Star Trek | Polygamer

Side Quest #1: Star Trek Beyond with Sabriel Mastin

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Ken Gagne

Star Trek Beyond has hit theaters, and it’s astounding. Featuring a script that balances character development with jaw-dropping action from a diverse cast that includes the villain Krall, the alien heroine Jaylah, and respectful nods to Star Trek Enterprise and The Original Series, this third film in the franchise’s rebooted ‘Kelvin’ universe corrects all the missteps in its predecessor, Star Trek Into Darkness.

It may not be a video game, but this movie needs a dedicated podcast episode — so Polygamer alumna Sabriel Mastin and I are co-opting the show this week for a bonus "Side Quest". We discuss what co-scriptwriters Simon Pegg and Doug Jung got right in this film, whether Beyond passes the Bechdel–Wallace test, what we wore to opening night, the appearance of saucer separation on a TOS-era starship, our favorite scenes (including one that led Ken to disrupt an entire theater), what scientific developments led to the creation of Starbase Yorktown, what happened to Krall in the Prime universe, and what era and timeline the new CBS show, Star Trek Discovery, will be set in.

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Mixcloud, acast, or TuneIn. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

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Polygamer #24: Happy Father’s Day, Edward F. Gagne

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Ken Gagne

In celebration of Father’s Day, this week’s guest is the host’s father, Edward F. Gagne. Born in the 1940s, Ed has witnessed the evolution of entertainment across the better half of a century, from early radio shows to black-and-white televisions to the latest home game consoles. Often a curious and early adopter of technology, Ed brought into his household such toys as a pinball table, Atari 2600 game console, and Apple II computer, exposing his four sons to advances that would revolutionize industries. He also fed their love of fantasy and science fiction, tuning the family into Star Trek and bringing home the earliest novels of R. A. Salvatore — when Ed himself wasn’t playing Tetris for literally decades on end!

In this interview, Ken asks his dad what passed for fun in each decade of his life; what it was about each medium that appealed to him; how he hoped to influence his children’s passions and interests with these decisions; and his thoughts on modern video games’ ability to positively or negatively influence today’s youth. Unlike a previous Polygamer episode that interviewed parents currently in the trenches, this episode provides the unique perspective of someone who has already raised the next generation of geek as he reflects back on his life and roles.

Download the audio edition of this interview below or from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Mixcloud, acast, or TuneIn. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode as well as a transcript.

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:12:36 — 34.2MB) | Embed

Polygamer #05: Khadeja Merenkov on Cultural Gatekeepers & White Privilege

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Ken Gagne

I recently attended a talk by Boston-based voice actor and ethnographer Khadeja Merenkov about the need to use cultural artifacts accurately and respectfully in video games. Don’t just use a mosque because you like mosques, she advocated; recognize what those objects represent to the culture they come from. I hadn’t previously considered that the inspirations one draws from when creating a fictional game or story need to be taken in context. I asked her onto Polygamer to talk more about how different (non-American) cultures and peoples are portrayed in games. Our discussion ranged from President Obama to Jake Gyllenhaal to Star Trek‘s Captain Sisko.

Watch the video below, or download the audio edition from iTunes or Stitcher.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Polygamer explores issues of equality and diversity in the gaming industry. New episodes air every other Wednesday on YouTube and in iTunes and Stitcher.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 58:07 — 30.3MB) | Embed