Octal FM

Sound-byte 109: BRB

Octal FM — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 19:49:51 +0100

After 263 episodes and six years it's time for a break. We're going to take some time out to think about what we want to do next.

Octal FM has first and foremost always been about hanging out and spending some time together, which we're still going to do. But this means we take away the pressures of researching, producing, and editing a podcast along with it.

Thanks for listening, we'll be back soon!

153: People who listened to this episode also listened to...

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 19:49:15 +0100

In this episode we peel back the curtain behind ranking and recommendation systems. How does that top 100 list on MyAnimeList work? Why does Amazon recommend me weird stuff? Those questions answered, and more!

Some further technical reading for you:

152: Right to Repair

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 20:07:33 +0100

In this episode we discuss the growing momentum behind the Right to Repair movement.

Sound-byte 108: 20 minutes 'til satisfaction

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 21:48:20 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Some more new games this week - Sefran has been playing Satisfactory and we've both been playing 20 Minutes Till Dawn.

Elder Scrolls; a retrospective

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 18:00:00 +0100

In this episode we take a deeper dive into the history of the Elder Scrolls games. It's a big-un!

Honey and Clover and Jalada

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:11:00 +0100

We're continuing our anime-themed Octal FM series! Sefran has watched anime for most of his life, but Jalada has watched almost none. We're changing that. This time, Jalada has been watching another recommendation of Sef's; Honey and Clover, or Hachimitsu to Kurōbā.

Sound-byte 107: Spelunky 2

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 18:00:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada caught COVID and cheered himself up in isolation by buying Spelunky 2 on Switch.

149: Pokémon Legends Arceus

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 18:43:00 +0100

We think you can probably guess what this episode is all about! Jalada tries to convince Sefran to dust off his Pokéballs one more time...

Sound-byte 106: Riot Game Pass

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 18:00:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Microsoft and Riot have announced a Game Pass partnership.

148: Year in Gaming; 1990

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 20:08:58 +0100

In this episode we continue our recurring segment where we discuss the most important and interesting games of a particular year. In episode 139 we covered 1989. This episode we take a look at the games of 1989.

Games we discuss:

Super Mario World & F-Zero, for the SNES launch
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Wing Commander
Commander Keen

Sound-byte 105: Is this a VR podcast now?

Octal FM — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:08:23 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Some news from Sony's State of Play...

147: Blockchain tech explained

Octal FM — Tue, 31 May 2022 20:16:04 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we do a bit of a 'bluffers guide' to blockchain. Cryptocurrency, NFTs, smart contracts, video games, and Octal FM hot takes. It's all here!

Further reading:

Sound-byte 104: VR Discussion Time

Octal FM — Tue, 24 May 2022 19:21:46 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada got a chance to try out a kitted out sim-racing setup in VR, and that got us thinking...

146: Game Club - Age of Empires IV

Octal FM — Tue, 17 May 2022 18:00:00 +0100

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play separately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. This time, we play the latest installment in a series very close to our hearts; Age of Empires IV.

Sound-byte 103: Rogue Legacy 2

Octal FM — Tue, 10 May 2022 18:00:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has picked up the sequel to the game that defined 'Rogue-lite'. But is Rogue Legacy 2 a worthy successor to the OG?

145: Defining a Genre; Racing

Octal FM — Tue, 03 May 2022 18:09:00 +0100

We continue our recurring segment of breaking down the games that we feel define a genre. This time it's another chunky genre; racing games. We even have to define what a racing game actually is.

Games we discuss include:

Out Run
F-Zero
Super Mario Kart
Gran Turismo
Need for Speed: Underground 2
Forza Horizon

Sound-byte 102: No Man's Sky Outlaws

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 19:57:55 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been checking back in with No Man's Sky after the latest Outlaws update. What does he think?

144: An introduction to Role-playing games

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 17:54:05 +0100

It's been a while since we last had a guest host join us; but today we're joined by Martyn for the first time. Martyn is a friend of the show and agreed to come on to discuss getting started with role-playing games. Not the video game ones, the real-life ones. We discuss how to get started, recommended games, different types of RP, DMing, LARPing, and more!

Sound-byte 101: Elden Ring Sales

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 18:10:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've been watching Elden Ring's sales and wondering...what makes Elden Ring so different to its siblings?

Putting Elden Ring's 12 million sales in context

143: Counter-Strike; a retrospective

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:43:26 +0100

In our retrospective episodes we take a look at the mammoth multiplayer first-person shooter series that is Counter-Strike. We'll start right at the beginning with the beta mod, look at the troubled development of Condition Zero, where it's at now and our relationship with it. And finally add some classic Octal FM hot takes about the series' future.

Sound-byte 100: Prey

Octal FM — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 19:55:29 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has been playing Prey brackets 2017 and he wants to tell you how amazing it is.

142: iOctaldroid

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 19:31:57 +0000

Following on from last episode we're moving from the realms of desktop computer to mobile computing with a discussion of mobile operating systems. How they work, how they differ, and what we think the future holds for them.

Sound-byte 099: Odyssey Out Of Options

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 19:42:04 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. This turned a bit long; but we had a few thoughts on the news that Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is no longer coming to consoles

141: Octal OS

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 17:55:24 +0000

We take another deep dive into a technical topic, this time something you use every day - operating systems, specifically on desktop computers like PCs, Macs, and soon the Steam Deck.

Sound-byte 098: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Reveal

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 20:56:26 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. There's been some big reveals for Pokémon Day. One of us is feeling cautiously optimistic, the other cautiously pessimistic. Can you guess who?

140: Octal FM and the Beast

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 19:20:52 +0000

We're continuing our anime-themed Octal FM series! Sefran has watched anime for most of his life, but Jalada has watched almost none. We're changing that. This time, we've both been to see a new film that was screened in the UK; Belle, or Ryū to Sobakasu no Hime.

Sound-byte 097: Steam Deck hardware update

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 19:48:40 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've been following some of the embargo-free information about the Steam Deck hardware with interest...

139: Year in Gaming; 1989

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 21:30:06 +0000

In this episode we continue our recurring segment where we discuss the most important and interesting games of a particular year. In episode 131 we covered 1988. This episode we take a look at the games of 1989.

Key games we discuss:

Populous
Sim City
Sweet Home
Super Mario Land
DuckTales

Honorable mentions go to Tetris, Strider, Alex Kidd, Mother, Prince of Persia (we've talked a lot about this before), Herzog Zwei, The Wizard.

Sound-byte 096: Sing a Bit of Harmony

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 18:53:20 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has been to see Sing a Bit of Harmony, and he's keen to share his thoughts!

If you're quick, it's still showing in cinemas in the UK.

138: Game Club - Metroid Fusion

Octal FM — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 18:33:45 +0000

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play separately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. Along with those games, we're continuing to work through the entire Metroid series, and this time it's the turn of Metroid Fusion, which we have actually both played before.

Sound-byte 095: Arcades and game bars

Octal FM — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 18:50:54 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. This week we've...not been up to much. We've got a bunch of stuff in the pipeline but it's just not ready to share yet, so for now we discuss some of the new arcades and game bars that have sprung up that we've been to recently.

137: Upcoming Games of 2022

Octal FM — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the first proper episode of 2022! Toni is back with us to discuss games we're looking forward to in 2022. Maybe some of them will actually come out this year, who knows?!

Sound-byte 094: Reviewing our 2021 predictions

Octal FM — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 19:28:15 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've been recording our year end / year beginning episodes and this Sound-byte continues our tradition of reviewing our gaming predictions from the start of 2021.

136: Our Games of 2021

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 20:45:25 +0000

Toni joins us for our recurring end of year look back at our games of 2021.

We discuss:

Mini Motorways
World of Warcraft Classic
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Monster Hunter Rise
Persona 5 Strikers
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Dyson Sphere Program
Monster Train
XCOM 2 Long War 2
Hades

And some honorable mentions along the way.

Sound-byte 093: Arcane review

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 18:53:38 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has just finished watching Arcane, a Netflix show based on the MOBA goliath League of Legends.

135: Defining a genre; FPS

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000

We continue our recurring segment of breaking down the games that we feel define a genre. This time we discuss the mammoth genre that is first person shooters.

Games we discuss:

Doom
Half Life
Halo: Combat Evolved
Destiny
ARMA

Sound-byte 092: Pokémon BDSP

Octal FM — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 17:00:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been playing the new Pokémon Pearl remake. Sefran is skeptical - is it any good?

134: World of Warcraft Retrospective Part 2

Octal FM — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 19:40:48 +0000

We're concluding our multi-part retrospective this episode with part two of our look back at the behemoth that is World of Wacraft.

