Scandalous Games (Scandalous Games)

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In today's episode, we go back to the Postal series to look at Postal’s 2003 sequel: the “anti-PC” PC game Postal 2. We look at its development, the fortunes of its maker (Running with Scissors), and how the company handled criticism.

Also, Kevin makes an argument for why Postal 2 might be the first "MAGA video game."

Topics discussed include:  the logistics of using a cat as a silencer, whether Gary Coleman represented everything wrong with America, and Running with Scissors’ unsurprising embrace of the Alt-Right.

Correction: based on Steam achievement statistics, by making it through Wednesday, Kevin managed to surpass 75.5% of Postal 2 players (https://steamcommunity.com/stats/223470/achievements).

For more on Postal III’s rough production, check out Matt McMuscles’ “What Happened?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJnivzm-WjA.
For a detailed analysis of the entire Postal series, check out Noah Caldwell Gervais’ video  “Postal, Hatred, and Weighing the Worth of Asshole Simulators”: https://youtu.be/kivtv6wabBk. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Kate Lynch. In today's episode, we take a deep dive into the research that claims playing violent video games leads to aggression, antisocial behavior, and violent crime. The gang examine the evolution of "violent video games" as a political issue in the United States, why so much of the research is flawed,  and the motivations of the people and organizations behind the studies.

Topics discussed include:  a video game based on C. Everett Koop, the relationship between video games and sass, and the chilling relationship between violent video game studies and police violence.

If you want to know more about the debate over violent video game research, check out Patrick M. Markey and Christopher J. Ferguson, Moral Combat: Why  the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong (Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, 2017) .

For more on Dave Grossman, check out the following pieces:
Josh Eells, "Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, the 'Killologist' Training America's Cops," Mens Journal (February 8, 2017):  https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/lt-dave-grossman-the-self-described-killologist-training-americas-cops-w463304/
Bryan Schatz, "'Are You Prepared to Kill Somebody?' A Day With One of America’s Most Popular Police Trainers," Mother Jones (March/April 2017): https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/02/dave-grossman-training-police-militarization/.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Celebrating the end of our first year of deep dives into video game controversies, we bring out of the vault our pilot episode.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and John Dukes. In today's episode, we  look back at the Health Hero series, a set of health educational games from the 1990s. We talk about Captain Novolin, Rex Ronan: Experimental Surgeon, Packy & Marlon, Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus, and The AIDS Avenger, and how they tried to teach kids about diabetes, smoking, asthma, and HIV/AIDS.

Topics discussed include:  our ideas for a diabetes-themed game, the amazing lineup of Super NES games the Health Hero series tried to compete with, and whether these strange, possibly terrible games might have actually been a success.

If you want to learn about more recent educational games in a variety of subjects, check out the Games for Change game directory: https://www.gamesforchange.org/games/.

For more on Captain Novolin, check out Cassidy's deep dive over at Bad Game Hall of Fame: https://www.badgamehalloffame.com/captain-novolin/.

Special thanks to Sean-Paul (https://twitter.com/HelloMrKearns).

Editor's Note: The game Kevin mentioned but didn't name near the end of the episode is a 2013 browser game called Auti-sim: https://gamejolt.com/games/auti-sim/12761.
For more on Plague, Inc., check out: https://www.gamesforchange.org/games/plague-inc/.

*Correction: Sculptured Software also developed the SNES version of Mortal Kombat.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We celebrate one year of video game controversies with a mulit-part series on how video games got age ratings in the United States.  

In today's episode, we  look back at tech fads that influenced the way people thought about video games, starting with virtual reality. Would VR give us the Holodeck or the horrors of the Lawnmower Man?  And how did the seemingly limitless possibilities of virtual reality influence video games?

Topics discussed include:  The surprisingly long history of VR; the potential marketing benefits of the Data Codpiece™; how VR invaded TV, movies, and video games; and the possibilities and pitfalls of "teledildonics."  

Check out Fatroll Gaming (Phil's Elden Ring show): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4AxENRyXMhWlPG14-fgTog 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In our (unprecedented) second episode of this month, we continue our look back at early 90s tech fads that influenced the conversation over video games. This is part of our multi-part series on how video games got age ratings in the United States. 

This time around, we look at the full-motion video (FMV) game, its origins in LaserDisc, its relationship to multimedia "convergence" (where corporations mashed together telecommunications, film, gaming, and anything else they thought would make a bunch of money), and how FMV tried to push games to a mature audience (to the horror of some). 

Topics discussed include: The rise and fall of LaserDisc games, the surprisingly long history of on-demand gaming services, and whether or not virtual reality and FMV games really failed.

For more on the RDI Halcyon, which we only briefly mentioned, check out this amazing deep dive into the system by hbomberguy, titled "Halcyon Dreams: The Legacy of Dragon's Lair": https://youtu.be/CnPOQr1pxY8.   

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. As we work our way towards learning how video games got age ratings in the United States by learning about how violent video games, led by Mortal Kombat, made people anxious about the impact of games on kids. This increased attention to Mortal Kombat and its imitators came at a time when Americans were really concerned about violence in society, especially youth violence. These circumstances, in turn, inspired some people to call upon the industry to rate itself, lest the federal government do it for them.

Topics discussed include: Mortal Kombat clones, the 1993 “Summer of Violence,” the secret origins of Mokap, the underreported epidemic of centaur leg thefts, and how the media ruined the lives of countless children (but not in the ways you might think).

Content warning: (20:00-1:08:48) Discussion of mass shootings, violent crime, gun violence, and mass incarceration.

Important sources for this episode:
Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (New York: The New Press, 2010).
Theodore Chiricos, "Moral Panic As Ideology: Drugs, Violence, Race and Punishment in America," in Justice with Prejudice: Race and Criminal Justice in America, eds. Michael J. Lynch and E. Britt Patterson (Guilderland, NY: Harrow and Heston, 1996): 19-48.
Paul Colomy and Laura Ross Greiner, “Making Violence Visible: The News Media and the Summer of Violence,” Denver Law Review 77, Iss. 4 (“Symposium - Law and Policy on Youth Violence”) (January 2000): 661-688.
LyNell Hancock, “When Denver Lost Its Mind Over Youth Crime,” The New Republic, November 23, 2021: https://newrepublic.com/article/164419/denver-lost-mind-youth-crime-wave-panic
Sara Sun Beale, “The News Media’s Influence on Criminal Justice Policy: How Market-Driven News Promotes Punitiveness,” William and Mary Law Review 48, No. 2 (2006): 397-481.

To learn more about different theories about why the U.S. crime rates went down so much since the early 1990s, see: Dana Lind and German Lopez, “16 Theories for Why Crime Plummeted in the US,” Vox, May 20, 2015, https://www.vox.com/2015/2/13/8032231/crime-drop.

Check out Jax’s amazing ending cutscene from Mortal Kombat 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNkRvcUn6VM. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We finally wrap up our series explaining how video games got age ratings in the United States. We address the December 9, 1993, Congressional hearing about video game violence and how this led to the games industry creating a trade organization--the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA, now known as the Entertainment Software Association)--as well as a comprehensive ratings system: the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB). 

