The Max Frequency Podcast is now on YouTube

A small update on The Max Frequency Podcast: The show is now available on YouTube. You can check out the playlist, if you feel so inclined.

Running two podcasts – Chapter Select and (what I affectionately call) MFP – I strive for parity between them. Not in content or format, but in quality-of-life and production value. MFP has had a scrappy nature from the word go. From the name and art to being schedule free, the show keeps me…loose. I am rigid when it comes to creative control. Chapter Select goes through a fine tooth comb of design. That’s not to say MFP doesn’t go through a similar comb (they are edited the same way).

Chapter Select has had two offerings that MFP has not: a video version and, lately, transcriptions. That irked me. So now MFP has both, with the entire catalog being on YouTube with full transcription.

Episodes 1-22 are unlisted: This is so my recent uploads section isn’t flooded with black thumbnails. Episode 23 “‘A Passion for Smash’ – Celebrating 15 Years of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with Peter Spezia” premiered last week to coincide with the anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. From here on out, episodes will be uploaded to YouTube publicly and coincide with the podcast feed release. In fact, the next episode is going up tomorrow.

To make the video version, I am using an application called FusionCast. It takes audio files and images, mashes them together, and spits out a video. It can do 4k (which I was tempted by), but I opted for 720p on the old episodes^1 and 1080p for the new ones.

This is a simple and clean way to make a video version of the show. It adds little to my workflow. And now, my two shows are on the same platforms for my audience. I feel much better.


P.S. – You may also notice a little “MFP” menu item at the top of the page. It bugged me to only have Chapter Select specifically called out. I was worried about menu clutter, but now I say forget that. I am equally proud of both my shows and they deserve equal billing.


1. I used the batch export feature for the older episodes and 720p was much faster. Since these are purely auditory anyway, the visual fidelity matters little.

Chapter Select Season 1 Announcement (CtS Edition)

Logan and I have been overwhelmed with the response to Chapter Select in its first week. Particularly here in the Chasing the Stick podcast feed! So, I wanted to pop back in one more time to properly share the Season 1 announcement and share a little tease of the full episode.

Which, is out right now! Check out the links below to listen to S1E1 – Paper Mario and subscribe to Chapter Select!

Chapter Select Easter Egg Twitter Thread

Chapter Select: Season 0, Episode 2 – The Last of Us Part II (CtS Edition)

In this inaugural test season of Chapter Select, Max and Logan dig into Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us. Hot off the heels of its release in 2020, we sink our teeth into Naughty Dog’s divisive sequel. Did PlayStation’s top team capture earn the “Part II” in the title? How does The Last of Us Part II affect the legacy of the first game?

Continue reading “Chapter Select: Season 0, Episode 2 – The Last of Us Part II (CtS Edition)”

Chapter Select: Season 0, Episode 1 – The Last of Us (CtS Edition)

In this inaugural test season of Chapter Select, Max and Logan dig into Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us. Weeks before the release of the sequel, Logan and Max replayed the PS3’s swan song to explore how it aged and explore its impact on the video game industry in the past seven years.

Continue reading “Chapter Select: Season 0, Episode 1 – The Last of Us (CtS Edition)”

Part IV: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Welcome to Part IV of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.

I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode dives into the rapid, slammed development of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. From pre-production to release in just 15 months, The Lost Legacy is a marvel to explore. I hope you enjoy.

Continue reading “Part IV: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy”

Part III: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Welcome to Part III of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.

I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode is all about the non-stop development of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. I also dig into how the team designed Nathan Drake’s final game. I hope you enjoy.

Continue reading “Part III: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End”

Part II: The Last of Us

Welcome to Part II of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.

I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode discusses how Naughty Dog managed developing for two console generations, as well as how much of an impact The Last of Us had for the studio. I hope you enjoy.

Continue reading “Part II: The Last of Us”

The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era

Welcome to the audiobook version of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.

What started out as an idea to explore the history of The Last of Us Part II has (in a Naughty Dog-like fashion) turned into something more ambitious than I anticipated. I want to take a look at Naughty Dog’s PS4 legacy; analyze their game design, explore their developmental history, and compile it all in one place. The Last of Us Part II didn’t just happen out of thin air. It is a sum of years of hard work, lessons learned, and the tireless pursuit of perfectionism.

How did Naughty Dog actually pull it off though? What lessons did they learn, implement, and explore on the PS4? What did it cost their team, both personally and professionally? How has their PS4 catalog defined the studio in a way no previous generation has?

Chasing the Stick is also available online at MaxFrequency.net and as an e-book. Check out the links below to download your preferred format for free.

Website

Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era

E-Book

ePub
Mobi
PDF

Charts

Sony First Party Releases
Sony First Party Metacritic Scores
Sony First Party Metacritic Averages
Sony First Party Metacritic Averages with Three or More Releases

Sources

Raindrop.io Bookmark Folder with all cited sources

You may reach out to me on Twitter @MaxRoberts143 or via e-mail at max@maxfrequency(dot)net