Join the FULL KO Koala team in their first episode in a LONG TIME as they award THE BEST GAMES OF 2023! Which studio member had the most niche games on their list? Which games made the team the most emotional? Did Anthony even play any new games this year?? Find out all this and more on this episode of Koalatea Time! join the journey at https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

The Mighty Joe Winter returns to discuss: Releasing Song of Iron, and the brutal emotional rollercoaster that followed The key insights for releasing a game on Steam His ambitious goals for Song of Iron 2 and his process for accomplishing them His Studio-Ghibli--inspired Battle Royale side project and more! (00:00:00) Intro (00:03:55) Post Release Blues (00:08:10) Steam Release Tips (RIP Wishlists) (00:12:28) Vertical Slice Benefits (00:16:42) Planned Improvements (00:19:21) Playtesting (00:23:47) How To Build A Community (00:29:52) Joe's Favorite Song of Iron Moment (00:31:19) The Glorious Song of Iron Ending (00:37:00) Getting Inspired Again (00:41:34) Multiplayer Ambitions (00:46:09) Thoughts on Unreal Engine (00:51:30) Joe's Favorite Dev Snack (00:52:24) WFH Tips (00:53:14) Joe's Go-to Relaxation Game (00:55:24) Is Joe A Coffee Guy? (00:56:52) Joe's Current GOTY (01:02:24) Thoughts on The State of Halo (01:08:17) Funny Song of Iron Bugs (01:12:17) Song of Iron 2 HYPE (01:16:17) Having Your Game on Xbox (01:23:25) BONUS (Post Podcast Banter) Check out our previous discussion with Joe here: https://youtu.be/gmaTWY-nkpw Sign up for the Song of Iron 2 newsletter here: https://songofiron.com Wishlist Song of Iron 2 on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1979660/Song_of_Iron_2/ https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

One fateful Spring San Francisco night, a cold-Naan-breaded Nico ventured out of his hotel room to warm his food. Little did he know that the next few hours would change his life forever.... WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST 3D ARTIST, NICO BOYADJIAN! Join us as we share the story of that fateful GDC evening, Nico's art journey (so far), what he'll be doing at K.O. Koala, and so much more! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Dr. Chase Meusel, Senior Researcher at Netflix Games, joins Anthony & Skylar in this week’s dynamite episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss: Chase’s journey from Iowa State, to Xbox, to Netflix Getting to work on XCloud & with Double Fine Why Chase left Xbox to join Netflix Games What Netflix Games is up to Chase’s favorite board game And much much more! Follow Chase on Twitter at https://twitter.com/crmeusel Get more info about our studio, including Agora, our upcoming single player physics FPS for PC & Xbox, here: https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com If you enjoyed this conversation, you'd probably enjoy our conversations with: The Legendary UR Guru, Dr. Randy Pagulayan: https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com/podcast/91 The Brilliant Xbox UR Chieftess, Dr. Jessie Thomas: https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com/podcast/94 If you're interested in coming on Koalatea Time, please reach out to us on your social media platform of choice (grab a link here: https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com/social-media)! We'd love to talk with you! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Would you enact revenge on a traitor even if it meant innocent bystanders would suffer? Would you steal someone's pizza to give it to starving people?? Join Skylar and Anthony as they continue Trolley Problem Inc, a game where players make a series of impossible choices from two awful answers. Join them as they wrestle with their moral compasses to decide the fate of an unfortunate few, and compare your own answers with theirs! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Would you push a guy on a rail road track to save five other people? What if he was your friend? What if he was fat? Join Skylar and Anthony as they play Trolley Problem Inc, a game where players make a series of impossible choices from two awful answers. Join them as they wrestle with their moral compasses to decide the fate of millions, and compare your own answers with theirs! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Is Elden Ring the best game ever made? What was the key contributor to its success? Why is its UX so ass?? Join the entire K.O. Koala squad as they discuss these topics and more, including: Their builds Their combat and enemy design review The story The open world (did it make things better??) Their overall Elden Ring scores This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

We went to GDC 2022 so that you didn't have to! Want to know how much it costs? How good the talks are? How viable the networking opportunities are? IF IT'S WORTH IT OR NOT? We break down our experience and try to provide as holistic and objective of a perspective as possible for our fellow indie devs. You should definitely listen to this episode if you are planning to build out your industry network and/or pitch your game to publishers (as we were). This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Nothing gets a wild Sean Stevens hyped like a new FromSoft game. Which is exactly why he's kind of freaking out about the latest Tarnished adventure releasing this Thursday - ELDEN RINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. Skylar asks Sean what he's most excited about, how he thinks Elden Ring will stack up against previous Souls games, and what experiences he hopes Elden Ring will provide in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

FPS crouch jumping, Rocket League flip-resetting, hidden bosses in Dark Souls, secret rooms in Super Mario 64. Obscure game mechanics that are not explicitly taught to the player can be contentious. Do they add or detract from the experience? Should studios support them? How should studios handle the finding of new unintentional mechanics? Join Anthony & Skylar as they discuss this and more in this episode of Koalatea Time! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Skylar and Sean rank their favorite digital TCGs of all time, and realize there's a surprising new #1 at the top of their list! Join them as they discuss what Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel does so well, what it doesn't, and where other digital TCGs fall short. Discussed in this episode: Magic The Gathering: Online Artifact Hearthstone Gwent and more! More about our studio: https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com/ This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

