#1: Cancer Oil, Chengdu’s Spy Network, and Water Contamination<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0So called Cancer Oil has been a major recent controversy in Chengdu, which we explain and break down in this episode. Chengdu\u2019s alleged spy network and contamination of local water sources are also recent events which we discuss on this, our first episode of the Chengdu Living Podcast.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nChina Gaming Federation Podcast<\/h2>\n
The China Gaming Federation (CGF) podcast accompanies the community oriented non-profit by the same name and is a platform for discussing game industry developments within China. We also feature analysis and evaluation of games and industry happenings.<\/p>\n
\n- #62: CGF 2022 Games of the Year<\/a><\/strong> – Another year, another podcast episode discussion about our favorite games of the year. As with previous years, this episode is a discussion not limited to games released in 2022, but all of our favorite gaming experiences of the year (in Austin\u2019s case, a lot of Steam library spelunking).<\/li>\n
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#60: Creeping Through the Swamps of Hunt: Showdown<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode of the podcast we share our love and experience getting dirty in the 1895 Louisiana swamps in which Hunt: Showdown is set. Unlike most other popular online FPS games, Hunt is a competitive online shooter which is all about using environmental details to outsmart opponents.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#57: Microsoft\u2019s Gargantuan Acquisition<\/a><\/strong> –\u00a0In this episode of the podcast we talk about the largest acquisition in the history of the gaming industry: Microsoft\u2019s $86 billion pickup of game industry titan Activision\/Blizzard.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#56: CGF 2021 Games of the Year<\/a><\/strong> – Another year, another podcast about our favorite games of the year. Not necessarily games released in 2021. Outer Wilds, Factorio, Hades, Paradise Killer, Inscryption, The Long Dark, Doki Doki Literature Club, Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, Luck Be a Landlord, Islanders, Westerado, Broken Reality,\u00a0Void Tyrant,\u00a0Underhand,\u00a0Data Wing.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#55: The State of China\u2019s Game Industry in 2022<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode of the podcast we examine the state of China\u2019s gaming industry, with particular focus on regulation affecting the global games market and China as a destination for Western games.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#54: Exploring the Depths of Hades<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode we finally go deep into one of our favorite games from the last year: Hades. Considered by many to be the best game released in 2020, we share our favorite aspects of the game, our tips and strategies for defeating it, and why Hades has left such a strong impression on so many.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#53: 2020 Games of the<\/a><\/strong> Year<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode of the podcast we discuss our favorite games from the last year. Unlike many other annual lists, ours is not exclusively about games released in the year 2020, it includes some previously released games as well.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#48: The Best Games of 2019<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode we review our favorite games of the year 2019, both in terms of games released during the year and games we enjoyed and completed. This is an episode with a large volume of games mentioned, and while 2019 might not have been the banner year some were expecting with a number of high profile delays, there were some stellar surprises.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#47: Everlasting Life in Call of Duty: Zombies<\/a><\/strong> – In this episode of the podcast we talk about the 11-year long history of Call of Duty\u2019s lesser-known game mode which has as cult following: zombies mode. Since being introduced as a secret easter egg with the 2008 release\u00a0World at War<\/em>, this mode has taken on a life of its own, spawning dozens of maps and a surprisingly deep narrative arc.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- \n
#46: China\u2019s Growing Influence on Global Game<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode of the podcast we analyze China\u2019s rising role in influencing the content of games and the behavior of game developers outside of China.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n- #45: What the Exploding Subscription Model Means for Games<\/a><\/strong> – With Apple Arcade and Google Play Pass among other game subscription services, we\u2019re seeing an explosive new model in the games industry, but what does it mean? We review the latest developments and forecast what the future of gaming might look like with the industry divided by competing subscription services.<\/li>\n
- #44: The Past, Present, and Future of VR Games<\/strong><\/a> – After existing on the fringes of the gaming industry for about three years, VR is going mainstream. In this podcast we discuss the past, present and future of the immersive new format while talking about every platform from SteamVR to PSVR.<\/li>\n
- #43: Inside Chengdu’s Biggest Retro Game Exhibition<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode we’re joined by one of the organizers of Chengdu’s largest ever retro “Game On” exhibition, Leonardo Araujo, about how the exhibition came to be, how they select and maintain games in the collection, and what his favorite pieces in the collection are.<\/li>\n
- #42: Goombagate & Mario Maker 2<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode Austin is joined by Josh Lamm, creator of the Mario Maker 2 stage \u201cMario\u2019s Remorse\u201d. According to charges published on Ryan\u2019s From Game to Brain<\/a> blog, Kotaku editor Chris Kohler plagiarized elements from Josh\u2019s stage in his own stage. We explore the controversy.<\/li>\n
- #41: The CGF Trivia Podcast<\/strong><\/a> – In this follow-up to the CGF Trivia event, we host a trivia competition live. In about 50 minutes we go over a total of 100 questions in 12 different categories, including a bonus round with video game music. Play along and see how you score!<\/li>\n
