Digitally Uploaded

On localisation, visual novels, and other cool stuff (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #16)

We can't stop talking about Person 5, it seems. This past week, there's been a lot of criticism over the game's localisation, so the DDNet team decided to discuss that this week, and more generally how localisation should work, versus how people think it does.

We also have a good chat about visual novels; what we love about them, what makes for a good VN, and whether hybrid VNs (which have "gameplay bits" in between the reading) are the better way to go.

Thanks as always for listening in, and hope you enjoy the podcast!

To catch us on Twitter:

Matt S: @digitallydownld
Matt C: @MC_Odd
Ginny W: @ginnywoes
Matt K: @crowdedworlds

And if any of the music this week caught your attention, here's the tracklist:

Strike the Earth - Shovel Knight
Antipyretic - Final Fantasy Tactics
Copied City - NieR: Automata

The Nintendo Switch has pleasantly surprised us, and Drawn to Death has not (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #15)

Nintendo held another of its Nintendo Direct web shows, which was mostly there to show off what's coming up for the Nintendo Switch. So, naturally, we had a chat about that this week. We have been really pleasantly surprised by the Switch so far, and we chat about how Nintendo might keep that momentum going.

We also talk about Drawn to Death, a new free-to-play game (courtesy of PlayStation Plus) that hasn't impressed us much at all. And then, generally, we chat about the games that we are loving; stuff like Yakuza 0 and Persona 5. What a year for games it has been so far.

Enjoy the podcast! We have a special guest on this week; Tyler Treese, a freelance journalist and critic who has written for publications such as PlayStation Lifestyle and Kill Screen. It was great to have him on!

To catch us all on our social media:

Matt S: @digitallydownld
Alan M: @ironshroom
James S: @j_swinbanks
Tyler T: @tylertreese

If you like any of the music on the episode this week, here's the list of tracks for you:

Satisfaction - Hatsune Miku
Life is Beautiful - Deadly Premonition
34 tusk - Yakuza 0
Last Surprise - Persona 5

Hatsune Miku! Streaming! Aussie Dev Interview! (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #14)

Note: Apologies for this in advance, but Matt had some issues with his microphone when recording the podcast. As a result, there's a little bit of cutting in and out. It shouldn't be enough to stop you enjoying the 'cast though, so please do kick back and enjoy!

This week on the podcast we chat about Hatsune Miku; everyone's favourite digital girl! We also talk about Persona 5 and the streaming restrictions that Atlus put on people for the game, and finally we have a chat with Matt Kelly, an Aussie indie dev behind the excellent Molemen Must Die!

If you enjoyed any of the music in this week's podcast, here's the tracklist for you:

Hatsune Miku's TV Show - News 39 - Hatsune Miku
Destiny - Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Opening - Pokemon Blue/ Red
Launch into Deep Space - Loves in a Dangerous Spacetime

And if you want to grab any of us on social media, here's our Twitter accounts:

Matt S: @digitallydownld
Matt C: @MC_Odd
Ginny W: @ginnywoes
Matt K: @crowdedworlds

Many thanks for listening in, and see you next week!

It's Persona 5 week! Also the games of April and we chat with one of the coolest Aussie indie devs (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #13)

Happy Persona 5 week! As you listen to this podcast, the game is hitting shelves, and flying right back off them as people get stuck into what is sure to be one of the most popular and well-regarded games of the year. We talk through some of our first impressions of the game, as we start to play it ourselves.

As it's the first week of the month, we look at the release schedule for April and... well, things aren't settling down. Expect to play a lot this month. Finally, we have a chat with John Kane, one of the popular local Aussie game developers with Mallow Drops, a brilliantly charming mobile game, on the way later this month.

Enjoy the podcast! If you like any of the music on the podcast this week, have a listen to it below:

Tell Your World - Hatsune Miku
Donkey Kong Rap - Donkey Kong 64
Em-pyei-n vari-fen Jang - Ar Nosurge
Last Surprise - Persona 5

And if you want to catch any of us on social media, here you go:

Matt S - @digitallydownld
Matt C - @MC_Odd
James S - @j_swinbanks
John Kane - @gritfish

Thanks for listening in, and we'll see you next week!

On Mass Effect: Andromeda, the mobile games we actually play outside, and collectibles! (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #12)

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a conflicting game, and our own feelings on the game are mixed; parts we love, and other parts we do not. As we start to play the game, we sit down to have an early impressions chat.

We also talk about portable gaming, and specifically what games we actually take out and about with us. More specifically we chat about the Nintendo Switch and whether it works as a portable game device. Finally, we chat about collectibles; the stuff we like to collect about our favourite games, and how Matt ended up with a horrible, ugly skull.