Sound-byte 091: Cinematic Eva Experience

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 21:32:42 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada and Sefran both got a chance to (separately) see two Neon Genesis Evangelion films. But does Jalada like Eva, yet?

133: World of Warcraft Retrospective Part 1

Octal FM — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 23:12:51 +0000

We're starting a multi-part retrospective this episode with a look back at the behemoth that is World of Wacraft.

Sound-byte 090: Dune Review

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 17:00:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada was very excited to finally go and see Dune in the cinema. But did it live up to his expectations?

132: Jalada makes a Baccano!

Octal FM — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 16:49:53 +0000

We're continuing our anime-themed Octal FM series! Sefran has watched anime for most of his life, but Jalada has watched almost none. We're changing that. This time, Jalada watched the anime adaptation of the light novel series, Baccano!

Sound-byte 089: Cowboy Bebop Netflix Adaptation Anticipation

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 17:18:25 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've both been watching the new information and trailers from Netflix's Cowboy Bebop live action with...interest!

Jalada watched Cowboy Bebop for episode 87 and it was a show Sefran recommended in Great Teacher Sefran.

131: Year in Gaming; 1988

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 20:11:53 +0100

In this episode we continue our recurring segment where we discuss the most important and interesting games of a particular year. In episode 124 we covered 1987. This episode we take a look at the games of 1988.

Games discussed:

Mega Man 2
Altered Beast
Battle Chess (yes, really)
Ninja Gaiden
Super Mario Bros 3

Sound-byte 088: Star Wars Visions

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 16:44:03 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran is pretty stoked that some of his favourite anime studios got given access to the Star Wars IP...

130: Game Club - Star Wars: Squadrons

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:00:00 +0100

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play separately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. This time, we picked out a game Jalada has been meaning to play for a while, so snuck it in to the game club list: Star Wars: Squadrons!

Sound-byte 087: Oedo Onsen Closure

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 17:45:48 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sad news about one of our recommended tourist destinations in Tokyo...

129: Translation & Localisation; effects

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 19:50:53 +0100

In this episode we conclude the discussions from episode 128 and episode 116 by discussing the effects of translation & localisation on the games that we play. One game in particular, which inspired this whole series, is the discussion of this episode: Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Sound-byte 086: YGO Master Duel

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 17:09:38 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran is watching the details about Yu-gi-oh! Master Duel with a pessimistic eye...

128: Translation & Localisation; methods

Octal FM — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 21:18:27 +0100

In this episode we continue what we began in episode 116 looking at the world of translation & localisation, this time the various methods and approaches.

Sound-byte 085: Skyward Sword HD

Octal FM — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 19:48:22 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Our resident Zelda fanatic has been playing Skyward Sword HD on the Switch. But what does he think?

127: Games that define genres - JRPGs

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 19:02:24 +0100

In a new recurring segment we break down the games that we feel define a genre. This time, we tackle JRPGs which aren't our speciality, so we brought Toni on to assist us!

Sound-byte 084: Octal FM 0.84 + 1.01

Octal FM — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 20:42:51 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has watched the new Neon Genesis Evangelion film; Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time. But what did he think?

126: Web-based games

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 17:08:44 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we take a trip down a rather niche section of memory lane to discuss web and browser-based online games, both singleplayer and multiplayer.

Sound-byte 083: Mini Motorways

Octal FM — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 19:00:05 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. This week Sefran has been playing Mini Motorways and Jalada was weirdly keen to hear what he thought.

125: Jal Psycho 100

Octal FM — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 20:51:05 +0100

Sound-byte 082: Steam Deck

Octal FM — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 17:54:30 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. This week we've been following the news and hype around Valve's new portable gaming PC, the Steam Deck.

124: Year in Gaming; 1987

Octal FM — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 19:47:07 +0100

In this episode we continue our recurring segment where we discuss the most important and interesting games of a particular year. In episode 117 we covered 1986. This episode we take a look at the games of 1987.

Games discussed:

Metal Gear
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
Mega Man
Final Fantasy

Sound-byte 081: Monster Train

Octal FM — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 20:08:41 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran reverts to type in this episode and tells us about a(nother) rogue-like strategic deck-building card game he's been playing. Is it better than Slay the Spire tho?

123: Bioshock Retrospective

Octal FM — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 19:02:26 +0100

It's time for another video game series retrospective. This time we take a look at Bioshock, the first-person shooter franchise from Irrational Games

Sound-byte 080: Nintendo Direct E3 2021

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 21:58:40 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Like a lot of the video-gaming Interwebs, we were watching Nintendo's E3 livestream. What did we think?

122: Decentralised Communication

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 18:00:00 +0100

WhatsApp is in trouble. But is Signal the answer? We take a technology deep-dive into the world of decentralised communication to discuss why it might be the true alternative approach to single organisations owning all our communication and social media, as well as some of the limitations.

Further reading:

Sound-byte 079: Odyssey First Impressions

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:29:07 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Were you expecting our full impressions of Elite Dangerous Odyssey? Find out why we're not ready to give those just yet, and what we think so far...

121: Game Club - Super Metroid

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 17:59:36 +0100

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play separately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. This time, we're cheating a little because Sef has played this, but we're returning to the Metroid series with Super Metroid.

Sound-byte 078: Hold on to your Fez

Octal FM — Tue, 25 May 2021 18:29:36 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We were recording a main show episode with Toni, and she stuck around for Sound-byte to tell us what she thought of Fez on the Nintendo Switch.

120: Reconnecting with Death Stranding

Octal FM — Tue, 18 May 2021 16:54:19 +0100

Given that Death Stranding was one of Sefran's games of the decade and he raved about it so much, it was always going to be on Jalada's list to play. So in this episode, now Jalada has completed it, we discuss (with some spoilers) how we both feel about it.

Sound-byte 077: Epic Free Games

Octal FM — Tue, 11 May 2021 18:08:23 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. This time we discuss a couple of news stories; the latest reveals from Epic v. Apple, and the new changes & Titanfall-themed content for Apex Legends.

119: Games that define genres - MMORPG

Octal FM — Tue, 04 May 2021 19:26:08 +0100

We continue our recurring segment of breaking down the games that we feel define a genre. This time, we discuss the longest-named genre... massively multiplayer online roleplaying games.

Games we talk about:

DeviousMUD/Runescape
Ragnarok Online
EVE Online
Phantasy Star Online
Guild Wars
Final Fantasy XIV

Sound-byte 076: Elite Dangerous Odyssey Alpha

Octal FM — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 19:33:04 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been playing the Elite Dangerous Odyssey Alpha (surprised?) and gives us his initial thoughts.

Code Geass: Jalada of the Rebellion

Octal FM — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:55:59 +0100

117: Year in Gaming; 1986

Octal FM — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 19:30:58 +0100

In this episode we continue our recurring segment where we discuss the most important and interesting games of a particular year. In episode 106 we covered 1985. This episode we take a look at the games of 1986.

Games discussed:

All the Smash Bros characters
Dragon Quest
Castlevania
Space Quest
Out Run

Sound-byte 075: Microsoft Discord XP

Octal FM — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 19:33:32 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've been following the news of a potential purchase of Discord by Microsoft.

116: Translation & Localisation 101

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 19:03:39 +0000

In this episode we take a deep-dive look into translation & localisation.

Further reading:

Sound-byte 074: Little Witch Academia

Octal FM — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 19:02:49 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. This one's for our anime-loving listeners; Sefran has been watching Little Witch Academia and is ready to try and convince you as to why you should watch it too.

115: Animal Crossing Retrospective Part 2 ("Nook 'n' Go")

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 19:43:27 +0000

In this second part of a two-parter we continue our retrospective look at the Animal Crossing series.

Sound-byte 073: Pokémon returns to Sinnoh

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 20:08:42 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Nintendo have completely ruined our schedule with all of these new announcements; this time there's Pokémon news that Jalada is quite excited about...

114: Nintendo Direct February 2021

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 19:15:15 +0000

We break in our publishing schedule to discuss the latest announcements from Nintendo. What looks great, and what looks kinda meh?

Sound-byte 072: Emergent Gameplay

Octal FM — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 19:43:05 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has been reuniting (remotely) with old friends playing Yu-Gi-Oh! and we discuss an emergent gameplay mechanic that's been...emerging...in Elite: Dangerous.

113: Animal Crossing Retrospective Part 1 ("Nooks Cranny")

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 19:39:54 +0000

In this first part of a two-parter we do another retrospective look back on a key video game series. Previously we've spoken about Borderlands back in episode 97. This time it's Animal Crossing.

Sound-byte 071: How Epic are Epic?!

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 20:22:13 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Epic Games have released some statistics about their online store in 2020 and we discuss them.

