Isometric: Recent Episodes
Relay FM
Each week, join game developer Brianna Wu, technology journalists Georgia Dow and Mikah Sargent, and game enthusiast Steve Lubitz as they analyze the week’s biggest stories in the video game industry from different perspectives. Hosted by Georgia Dow, Steve Lubitz, Brianna Wu, and Maddy Myers.
Isometric may be over, but Disruption is just starting! Go subscribe to our new show at http://relay.fm/disruption!
So long, and thanks for all the hand turkeys. (But come listen to us on Disruption, starting next week!)
With Georgia off searching for the final Wii U, Steve holds back tears while confronting the Wii U's impending demise, Mikah describes what it was like to play the Dreamcast as a zygote, and Bri doubles down on her feuds with all the other podcasts.
Steve tries to talk about Oculus games and Playstation VR while Bri gathers evidence against Georgia, Mikah gets queasy thinking about riding roller coasters with a VR headset, and Charles helps bring Georgia's inexcusable behavior to light.
Georgia is judged harshly for her feelings about Elmo, Skylanders' autism campaign leaves Steve feeling blue, Brianna finds an evil soulmate in Twilight Princess’s Midna, and we plan to send Mikah to Mars.
Steve goes to Bri for advice about crushing his foes, Georgia tries to judo her way out of buying a console for the sixteenth straight week, and Mikah uses a word he didn’t learn in Sunday school.
It's judgement day for Casey Liss, as he faces sentencing for his crimes. Meanwhile, Steve says the magic words to get Bri interested in Fire Emblem, Georgia judges R. Mika's fashion choices, and Mikah loves fandas. Repeatedly.
Brianna calls our boss at Relay at home for a contract renegotiation. Georgia’s video business gets stiff competition, Mikah’s voice goes lumberjack, and Steve gets carpel tunnel editing because no one planned the show. I blame Georgia.
We take a break from games to debate the real issues plaguing Isometric Land: Koala invasions, the tyranny of Big Shoe, and Georgia's illegal candidacy. Also, we answer your questions on our favorite apps and condiments, and Mikah's facial hair.
Bri uses Twitter to be a better person, Mikah tries to usurp Steve's dad joke crown, Steve defends his Amiibo problem, Georgia dreads Isometric coming up in her board recertification, and we challenge Russell from Material to oil up and prove his hotness.
Bri takes us on a tour of the latest in Fallout fashion, Georgia tries to explain terrible people, Steve has an Undertale confession to make, and Mikah thanks you for being a friend.
A new challenger appears! Mikah makes a huge mistake and joins the cast of Isometric. Brianna hazes, Georgia unveils a new weekly segment, and Steve goes home to be a family man.
Voice actress Bonnie Gordon joins us to talk about R. Mika's move changes and being a paladin IRL, Bri starts planning her development schedule around XCOM 2, Steve fails to explain Bravely Default, and Georgia finds a new animal companion to befriend.
Sabriel Mastin joins us to try to one-up Bri on near-death experiences, Georgia uses her console fund to preorder an Oculus instead, Steve tries to convince NASCAR fans to watch League of Legends, and, Bri's "friend" discovers unofficial ROM translations.
Bri surveys the wreckage of the latest Steam debacle, Georgia comes to grips with her holodeck being moved just slightly out of reach yet again, and Steve struggles to say anything other than Hearthstone for his favorite game of the year.
Youtube superstar Ginny McQueen joins us to figure out why Steve wouldn't want to bring up bing playing Hearthstone and eating Cheetos in business meetings, while Georgia recalls cosplaying Jabba the Hutt and Bri tries to take pneumonia and make lemonade.
Mikah Sargent returns to the show just in time to save Steve from having to rap about Hideo Kojima leaving Konami, Georgia tries to contain her rage at Destiny charging for level boosts, and Bri uses flamethrowers to upgrade the spirit of Hanukkah.
Mikah Sargent joins the show this week to expose the crime rings trafficking in Counterstrike weapons, convince Steve that Rez in VR is bad for his health, and help Bri complete important government forms on Georgia's behalf.
