Neal Hallford joins to discuss his new book Heroes of Might and Magic: 30th Anniversary Retrospective. The history of HoM&M games is, in many ways, an “epic story” that tells the history of the video game industry and the related human drama in general. Since it’s Neal, we also meander into other interesting things, including Planet’s Edge, Betrayal at Krondor, and Dungeon Siege (including why they named Farmer “Farmer”). A game company trying to launch seven games all at the same time is probably not the wisest idea. The “box of rocks” approach to writing for games. Neal’s new Planet’s Edge: Fractured Empires project. Singular vision / small teams versus large teams in game design. Neal has very strong feelings on trends that have hurt the video game industry. What’s the connection between Star Trek and Heroes of Might and Magic? The fine line game creators have to walk in making sequels by adding new stuff worth buying, but not changing things so much that it alienates the audience. What is the number one-selling game on GOG?
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #287 - 11/24/2025
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Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories).
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links!
Humble Bundle
https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays
DriveThruRPG.com
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512
SHOW NOTES
Heroes of Might and Magic: 30th Anniversary Retrospective Book by Neal Hallford
https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Might-Magic-Anniversary-Retrospective/dp/150675130X
Neal Hallford on Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_Hallford
Betrayal at Krondor 30th Anniversary & Fan Film Challenge with Neal Hallford – Episode 266 – 3/14/2023
https://shaneplays.com/betrayal-at-krondor-crpg-30th-anniversary-neal-hallford-fan-film-challenge-podcast/
Star Fleet Battles With Bill Barsh – Episode 272 – 12/29/2023
https://shaneplays.com/star-fleet-battles-with-bill-barsh-podcast/
Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition
Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat
https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/
The Quatermass Experiment, the highly influential series considered the “birth of TV Sci-Fi”, with Toby Hadoke (Quatermass Experiment megafan, Doctor Who megafan, special features do-er, author, and standup comedian… he just sits around and twiddles his thumbs, does Toby). Toby’s written the definitive book on the first Quatermass Experiment serial! Some Doctor Who discussion. “Behind the sofa.” The sneaky plan Toby used to name his dog. Nigel Neale (Quatermass writer) has influenced such directors as John Carpenter, Joe Dante, and Dan O’Bannon. Which Quatermass Experiment serial does Toby recommend starting with? Different motivations for British and American TV in decades past. Toby says Nigel Neale’s The Road has the best ending of anything, ever. What are the chances of more Quatermass in the future? A nice tangent into John Carpenter’s The Thing. A few last-minute Doctor Who tangents (including one about the Doctor going into his own brain). Pronunciation differences between the British and Americans (how the heck do you say Omega, anyway?). Toby actually likes one of the Bad Jokes of the Week.
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #286 - 9/28/2025
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Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays
Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories).
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links!
Humble Bundle
https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays
DriveThruRPG.com
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512
SHOW NOTES
Toby Hadoke on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/TobyHadoke
Toby Hadoke on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TobyHadoke
Toby’s Website
https://tobyhadoke.com/
Toby’s Book! The Quatermass Experiment: The Making of TV's First Sci-Fi Classic
https://tenacrefilms.bigcartel.com/product/the-quatermass-experiment-the-making-of-tv-s-first-sci-fi-classic
The Quatermass Experiment on Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quatermass_Experiment
Nigel Neale on Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Kneale
Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition
Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat
https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/
Sink your teeth into a slew of vampire movies from 1922 through 2025 that may or may not suck with returning movie lovers Chris Holmes and Michael Stewart (Save for Half podcast, Found in the Ruins podcast), plus we chew a bit on Stoker’s Dracula novel. From England to Transylvania to Germany to Italy to Spain to Japan and beyond… those bloodsuckers are everywhere!! Which vampire flicks made us their thrall? One flick’s surprise armadillo never fails to amuse Shane. Chris objects to amazingly cool armor in Dracula movies. What astoundingly fantastic Funko Pop does Shane own?? A surprising clash of opinions on The Lost Boys and Near Dark. We have crossed oceans of time just to bring you this episode.