Enjoy the podcast, and catch us on our social media:

Matt S - @digitallydownld
Ginny W - @ginnywoes
Alan M - @ironshroom

And if any of this week's music catches your fancy, here's the tracklist:

Party Party - IA
The End Run - Mass Effect 2
Adam & Eve Boss - NieR: Automata
Besaid Island - Final Fantasy X

On censorship and horror games, eroticism in film (and games) and more! (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #11)

This week on the DigitallyDownloaded.net podcast, we look at the latest game to have fallen victim to Australian censorship, Outlast 2.

Then we look at eroticism in film, as the Korean film The Handmaiden, makes a big splash in arthouse cinema circles, and how that approach to filmmaking might apply to games (if it can be done).

In a three-for-three with controversial subjects, we also look at whitewashing in film (specifically in the new Ghost in the Shell film), and consider whether games are doing a better job at combating this than film is.

As always you can catch us on our socials:

Matt S. - @digitallydownld
Matt C. - @MC_Odd
Ginny W. - @ginnywoes

And if any of the music from the show interests you, here is the tracklist:

39 Mu Ja Jikku - Hatsune Miku
Pascal - NieR: Automata
Allure - Ladykiller in a Bind OST
A Beautiful Song - NieR: Automata

On our conflicted feelings on Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and getting into old games (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #10)

Ubisoft's latest Tom Clancy game launched recently, and a couple of the DDNet team have been struggling through it. On some levels we enjoy, even appreciate the game, but on other levels... well, it's best you listen to the podcast.

We also have a good chat about getting into games late; is it difficult to get into Overwatch now? What about MMOs? World of Warcraft itself? And what can game developers do, if anything, to make these games welcoming to new players while still giving the veterans the game they want to play.

If you enjoy the music on this week's podcast, here's the track list:

1925: Hatsune Miku
Athletic Theme: Yoshi's Island
Sword of Destiny - Main Theme: The Witcher 3
Brave Heart: Rogue Galaxy

And if you're keen to follow us on social media, here are our Twitters:

Matt S: @digiallydownld
James S: @j_swinbanks
Alan M: @ironshroom

NieR: Automata is the greatest thing ever. Also Nintendo Switch and the games of March (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #9)

NieR: Automata is here! A game that we never thought would actually get made after the original bombed so badly, NieR: Automata is everything that we could actually want from a game, and then some. It's a work of pure genius.

This week we have a good chat about NieR, and Yoko Taro's games in general. Then we also have a chat about games that are influenced by other media - be that film, literature, or the higher art forms such as ballet, theatre, or opera.

As it's the first week of March, we also have a good chat about the games that are being released this month, and it's almost intimidating just how much stuff is coming... let alone that we have a new piece of hardware to enjoy in the Nintendo Switch!

If you like the music from the podcast this week, here's the tracklist for you:

Tell Your World - Hatsune Miku
NieR: Automata - Main Menu theme
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Main Theme
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - The Fields of Ard Skellig

And you can follow us along on Twitter if you'd like:

Matt S: @digitallydownld
Matt C: @MC_Odd
Ginny: @ginnywoes

Thanks for listening, and see you next week!

We interview the producer of Mass Effect: Andromeda! (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #8)

So this week we have a special treat: We interview the producer of the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda, Fabrice Condominas, about what to expect about the upcoming game, some of the key themes to get excited about, and our hands-on experience with the game.

After that we also chat more generally about what we enjoy about BioWare games, and then compare what we love about western RPGs to what we love about Japanese RPGs.

It's a big podcast this week, so kick back, enjoy, and let us know what you think!

You can catch us on social media:

Matt: @digitallydownld
Ginny: @ginnywoes
Harvard: @harvardliu

And if any of this week's music caught your ear, here's where you can listen to it:

Multiple Future Quartet - Hatsune Miku
Leaving Earth - Mass Effect 3
Striptease - Persona 4
Excavator Battle w/ Song of ther Ancients - NieR: Automata

Horizon: Zero Dawn, screenshots, DLC and open worlds! (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #7)

This week on the DDNet podcast, James and Matt chat, ramble, and rave about screenshot modes in video games (check out Horizon: Zero Dawn's... it's incredible), open world games, and the value of DLC.

Yes, that's right, Sony's first really big game of the year is out very soon, and while you can check out Matt's review on the www.digitallydownloaded.net website, we talk about some of the key themes and issues of the game in the podcast too. And other stuff, of course. We do like talking about other stuff.

Catch us on our social media accounts here:

Matt: @digitallydownld
James: @j_swinbanks

And you can check out all the music on the podcast by following the below links:

The Lost One's Weeping: Kagamine Rin
Nerevar Rising: Morrowind
Waltz for the Moon: Final Fantasy VIII
Field Music: NieR: Automata