Real Time Strategy

Five years after its announcement, Starfield is finally here. TriplePoint’s Sam Mosher, Nick Shepherd, and Blane Humphries break down its campaign from announcement to launch and discuss what other games can learn from Starfield’s deep-dive showcase, messaging, and review strategy.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:50 – Baldur’s Gate 3 and other favorite 2023 games

00:07:52 – Starfield’s launch campaign

00:19:32 – Messaging the ...

Games journalist Patrick Klepek (VICE’s Waypoint, Kotaku, Giant Bomb) has covered the industry for over 20 years, and now he’s applying his experience to a needed space for games writing: parenting. Patrick joins us to discuss his gaming and parenting newsletter, Crossplay, give his advice to TriplePoint’s newest dad Nick Shepherd, explain Roblox, and more.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:02:07 – Patrick’s first E3

00:07:04 – Ahs...

Podcasting legend Danny Peña is the founder and host of Gamertag Radio, the first gaming podcast to reach 1,000 episodes. He was an inaugural inductee to the Podcasters Hall of Fame, and he’s interviewed countless industry icons like Phil Spencer, Reggie Fils-Aimé, and more. Danny breaks down his career, how his hip-hop promoting experience helped him build the Gamertag audience, and how he plans to keep giving back to his communit...

iam8bit founders Jon Gibson and Amanda White are experts at bringing games into the real world, whether through collectibles, vinyls, physical editions, or some of the year’s coolest events like Summer Game Fest and Day of the Devs. Jon and Amanda join us to break down the company’s history, growth, and mission to celebrate gaming communities.

Timecodes: 

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:36 – Jon and Amanda’s favorite physical item

00:06:2...

Kate Sánchez, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of But Why Tho? and recruiter for Iron Galaxy Studios, joins us to talk about her many years of experiences as a diversity specialist. Kate dives into what exactly is a diversity specialist, what recruitment in the games industry looks like, especially for underrepresented groups, and more. We also discuss But Why Tho’s inception, what sets them apart from the rest, and more. 

Time...

PCMag senior analyst Jordan Minor joins us to discuss his book “Video Game of the Year,” available wherever you buy books on July 11. The book chronicles over 40 years of video game history by selecting the defining game of each year. Jordan breaks down how he wrote the book and brought it to life with the help of illustrator Wren McDonald and dozens of leading industry voices.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:01:48 – Jordan’s Ulti...

Apple is entering the VR and AR race with the Apple Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset releasing early next year for $3,500. How will it change the VR and AR industry? Rob Alvarez, the marketing director at Owlchemy Labs (Job Simulator, Cosmonious High), joins us to answer that question, discuss the technology powering the headset, and explain why Apple making a headset is such a big deal. 

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Intro

00:09:19 –...

GameSpot managing editor Tamoor Hussain has reviewed massive games like Elden Ring and managed reviews for other behemoths like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. He sits down with hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher to discuss GameSpot’s review process, how to cover a massive game, finding the passion in a review, and more.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 - Intro / What is Tamoor Currently Playing

00:12:46 – How to Cover a Major G...

Spring 2023 will go down as one of the busiest release windows for games ever, including huge titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Street Fighter 6, and more. Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher are joined by TriplePointers Nick Shepherd and Hailey Mohney to discuss why so many games are coming out now, how they affect PR strategy, and why events still driv...

Victoria 3 game director Mikael Andersson joins us this week to discuss the making of the historically epic grand strategy game, how Paradox approaches strategy game storytelling, and what makes a great game design team.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Getting to Know Mikael (Cozy Puzzle/Strategy Games)

11:01 - Upcoming Paradox Games

17:13 - Going from IT to Game Design at Paradox

25:55 - Working in Game Design

32:19 - What Does a Game...

Doug Perry, IGN co-founder and head of public relations at Pearl Abyss America, returns to the show to discuss his transition from games journalism to games PR, his advice for journalists making the same move, and his key learnings from leading PR for Warframe at Digital Extremes.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro

2:36 - Game Reviews (Halo, Driver, Grand Theft Auto)

18:48 - Favorite Games Journalism Pieces (Dreamcast History)

28:40 - Post-...

In our first two-part episode, Doug Perry, head of public relations at Pearl Abyss America, joins us to discuss his work as co-founder and editor-in-chief of IGN. He discusses his magazine journalism background, how IGN competed with print media, and his favorite stories from covering the N64, PlayStation 2, and Xbox 360.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Getting to Know Doug (Favorite Games, Non-Gaming Hobbies)

10:38 - Doug’s Entry into...

TV critic Alison Herman has not played The Last of Us. Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher consider it one of their favorite games of all time. Together, the trio reviews HBO’s hit adaptation of the game and discusses its successful creative decisions, award-worthy performances, and what its popularity says about pop culture today.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Getting to Know Alison (Favorite TV Shows)

9:54 - HBO’s The Last of Us ...

Voice actor Gabe Kunda’s work is everywhere - video games, commercials, anime, and more. He’s the voice behind KAY/O in Valorant, Newcastle in Apex Legends, “rated PG-13” at the end of your favorite movie trailer, and Macaron in 2023’s surprise gaming hit Hi-Fi Rush. Gabe joins hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher to discuss his career, the voice acting process, and how he brings characters to life.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Get...

IGN senior features editor Matt Kim has written about games for over 10 years and has sharpened his skills through news, features, and freelance work. He joins hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher to discuss his new role at IGN, what makes a compelling feature story, and how to bring personal voice to writing about games.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Getting to Know Matt (Metal Gear Solid, Twilight Princess)

11:19 - Matt’s Senior F...

Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher are back and ready to discuss what Nintendo has been cooking for 2023. They break down the year’s first Nintendo Direct, including the latest on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Nintendo Switch Online. And with the 2023 shadow drops of Metroid Prime Remastered and Hi-Fi Rush, the duo asks when surprise releases work for a game.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Housekeeping

1:46 - Ninten...

TriplePoint reunited in Los Angeles to attend The Game Awards, and there are so many announcements, awards, and moments to discuss. Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher are joined by fellow TriplePointer Zach Ferenchak to discuss the live production, 3+ hour runtime, their favorite reveals, and more.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Housekeeping

1:53 - Our History with The Game Awards

6:58 - The In-Person Game Awards Experience

16:32 -...

The IGN review is a staple of the games industry, and there’s a lot of work that goes into each one. IGN executive editor of reviews Dan Stapleton joins us this week to discuss his review process, review scores, and how IGN manages “review seasons” - jam-packed release periods with too many good games to play.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Getting to Know Dan (Marvel’s Midnight Suns, 2022 Games, Cocktails)

4:59 - The Review Process

1...

Best Adaptation, Best Indie Game, Best Narrative, and of course, Game of the Year… what do this year’s The Game Awards nominees say about the state of the industry? Hosts Kaitlyn Red Wing and Sam Mosher dig into this question and more 2022 gaming goodness.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro / Kaitlyn’s LA Move

4:15 - What Are We Playing? (Two Point Campus, A Little To The Left, Fortnite, Steam Deck, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Vampire Sur...