Digitally Uploaded

August 2023 Podcast: We rank all the JRPGs. ALL of them.

This month's podcast is a simple one: we rank all the JRPGs! Yep, that's right, we go through all the major series, old and new, and class them according to the tiers we think they belong to. 

We assume some people are going to yell at us over our picks!

We also list out all the big games happening in August. It's yet another month where you better get those batteries charged, because there's a lot to play. 

Let us know your own JRPG rankings, and we'll see you next month!

July 2023 Podcast: Final Fantasy XVI deep dive, and do old games ”age”?

Something old and something new for discussion in this month's podcast! 

We kick things off as we always do with a look at all the games releasing in July. If you're a fan of Japanese games - and JRPGs in particular - steel yourself because the month is going to be intense.

From there we talk about Final Fantasy XVI in-depth. What were the themes that we found most poignant about it, what has disappointed us in how the conversation around the game has gone, and what do we think (and hope) this masterpiece means for Japanese games, JRPGs, and blockbusters in general?

Finally, to wrap a loaded podcast off, we chat about retro games, and ask the question "do they age? Should they be compared to the games that get released today, or if not how to we judge their ongoing value to the industry?"

As always let us know your own thoughts in the comments, and thanks for tuning in to our humble little podcast!

June 2023 Podcast: What makes a good sequel? And how can narrative be more accessible?

Welcome to the June 2023 edition of the Digitally Uploaded podcast! As usual we've got a great show for you planned. 

We start by chatting through all the big releases in June. It's dominated by one particular game, but there's a lot of other interesting stuff coming too! 

Then we talk about sequels - what makes a good sequel? Should it be a direct continuation of its predecessor, or something totally different? And is it okay to reuse elements, such as the same in-game world?

Finally, we talk about narrative accessibility. With games becoming increasingly large and dense, what can and should developers do to make sure they're bringing audiences on the journey with them?

Thanks as always for tuning in, and have a great month of gaming ahead!

May 2023 Podcast: Our favourite Final Fantasy moments of all time... also what the heck is wrong with AAA games?

Hello everyone, and welcome to the bumper podcast we have for you for May!

In addition to talking through all the big games coming out this month (it's dominated by one game in particular... can you guess what game?), we also chat through two big topics:

Firstly, with Final Fantasy XVI just on the horizon (and the Pixel Remasters just out on console), we ask ourselves what were our favourite moments of the series, from its early days right through to the most modern releases.

Then, in light of the horrible releases of Redfall and Forspoken this year, we also ask: while AAA-grade remakes are doing just fine (consider Resident Evil 4), why are the big publishers struggling so much to have original ideas?

Enjoy the banter, and we'll be back next month!

April 2023 Podcast: AI is ruining games, and good writing might just save them

This month on the Digitally Uploaded podcast, we grapple with the thorniest of issues currently plaguing video games: The role that AI is increasingly playing in the "creative" side of development. In short, it's a problem. Potentially, a very big problem.

Then, to be more positive, we talk about excellent writing in games. What are some of the games over the years that have really stood out to us as examples of just purely good writing?

All that, plus our usual wrap of the most interesting-looking games coming out this month. Kick back and enjoy the two-hour show... and thanks as always for tuning in!

March 2023 Podcast: The Game Boy/GBA games we want on Switch. Also, Soulslikes and Wo Long!

This month on the Digitally Uploaded podcast, we have a bumper episode where we talk through the GB and GBA games that we'd love to see on Switch. How do games from that era hold up, or are they just for the nostalgic, and will we get the full breadth of creativity that was released for those consoles?

Then, in honour of the release of Wo Long, Koei Tecmo's latest Soulslike, we chat about that genre again. Specifically, we ask the question: what helps a Soulslike from a developer other than FromSoftware stand out? What does FromSoftware do that so many other developers struggle with?

Enjoy our two-hour podcast, let us know what you think, and we'll be back next month for more!

February 2023 Podcast: Our favourite snacks for gaming, and game music we’d go to a symphony for

Welcome to the February episode of the podcast!

As always, we've got a cracking episode for you this month. We start out by discussing the games of the month as always. Then we move on to our favourite snacks & drinks while gaming, before capping things off with a chat about game music in symphonies; what works and what do we prefer to have as part of the gaming experience?

As always let us know your own thoughts, and have a great month in gaming!

January 2023 Podcast: Everything we loved playing last year, and a chat with Lached Up Games!

We are back for another year! The January episode of the Digitally Uploaded podcast is a big, two-hour special, and we have a special guest on this week!

We start the episode by talking about the big game releases in January (and there are some surprises to look forward to!), and then we each pick our three big games of the last year that stood out to us as highlights.

From there we have a chat with Lachlan, of Lached Up Games. He recently released his latest game, My Mad Scientist Roommate Turned Me Into Her Personal Robotic Battle Maiden?!?, and we chat with him about that game, the Australian game dev scene, and plenty more.

Thanks as always for tuning in, and we'll see you at the next one!

December 2022 Podcast: The challenges of open worlds, and named character vs. self inserts!

Welcome everyone to the last podcast of 2022, and we have a bumper 2-hour special for your listening pleasure.

First of all, we talk about the last wave of games to land in the year (there's more than you think!), and then we chat about the challenges of open-world games, and taking formerly linear adventures and moving them into those open spaces.

Finally, we talk about the two approaches to characterisation - named characters (where player choice over character creation might be limited) vs. character creation (where the developer has no idea what kind of character you're controlling). What are the pros and cons of both, and which do you prefer?

We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. The Digitally Uploaded podcast has really taken off this year, and we love having you all as listeners. See you in 2023!

November 2022 Podcast: What’s the best approach for sequels & what forgotten games we want back!

Welcome to the month's podcast, everyone! As always we've got a great show to share with you this month. We kick things off by discussing all the big releases happening in November (there's a lot). 

Then we chat about sequels, and specifically, what is the best approach to take. Should a sequel assume that players have played the previous titles, or should each sequel be self-contained?

Finally, we get a bit nostalgic this month, and each pick three game properties that have been put on ice, and we'd just love to see them back. What would you pick?

Thanks as always for tuning into our show!