Topics discussed include: How different game companies handled content before 1993, how Sega and Nintendo brought their marketing feud into the halls of Congress, and how the ratings system, in many respects, made it easier to put racy content in games.

To learn more about the creation of the ESRB, check out:
Blake J. Harris, Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation (Dey Street Books, 2015): https://www.amazon.com/Console-Wars-Nintendo-Defined-Generation/dp/0062276700.
Blake J. Harris, "Content Rated By: An Oral History of the ESRB," Gamesbeat: https://venturebeat.com/2019/11/22/content-rated-by-an-oral-history-of-the-esrb-excerpt-doom-to-the-power-of-ten/.
Jimmy Maher's four-part series on the ESRB's creation, The Ratings Game: https://www.filfre.net/2021/04/the-ratings-game-part-1-a-likely-and-an-unlikely-suspect/.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. This time around, we look at Thrill Kill, an unreleased 3D fighting game created by Paradox Development for the Sony PlayStation that was supposed to come out in October 1998. We look at its surprising evolution from Mesoamerican-themed sports game to BDSM-themed fighting game, its cancellation by Electronic Arts, and its afterlife as a game starring the Wu-Tang Clan.

Topics discussed include: Why people think Electronic Arts is worse than a bank; how Harvard Bonin is a hilarious name; and if hell exists and we all go to it, what will be the manifestations of our worldly vices? 

For more on the history of Thrill Kill from the people who made it, see: Steven T. Wright, “The Secret History of Wu-Tang Clan’s Bizarre Hip-Hop Fighting Game,” Variety, February 15, 2019, https://variety.com/2019/gaming/features/wu-tang-shaolin-style-thrill-kill-1203140669/

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. This time around, we dive into the world of cryptocurrency and its relationship to gaming. We examine the basics of blockchain technology, decentralized digital currencies, and NFTs as well as some of the hopes (and very, very real problems) with the current crypto scene. We use this to talk about "play-to-earn" (P2E) games, a genre where people can earn crypto by buying, selling, and trading NFTs.  

Topics discussed include: How a Magic: The Gathering  online exchange/Flash game homepage ended up losing millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin, how to make a ton of money selling a Metroid Dread receipt, and the rise and fall of Scandal Coin (TM).

To learn more about the chaotic world of anarcho-capitalists, shoddy cybersecurity, questionable legality, and hilarious crypto scams, check out David Gerrard, Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum & Smart Contracts (2017). https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/ 

Check out Phil's sweet NFT: https://nflallday.com/moments/666efe5d-7a4c-4a3a-9e91-50a63fe0429b

For More on the WATA Games Scandal: Karl Jobst, "Exposing FRAUD And DECEPTION In The Retro Video Game Market," YouTube, August 23, 2021, https://youtu.be/rvLFEh7V18A

Watch the Evolved Apes trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g63XqyYL8w0

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Andy Hunter, and Ryan Weaver. This time around, we continue our look at the  relationship between crypto and gaming by taking a closer look at the mainstream games industry's brief but notable foray into NFTs.  We examine the crypto escapades of the likes of Atari, Konami, Square-Enix, and Ubisoft, how game makers tried to sell the idea of NFTs to their players, and the incredible backlash against them.

Topics discussed include:  The role of the Darkmoon Greatsword in the crypto scene, Peter Molyneux doesn't know history, the mystery of the missing Atari arcade NFTs,  and is there a way to make NFTs work in gaming?

To learn more about the chaotic world of anarcho-capitalists, shoddy cybersecurity, questionable legality, and hilarious crypto scams, check out David Gerrard, Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum & Smart Contracts (2017). https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/

For a detailed look at the convoluted history of the Atari brand, check out the They Create Worlds episode "The History of the Atari Brand:" http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-history-of-the-atari-brand/ 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In this episode, we look at Hatred, the 2015 PC game developed by Destructive Creations where you play out a mass shooting enacting by a guy whose name is not important (aka Alan). We dissect the controversy and how this was a game designed by trolls for trolls.

Topics discussed include:  How Destructive Creations basically trolled everybody--video game news sites, the ESRB, and GamerGate--to market their homage to Postal, a surprising number of Star Wars references, and how did Alan afford the weapons and ammo for his rampage?

For a detailed look at Hatred in the context of both the Postal series and GamerGate, check out,  Noah Caldwell-Gervais, "Postal, Hatred, and Weighing the Worth of Asshole Simulators," YouTube, https://youtu.be/kivtv6wabBk 

One small correction: at one point, Kevin said Grand Theft Auto V came out in 2014. It actually came out in 2013.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In this episode, we take a closer look at Destructive Creations, the team behind previous episode Hatred.  We examine the other controversy connected to Hatred, one that was connected to the beliefs of its creators, and how a team that claimed to make a statement against politics in gaming made some political games in the years to follow Hatred's release. 

Content warning: Discussions of racism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, fascism, and Neo-Nazis.

Topics discussed include:  A brief history of Polish right-wing politics, Alan's conflict with his neighbors, and the guys guessing whether some gaming-related quotations came from Hatred or other games.

Kevin's sources on the role of right-wing politics in Poland:
Agnieszka Dudzinska and Michal Kotnarowski, “Imaginary Muslims: How the Polish Right Frames Islam,” Brookings, July 24, 2019: https://www.brookings.edu/research/imaginary-muslims-how-polands-populists-frame-islam/.
Farid Hafez, "Street-level and government-level Islamophobia in the Visegrád Four countries," Patterns of Prejudice 52, Iss. 5 (November 6, 2018): 436-447, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0031322X.2018.1498440.
Kornelia Kończal, “The Invention of the ‘Cursed Soldiers’ and Its Opponents,” East European Politics and Societies and Cultures 34, No. 1 (February 2020): 67-95, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0888325419865332;

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends...except this month we're doing something a little different with our very first syncable commentary track! 

Join Phil Thomas, Andy Hunter, Elford Stevens, and Kevin as we sit down and watch the 2003 video game flop The House of the Dead, directed by infamous maker of bad video game movies (and subject of a previous episode), Dr. Uwe Boll. 

To sync the movie, queue up the film to 00:00:10 and wait for the countdown. If you want to cut through the intro where Kevin offers some history behind the movie and get right to the commentary, head to 00:08:20 in the recording.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

 Historian Kevin Impellizeri usually shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends. However, this month Phil Thomas takes the lead and teaches Kevin, Elford Stephens, and Andy Hunter about the (as of this recording) ongoing global computer chip shortage and why it has been so hard to get a next-gen game system (or a car or ballistic missiles or anything else you might need).

Topics discussed include:  A brief history of video game related chip shortages, the most important company you've never heard of,  how we are possibly a war/global pandemic/ecological disaster away from a digital dark age, and whether you'd be willing to jump on a box for a cell phone.

