Welcome to dispatch #2 of Video Game Podcasts! If youâre receiving this via email, thanks for letting me in your inbox. If youâre reading this on the web, go subscribe already. Itâs free!
This week, in honor of the Tokyo Game Show kicking off on Wednesday, September 11th, it felt right to feature the first, only, best, last, greatest hope for talk about Japan, video games, and Japanese games!
Letâs get on with it,
Tom
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8-4 Play
8-4 Play is a bi-weekly podcast produced by the team at 8-4, Ltd. â a video game localization company in Tokyo. Theyâve worked on Japanese-to-English and English-to-Japanese translations on a ton of popular games. Their first episode covered Tokyo Game Show 2010 and theyâve been podcasting since. (Dang⌠thatâs over 240 episodes in the archive!)
Runtime?
Itâs 90-120 minutes, typically. If thatâs long for you, remember youâve got 2 weeks to listen before the next one hits.
Who hosts it?
The show is currently hosted by EGM alums Mark MacDonald and John Ricciardi, along with regulars Dermot, Roy, and Graeme. For special shows, like their TGS coverage episode, theyâll bring in special guests.
Whatâs the format?
Hereâs what a typical episode looks like:
Unique music to open things up,
Round-table host intros,
Industry and game news,
Commentary on what everyoneâs been playing lately,
Another unique track to close things out.
Couple of dudes talking about games⌠been there, done that??
Read on before you write this off as your âstandard video game podcastâ fareâŚ
Whatâs so special about that?
There are THOUSANDS of shows featuring video game banter, why choose this one:
đŻ You donât get this perspective anywhere else!
If youâve ever been curious about what life in Japan is like, youâll get an interesting glimpse here, naturally woven into the hostsâ conversations about games and culture.From discussing games theyâve worked on directly, or games theyâre playing that draw from uniquely Japanese elements, the 8-4 team brings a perspective few podcasts can deliver.
Where else can you learn about what happens at your annual physical in Japan, within the same episode that breaks down news from a recent Nintendo Direct!
đ Their conference coverage is fantastic.
These hosts are in the industry, have been for a while, and theyâre typically on-site for main conferences (especially Tokyo Game Show!)
Iâve found the E3 and TGS coverage to be more entertaining and informative than prediction and coverage content from other shows.
đŽ Great mix of games.
Yes, youâll hear about new games like Astral Chain and Fire Emblem, but youâll also hear about the Yakuza series and Granblue. The team covers solid games across consoles and mobile, so itâs a solid choice if youâre not looking for an âall-Nintendo,â or â100% retroâ podcast.đˇď¸ Nicknames!
Each episode, the hosts get assigned new quirky nicknames and explain the reasoning behind them. Itâs silly, but I find myself looking forward to it every time.
What do others say about it?
Thereâs a 4.7 star rating on Apple Podcasts currently, from 524 reviewers.
Hereâs a good one from âSnouchyâ
âââââ âE3 HYPE TRAAAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNN!!!â
Okay, maybe that wasnât such a helpful review.
How about this one from âVulpes Valorâ:
âââââ âThe pre E3 episode is a yearly tradition not to be missed!â
You get the point! The TGS and E3 episodes have been outstanding.
Is it kid-friendly?
Nope. Nothing is in poor taste (I guess thatâs subjective,) but the gang doesnât censor their language. (Note: You might not care about this⌠I typically donât, to be honest, but Iâm on an epic quest to find podcasts that I can reliably listen to with my kids in the car!)
Final thoughts?
8-4 Play fills a void for me that I didnât know existed.
As a long-time fan of Japanese games and Japanese publishers/creators, I feel like Iâve developed a deeper understanding of the culture that inspired them. No, youâre not going to get history lessons, just tiny slices of life that the staff experiences living day-to-day in Japan, covering, playing, producing, and translating games.
With a bi-weekly cadence, 8-4 wonât clog your feed. I highly recommend it, if only to drop in every once in a while for conference coverage and conversations around your favorite games/publishers!
Where to listen? Whatâs a good starting point?
The TGS 2019 episode is coming up next! Subscribe now and Iâm sure thatâll be a great entry point to this podcast. You can hop into their archive, but be sure to catch an episode when the whole crew is on. Sometimes the âskeleton crewâ episodes have a different vibe.
đ Hereâs your links:
Do you already listen to 8-4 Play? Have you checked it out after reading this? Love it? Hate it? Let me know your feedback!
Random Spotlight: Final Fantasy VIII
Yo! Itâs back and looking better than ever. You can now pick up Final Fantasy VIII Remastered on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. There are even some game enhancing features like Battle Assist, No Random Encounters, and a 3x Speed Boost.
I recently played through Final Fantasy VII with these features, and itâs definitely made revisiting the game an absolute pleasure to zip through.
Interested in revisiting Final Fantasy VIII? You might enjoy these two podcast episodes:
Retronauts - Final Fantasy VIII - September 2, 2019
Cane and Rinse - Final Fantasy VIII - March 4, 2019
Reader Recommendations
Send them to me! If youâre an email subscriber, hit reply and let me know what youâre listening to. If youâre reading on the web, email me: tom@videogamepodcasts.com.
Once you start sending, Iâll start sharing.
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