112: Game Club - The Red Strings Club

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 18:30:12 +0000

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play separately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. This time, we picked up The Red Strings Club.

We both played The Red Strings Club on PC via Steam.

Sound-byte 070: WhatsApp & your data

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 19:25:56 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. WhatsApp has been making headlines with its updated privacy policy. Jalada tells us a bit more about it, and what the future holds for privacy-focused communication.

111: Upcoming Games of 2021

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 18:50:56 +0000

Welcome to 2021. A new year, a new set of video games to look forward to. As is Octal FM tradition, in today's episode we give you a rundown of all the games we're looking forward to in 2021.

Games we discuss:

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey
Cyberpunk 2077
Back 4 Blood
Warhammer 40k: Darktide
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Horizon Forbidden West

We also talk more generally about the state of video games, and touch on a few other games in the process.

Sound-byte 069: Tony Hawks Pro Remaker

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 19:29:57 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been playing the new(ish) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Remake. Here's what he thinks so far...

110: Games of 2020

Octal FM — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 19:26:39 +0000

In this episode we're joined by Toni to talk about the games we enjoyed playing in 2020.

We talked about a whole bunch of games:

Half Life: Alyx (see Whiteboard Simulator)
Hades
Griftlands (see Sound-byte 059)
Death Stranding
Spiritfarer
To the moon (see our Game Club episode)
Heroes of the Storm
Ori and the Blind Forest & Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Titanfall 2
Animal Crossing New Horizons (see Lockdown Games, Animal Isolation Island, and On The Horizon)
Homeworld Remastered

Sound-byte 068: Reviewing our 2020 game predictions

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 19:49:05 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've been busy recording our 2020/21 episodes of Octal FM where we look back at our games of 2020, and games we're looking forward to next year. In this Sound-byte, we take a look back at what we thought about this time last year to see if any of it came true or not.

109: Enter Player Two

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 19:06:11 +0000

In this episode Sefran tells a bit of a story. A story of trying to introduce video games to someone who has really...never...played...video games. He tried a whole bunch of games and tactics, but what didn't and what did work may surprise you.

Sound-byte 067: Ascending the Tower of Babel

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 19:14:19 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. It's not often we talk about books, but Jalada has been reading the third installment in the "Books of Babel" series by Josiah Bancroft and he's been enjoying it. The first book, Senlin Ascends, is available on Audible and from all good book-sellers.

108: Games that define genres - Platformers

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 19:12:05 +0000

We continue our recurring segment of breaking down the games that we feel define a genre. This time, we discuss a pretty chunky genre - platformers.

Games we talk about:

Prince of Persia (1989)
Banjo-Kazooie (1998)
Cave Story (2004)
Canabalt (2009)
Super Meat Boy (2010)

Sound-byte 066: Age of Calamity

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 18:16:15 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've got some thoughts on the new Hyrule Warriors game, Age of Calamity.

107: Video Conferencing

Octal FM — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 21:25:27 +0000

In this episode we discuss the past, present & future of video conferencing, including our hot-take (known to be pretty accurate in the past) on what we think the future holds for communicating in a world of 5G, augmented reality, virtual reality, and that ever increasing march of faster Internet connections.

Sound-byte 065: The Crown Tundra

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 19:06:55 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been playing through the second piece of DLC in the Pokémon Sword & Shield Expansion Pass; The Crown Tundra.

106: Year in Gaming; 1985

Octal FM — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 20:05:23 +0000

In this episode we start a new recurring segment where we discuss the most important and interesting games of a particular year. This episode we take a look at the games of 1985.

Games discussed:

Super Mario Bros
Gradius
Ghosts 'n Goblins
Ultima IV
Space Harrier

Sound-byte 064: Genshin Impact Nova Drift

Octal FM — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:44:09 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been playing the new F2P on the block Genshin Impact. Sefran has been playing Nova Drift.

105: Trigun: Humanoid Typhoon or Gentle Breeze?

Octal FM — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 17:44:36 +0100

Sound-byte 063: A JoJo's Reference

Octal FM — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 19:39:11 +0100

In this Sound-byte Sefran has the floor and continues his mini-series coinciding with his 'Anime Project 365', where he plans to watch an episode of anime every day for the whole of 2020 in an effort to catch up with shows that have passed him by.

This time, Sefran has been watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventure to try and work out what the hype and memes are all about.

104: Game Club - Metroid II: Return of Samus

Octal FM — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 19:11:01 +0100

In this Game Club we continue our exploration of the Metroid series, which we last covered in episode 68. This time, it's the Gameboy classic; Metroid II.

Sound-byte 062: Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Octal FM — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:15:06 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada pre-ordered Super Mario 3D All-Stars and in this episode he gives us his hot take.

103: eSports revisited

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 17:19:55 +0100

In this episode we revisit the world of eSports, a topic that has been a bit of a recurring theme at Octal FM but we haven't properly revisited for a few years. In particular we discuss:

How eSports has grown since we last spoke about it.
How it has been affected by COVID-19.
What we think is next for the industry.

Sound-byte 061: Flight Simulator 2020

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 18:25:24 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. In this episode, Jalada and Sefran rag (perhaps) a little too much on the new Flight Simulator 2020, which Jalada has been playing.

102: Lockdown Games

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 20:13:02 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we discuss games that we've found good for lockdown, and others we think might work well for you too.

Any game can be a 'lockdown' game if you're super in to it, but in the episode we pick out a few categories and specifics, including...

Games to relax: Elite Dangerous, Telltale Games back catalogue.
Games to focus: Cook, Serve, Delicious!, Monster Hunter, VALORANT.
Games to organise: Animal Crossing, Civilization VI.
Games to socialise: Final Fantasy XIV, JackboxTV.

Sound-byte 060: Apple vs. Epic

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 19:01:38 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently, or what's been happening recently in the world. Today, Jalada fills Sefran in on what's been going on between Apple and Epic.

101: Mechanics of Death Stranding

Octal FM — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 19:18:39 +0100

Sefran has been itching to talk more about Death Stranding ever since he started playing it; in this episode we discuss some of the interesting mechanics in the game. This episode is pretty spoiler free, so if you haven't played Death Stranding yet, don't worry!

Sound-byte 059: Griftlands

Octal FM — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:00:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has been playing deck-building rogue-like Griftlands.

100: Century

Octal FM — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 19:53:17 +0100

Woah...one hundred episodes.

Enjoy this retrospective look at some of the Octal FM topics and memories that particularly stand out, as well as some trips down memory lane as we rummage through the fifteen years of the two of us podcasting together, including some outtakes from our teenage podcasting days of Life in Hex.

Sound-byte 058: Nintendo Gigaleak

Octal FM — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 21:32:43 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've been following some of the recent leaks from the massive Nintendo data breach.

099 - Games that define genres - RTS

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 19:52:04 +0100

In a new recurring segment we break down the games that we feel define a genre. This time, we discuss the near-to-our-heart genre of real-time strategy.

Sound-byte 057: The Great Twitter Hack

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 17:37:51 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been following the recent massive Twitter hack, and tells Sefran some more about it.

098: Game Club - To the Moon

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 19:25:47 +0100

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play seperately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. This time, we picked up To the Moon.

Jalada played To the Moon on Nintendo Switch, whereas Sefran played on Windows. They're both very different versions, which we discuss in the show! It's also available on OS X, Linux, Android and iOS.

Sound-byte 056: Your Lie in April

Octal FM — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 23:00:00 +0100

This time, it's the 2014-15 anime Your Lie in April. In the UK, Subs and dubs are available on both Crunchyroll (for free!) or Netflix.

097: Borderlands Retrospective

Octal FM — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 19:30:00 +0100

In this episode we take a deeper dive into the history of the Borderlands games.

Sound-byte 055: Isle of Armo(u)r

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 18:00:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has picked up the new DLC for Pokémon Sword & Shield and gives us his hot take.

096: Whiteboard simulator

Octal FM — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 20:00:00 +0100

In this episode Jalada gives us his thoughts after a few hours of playing Half Life: Alyx on the Oculus Quest (via Link).

Sound-byte 054: Exploring Elite

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 20:00:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been playing a lot of Elite: Dangerous lately, which has given him a new perspective on the game and where it sits in the genre.

095: Track & trace this

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 20:30:00 +0100

In this episode we take a look at some of the controversy around app-based contact-tracing to identify possible COVID-19 infections. Conversation begins around a quote from the BBC panel show Have I Got News for You.

Clip used is from season 59 episode 6 of Have I Got News for You, first aired in the UK on BBC One on 7th May 2020.

Sound-byte 053: Durarara!!