To learn more, check out: Chris Miller, Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology (New York: Scribner, 2022)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Chip-War/Chris-Miller/9781982172008
Also, for more on Magnavox and the Odyssey,  check out the Video Game History Hour episode "Magnavox: The Great Voice": https://gamehistory.org/ep-94-magnavox-the-great-voice/.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In this episode, we start a three part series on Pokémon, specifically fan-developed Pokémon projects, beginning with the history of Pokémon ROM hacks, original games made by fans that are built on commercially released Pokémon games.

Topics discussed include:  An introduction to Pokémon for video game newbies, fan-created Pokémon challenges, an amazing deep dive into the technical background of ROM hacking courtesy of Kate and Phil, that time 4chan made a Pokémon ROM hack, and what would a Scandalous Games Pokémon ROM hack look like? 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In part two of our look at Pokémon fan projects, we shift from ROM hacks to fan games, Pokémon inspired games developed by fans that are built from the ground up, usually with third-party game engines. 

Topics discussed include:  Fascists don't like Pokémon, that time Pac-Man ate too many dots, the wild history of RPG Maker, the merits of video game buyback programs, Kevin's failed RPG, and whether there might be an NFT of Kate out there somewhere.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In part three of our look at Pokémon fan projects, here is the second part of this month's episode. This time, we take a closer look at the motivations behind fan projects and we get closer to the actual controversy behind this series and address whether Pokémon fan games and ROM hacks are legal. 

Topics discussed include:  Reasons people develop fan projects and the discourse surrounding them, a whole bunch of amateur takes on intellectual property law, that time John Carmack made a Super Mario Bros.  clone, and Andy Hunter's one-man show of Dracula: Dead and Loving It. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Andy Hunter. In part four of our look at Pokémon fan projects, we finally get into the controversy around Pokémon fan games and ROM hacks by looking at probably the two most famous/infamous unauthorized Pokémon games: Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism, focusing on their development and their relationship to Pokémon fandom. 

Topics discussed include:  2016 was a great year so long as you're a Pokémon fan and don't read the news; Pokémon GO was kind of a big deal, despite being built on a bad game called Ingress; and why won't Nintendo let us play the early generation Pokémon games?  

For more on the Niantec lawsuit over Pokémon GO, see: James Bareham, "Niantic is tweaking Pokémon Go to settle a lawsuit with angry homeowners," The Verge, February 15, 2019, https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/15/18226604/niantic-pokemon-go-lawsuit-changes-settlement-private-property-pokestop-gym.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Andy Hunter. In part five of our look at Pokémon fan projects, we finally edge ever closer to Nintendo's response to Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism by examining the ways other game companies have responded to fan-developed games that use their IP. 

Topics discussed include:  The wild lore behind Twitch Plays Pokémon, the lost beauty that was Chrono Resurrection, the ways video game companies centralize and monetize fan creations, Kevin's (possibly) erotic Dark Souls II fanart, and the potential of poop-themed Pokémon.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In part six of our look at Pokémon fan projects, Nintendo finally sets its sights on Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism, and we look at Nintendo's quest to destroy emulation by any means necessary.  

Topics discussed include:  Nintendo vs. emulators, Nintendo vs. YouTubers, and that time Nintendo wrecked Bowser's life.

For more on the recent court ruling against the Internet Archive, see: Christine Kelley, "If we lose the Internet Archive, we’re screwed," The [Stony Brook] Statesman, April 4, 2023, https://www.sbstatesman.com/2023/04/04/if-we-lose-the-internet-archive-were-screwed/.

Want to see some fun Pokémon solo runs and other challenges? Kevin recommends:
VanMan: https://www.youtube.com/@vanman9142
Gym Leader Matt: https://www.youtube.com/@GymLeaderMatt1987
Mah Dry Bread: https://www.youtube.com/@MahDryBread
PointCrow: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR6FyQtHv8mPCPHkCBzyBbcBQuqGgMuFY

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In our jam-packed grand finale of our (longer than expected) deep dive into Pokémon fan projects, we examine how fans responded to Nintendo's legal strike against Pokémon Uranium and Pokémon Prism and whether legal attacks against fan projects actually matter.  

Topics discussed include:  Gamers' mixed feelings about Nintendo's legal strike. What do ROM hacks have to do with Rifftrax? The weird alternate history where "Nintendo" became a generic brand for video games, a bonus mini controversy related to ROM hacks, and  Elford's surprising musical number.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In honor of our second full year of doing this show, we start a deep dive into a guy who may be the single most influential figure in the violent video game discourse over the last 30-odd years: Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Starting our six-month (don't worry, we'll take breaks along the way) deep dive into the self-proclaimed killology expert. Today, we start with Dave's early life and start looking at his most influential work on how we thing about video game violence: On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995), and how a lot of the violent video game discourse is based on a bad book.

Topics discussed include:  The horrifying thought of soldiers not killing people (and how we allegedly "fixed" it), some sketchy wheelings and dealings among our panelists, Dave Grossman warns those nasty video games are teaching kids to kill (citation needed), and Andy tests the gang's knowledge on Pokémon and prescription drugs.

For more on the evolution of the public perception of the American soldier between World War II and the Vietnam War, check out Andrew J, Huebner, The Warrior Image: Soldiers in American Culture from the Second World War to the Vietnam Era (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2008: https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Image-Soldiers-American-Culture/dp/0807858382.  

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman and his 1995 book On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995), dissecting his claims that America is in the midst of a hellish Purge style world of violent teens who have been activated by watching too many horror movies and playing one too many light gun games.

Topics discussed include:  Dave Grossman has never watched a horror movie or played a video game (but that won't stop him from having strong opinions anyway), whether Rodney King was a serial killer, Kevin has a problem with A Clockwork Orange, the gang learns there actually is no crime, and Andy offers more choices between Pokémon and prescription drugs.

For more on possible theories behind America's dramatic crime decrease since the 1990s, check out: Dana Lind and German Lopez, “16 Theories for Why Crime Plummeted in the US,” Vox, May 20, 2015, https://www.vox.com/2015/2/13/8032231/crime-drop.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman and his 1995 book On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995). Today, we tackle Dave's central argument--that as many as 85% of American soldiers in World War II outright refused to fire their guns, which led the Army to trick its soldiers into becoming killing machines--by looking at his one source: the work of Samuel Lyman Marshall. 

Topics discussed include: The epic tale of a jet setting adventurer and war correspondent (or is it?), Dave Grossman is (shockingly) not a diligent researcher, what happens when historians make up their sources, the great debate over who stole valor, and the gang offers some exciting new dieting advice. Plus, some more rounds of Pokémon or Prescription Drug!