This deal makes sooooo much business sense, but what are the implications for the wider gaming industry, both intentional and unintentional? Will this change be enough to dismantle the systemic issues in Activision's culture? How will Microsoft combat the dangers lurking in the shadows of creative homogenization? Anthony & Skylar discuss all this and more in this episode of Koalatea Time! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

It's the beginning of a new year, and our brains are REALLY not warmed up yet, so we hot take our way into one of our most contentious episodes ever! Will Anthony or Skylar like your gamertag? Find out in this wild episode of Koalatea Time! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

In our 100th episode of Koalatea Time, Josh and Sean join Anthony and Skylar to discuss our respective top 5 games of 2021 - with a surprise new podcast intro from Evan Coulter! https://KOKoalaEntertainment.com More of Evan's music: https://linktr.ee/evcomusic This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Which is more important: that a game is a reliable measure of who has the most skill, or that it provides an interesting challenge to all players? Is it possible for a game to do both? Jessie Schell present these thoughts in his in his book, The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses when discussing the lens of "Fairness". Anthony & Skylar discuss these and other related topics, including the difficult challenge that arena and class based games face in making their experiences feel fair in this episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss: Halo Infinite Rocket League Overwatch BlazBlue Destiny and more! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

After 6 LONG YEARS the first new Halo FPS campaign arrives and the ravenous Anthony has consumed it happily! In this slightly spoilercast (spoilers territory starts at 20:54 and is called out in the podcast) review, Skylar interviews Anthony to get his feelings surrounding Halo Infinite's Campaign gameplay, story, and overall impressions - including where it ranks in the all time Halo campaign rankings! This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

In a surprise episode topic, Skylar prepares a challenging Halo trivia in which Anthony, and surprise guest Marcus (our editor and fellow Halo fan), must solve difficult visual and auditory Halo Infinite questions, all while building up their point total for a final trivia wager showdown! Anthony has been playing Halo since CE, and even he failed on some of these questions! Think you're a Halo fan? Skylar's trivia might have you stumped... This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Halo Infinite is AMAZING IN SO MANY WAYS, but it's not devoid of some serious short comings! bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss what they think about Halo Infinite's maps, game modes, UI, and yes, EVEN THE TERRIBLE BATTLE PASS in part 2 of their Halo Infinite 1st Impressions! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

This Halo is robbing us of sleep, hampering productivity, and making us cry...WITH JOY! We're absolutely LOVING the Halo Infinite MP experience, but there are some things we don't love all that much... Join bramoala and the new-Halo-player ChipSkylark in part 1 of their first impressions of the Halo Infinite MP experience! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Bats & brains & biases, oh my! The brilliant Xbox UR Chieftess Dr. Jessie Thomas joins us In this cognitively enhancing episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss: How Jessie used puppets to make Halo MCC better The Ms. Frizzle of Xbox The science behind your brain's bad habits and much much more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Second order motion, haptic feedback, impeccable Nintendo polish, and more! Join Anthony & Skylar as they discuss what makes games "juicy", inspired by insights from Jesse Schell in his book, "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses". Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Nothing beats crashing at a friend's house and staying up all night hitting headshots on Colossus in Halo 2, or Uther-ing your night away in Warcraft 3 custom games! Join bramoala & ChipSkylark as they take a stroll down memory lane and discuss: The awesome fun of custom games Optimal energy drink strategies Tricking friends into getting drunk so you could stay up and play Halo 3 on their big screen TV And more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

The Senior Director of Research for Xbox & Xbox Game Studios, Dr. Randy Pagulayan joins Anthony & Skylar to discuss his epic career and fascinating insights in this legendary episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss: Randy's journey at Xbox (including how he turned down the initial job offer!) The accountability game devs have to the equity and fulfillment of magical experiences How his team help Xbox studios balance creative vision against data insights What career Randy would choose to pursue if he had to start over And much much more! Follow Randy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/randyjpag Get more info about our studio, including Agora, our upcoming single player physics FPS for PC & Xbox, here: https://linktr.ee/kokoala_ent If you're interested in coming on Koalatea Time, please reach out to us on your social media platform of choice (grab a link here: https://linktr.ee/kokoala_ent)! We'd love to talk with you! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Acclaimed game audio designer, and head of indie studio Groove Box Games, Eduardo Ortiz Frau joins Anthony & Skylar in this banger of a Koalatea Time episode! Join us as we discuss: Eduardo's epic indie game career, including his work on Afterparty, The Stanley Parable, Everything, and more! How to network in the games industry as an indie dev Making sounds you'll hear thousands of times And much much more! Check out Eduardo's previous work and follow his journey at edsounddesign.com Follow Eduardo on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/edsounddesign Get more info about our studio, including info on Agora, our upcoming single player physics FPS for PC & Xbox, here: https://linktr.ee/kokoala_ent If you're interested in coming on Koalatea Time, please reach out to us on your social media platform of choice (you can grab a link here: https://linktr.ee/kokoala_ent)! We'd love to talk with you! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Including punishment into game loops can help spice up gameplay, but when is it taken too far? Join bramoala and ChipSkylark in this episode of Koalatea Time as they discuss punishment in games, including: • The challenges of balancing punishment along a compelling mastery path • Why many F2P progression systems feel punishing • Dark Souls 😅 • And more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST DEVELOPER: SEAN 'RAHLEKK' STEVENS !!! Want to know what Rahlekk's favorite games are? Want to know what Rahlekk's favorite controllers are? How about how epic his PC build is (and why it literally smells)? Get all these deets and more in our first ever new-dev-goobcast with Rahlekk! Get more info about our studio and links to our upcoming game Agora here: https://linktr.ee/kokoala_ent Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

