Quick Play

flavor blasted metroid ••• Parker Deal and Mark talk about the two recent Nintendo Directs, their highlights, the curse of expectations, and whether or not Ocarina of Time looks a little unreal. Let us know: What are...

make it weird, make it new ••• Nate "SPyKe" Foote and Mark talk about the innovative gems out in the wild, what innovations the medium of games could see in the future, and what a truly "weird" game is. Let us know...

the dopamine hit vs. the really cool stuff ••• Nate "SPyKe" Foote and Mark talk about the lost art of unlockables in games, how paid DLC and dopamine hits have taken their place, and how we long for significant rewards...

we built hypothetically perfect controllers ••• Trash Turkey and Mark talk about the best controllers out there and then describe their perfect franken-controllers. Let us know: What would your perfect...

discs: dead as disco? ••• Trash Turkey and Mark talk about current affairs in physical media, the place of physical games within the market, and what physical games look like in the future. Listen to the Bitesized...

the good, the bad, and all of the above ••• Nate McKeever and Mark talk about the state of affairs in video game discourse, what the "middle ground" discourse could look like, and being a non-anxious presence. Let us...

ex-clusivity ••• Nate McKeever and Mark talk about the current state of exclusive games, their impact (or lack thereof) within the industry, and what exclusivity means for contentment overall. Let us know: Should...

the quest for questions ••• Mark talks about the question-focused nature of the podcast, the benefits and differences between lateral and vertical questions, and how questions lead to better connections. Let us know...

bad news, good games ••• Mark receives a few transmissions from Trash Turkey, SPyKE, and Nate McKeever on the games they're playing this year, and how they feel about the industry at the halfway point of 2026. Let us...

"the vibes are bad, but the games are good" ••• An assignment for you: how has 2026 been so far? Send a link to your 2-3 min video or voice memo to quickplaypod@gmail.com by Tues, June 30th. To think about: “The vibes...

the games that made it to my wishlist ••• Mark talks about the games from summer game fest and assorted showcases that piqued his interest, how some showcases hit, and a lil bit on console exclusivity. Let us know: What...

switch 2, year 2 ••• (Special early release for some cultural relevancy before the Nintendo Direct on June 9th!) Mark and Parker Deal talk about what’s ahead for the Switch 2, what could be coming, what Nintendo needs...

switch 2 (year 1) in review ••• Mark and Parker Deal talk about the first year of the Switch 2, what's worked, what hasn't, and if the rumors of Weird Nintendo's death have been greatly exaggerated. Let us know: How has...

a critical analysis ••• Mark and Landry Smith talk about what works and what doesn't in reviews lately, how the format has grown, and the place of reviews and critical analysis within the industry. Let us know: What is...

brand management! ••• Mark and Landry Smith talk about how the games industry coverage is dominated by sales numbers and stats, how consumers take the role of shareholders, and the true meaning of content. Let us know...