Sources on Kevin's World War II numbers:
"U.S. Army Divisions, in World War II," US Army Divisions, https://www.armydivs.com/; "Life in the Army," PBS, https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/life-in-the-infantry; "Research Starters: US Military by the Numbers," National World War II Museum, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-us-military-numbers

For more info on S.L.A. Marshall and his "ratio of fire," see: Frederic Smoler, “The Secret of the Soldiers Who Didn’t Shoot,” American Heritage (March 1989): 36-45: https://www.americanheritage.com/secret-soldiers-who-didnt-shoot. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends...except it's Halloween and we want to do something fun and scary, so buckle up for our second synchable audio commentary. This time, Kevin, Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, Elford Stevens, and Andy Hunter are ripping and tearing through the 2005 film adaptation of DOOM (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419706/) directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak.

We're watching the theatrical cut, which is 1 hour 45 minutes and not to be confused with the unrated director's cut.

To sync the movie, queue up the film to 00:00:05 and wait for the countdown. If you want to cut through the intro where Kevin offers some history behind the movie and get right to the commentary, head to 00:11:57 in the recording.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman and his foundational work On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1995). This time around, we take a closer look at Dave Grossman's research process and learn how, shockingly, the sources that aren't based on a World War II journalist who made some stuff up are also pretty bad.  

Topics discussed include: Kevin's run-in with Soldier of Fortune,  Andy's natural aversion to giving Dave Grossman money, Dave's looking out for the real victims (spoiler alert: it's white supremacists and fascists), a brief interlude about the 1994 Winter Olympics, and the ongoing debate over who stole valor. Plus, some more rounds of Pokémon or Prescription Drug!

For a look at the history of Rhodesia: check out Well There's Your Problem's episode - https://youtu.be/7dtJGRIWEls?si=2lJ2S3fFTAwVcsVy.  

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stevens, and Phil Thomas. Sorry, folks, but it's one more month on everyone's "favorite" "killologist" Dave Grossman.  This time, we shift away from Dave's debut book On Killing to some of his other alleged accomplishments (Spoiler alert: they're not much better than his book warning everyone about the "Virus of Violence").

Topics discussed include: On Killing's tepid reception, Dave wants everyone to know he's been to mountains and deserts, and is Dave Grossman a furry? Plus, more about Kevin's experience as a failed academic, and Scandalous Games "earns" a Pulitzer Prize nomination.
 
Plus, we share an exciting Halloween treat.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stevens, and Phil Thomas. We finally close the book on On Killing and three whole months on Lt. Col. Dave Grossman by taking a closer look into more of his profoundly sad so-called accomplishments and wrap up by a look at the popular reception to Dave's first book.

Topics discussed include: Dave Grossman: martial arts master? Kevin is a master of Gamekata, the martial art of the video game. The strange case of the guy with three doctorates, and the kinds of people who really took to Grossman's rhetoric in On Killing (spoiler: it's exactly the kinds of people you'd think would like it).

Be sure to check out our syncable audio commentary for DOOM (2005)(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419706/), which drops on the feed on October 31, 2023!

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch,  Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. This month, we finally keep our promise and take a break from Dave Grossman for a four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's 2003 snuff film inspired follow up to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Today, we go into the game's inspirations and its early reception in the gaming press to set up the brouhaha that ensued following its release.

Topics discussed include: a (very) brief history of snuff films, whether Manhunt almost caused a mutiny at Rockstar, the Sadism Spectrum (TM), and the environmentally friendly uses of canvas bags for suffocations.

For more on the history of Rockstar during Manhunt's development and release, check out: David Kushner, Jacked: The Unauthorised Behind-the-Scenes Story of Grand Theft Auto (London: Collins, 2012), http://www.davidkushner.com/book/jacked/. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch,  Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. We're back for part two of our four-part series on Rockstar Games' 2003 snuff film inspired stealth/horror game Manhunt. This time, we look at the moral backlash against Manhunt leading up to and following its 2003 and try to place that within the context of anxieties over video games as an art form during the early 2000s.

Topics discussed include: Manhunt gets banned in Germany and New Zealand, and Jack Thompson enters the fray!

For more on the challenge to Alan Moore's Neonomicon  in Greenville County, SC, see: Carolyn Kellogg, “Alan Moore graphic novel banned from South Carolina library,” Los Angeles Times, December 6, 2012, https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2012-dec-06-la-et-jc-alan-moore-graphic-novel-banned-from-south-carolina-library-20121206-story.html

 
Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Kayt Ahnberg, and Ryan Weaver. Today, some of us are still here and alive to cover part three of our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's brutal 2003 survival horror title. This time, we examine whether Manhunt caused a real-life murder (spoiler alert: it did not), and how the British tabloids gave us the infamous July 29, 2004, headline "Murder by PlayStation."

CONTENT WARNING: brief discussion of a murder (5:30-7:17)

Topics discussed include: The British papers have a wobbly over Manhunt,  a fun look at some Daily Mail headlines, the positive aspects of playing horror games, and how to "accidentally" turn a video game into a best seller.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch,   Kayt Ahnberg , and Ryan Weaver. We wrap up our four-part series on Manhunt, Rockstar North's snuff film inspired follow up to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. As we close the book on Manhunt, we try to figure out what might have inspired people to think Manhunt caused a real-world murder in 2004 and how it (possibly) had more to do with the machinations of an old friend of the pod than Manhunt acting as a "murder simulator." We then go into the game's popular reception and how Manhunt as a game may be even more relevant today.

Topics discussed include: The machinations of a mature legal mind, thoughts on Manhunt from the self-proclaimed "killologist," and whether Manhunt was a harbinger of the current woes of the game industry.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. Whether you want it or not, we return to our long series on the self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman, and we finally get to Dave's entry into the violent video game fray as he peddled his killological wares in the wake of the March 24, 1998, Westside Middle School shooting, a less talked about school shooting that happened to take place in Dave's hometown and propel him from rando adjunct to media-anointed expert.

Topics discussed include: How Dave potentially used a school shooting to propel his brand, Kevin's pretty sure Wine for Dummies is a much better book than On Killing, Dave Grossman: crisis actor(?), and Andy continues to test our whether we can tell the difference between Pokémon and prescription medication

Content Warning:
9:57-10:57: Details of a school shooting
34:33-39:06: Discussion of child abuse, sexual abuse of children, suicidal ideation, self-harm, mental illness, and animal abuse

Selected Resources:
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC):
https://ovc.ojp.gov/news/announcements/view-resources-victims-recent-mass-violence-incidents 
Sandy Hook Promise: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/
APA Resources for coping with shootings:
https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/mass-shooting-resources
Administration of Children and Families:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/victims-sexual-abuse
National Child Traumatic Stress Network:
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/caring-kids-what-parents-need-know-about-sexual-abuse
Enough Abuse Campaign:
https://enoughabuse.org/get-help/survivor-support/
Mental Health First Aid:
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/
SAMHSA resources for youth in the US:
https://www.samhsa.gov/school-campus-health/behavioral-health-resources-youth
AFSP for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255); text the Crisis Text Line (text CONNECT to 741741); or dial 988 for immediate help (Press 1 if you are a veteran of the armed services).

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep-dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman seeing how he became a media-anointed expert on video game violence in the wake of a school shooting in his home town, and how Dave managed to insert himself into future violent video game conversations in the wake of mass shootings. 

