SPAWNPOINT

Patrick Klepek, Keza MacDonald
  • 5.0 (33)
  • VIDEO GAMES

A podcast from Crossplay, a newsletter at the intersection of parenting and gaming, featuring longtime games reporters (and parents!) Patrick Klepek and Keza MacDonald, alongside a slew of insightful guests. www.crossplay.news

  1. 21 MAY

    Gamer Dad vs. Game Developer

    Spawnpoint host and Crossplay editor Patrick Klepek is joined by Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred game director Brent Gibson to discuss playing and making games as a parent. Gibson, importantly, is the father to an 11-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, but his day job involves working on a video game that has to be fun for a player who might have dozens of hours available every month, or in the case of most parents, only a handful. 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

    39 min

  2. 4 FEB

    Spawnpoint, Episode 08: The Switch 2 Is Here

    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.news Timestamps: * 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

    1h 3m

  3. 27/11/2024

    Spawnpoint, Episode 07: Mario Parties

    For years, Keza has avoided bringing Mario Party into the home, worried how her children would react. Would they fight the same way she used to with her brother? For Patrick, could his children get over the fact that both of them can’t be Peach? All this and more on the latest episode of Spawnpoint, the official podcast of Crossplay, including discussion on our kids’ relationship with video games and gift buying. Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.news Timestamps: * 00:01:02 — Keza finished her book! * 00:02:41 — Journeys in e-learning/winters in Scotland * 00:10:00 — Welcome to Mario Party * 00:23:19 — Pokémon Trading Card Game * 00:30:03 — Ad-infested knock off games for kids * 00:43:34 — Video games, kids, and the holidays * 00:54:19 — 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

    1h 8m

  4. 14/10/2024

    Spawnpoint, Episode 06: Holding Hands

    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.news Timestamps: * 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

    1h 3m

  5. 12/09/2024

    Even Busy Parents Love Dragon's Dogma 2

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.crossplay.news It’s time for another Spawnpoint bonus episode exclusively for Crossplay subscribers, in which Patrick and Keza sit down to discuss one of the few very long video games they’ve played and finished this year, Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma 2. We’re both parents, but why did we prioritize finishing this over, say, any other game? Being a parent means picking and…

    21 min

  6. 16/08/2024

    Spawnpoint, Episode 05: What Do We Want Governments to Do About Games?

    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.news Timestamps: * 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

    1 hr

  7. 22/07/2024

    Spawnpoint Bonus: Making Time For Long Video Games

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.crossplay.news Crossplay subscribers, you’re in for a treat: the first Spawnpoint bonus episode. This podcast is exclusive to paying subscribers at Crossplay! On Spawnpoint, Patrick and Keza rarely have time to talk about the games they’re playing, so now, one per month, our two hosts will get together to talk about what THEY’VE been playing—not they’re kids! What a c…

    18 min

  8. 08/07/2024

    Spawnpoint, Ep. 04: Direct to the Heart

    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!!! -pk It’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.news Timestamps: * 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

    1h 5m
See All (20)

5
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

A podcast from Crossplay, a newsletter at the intersection of parenting and gaming, featuring longtime games reporters (and parents!) Patrick Klepek and Keza MacDonald, alongside a slew of insightful guests. www.crossplay.news

Information

  • Creator
    Patrick Klepek, Keza MacDonald
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Patrick Klepek
  • Show Website
    SPAWNPOINT