I know a lot of you guys are big fans of the Dreamcast, so prepare to be traumatized by this episode. Josh acknowledges that there might be plenty of other reasons for the short production cycle of one of the best consoles ever, but his description of the inexplicable attitude of Sony of Japan's attitude towards their American branch is pretty damn revealing, if not downright disgusting.

You can also download the video here, but don't forget to tip the bard first. A few bucks and a few minutes of your time is all I ask for all my work.

This week, Cordes is back with several fascinating insights into the world of adventure games and horror. We talk about the difference between horror films and horror games, storytelling, why adventure games should be sorted by their plot and not as a gameplay genre, and much more. There's quite a bit of meat here for anyone interested in designing an adventure game or wondering how they work. Download the audio here.

We're like a bad penny - We always turn up. It's Episode 8! Did we cut the show down, or has it grown into something we can't control? You'll have to listen to find out! Matt Barton, Bill Loguidice, Christina Loguidice, Chip Hageman, and I - Chris Kennedy - give you the latest in listener bliss.

Click here to download the show.




Segments and approximate times below:

• Matt Barton on Indie games and their quest to save us from lack of originality in today's games (4:06)
• Chip Hageman on Commodoreserver.com (21:35)
• Christina Loguidice on the use of videogames in medicine (36:32)
• Bill Loguidice's first computer roleplaying experience (45:25)
• Chris Kennedy and videogame remakes (1:11:16)

As always, we'd really appreciate any feedback you have to offer on the episode. You can leave comments here, email us, or review the show on iTunes. You can also subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Hi, guys, I'm back, this time with the first part of an excellent interview with Agustín Cordes, the Argentina-based designer and developer of Scratches and the forthcoming Asylum. Both games are fine examples of horror adventures, with first-person gameplay and painstaking, artistic production. Here, Agustín talks about Asylum's engine (formerly called Kinesis), as well as the design of Scratches, the state of indie gaming, and much, much more.

Oh, and check out that new Armchair Arcade splash screen!

Download the audio here.

I've been mostly ambivalent about the iPad so far, but I have to admit, Her Interactive's new iPad Shadow Ranch game looks very intriguing. While the hype is perhaps a bit over the top (it's not like nobody has ever thought about combining games and books), it is nice to see a company so well-poised to deliver. Obviously, anyone who loves Nancy Drew probably fell in love first and foremost with the books, so a product like this makes a great deal of sense.

Fierce. Green. Dragon.It's the month of love. Nope, we're not sending you valentines and a heart-shaped box of assorted fine chocolates, but you do get a podcast sealed with a kiss! We have a humongous show clocking in at nearly three hours, with special guests Jay Barnson of Rampant Coyote, John Pio of MAMECADE, and Alex Layne of Not Your Mama's Gamer. We're also joined by almost all of the regular AA team, including Bill Loguidice, Christina Loguidice, Mark Vergeer, Rob Daviau, Chris Kennedy, and yours truly, Matt Barton.

Click here to download the show.

Segments and approximate times below:

• Jay Barnson (aka Rampant Coyote) and the fierce green dragon (4:44)
• John Pio (aka MAMECADE) on classic arcade machines (16:00)
• Bill Loguidice's third and final segment on motion gaming (45:15)
• Christina Loguidice on Plants vs. Zombies (1:00:06)
• Alex Layne on Samus Aran (1:08:51)
• Chris Kennedy and the results of AA Favorite Arcade Machine Poll (1:18:26)
• Rob Daviau on the Dreamcast (1:34:12)
• Mark Vergeer on the Commodore 64 (2:10:06)
• Matt Barton on Gerald Celente's Predictions of a Global (Gamer) Revolution

As always, we'd really appreciate any feedback you have to offer on the episode. You can leave comments here, email us, or review the show on iTunes. You can also subscribe to our RSS Feed.

It's Tass Times in Tonetown this week as Becky joins me for a third installment of our interview. Prepare to be amused as Becky recounts the story of one of the wackiest games ever to grace an Apple IIGS. We also get to hear (finally) how she came by her nickname --prepare to be grossed out! Download the audio here (also available on iTunes).

In the third and final segment, Scott Adams and I discuss his later games, which include the Questprobe series featuring Marvel super heroes. We also cover the graphical remakes of is earlier text adventures, and the problems those graphics caused for his tiny company. Inevitably, Adventure International was being crushed by much better funded, large scale projects from Sierra and Infocom.

In this week's episode, industry pioneer Scott Adams talks about his first foray into commercial publishing with Adventureland, the first in what would become an epic series of text (and later illustrated) adventures for the smorgasbord of early 80s computer platforms. Scott talks about his experiences with Colossal Cave Adventure, his favorite platforms, and the trials and tribulations of managing a hugely successful business without any formal training whatsoever.