Topics discussed include: Did a school shooter go from average teen to deadly marksman by playing too much DOOM? Andy tests Kevin and Kate's ability to distinguish between Pokémon and prescription medication, we show some love for mid-level evolution Pokémon, and we examine how we might all be to blame for Dave Grossman.

Content Warning:
4:03-4:27: Details of a school shooting
8:55-10:06: Discussion of mental illness, suicidal ideation, and self-harm
14:15-14:53: Discussion of mental illness
27:15-27:57: Details of a school shooting

Selected Resources:
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC):
https://ovc.ojp.gov/news/announcements/view-resources-victims-recent-mass-violence-incidents
Sandy Hook Promise: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/
APA Resources for coping with shootings:
https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/mass-shooting-resources
Administration of Children and Families:
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/victims-sexual-abuse
National Child Traumatic Stress Network:
https://www.nctsn.org/resources/caring-kids-what-parents-need-know-about-sexual-abuse
Enough Abuse Campaign:
https://enoughabuse.org/get-help/survivor-support/
Mental Health First Aid:
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources/
SAMHSA resources for youth in the US:
https://www.samhsa.gov/school-campus-health/behavioral-health-resources-youth
AFSP for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255); text the Crisis Text Line (text CONNECT to 741741); or dial 988 for immediate help (Press 1 if you are a veteran of the armed services).

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Andy Hunter. We continue our deep-dive into self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman starting a deep dive into how exactly Dave waged war on video games. We start we Dave's information-based battle, the types of organizations Dave felt comfortable calling comrades-in-arms, and how Dave might have started making his own research.

Topics discussed include:  Dave's less than savory associates, a detour to look at the board game Stroop (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/212376/stroop), Phil makes a big announcement, and possible childhood trauma connected to Cooking Mama. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

 Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We've gone too far to turn back now, as we continue our long look into Dave Grossman and why people should not listen to him. Today we continue our deep dive into Dave's tactics by seeing how his "killological" philosophy made its way into the State House and the courthouse through anti-gaming legislation and wrongful death lawsuits against the games industry.

Topics discussed include:  The epic bromance that was Dave Grossman and Jack Thompson, the debut of a new segment called "Scandalous Games Theatre," and all the ways politicians uncritically parrot the ideas of a pretend academic.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Elford Stephens. This month, we take another break from the "killologist" to take a closer look at the wildest 90s PC game you may have never heard of: Harvester (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). We start our deep dive into this cult piece of 90s PC weirdness by examining the impetus behind the game and what inspired its creators to try to make the most over-the-top video game ever.

Topics discussed include: Horny jigsaw puzzles, the politics of Roadrunner cartoons, and Harvester is "SAYING SOMETHING" about media violence,

Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons of inside information on Harvester, including interviews with the people who made it, promotional materials, and the game's script!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lodgelevel4
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LodgeLevel4

If you want to learn more about the ways networks have edited Warner Bros. cartoons, check out: "The Bugs Bunny Show Censorship," Looney Tunes Wiki, https://looneytunes.fandom.com/wiki/The_Bugs_Bunny_Show_Censorship.  

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter and Kate Lynch. This time, we continue our deep dive into the wild horror themed point-and-click adventure game Harvester  (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). This time, we shift our focus to this game's troubled production and some of its pre-release hype.

Topics discussed include: Harvester's diverse cast and crew, a whole bunch of talk about Event Horizon, and comparing your computer game to one of the most racist films ever made.

Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons of inside information on Harvester, including interviews with the people who made it, promotional materials, and the game's script!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lodgelevel4
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LodgeLevel4

You can also check out the video "The Making of Harvester," which Kevin goes into detail during the episode, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75gb6IxpT-Y. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.   

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter and Kate Lynch.  Today, it's the thrilling conclusion to our look into the over-the-top PC game Harvester  (DigiFX, Merit Studios, 1996). We warp up by examining how its creators attempted to market Harvester, its reception (or lack thereof), and its surprising resurgence over the past decade.

Topics discussed include: Harvester's creators desperately try to find someone who will get mad at their game, what did Postal get right that Harvester didn't, a definitely respectful memorial to the late Joe Lieberman, and an exciting announcement.

Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons of inside information on Harvester, including interviews with the people who made it, promotional materials, and the game's script!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lodgelevel4
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LodgeLevel4
Also, check out Kevin's interview with Aarno on the feed on April 16!

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.    

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends. This time, we wrap up Harvester with an interview with Aarno Malin, host of "The Harvester Show" and the Harvester Facebook page. Aarno graciously shared his experiences as a Harvester superfan and we discuss the process of tracking down people involved with the game, and he shares his thoughts on what might have kept the Harvester from joining the pantheon of controversial 90s video games.

Be sure to check out Aarno Malin's channels for tons of inside information on Harvester, including interviews with the people who made it, promotional materials, and the game's script!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lodgelevel4
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LodgeLevel4
You can also follow/reach out to Aarno via Twitter/X (@AarnoMalin) and Instagram (@aarno.malin.official).

For more on Burnhouse Lane, developed by Harvester Games, where Aarno plays a character, check out the game's Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1846460/Burnhouse_Lane/.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.     

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We leave the quirky little town of Harvest to continue our look into the self-proclaimed "killologist" Dave Grossman. This time around, we start looking at what Dave has been up to on the violent video games train in the last decade or so, and we take some time to think about the "why" of Dave.

Topics discussed include:  Scandalous Games is officially a Pulitzer Prize nominated show (for real); Dave really wants you to buy his sheepdog branded coffee; is Dave maybe too into violence, and a skinless nightmare Christ. Plus, Andy tests whether we can tell the difference between Pokémon and prescription drugs.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. We continue looking at what Dave has been up to over the past decade and how the self-proclaimed killologist may be putting out more work into violent video games, quantity still doesn't equal quantity. Plus, what does it mean when a guy who thinks Bible says it's OK to kill every now and then also says the video game industry is warping kids minds?

Topics discussed include:  Kevin shows his privilege when it comes to handling explosives at the airport, the gang dissects that lost scene from Jaws, and we finally get to the bottom of whether we really eat eight spiders in our sleep. Plus, some more rounds of Pokémon or Prescription Drug?

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. At long last, we have finally made it to the final episode in our extremely deep dive into the self-proclaimed "killologist" Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. In our thrilling (troubling?) conclusion, we close the book on arguably the most influential figure in the violent video games discussion by examining the violent media moral crusader/police trainer within the context of the larger atmosphere of America's increasingly militarized police.

Content Warning: Police violence, including police related killings

Topics discussed include:  Some possible explanations why police walk around in riot gear when they patrol the local farmer's market, corporate sponsored cops, Kevin is missing out on In-N-Out Burger,  Dave's possible kinks, the infuriating merch Dave sells on his online store, and a potentially fun way you can help spread the word about Dave Grossman.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends:  Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. This time around, we finally start wrapping up our deep dive into Dave by learning about his career as a police trainer and the kinds of totally healthy and not dangerously upsetting messages he shares with America's law enforcement communities, school officials, and anyone else willing to pay him thousands of dollars.

