Digitally Uploaded

Tactics RPGs, and we complain a whole lot about long games (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #19)

Let's get this disclaimer out of the way from the outset; we really like our JRPGs, RPGs, and other games that take dozens and dozens of hours to play though.

But. But is it possible that these games are just too long, and unnecessarily so? Wouldn't it be better to have shorter games that tell a story with the same impact in less time? They manage to do it with films, after all.

That's our big debate for this week. Aside from that, we also talk tactics RPGs, given that three of them have released in the span of a week on various consoles. And we talk about Destiny 2, which has a big reveal last week, and let's face it... that's going to be one of the biggest games of the year.

Feel free to follow the team on our Twitter:

Matt S: @digitallydownld
Harvard L: @harvardliu
Tyler T: @tylertreese

And if you liked the music on the podcast this week, here's the tracklist for you:

Gigantic Girl - Hatsune Miku
Outset Island - The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
Main theme - Fire Emblem Awakenin
Town theme - Wild Arms

Games of the year (so far), the PlayStation Vita's best month in ages, and more! (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #18)

Whoo! The podcast recording technology worked this week, the technical demons have been squashed, and we're back after a week's forced hiatus!

Because the DDNet awards cycle runs from December to November, we're actually six months in to the "year" this month, so we thought we'd look back at the many game of the year contenders and talk about which have really resonated with us, and which are likely to pick up awards.

We also talk about the humble PlayStation Vita, which is enjoying one of its best months for game releases ever, despite being a supposedly "dead" console. And plenty more besides! It's a good podcast this week, we swear.

Feel free to follow us on our social media:

Matt S: @digitallydownld
Alan M: @ironshroom
Tyler T: @tylertreese
Harvard L: @harvardliu

And if you liked any of the music from this week's podcast, here's the tracklist for you:

Winter Gift - Hatsune Miku
Main Menu Music - Horizon Zero Dawn
Theater - Persona 4
Main Theme - The Sexy Brutale

The Tekkencast! Our huge interview with Tekken producer, Katsuhiro Harada (Digitally Uploaded 2017, Episode #17)

Tekken 7 is just around the corner, and DDNet's Matt was privileged to be able to sit down with the producer of Tekken, Katsuhiro Harada, to talk about the new game, some of the design philosophies that the team has taken, and their wonderful approach to diversity in the cast.

It's a big interview, too, running at around 30 minutes. Obviously the interview's done via a translator, so you'll hear Matt speak, Harada respond in Japanese (though his English is apparently good enough to understand the questions), and then the translator will turn the responses into English.

Before that interview, the DDNet crew also take the time to chat about Tekken itself, and their hands-on with Tekken 7. It's a great game. It was well worth spending an entire podcast on. Enjoy the in-depth interview with one of the legends of the genre!

Follow us on social media:

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

And if you enjoyed the music on this week's podcast, here's the playlist for you:

PoPiPo - Hatsune Miku
Electric Fountain - Tekken 6
Sword of Destiny - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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