James Portnow will be calling in at 12:00am PST on Wednesday, November 16th.
James Portnow is an active member of the indie games community, a lecturer on on game design and game culture, and writer of hit web series Extra Credits. The over 300-episode video series takes a deep dive look at games: how they are made, what they mean, and how we can make them better.
Have a question for James? Leave it in the comments below.
What can videogame designers learn from pinball and vice versa
What advice would you give for somebody that wants to create a game for the first time but is only good at the tech part of it and not good at the whole art side of things
Dear Dr. James,
How would you describe your perfect Sunday?
Have you been able to find Walpole on your vacation thus far?
James, what is the easiest way for a game project to go from an exciting project to complete tedium, and how can you prevent it?
James, What game do you recommend today?
Can you please confirm to everyone that LeeLee is canonically “The Best Dan™”
I dont really have a question, I just wanted to say, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for the Veterans Day – A Call to Armistice video. It was heartwrenching in all the right ways.
Dear Dr. James,
On the spot, is there a historical event that you are interested in and feel could and should be gamified, something like South Sea’s Tycoon or Where’s Walpole?
All the best.
i’ive spent hours watching your videos, and they always have interesting things to say about their subjects and play in general. Is there any gaming related subject you wouldn’t cover?
What is the biggest bottleneck to getting gamification more widely adopted in education?
I greatly enjoy EXTRA HISTORY, so thank you for that. What is your criteria for choosing the period In time you cover?
Did you ever find a game design school close to your ideal version that was described in the “Too Much Game at Game Schools” episode (If not, I might have a lead on one)
In your Religion in Games episodes you said there weren’t any games that tackled the subject of faith. The only one I have found to do it well is The Shivah. Have you found any other good examples since making those videos?
And quick mini question, any chance we could see an abandonware edition of games you might not have tried?
There is a clear love of both video games and history in your work. What is your favorite video game that features history? And is that your favorite period in history?
Hey James, I love you
No question, that’s all.
James, i’m going back to university soon to start a computer science degree, with the hopes of someday getting into games, particularly as a producer. Do you have any advice for what sort of classes i should take beyond programming and such?
Also, love the shows. Extra Credits and Extra History both make my day when a new episode goes up.
Of your extra history work what has been you favorite one to research and the one that came together the best?
Dear Dr. James,
What’s the most ridiculous thing a game design student has come up with that you’ve seen?
Dear Dr. James,
A few years back, you dedicated yourself to working in Washington D.C. to improve the understanding and treatment of games by the federal U.S. government. Do you know of any lobbying organizations currently doing work in that same vein?
James, your beard is majestic.
How do you prefer it to be animated?
Also, less important, what is your proudest moment that you’ve covered in Extra Credits? Or, what do you wish to tackle?
Why do you still call it Extra History:Lies when nowadays its less about the lies and more about the stuff you missed?
If someone is interested in making games, at a deep level, what programming languages do you guest they lern?
Why do you gotta hate flags so much James?
As a librarian, I spend a lot of time curating and spreading content. With the current game market going increasingly towards digital marketplaces I feel that I don’t have a good way of offering games to my patrons, especially those that fall into the digital divide (those who don’t have access to technology). Do you think that there is a way that librarians can be ambassadors and stewards of games?
Dear Dr James, What are your thoughts on the voice actor strike and what affects do you think it may have on the video game industry as a whole.
Given your knowledge of the ancient world, which would you rather live in, the Roman Republic or the Roman Empire?
I love extra history and extra credits and have been trying to get my teachers to show some in graphics/games courses. Are there any extra credits episodes you highly recommend I show my professors to get them interested?
Where do you start if you want to work in the video game industry but don’t want to code? Say you want to write, or be a producer, or be in marketing? What gives you a leg up besides a degree in your field of interest?
I love games and game design/development, but I’m also interested in another field of study. Would getting a minor or additional masters be enough to get into the industry? Or would I have to have my primary focus on games to get into the industry? Is there anything else you suggest educationally?
Do you think VR is too big to fail at this point?
Dear James, I’m going to college for game design right now, and am in my first year. I really love the show and was wondering about your thoughts on educating people to make games.
How is the awareness of color-blindness in the games industry? Some games these days include colorblind filters, but they’re not perfect, and it still seems that modern games include puzzles reliant on differentiating color or enemies and objectives that fade into the environment.
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