SPAWNPOINT

Rumors of a new Switch have been floating around for quite literally years now, but later this year, a new Switch arrives. How much will it cost? We don’t know. What games are coming at launch and later? Nintendo hasn’t said. The more important question for Spawnpoint hosts Patrick Klepek and Keza MacDonald, however, is whether they’re buying one Switch 2—or a new Switch for everyone in the house. We unpack this and more, as we start to think about the Switch 2’s impending arrival.Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.newsTimestamps:* 00:01:00 — Uh Oh, Kids Are Growing Up* 00:02:30 — Holiday Catchup* 00:06:00 — Mario Party Party Continues* 00:14:55 — Dress to Impress Invasion* 00:31:33 — Switch 2 Revealed This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Welcome back to another episode of Spawnpoint! Keza is back from visiting the Nintendo museum in Japan, while Patrick is playing a familiar game: allergies or cold? What they have in common, though, are children who are obsessed with Astro Bot, but they’ve struggled with playing the game in different ways. Plus, while Keza isn’t high on the new Zelda, her children are having a blast. We also talk about the weight jobs and careers have on being a parent, and how ours have impacted our kids.Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.newsTimestamps:* 00:01:00 — Allergies or sick?* 00:04:30 — Nintendo’s new museum* 00:07:30 — Getting into Pokémon cards* 00:15:00 — Astro Bot + Zelda mania in the house* 00:36:34 — It’s a Mario Party party* 00:42:07 — The big question: careers and children* 00:55:33 — Mailbag This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Spawnpoint returns, with Patrick Klepek (Crossplay) and Keza MacDonald (The Guardian) mulling over Turkey recently banning Roblox, increasing regulatory scrutiny over video games, and a growing panic among world governments about social media, to ask a seemingly simple question: what do we want them to do about? In the mailbag, we sympathize with a father simply trying to help his kid make reasonable purchases on an Xbox and having to fight through a load of red tape.Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.newsTimestamps:* 00:01:05 — Family vacations are complicated* 00:10:08 — What today’s kids think of the games we played as kids* 00:30:00 — The Big Question: What do we want governments to do to help us?* 00:51:30 — Mailbag This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Apologies for the re-send on this, but it looks like there was an audio goof on this that I did not notice while I was on holiday last week. It should be fixed now. Sorry!!! -pkIt’s been a minute, but Spawnpoint is back, featuring Patrick (Crossplay) and Keza (The Guardian). Patrick and Keza actually met up IRL recently, but neglected to record a podcast in-person! Total geniuses. Nonetheless, we walk through our (ecstatic!) reactions to the latest Nintendo Direct, Patrick’s oldest falling for the latest Super Monkey Ball, and Keza’s youngest trying to grasp Yoshi’s Crafted World. Elsewhere, they discuss what it means to design a game “for” kids, and how so many fall short. In the mailbag, a listener wrestles with trying to make user accounts for their kids.Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.newsTimestamps:* 00:01:30 — Long Flights* 00:09:40 — Nintendo Direct Reaction* 00:17:15 — Super Monkey Ball / Yoshi’s Crafted World* 00:32:00 — What is Kid-Friendly Design?* 00:51:25 — Mailbag This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Spawnpoint is excited to welcome actor Abubakar Salim (Raised By Wolves, House of the Dragon, Assassin’s Creed Origins) for a touching conversation about Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a video game about processing the grief associated with the death of Abubakar’s father. A little more than a decade ago, Patrick Klepek’s own father died of a heart attack, and the two find common ground on the often lonely path to understanding what to make of such sadness.Timestamps:* 00:00:43 - What is Tales of Kenzera: Zau?* 00:03:57 - Fathers and Video Games* 00:08:75 - Why a Video Game?* 00:16:45 - Grief as Game Design* 00:22:30 - What Would Father Think?Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.news This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Spawnpoint is thrilled to be joined by Andy Robertson, editor of Family Gaming Database, a wonderful website to sort through the thousands of video games released each year and figure out which ones are best for you and the kiddos in your life. Patrick and Andy chat about how their experiences as parents led them to creating Crossplay and Family Gaming Database, and how it’s had them confronting the many ways the video game industry doesn’t help parents.Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.news, and you can visit the Family Gaming Database at https://www.familygamingdatabase.comTimestamps:* 00:01:00 - What Is the Family Gaming Database?* 00:10:54 - Saying Yes (or no) to Roblox* 00:20:27 - Playing Games With Older Children* 00:29:25 - On Writing the book “Taming Gaming”* 00:36:14 - Children Feeling Validated by Games* 00:43:35 - The YouTube’ing of Children’s Entertainment* 00:50:45 - The Future of the Family Gaming Database This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Welcome back to another episode of Spawnpoint, the official Crossplay podcast. This week, an interview with Flower and Journey designer Jenova Chen about his popular online social game, Sky: Children of the Light. Jenova opens up about being a parent, and what it’s like running a massively multiplayer online game where you have to make difficult calls about harassment, bullying, and the private lives of children.Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.news. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

The maker of Behold the Kickmen, Lair of the Clockwork God and others talks about the underappreciated art of comedic games and also games you can play while a newborn is sleeping on you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Hello Spawnpoint listeners! It's been a while! I have more interviews coming your way soon, but in the meantime I wanted to bring you up to speed on the reasons why I've been quiet. All is explained. While I put the finishing touches to some great new episodes, please get in touch with me about all matters Spawnpoint by emailing hellospawnpoint@gmail.com and please, please get on the mailing list here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe

Welcome to the first episode of Spawnpoint, a podcast by and for gamer parents! I kicked things off with an interview with video game performance legends Nolan North and Troy Baker, who were delighted to chat about games, parenthood and their YouTube show, Retro Replay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.crossplay.news/subscribe