The race for the new Isometric's new host begins! First up is Jessica Price, who is awesome because Bri said so. Also, Georgia keeps secrets in her couch, Steve hasn't played Just Cause just because, and Bri is loud.
We say goodbye to Maddy in the only way we possibly could, with EDM and a cavalcade of special guests. But not before Bri tries to find the good in Star Wars Battlefront, Georgia unleashes the Kraken, and Steve gets his most difficult editing task ever.
Before our important show news this week, Brianna makes plans to defeat Georgia in battle, Maddy's cosplay dreams come true, Steve finally gets to talk about Nintendo, and Georgia's word of the day calendar pays off.
Georgia frets about what selling to Activision means for her beloved Candy Crush, Bri brings us the shortest Halo 5 review ever, Maddy feigns surprise that women own more game consoles than men, and Steve has a run-in with the littlest Master Chief.
Just when you thought you were safe, the show gets Brijacked again! Will your intrepid hosts make it out in one piece? Listen to find out!
Bri's back, with details about the upcoming Revolution 60 PC release! Also, Georgia wonders why Harmonix would review their own game, Maddy has questions for a studio working through crunch without pay, and Steve's rap career ends as quickly as it begins.
With Bri off wowing the audience at the Grace Hopper Conference, Gamespot editor Alexa Ray Corriea joins Maddy, Georgia and Steve to talk about a Final Fantasy that never was, swap war stories from midnight release lines, and admire UbiSoft's eagle eyes.
Brianna returns to teach Isometric Workers how to roll out, Georgia experiences a reckoning yet again, Maddy is confused about Geckos, and Steve feels anxiety, but is in excellent hands with Dr. Brianna.
Frag Dolls founder Morgan Romine joins us to talk about the first TwitchCon, marvel at the second installment in Bri's Nintendo fanfic, debate if Maddy should make her own eSports tournament, and help Georgia decide between two very different theme songs.
With Bri at Oculus Connect (but with us in spirit and fanfic), Tiffany Arment joins Maddy, Georgia and Steve to decide if games can replace meditation, fear a future where hipsters buy games on cartridges, and figure out if Metroids are the marrying type.
Bri takes a break from playing The Taken King to talk about how awesome it is, Maddy watches terrible people play Firewatch, Steve tries to discuss Mario Maker without mispronouncing Mario, and R.O.B. tries to fight off jealousy after Georgia buys a BB-8.
With Maddy on assignment, special guest Chris Kluwe bestows his awesomeness on the show as he tries to convince Georgia that watching eSports is as much fun as MMA, Bri breaks down the Apple TV announcement, and Steve imagines catching Pokemon in Tokyo.
You'll be amazed to find out how gamers reacted to Bri's article suggesting Samus is transgender! Plus, Maddy struggles with the explanation for Quiet's outfit in Metal Gear, Georgia gets introduced to Hot Ryu, and Steve tries to suck less at shooters.
Bri tries to stream Deal or No Deal on YouTube, Steve defends his Hearthstone addiction (poorly), Maddy pitches her new classic car show, and Georgia takes on MechaGodzilla as a new patient.
Bri returns from the future with a warning about Final Fantasy VII, Maddy realizes Life is Strange is a biopic about her life, Steve tries to find a Destiny-to-English dictionary, and Georgia tries to convince the Internet that sharks are our friends.
With Georgia off fighting sharks, guest Simone de Rochefort gets a crash course on Resident Evil 2, Maddy lists things other than video games that cause aggression, Bri sheds light on Apple's diversity numbers, and Steve watches DOTA 2 for science.
Georgia, tell Brianna what she wants to know. TELL HER WHAT SHE WANTS TO KNOW.
Speaking of violence, Maddy is concerned about the new Tomb Raider trailer, Bri isn’t sold on the new Mirror’s Edge, and Steve has trouble in his living area.
This week Steve tries to... OH MY GOD BRIANNA HIJACKED THE ENTIRE SHOW, including this description. This is the best episode of Isometric ever!
