Business Casual Gamers

Conversations between friends about gaming, its culture, and an outsider’s perspective on the industry. Hosted by Chris (@zivilyn) and Aaron (@BCGAaron).

Episode 76 - Business Casual Game Gripes 01/15/2022

Episode 76 - Business Casual Game Gripes It’s a new year, sure to be full of great new games. However, we have some gripes about the games we play and the industry at large that we hope every game publisher out there is setting a New Year’s resolution to fix. In this episode, we discuss some of our biggest recent gripes with the industry and offer our suggestions on how to fix them. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/21785219

Episode 75 - A Eulogy to Blizzard: The GOAT of Gaming 09/19/2021

Episode 75 - A Eulogy to Blizzard: The GOAT of Gaming What do Blizzard Entertainment and Ozzie from Chrono Trigger have in common: They’re both in a pickle. If you’ve gone to any website over the past month, it is hard to miss the news of all the hot water that Blizzard Entertainment finds themselves in. In this episode, we ask ourselves a question that may prove to be one of the most important in gaming’s history: What happens when the greatest game developer of all time collapses? /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/20527088

Episode 74 - BCG Hall of Fame Showdown 07/02/2021

Episode 74 - BCG Hall of Fame Showdown In a few past episodes, we’ve taken a deep dive into games we believe to be Hall-of-Fame levels of quality, talking about what makes them so special. Over the past few weeks, Aaron and I both came to each other with a game that we thought was worthy of the Hall of Fame. The only problem: We weren’t talking about the same game. So in this episode, we are going to sell each other on why our chosen game is worthy of the coveted BCG Hall of Fame nomination. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/19688240

Episode 73 - Art or Product 05/06/2021

Episode 73 - Art or Product After a recent announcement and subsequent change of heart by Sony regarding their online store, gamers across the community were forced to revisit an important question about our community. Are we merely buying a game to entertain us for a time or are we preservers of a hobby’s legacy? Are game developers shipping products to pay the bills or are they curators of an IP universe? In this episode, we discuss the impact of our hobby increasingly moving into a digital-only world and the implications. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/19012244

Episode 72 - Cyber-Punk’d: When Good Games Go Bad 12/23/2020

Episode 72 - Cyber-Punk’d: When Good Games Go Bad Back in Episode 40, I listed Witcher 3 as number 9 on my best video games of all time list. Naturally, I was excited when the developer, CD Projekt Red, was set to release their follow up game, Cyberpunk 2077. 18 frames per second lots of awkward glitches later, the developer and retailers are issuing mass refunds for the most hotly anticipated game of the year. In this episode, we discuss how a game that should be great ends up going off the rails and what the industry can learn from this event. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/17308130

Episode 71 - The Next Generation is Here 09/17/2020

Episode 71 - The Next Generation is Here Microsoft and Sony have finally graced us with the announcements we’ve all been anxiously awaiting. During the 2nd week of November, the Business Casual Gamers are looking forward to entering the next generation of video gaming. In this episode, we talk about our reaction to all the news of the past week, our buying plans and what we’re most excited about as we make the leap into the future. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/16047131

Episode 70 - Sony’s Next Generation 07/24/2020

Episode 70 - Sony’s Next Generation From the days of Ridge Racer and Crash Bandicoot all the way through Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima, the Business Casual Gamers have been there through every step of Sony’s journey in the video game world. Within the next few months, Sony is going to enter its 5th generation of the Playstation. In this episode, we discuss our expectations for the PS5, Sony’s position in the video game market and the next generation of gaming. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/15338891

Episode 69 - Gaming During a Pandemic 06/12/2020

Episode 69 - Gaming During a Pandemic Over the course of our gaming lives, we've seen it all. Multiple generations worth of console wars, 3D graphics in video games, virtual reality and even Blockbuster video. Just when we thought we'd seen it all, a global pandemic breaks out, forces us to stay at home for months, and had a profound effect on every aspect of life. In this episode, we talk about what the Business Casual Gamers have learned about gaming at home when you have no other option. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/14799266

Episode 68 - Repackaging Nostalgia 02/14/2020

Episode 68 - Repackaging Nostalgia Hard as it may be to believe, the video game hobby as we know it has been around for nearly 50 years at this point. Just like hobbies of the past: classic cars, baseball cards or record collecting, the question always remains the same - how can gamers relive the nostalgia of the hobby they love? In this episode, we explore the gaming industry’s efforts to repackage and sell us our fondest gaming memories. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/13155209

Episode 67 - State of Gaming 2020 01/03/2020

Episode 67 - State of Gaming 2020 Back in 2016, the Business Casual Gamers created a series of episodes where we assessed the state of gaming for all the major players in the video game industry. As we enter 2020, we’re about to enter the next console generation, the 7th in our gaming lifetimes. In this episode, we revisit our assessment of the state of gaming from a Business Casual Gamer perspective and offer our predictions about what’s in store for the gaming hobby in 2020 and beyond. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/12606476

