Polygoing Off

A short-lived weekly podcast exploring pop culture and the uncanny similarities between real life situations and our favorite video games.


Episode Listing

  1. Ep.001: Game Nostalgia and Getting into Video Games as a Kid

    Wed, 11 Nov 2015 14:49:19 GMT

    I reminisce on getting into video games as a kid, sharing some fond memories of childhood trips to the arcade, my first console and getting hooked on games during my formative years. Shout-outs to Super Mario Brothers, Battletoads, Street Fighter 2, and m

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  2. Ep.000: Life Beyond Dark Souls and Welcome to the Podcast!

    Fri, 13 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT

    In the inaugural episode of the podcast I talk about motivations in branching out from YouTube, the type of topics we'll cover in future shows and what to expect. It's a boilerplate episode!

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  3. Ep.002: Pillars of Eternity is Worthy of Your Love

    Tue, 17 Nov 2015 06:26:04 GMT

    I gush about Pillars of Eternity in this long form podcast episode, focusing on its fresh mechanics and compelling story. We also touch on the great Infinity Engine titles it pays homage to (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment).

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  4. Ep.003: Using Strategy Guides for Better and Worse

    Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT

    After using some walkthroughs to power-game through a couple titles in my backlog, I'm thinking about the pros and cons of using strategy guides - especially when playing a game for the first time.

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  5. Ep.004: Console Wars! Exploring the Nature of "Better" in Hardware

    Mon, 14 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT

    Console wars! I share some thoughts on why the Xbox VS. Playstation VS. PC battle is futile and wonder what prevents the platforms from getting along. I also explore the dangers of saying, "This game is better than that one."

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  6. Ep.005: Who Are You and What Have You Done With Poly?

    Mon, 11 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    It's been a while! Six months have passed since the last podcast episode; what happened? I do a fireside chat-style show talking about the hiatus and some major rebranding of the podcast and YouTube channel yet to come.

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  7. Ep.006: Dark Side Luke and the Star Wars of J.J Abrams

    Fri, 15 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    I take a look at Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, focusing on the choice to put J.J. Abrams at the helm and some theories and expectations going into the flick. Political turmoil? Check. The possibility of Luke Skywalker falling to the Dark Si

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  8. Ep.007: Rey Kenobi? Canon!

    Fri, 22 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Part 2 of our multi-part series on Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens tackles Rey's lineaage, the Expanded Universe de-canonization and myriad tangents.

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  9. Ep.008: Who is Snoke? Who are the Knights of Ren? Dark Siders!

    Fri, 29 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    We're focusing on the Dark Siders, namely Kylo Ren, his Knights and Supreme Leader Snoke. The Force Awakens left several questions around this crew. What are the Knights of Ren all about? What's next for Kylo? Seriously, who is Snoke?

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  10. Ep.009: Pseudo-Profanity in Fantasy and Science Fiction, Dammit!

    Fri, 05 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Does inventing a system of faux-profanity in fantasy/science fiction create a better fictional world? I talk about swearing and its effects on immersion.

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  11. Ep.010: What Does Retro Gaming Mean to Me? Glad You Asked!

    Mon, 15 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Most people use "retro gaming" to mean old games. I don't think age has much to do with it. In this week's show I'm wondering: what does retro gaming mean?

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  12. Ep.011: Pokemon Go Away: A Soul as Black as Onyx, Nioh?

    Fri, 19 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Talking Dark Souls III, Pokemon Go, VR enthusiasm and Nioh amidst tangents on this grab-bag episode of the podcast. Pokemon Go away! Don't make me move.

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  13. Ep.012: Overstayed Welcome; Game Sequels Feel Stale When ...

    Fri, 26 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    How many is too many? This episode of the podcast explores a few long-running franchises and tries to pinpoint when game sequels start to feel stale.

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  14. Ep.013: Portable Game Systems Through Foggy Memories

    Fri, 02 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    During a week of traveling I'm thinking back on the portable game systems I've owned, singing praises for the good and kvetching about the bad. Part 1 of 2.

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  15. Mailbag: 2016-09-13

    Mon, 12 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Mailbag! A special Tuesday edition show addressing comments and feedback for the past several episodes of the show.

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  16. Ep.014: I Didn't Like the PlayStation Vita Because I'm an Idiot

    Fri, 16 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    I owned a PlayStation Vita and didn't like it; I didn't care for the Nintendo 3DS, either. What's up with the current gen of portable gaming?

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  17. Ep.015: Unique and Underutilized Fantasy Settings; Where You At?

    Fri, 23 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Most fantasy feels Tolkien-esque; in this podcast I'm exploring underutilized fantasy settings like the wild west, colonial periods and space.