Octal FM — Tue, 26 May 2020 19:30:00 +0100

This time, it's the 2010 anime based on the light novel series Durarara!!(!)

094: Big Windup: cleanup hit, or shortstop?

Octal FM — Tue, 19 May 2020 19:00:00 +0100

We're continuing our anime-themed Octal FM series! Sefran has watched anime for most of his life, but Jalada has watched almost none. We're changing that. This time, Jalada has been watching Big Windup!, also known as Ōkiku Furikabutte, or Ōfuri.

Sound-byte 052: Chimera Squad

Octal FM — Tue, 12 May 2020 19:05:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran is a big fan of XCOM so it's no surprise that he picked up the new installment on launch. Here's his thoughts so far.

093: Animal Isolation Island

Octal FM — Tue, 05 May 2020 18:10:00 +0100

We've been playing a lot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons whilst socially distancing, and so it's definitely about time for our hot take.

Sound-byte 051: Valorant 'closed' beta

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 18:20:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has got his hands on the Valorant beta, so gives us his first impressions.

092: Games of the Decade Part Three

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 17:30:00 +0100

It's the final part of our three-part mini-series on our games of the decade.

Listen to part one here. Listen to part two here.

Sound-byte 050: Full Metal Panic 4 Invisible Victory

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 19:00:00 +0100

This time, it's the fourth Full Metal Panic series from 2018, Invisible Victory.

091: Sefran visits Fukuoka

Octal FM — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:30:00 +0100

This episode was recorded on the 9th December 2019.

In this episode we discuss our latest travel adventures; this time Sefran's budget trip to Fukuoka where he met up with Tom, a friend of ours and also a previous Octal FM guest host! We discuss how his trip went and what he got up to.

Sound-byte 049: Nintendo Direct Mini March 2020

Octal FM — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 20:00:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. In this episode we discuss the latest Nintendo Direct Mini, which actually wasn't so mini...

090: Games of the Decade Part Two

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 22:55:00 +0000

It's part two of our three-part mini-series on our games of the decade.

Listen to part one here.

Sound-byte 048: Play x Save

Octal FM — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 20:35:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. In this episode we discuss a couple of real examples of the boundaries being broken between video game platforms.

089: On the Horizon

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 20:15:00 +0000

In this episode we discuss the recent Nintendo Direct where we were blessed with a whole load of new Animal Crossing: New Horizons content.

Sound-byte 047: Toppu o Nerae!

Octal FM — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 19:40:00 +0000

In this Sound-byte Sefran has the floor and kicks off a mini-series coinciding with his 'Anime Project 365', where he plans to watch an episode of anime every day for the whole of 2020 in an effort to catch up with shows that have passed him by.

This time, it's Gunbuster, the directional debut of Hideaki Anno.

088: Games of the Decade Part One

Octal FM — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 20:10:00 +0000

We're kicking off a mini-series this time round with our games of the decade.

Sound-byte 046: Pokémon Home

Octal FM — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 20:30:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada picked up Pokémon Home and has been transferring his treasured Pokémons.

087: The work, which becomes a new genre itself, will be called Octal FM

Octal FM — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 20:05:00 +0000

Sound-byte 045: Website refurbishments

Octal FM — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 20:25:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Jalada has been busy refreshing the website and migrating us over to a new podcast provider.

086: Game Club - Sayonara Wild Hearts

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:55:00 +0000

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play seperately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. This time, it's the turn of Sayonara Wild Hearts.

We both played Sayonara Wild Hearts on Nintendo Switch, but it's also available on PC, PS4, and iOS. Thanks Toni for recommending it.

Sound-byte 044: Weathering With Us

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 19:55:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. Sefran has been to see Weathering With You, the new film from the creators of Your Name, and gives us his hot take.

085: Games of 2020

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 20:05:00 +0000

We share the games we're most looking forward to in the year ahead in this continuation of our look back and forward at the games of last year and this year.

Games we cover:

Final Fantasy VII Remake
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Half Life: Alyx
Iron Harvest
The Red Lantern
Coffee Talk
Industries of Titan
Haven
Sable

Sound-byte 043: Happy 2020!

Octal FM — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 20:06:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We took a bit of a recording break over Christmas, so in this episode we catch up with each other on what we got up to.

084: Games of 2019

Octal FM — Tue, 31 Dec 2019 15:26:36 +0000

In this episode we take a look back at the games we enjoyed playing in 2019.

Jalada's choices were Link's Awakening, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, and Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country.

Sefran's main choices were Persona 5, Death Stranding, and Deep Rock Galactic. He also had a few honourable mentions including Wilmots Warehouse and Katamari Damacy Reroll.

Sound-byte 042: The fate of our 2019 hopefuls

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 23:29:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. We've been busy recording our 2019/20 episodes of Octal FM where we look back at our games of 2019, and games we're looking forward to next year. In this Sound-byte, we take a look back at what we thought about this time last year to see if any of it came true or not.

083: Should I Stadia or Should I Go?

Octal FM — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:47:23 +0000

In this episode we continue our dive into the world of streaming games and games-as-a-service. Jalada just got his Founder's Edition Google Stadia and he gives us his thoughts and first experiences.

You can add Jalada on Stadia. His username is...Jalada.

Sound-byte 041: Do I choose you, Sword?

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 18:50:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we’ve been up to recently. This time, Jalada gives his first impressions of Pokémon Sword, thirty or so hours in.

082: Games that Surprise

Octal FM — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 19:24:27 +0000

In this episode we discuss three games each that surprised us in some way when we played them.

Game discussed:

Deep Rock Galactic
Lord of the Rings Online
Mindustry
SimCopter
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Yoshi's Story

Sound-byte 040: Sefran Stranding

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Nov 2019 18:45:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we've been up to recently. This time, Sef gives his first impressions of Death Stranding.

081: Get in the robot, Jalada

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 18:57:36 +0000

This is the start of a new anime-themed Octal FM series! Sefran has watched anime for most of his life, but Jalada has watched almost none. We're changing that.

In particular, we're going to focus on anime that Sefran may have watched a long time ago, to see how time has aged (or not) each series.

If you have suggestions for series we/Jalada should watch, let us know! Nothing too long, please.

Sound-byte 039: Camden Stranding

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 18:27:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we've been up to recently. This week, we went to the Death Stranding launch event in London.

080: Games that Disappoint

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 19:15:32 +0000

In this episode we each pick out three games that we were so hyped about, but ultimately left us disappointed.

Sound-byte 038: Links Awakening Switch redux

Octal FM — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 20:04:00 +0000

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we've been up to recently. A while ago we discussed the announcement of the Links Awakening remix on the Switch. Jalada picked it up, and has been playing it.

079: Game Club - Forager

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 20:27:34 +0100

In Game Club, we pick a game to both play seperately that we've never played before, and then come together on the show to discuss our thoughts. This time, it's the turn of Forager.

Forager is available on Steam, Humble Store, GOG, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Boxed copies on Switch and PS4 will be released 1st November.

Sound-byte 037: Mindustry

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 19:13:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we've been up to recently. This week, Jalada has been playing Mindustry.

078: No Man's Sky Beyond (Expectations)

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 20:09:32 +0100

In this episode we take another look at No Man's Sky, in particular its rather unique development cycle, and how Hello Games have handled its infamy.

Sound-byte 036: Borderlands 3

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 19:26:00 +0100

Sound-bytes are our shorter episodes about what we've been up to recently. This week, Sefran has been playing Borderlands 3 co-op on the PS4.

077: Cambridge Analytica

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 19:36:04 +0100

In this episode we take a look back at the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in particular some of the details behind the underlying technology.

Sound-byte 035: September Direct

Octal FM — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 18:33:00 +0100

076: Greatest Boss Battles

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 20:28:00 +0100

Sound-byte 034: Mario Maker 2 & ED Fleet Carriers

Octal FM — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 19:16:00 +0100

075: Game Club - Dragalia Lost

Octal FM — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 19:29:07 +0100

In this episode we thoroughly irritate every Dragalia Lost fan by mispronouncing it throughout.

Sound-byte 033: On a Quest

Octal FM — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:20:00 +0100

074: Gute Nacht Berlin Pt.2

Octal FM — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 22:09:00 +0100

Sound-byte 032: The Light Switch

Octal FM — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 19:37:00 +0100

073: Guten Morgen Berlin Pt.1

Octal FM — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 18:51:48 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM it's time for another travel update. This time, it's Sefran's turn, as we discuss his short trip to Berlin.

Stay tuned for episode 74 for a surprise part two...!

Sound-byte 031: KyotoAnimation attack

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 21:27:00 +0100

Content warning: In this episode we discuss the recent arson attack at KyotoAnimation in Japan, which may be distressing for some of our listeners, or people of a young age in earshot.

