SPAWNPOINT

Patrick Klepek, Keza MacDonald
  • 5.0 (24)
  • VIDEO GAMES
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY
SPAWNPOINT

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. patrickklepek.substack.com

  1. OCT 14

    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 patrickklepek.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 3m

  2. SEP 12

    Even Busy Parents Love Dragon's Dogma 2

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit patrickklepek.substack.com 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

  3. AUG 16

    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 patrickklepek.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr

  4. JUL 22

    Spawnpoint Bonus: Making Time For Long Video Games

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit patrickklepek.substack.com 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

  5. JUL 8

    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 patrickklepek.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m

  6. MAY 17

    The Gamer Educator

    You’ve read Ash Brandin’s words on Crossplay, now hear from “The Gamer Educator'' in their own voice, as well. Ash joins Patrick to discuss what prompted Ash to start an Instagram account about helping parents navigate games, screen time, and technology, and in-between dodging school bell noises, the two discuss establishing digital literacy for young kids.  Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.news Timestamps: * 00:02:00 — How Patrick and Ash Met * 00:06:20 — The Gamer Educator Origins * 00:09:33 — Gamification in the Classroom * 00:23:11 — The Morality of Screen Time * 00:33:50 — The Old Internet * 00:39:00 — Screen Anxiety * 00:54:39 — Ash Is Writing a Book! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit patrickklepek.substack.com/subscribe

    59 min

  7. APR 26

    Death of the Father

    Spawnpoint is excited to welcome actor Abubakar Salim (Raised By Wolves, House of the Dragon, Assassin’s Creed Origins) for a touching conversation about Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a video game about processing the grief associated with the death of Abubakar’s father. A little more than a decade ago, Patrick Klepek’s own father died of a heart attack, and the two find common ground on the often lonely path to understanding what to make of such sadness. Timestamps: * 00:00:43 - What is Tales of Kenzera: Zau? * 00:03:57 - Fathers and Video Games * 00:08:75 - Why a Video Game? * 00:16:45 - Grief as Game Design * 00:22:30 - What Would Father Think? 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 patrickklepek.substack.com/subscribe

    28 min

  8. APR 19

    Spawnpoint, Episode 03: The Strange Sadness of Theme Parks

    Welcome to another episode of Spawnpoint, a podcast hosted by Patrick Klepek and Keza MacDonald, two parents trying to navigate the increasingly complex world of raising children and gaming. On this episode, we unpack navigating theme parks with children, after Patrick’s trip to Disneyland and Super Nintendo World, while Keza recounts visiting the Pokémon International Championships with her family and uncovers an old Pokémon childhood trauma. Lastly, we chat through our collective experiences dealing with the world of parental controls. Crossplay subscribers get access to episodes early at https://crossplay.news Timestamps: * 00:01:03 — British Accents * 00:09:20 — Kids and Theme Parks (Disney/Nintendo) * 00:27:23 — Pokémon International Championship * 00:36:36 — Parental Controls * 00:51:34 — Dragon’s Dogma 2 * 01:01:45 — More Spawnpoint? This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit patrickklepek.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 6m
See All (17)

5
out of 5
24 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. patrickklepek.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Patrick Klepek, Keza MacDonald
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2024
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Patrick Klepek
  • Show Website
    SPAWNPOINT

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