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  18. Ep.016: Community Pressure in Games for Good and Ill

    Fri, 30 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    During a recent return to Souls PvP I experienced some grief about weapon choices I'd made via a bit of hatemail. As a result I'm reflecting on community pressure gone good and bad.

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  19. Ep.017: The Mail Arrived! Listener Feedback, Updates and Chatting

    Fri, 07 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Addressing listener feedback from the past few shows, we revisit unique fantasy settings and how game communities try to bring balance in unbalanced games.

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  20. Ep.018: On Buying a New GPU for the Neurotic

    Fri, 14 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    I recently bought a new GPU for my gaming setup. It was an angst-ridden process filled with worry about the future and whether I was spending money wisely.

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  21. Ep.019: Stranger Things are Afoot at the Circle K

    Thu, 20 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    Stranger Things was the sleeper hit of the summer. In part 1 of 2, I'm talking about the vibe, production and specialness of this Netflix original show.

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  22. Ep.020: Stranger Things Theories: Nuclear Winter of our Discontent

    Fri, 28 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    I'm exploring some popular Stranger Things theories and sharing a few of my own. What IS the upside down? Is Eleven the monster? Yup. Well, probably ...

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  23. Ep.021: Even Stranger Things From Our Imaginations (Conclusion)

    Mon, 07 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    As good as it was, even Stranger Things left us with a slew of questions. What's to come with season two? Why do people love Barb? We explore in part three.

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  24. Ep.022: The Perils of Echo Chambers and Reality Distortion

    Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    We're not talking about the election! In light of the election, however, I'm thinking on echo chambers and the dangers they pose to all of us.

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  25. Update: November, 2016

    Fri, 18 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    The Holidays are always crazy for scheduling. I'm committed to keeping the weekly'ish cadence, though we may miss a Friday here and there; details here.

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  26. Ep.023: The Mail is Here! Feedback and Fireside Chatting

    Mon, 21 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    It's been a few weeks since our last listener feedback session. I'm fireside chatting about comments, updates and improvements to the show for 2016's end.

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  27. Ep.024: Food in Games: The Goods, Bads and Uglies

    Wed, 14 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT

    The holidays are a time for family bonding, reflection and eating too much food. This has me thinking about implementations of food in games.

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  28. Update: January, 2017

    Fri, 13 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    We're two weeks deep and have yet to air the first episode of 2017. Fear not, however. It's coming soon! Here's the skinny ...

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  29. Ep.025: Podcast Resolutions for 2017, a PS4 & Blood Ministration

    Mon, 16 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    I got a PS4 for Christmas and am finally playing Bloodborne. It's a masterpiece. We're also making some podcast resolutions for the new year.

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  30. Ep.027: Poisoned! Working Under Deadlines and Implementation of Gaming Poisons

    Thu, 02 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    Working under a looming deadline often leads to panic and rushed decisions. When inflected by any number of gaming poisons, the same perils apply.

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  31. Ep.028: Underestimating Your PvP Opponent as Demonstrated in Super Bowl LI

    Thu, 09 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    The New England Patriots just staged one of the greatest comebacks in sports. We take a look at underestimating your opponent as it pertains to gaming PvP.

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  32. Ep.029: When You're a Young Kid, Your Whole Life is a Metroidvania

    Thu, 16 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    As a kid, the world is full of items you can't reach and places you can't access. Like Samus. Life is a Metroidvania, especially in the early years.

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  33. Ep030: Level Up! School, the Pursuit of Knowledge and Acquiring New Skills

    Thu, 23 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    I explore the similarities between how game characters level up and how we acquire skills in real life, especially focusing on school.

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  34. Ep.031: Live Every Moment Like Your Last and Other Random Malarkey

    Wed, 01 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    We're six episodes deep in 2017! Time for a mailbag episode covering feedback, random topics and a rant on the phrase, "Live every moment like your last."

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  35. Update 2017-03-08: Sacrificing "Right Now" for Quality - Status Update

    Wed, 08 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    I recorded a podcast this week but hated it. Instead of releasing a show I'm lukewarm on I'm sacrificing "right now" for a better episode.

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  36. Ep.032: Buying New Clothes and Upgrading Your Armor ... Same Thing, Right?

    Mon, 13 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    I was out clothes shopping - an act I don't enjoy - and realized something: buying new clothes is just like upgrading your armor in video games.

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  37. Ep.033: Readied Actions and Capitalizing on Available Free Time

    Thu, 16 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

    Readied actions are an old Dungeons & Dragons tactic. They're also a great tool for springing to action when free time opens up.

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  38. Ep.026: Focus and Concentration and the Benefits of Uninterrupted Time

    Mon, 26 Apr 2021 13:58:35 GMT

    Gaming in bursts sucks. It's the same pursuing creativity. In this episode I'm exploring the importance of focus and concentration in accomplishing goals.

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