Content warning: discussion of violence throughout. Brief mention of suicide (39:50-39:58, 40:48-40:52).

Topics discussed include: The state of Dave's underwear after a long tour pushing "killology," suicide bio bombers rushing across the border (?), the debate over gun control in Helldivers II, and the group shares some innovative classroom management techniques.

To check out the Bulletproof Warrior handout unveiled by Unicorn Riot in 2018, see: Niko Georgiades, "Bulletproof Warrior Training Manual Released," Unicorn Riot, May 25, 2018, https://unicornriot.ninja/2018/bulletproof-warrior-training-manual-released/.

For more on the ways the media paints a favorable view of police in America and downplays  systemic issues in law enforcement, check out: the Skip Intro series "Copaganda:" https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2ac8vr2QyTdlWwd8OQIc1it6bAfMGPPC&si=0wan2mGA9fkDooP4.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends, but this month we're celebrating the start of our third year and the end of our 14-part (!!!) series on Dave Grossman with something we're calling "Scandalous Games Summer," a set of syncable commentary tracks while we recharge and prep for some new stories.

This month, we're watching and commenting on the 1994 live action Street Fighter movie (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111301/). So join Kevin Impellizeri, Kate Lynch, Andy Hunter, and Ryan Weaver as we celebrate the summer and have a good laugh.

There have been a bunch of fun histories written on this movie. Here are a few Kevin mentions during the commentary:
Luke Owen, Lights, Camera, Game Over! : How Video Game Movies Get Made (Schiffer, 2017): https://schifferbooks.com/products/lights-camera-game-over
Chris Plante, "Street Fighter: The Movie -- What Went Wrong?" Polygon, March 10, 2014, https://www.polygon.com/features/2014/3/10/5451014/street-fighter-the-movie-what-went-wrong.
Keith Stuart, "'I punched him so hard he cried': inside the Street Fighter movie," The Guardian, July 16, 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/games/2018/jul/16/inside-street-fighter-movie-jean-claude-van-damme-kylie-minogue.

To sync the movie, queue up the film to 00:00:10 and wait for the countdown. If you want to cut through the intro where Kevin offers some history behind the movie and get right to the commentary, head to 00:10:55 in the recording.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Phil Thomas, and Kate Lynch.

We're still in the midst of Scandalous Games Summer as Kevin prepares for another exciting series of video game related controversies, so we're kicking back with another syncable audio commentary. This time, join us we talk through the 2020 Paul W.S. Anderson film adaptation of the popular Capcom monster hunting franchise, Monster Hunter (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6475714/).

To sync the movie, queue up the film to 00:00:10 and wait for the countdown. If you want to cut through the intro where Kevin offers some history behind the movie and get right to the commentary, head to 00:10:27 in the recording. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We've covered the early history of college sports and the creation of the NCAA. Now we look at how college football became a multi-billion dollar enterprise thanks in no small part to the mad scramble for TV money.

Topics discussed include: Penn fools around and finds out, the fraught territory of ladder sponsorships, and a whole lot of talk about mayonnaise. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ)

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Be sure to also check out Andy and Phil's new podcast where they re-watch the 1990s animated series Beast Wars: Transformers, called So...We Were Talking About Beast Wars, wherever you get your podcasts!

Also, a slight correction: Washington State's team name is the Cougars, not the Wildcats.

Hooray for our 50th episode! Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. It's the start of the college football season in America, and we are weeks into the launch of EA Sports College Football 25, the first American college sports video game in 11 years. With that in mind, we start a deep dive into why it took so long to get a new college football game, taking a look at the history of college sports as a multi-billion dollar empire. In our first part, we examine the impact of college sports and go all the way back to their 19th century origins.

Topics discussed include: Summoning Clippy with eldritch rituals, Philly sports radio call-in guys, the 19th century equivalent of performance enhancing drugs, and the incredibly dangerous flying wedge.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ)

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Be sure to also check out Andy and Phil's new podcast where they re-watch the 1990s animated series Beast Wars: Transformers, called So...We Were Talking About Beast Wars, wherever you get your podcasts!

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. We start actually talking about video games by diving into 20 years of college sports themed video games and how everybody seemed to make money on them but the players. Plus, the first installment of "Scandalous Games Sportschat!"

Topics discussed include: An unprompted rant about Tim Tebow, Dick Vitale’s merch game is on point, Stephen Hawking: color commentator, Phil is introduced to the magic of ESPN NFL 2K5, and how many Rutgers snuggies is too much?

For more on Ski Festival, the recently uncovered Magnavox Odyssey skiing game, see: Donovan Harrell, "You can now play a rare, unreleased video game from the 70s, thanks to a Pitt lab," PIttwire, https://www.pitt.edu/pittwire/features-articles/magnavox-odyssey-ski-festival-recreated.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhweee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ)

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Be sure to also check out Andy and Phil's new podcast where they re-watch the 1990s animated series Beast Wars: Transformers, called So...We Were Talking About Beast Wars, wherever you get your podcasts!

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Phil Thomas. As we get to the bottom of why it took 11 years to get a new college football video game, we take a closer look at how schools and the NCAA treat college athletes and the lengths college programs will go to not compensate players (even with a full education) to preserve amateurism.

Topics discussed include: a totally not problematic discussion about crab legs, the Rhodes Scholar turned NFL player turned neurosurgeon, and how dodging worker's compensation got us the "student-athlete."

For more on NCAA sanctions against players (as well as a bunch of other topics related to this series), check out Joe Nocera and Ben Strauss, Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA (New York: Random House, 2016): https://www.amazon.com/Indentured-Inside-Story-Rebellion-Against/dp/1591846323.
For more on the college exploits of Jameis Winston and Cam Newton, check out:
"Florida's Newton faces felony counts after fellow student's laptop stolen," Associated Press (via ESPN), November 21, 2008, https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=3718266.
"Jameis Winston: Store employee 'hooked us up' with crab legs," ESPN, April 22, 2015, https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2015/story/_/id/12739843/jameis-winston-florida-state-seminoles-says-crab-legs-were-given-not-stolen.
Elliot C. McLaughlin, "FSU settles for $950,000 in Jameis Winston rape case," CNN, January 26, 2016, https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/25/us/florida-state-fsu-settles-jameis-winston-rape-lawsuit/index.html
For more on the SMU scandal and the college football "death penalty," check out
On the average NFL career length by position, see: Christina Gough, "Average playing career length in the National Football League," Statista, March 12, 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/240102/average-player-career-length-in-the-national-football-league/.
On Dr. Myron Rolle, former NFL player and current neurosurgeon, see: Wright Thompson, "The Burden of Being Myron Rolle," ESPN Outside the Lines, http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=100218/myronrolle. Also, his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmyronrolle. 
Theme Music: Occam's Sikhweee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ).

Also, one slight correction: the College Football Playoff has 12 teams, not 16.

