Rephonic
Artwork for Play, Watch, Listen

Play, Watch, Listen

Alanah Pearce
Game Development
Dispatch
Indie Games
Blueprints
Nintendo Switch 2
Fallout
Baldur's Gate 3
The Expanse
Elden Ring
Society Of the Snow
Video Game Industry
Mario Kart
Myst
Gamepass
Netflix
AAA Games
Game Design
Fortnite
Game Direction
Mario Party Jamboree

Join Alanah Pearce (game writer), Mike Bithell (game director), and Austin Wintory (game composer) as they talk about all the games, movies, TV and 'whatever else' that took their interest that week, from three unique perspectives in the games industry.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes194Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Video GamesLeisure

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Play, Watch, Listen

Latest Episodes

This week, Alanah and Mike are joined by Nick and Andrew to discuss the one year anniversary of Dispatch. Lessons learned, the unique 'awards' positioning, post-launch success, and Adhoc Studio's recent announcements. (Note: due to an issue with one ... more

(this is not an episode)

After years of talking about it, Mike, Alanah, and Austin finally had Kerry Dyer (Mike's wife and also stop-motion puppet doctor) on the show to talk about bringing puppets to life! We also discuss how different mediums seem to naturally avoid feedba... more

Mike and Alanah chat with Double Fine's Tim Schafer on the indie future (and past?) of the studio since leaving Xbox, including how you can help!

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Nick Herman
Co-founder and co-creative director of Dispatch
AdHoc Studio
Episode: 191. One Year of DISPATCH! (ft. Game Director Nick Herman & Composer Andrew Arcadi)
Andrew Arcadi
Composer of Dispatch
AdHoc Studio
Episode: 191. One Year of DISPATCH! (ft. Game Director Nick Herman & Composer Andrew Arcadi)
Kerry Dyer
Stop-motion puppet fabricator and maintenance expert
Independent/Industry Professional
Episode: 190. Our 190th Episode Celebration (in person!)
Tim Schafer
Founder of Double Fine, game designer
Double Fine
Episode: 189. Tim Schafer on leaving Xbox & the future of Double Fine
Nic Tringali
Game director/designer; developer of Amberspire
Bithell Games / Amberspire
Episode: 183. Bithell Games Presents: AMBERSPIRE
Pierre Shorette
Co-founder of Adhoc Studios and writer on 'Dispatch'
Adhoc Studios
Episode: 177. Dispatch Writer Pierre Shorette Talks CHOICES!
Matt Nava
Creative Director at Giant Squid
Giant Squid
Episode: 174. Wave Tech in Sword of the Sea!
Mike Laidlaw
Chief Creative Officer at Yellowbird Games
Yellowbird Games
Episode: 166. Talking to Eternal Strands director Mike Laidlaw!
Xalavier Nelson Jr.
Studio head at Strange Scaffold, has worked on over 100 games
Strange Scaffold
Episode: 165. The Studio Making Four Games A YEAR!? (ft. Xalavier Nelson)

Hosts

Alanah Pearce
Video game writer and host of Play Watch Listen; frequent contributor across episodes.
Mike Bithell
Video game director and host; frequent contributor and co-host across episodes.
Austin Wintory
Video game composer and host; co-host on multiple episodes.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 2.4k ratings
  • IWANT PWL+

    YES ALANNAH INCLUDE YOUR OTHER PODCASTS HERE. ESPECIALLY MOVIEHAUS. THANK YOU

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    campuput
    Australia12 days ago
  • Listening to more than just PWL

    I love PWL and also would love to listen to the other media Alanah creates outside of PWL. I’m unemployed, and not going to pay patreon. Love what the team does, thanks.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MacX.Dmg
    United States16 days ago
  • Long time listener and enjoyer

    Been listening to this podcast since its 3rd episode and haven’t looked back since. Really enjoy the banter between Alanah, Mike, and (the usually late) Austin. Hey, they also talk about video games at times too!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ryne Lamb
    United States5 months ago
  • Audio too quiet