072: Nostalgia & Now - Final Fantasy IX

Octal FM — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 18:31:09 +0100

In this episode we look at Final Fantasy IX from two perspectives. Jalada, who has only just played it, and Sefran, who played it back in the day!

Sound-byte 030: Eva-ntually

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 16:13:00 +0100

071: E3 Chaff

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 18:46:13 +0100

If you're interested in our breakdown on what 'in-game footage' means in the context of game trailers at E3, check out the ancient but very relevent episode 19.

Sound-byte 029: Leaf - Positive/Negative?

Octal FM — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 19:37:00 +0100

070: Nintendo FM

Octal FM — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 16:30:00 +0100

In this episode we dissect some of Nintendo's announcements from E3 2019.

Sound-byte 028: Sign in with Apple

Octal FM — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 16:00:00 +0100

069: Infinite FM

Octal FM — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 18:38:02 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we nerd out and discuss the 11 year saga that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Infinity War.

Sound-byte 027: Sony <3 Microsoft

Octal FM — Tue, 28 May 2019 19:06:00 +0100

068: Game Club - Metroid

Octal FM — Tue, 21 May 2019 16:30:25 +0100

In the second half of this episode there are some glitches on Sefran's audio. Apologies, we're investigating!

In this episode of Octal FM we discuss the NES classic, Metroid.

Sound-byte 026: Microsoft <3 Linux

Octal FM — Tue, 14 May 2019 20:36:00 +0100

067: Charging down the road

Octal FM — Tue, 07 May 2019 19:05:28 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we discuss the current state of electric vehicles, choices in cars, viability in the real world, and possible future.

You'll pick up some general knowledge about EV’s, how the infrastructure for them is forming, ups and downs of owning one, and Sef’s personal experiences so far.

Sound-byte 025: Smash 3.0

Octal FM — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 20:01:00 +0100

066: Games under a tenner

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 18:11:46 +0100

Cook, Serve, Delicious 2!!
Do Not Feed The Monkeys
ShellShock Live
VVVVVV
Available on pretty much every platform.
World of Goo
Available on PC, Mac, Switch, Android and iOS.
Braid
Available on PC, Mac, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Sound-byte 024: London Coffee Festival '19

Octal FM — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 20:03:00 +0100

065: Revisiting the Wilds

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 20:01:41 +0100

In this episode, and to mark it turning two, we take a look back at The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Sound-byte 023: Stadia

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 20:06:00 +0100

064: Octal FM 2k19

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 21:39:43 +0000

Further reading:

Sound-byte 022: Haggis and hooning

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 18:58:00 +0000

063: Story pROMpts (Game Club - 2064: Read Only Memories)

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 19:55:34 +0000

In this Game Club episode we discuss 2064: Ready Only Memories.

2064 is available on pretty much every platform!

Sound-byte 021: Sword & Shield

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 20:54:00 +0000

062: January Nintendo Direct to you

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 18:56:24 +0000

In a slight break from tradition, this episode is somewhat more timeous. Toni rejoins us to discuss our thoughts on all the announcements in the January Nintendo Direct.

Sound-byte 020: Alita

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 16:30:00 +0000

061: Get Pokémon! (Trading Cards)

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 18:50:50 +0000

We're joined by a special guest this episode! Tom last joined us back in Episode 10 to discuss MOBAs. We've talked about competitive Pokémon before too, with Marti Bennett back in episode 21. This time, we turn our attention to the trading card game.

Sound-byte 019: 'Yachting'

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 19:46:00 +0000

060: Games of 2019

Octal FM — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 17:37:11 +0000

In this episode we discuss a mixture of AAA titles on our radar and what they mean for the industry, and our own personal choices for games we want to pick up this year.

AAA titles on our radar:

Yoshi's Crafted World
Anthem
Cyberpunk 2077
Animal Crossing Switch
Mario Kart Tour
Phoenix point
Yakuza 4
Fire Emblem Three Houses

Sefran's choices:

Persona 5
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Finish Breath of the Wild
Civilization 6 and its expansions
Yakuza 0
More competitive gaming

Jalada's choices:

Persona 5 if it comes to Switch
Finish Okami
Forza Horizon 4
Diablo 3 on Switch
GRIS
The indie games I've missed; Firewatch, Hyper Light Drafter, Dead Cells.

Sound-byte 018: Ireland tour

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 19:45:00 +0000

059: Our 2018 in video gaming

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 16:45:33 +0000

Some of the games we talk about include:

Frostpunk
BattleTech
Okami HD
Heroes of the Storm
Breath of the Wild
Celeste
Hollow Knight

Sound-byte 017: YouTube & Loot boxes

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 16:48:00 +0000

058: Game Club - Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 17:52:32 +0000

This episode is our third Game Club, where we pick a game that neither of us have played before, play it separately, and then come together with our own fresh thoughts to discuss it on Octal FM.

This time, it's Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation, a sci-fi RTS from Stardock.

057: California dreamin' 2/2

Octal FM — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 19:38:29 +0000

In this concluding episode about Jalada’s trip to California we talk more about the Pacific Coast Highway, visiting LA, and how the trip turned from a sightseeing trip into something much more personal.

Visit our website for some photos, or Jalada's Instagram.

Sound-byte 016: Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Octal FM — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 18:31:00 +0000

056: California dreamin' 1/2

Octal FM — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 20:17:09 +0000

It's an Octal FM first for this two part special about Jalada's trip to California.

"Without a six figure salary, rent control, a trust fund, or a willingness to embrace poverty, you’re out of luck if you want to live here."

How to save San Francisco (includes the commuting time maps)

And here's Jalada's rented Camaro on the PCH: https://octal.fm/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_0619_20_21_tonemapped.jpg

Sound-byte 015: Mirai of the Future

Octal FM — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 16:30:00 +0000

055: Blizzcon 2018

Octal FM — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 19:31:47 +0000

In this episode we dissect some of the announcements and coverage around Blizzcon this year. Not much in the way of show notes for this one!

Sound-byte 014: Lucky LAN number 13

Octal FM — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:30:00 +0000

054: Year of Gaming - 2007

Octal FM — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 16:30:35 +0000

In this episode we talk about why we think 2007 was one of the biggest, and one our favourite, years in gaming.

Orange Box
You can pick up Orange Box on Steam, or mostly second-hand on Xbox 360 and PS3. The Xbox 360 version is backwards compatible on Xbox One.
Bioshock and Uncharted
Bioshock is available in a remastered collection of the first three games on Xbox One, PS4, and Steam, or you can still buy the first game standalone on Steam.
Uncharted is available in a remastered collection of the first three games on PS4.
Call of Duty 4
CoD 4 was so popular, fans petitioned for the game to be remade. Therefore, you can pick up the remastered edition on PS4, Xbox One and Steam.
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed Heritage Collection includes the first three main games, as well as Brotherhood and Revelations. It's available on PS3 and Xbox 360, where it is backwards compatible on Xbox One. The Director's Cut edition is available on Steam.

053: Game Club - Hollow Knight

Octal FM — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 16:30:00 +0100

Toni joins us for this second Game Club episode where we discuss our experiences playing indie Metroidvania game Hollow Knight.

A physical version is also due out in 2019.

Sound-byte 013: Final Fantasy 8 on PC

Octal FM — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 00:30:00 +0100

052: Stay awhile and listen

Octal FM — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 16:30:12 +0100

In this episode we each discuss some of our favourite video game stories.

Bioshock 1
Vox: Bioshock proved that video games could be art
Bioshock 1 is available in a remastered collection of the first three games on Xbox One, PS4, and Steam, or you can still buy the first game standalone on Steam.
Valkyria Chronicles
The original was on PS3, or you can pick up the remaster on PS4 or Steam.
Last of Us
Polygon: Let's talk about the ending of The Last of Us
The Last of Us was released late in the PS3's lifecycle, so now you can pick up the remastered edition on PS4. A sequel is in the works.
Metal Gear Solid 3
This is quite a tricky one to play now. There's an HD collection of MGS games for PS3, Xbox 360, and Vita. And there was a 3DS version of MGS3.
Half-Life 2
You can pick up Half-Life 2 on Steam. The Orange Box includes Half-Life 2, and the Xbox 360 version is backwards compatible on Xbox One (also available on the Xbox marketplace).

Intro/Outro music: CJACKS - Runaway fashion

Sound-byte 012: Code First: Girls recap

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 17:15:00 +0100

051: Code First: Girls with Amali de Alwis and Lizzie Cullen Davison

Octal FM — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 17:30:48 +0100

In this special episode of Octal FM we're joined by two guests to talk about alternative approaches to getting into the technology industry and software development. Specifically, we discuss what the organisation Code First: Girls is doing to increase the number of women in tech.