Steve explains to Georgia why it's not cheating to play a fighting game with simple moves, Bri tries to figure out why Adam Sandler was allowed to make a movie as terrible as Pixels, and Maddy finally earns the nickname that's eluded her for so long.
Maddy confirms her suspicions of doping in eSports, Bri takes on the troubling rumors surrounding Quiet in Metal Gear Solid, Georgia finds arcades hidden in the wilds of Maine, and Steve demonstrates how to wake sleeping children with maximum prejudice.
Bri's Winter of Discontent continues with the failed launch of Final Fantasy XIV on Mac, Maddy dreams of farming Zerglings, Steve desperately tries not to buy a Mega Man helmet, and Georgia receives the best drawings the Apple Watch can produce.
Bri decides she doesn't want to be the Batman after all, Steve lets Bowser corrupt his children, Maddy entertains herself with gifs of Link in a Zelda dress, and Georgia's refusal to buy a Wii U escalates quickly.
Bri unveils her master plan to shut down the Internet (or at least comment sections), Georgia wonders if Hellblade can really depict mental illness well, Steve hopes this will be the time Nintendo finally listens to him, and Maddy tries on a new nickname.
Our E3 extravaganza is here! Bri gives a technical analysis of boobs on Canadian radio, Maddy takes bandwagon Metroid haters to school, Georgia cheats at Final Fantasy VII trivia, and Steve’s attempt to end the show ends in disaster.
Isometric absolutely DOWINATES this week! Bri releases her inner She-Hulk on Steam’s refund policy, Maddy’s last remnants of optimism are crushed, Georgia skips her own WWDC party, and Steve sinks deeper into Hearthstone addiction.
This week, Georgia endures the indignity of another Brianna catchphrase! Steve welcomes our new cephalopod overlords in Splatoon! BRI MOTIVATES YOU BY SCREAMING! And Maddy takes Arkham Knight's costume design to task once again.
Your hosts travel to FunSpot and leave it mostly intact, Maddy takes Twitch to task for letting the ESRB do their dirty work, Bri celebrates League of Legends' new robot harassment patrol, and Georgia learns of the Canadian contraband known as Pixy Stix.
With Imperator Myers stuck on a doomed bus somewhere in the Midwest, Rocket co-host Simone De Rochefort joins Bri, Georgia and Steve to ascend in Kanye Quest, rage at Witcher 3 graphics snobs, and postpone the funeral for pixel art.
Maddy wonders if the Bloodstained Kickstarter is too clever for its own good, Bri leads Revolution 60 players on an Easter egg hunt, Steve gushes about the Splatoon Global Testfire, and Georgia embraces her inner feline podcaster.
Maddy starts building Nintendo theme park rides in her front yard, Georgia demands a VR arcade, Steve debates whether we need a new Banjo-Kazooie type game, and Bri sits GamerGhazi down for a serious discussion about harassment as entertainment.
This week, Maddy worries Valve has become the Google of PC games, Bri laments that the bad Konami news may mean the end of DDR, Georgia explains why Brain Age won't make you a super-genius, and Steve tries to keep the show from becoming a series of Apple Watch drawings.
This week, Maddy dreams of being a female Stormtrooper, Bri trusts GameStop to rebuild her vintage game collection, Georgia enlists monkeys to explain anger over paid Steam mods, and Steve confronts a hard truth about his relationship with fighting games.
This week, Bri and Maddy decide if Mortal Kombat X is a komplete success or a katastrophe, Georgia wonders what owning a Guitar Hero Live guitar would say about her, and Steve takes issue with Bioshock's authentic diversity.
This week, Bri prophesies a future where the DMCA destroys Horde Mode forever, Maddy dispels the myth of the cool gamer girlfriend, Steve dreams of a VR arcade, and Georgia tries to stack Name That Game in Maddy's favor, with disastrous results.
This week, Maddy takes a firm stance against pleasantries, Bri has a special kind of FU about Bloodborne, Steve Facebook stalks Nintendo, and Georgia reports on what it's like to turn undead in Ireland.