With decades of extremely impressive experience leading and working with UX teams across the game dev industry, Dr. Celia Hodent is nothing short of amazing! She's not only an expert on all things cognitive science, but she's extremely personable and funny! In this episode of Koalatea Time bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss a variety of UX and gaming related topics with Celia, including: How indie studios can implement a UX process (even with limited resources) The UX maturity of AAA game studios Improving ethical conduct in the gaming industry How painful it was to work on Star Wars 1313 just to have it cancelled AND SO MUCH MORE! You can learn all about Celia & her Ethical Games initiative at her website: https://celiahodent.com/ Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Studios who are responsible for nurturing and evolving beloved IPs have to constantly balance listening to the desires of their dedicated fanbase and the wider general gaming audience. After Halo Infinite's recent flight, 343 Industries posted a blog breaking down how they were processing and handling feedback from the community, and some findings have hardcore and casual fans divided. bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss the difficulties of such a task, and why they think 343 is going about it the right way, in this episode of Koalatea Time! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Some games like Dear Esther and other walking sims don't seem like they're technically games at all... so what are they? The man himself, Will Waltz, challenges us to identify these interactive experiences in the latest episode of Koalatea Time! We're working on Agora, a single player physics FPS for Steam & Xbox! Help us quit our full time jobs by wishlisting it on Steam! Here's a link if you can click it :) https://rebrand.ly/agora_steam Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

What's more legendary than directly contributing to Halo and having several of the assassinations you animated end up in the final game? Risking it all to quit that job and develop an indie game... SOLO. Joe Winter, solo creator of Song of Iron (releasing August 31st on PC & Xbox) and former AAA animator at 343 Industries, joins bramoala and ChipSkylark on this epic episode of Koalatea Time! Join them as they discuss the creative anguish of developing your own game, how working on Halo changed Joe's perspective on it, whether Joe is planning a Song of Iron sequel, and more! PLEASE consider supporting Joe by wishlisting SONG OF IRON on Steam! And while you're at it, PLEASE consider supporting us by wishlisting AGORA on Steam! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

bramoala & ChipSkylark wrap up Limelight Network's 2021 report on "The State of Online Gaming" in this episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss how many people play games at work, how many people miss work to play games, how many people ditch friends to play games, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Want to know what country in the world spends the most average hours a week gaming? Want to know what country in the world binge-games more than anyone else? How about what the primary device used for gaming in the world is? WELL LOOK NO FURTHER, bramoala and ChipSkylark breakdown Limelight Network's 2021 datasheet, "The State of Online Gaming" in this episode of Koalatea Time! Join the Discord for epic Koalatea Time discussions: https://rebrand.ly/kokoala_discord Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Every game communicates some sort of atmosphere that is comprised more than just it's setting. In his book, The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Jesse Schell explains how visuals, sounds, music, and game mechanics all work together to create an immersive experience. bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss these topics and more in this episode of Koalatea Time! Join the Discord for epic Koalatea Time discussions: https://rebrand.ly/kokoala_discord Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Popular FPS games continue to be hammered by a seemingly unending wave of hackers. In this episode of Koalatea Time, ChipSkylark and bramoala shed light on the financial incentives of hacking, how hacks are developed, why they're so hard to stop, and what they think are the best ways to stop them. Join us as we discuss COD Warzone, Apex Legends, Rainbow 6 Siege, Valorant, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

The Steam Deck hype is REAL but is it warranted? bramoala and ChipSkylark break down their thoughts regarding Valve's latest creation in this episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss whether the Steam Deck is worth getting excited for, what the reality of playing AAA MP games on this will cost (literally), how indie studios could be immense beneficiaries from Gabe's latest toy, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Does randomness make games better or worse? What are the different kinds of randomness in games and how do they affect gameplay? Can randomness make things more addicting? Join bramoala and ChipSkylark in this episode of Koalatea Time as they discuss these and other related topics surrounding randomness! Join us as we discuss Pokémon, TemTem, board games, Super Smash Brothers, roguelites and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

What does over a decade of game production experience get you? A freaking wizard-tier beard and serious gaming industry insight, THAT'S WHAT. Join bramoala and ChipSkylark this week as they welcome (newly announced) Lead Producer of Hearthstone features at Blizzard, Joe Belousek! Join us as we discuss why hackers are so hard to stop, why game delays happen, what it was like to work on games during 2020, whether Joe would Thanos-snap pizza or burgers, and much much more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

E3 is that awesome time every year in which THE WHOLE GAMING INDUSTRY VIES FOR THE VALUABLE MENTAL SPACE DEDICATED TO GAMING IN YOUR BRAIN BY THORINWG OUT THEIR HOTTEST & JUICIEST ANNOUNCEMENTS IN COLLECTIVE UNISON!!!! And we (yes, with a wild Josh included) are here to give OUR EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT opinions about it. You better believe the boys exchanged some passionate opinions on this one... Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Kyra has played a pivotal role in helping EGD navigate the variety of significant hardships they've encountered along the way of moving from an underground game design club spurned by their own college, to building an organization that has, and continues to, successfully guide their members to professional opportunities across a variety of industries, especially the gaming industry. Join bramoala, ChipSkylark, and Nobody as they talk with Kyra about her impressive journey, game industry ethics, her favorite games, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