Code First: Girls is a not for profit social enterprise. Since 2013 they've delivered £4.2 million worth of free education to young women across the UK. Their purpose is to increase the number of women in tech.
Amali de Alwis is CEO of Code First: Girls. You can find her on Twitter at @amali_d.
Lizzie Cullen Davison is a full-stack developer at Pixie Labs and a volunteer Code First: Girls instructor. You can find her on Twitter at @emc_dav.

FYI Jalada also works at Pixie Labs.

Sound-byte 011: Dungeons & Dragons

Octal FM — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 20:29:00 +0100

050: Great Teacher Sefran

Octal FM — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 18:54:50 +0100

In this episode we discuss how to get started watching anime.

A lot of shows covered in this episode, as well as a few we didn't get time to mention:

Use your nostalgia
Dragon Ball Z
Sailor Moon
Digimon
Cardcaptor Sakura
One Piece
The classics
Cowboy Bebop
Death Note
Lupin III
Dragon Ball
Full Metal Alchemist
Sefran recommends
Trigun
Outlaw Star
Tenchi Muyo
Great Teacher Onizuka
The Vision of Escaflowne
Azumanga Daioh
Full Metal Panic
Go to the movies
Studio Ghibli films
Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
Wolf Children
Summer Wars
Your Name
Where to watch?
Crunchyroll
Funimation
Netflix
Amazon
Sef's 'favourites'
Neon Genesis Evangelion
My Hero Academia
Fate/Zero
Honey and Clover
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

Sound-byte 010: Ōkami on Switch, Valkyria Chronicles 4 Demo

Octal FM — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 17:30:00 +0100

049: Patronise me

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:50:16 +0100

In this episode we discuss how (typically niche) video content creators are adapting to the thirst for consuming their (high quality) content, but have traditionally found it harder to earn money to do it. How is this affecting the consumer, the creator, and the platform?

Further reading:

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

Sound-byte 009: Nintendo repairs, World of Warcraft

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 18:28:00 +0100

048: Game Club - Slay the Spire

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 17:19:08 +0100

In this episode we kick off a new mini-series where we pick a game that neither of us have played before, play it separately, and then come together with our own fresh thoughts to discuss it on Octal FM.

This time, it's Slay the Spire by Mega Crit, an early access PC game that blends rogue-like elements with deck building gameplay.

Sound-byte 008: Golf Story

Octal FM — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 17:23:00 +0100

047: Get lost

Octal FM — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 17:13:23 +0100

In this episode we discuss some of our favourite video game worlds to get lost in. We reminisce about some worlds we've not visited for a while, and we discuss what it means for a game world to be 'immersive'.

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

Sound-byte 007: Goodwood, Splatoon

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 17:10:00 +0100

046: Hello, computer

Octal FM — Tue, 17 Jul 2018 17:08:03 +0100

This episode takes more of a 'resource' form, as we share some tips & tricks for getting started building a PC for gaming. We cut through some of the aspects that we think are unimportant, and share some shortcuts for saving time and money.

There's a lot of resources out there on the Internet, but we like:

Scan - for buying components (and pre-builds) in the UK
Toms Hardware - for reviews
bit-tech.net - for reviews, especially peripherals and modifications
Hexus - for their partnership with Scan (easy to find reviews)
Anandtech - for their deep-dives into new product ranges
The Wirecutter - for their 'just buy this one' approach to components and peripherals. Look under 'Electronics'.

Sound-byte 006: Stardew Valley multiplayer

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:07:00 +0100

045: Generally available AI

Octal FM — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 17:30:45 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we dive in to the state of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. We'll explain what it is, what it isn't, and why it seems to be such a big thing right now.

There's lots of reading material out there if you want to learn more.

Some intro articles

Opinion pieces

Sound-byte 005: E3 2018 round-up

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 17:11:00 +0100

We discuss announcements from this year's E3 that we're looking forward to.

044: Inclusive design with Elizabeth Chesters

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 17:05:27 +0100

In this episode we're joined again by Elizabeth Chesters, a user experience, accesibility, and inclusive design extraordinaire. We continue our discussion from episode 31, and talk more about what it means to design a product or service in an 'inclusive' manner, e.g. designing for people with impairments, either permanent or situational.

Sound-byte 004: Spring LAN games

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 17:00:00 +0100

What games were we playing at our LAN last weekend?

043: Nintendo vs. The Internet

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 17:00:46 +0100

In another 'Octal FM are Nintendo fanboys' episode, we take a look back at the often overlooked history of Nintendo and the Internet. It involves satellites beaming games down to a virtual village on your SNES.

Sound-byte 003: Avengers: Infinity War

Octal FM — Tue, 29 May 2018 17:00:00 +0100

We've been to the cinema again, but this time we've seen the same film.

042: A Mostly Harmless Episode

Octal FM — Tue, 22 May 2018 17:00:20 +0100

In this episode we tell the story of the Elite game series and our story of playing the original together back at school, and some bits about the space-sim genre as a whole.

The Guardian excerpt from Backroom Boys about David Braben and Ian Bell.
Elite (1984) free PC download (and the Mac version)
Or play it in an emulator in your browser.
Elite 1984 gameplay footage (Scott Manley)
ArcElite (the version we played) gameplay footage
Frontier Elite 2 footage
Frontier First Encounters gameplay footage (with updated graphics) (Scott Manley)

Sound-byte 002: Pacific Rim Uprising, Ready Player One

Octal FM — Tue, 15 May 2018 17:00:00 +0100

We've both been to the cinema. Sefran saw Pacific Rim Uprising, Jalada saw Ready Player One.

041: Once more, Into the Breach

Octal FM — Tue, 08 May 2018 17:00:15 +0100

Back again with another indie review, we discuss one of Sefran's most anticipated games of 2018; Into the Breach.

Into the Breach is by Subset Games.
Their previous game is FTL: Faster Than Light.
In the show we compare it to Advance Wars.
The music was composed by Ben Prunty.

Intro/Outro music: JACKS - Runaway Fashion.

Sound-byte 001: Pyre, Code Geass

Octal FM — Tue, 01 May 2018 17:00:00 +0100

Jalada's been playing Pyre. Sefran went to the cinema to see Code Geass.

040: Putting our corporate hats on

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 17:00:00 +0100

In this episode we take a moment to be introspective and set ourselves some goals for the podcast for the next three months. Listen along, and hold us accountable!

Increase our social presence by posting regular content, posting snippets of the show, and setting up an Instagram account.
Grow the brand by getting some stickers printed, running Twitch streams, and reaching out to other podcasts to guest on.
Get better at podcasting by sharing the editing, and producing a short show (coming soon!) to accompany the main show.

Intro/Outro music: JACKS - Runaway Fashion

039: Octal FM B-side

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:00:00 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we discuss and review Celeste, a game about climbing a mountain.

Celeste is made by Matt Makes Games and is on Twitter at @celeste_game.
Their previous game was Towerfall Ascension.
The music is by Lena Raine, @kuraine on Twitter.

Intro/Outro music: JACKS - Runaway Fashion

038: こんにちは!

Octal FM — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 16:30:00 +0100

We're back to discussing Japan in this episode; this time it's Jalada's turn as he has just come back from a two week trip to Tokyo and Kyoto.

Links from the episode:

Thermae-Yu: Onsen in Shinjuku. Google Maps.
Akihabara UDX parking.
Jalada on Instagram
We used Japan Wireless for our Wifi hotspot.

Intro/Outro music: JACKS - Runaway Fashion

037: Caffeinated

Octal FM — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 18:04:40 +0000

In this episode we try to be as un-snobby as possible, whilst talking about how to get into coffee as a hobby.

Live in the UK and want to get coffee delivered to your house? Sign up at Taylor St Roasted using the promo code OCTALFM to get your first bag for £1.

Single-serve coffee patents, and the future of the technology
Stumptown brew guides
Suggested brewing equipment:
Aeropress
Moka pot (also called a Stove top)
Hario hand grinder
We suggest you don't get an electric grinder, but if you must, try the Baratza Encore.

036: Hey, Listen!

Octal FM — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 18:35:00 +0000

In this episode of Octal FM, we discuss our two favourite games from one of our favourite series of all time; The Legend of Zelda.

The best way to play Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask is the 3DS remakes:
Buy Ocarina of Time 3DS*
Buy Majora's Mask 3DS*

Intro music: JACKS - Runaway fashion

Outro music: Docjazz4, FunkyEntropy, Theophany and XPRTNovice for OCRemix - Dawn of a New Day

035: Kimi no na wa.