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #285 - 8/29/2025
Like what you hear?
Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays
Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories).
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links!
Humble Bundle
https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays
DriveThruRPG.com
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512
SHOW NOTES
Holmes Basic D&D, John Eric Holmes & Edgar Rice Burroughs with Chris Holmes – Episode 267 – 5/12/2023
https://shaneplays.com/holmes-basic-dnd-john-eric-holmes-edgar-rice-burroughs-with-chris-holmes-podcast/
Zombie Movies with Chris Holmes and Mike Stewart – Episode 277 – 7/22/2024
https://shaneplays.com/zombie-movies-with-chris-holmes-mike-stewart-podcast/
Surreal Cinema with Clements & Holmes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LcpVM55HQA
Vampire Movies Discussed in this Episode:
Nosferatu (1922)
Dracula (1931)
Dracula’s Daughter
El Vampiro
Horror of Dracula
Dracula, Prince of Darkness
The Vampire and the Ballerina
The Vampire Doll
Count Dracula (1970)
Count Yorga, Vampire
House of Dark Shadows
Blacula
The Night Stalker
Captain Kronos-Vampire Hunter
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1974)
Blood for Dracula
Night of the Walking Dead
Dracula (1979)
Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
Salem’s Lot (1979)
The Hunger
Fright Night (1985)
The Lost Boys
Near Dark
Buffy the Vampire Slayer *Briefly mentioned
Buffy TV series * Briefly mentioned
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Interview with the Vampire
Blade
Blade 2
Shadow of the Vampire
Thirty Days of Night
Let the Right One In
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Boys From County Hell
The Last Voyage of the Demeter
Nosferatu (2024)
Sinners
Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition
Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat
https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/
TSR and Wizards of the Coast veteran Steve Winter (Steve achieved one of the longest tenures across both companies). Steve plays guitar. Steve likes Shadowdark RPG, and is also interested in Knave, Savage Worlds, and Cthulhu / horror games. Steve has a definite favorite version of D&D (he finds it elegant and intuitive). Deep character backstory doesn’t equal plot armor. Sometimes we get too used to magic in games and think of it as technology… magic should be a bit fearsome and untame. Noteworthy moments of going insane in a Cthulhu game. Skyrim and Baldur’s Gate 3 discussion. Steve co-wrote the scenario for the Gold Box Pool of Radiance game. Some words about Jim Ward. Early versus later days at TSR. The job that was Steve’s best year at TSR. How was the work divided at TSR? Steve offers some perspective on Lorraine Williams’s leadership, given that he was right there. What was it like to be at TSR and watch Magic: The Gathering explode onto the scene? Steve worked on Spellfire, TSR’s response to MtG. What was it like transitioning from TSR to WotC? Star Frontiers: how it went from hard sci-fi to “D&D in space” and how employees’ desire for royalties led to its creation (and ultimately to the departure of Lawrence Schick from TSR). Marvel Super Heroes RPG discussion (MSH is HUGE for Shane personally).
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #284 - 7/28/2025
Like what you hear?
Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays
Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories).
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links!
Humble Bundle
https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays
DriveThruRPG.com
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512
SHOW NOTES
Steve Winter’s Wikipedia Entry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Winter
Steve Winter’s Board Game Geek Entry
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamedesigner/562/steve-winter
Howling Tower (Steve’s Blog)
https://koboldpress.com/category/howling-tower/
Shadowdark RPG
https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/pages/shadowdark?srsltid=AfmBOopWlsfgC-WPHShVkD1E9lDfbJKyN5umULKokrH6cbo8tdn-f2QL
Knave RPG
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/484910/knave-second-edition
Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition
Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat
https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/
A RAD-SATURATED BONUS EPISODE! The Cold War gone hot! “Bam” Shane joins “Doc” Benny and “Boom” Mike on the Found in the Ruins podcast to execute maneuvers on the Twilight: 2000 RPG and reconnoiter other groovy post-apocalyptic stuff like PA books and movies. This is episode 9 of Found in the Ruins. Thanks to the FitR hosts for the invite! We had fun and soaked up some mad rads.