The gaming world's MP scene is dominated by F2P titles, which makes Battlefield's choice to release full price without a campaign borderline out-of-touch.   bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss why they think EA would make this decision as well as whether MP-only games deserve the full price purchase price in the week's episode of Koalatea Time! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Regardless of the societal context of your upbringing, you probably would agree that the sound of a huge monster chasing you into a small room with no escape sounds terrifying. In this episode of Koalatea Time, bramoala & ChipSkylark discuss Jesse Schell's game design lens of Primality and how it impacts the games we love to play. Join us as we discuss rhythm games, Rocket League, DOOM, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

What's better than getting your ass kicked? Getting your ass kicked over and over again! ChipSkylark and bramoala discuss why fans of the genre find roguelikes so compelling, what makes them difficult, and which roguelikes are ChipSkyark's favorite! Join us as we discuss Hades, Binding of Isaac, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Animations are SO crucial in delivering a satisfying and immersive experience to players. Whether it's making a quadrupedal fantasy monster seem real, or making the 10,000th reload of a gun satisfying, animations play a huge role in taking gaming experiences to the next level! In this animation-goodness-packed episode of Koalatea Time, ChipSkylark and bramoala sit down with Alex Bing, professional gaming animator at People Can Fly! Alex flexes his decade of badass experience on the K.O. Koala devs (not really, he's a really nice and professional guy) in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss Dauntless, Dota, Moss, Destiny 2, Guilty Gear, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Power-ups can create some of the most memorable and exhilarating moments in games! bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss why that is in this episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss our favorite power-ups from games (Mario, DOOM, Halo, Crash Bandicoot, and more), why we think they're great, and what makes a great power-up! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

John Garvin (Day's Gone Creative Director) recently said: "if you love a game and want a sequel, you should "buy it at f** full price" - but is he right? If so, does this mean game sales are bad? How do subscription services like Game Pass play into all this? bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss these and related topics in this episode of Koalatea Time! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Aesthetics, Technology, Story, and Mechanics. Jesse Schell's 4 elements of game design! Are they all truly necessary to make a great game? If so, does one reign supreme or are they all equal? Join ChipSkylark and bramoala as they discuss these topics in relation to games like Cyberpunk, Halo, Rocket League, Minecraft, What Remains of Edith Finch, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Underground game design and esports club? Embodiment of the gaming industry's future? CHICKEN NUGGET DATING SIMS?? That's EGD!   EGD has succeeded in large part because of those who run it; people like CFO/CMO Ben Reuben.   In this episode of Koalatea Time, the ENTIRE  K.O. Koala team (yes even Josh!) sits down with Ben to talk EGD, covert game jams, chicken nugget dating sims, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Giant bananas, unique games that you can't play anywhere else, good drinks, stadium-like atmosphere for competitive matches - YOU CAN FIND IT ALL AT THE ARCADE! In this episode of Koalatea Time, ChipSkylark and bramoala talk about arcades, including ChipSkylark's thorough rundown of the best arcade offerings in the Denver metro area! ChipSkylark breaks down his favorite games including Jubeat, Mai Mai, competitive 3rd Strike, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Amazing athlete, even better person. This week bramoala and ChipSkylark have the pleasure of welcoming NFL linebacker Josh Martin to Koalatea Time to discuss the rise of esports, how games can help make the world a better place, amazing foods around the world, and how hard it is to tackle extremely fast and strong human beings. Josh shares some of his favorite gaming memories, including absolutely owning in Halo CE on his favorite map (Prisoner), ditching class to play COD MW 2, and Super Nintendo goodness! Follow Josh on Instagram to stay up to date with all his latest happenings: (@JoshMartin95) - https://www.instagram.com/joshmartin95/ Tell us what you think in our Discord: https://rebrand.ly/kokoala_discord Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

NFTs are here, but will they stay? Why do people care so much about them? AND WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO WITH LUNCHABLES? Join bramoala and ChipSkylark for the most candid and off the cuff episode of Koalatea Time yet! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Thrust, slide, vault, wall run, double jump, grappling hook, and more! Advanced movement mechanics have left their mark on the FPS mechanic landscape, but is that a good thing? bramoala and ChipSkylark debate this and discuss their favorite movement mechanics in this episode of Koalatea Time!   Join us as we discuss Titanfall, Halo 5, Mirrors Edge, DOOM, Ghostrunner, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

"ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY GETS JASON JONES'S (BUNGIE LEAD DESIGNER) GOAT IS THAT THERE IS STILL ONE PERSON WHO CAN MAKE A CONTRIBUTION THAT'S OUTSIZED, AND THAT'S MARTY O'DONNELL, THE COMPOSER." - "In search of the Heart of Bungie", Polygon, 2013 Game soundtracks often affect the experience of playing game in a disproportionately powerful way. They often provide emotional coloring that's difficult to replicate without them. In this week's episode of Koalatea Time bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss their favorite game soundtracks and why they enjoy them so much! Join us as we discuss the soundtracks of Halo, Sayanora Wildhearts, Minecraft, Undertale, Hades, Bastion, The Pathless, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

With the recent controversy surrounding asses in the Mass Effect remaster, bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss how much creative license remasters and remakes should have, whether remakes should be made at all, what their favorite remasters of all time are, and more!   Join us as we discuss Mass Effect, Halo, Bioshock, Demon Souls, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