Octal FM — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:00:00 +0000

In this episode we discuss the hit anime film Your Name*.

Your Name was released in 2016.
It earned over $300m at the box office.
The film Sefran saw in the cinema after Your Name was Napping Princess.

034: Unity Whispering

Octal FM — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 19:11:06 +0000

In this episode of Octal FM we're joined by Louise Swift, a software developer & fellow nerd who recently worked on a project using the Unity game engine.

Louise works for No Mayo Digital
Follow Louise on the interwebs:
Twitter
Medium
louiseswift.com

033: MMOs in Disguise

Octal FM — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 17:00:00 +0000

In this episode we discuss the emerging trend of adding massively multiplayer features to games that otherwise might be single player. Is this something we want to see more? Or is it just a way of extracting more 'value' from gamers?

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

032: Games of 2018

Octal FM — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 17:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone! In this episode we are joined again by Antonia, who last joined us to talk about Stardew Valley. This time, the three of us discuss some of the video games we're most looking forward to in 2018.

Sefran: Far Cry 5, Into the breach, and Wargroove.
Antonia: Monster Hunter World, Ni No Kuni 2, Kingdom Hearts III, and Bayonetta 3.
Jalada: Sea of Thieves, Last of Us Part 2, and Age of Empires 4.

031: HCI and UX with Elizabeth Chesters

Octal FM — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 19:00:00 +0000

In this episode we are joined by Elizabeth Chesters, a user experience consultant, human-computer interaction student, and software developer. We ask her about her job, what HCI is, and what's in store in the future for how we interact with our devices.

Follow El:

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

030: An act of God

Octal FM — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 19:00:02 +0000

In this episode we’re joined by our friend Tom, aka @x5315. Tom co-created Twitterfall with Jalada back in 2009.

To follow up from Episode 25 where Jalada talked about building Twitterfall, Tom is here to tell us the story from his point of view, and what he’s up to now.

The whiteboard of features in Tom’s university dorm room:

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

029: Homeworld, Zero Dawn

Octal FM — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 19:00:11 +0000

In this episode of Octal FM, the two of us catch up and talk about what games we’ve been playing.

Jalada has been playing Horizon: Zero Dawn (affiliate link, proceeds go to Octal FM).

Horizon is powered by Guerilla’s own game engine, Decima.

Sefran has been playing Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak.

028: Konnichiwa!

Octal FM — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 19:00:10 +0000

In this episode Sefran talks about visiting his favourite place in the world; Japan. We chat about what it’s like to visit, the things you should know before going, and what it was like when Sefran visited for the first time.

027: Jump to it

Octal FM — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:00:25 +0100

In this episode we return to the topic of platformers. All the things we love, some of the things we hate.

Not much in the way of notes for this episode; we really just sit back and have a bit of a chat. Enjoy!

026: Junk food gaming

Octal FM — Tue, 10 Oct 2017 19:00:27 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we kick back and reminisce about all the MMOs we’ve played in the past.

025: Building Twitterfall

Octal FM — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 19:00:44 +0100

In 2009 Jalada spent 2 hours building a website that would ultimately end up shaping his entire career. In this episode of Octal FM we tell you the story of that website.

Photo from Marcus Warren @ Telegraph

024: Gamers shaping games

Octal FM — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:00:18 +0100

In this episode Jalada and Sefran sit back and chat about how gamers shape games through coming up with challenges, speedruns, or rewriting the games themselves through modding.

Playtonic games announcing tweaks to Yooka Laylee for speedrunners.
Super Mario 64 parallel universes.
Nuzlocke Challenge.
“Brendan “Playerunknown” Greene’s whirlwind year” in which Brendan mentions he wants to give back to the modding community, where he came from.

023: The Best Ever – Super Mario

Octal FM — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 19:00:06 +0100

In this ‘The Best Ever’ episode, Jalada and Sefran try to agree on which game in the Super Mario series is the best; Super Mario Sunshine, or Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island?

022: Back this podcast today!

Octal FM — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 19:00:04 +0100

In this episode we talk about early access games. Everything from their origins, where we think they’re going, and some of our favourite and least favourite games we’ve backed or bought before release.

“Early Access popularity growing, but only 25% have released as a full game” (2014)
Jalada’s favourites include:
Sefran’s favourites include:
Some less-than-awesome examples of early access include:
- Mighty No 9
- Godus

021: A wild Pokémon master appears!

Octal FM — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 19:00:09 +0100

In this episode we are joined by the brilliant Marti Bennett. Marti kindly agreed to tell us all about playing Pokémon competitively and recount some of her own stories and experiences of the professional Pokémon scene.

Follow Marti:

YouTube – Virtual Accomplishment
Twitter – @MartiBennett (@VirtualAccomp for content updates)
Twitch – Virtual Accomplishment

020: Enter the Matrix

Octal FM — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 19:00:36 +0100

We recently got the opportunity to go hands-on with an Oculus Rift, complete with Oculus Touch controllers and two sensors. In this episode we discuss our thoughts and impressions, and what we think is in store for the future.

019: The ‘in-game’ illusion

Octal FM — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 19:00:40 +0100

In this episode we discuss how video game advertising and trailers have changed, why ‘footage captured in game’ means nothing, and whether any of this matters at all.

Read Patch The Process, an article about ‘day one patches’ by indie game dev Rami Ismail.

There’s lots of videos you should watch to accompany this episode:

018: Is the 3D platformer dead?

Octal FM — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 21:27:10 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM we try to decide: Is the 3D platforming video game genre dead?

Games we discuss:

Arcade games such as Donkey Kong, Mario Bros
Croc
Metroid and Castlevania
Crash Bandicoot
Rogue-likes such as Spelunky and Rogue Legacy
Puzzle-platformers like Super Meat Boy and N+
Is Yooka-Laylee the return of 3D platformers?
Snake Pass

Intro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

Outro music: Juan Medrano – Mega Man 2 “Dokuta Wairi, Rival to the Light”

017: Press play to continue

Octal FM — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 19:00:30 +0100

In this episode we talk all about the state of difficulty in video games. Are they too easy? Too hard? Does it matter?

Rubber banding.
“The Noobification of games”, a clip from Pure Pwnage: Teh Movie.
Super Guide.

Intro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

Outro music: The OneUps – Funky Mario Circut (Radio Edit)

016: Our favourite video game music

Octal FM — Tue, 23 May 2017 19:00:18 +0100

In this episode we continue our discussion theme of video game music. Instead of picking out examples we think are ‘good use’ of video game music, we just pick out games that have soundtracks that we think are awesome.

Mario Galaxy
- Listen: Gusty Garden Galaxy, Beach Bowl Galaxy
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
- Listen: Under Heaven Destruction, Lust SIN, Queen of Rose
Link’s Awakening
- Listen: Village Theme, Overworld, Sword Search
FTL: Faster Than Light
- Listen: Space Cruise (Title), Mantis (Battle), Last Stand
Jet Set Radio Future
- Listen: Concept of Love, Like a Butterfly, Aisle Ten
Banjo-Kazooie
- Listen: Click Clock Wood, Treasure Trove Cove, Freezeasy Peak
Honourable mentions:
- DK Rap
- The Sims 2 radio music

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

015: The art of video game music

Octal FM — Tue, 09 May 2017 22:38:27 +0100

In this episode we pick out some of our favourite uses of music in video games.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker combat
- Video of an example of combat with audio ‘accents’ (minor Wind Waker spoilers)
- Listen: Middle Boss Battle
Final Fantasy VI
- Composed by Nobuo Uematsu
- Listen: Terra’s theme
Half Life 2
- Listen: CP Violation
Music levels from Rayman Legends
- Listen: ‘Gloo Gloo’ Musical Level (video of level)
Transistor
- Developed and published by Supergiant Games
- Composed by Darren Korb. Vocals by Ashley Barrett
- Listen: We All Become and The Spine
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
- Listen: Old Snake vs. Liquid Ocelot (Ultimate Version)

Some other games that we were considering include: Banjo-Kazooie, Journey and Audiosurf. There are many more great examples of the use of music in video games, get in touch and let us know yours!

Intro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

014: Internet all the Things!

Octal FM — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 19:00:30 +0100

We discuss how lives are becoming more internet connected, the history and hype around ‘smart homes’, and generally demystify the Internet of Things.

Further reading:

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

013: Video games; the new spectator sport?

Octal FM — Tue, 11 Apr 2017 19:30:21 +0100

In this episode we take a deeper look at eSports and how it compares to more traditional sporting events.

Intro/outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

012: Why are mobile games so rubbish?

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 20:59:32 +0100

In their most click-bait episode ever, Jalada and Sefran discuss the state of mobile phone games, where they think the industry is going, and some games that perhaps aren’t so bad after all.