Episode 66 - Comfort Gaming: Gaming for Relaxation 11/27/2019

Episode 66 - Comfort Gaming: Gaming for Relaxation All of us play games for different reasons. Sometimes we want to socialize with a group of friends over an epic raid or multiplayer deathmatch. Other times we want to master our favorite fighting game character, chase that Platinum trophy, or experience a great story. But sometimes, you just want to relax while playing a great game. In this episode, we discuss gaming as a form of relaxation and give our personal recommendations for games that help us unwind. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/12197642

Episode 65 - Selling the Collection 10/25/2019

Episode 65 - Selling the Collection As a video game collector, you spend time pouring over Ebay listings, visiting used game stores, pre-ordering the special edition of a long-awaited game. You stare at your game collection and feel like you’ve assembled a masterpiece. But sometimes, like jumping in a freshly-raked pile of fall leaves, you just have to get rid of stuff. In this episode, we explore the what, the why and the how of getting rid of a video game collection. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/11779421

Episode 64 - The 3 Pillars of the Modern JRPG 08/02/2019

Episode 64 - The 3 Pillars of the Modern JRPG The JRPG, while still popular, is a niche genre these days. Many of the best pieces of the format have been adopted in mainstream gaming as everything seems to have “RPG Elements” nowadays. The genre is being kept alive by 3 defining franchises that represent most of the sales and become the blueprint that other JRPGs follow: Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Persona. In this episode, we discuss the pillars of the JRPG and what these franchises tell us about the direction of the genre going forward. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/10752152

Episode 63 - Games as a Service 06/14/2019

Episode 63 - Games as a Service It seems like every company is trying to convert their offerings into some form of subscription or service. While we’ve had PSN and Xbox Live for years, games as a service has clearly become the new hotness. Between Google, Microsoft, and id Software, we’re seeing a dramatic push for technologies that now make this a reality. In this episode, we discuss the impact on how we play games and the gaming community’s reaction. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/10152578

Episode 62 - The End of Physical Media 05/03/2019

Episode 62 - The End of Physical Media Since the beginning of video games, the physical object has been a core part of the experience. The game disc, the manual, the box, the strategy guide—all of these are tangible symbols of the hobby that have lasted for decades. Nowadays, manuals have disappeared, the online platforms have expanded and the consoles are doing away with physical media readers. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of the video game as a physical product and the impact on the hobby and gamer community. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/9636872

Episode 61 - Listener Request: BCG Thoughts on Your Recommended Indie Games 04/19/2019

Episode 61 - Listener Request: BCG Thoughts on Your Recommended Indie Games When our community recommends games for us to play, we listen. Over the past several months, we’ve assembled an enviable collection of indie game recommendations and taken the time to put them through their paces so we could discuss the games you wanted us to play. On today’s show, we’ll discuss 4 games on your list in the hopes that we can help the BCG community discover some indie gems to add to their collection. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/9457037

Episode 60 - Video Game Purgatory: The Never-Ending Development Cycle 02/08/2019

Episode 60 - Video Game Purgatory: The Never-Ending Development Cycle Red Dead Redemption was recently released after an 8 year development cycle. While that sounds like an eternity, and it is, it is hardly alone in the world of video game development. It seems that there is no end to the scope creep of games, but are we about to hit a wall where developer ambitions and player demand goes head-to-head with practical realities? On today’s show, we explore the rise of the long development cycle, its impact on games, and some ideas on the way forward. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/8570384

Episode 59 - Akihabara: The Mecca of Gaming 10/26/2018

Episode 59 - Akihabara: The Mecca of Gaming When we hear the term “video games”, we tend to think of a particular game or favorite console or a certain fond memory. However, after a recent trip to Tokyo, the first word association I’ll have going forward is not a thing, but a place. That place is Akihabara - the international destination for all gamers. In this episode, we talk about making our pilgrimage to the gaming holy land and what makes it so special. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/7326731

Episode 58 - Reimagining the Classics 08/22/2018

Episode 58 - Reimagining the Classics For the past console generation, remakes have been the hottest trend in gaming. You can be assured that if a game sold well, there is a plan to rerelease the game for modern consoles with almost no risk to the publisher. Games like Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil 2, some of the most iconic games of all time, are going well beyond a simple remaster and redefining the entire game. In this episode, we explore the art of the possible and discuss how we would reimagine some games that are high on our list. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6957843

Episode 57 - Aren’t You A Little Old For This Gaming Thing? 08/03/2018

Episode 57 - Aren’t You A Little Old For This Gaming Thing? Whether the question was asked by a parent, a spouse, a coworker, or a friend, anyone in the BCG community has likely fielded the question “Aren’t you a little old for this gaming thing?” sometime in their adult life. If you are listening to this podcast, chances are you made the decision to face this question head-on, connect with your “why”, and continue with the hobby in spite of opposition. In this episode, we explore the transition into gaming adulthood and the reasons we continue in the hobb /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6885654