With the recent news that Stadia Games Entertainment has closed all of their internal studios, bramoala and ChipSkylark muse on how difficult it is to make good video games. Join them as they discuss the challenges and risks of making things fun in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Like our new Koalatea Time logo? Support our studio by buying some new Koalatea Time merch at https://rebrand.ly/kokoala_merch ! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Gabe Newell and his team at Valve are working on an OpenBCI headset that will control your brain, give you tentacles, and make you sleep like a rock. bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss wtf we should all think of this in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Photorealism. Simulator mechanics. Hyper-accurate audio replication. Realism in games can provide some of the most immersive experiences in gaming for many, but do they detract from the experience as well?   bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss how chasing realism affects games, whether they like realism in games or not, WHY THE HECK DO PEOPLE PLAY FARM SIMULATOR, and more!   Join us this week as they discuss Flight Simulator, Farming Simulators, Escape from Tarkov, Cyberpunk, and more! Support Koalatea Time: The K.O. Koala Entertainment Podcast by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/koalatea-time

You navigate to a game's listing on your platform's store. You see the screenshots, the trailer starts to play, your eyes look for a price, you're in the last mile. In this week's episode of Koalatea Time, bramoala and ChipSkylark discuss the last things that close out a commitment to a gaming experience for a person.   They discuss what games have had the strongest last mile for them, and which games have blown a sale in the last mile as well. Join us as we discuss Gris, Ori and the Blind Forest, COD Cold War, Cyberpunk, and more!

"Atom: The smallest complete unit of play, in the sense that the players feel they've "really played" some of the game (e.g., two possessions in football, or one level in Donkey Kong)" George Skaff Elias; Richard Garfield; K. Robert Gutschera; Eric Zimmerman; Peter Whitley. Characteristics of Games   In this week's episode of Koalatea Time, ChipSkylark and bramoala discuss how the length of atoms in various games can impact the enjoyment of said games for various kinds of players. Join us in this interesting game design romp as we discuss Halo, Rocket League, Minecraft, Cyberpunk, Chess, RPGs, and more!

It's been a crazy year one for the K.O. Koala fam! bramoala and ChipSkylar talk about how the past year has been, including the ride from 0 to 17K followers, progress on the upcoming K.O. Koala game, and plans for the new year! Join us as well talk all things K.O. Koala in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

While 2020 might have had more than its fair share of downers, it didn't prevent 2020 from being an absolute banger of a year for new games. bramoala and ChipSkylark talk about their favorite gaming experiences this year in this week's episode! Did we think Fall Guys and Among Us topped the list? DID THEY EVEN MAKE OUR LIST AT ALL? How cool was Sayanora Wild Hearts? Find out all that and more in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

How can esports help your parents like video games more? How long until esports become as relevant as sports? What's the greatest determinant of whether an esports scene will thrive?   Join bramoala and ChipSkylark as they welcome Dalton and Jackson from ESPORTSCENETER to talk all things esports on this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

Is Cyberpunk the master piece we all hoped it would be, a bug ridden mess, or both? ChipSkylark provides a thorough breakdown of the myriad of systems at play in CD Projekt Red's latest blockbuster game! If you want to find out if Cyberpunk has gameplay that you'd find interesting, this is the podcast for you!

How can a great UI make the world a better place? What kinds of games do the best job of transforming us mentally and spiritually? Why can't I play games with my grandpa???? bramoala and ChipSkylark explore Jesse Schell's insight on how games can bring about a better world in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Join them as they discuss The Last Of Us, Kind Words, Red Dead Redemption, Halo, and more!   This week's topic was inspired by Jesse Schell's book: The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. If you're at all interested in the world of game design and/or development it's a must-read!

In the 50th psycho episode of Koalatea Time bramoala and ChipSkylark team up to cover some of the most interesting off-the-wall game ideas IN PERSON and live with the community! What if games could only be played for a limited amount of time? What if the community could only complete games together one level at a time? WHAT IF YOU WERE A BABY AND YOUR MOM ABANDONED YOU IN THE WILD! All this and more in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

Surely the reason games are sold in retail is because they make so much money RIGHT? I mean, development studios definitely make more than $20 from a $70 game... right???????? Join bramoala & ChipSkylar in this week's episode of Koalatea Time as they explore the surprising truths about game sales including the revenue distribution for games sold in retail and discuss whether physical game copies will continued to be sold in the future. In addition, join them to discuss their favorite copies of physical games and their fondest physical game release memories. All this and more in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

Bramoala finally beat DOOM 2016! Join him and Chip Skylark as they break down one of the best shooters of the past decade! They discuss their favorite weapons, enemies, biggest annoyances, their DOOM Eternal wish lists, and more!

When most people think of platforming games they don't usually think of FPS platforming games. Is there a reason for this? What makes FPS platforming difficult to do well? What does the newly released Ghostrunner game do to insure an enjoyable experience? Join Skylar and Anthony as they explore these and related topics in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! We discuss Ghostrunner, Mirror's Edge, Destiny, Halo, Crash Bandicoot, and much more!

Their tension can feel cheap, and their scares can be predictable, so why do so many people enjoy horror games? Anthony interviews Skylar to get his thoughts on the horror experiences he's played and the one's he's enjoyed the most, including his recent experience playing Amnesia: Rebirth. Join us as we discuss Five Nights At Freddy's, Until Dawn, Resident Evil, Inside, Bioschock, and more!

How do you know when a UI is good? When you barely notice it! If that's the case, WHY DO WE HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT GAME UI. Join us as we discuss our favorite interfaces in games and RAGE at the ones that drive us nuts in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

Making games is insanely hard. The fact that Amazon's new shooter Crucible is closing down development after only a few months on the market and that Square Enix's new Marvel Avengers is failing to hold more than 1,000 concurrent players just goes to show that even well funded AAA studios cannot guarantee success in today's gaming market. Join Skylar and Anthony as they discuss why these games failed to maintain an engaged player base, the challenges large AAA teams face in creating cohesive designs, and more!