    Really great content, but the audio is rly quiet. I have to get near max volume on my headphones to get around normal hearing level

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    sheep.ngl
    Canada2 years ago
  • Great conversations, horrible audio quality

    As a game developer myself, I enjoyed their conversations and insights. However it’s basically ruined by the audio quality of one of the hosts (Mike?). He is very echo-y, hard to understand, and it contrasts poorly with the other hosts (who sound great). At first I thought it was just an issue with the specific episode I started with, but nope, his audio is always bad. So it’s hard to recommend this podcast in its current state.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    greatmario
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate cross-disciplinary discussions beyond just gaming.
Guests are praised for chemistry and insights, with banter valued by listeners.
Audio quality is a recurring concern for some episodes.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

191. One Year of DISPATCH! (ft. Game Director Nick Herman & Composer Andrew Arcadi)
Q: How do you approach scoring comedy when timing is so important and video games can take control of timing away from you?
Andrew Arcadi says comedy scoring is difficult because musical accents can disrupt a joke if they land in the wrong place. He describes using carefully timed cues and small branches to emphasize reactions and build alongside a scene without overpowering it.
191. One Year of DISPATCH! (ft. Game Director Nick Herman & Composer Andrew Arcadi)
Q: What has the last year been like for you, and how have you approached everything since launch?
Nick Herman says the episodic release left little room to appreciate the response at first. The team has since focused on supporting the game, reaching more players across platforms, and learning the business of post-launch sales and distribution.
190. Our 190th Episode Celebration (in person!)
Q: How do you measure or plan for time in a project that is so frame-driven and slow?
The guests compare time in animation to time in games, noting that stop-motion is time-based in terms of frame counts and shot rates, while games are more spatial and modular; they emphasize planning around shots, days, and the pacing of sequences to ensure performance without overextending production.
189. Tim Schafer on leaving Xbox & the future of Double Fine
Q: How do you manage scope and production when you're working on multiple kinds of games with a small, nimble team?
The team focuses on keeping projects just under budget, starting with smaller pre-production teams, and leveraging a flexible production process to test ideas quickly and avoid large, unrecoverable wastes.
189. Tim Schafer on leaving Xbox & the future of Double Fine
Q: What excites you about independence after leaving Xbox, beyond not having to answer to a publisher?
Tim emphasizes creative freedom, the ability to crowdsource ideas, maintain IP ownership, and explore smaller, experimental games that can still reach audiences through direct fan engagement and crowdfunding.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Play, Watch, Listen

What is Play, Watch, Listen about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A panel of three industry professionals shares weekly perspectives on games, film, and broader culture, with frequent tangents that illuminate the creative process across disciplines. Topics center on evolving industry trends, development challenges, and the intersections of music, storytelling, and technology in entertainment. Listeners likely appreciate candid banter, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and cross-disciplinary insights, though some episodes highlight audio quality and on-topic focus as recurring concerns. The show's unique strength lies in mixing game development, direction, and scoring with cultural commentary, offering a holistic view of the entertainment landscape.

Noteworthy is the dynamic trio format—each brings a distinct ... more

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To see how many followers or subscribers Play, Watch, Listen has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Play, Watch, Listen?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Play, Watch, Listen:

1. The MinnMax Show
2. The Kinda Funny Podcast
3. Triple Click
4. Kinda Funny Gamescast: Video Game Podcast
5. Kinda Funny Games Daily: Video Games News Podcast

How many episodes of Play, Watch, Listen are there?

Play, Watch, Listen launched 7 years ago and published 194 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Play, Watch, Listen from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Play, Watch, Listen?

Recent guests on Play, Watch, Listen include:

1. Nick Herman
2. Andrew Arcadi
3. Kerry Dyer
4. Tim Schafer
5. Nic Tringali
6. Pierre Shorette
7. Matt Nava
8. Mike Laidlaw

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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