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Tag Archives: Boston

Polygamer #118: Freelance composer & sound designer Chel Wong

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Ken Gagne

Chel Wong is a Boston-based video game composter and sound designer. As a freelancer, she has worked on such titles as the music puzzler Kine, the Starfox-inspired Whisker Squadron, and the surreal adventure RPG She Dreams Elsewhere. Not only has she also helped run the Game Audio Boston group, but as a freelancer, she invests 12 hours a week into networking — everyone in Boston knows Chel!

In this podcast interview, Chel and I discuss the challenges in writing Kine’s modular soundtrack; where to find freelance work; how to establish oneself as an authority, and the value in giving away free advice; how to avoid burnout as a volunteer, and knowing when to step down; and her favorite genres to work in.

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for a transcript and links to resources mentioned in this episode.

https://media.blubrry.com/polygamer/www.polygamer.net/wp-content/uploads/podcast/pg118-chel_wong.mp3

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Posted in Podcast | Tags: Boston, Chel Wong, composition, Gwen Frey, Kine, music, soundtrack, Whisker Squadron |

Polygamer #105: T.L. Taylor on Twitch streaming

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Ken Gagne

Dr. T.L. Taylor is a professor at M.I.T. and the author of several books, including Watch Me Play – Twitch and the Rise of Game Live Streaming. Her ethnographic research into esports and online game streaming have led her to co-found AnyKey, an advocacy organization that supports diversity, inclusion, and equity in competitive gaming; and to be one of the founding members of Twitch’s Safety Advisory Council.

In this episode, I ask T.L. how esports led to Twitch and vice versa; how an external advisory council can sway an organization as large as Twitch; how one can write a book about a medium that is so quickly evolving; the AnyKey pledge that over 750,000 million streamers have taken; whether esports could survive without Twitch, or vice versa; what gaming can tell us about the future of our country’s culture and politics; and about her current research into amusement parks as commercialized play spaces.

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

https://media.blubrry.com/polygamer/www.polygamer.net/wp-content/uploads/podcast/pg105-dr_tl_taylor.mp3

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Posted in Podcast | Tags: amusement parks, AnyKey, Boston, Cambridge, esports, Massachusetts, MIT, PhD, TL Taylor, Twitch, Twitch.TV |

Education & Journalism at PAX East 2017

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Ken Gagne

PAX East 2017 is next week. Though the event is not typically considered a safe haven for a diverse audience of gamers, over the years its programming has expanded to include not only the Diversity Lounge but speakers and panels about LGBT+, PoC, atheism, ageism, and more. As evidence, you need look no further than this podcast, which was launched following a PAX East panel on sexism in gaming. Since then, several episodes of Polygamer have featured speakers first seen on PAX East panels, such as Charles Battersby and Tatjana Vejnovic. There are plenty of open-minded, supportive, encouraging, diverse people and panels at PAX — and I’d like to continue counting myself among them.

In trying to further improve PAX East from the inside, I’ve been moderating panels at the event since 2013, including this year. If you’re interested in getting into the games industry or honing your craft, then do I have the panels for you:

Life After Graduation

Sunday, March 12, 1:30–2:30 PM in Cuttlefish Theatre

Colleges are preparing students for a career in game development and design — but how closely does the classroom match the reality? Are the next generation of creators being given the skills and opportunities they need? We’ll hear from several recent graduates about the reality of their first years in the industry and what they wish they’d known.

Featuring:

  • Ken Gagne [Digital Content Developer, Gamebits]
  • Oleg Brodskiy [QA Tester, Irrational Games]
  • Francesca Carletto-Leon [Co-Founder, Contigo Games]
  • Julie Murphy [Experience Designer, Riot Games]
  • Sarah Como [Chief Operations Officer, Zephyr Workshop]

PAX East 2017: Life After Graduation

+1 to Journalism: Becoming a Better Writer

Sunday, March 12, 4:00–5:00 PM in Bobcat Theatre

What do you need to know to make it as a games journalist? What pitches do editors love to get, and what tropes have been done to death? Whether you’re helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions, unearthing the history of a franchise, or critiquing video games as art, you have to convey a lot of meaning in just a few words before the reader clicks away. Come hear veteran writers and editors share the best in games journalism and our own mistakes we’ve made along the way.