Discussions surrounding crunch have once again resurfaced as news broke that CD Projekt Red is requiring everyone at their studio to work 6 day work weeks up until launch in order to insure that their game meets their desired level of quality. Anthony and Skylar discuss their experience working in crunch cultures, the perils and consequences of crunch, and why it's so hard to avoid it successfully in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

Who's more sus - Anthony or Skylar? What's Anthony's favorite task? Does Skylar think Among Us is the best social deduction game out there? Will Among Us last longer than Fall Guys? Join us as we discuss all this and more in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

Now that Sony and Microsoft have full revealed their new console offerings and respective prices, we break down what every platform is offering and debate which is the best choice for gamers. As you might expect the answer is nuanced and the battle is fierce! Join us this week as we break down which platform reigns supreme, PC or Console?

It's official! We now know the price and release dates for all of the next gen consoles! We have: • Xbox Series S (Nov 10th) - $299 or $25/month • PS5 Digital (Nov 12th/19th) - $399 • Xbox Series X (Nov 10th) - $499 or $35/month • PS5 (Nov 12th/19th) - $499 Who's providing the best value for gamers? PS5 games are $70? What's with Sony's about-face regarding backwards compatibility? Does Sony actually have a viable Game Pass competitor? What consoles are we getting this holiday?? Join us as we discuss all this and more in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

If games offer an ability for players to escape the chaos of normal life and to exercise their autonomy on a more simple world, why are some games so difficult? What role does difficulty play in masterful game experiences? Is Dark Souls a bad game for being so hard? We cover all this and more in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Join Anthony & Skylar as they discuss Dark Souls, Cuphead, Halo, Minecraft, and more!

"The quality of an entertainment experience can be measured by the extent to which its unfolding sequence of events is able to hold a guest's interest." - Jesse Schell, Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses Structuring a gaming experience such that it moves the player through varying levels of emotional and mental intensity in a way that is satisfying to the player, is an art. In this episode we breakdown Jesse's insights surrounding the interest curve in games including what expectations players have coming into the game, the importance of a good hook, a meaningful climax, and more! Join us as we discuss • God of War • Ori and the Blind Forest • Halo 5 and more!

What's this crazy Mario Party minigame Battle Royale game that's taking everyone by storm? Why do people like it so much? What are the BEST minigames? What are the WORST minigames? Is it really a Battle Royale? HAVE WE WON?? Join Anthony & Skylar as they discuss Fall Guys in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Join us every Monday at 8:30 PM ET as we record Koalatea Time live on Twitch with our community! You can find us on Twitch @kokoala_ent (https://twitch.tv/kokoala_ent)

Mobility mechanics are one of the primary elements of a game's foundation. They serve as one of (if not the) greatest tools at a player's disposal to exercise their autonomy on the game world. What do good implementations of mobility mechanics have in common? Do we find 2D or 3D movement to be more fun? What about that Halo Infinite grapple hook? Why is Rocket League's movement so freaking good? Join us as we discuss these and other related topics in this week's episode of Koalatea Time!

Higher resolution! Better framerates! Faster loading times! MORE TERAFLOPS!?!?! Big technological advancements are touted at the advent of every new console generation, but in this week's episode of Koalatea Time Anthony and Skylar examine whether these upgrades are the best use of resources for games on new cutting edge hardware. Join us as we discuss the N64, the teraflop war, what's the best way to use 8.3 milliseconds of processing time, and more!

The first ever reveal of Halo Infinite at the Xbox Games Showcase has come and gone and while many in the Halo community are ecstatic with the new direction the franchise appears to be heading in, many outside of the Halo community were left underwhelmed (to downright disappointed) with the showing. Analysis of the gameplay footage after the event revealed many graphical shortcomings that have us concerned with how much work might still need to be done to get Halo Infinite to a polished state in time for the Xbox Series X release. Join Anthony and Skylar as they discuss what they thought of the state of the reveal, whether Halo Infinite should get delayed, whether requiring it to run on older consoles is holding it back, whether 343 should crunch to make the holiday deadline, and more!

Sony and Microsoft have now hosted their first respective major livestream conferences. We now have a much better idea of what the two major console platforms will be offering come this holiday. While some details, like console price and release date, have yet to be revealed, round 1 is now over. Which platform has done the better job so far of convincing gamers that they are the best console to buy come this holiday? We discuss this and related topics in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we talk Ratchet & Clank, Anapura Interactive's new game, Craig the lovable Halo Infinite Brute, which console we'd prefer to have in our homes, and more!

Josh makes his long awaited Koalatea Time debut as he joins Anthony and Skylar to discuss narrative design in RPG and JRPG titles! Join us as we discuss Persona 5, Fire Emblem, The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, Final Fantasy VII, and more!

The rise in technological advancements have allowed video games to begin to deliver narrative experiences of arguably equal caliber to those found in more traditional media formats, including movies and books. Unlike these other mediums, video games have the unique challenge of communicating narrative intent while accommodating player autonomy. However, many argue that games feel much more immersive for this very reason; players are literally in the story and thus have the ability to experience the story at a much more integrated and personal level. Join Skylar and Anthony as they discuss these and other related topics! Join us to discuss: • What Remains of Edith Finch • The Last of Us • Half Life: Alyx • Halo 2 and more!