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Be sure to also check out Andy and Phil's new podcast where they re-watch the 1990s animated series Beast Wars: Transformers, called So...We Were Talking About Beast Wars, wherever you get your podcasts!

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Andy Hunter, and Phil Thomas. We've focused a lot on how college sports brings in billions of dollars while the athletes have seen little to none of that for the majority of their history. Today, we start looking at how video games became the battleground where athletes pushed back against the system. On top of that, we dive into the history of likeness rights in video games.

Topics discussed include: A dramatic reading of Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City, Kevin performs a series of wardrobe changes totally suited for a non-visual medium, arguably the greatest baseball player to ever exist, and that time a Panamanian dictator took on the video game industry. Plus, another installment of "Scandalous Games Sports Chat!"

For more on the history of New York Mets fans storming the field, check out: Mike Vaccaro, "NYC fans have checkered history of storming field," New York Post, October 27, 2019, https://nypost.com/2019/10/26/nyc-fans-have-checkered-history-of-storming-field/.
For more on Vanderbilt fans throwing the goalposts into the Cumberland River, see: Aria Gerson, "Inside Vanderbilt football goalposts march to river: Obstacles, honky-tonks and a police escort," The Tennessean, October 9, 2024, https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2024/10/09/vanderbilt-football-goal-post-river-alabama-nashville-broadway/75514929007/.
For more on the New Jersey Swamp Dragons, see: Zach Lowe, "Once upon a time, the Nets seriously considered becoming the Swamp Dragons," ESPN, December 14, 2021, https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/15155466/once-nets-seriously-considered-becoming-swamp-dragons.

My fellow Americans: Go out and vote! Here are resources on voting, including registering, checking your registration status, identifying your polling place, and knowing your rights:
https://www.vote.org/
https://vote.gov/
https://www.vote411.org/
https://civilrights.justice.gov/voting-resources
https://www.eac.gov/voters

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Andy Hunter, and Phil Thomas. Today, we dive into the legal battle over video game likeness rights and how some experts argued the name, image, and likeness rights of college athletes came in conflict with video games' growing free speech rights in the 2010s. This discussion will get us one step closer to learning how college athletes received NIL (name, image, and likeness) rights and set the stage for EA Sports College Football 25.

Topics discussed include: The legal image rights of dictators (and athletes), the twisted legal battle over Tony Twist, probably the first reference to the 1990s movie Solo in 30 years, and what's the legal standing of buying things ironically?

For more on arguments for free speech in the Hart v. Electronic Arts suit, check out: Greg Lastowka, “The Erosion of Creative Freedom? The Battle Over Publicity Rights,” Gamasutra, July 11, 2012, https://web.archive.org/web/20120717033755/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/173890/the_erosion_of_creative_freedom_.php; see also: William Ford and Raizel Liebler, “Games Are Not Coffee Mugs: Games and the Right of Publicity,” Santa Clara Computer and High Technology Law Journal 29, No. 1 (2012): 1-99: https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/chtlj/vol29/iss1/1/.

For more on SAG AFTRA's AI rights deal, check out: "New SAG-AFTRA and Ethovox Agreement Empowers Actors and Secures Essential A.I. Guardrails," SAG AFTRA, October 28, 2024, https://www.sagaftra.org/new-sag-aftra-and-ethovox-agreement-empowers-actors-and-secures-essential-ai-guardrails. 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. On Elford's triumphant return, we start looking at the state of college football during the 2010s that led to the end of the NCAA Football video game series. This includes student athletes fighting to unionize and the backlash to chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Plus, we tackle the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match in the latest installment of Scandalous Games Sportschat!

Topics discussed include: NCAA head Mark Emmert's bad day with PBS's Frontline, the NFL's worse day in Congress, NIL deals for Monster Hunter monsters, a proposed game where the Notre Dame football team solves mysteries, and Kevin misses out on a huge payout.

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. We reach the thrilling conclusion of our deep dive into the history of college sports video games and why there weren't college football video games for over a decade until the release of EA Sports College Football 25.

Topics discussed include: The NCAA loses a whole bunch, college athletes gain NIL rights (and $600 for their troubles), that time the Supreme Court actually ruled in favor of people over corporations, the return of college football video games, Scandalous Games as written by Grok, and Ed O'Bannon did not take your college football video games away.

For more on the Pottsville Maroons, check out Tim Selway, "Stolen Glory: The Pottsville Maroons," Pennsylvania Center for the Book (Spring 2008): https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/feature-articles/stolen-glory-pottsville-maroons.

You can play First Person Tutor, the Flash version of The Grading Game, check out the preserved copy on the Flashpoint Project: https://flashpointproject.github.io/flashpoint-database/search/#6b16381e-d142-4d92-b356-aa252186565c. 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. We're taking a month off for the holidays, so enjoy part one of a two-part remastered version of our episode on Postal 2 (Running with Scissors, Whiptail Interactive, PC, 2003), the crass magnum opus of the rudest, crudest dudes in gaming: Running with Scissors. This time, you'll be treated to tons of never-before-aired footage and additional info from Kevin.

Topics discussed include: The logistics of using a cat's butt as a silencer, the tumultuous 2000s career of Gary Coleman, and games RWS could have ripped off to make Postal 2 combat's better.

For more on the Nyan Cat mod for Unreal Tournament 3, check out Brandon Stines, "Nyan Cat Becomes a Weapon of Mass Destruction in This Unreal Tournament 3 Mod," Nerdeux, September 20, 2011, https://nerdeux.wordpress.com/2011/09/20/nyan-cat-becomes-a-weapon-of-mass-destruction-in-this-unreal-tournament-3-mod/

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Elford Stephens, and Phil Thomas. Part Two (of two) of our remastered edition of our deep dive at Postal 2 (Running with Scissors, Whiptail Interactive, PC, 2003). This time, we go past the game's less-than-stellar reception and learn how developer Running with Scissors found a second life in the anti-woke crowd.

Topics discussed include: Running with Scissors accuses critics of giving their games bad reviews without playing them, Vince Desi vs. Jack Thompson: the epic battle the world deserved (but never got), Running with Scissors gets its place in the sun thanks to GamerGate, and a timely theory about how RWS stayed in business for years despite not making any games.

For more on the tumultous history of Postal III, check out: Matt McMuscles, "Postal III - What Happened?" August 22, 2020, https://youtu.be/WJnivzm-WjA?si=jo1sxeOAnirAOVO2.
For a thoughtful deep dive into the Postal series (plus previous subject Hatred), check out: Noah Caldwell-Gervais, "Postal, Hatred, and Weighing the Worth of Asshole Simulators," November 9, 2015, https://youtu.be/kivtv6wabBk?si=VFdEeIsYcK3a14Bd. 

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Andy Hunter, Kate Lynch, and Phil Thomas. For our first recording of 2025, we share our favorite gaming experiences from 2024 and take a look at the tumultuous state of the games industry over the past year, including  the discussions of corporate greed, massive layoffs, and huge live service failures.

