Episode 421: Pursuit of Happiness

This week’s episode morphs from a discussion about abusive workplace practices to pharmaceutical company practices. Otherwise, it’s just a discussion about the games people play and the people who play them. Also, a bunch of pop culture discussion.

This week’s news includes:

  • GameStop to launch video game publishing division
  • Sources leak potential Nintendo NX and controller specs online
  • Nintendo’s cloud-like patent approved
  • Ark: Survival Evolved lawsuit settled

The Question of the Week, “What games are you looking forward to this coming Summer?”

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Episode 241: Air QuotesEpisode 241: Air Quotes

This week features a long podcast, as there’s a ton of news to report. Jonah tries air quotes on a pure audio podcast, while Paul refuses to believe The Legend of Zelda: Skyword Sword failed to hit the top 10 in software sales.

In addition, the Gaming Flashback checks out the JRPG Ys.

This week’s news includes:

  • Ubisoft polling gamers for next Assassin’s Creed setting
  • Electronic Arts bans a user for saying “badass”
  • Newell: Piracy is “almost always a service problem” and not price, DRM agitates
  • Christwire makes mock petition asking Pres. Obama ban Skyrim
  • Holiday shopping madness sees woman pepper spraying for 360
  • Microsoft refunds victims of Marketplace phishing scam

All this, and a bunch of reader feedback, as well as the Question of the Week: “Did you buy videogames as holiday gifts for friends and family?” Let us know.

Episode 665: Wild Hearts Can Be BrokenEpisode 665: Wild Hearts Can Be Broken

This episode is a short one as Jonah flies to Los Angeles in the morning. There’s a followup to the Grand Theft Auto 6 leak, and Aaron Judge hits his 61st home run.

The news includes:

  • Wild Hearts announced by EA and Koei Tecmo
  • Alleged Grand Theft Auto 6 hacker pleads not guilty
  • Skull and Bones delayed yet again, now launching March 2023
  • King of Fighters 15 “Samurai Shodown” character DLC launches in early October

Let us know what you think.

Exclusive Artist Deals In Rhythm Games Not Good?Exclusive Artist Deals In Rhythm Games Not Good?

Rhythm games are the new FPS for a lot of gamers, a broader audience of gamers, and the market is thriving and demanding new titles. Harmonix and Activision are at the front of the battle with Konami following a bit behind but still contending (we think) very soon.

Each company plans to up each other with cooler instruments, tighter controls and new in-game options and multi-player fancies. It’s a business and each competitor tries to gain a lead by whatever means needed to win… or do they?

Harmonix stops short when it comes to purchasing exclusive rights to music artists, for now at least. Harmonix’s Eric Brosious went on blogger record saying, “We prefer not to sign exclusive deals with artists because while it seems like the competitive “business” thing to do, in the long run, it’s really not good for anyone. We think we should be working to get more music out to more people.” (kotaku)

As Marky Mark once said, we need “Music for the people” not for in-game exclusives making us choose between Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles. We’ve seen what EA has done to the football franchise by taking control of the NFL roster, money talks and the best game doesn’t always win.

If Activision decides to buy up a ton of great exclusive content and you’re a rock band gamer, you’ll lose out in a ton of great content. For some gamers, that might mean losing out in some artists you’ve never heard before which also means the artist loses out in new fans. We’ve seen younger gamers fall in love with the sounds of Boston and The Police, bands famous way before the birth of many of the Rock Band fan base.

You can tell Harmonix is a development group with roots in music while Activision is a development group with their roots in business. While exclusive access brings you an advantage, in terms of broadening the culture of music, it does very little. Harmonix may be in the right but will that matter in the end when business deals hit the table?

p.s. sorry about the Marky Mark reference, but it had to be done. Bringing out a bit of my own childhood there…