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #283 - 5/15/2025
Like what you hear?
Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays
Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories).
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links!
Humble Bundle
https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays
DriveThruRPG.com
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512
SHOW NOTES
Found in the Ruins episode 9: Twilight 2000 with Shane
https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-5iepq-2505c7ed
Found in the Ruins Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1430189954589689
Save For Half Podcast / Found in the Ruins Podcast
https://saveforhalf.com/
Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition
Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat
https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/
Shane waxes eloquent (ok, he might rant mildly) on several aspects of the mainstream comic book industry including the direct market business model, variant covers, multiple characters with the same name, and constant status quo changes (plus the overuse of the word “iconic” these days, which isn’t comics-related but Shane kvetches about it anyway). A mini-review and comparison of DC’s Absolute Universe and Marvel’s Ultimate Universe (which one does Shane like best). Doctor Who has been back on the air for 20 years! A sincere shout-out to Toby Hadoke. An ailing Doctor Who super fan, lost episodes of Who, and the use of AI. D&D 2024: is it a new edition or not? (and no one seems to really be talking about D&D 2024 to be honest). The tariff war’s effect on game publishers and vague predictions and hopes for the future. A tribute to friend of the show Tony Dutra, now sadly gone.
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #282 - 4/26/2025
Like what you hear?
Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays
Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories).
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links!
Humble Bundle
https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays
DriveThruRPG.com
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512
SHOW NOTES
DC’s Absolute Universe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_Universe
Marvel’s Ultimate Universe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Universe
Toby Hadoke Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/TobyHadoke
Ailing ‘Doctor Who’ superfan spends fortune to recreate 97 lost episodes to see ‘complete’ series before he dies
https://nypost.com/2025/04/13/entertainment/ailing-doctor-who-superfan-spends-fortune-to-recreate-97-lost-episodes-to-see-complete-series-before-he-dies/
DnD 5e to 2024 DnD Transition Guide and Change Log: Everything That’s Different in the New 2024 Player’s Handbook
https://rpgbot.net/dnd-2024-5e-transition-guide-and-change-log-everything-thats-different-in-the-new-players-handbook/
Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins to Leave Dungeons & Dragons' Design Team
https://screenrant.com/jeremy-crawford-chris-perkins-leaving-dnd-interview/
Tariffs affecting games
https://www.catalystgamelabs.com/news/tariffs-rolling-against-american-game-publishers
What Game Publishers Are Saying About The Tariffs
https://www.enworld.org/threads/what-game-publishers-are-saying-about-the-tariffs.712717/
How Will The New Tariffs Affect TTRPG Prices?
https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-will-the-new-tariffs-affect-ttrpg-prices.712698/
Do Tariffs Apply To RPG Books? Maybe, Maybe Not!
https://www.enworld.org/threads/do-tariffs-apply-to-rpg-books-maybe-maybe-not.712908/
Wizards of the Coast Says That China Tariffs Will Have Minimal Impact on D&D
https://www.enworld.org/threads/wizards-of-the-coast-says-that-china-tariffs-will-have-minimal-impact-on-d-d.713072/
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode 252: The Wit and Wisdom of Troll Lord Games
https://shaneplays.com/wit-and-wisdom-of-troll-lord-games-castles-and-crusades-rpg/
Tony Dutra: GURPS! – Radio Show / Podcast Ep. 40
https://shaneplays.com/gurps-radio-show-podcast-ep-40/
Tony Dutra: Game Master / Dungeon Master Tips & Panel Discussion! – Radio Show / Podcast Ep. 70
https://shaneplays.com/game-master-dungeon-master-tips-panel-discussion-radio-show-podcast-ep-70/
Tony Dutra: RPG News Blast! – Radio Show / Podcast Ep. 105
https://shaneplays.com/rpg-news-blast-radio-show-podcast-ep-105/
Tony Dutra: How To Create A GURPS Character
https://shaneplays.com/how-to-create-a-gurps-character/
Tony Dutra: How To Play GURPS
https://shaneplays.com/how-to-play-gurps-rpg-tutorial/
Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition
Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat
https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/