Also, a scheduling note: we will not be airing a second episode this month. Check back in on March 4 for our next episode.

Topics discussed include: Hilarious achievements, the Embracer Group gets too greedy, the incredible failures that were Concord and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the event horizon of maximizing profits, and firearm carrying crabs. 

For a deep dive into the wave of industry layoffs, check out: Phil Hornshaw, “Video Game Industry Layoffs Are Worse Than Ever. How Did We Get Here?” Gamespot, March 12, 2024, https://www.gamespot.com/articles/video-game-industry-layoffs-are-worse-than-ever-how-did-we-get-here/1100-6521799/.

For more on The Stanley Parables' wild achievements, including awards for not playing the game for 5-10 years, see: "Achievements," The Stanley Parable Wiki, https://thestanleyparable.fandom.com/wiki/Achievements.

More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we take a closer look at the Turok naming contests, a pair of 2002 marketing campaigns for the GameCube/Xbox/PlayStation 2 game Turok Evolution where publisher Acclaim tried to convince people to change their name to "Turok." 
Topics discussed include: looking back at some fun (and some not so fun) dinosaur themed first person shooters, what it would take for you to change your name to a brand, the marketing potential of seagull attacks, and whether its a good idea to put ads on tombstones.
Today's game: Lore or Lies. Can the guys tell real parts of the Turok lore from stuff Kevin made up?
Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we tackle Jack Thompson, the one-man anti-video game moral crusader. In Part One of our two-part series, we examine Jack Thompson's early life; the start of his war against obscenity; his personal feuds with rappers, DJs, and Janet Reno; and his personal style.
Topics discussed include:  our personal moral crusades, Thompson getting yelled at on a national talk show,  whether or not Jack Thompson is actually Batman, and Bibleman's robust rogue's gallery.
Today's game: Thompson's Tips. Can the guys identify real advice from Jack Thompson on waging culture wars from stuff Kevin made up?
Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ)  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we take on part two of our two part series on Jack Thompson, the one-man anti-video game moral crusader. In Part Two, we take a deep dive into his crusade against video game violence, his personal feuds against game developers and journalists, his attempts to develop his own video game, and his eventual downfall. 

Content warning: murder, mass shootings, child abuse

Topics discussed include:  fixing cable news, the relationship between video games and forest fires, and (seriously) what is Jack Thompson's deal?

Today's game: Thompson's Tips, Part Two. Kevin has more advice from Mr. Jack Thompson himself on waging culture wars. Can the guys tell real tips  from stuff Kevin made up?

*Correction: David Grossman didn't describe police as "apex predators." He described them as sheep dogs who protected the sheep (that's how he sees us) against the wolves (violent criminals).

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ)   

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we tackle the infamous 1992 FMV game Night Trap and how the game became the "ultimate violent video game."
Topics discussed include:  alternative titles Digital Pictures could have used instead of Night Trap, why would anyone bother playing this game,  and who stole money from the old guy from Scene of the Crime?
Content warning: brief discussion of sexual assault.
Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 
More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we take a closer look at the "erotic" themed 1982 Atari 2600 game Custer's Revenge. What on Earth did people find offensive about a racist, sexual assault-themed game? We also examine whether American Multiple Industries, the game's creators, were trying to troll people for free publicity. 
Topics discussed include: Damage control when Atari sues you for your gross game, the Washington Football Team, and the Activision-Blizzard lawsuit.
Content warning: Sexual assault, discussion of racism and abuse against Indigenous peoples, brief mention of suicide.
For more resources on sexual assault, please check out RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network): https://www.rainn.org/; the National Sexual Violence Resource Center: https://www.nsvrc.org/: and the National Sexual Abuse Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Want to learn more about the history of Custer's Revenge? Check out Kate Willaert, "Porno Hustlers of the Atari Age," Kotaku, September 6, 2021: https://kotaku.com/porno-hustlers-of-the-atari-age-1847622176.
Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 
More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.  

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, John Dukes, and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we examine the career of infamous director of bad video game movies, Uwe Boll aka "The Raging Boll," "The Deutschland Destroyer," "The Teutonic Terror," and the "Worst Director Ever."  We talk about his personal and professional style; his literal and figurative battles with critics, gamers, and pretty much everyone else; and whether he knew something about film making that the rest of us didn't.

Topics discussed include: the video game movies that never got made, Boll's tax-related shenanigans,  and who's the biggest "Uwe Duva?"

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 
More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens and Phil Thomas. In today's episode, we examine the aggressively controversial 1997 "murder simulator" Postal. We talk about the history of creator Running with Scissors, their aggressive attempts to spark a controversy and the ways they have massaged the truth about the impact of their supposed "software trauma of a game."

Topics discussed include: how a company went from making games based on Sesame Street to one where you mow down entire towns worth of people, the history of "going Postal," and how has Running with Scissors stayed in business for so long???

More information on the history of "going postal":
DeLani R. Bartlette, "The Origin of 'Going Postal,'" Medium, June 29, 2020: https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-origin-of-going-postal-90992ce6fa6a.
Aaron Gordon, "The Legacy of Going Postal," Vice,  September 24, 2020: https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5pabb/the-legacy-of-going-postal.

Content warning: discussion of mass shootings.

Also, check out Noah Caldwell Gervais' overview of the entire Postal series: https://youtu.be/kivtv6wabBk.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 
More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Andy Hunter. In today's episode, we examine Edmund G. Brown, Governor of the State of California, and Kamala Harris, Attorney General of the State of California v. Entertainment Merchants Association and Entertainment Software Association aka Brown v. EMA, a landmark 2011 Supreme Court ruling that granted video games free speech protection in the United States.

Topics discussed include: the history of laws banning access to "violent video games," why they kept failing, Jack Thompson's feuds, and what Rod Blagojevich has been up to since getting thrown out office for massive corruption.

Check out all the records on the case, including oral arguments and the Supreme Court's ruling: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2010/08-1448.

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 
More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com. 

 Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Elford Stephens, Phil Thomas, and Ryan Weaver. In today's episode, we take a deep dive into "Hot Coffee," the infamous 2005 mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that unlocked a hidden sex mini-game left in the game's code, prompting denunciations from moral crusaders, calls to regulate violence and sex in video games, and the filings of so many lawsuits.

Topics discussed include:  how hard was it to actually access the hidden content, ways Rockstar/Take-Two might have avoided the scandal, and Take-Two's various shady financial wheelings and dealings,

Shout out to some great write-ups on the scandal, which provided some of the basis for this episode's research:
David Kushner, Jacked: The Unauthorised Behind-the-Scenes Story of Grand Theft Auto (London: Collins, 2012).
Simon Parkin, "Who Spilled Hot Coffee?" Eurogamer, December 2, 2012: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-30-who-spilled-hot-coffee. 

Theme Music: Occam's Sikhwee by Sikh Knowledge (Free Music Archive: https://bit.ly/33G4sLO), used under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US (https://bit.ly/33JXogQ) 
More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.