Language English No. of episodes 73 | Length One hour (average) | |
Hosted by Kris Straub and Paul Verhoeven Genre Comedy, news, video games, talk show Opening theme "28 Plays Later Theme" composed by Austin Wintory, performed by Colorado Symphony Orchestra as of February 29th, 2016. | ||
28 Plays Later is a weekly podcast which reviews video games, discusses gaming culture, and hosts interviews. The series was created in 2015 by cartoonist Kris Straub and broadcaster Paul Verhoeven. Paul and Kris also function as the hosts of the podcast. The podcast, which is recorded remotely though Skype, focuses on a particular game Kris and Paul have been playing, often used as a jumping off point to discuss the medium at large, as well as comedy. Each episode opens with a sketch comedy segment about the topic of the week. Frequently, the duo will also interview a guest with some pop culture significance.
Contents
Production
28 Plays Later is produced by Straub through his company Chainsawsuit Studios LLC. The orchestral theme "28 Plays Later Theme" was composed by Austin Wintory, performed by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and released September 30, 2015. Before this, 28 Plays Laters theme was "Green Screen" by Nicolas Major.
On October 31, 2015 28 Plays later had its first live show in Melbourne as part of the gaming convention PAX Australia . They had a hand-knitted 28 Plays Later logo courtesy of Melbourne artist Chiliphilly, and special musical guests Tripod performed an original track, and a piece they composed for the Assassin's Creed Syndicate soundtrack.
Alongside the live PAX Australia show, there has also been a live recording at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne, where Paul and Kris tested out new material and invited listeners along for a meet-and-greet. The pair performed at Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle (Aug 2016), and will be performing live at PAX Australia with recurring special guests Tripod (band).
Guests
Guests of the podcast have included Judy Blume, Xavier Woods, Austin Wintory, MC Frontalot, Harrison Ford, Griffin McElroy of Polygon, Tripod (band) and Charlotte Crosby.
Other guests have included Verhoeven's father, a frequent guest, and Paul's girlfriend, Tegan Higginbotham.
Reception
28 Plays Later has been an editor's pick on iTunes and has reached #4 on the gaming podcast charts. On April 24, 2015, 28 plays Later was the 39th most popular podcast in Australia according to iTunes Chart. The AU Review said of the show "Between the inherent absurdity of the industry, overblown fan reactions creating news and the hosts’ own surreal, hyper-literate senses of humour, 28 Plays is one of the very best gaming pods available today."