Episode 400: So Long, Paul

Well, the fateful day has come on this landmark podcast, as Paul says farewell as a regular podcast host. We can all look back at Jonah’s debut in episode 200, with the knowledge that the next episode will make him the longest running host or co-host on the show – and that’s just scary. A former host leaves a message as well.

This week’s news includes:

  • Creator of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is crowdfunding a fighting game
  • Xbox head discusses why Final Fantasy 14 is not on Xbox One
  • Pachter: “The console installed base is as big as it’s ever going to get”
  • Andrew House: the PS4 is struggling against censorship in China
  • Analyst: 30 million VR headsets by 2020

The Question of the Week: “What’s the creepiest videogame you ever played?”

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Episode 260: CivilizationsEpisode 260: Civilizations

This week is packed full of gaming goodness, as the winner of the Civilization V contest is revealed. If that weren’t enough, the news items for the week invoked a lot of conversation:

  • New Halo 4 multiplayer details revealed
  • EA dismisses “big layoffs” claim, always “growing and morphing”
  • Rumor: Microsoft finding new ways to “monetize” Xbox Live

The podcast also features some great, heartwarming Reader Feedback as well as a new contest to win a code for Magicka. The question of the week, “What books featuring magic do you like the best?”

Episode 465: No FrillsEpisode 465: No Frills

This week’s episode is raw and unedited, since Jonah’s laptop got fried. However, despite the audio issues and being posted via cell phone, the gang got off a pretty good show.

This week’s news includes:

  • Overwatch pro ends career with stream of racial slurs
  • Don’t expect Kingdom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy 7 remake until at least 2018
  • DOTA 2 will soon require competitors to cough up their phone number
  • Report: PlayStation VR bundle will come with required camera and one Move controller

The Question of the Week: “What kind of VR game would you want to play?”

Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?

The same company that brought us the NES Advantage has proven the Wii control scheme isn’t as bad as critics speculated. The beauty of adding the “waggle” technology is limiting your button count to a reasonable level without overwhelming gamers.

We’re seeing casual gaming on the rise both in the press and in the public. Yet, each “next generation” console brings new features and functionality to the consoles, games and accessories. Since NES birthed the SNES we’ve seen button count increase on controllers.

Nintendo has usually been conservative on buttons, trying to work “shape” over sheer volume of buttons, barring the C button count on the N64 controller. Nintendo controllers change shape with each generation and they’ve evolved, not innovated, their way around with the Wii control scheme. Each function of the controller exists, on its own, in other products but nobody has built a fully functional controller in such a way for a game console until now.

Sony took pieces of this concept in their PS3 controller and its ability to detect “tilt.” Xbox 360 stuck with the beefy controller with lots of buttons and analog sticks. Not just a D-Pad but two analog sticks and a ton of buttons to press, some pressure sensitive as well. What of our next-generation console? Maybe a few new buttons?

Or, maybe a few new motions? Wii evolved the control scheme and Sony validated their decision, what’s next? Are the controllers just too damn complicated in today’s world? Or, perhaps limiting the buttons brings in more gamers, like Grandma and Grandpa, to play your console as well.

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