- #40: Killing for Peace in China’s PUBG Rebrand<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode of the podcast we discuss the latest wild development which has appeared in Mainland China\u2019s game industry: the rebranding of smash-hit PUBG as \u201cGame for Peace\u201d. What does this game say about the future of China\u2019s game industry? We discuss that and more.<\/li>\n
- #39: Our Favorite Overlooked SNES Games<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode we return to one of our favorite game consoles of all time: the Super Nintendo. Virtually everyone knows about the hits: Super Mario World, Mario Kart, Chrono Trigger. But beyond the well-known classics there are some amazing overlooked games. This episode is about highlighting and discussing those.<\/li>\n
- #38: Legal Weedcraft<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode we discuss controversy around the April 2019 Devolver Digital release, Weedcraft Inc. The game, which is about building a marijuana empire, presents players with the option to conduct their business legally and ethically or illegally and immorally, but this hasn\u2019t kept developer Vile Monarch out of the crosshairs of online pundits and platform censors.<\/li>\n
- #37: Two Launches, One Game: Carrier Commander<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode of the podcast I\u2019m joined by Chengdu indie mobile developer Ryan, for the third podcast on his 2019 mobile game release, Carrier Commander. In this conversation we talk about launching the game twice \u2013 once paid, and once free to play \u2013 and evaluate the differences.<\/li>\n
- #36: Reflecting on Reddit’s Favorite Short Games<\/a><\/strong> – In this episode of the podcast we discuss a Reddit post which gathered 500+ responses to the following question: \u201cWhat\u2019s your favorite game which can be completed in less than 8 hours?\u201d<\/li>\n
- #35: Analyzing the Explosion of Battle Royale Games<\/strong><\/a> – From PUBG to Apex Legends, this is a genre which we’ve been following for a long time. Now that the space has been shaken up by a big new contender to the space (Apex), we look back at the origins and speculate as to what the future might hold.<\/li>\n
- #34: Artificial Intelligence in Games<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode I’m joined by indie developer Ryan as we talk about the process of implementing AI into his recently released mobile game Carrier Commander, as well as some common paradigms of game AI.<\/li>\n
- #33: 2018 Games of the Year<\/strong><\/a> – Another year has passed, and we look back at our favorites of the year, which include some games you might not have thought of.<\/li>\n
- #32: Developing an Indie Game in Chengdu<\/strong><\/a> – In this episode I’m joined with Ryan, developer of indie mobile game Carrier Commander, to talk about the ins-and-outs of conceptualizing, developing, and publishing his first indie game here in Chengdu.<\/li>\n
- #31: The Hacked Switch Experience<\/strong><\/a> – A few months after our last podcast about Switch hacks being available, we revisit this topic now that we’ve had a few months to experience the pros and cons of using a hacked Switch.<\/li>\n
- #30: What’s Ailing China’s Game Industry?<\/strong><\/a> – Mainland China’s game industry is in a terrible place in 2018. We talk about the circumstances and what the future might hold for the embattled games industry.<\/li>\n
- #29: Hacking the Nintendo Switch for Piracy, Emulation and More<\/strong><\/a> – The Nintendo Switch is finally cracked. Here’s everything that’s involved, along with our take on it.<\/li>\n
- #28: Explosion of the Roguelike Genre and Our Favorites<\/strong><\/a> – One of the biggest trends in independent gaming over the last decade has been the roguelike genre. Learn about its definition, origin, and our favorites in this episode of the podcast.<\/li>\n
- #27:\u00a02018 Steam Sale, China\u2019s Last?<\/a> –\u00a0<\/strong>Looking back on the biggest Steam sale of the year, and what is perhaps the last Steam sale that we can enjoy with accounts set to the China region. Will Valve\u2019s new arrangement for China, in partnership with Perfect World, destroy Steam sales as we know them to comply with increasingly tight regulation?<\/li>\n
- #26:\u00a0The Beauty of Zelda\u2019s Master Mode<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode we share our experience completing Breath of the Wild\u2019s Master Mode, which is a hard mode included with the option DLC pack. Is Master Mode worth playing? Absolutely, but it includes some qualities you might not expect, which we reflect on.<\/li>\n
- #25: Horror & Survival Games: The History and Our Favorites<\/a><\/strong> – After just completing The Evil Within, we discuss the details of that game along with the history of the survival horror genre, including discussion of games like Resident Evil, Dead by Daylight, Sweet Home, and more.<\/li>\n
- #24: Examining the Civilization Series, Plus the Latest Expansion<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode of the podcast we talk about the nearly 30-year history of Sid Meier\u2019s Civilization series, and discuss the imminent first expansion of Civ VI, Rise and Fall.<\/li>\n
- #23: Rise of the Survival Genre<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode we discuss the explosive popularity of the survival game genre, typified by PUBG. An exploration into the mechanics, themes, and settings which underpin some of our favorite recent survival games.<\/li>\n
- #22: Game Platforms Inside & Outside of China<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode of the podcast we discuss merits of the most popular gaming platforms around the world, from Steam to WeChat, and more.<\/li>\n
- #21: 2017 Games of the Year<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode we complete our year-end roundup of our top games of the year. Including some of the usual suspects mentioned everywhere (Mario, Zelda) along with some others you might not expect to hear about.<\/li>\n
- #20: Nintendo Switch, Mario Odyssey, and Zelda BoTW<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode of the podcast we discuss the Nintendo Switch, the recently-released Mario Odyssey, and Zelda: Breath of the Wild.<\/li>\n
- #19: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds in China<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode of the podcast we\u2019re discussing the global smash hit PlayerUnknown\u2019s Battlegrounds and its complex and strange relationship with China.<\/li>\n
- #18: Free to Play Mechanics in Games<\/strong><\/a> –\u00a0In this episode we talk about the free to play business model which has defined the modern mobile game landscape. Joined by Ryan, who authored a series of blog posts on these mechanics.<\/li>\n