Erik Wolpaw, writer Portal 1 & 2.

Erik Wolpaw, writer Portal 1 & 2.

My guest today is Erik Wolpaw, the American writer for some of the funniest video games yet made. In the nineties he and a friend founded the website Old Man Murray, a satirical online publication that poked fun at video gaming’s sacred cows, and established a tone still prevalent across the internet today. The site was read by Gabe Newell, creator of Half-Life, who later hired both writers.


At Valve my guest collaborated on a new game in which a vindictive artificial intelligence chastises players as they solve a series of puzzle rooms using a gun that fires warp points. Portal became a smash hit; Stephen Merchant, co-creator of The Office, voiced a character in the sequel. Today my guest continues to work as a semi-retired contractor for Valve. “In defense of games, I want to point out that the writing in plays, including everything by August Strindberg and The Lion King, is 100% pure crap,” he once joked. “So, we’re doing better than they are, even though they have the benefit of mostly not being about space marines.”


Play the console:



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Episoder(180)

David Wilson, former Director of Communications, PlayStation. (LIVE @ WASD)

David Wilson, former Director of Communications, PlayStation. (LIVE @ WASD)

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Pierre Novellie, comedian.

Pierre Novellie, comedian.

My guest today is a stand-up comedian, writer, radio host and podcaster. Born in South Africa, his family then moved to the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. He studied Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic langu...

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Jennifer Hale, voice actor (Mass Effect, Metal Gear Solid, Knights of the Old Republic, Cinderella)

Jennifer Hale, voice actor (Mass Effect, Metal Gear Solid, Knights of the Old Republic, Cinderella)

My guest today is a is a Canadian American actor for video games, television and film. Born in Labrador in Canada, she soon moved to Alabama in the United States, where, as a teenager, she began worki...

2 Okt 20231h 10min

Kieron Gillen, comic book author (Star Wars, X-Men, Iron Man, DIE).

Kieron Gillen, comic book author (Star Wars, X-Men, Iron Man, DIE).

My guest today is an award-winning creator and writer of comic books. Born into a Staffordshire working-class family, he was a student of Applied Biology at Bath University when he started contributin...

25 Sep 20231h 16min

Annabel Ashalley-Anthony, founder Melanin Gamers.

Annabel Ashalley-Anthony, founder Melanin Gamers.

My guest today is a British-Ghanaian writer and advocate for inclusion and diversity in the video game industry. Having graduated from the University of Westminster with a degree in creative writing w...

18 Sep 20231h 10min

Clint Hocking, creative director (Splinter Cell, Far Cry 4, Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin's Creed Infinity)

Clint Hocking, creative director (Splinter Cell, Far Cry 4, Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin's Creed Infinity)

My guest today is a Canadian video game designer and director. After graduating from the University of British Columbia with an MFA in creative writing, he joined Ubisoft Montreal where he co-wrote th...

11 Sep 20231h 21min

Peter Molyneux O.B.E., video game designer (Populous, Theme Park, Fable).

Peter Molyneux O.B.E., video game designer (Populous, Theme Park, Fable).

My guest today is an English video game designer and programmer. In 1984 he designed The Entrepreneur, a simulation game about running a start-up company. When it sold just two copies, however, my gue...

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Frank Lantz, founding chair, NYU Game Center.

Frank Lantz, founding chair, NYU Game Center.

My guest today is a game designer and Founding Chair of New York University’s Game Center. An influential writer, speaker, and thinker on video games he has taught generations of emerging young design...

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