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Built to Play explores the great beyond with games about the human heart, the future and cosmological afterlife.

It's taken us a few weeks to get back into gear thanks to DICE, GDC and PAX East all being in short succession of each other, as people are either at a conference or will be soon. With that in mind, welcome to our first theme of 2015, Space. We're going to explore games and media's relationship to space and how it was almost inevitable that the black background of early video games would be explained as "Oh, that's just space." Not included on that list funnily enough is Space Invaders, which takes place in the upper atmosphere and therefore has no excuse. 

Infinity, whether it's expressed as the infinite blackness of the void or the range of infinite possibilities, has often been alluded to by games. In Gravity Ghost,Erin Robinson uses our impression of space as a glimmering and distant wonder to set a stage for a purgatory of sorts, where hurts can be healed and children can be redeemed. Zach Gage doesn't refer to space at all in #Fortune, unless one is lucky enough to have a prediction involving it. Instead, #Fortune reaches into the seemingly infinite output of Twitter and delivers an often random collection of potential events. Both projects attempt to describe something beyond us, the future or death (or maybe both),  and trust that we'll like what they find. 

With the vaguely philosophical rambling out of the way, on this week's episode you will find the following:

• Zach Gage on sharing, tweets, and his leather box that predicts the future (00:30-11:55)


• We cover the news. ** Evolve has too much DLC.We cast the Zelda TV show. Peter Molyneux breaks one promise too many, and John Walker attacks. (11:55-37:30)**


• Yosef Safi Harb on playing with our heartbeat and howSkip a Beatcan teach you more about your body. (37:30-46:30)


• Erin Robinson on her new game Gravity Ghost and the relationship between space, loss and growing up. (46:30-58:20)

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THANKS TO THE FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR "if (Johnny_Ripper Remix)" by A K U A, "Buildings Stays Offshore" by Augustus Bro Gallery Six, "heartbeat" by Jake Allison, "red Shoes" by Johnny Ripper, "Nana Veloz" by Crisopa, "Snow Monkeys" by CandleGravity. Our Opening theme was "touching" by Souvenir Driver.

This episode used clips from Gravity Ghost, Soda Drinker Pro, and the Wizard of OZ. Thanks to thenudo on Freesound for "Heart-beat" and to Will O Neil for his dramatic reading of his fortunes. 

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF THE SCOPE AT RYERSON RADIO STATION IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PRODUCED AND EDITED BY ARMAN AGHBALI AND WRITTEN BY DANIEL ROSEN.

IF YOU LIKE THE SHOW PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AND RATE US ONLINE. IT HELPS MORE PEOPLE FIND THE SHOW AND GIVES US AN IDEA HOW WE'RE DOING. FEEL FREE TO COMMENT DOWN BELOW.

 

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