What two games do console gamers often buy the most? Why don't PC players switch back to Console? Why does Nintendo routinely produce the most compelling reason to own a console? Join Anthony & Skylar as they discuss these and other related topics, as well as fantastic community feedback, on this episode of Koalatea Time!

It's time to tackle the eternal debate: PC vs. Console! In part 1 of this loaded topic Anthony and Skylar discuss who wins on price, game selection, and convenience! Join us as we discuss Nintendo's amazing software and hardware integration history, Steam sales, Xbox Game Pass, the PS5 and more!

Triangularity, a term coined by the amazing Jesse Schell in his book, "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses", is defined as a game design technique in which a game intentionally provides a high risk, high reward option against a low risk, low reward option to spice up the gameplay experience. In this week's episode, Skylar and Anthony discuss some of their favorite examples of Triangularity in games and how it plays a part in the K.O. Koala Discord experience! Join us as we talk Super Smash Bros, Rocket League, Spy Party, Halo, Sayanora Wildhearts, Fortnite, and more!

Should controller players play in the same lobbies as keyboard and mouse players in FPS games? What are the impacts of aim assist and bullet magnetism, and how do they work? How much do first person cameras play into the immersion of FPS games? Join Anthony and Skylar as they discuss these and other FPS related topics, as well as breakdown some of the community's responses to FPS content on our Instagram! We talk Halo, CSGO, Valorant, COD Warzone, Overwatch, Destiny, and more!

Why are FPS games beloved by so many? What makes class based shooters so compelling? What are the design elements that make shooters so fun to play? Join us in this week's episode as we discuss the community's feedback regarding our previous discussion about Art Styles, as well as the design of FPS games and why we love them! We talk Halo, Valorant, DOOM, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six Siege, and more! Help support our studio with some high Koalatea merch!! https://rebrand.ly/kokoala_merch

Why do so many recent games use stylized cartoon-like art styles? Do realistic graphics increase immersion? How do indie games determine the art styles they're going to use? Anthony & Skylar discuss these and other topics related to art styles in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss Valorant, Fortnite, Sea of Thieves, Mortal Kombat, Halo, Ori, Cuphead, and more!

Anthony and Skylar discuss the community's favorite in-game customization options and thoughts regarding in-game expression in this hilarious episode of Koalatea Time! Join us as we discuss Call of Duty, For Honor, Mortal Kombat, Halo, Rocket League, Dota 2, Fortnite, and more!

Players love expressing themselves through in-game cosmetics and titles. Some players seek the status that comes with obtaining rare items; others purely enjoy the aesthetic treat! This week we discuss expression in games, why players love to the aesthetic upgrades that they do, and how games can manage modern day monetization opportunities without irritating their fan bases. Join Skylar and Anthony as they discuss Valorant, Rocket League, Dota 2, Halo 3, and more!

Many claim that Skill Based Match Making (SBMM) ruins unranked game modes, but data shows that it undeniably helps increase player retention and engagement. Is SBMM in unranked game modes a good thing? Who should devs cater to when developing their match making algorithms? In Episode 20 - SBMM (Pt. 1) we asked the community for their feedback surrounding SBMM in unranked game modes, and in this episode we discuss their responses around how they'd go about insuring that players of all skill levels have fun in unranked game modes, how they'd deal with smurfs, and more! Anthony & Skylar discuss how some popular games like Halo, Dota 2, Valorant, Fortnite, and Rocket League handle these issues and more!

Valorant, the new shooter from Riot Games, has been taking the gaming community by storm since the release of it’s beta. This week, Skylar provides insightful commentary into his experience playing the beta so far! Join us as Skylar and Anthony discuss Valorant’s unique design elements, satisfying gunplay, novel marketing techniques, etc. Wonder if you’re the kind of player who’d like Valorant? Wonder how long a game of Valorant takes? Wonder if it’s ranking system is good? Skylar answers all that and more on this week’s episode of Koalatea Time!

Skill Based Match Making (SBMM) the bane of high level players seeking to romp lower level adversaires everywhere! Many claim that it ruins unranked game modes, but data shows that it undeniably helps increase player retention and engagement. Is SBMM in unranked game modes a good thing? Who should devs cater to when developing their match making algorithms? Anthony & Skylar discuss these and other topics surrounding SBMM on this week's episode! Join us as we discuss Fortnite, TemTem, Dota 2, Rocket League, and more!

OMG CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT _____ DID OUR PODCAST INTRO!!!!!!!! Reeling from the unbelievable hype, Anthony & Skylar discuss what the K.O. Koala community thinks about rewards by leveraging Jesse Schell's insight into the various reward types a game can offer! Join us as we talk about losing lives, beating games multiple times, grinding for rare armor, completing weekly challenges, and more! Our conversation touches on Fortnite, Halo, Bless Unleashed, Cuphead, Spyro, Rainbow 6 Siege, and many more games!!

In his book "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses", Jesse Schell discusses extrnisc rewards and how they can be designed tastefully to enhance the player experience. Insipired by his insight, Anthony & Skylar discuss some of their favorite implementations of rewards in games! Join us as we discuss Minecraft, Jubeat, Street Fighter 4, Halo 3, and more!

Single player experiences vary widely in their expected length of play time. Inspired by Jesse Schell's insight surrounding play time in his book, "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses", Skylar and Anthony investigate how the length of single player experiences influences the games they play, the experiences they have playing them, and the commonality in structure between many of their most memorable single player experiences! Join us as we discuss The Witcher 3, BioShock, Ori, Halo, The Hex, and more!