This week, Maddy embraces her new life as a fake video game developer, Georgia helps improve Bri's marriage with sticker charts for screen time, and Steve confronts an gaming existential crisis after not wanting to play Bloodborne.
This week, Isometric reveals an important announcement about the show’s future, Steve tries to come to grips with Nintendo moving to mobile, Maddy tries to make Bri cut her vacation short by reviewing Final Fantasy Type 0, and Georgia’s obsession with R.O.B. reaches danger levels.
This week, Georgia tries to hide her Monster Mania injuries from PAX, Bri tries to come to grips with a world where Nintendo makes hardware for adults, Maddy tries to contain her disdain for Hotline Miami 2, and Steve tries to keep his priorities straight while playing Dead or Alive 5.
It's our long awaited live show at PAX East 2015! There were mustaches, stuffed animal attacks, laundry tips, Samus cosplay, and at least one injury. (And we tried to talk about video games for at least five minutes or so. Emphasis on tried.)
This week, Maddy crushes Steve's dream of a Rock Band future, Steve crushes Maddy's dream of enjoying Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Bri crushes Georgia's dream of playing games on a holodeck any time soon, and Georgia crushes everyone's dreams with her new design for a panda fighting game.
This week, Georgia delivers a final Internet Justice ruling on Tron, Maddy laments the Peter Molyneux interview, Bri wonders why we're debating game length instead of any other problem with AAA games, and Steve plays Sonic Boom, for science.
This week, Steve worries that Evolve is a harbinger of games priced like iPads, Maddy tries to figure out why anyone ever liked Sonic, and Georgia tries to scare up the courage to send inappropriate things to Bri's Apple Watch.
This week, Maddy warns the human race about our nightmarish future of cat GIF journalism, Bri talks about her struggle to stay in gamedev after harassment on Steam Greenlight, and Steve and Georgia ask for a Persona 5 to English translation.
This week, Steve reports from Disney World while everyone else is freezing, Bri and Maddy have constructive criticism for Gamestop’s survival plan, Grim Fandango is examined, and Georgia is revealed to be a supervillain yet again.
Steve dreams of a new Battletoads game that he won't be hardcore enough to play, Georgia derails Bri's very technical discussion of boob physics, and Maddy sets us straight, once and for all, on ethics in game journalism. Plus, stay past the closing music for extra Final Fantasy geekery!
Isometric gets heated! This week, we get back to covering news the only way we know how: Georgia fires sniper rifles at CES, Maddy and Bri swoon over hot guys in Final Fantasy, and Steve gets charged up about the charger Nintendo left out of the new 3DS.
Since we're still recovering from the Game of the Year discussion, we decided to take it easy this week and answer some listener questions. In between a couple of Bri's Mass Effect rants, Maddy's stint as a Girl Scout, and a discussion of pictures of Georgia's butt online, that is.
What We’re Playing:
Maddy - Street Fighter Georgia - Bayonetta Bri - Mass Effect Steve - Skylanders: Trap Team
The conclusion of Isometric's Game of the Year spectacular is finally here! Will Georgia need all of her therapy training to keep Bri and Steve from blowing up the podcast over Danganronpa and Desert Golfing? Will Maddy use her position as the tiebreaking vote for good or evil? Will guests Danielle Riendeau and Gita Jackson regret agreeing to all of this? Listen and find out!
It's all come down to this, part one of Isometric's Game of the Year spectacular. Special guest stars Gita Jackson and Danielle Riendeau shock the Isometric cast with their tiebreaking votes. Hearts will be dashed, dreams will be ruined, and nothing will ever be the same!
The 2014 season of Isometric is hurtling to a close and nothing will ever be the same! Special guest Andrea Rene of GameTrailers.com gives Maddy the inner strength to be a Pokerapper, Bri is less than excited that Hatred fans are requesting her addition as a killable character, and Steve has been playing Day of the Tentacle all wrong.
