The RPS Electronic Wireless: Leigh Alexander!
We've been promising this for a while, but I've finally managed to go through and edit this. It's still fifty minutes recorded when I was off in New York for NYCC and crashing overnight at game journalist dynamo Leigh Alexander's Brooklyn apartment. At near midnight, after hitting a bar somewhere, whilst drinking some manner of whiskey. We mainly focus on Leigh's background in games and her ongoing interests - which includes lots on sex and sexuality in games, and culture generally. It's both more off-topic and probably more explicit than usual. To say the least. It's a fascinating carcrash between some fancy games and cultural theory and... well, just a carcrash. Also, takes a while to get the mic position sorted so Leigh's laugh causes some peaks, especially early on. We know that some of you are sensitive like that. Anyway - you can download it direct here, it has a special internet home and here's the Itunes home, while the full running order is beneath the cut...
0:01 Intro, which includes lies about not having done a podcast in a while. It was done back in February, when we hadn't. Hello Kieron! Hello Leigh!
0:35: Which podcast is best? Is it ours? Is it?
1:20: Some Xenophobia. RPS reader percentages.
1:43: This is as loud as Leigh gets, by the way, and we sort out the mikes from now on in. Don't run away, sensitive-eared listener.
1:55 Kieron introduces Leigh and what we're going to do – as in, interview her about her history with PC games and why she stopped being a PC gamer.
2:55 Leigh's history in gaming and having a blessed childhood.
6:30 Leigh's cat makes its first entrance as she talks about her depression with Crashing PC Games.
7:05 Leigh says the word “lugubrious”.
7:50 Leigh talks about Majestic. Kieron suggests that stalker internet boyfriends are the new ARGs.
9:25 Kieron is silent for a very long time.
9:30 We start discussing Japanese Dating Simulators. As in, Hentai videogames and Leigh's reviewing thereof. Also, her cat making noises.
11:10 Leigh tries to get Kieron in trouble with his girlfriend.
11:30 Hentai Achievements on Xbox Live. Discuss.
12:30 Sincere romantic stories in the game leads to Kana Little Sister. Plus stirring defense of incest in fiction on Leigh's part.
14:05 Kieron proves that he isn't mature enough for this conversation. Leigh soldiers on.
14:50 Why does none of this get reviewed? Other than Leigh and Something Awful. And more importantly, why can't Leigh get free copies?
16:55 Leigh is upset that Kieron may edit the podcast. He did edit the podcast, though not to clean it up. Just to remove the totally slanderous stuff. Though not all.
17:40 “Refining our approach to sexuality in videogames”. Yes. Leigh takes in how it works in real world drama. Kieron interjects with meanness against fellow RPS members.
19:00 Leigh gets worryingly close to confessing she's a furry.
21:05 Do drunk podcasts work? Drunks! A little about what we've been up to. Possibly not on topic.
22:20 The story about the man who stunk of piss. Kieron is mean to another member of RPS.
23:00 Why are we interested in shitty videogame narratives? The reason why videogame movies suck and our love of certain characters in games.
25:10 Cheesy hentai conventions which, in themselves, can be the entire point. Yes.
26:45 Kieron paraphrases John Walker's argument against her position. Perhaps too paraphrased.
27:40 Red Alert 3 add-on discussions. Leigh proves she understands PC Games. Communazis.
28:30 Kieron gets back to the point: the Highlander's Understanding Comics and iconic imprinting on simple narrative.
30:10 Halo Novels and other spin offs. Kieron may get no more work from certain employers. Deep Resident Evil Fanfiction.
31:10 Games Journalist slash/fic. No, really.
32:25 Leigh does NOT fancy Warren Spector. We tease about his seeekrit product.
33:00 Kieron calls Leigh on her Furryness. Leads to a serious chat about animal sexual characteristics in humans: “The theoreticals of certain fetishes”.
36:10 Kieron pours Leigh more booze. Will they never learn? Debate continues on similar sexual elements and literalism in Western culture.
38:00 Bonesville as a western porn game. Plus Red Light District. Swiftly segues to Second Life not turning Leigh on. At All.
39:20 Escort review sites for Second Life. Leigh plugs her column on Red Light District. How having people in her sex fantasies is a turn off.
41:00 Cybersex versus Avatar Based sex.
42:15 Kieron probably asks too personal questions. Leigh talks about Roleplay scenarios back in the day and wrestles with her aversion to avatar-sex.
43:25 Second life and games journalist Matthew Kumar. We are incredibly mean to Matt Kumar.
45:00 Leigh talks about people who take Snow Crash a bit too seriously. Kieron just won't leave Matt Kumar alone.
46:45 Leigh is very arrogant. Kieron is very mean. Plus GEEK PRIDE...
48:00 Except that geek. You know the one. The one who likes Second Life.
50:00 Sex and the Sims.
50:05 Which Leigh brings in tales of small town bicuriosity and making Jesus and Priests have sex. No, really. The Sims as an experimental lab of race, sex and class.
51:50 Sick things Leigh does with the Sims.
53:00 “Maybe I'm just a psycho”.
53:15 Wrapping up and high fives. Leigh Loves you.