Episode 56 - GameStop: The Elephant in the Game Room 07/13/2018

Episode 56 - GameStop: The Elephant in the Game Room GameStop is one of the biggest players in the video game universe. It has been one of the few that could dictate price, availability, and even what games are made. The reality is that a strong, vibrant GameStop is good for the hobby and the community. That said, GameStop is consistently one of the most hated figures in the gaming industry. In this episode, we explore GameStop’s problems and chart a course to get them back to relevance in the eyes of the larger gaming community. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6805768

Episode 55 - EA: The Decline into Mediocrity 06/13/2018

Episode 55 - EA: The Decline into Mediocrity Over the years, Electronic Arts—the 2nd largest video game publisher in the world—has gone from respected incubator of many must-have franchises to one of the most reviled entities in the industry. Somehow, the company has found itself in a downward spiral while its competitors take full advantage. In this episode, we dig deeper into EA’s impact on the industry both in gaming’s distant past as well as their current influence on the industry at one of its leading companies. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6699083

Episode 54 - SNES Classic Edition: The Perfect 20+1? 02/09/2018

Episode 54 - SNES Classic Edition: The Perfect 20+1? We’ve talked on this show about how the Super Nintendo was the greatest console of all time. In late 2017, Nintendo released the SNES Classic Edition, a small form-factor SNES with a prepackaged set of 20+1 games with high-quality HDMI output. While supplies have been short up until now, many listeners will undoubtedly be looking to find one in 2018. In this episode, Aaron and Chris discuss the 20+1 games on the system--what works, what doesn’t, and what should’ve made the cut. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6241443

Episode 53 - ‘Merica - Land of the Neglected Customers 01/26/2018

Episode 53 - ‘Merica - Land of the Neglected Customers In Episode 48, we discussed the once mighty Japanese gaming market and its continued, gradual decline. It is not an overstatement to say the USA has single-handedly kept the traditional console-based gaming model alive, without which we’d all be playing Candy Crush and other assorted mobile games. You would think that all major video game companies would show their American brethren some love with the finest trinkets of gaming goodness that they have to offer, but you would be wrong. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6190949

Episode 52 - Two Years of Business Casual Gamers 01/04/2018

Episode 52 - Two Years of Business Casual Gamers While it is hard to believe, Episode 52 marks the 2 year anniversary of the Business Casual Gamers podcast. It has been an awesome ride and we wanted to spend an episode reflecting on the past 2 years, talking about some of the highlights, giving some insights on making the show, and talking about what it has meant to us. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6116858

Episode 51 - Game Difficulty Round 2: The Rise of Adaptable Difficulty 12/22/2017

Episode 51 - Game Difficulty Round 2: The Rise of Adaptable Difficulty In our 2nd episode, we discussed difficulty in video games. Since then, some of the biggest developers are changing their philosophy on this fundamental and crucial topic. Despite selectable difficulty not being a new concept, today’s games are experimenting with adaptable difficulty, scaling it in real-time based on your performance. While this approach inevitably leads to more players seeing the content that developers spend years creating without inducing player frustration, there are also drawbacks. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6081582

Episode 50 - The Death of the AAA Model? 12/07/2017

Episode 50 - The Death of the AAA Model? It was recently announced that Visceral Games is being shuttered by EA. This is a developer that made 90+ Metacritic rated games with the Dead Space franchise, selling an estimated 5 million copies to date. There was a time in gaming history when 1 million copies of any game would have spawned an endless stream of sequels and spinoffs, yet today it results in everyone losing their jobs. In this episode, we ask, “what’s the deal?” Is it even possible to justify making a “Triple A” game in today’s /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/6021720

Episode 49 - Lifestyles of the Business Casual Gamer: The Traveling Gamer 11/09/2017

Episode 49 - Lifestyles of the Business Casual Gamer: The Traveling Gamer Growing up, most of us did our gaming in front of our home television or computer screen. As we’ve moved into adulthood, technology has changed as much as our lifestyle has. The “how do I pass the time” question has been replaced with a “how do I keep up my hobby when I constantly travel” question. In this episode, we talk about the lifestyle of the traveling gamer and offer some advice of how we’ve made the most of our limited gaming time while being away from home for extended periods. /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/5927428

Episode 48 - Japanese Gaming Culture in Decline 10/26/2017

Episode 48 - Japanese Gaming Culture in Decline While Japanese video game companies didn’t invent the category, they have certainly been the most influential throughout the life of the industry. In spite of the emergence of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have each taken their turns at the top, which has implied that Japanese devs still dominate. The reality is a steep decline in the Japanese market with developers behind the curve. This episode examines the “why” behind the fall of Japan’s rich gaming legacy and offer thoughts on where it’s going /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/5881427

Episode 47 - The Allure of Collector’s Editions 10/20/2017

Episode 47 - The Allure of Collector’s Editions Throughout the podcast, you’ve listened to our multiple purchases of Collector’s Editions, game paraphernalia, and countless other physical objects that have nothing to do with the actual video game on offer. The obvious question becomes, why do we keep hanging onto all of these physical objects in a world increasingly driven by digital distribution? In this episode, the gamers explore the evolution of the collector’s editions and discuss why they have increasingly become a mainstay of the gaming worl /episode/index/show/businesscasualgamers/id/5859862

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