Hi, Matt Chatters! I'm back this week with part 2 of my interview with Peter Oliphant, child actor turned game developer. In this part, Peter talks about his transition from Hollywood to Silicon Valley, which includes stops (and stories about) Sierra On-Line, Cinemaware, and Interplay. Peter's a big fan of the Atari 800, so we spend some time talking about that system and his games Wall War and Mr. Cool. Then it's on to Rocket Ranger and S.D.I. before ending with Lexi-Cross, a unique blend of Battleship and Wheel of Fortune.

Download the mp4.

This week launches a new series of interviews with Interplay programmer and designer Peter Oliphant. Peter has an amazing history as a child actor, math whiz, and finally game designer, with boatloads of interesting stories about all of it. In this first part of the interview, we focus on Peter's work for Mattel, creating some of the early handheld electronic games like World Championship Football and Gravity. Then we get into his work as an actor, working alongside such notables as Dick Van Dyke and Jimmy Stewart, as well as some cult classics like Hotrods to Hell.

You can download the mp4 here.

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Hi, folks! Probably not the best time given the recent public flogging I've been getting over my Gothic retrospective, but what the heck. Here's my seventh podcast. This one is admittedly a ramble, but generally focused on making games with Gamemaker and the trials and tribulations of becoming an indie game developer. Is making a "serious" indie game worth the effort if you know your work will make little to no money--and, worse--may only be seen by a dozen or so people, tops? Is the love of making games enough in and of itself to keep you motivated all the way through a year or more of development? In my case, the answer is no.

Download the podcast here.

This week begins my interview series with Mark Soderwall, an awesome guy with 20+ years in the industry. His resume is huge, with jobs at Mindcraft, Atari, and LucasArts. He's worked on games NBA Live, the Terminator games, Demon Stone, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, just to name a few. Now he's devoted himself to training the next generation and inspiring indie developers with his Game Creators Vault. Enjoy!

If you haven't supported the show, don't be a scrooge! If you like these videos, please put a dollar in my stocking!. Come on, McDuck, it's Christmas! As always, you can download the MP4 for playback on your mobile device.

This week it's all about Interplay's 1995 miss Stonekeep! Featuring awesome FMV and some truly unique characters (Wahooka!), this is not a game you want to miss if you love CRPGs. While far from perfect (backtracking from hell!), there's enough here to keep you busy for a few days at least. One note: You will definitely want the awesome BOX for this game if you can find it; it's a hologram! You'll also want a copy of the novella Thera's Awakening. But if you can do without those two assets, scoop it up from GOG for a ridiculously low price!

Download the MP4 here.

Hi, guys, this week Jay and I chat about the sales of Frayed Knights and the apparent effect that massive piracy has had on their rapid decline. While Jay acknowledges that DRM has its problems--especially when it makes a pirated product superior to a legal one--it's hard to deny that some kind of protection is essential to maximize sales. Watch the video and let us know YOUR opinion on DRM.

Download the mp4 here.

Hi, guys! I'm back this week with part 3 of my interview with Jay Barnson. This is probably my favorite segment, with some really heartfelt discussion about dealing with criticism and struggling on despite a lack of financial resources. There's also plenty of sight gags, including a special Skyrim book, a blistering "major site" review of Frayed Knights, and much more!

I'm up to 6,324 subscribers--still 676 left to go if I'm going to make my 7K by 2012 goal. Please help spread the word by posting this or other episodes on your favorite blog, forum, or social networking sites.
Download the video here: mattchat126.mp4.
Download the audio here: mattchat126.mp3.
As always, if you like what you see, consider setting up a subscription ($5 a month is most excellent) or one-time donation. The subscriptions work great; just set it and forget it, no need to bother with it again. And you can, of course, cancel at any time. $5 a month is nothing to you, but everything to me. :)

It's like, how much more black could this be?I'm so angry about Skyrim that it was hard to make this podcast, but I did it anyway. I shouldn't have to say this, but if you are in love with Skyrim, this podcast isn't for you. This episode is intended only for complete morons, dolts, dullards, and out-and-out nincompoops like yours truly who are just too jaded and bitter to ever enjoy a truly fantastic masterpiece like Skyrim from the glorious design wizards at Bethesda.

Warning: There is some mild adult language here (PG rated).

Download this steaming pile of troll fat here.
Matt's Podcast 6

Jay is back this week to talk more about his work on Frayed Knights and its many inspirations and precedents, including his favorite CRPG--Ultima VII.

NOTE: The above video has some missing footage around the 28 minute mark. The version below has been corrected.
mattchat125.mp4. You can also grab an audio-only feed here: Matt Chat 125.mp3.
Don't forget to shop at GOG using my affiliate link! Some great stuff this week for adventure game lovers.