Georgia's orc obsession is becoming a bit of a concern. Nevertheless, we decide whether Bri or Maddy bought the wrong fight stick now that Street Fighter V is a PS4 exclusive, and debate the merits of pulling GTA V off the shelves in Australia, before Steve finds a way to talk about Pokemon some more.
Ultimate geek rockstar John Siracusa stops by to throw down his Power Glove and to fact check the show AS WE RECORD IT. Also, Brianna Super Scope Sixes Nintendo's future in VR, Steve bristles, and Maddy calmly explains that she could destroy everything in Super Smash if she wanted. Georgia is bemused.
Can you feel it? Isometric has awakened early this week in a special Thanksgiving episode, though Georgia just calls it Thursday. Maddy gushes about Super Smash Bros, and Steve and Brianna get into it about Nintendo again over the new Pokemon sequel.
Since all the games came out this week, we took a break from the news to talk all about what we're playing: Bri laments that elephants in Far Cry 4 aren't innovation, Steve learns he's played Dragon Age: Inquisition completely wrong, and Maddy tries to justify why Mass Effect 2 isn't a perfect 10, all while Georgia counts the minutes until she can go back to playing as a woman in Shadow of Mordor.
This week, fresh from basking in the glow of luring Georgia to Boston from Canada, we play CSI at the wreckage of the Assassin's Creed Unity launch fiasco, followed by a serious discussion of autism representation in gaming.
This week, Maddy announces her Street Fighter romantic comedy, Steve laments (read: whines about) missing out on the Evolve Big Alpha, and Bri presses X to say hello to Georgia's new robot BFF.
Isometric is back in one of our most fun post-Gamergate episodes! We struggle to discuss actual news, like the discovery that women make up half of PC gaming and the re-release of TIE Fighter, amidst a barrage of absurd distractions. At least until Georgia manages to derail the show for good with the tweet seen 'round the world.
After being chased from her home by rape and death threats, Isometric host Brianna Wu has been under attack by Gamergate for 17 days. She sits down with journalist Glenn Fleishman and addresses the various accusations made towards her.
In a return to normalcy, Bri dispenses questionable parenting advice, Georgia auditions for her next career as a game show host, and Steve yells at Nintendo (yes, again), all as Maddy tries to convince us how excited she is about everything.
After an in-depth recap of Bri's week fighting GamerGate, we try to cheer her up with a detailed discussion of Bayonetta 2, salacious StarFox fan fiction, and what the Muppets you like say about you.
(Note: The beginning of this episode has a trigger warning for rape, threats of death, bullying and harassment, which concludes at the 40 minute mark.)
(Note: This episode was recorded on Thursday, just before the widely discussed events involving Brianna Wu began to occur.) After Maddy gives us all a valuable con fashion lesson and Bri reports back from our inevitable Soylent-fueled future, we finally start delving into some uncomfortable truths: That Steve doesn't like Super Smash Bros on 3DS because he sucks at it, and why Georgia is a terrible person for loving Shadow of Mordor.
PERSONA! This week, Brianna reveals unhealthy passion for P4: Arena Ultimax. Maddy praises the Steam curation system before decimating it. Georgia bonds with special guest and fellow nice person Jonathan Mann. And Steve tricks everyone into talking about Nintendo by bringing up Hyrule Warriors.
This week, special guest Danielle Riendeau of Polygon joins us to discuss the art of Gears of War with Maddy, geek out with Bri on Unreal and Unity, try to sell Steve on Alien: Isolation, and design Georgia's new Canadian fighting game. (Spoiler alert: Let the moose win.)
Neither DayQuil haze, nor pneumonia, nor Skype disasters will keep us from our appointed rounds of destroying 3DSes with the Super Smash Bros demo, analyzing the Minecraft sale, and plotting to hand out crystal hand turkeys for game of the year.
After making Steve answer for his heinous crimes of corruption, we try to get back to normal by arguing about the new 3DS, wildly speculating about games for the Apple Watch, and making Georgia suffer through a thorough analysis of Destiny's story. (Spoiler: It's not great.)
You asked us to talk about GamerGate. So we talked about GamerGate. A lot. (But also PAX Prime, the PokeRap, and dating tips for birds.)