81% of the UK population own a smartphone according to Deloitte.
“Mobile games hit $34.8B in 2015, taking 85% of all app revenues”
Super Mario Run from Nintendo.
Extra Credits channel on YouTube.
Monument Valley.

Intro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion
Outro music: OC/DC – Rise of the Piggies

011: Playing favourites

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 21:06:32 +0000

In another case of ‘Jalada and Sefran weren’t paying attention to the episode timer’, this bonus-length episode is all about our favourite video game consoles.

Nintendo GameBoy
Sega GameGear
Nintendo 64
PlayStation 4
Joint favourite: Nintendo GameCube
- In the episode we say that the Wavebird was the first wireless controller. Of course, there were others before it, but it was pretty much the first to use radio-frequency (which was great) instead of infrared (which was terrible).

Intro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion
Outro music: Nostalvania – Seven Pipes to Heaven

010: Let’s talk MOBAs

Octal FM — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 19:00:37 +0000

Tom (‘modest’ on Summoner’s Rift) joins Jalada and Sefran to talk about MOBAs; what they are, where they came from, and why they’re so much fun.

We touch on League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, Defense of the Ancients, DOTA 2, and Smite.
Feel free to be pedantic and email us to let us know that Aeon of Strife was arguably the first MOBA, not DOTA.
Faker, arguably the best League of Legends player.
League of Legends Patch 7.1 notes, an example of just how much can change month to month in a MOBA.
/r/summonerschool.

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion.

009: Molyneux management

Octal FM — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 21:33:24 +0000

Jalada and Sefran explain why community management is so important in the development and maintaining of video games, from the perspective of video gamers.

7 Days to Die developer blog
Examples of less-than-ideal pre-launch management: Spore, Fable, No Man’s Sky.
“Deus Ex: Mankind Divided silly preorder scheme scrapped”
Diablo 3’s significant Loot overhaul patch, dubbed ‘Loot 2.0’.
“Final Fantasy 14 killed by Square Enix’s stubbornness, reborn by a new approach”
Elite Dangerous Galnet News
id Software’s open-sourced game code on GitHub

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

008: Tending our turnips

Octal FM — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 21:21:56 +0000

Antonia joins us for this episode where we discuss what makes life-sim games appealing, and why Stardew Valley is such a great example of one.

Steam best sellers of 2016.
Other examples of life-sims: Animal Crossing, The Sims, Farming Simulator, and of course Euro-Truck Simulator.
For further information on the reward loop in video game design, read up on ‘compulsion loops’.

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

007: From Pandemics to Werewolves

Octal FM — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 21:45:48 +0000

Episode seven is a bonus length episode all about board gaming. From traditional co-operative games like Pandemic, to fast-paced social games like One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Jalada and Sefran break into this huge topic with a summary overview of some of the main types of board games, with a selection of ones to try yourself.

Links to purchase any of these titles are affiliate links, proceeds go towards Octal FM and our general happiness.

Standard board games: Pandemic, Catan, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride
Minature games: Star Wars: X-Wing, Star Trek Attack Wing, Dice Masters games
Procedural games: Betrayal at House on the Hill, Dead of Winter, X-Com
Deck-building games: Ascension, Marvel Legendary, Blood Bowl Team Manager
Living card games: Game of Thrones Card Game, Netrunner
Social games: One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Inkognito, Avalon The Resistance, House of Salem

006: How do I LAN?!

Octal FM — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 20:18:20 +0000

Jalada and Sefran talk further about what you need to think about when running your own LAN, as well as discussing some of the history of LAN parties and events and the state of the community today.

We cover a lot in the show, but there’s a lot more to it. Here’s some related reading from what we covered, and some bits we didn’t:

Internet cafés.
Copyparties and Demoparties.
Revision is one of the largest Demoparties that’s still going in southwest Germany. Some demoparties have also morphed into LAN parties & gaming events such as The Gathering and Assembly which are both still going in 2016.
The Demoscene.
Some examples of modern demos. Check the file sizes!
1999 BBC article about the first Insomnia event.
“Gaming has left the LAN party behind” by Ben Kuchera for Polygon.
Dreamhack.
Multiplay Insomnia Gaming Festival
.

Running your own LAN:

If you need a network switch, remember you need an extra ‘uplink’ port to your router. Example switches for small LANs: 8 ports for £21, 16 ports for £50*.
To protect your attendees’ equipment you may want to think about providing RCD circuit breakers and surge protection plugs.
Power supply calculator for calculating average attendee power usage.
Running a ‘LANcache’ to save bandwidth and speed up downloads.
More ideas and information from UKLP (some a little out of date).

If you have any more questions feel free to get in touch and ask, and let us know about your successful LAN party!

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

*Links are affiliate links. Proceeds go towards helping us out.

005: What makes a good LAN party game?

Octal FM — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 22:25:41 +0000

Jalada and Sefran explain, with examples, some of the aspects of games that work well at LAN parties.

We touch on a whole bunch of games in this show, but in particular we highlight:

004: RTS for short

Octal FM — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 21:39:09 +0000

Jalada and Sefran chat about six of their favourite genre-defining real-time strategy games.

Related reading from the show:

Real-time strategy on Wikipedia
Metagaming
Age of Empires 2
- How to play it: Try Age of Empires 2 HD, the 2013 remake.
Homeworld
- How to play it: Homeworld Remastered is a beautiful remake and comes complete with the sequel and a refined multiplayer experience.
Rise of Nations
- How to play it: Pick up Rise of Nations: Extended Edition, the 2014 remake.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
- How to play it: It’s work getting some of the expansion packs for Dawn of War, so pick up the Master Collection.
World in Conflict
- How to play it: World in Conflict multiplayer servers have been shut down but you can still pick the game up complete with expansion from GOG and it still has local multiplayer for your LAN party!
Populous: The Beginning
- How to play it: Populous doesn’t work well on modern PCs (Sef couldn’t get it running) but you can pick it up on GOG.

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

003: The Best Ever – The Elder Scrolls

Octal FM — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 23:59:47 +0000

In this ‘The Best Ever’ episode, Jalada and Sefran try to agree on which game in The Elder Scrolls series is the best; Oblivion or Skyrim?

Related reading from the show:

IMDB page for Oblivion
IMDB page for Skyrim
Procedural terrain sculpting in Oblivion
Enemies in Oblivion
Enemies in Skyrim
Morrowind speed-run using game breaking spells
Oblivion AI fail (one video of many out there)
Horse armor reception back in 2006

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

002: How could we forget Cortana?

Octal FM — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 21:29:59 +0000

Jalada and Sefran discuss voice-activated home assistants. We have a chat about what they are, how they work, and where we think the technology is going in the future.

The two main devices we talk about are Amazon Echo* and Google Home.
We also reference Apple Siri and Google Assistant.
For more information about why understanding speech is hard for computers, read about “AI-complete” problems.
We almost forgot to mention Microsoft Cortana.
Amazon Echo can be used to control Nest and Tado thermostats.
Sefran pointed out that banks like HSBC and First Direct already use voice pattern detection.

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion

*Links are affiliate links. Proceeds go towards helping out OctalFM.

001: Hero Mode activated

Octal FM — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 21:06:36 +0100

In this episode of Octal FM, Jalada tells Sefran what he thinks of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD for the Wii U.

Spoiler warning: Contains minor spoilers about Twilight Princess and a general discussion of the Zelda timeline.

Related reading from the show:

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and The Wind Waker HD.
Zelda teaser trailer from Spaceworld 2000 (linked video is actually a longer cut than the one we used to watch).
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia (affiliate link).
Copy of the Hyrule Historia timeline.
Jadusable Wiki, the official database for the Haunted Majora’s Mask Cartridge story (Elegy of Emptiness creepypasta).
Twilight Princess Wii, Gamecube and Wii U graphics comparison.
Issues when you force Dark Souls to run at 60fps on PC.

Music:

Intro: JACKS – Runaway Fashion.
Outro: Life of a Bowling Pin by Hylian Lemon for ocremix.org.

000: No Man’s Reboot

Octal FM — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 23:28:55 +0100

Welcome to Octal FM! After introducing your hosts, we dissect the PS4/PC game No Man’s Sky.

Related reading from the show:

Freelancer
Star Citizen
Elite: Dangerous
Journey
Spore
Procedural generation
No Man’s Sky stats on SteamSpy
Diablo 3
- Diablo 3’s loot 2.0 patch (sample of media coverage for context)

Please let us know what you thought by Tweeting @octalfm, or using the email address in the show.

Intro & outro music: JACKS – Runaway Fashion