the Blockheads
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Gaming. It’s our business. With conquest on the mind, our brave hosts each explore the various triumphs and blunders of two titans venturing into the digital realm. First, David chronicles The Lego Group’s tentative steps into the 2000s – from the experimental Island series, to the justly forgotten cross-media flop of Galidor, through to the eventual breakout success of Bionicle. Then, Sam finally investigates a lifelong curiosity – just who exactly is multi-millionaire media mogul Alan Sugar, and what was he doing getting involved in the booming British micro-computer scene of the ‘80s? It’s all to play for in another block-busting instalment!

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Gamer Era Episode 019 – The Perfect Split

Gamer Era Episode 019 – The Perfect Split

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 019 - The Perfect Split
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Welcome back, valued listener. Pay close attention. Time is of the essence… Out from the darkness and into the light shine two masters in their fields. First, incumbent agent Sam details the original Perfect Dark – the much-hyped spiritual successor to GoldenEye that continues to draw interest to this day. Then, interstellar traveller Vernon (@meektheraccoon) flashes back to the TimeSplitters series, itself both a contemporary and successor to Perfect Dark with a similarly devout fanbase. These twin titles separated at birth share many commonalities, but it is crucial that focus is not lost. Good luck, listener.

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Gamer Era Episode 018 – A Brief History of Time and Space (ft. @PodtorWhocast)

Gamer Era Episode 018 – A Brief History of Time and Space (ft. @PodtorWhocast)

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 018 - A Brief History of Time and Space (ft. @PodtorWhocast)
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We’d be GREAT at curating – we’d be the game curators… It’s a calamity among worlds as PODTOR WHOCAST and GAMER ERA collide for the very first time! Join Sam, David and Michel as they journey through the unknown – from the neon-soaked days of the 1980s, to the twisted nights of the wilderness years in the 1990s, all the way to the “Nu” dawn from the mid-2000s. There’s also discussion on Michel’s involvement in writing for Fallout London, and the fascinating parallel history of microcomputers in the UK. This episode became such a monster that one instalment couldn’t possibly contain it – look forward to a Part Two somewhere in your future!

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Gamer Era Episode 017 – Sound, Vision and Chuckle

Gamer Era Episode 017 – Sound, Vision and Chuckle

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 017 - Sound, Vision and Chuckle
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Tales woven across small screen laughs and big screen thrills. It’s a veritable luckfest as our hosts spread the licensed game lovin’ across Rotherham and Tinseltown. Sam starts us off by pitching his idea for the ChuckleVision game that never was, hitching the wagon on various “Chuckle-likes” to find the perfect title to clone. Then, David takes us through the back half of the 90s movie zeitgeist through a pixelated lens, peppered with facts and tidbits. This week’s one is a bit of an unintentional epic – hold on to your ticket!

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Gamer Era Episode 016 – Nickel and Slimed

Gamer Era Episode 016 – Nickel and Slimed

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 016 - Nickel and Slimed
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It’s better than bad – it’s good! It’s time to get goopy, gacky, and all kinds of wacky, as Sam invites resident millennial Kit back on the pod to talk through two of Nickelodeon’s earliest animated efforts and their vibrant history in games. How close did Ren & Stimpy get to capturing the anarchic spirit of the show? How much content was cut from the Rugrats’ premiere 3D outing? And how many times can we say the words “lost media” before it loses all meaning? Whatever the answers, one thing’s clear – a gamer’s gotta do what a gamer’s gotta do. Gaming, that is.

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Gamer Era Episode 015 – A Sporting Chance

Gamer Era Episode 015 – A Sporting Chance

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 015 - A Sporting Chance
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Put me in, coach – I’m ready to play! In the spirit of a VERY sporting summer, Gabe beams in from @The_Pauldcast to share memories of digital bats, clubs and racquets. In the first half, Sam provides commentary on the contributions of a certain moustachioed plumber to the arcade sports genre, before David rises from the bench to analyse some truly bizarre football (soccer!) tie-ins and off-shoots. Also tangents. So, so many tangents.

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Gamer Era Episode 014 – Call of the Cyber-Maniac

Gamer Era Episode 014 – Call of the Cyber-Maniac

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 014 - Call of the Cyber-Maniac
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Dim the lights, set the stage – it’s gaming’s biggest night! After Sam swipes right on Nintendo’s clumsy first year in smartphone gaming, David rolls out the red carpet for Cybermania ‘94 – one of the industry’s earliest attempts at an Oscars-style game awards show. There’s surprise star appearances, incredibly stilted comedy bits, and the secret origins of gaming’s strongest warrior, Geoff Keighley. A gala ripe for the picking.

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Gamer Era Episode 013 – Death by Chocolate

Gamer Era Episode 013 – Death by Chocolate

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 013 - Death by Chocolate
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Now the biting makes sense! Unleashed once more from their cellophane wrapping (and accidentally spilling off a bit under the table), Gamer Era RETURNS with a chock-a-block confectionary themed pod! David brings the crunch with a hard-shelled punch-up on the inexplicable M&Ms game “series”, before Sam chews over the surprisingly solid gaming history of Kyoro-chan – the Japanese marketing juggernaut that became so huge he was directly parodied by Nintendo. Chow down, Gamers!

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Gamer Era Episode 012 – Season of the Glitch

Gamer Era Episode 012 – Season of the Glitch

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 012 - Season of the Glitch
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Have you tried blowing on it? As we wrap up this first run of Gamer Era, Sam and David take turns sharing stories around the pixelated campfire, reflecting on editing woes, the emotional gamble of a nostalgic hit, and various highs and lows of producing the show so far. It’s a much smaller and looser episode than usual, but a necessary one as we regroup and prepare to return with a whole new slate of eps in a couple of months’ time. Look forward to it!

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Gamer Era Episode 011 – Eye on Sony (ft. @DekuDeluxe)

Gamer Era Episode 011 – Eye on Sony (ft. @DekuDeluxe)

Gamer Era
Gamer Era
Gamer Era Episode 011 - Eye on Sony (ft. @DekuDeluxe)
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You mean the Walkman guys?! Okay, good luck… Sam invites on fellow Nintendo community alum Dylan (@DekuDeluxe) to chat all things PlayStation, and specifically the golden age of creativity in the PS2 days. There’s examinations on Team Ico, Japan Studio, the EyeToy, and big-name executives “doing backflips down the corridor”. There’s also lamentations on what the hell Sony have become in the years since, and our prods and nudges on where they perhaps go from here. Contains no more than the medically-advised dosage of Jim Ryan patter.

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