PC Gamer Chat Log

On this week's Chat Log, Mollie and Lauren devised a little library based on all the ways you can sort your Steam library. Can we identify a game based on its file size? Can we deduce which games we added to our Steam libraries first all the way back in the 2010s? Play along with our little multiple choice quiz and maybe post a little question of your own. Or just tidy up your own backlog a bit.

In this week's Chat Log, Mollie and Lauren talk about their early experiences of childhood gaming and all the other eras of online gaming firsts. We may have gotten in during the second wave of MMOs and online chat rooms, but what about the adults who played MUDs or the kids who grew up entirely on Minecraft?

On this week's Chat Log, Lauren and Mollie call in Harvey Randall to talk about all the many summer gaming showcases we watched this month. Along with our own PC Gaming Show there was the Xbox Games Showcase, a State of Play, and the Summer Game Fest too. What were we most excited to see and which games were no-shows this year?

On this week's Chat Log, Mollie and Lauren called upon Robin Valentine to talk about the evolution of gaming slang. We've pulled together a new guide to all the gaming terms and trends you need to know, but where did some of these words even come from? And how did "instagib" become a thing anyway?

On this week's Chat Log podcast, Lauren and Mollie talk with Tyler Colp about the weird world of brand tie-ins and crossovers in gaming. Why is it always high fashion or energy drinks that get put into games and what even makes a decent brand tie-in event?

On this week's Chat Log, Lauren and Mollie talk with Ted Litchfield about the upcoming week of summer showcases in June. The early June period which was once E3 is now unnamed, but that hasn't stopped Summer Game Fest, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and other publishers from pulling together a big online video presentation in the style of ye olde E3 press conferences. What are we expecting to see revealed this year? Who's going to no show?

On this week's Chat Log, Mollie and Lauren talk with Morgan Park about the live service game fatigue we've been feeling. Why does every game need a battle pass and seasonal updates and limited time events? We used to really enjoy those things but now it's starting to feel like homework, isn't it?

On this week's Chat Log, Lauren and Mollie talk with Robin Valentine about games that seems stuck in "development hell." Which games have we been anticipating the longest without any concrete update? Which ones may come out the other side and which have fallen flat when the finally show up?

For our third and final roundtable from GDC 2024, we gathered together a special group of developers who each have more than 30 years of experience making PC games. Our guests:Jordan Mechner - Karateka, Prince of Persia, The Last ExpressWarren Spector - Ultima Underworld, System Shock, Deus ExCharles Cecil - Broken Sword, Beneath a Steel SkyKhris Brown - Voice director & editor for LucasArts, Double Fine, UbisoftOur veteran panel discuss how they got into games (and how unlikely their paths could be replicated today), the challenges of making games with the technology of the '80s and '90s, run-ins with celebrity voice actors like Mark Hamill, and—of course—the history of the Knights Templar.

PC Gamer's RPG roundtable returns with a powerful panel of RPG experts to talk lovable and hateable companions, romance (and thirst), how you make a great intro to a massive game, and much more. Joining our panel this year:Swen Vincke, founder and director at Larian (Baldur's Gate 3)Carrie Patel, game director and senior narrative designer at Obsidian (Avowed)Sarah Gruemmer, acting lead quest designer at CD Projekt Red (Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty)Adrienne Bazir, founder and sole developer at insertdisc5 (In Stars and Time)Ted Peterson, co-founder Once Lost Games and former writer and designer at Bethesda (The Elder Scrolls 1-4)Our developers each talk about their current or recent games, as well as other RPGs that have inspired them, from Nier to Disco Elysium. If you'd like more insightful conversation about RPGs, check out last year's roundtable from April 21, 2023.

Global-editor-in-chief Evan Lahti leads the developers behind some of PC gaming's biggest hits in a discussion on the state of our hobby and the biggest trends, risks and opportunities in PC gaming today. Joining us: Michael Douse - Director of Publishing, Larian (Baldur's Gate 3)Rebecca Ford - Creative Director, WarframeEyrún Jónsdóttir - VP of Publishing at CCP (EVE Online)Casey Yano - Co-founder, Mega Crit (Slay the Spire)In this 80 minute conversation, our guests talk about making "hyper-engaging" games that defy the traditional advice of appealing to as broad an audience of players as possible; the innovation in game development only happening on PC; Steam as a "democratic" platform; industry layoffs and the emerging use of AI in development; and what we should take away from the standout successes of 2024, like Helldivers 2 and Balatro.

On this week's Chat Log, Mollie and Lauren talk with Fallout-enjoyer Chris Livingston about the first season of Amazon's Fallout TV show. Was it rad? Did it succeed at adapting the vaults of the wasteland and selling us on new characters?