In a surprisingly lucid episode, Maddy talks about the necessary evil of PAX. Steve gets twitchy when it’s suggested that an F-Zero remake might not be the best, and Georgia recommends gateway games to a life-destroying habit. Plus, Bri talks about her smackdown of a harasser that went ridiculously viral.
This week, Bri invents an exciting (and embarrassing) new catchphrase for Georgia. We decide if it's too early to plan a funeral for game demos, dissect the fun and sad Madden 15 ad, and predict a future where indies are paid in mehs and not dollars.
This week. we address the Alderaan levels of anguish about Tomb Raider being an Xbox exclusive, challenge the dubious Night Trap Kickstarter, and have a serious adult conversation about gamers and depression. We also affirm your life choices if you play games on easy and find out Georgia's free time is spent on awesome.
This week's episode is old-school Isometric. Maddy speculates about Twitch, Steve freaks out about Yoshi’s real name, and Bri discusses iOS Bioshock using jargon everyone else pretends to understand. Meanwhile, Georgia wonders what she’s doing with her life while merrily laughing.
This week, we pour one out for the writers lost from GameSpot, gush about the Bayonetta anime, and decide if PlayStation Now rentals are expensive or VERY expensive. (Bonus: Isometric decides which Sailor Scout Steve is.)
Brianna rants epically on the Yogscast decision to not refund their Kickstarters. The ecstasy of the Destiny beta to the agony of the human race after Mech Suit Georgia becomes president.
With Revolution 60 about to launch, Amanda Winn-Lee joins Bri to tell us everything we wanted to know about the game, including the decisions that went into the character design, writing a story starring powerful women, designing morality, allowing for endings where the player fails, fan fiction, making games accessible to non-gamers, what really happens in playtesting, and what drove the decision to make the game free with in-app purchase.
Bri, Maddy, Georgia and Steve discuss fanboy complaints about the Destiny beta, why all "adult" video games need to be violent, and why people aren't downloading free indie games from PS+.
Bri, Maddy, Georgia and Steve try to distract themselves from a tough week in video games by discussing vitally important topics like Butt Mode in Shovel Knight, buying stuffed Pokemon on the internet, Atari games about breakfast food, and why all the major releases are coming out in October.
Bri, Maddy Georgia and Steve share a big announcement about the show, and then move on to discussing whether gamifying sales and discounting Early Access games during the Steam Summer Sale are good ideas, and the challenges women face when breaking into games journalism.
Bri, Maddy, Steve and Georgia are joined by Square-Enix’s Justin Kranzl to discuss early impressions of Super Smash Bros, taking risks in game development, the disparity of reviews of narrative-based games, dealing with negative reviews, and the new Tropes vs Women video.
Bri, Maddy, Steve, and guest host Amanda Warner discuss the Assassin’s Creed Unity female character controversy. Oh, and some games were announced this week, too.
This week, a review of the gaming-related announcements out of WWDC, whether an Apple game console is finally on the horizon, if Mario Kart 8 is enough to quiet our Wii U pessimism, and playing with non-gamer significant others.
Bri, Maddy, Georgia and Steve discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Watch Dogs launch; whether delaying Steam Machines to 2015 makes them irrelevant; and marvel in awe and disgust at the Mario Mercedes commercial.
Bri, Maddy, Georgia and Steve discuss what a Google purchase of Twitch would mean for the gaming community, why the new screen shots from Hyrule Warriors are so disappointing, and whether there is an indie bubble about to burst.
Bri, Maddy, Georgia and Steve react to Nintendo’s real Tomodachi Life apology, have a eulogy for the Kinect and discuss whether it finally means the end of console gimmicks, and react to the editorial from The Room’s developer on the state of mobile gaming.
On the first episode of Isometric, we discuss how Nintendo can get themselves out of the hole that they've dug for themselves, why they're digging themselves deeper with the Tomodachi Life same-sex relationship controversy, and whether or not it's a good thing for Harmonix to be going to Kickstarter to get the Amplitude sequel made.