Superman gets a global “anniversary,” gamers are being recruited into real-world systems, and video games keep chasing a version of realism that doesn’t quite exist. This week, Media Mothership drifts through fandom rituals, game design oddities, and the strange ways fictional worlds start to feel real.
Explore the craft behind Battlefield’s sound design, why pausing a game isn’t as simple as it seems, what Dune: Awakening is doing differently, and how actors like Peter Capaldi and Mark Hamill think about who really owns a character.
This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 17 April 2026.
For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From research on “cognitive surrender” in AI use to failures with AI-written criticism, the discussion considers whether thinking itself is being outsourced. A jump-scare warning app raises questions about pre-empting emotional experience, while Stephen King’s comparison of Donald Trump to The Dead Zone highlights how fiction frames political reality.

For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/. Video episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVt

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

April Fools in gaming, Nintendo’s expanding media world, and why Democracy Manifest remains an enduring viral moment. This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 2nd April 2026.
For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/.

Links:

Thousands of Chinese social media users change profile photos to Kris Jenner

From Missy Higgins to a succulent Chinese meal, these are the 2026 Sounds of Australia

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Adds ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ Guy

‘Democracy manifest’: Anatomy of a viral moment

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re joined by Dr Emerald King and PhD candidate Ashley Reminga from the University of Tasmania to explore the world of cosplay. We cover the upcoming events including the cosplay competition at the video game event, Level Up Tasmania, and then some of the bigger questions around how cosplay functions as performance, identity, play and fan expression. And we tackle the biggest question: why are cat ears everywhere? From Nekomimi to global cosplay trends, we explore how a simple accessory became a powerful symbol of play, identity, and pop culture.

This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 26 March 2026.
For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/. Video episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/sisvi_z2_Ng

LINKS:

gender bending anime survey: https://surveys2.utas.edu.au/index.php/151748?lang=en

LevelUp Tasmania event: https://www.screen.tas.gov.au/leveluptasmania/program

and cosplay competition https://www.emeraldlking.com/levelupcosplay

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newly discovered Doctor Who episodes reveal how fragile, accidental, and improvised early television really was. In this episode, we dig into the first 1963 Dalek story alongside its DVD commentary track, where producers and directors reflect on how the show was actually made.
This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 19 March 2026.
For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/. Video episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/sisvi_z2_Ng

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debates over the satire of Tropic Thunder to politicians sharing videogame footage from War Thunder as real combat, the boundaries between entertainment, politics and propaganda are increasingly blurred. We also examine claims that videogames are losing the “war for attention”, the global rise of K-pop and Asian cultural influence.
This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on March 12, 2026.
For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/. Video episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVt

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A round-up of unusual pop culture stories over the last few weeks: fandom chaos, strange marketing from fictional corporations, lost gaming history, and the weird ways technology keeps surprising us.
This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studio in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 5 March 2026.
For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/. Video episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVt

Links
South Korean Police Lose Seized Crypto By Posting Password Online https://gizmodo.com/south-korean-police-lose-seized-crypto-by-posting-password-online-2000728191

Visibly increased “capsule toy section” 200 stores per year, a sharp increase https://0115765.com/archives/174055

Only 50 floppy disks of this prototype Japanese visual novel were ever produced, and one just got destroyed in transit: 'Today, an important piece of history has been lost forever'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/visual-novel/only-50-floppy-disks-of-this-prototype-japanese-visual-novel-were-ever-produced-and-one-just-got-destroyed-in-transit-today-an-important-piece-of-history-has-been-lost-forever/

Resident Evil’s Umbrella Corporation files fictional copyright infringement lawsuit against ramen maker Nissin
https://automaton-media.com/en/news/resident-evils-umbrella-corporation-files-fictional-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-against-ramen-maker-nissin/

Capcom's latest Resident Evil promotional stunt is a bizarre fictional lawsuit from the Umbrella Corporation aimed at the makers of Cup Noodles https://www.pcgamer.com/games/resident-evil/capcoms-latest-resident-evil-promotional-stunt-is-a-bizarre-fictional-lawsuit-from-the-umbrella-corporation-aimed-at-the-makers-of-cup-noodles/

'Walter Sends His Wishes' — Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad Fans Are Destroying Each Other's Ratings as Part of a Review Bomb War https://www.ign.com/articles/walter-sends-his-wishes-game-of-thrones-and-breaking-bad-fans-are-destroying-each-others-ratings-as-part-of-a-review-bomb-war

'Floor796' Is Your Pop-Culture Happy Place Where Every Fandom Lives Together in Harmony (and Chaos)
https://cheezburger.com/10581208320/floor796-is-your-pop-culture-happy-place-where-every-fandom-lives-together-in-harmony-and-chaos

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artist and HAM magazine editor Alex Poljansek joins the show to discuss independent publishing, comics and manga, and how local art scenes generate cultural influence ahead of his upcoming arts residency position in France.

Links
https://www.instagram.com/ham_magazine/
https://ham-magazine.bigcartel.com/
https://www.instagram.com/rockstar_mode/
https://www.instagram.com/hold.ye.horses/

This episode was recorded live at Edge Radio 99.3FM studios in Hobart Tasmania, and first aired on 27 Feb 2026.
For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ and https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ Video episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3opBhNiZmthw64squzl9bTBOAm10LoVt

Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.