Burning 800 calories on the dance pads of DDR, cutting a rug in front of a Kinect in Just Dance, jamming out in Guitar Hero, bowling your heart away in Wii Sports, catching a fish with Nintendo Labo. Innovative physical interfaces have allowed us to experience some of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences we've had playing games! In this episode Skylar & Anthony discuss physical interfaces, unique controllers, and why Nintendo leads the way in innovative interface design. Join us as we discuss Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Wii Sports, Ring Fit Adventures and more!

Social stigmas, cost of entry, escapism, intellectual challenge, competition, cooperation - there are a seemingly infinite amount of reasons that people play games! In this episode Anthony & Skylar discuss why they and others play games! Join them as they discuss Sonic 2, Backyard Sports, Warcraft, Pokémon, Halo, and more!

Not too hard, not too easy. Tense and release, tense and release. The careful focusing of attention. All these elements help achieve arguably the most satisfying of all mental states called 'Flow'. Inspired by Jesse Schell's insight in his book, "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses", Anthony & Skylar discuss Jesse's insights and how Flow is achieved in some of their favorite games. Join us as they discuss Rocket League, League of Legends, Dota 2, and more!

When's the best time to release a game? Spring? Winter? Do AAA and Indie studios share the same release window concerns? How has the advent of social media and content creators influenced changes in game marketing? In this episode Anthony & Skylar discuss their thoughts on game release windows including their experience of how they have and haven't changed over the years. Join us as we discuss Ori and the Blind Forest, One Hour One Life, Yes Your Grace, and more!

Greater immersion or superfluous constraint? Satisfying execution or an encroachment of autonomy? Quick Time Events are one of the most divisive gameplay elements found in a wide range of games. In this episode Skylar & Anthony discuss their thoughts on Quick Time Events and whether they are a good addition in games. Join us as we discuss Shenmue, Halo, Spy Party, Call of Duty, and rhythm games!

The PlayStation controller is trash?? The Wii Nunchucks are amazing?? Anthony has broken how many Xbox One controllers?? Skylar held what as a baby?? This week, Anthony & Skylar discuss and rank video game controllers! Join us as we discuss Gameboys, button presses, and weirdly shaped hands!

Are your brain's biases still being manipulated by clever game developers to force you to enjoy the games you love? A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking that affects the decisions and judgments that people make. Did you know there are over 100 of these cognitive biases? This week Anthony and Skylar continue discussing some of these biases and explore how they can affect game design, business, and marketing. Join us as we discuss Halo, Rocket League, gaming communities, Ben Franklin, and why that guy at work might seem so annoying!

How in the world do games make money if they still cost $60? How can games be free to play if they cost over $50 million dollars to develop and market? How will subscription based services change the gaming industry? Will indie studios survive the new landscape? Anthony & Skylar discuss these and other related topics in this week's episode of Koalatea Time! Join in as they discuss CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 3, No More Robots, Descenders, and more!

Every so often a new technology emerges that brings new gameplay experiences to existing venues. In his book "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses" Jesse Schell captures the insight of thinking about where players play games as the lens of "The Venue" and how making a game for a particular venue impacts choices in game design. In this episode, Anthony & Skylar discuss how Augmented and Virtual Reality are poised to revolutionize not only the gameplay experiences they enable but also the venues in which we play them. Join in as they discuss The VOID, Beat Saber, Pokémon GO, and more!

Continuous technological advancements constantly change the games we play, but not the places we play them. In his book "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses" Jesse Schell captures the insight of thinking about where players play games as the lens of "The Venue" and how making a game for this venue impacts choices in game design. In this week's episode, Anthony & Skylar focus on exploring the venue of "The Hearth" a central place in the home where many people of differing skill levels enjoy a gameplay experience together. Join in as they explore how Super Smash Brothers, Mario Kart, Mario Party, The Mind, Halo, and other games succeed in this venue!

2019 has come to a close and with that the 2010 decade is over! In this episode, Anthony and Skylar discuss their favorite games of the decade and the reasons why those games deserve to be there. What elements go into the design of a game for it to become one of our favorites? Will there be any overlap on our lists? Will we talk about Halo? Tune in and find out!

Are your brain's biases being manipulated by clever game developers to force you to enjoy the games you love? A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking that affects the decisions and judgments that people make. Did you know there are over 100 of these cognitive biases? This week Anthony and Skylar discuss some of these biases and explore how they can affect game design, business, and marketing. Join us as we discuss Ori and The Blind Forest, Portal, Anthony's adventures to the Microsoft Store, and why the things we learned as cavemen don't really help us very much anymore!

What are the differences between cooperative and competitive experiences in games? What kinds of mechanics facilitate these different game modes? Anthony & Skylar discuss this and what they personally enjoy out of these different game styles as they discuss their time playing Spy Party, Portal, Halo, Rocket League, and more!

Anthony & Skylar discuss the conflicting interests video game studios face in creating and maintaining an intellectual property (IP) in the modern video game industry. How do studios balance their creative vision, business needs, fanbase expectations, and industry advancements? How do business realities impact AAA and Indie video game design? Their discussion touches on Alien: Colonial Marines, Overwatch, Activision, EA, and more!

What makes a good toy? Are toys games? How can toys play a part in game design? Does the public perception of games equate that of toys? Join Anthony & Skylar as they explore how these topics apply to Rocket League, Halo 5, and other games!

Anthony and Skylar talk about some of their most memorable video game experiences and the design elements that were used to create them. Their discussion dives into their experiences playing Halo 2, BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us, The Witness, and more!