Featuring:

  • Susan Arendt [Executive Editor, GamesRadar+]
  • Jonathan Holmes [Writer, Destructoid & Nintendo Force]
  • Ken Gagne [Digital Content Developer, Gamebits]
  • Alexander Sliwinski [COO, Bithell Games]

PAX East 2017: +1 to Journalism

Although my lineup this year may not directly address matters of diversity, there’ll be diversity on stage. I long ago signed a pledge to diversify my panel lineups — but that wasn’t hard to do, since alumni of Polygamer were quick to sign up, including Sarah Como, Francesca Carletto-Leon, and Susan Arendt.

If you’re attending PAX East, I hope to see you in the audience! We’ll be using the hashtags #paxgrad & #paxjourno, respectively, so feel free to follow along, wherever you are. Be sure to say hello afterward, and subscribe to this podcast for audio and video from these panels!

(Promotional images courtesy Thomas Awrey)

Posted in Events | Tags: Alexander Sliwinski, Boston, degree, education, Francesca Carletto-Leon, graduation, Jonathan Holmes, journalism, Julie Murphy, Oleg Brodskiy, panel, PAX, PAX East, Sarah Como, Susan Arendt |

Polygamer #43: Engagement Lab at Emerson College

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Ken Gagne

The Engagement Lab at Emerson College is an applied research lab in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to innovating the ways people participate in civic life and expanding the study of citizenship in a digital era. By working with city and state governments and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Engagement Lab collaborates with partners both locally and globally to develop software that addresses systemic, cultural, and health issues, from global warming to hand-washing.

In this podcast, creative producer Jordan Pailthorpe and lead developer Johnny Richardson discuss how the Engagement Lab uses digital technology to create unique solutions to address problems both big and small; how partnerships form with governments as far away from Egypt, and the workshops such collaborations have produced in both Egypt and Boston; the responsibility of game developers to produce software with social values, and how that’s reflected in the Engagement Lab’s values; how the Engagement Lab fits into the larger mission of Emerson College; and Johnny’s work with The AbleGamers Charity to encourage and implement software and hardware accessibility.

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

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https://media.blubrry.com/polygamer/www.polygamer.net/wp-content/uploads/podcast/pg43-engagement_lab.mp3

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Posted in Podcast | Tags: AbleGamers, academia, accessibility, Boston, civic engagement, development, digital culture, education, elab, Emerson, Emerson College, Eric Gordon, Johnny Richardson, Jordan Pailthorpe, Massachusetts |

Polygamer #20: Sarah Como of Zephyr Workshop

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Ken Gagne

Sarah Como is the Chief Operating Officer of Zephyr Workshop, developer of tabletop game A.E.G.I.S. and computer game Flora Fiora. Zephyr was born amidst Sarah’s recent education in the game design program at Becker College, which landed her on the PAX East panel "Full-Time Student, Part-Time Indie", in which she discussed juggling these dual roles. Since graduation, Sarah has become active in all aspects of Boston’s indie game scene, including working as PR manager for the Boston Festival of Indie Games (BostonFIG) and consultant for Green Door Labs.

In this episode of Polygamer, Sarah and Ken talk about the value of having a formal education in game design; the lasting appeal of board games in a digital age; best practices for Kickstarter crowdfunding; the role of geography and networking in getting your projects off the ground; and the occasional need to "lawyer up" before embarking on a new venture.

Download the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

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https://media.blubrry.com/polygamer/www.polygamer.net/wp-content/uploads/podcast/pg20-sarah_como.mp3

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Posted in Podcast | Tags: AEGIS, Becker College, Boston, BostonFIG, Flora Fiora, Massachusetts, MassDIGI, Sarah Como, tabletop, Worcester, Zephyr Workshop |

Polygamer #16: Fiona Cherbak on hiring and retaining women, GDC & BostonFIG

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Ken Gagne

Fiona Cherbak is a human resources and staffing specialist with a storied career in the entertainment and games industries. At this year’s Game Developers Conference, she will moderate the panel "Turning the Tide: Hiring and Retaining Women in the Games Industry". In this exclusive preview with Polygamer, Cherbak discusses how and where in the pipeline to effect change in the industry’s gender diversity; how to create work environments that are appealing and safe for women; and whether changing an industry’s gender ratio is "disruptive".

Cherbak is also one of the founders of the annual Boston Festival of Indie Games, or BostonFIG, and shares her motivations to start this event and how it’s grown since its 2012 inception.

Download the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

Continue reading →

https://media.blubrry.com/polygamer/www.polygamer.net/wp-content/uploads/podcast/pg16-fiona_cherbak.mp3

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Posted in Podcast | Tags: Austin, Boston, Boston Festival of Indie Games, BostonFIG, feminism, Fiona Cherbak, GDC, hiring, IGDA, indie games, management, managers, PAX South, recruitment, women |
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