This week is another bountiful podcast as the crew has a surprisingly long discussion about this week’s Gaming Flashback, Make Trax. The guys also discuss 1990’s kids shows like Reading Rainbow and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? The contest winner for a copy of Magicka is also revealed, as some magical books are discussed.
In the news:
- Rumor: Wii U will cost Nintendo $180 and retail for $300
- Online petition calls for end to Tera ‘censorship’ in EU
- Videogame-only Kickstarter alternative debuting at E3 2012
- NPD: 40% of freemium players pay for in-game upgrades
Interestingly enough, the day after the podcast was recorded, the gore slider issue was resolved.
We also have some great Reader Feedback, but no contest or question this week. Sorry, folks!
Microsoft Settles 
If you’re in the New York area, you’ll have a chance to meet CEO Mike Morhaime and executive VP of product development Frank Pearce. They’ll be a New York Best Buy signing copies of the title if you’re lucky to be in the area and plan to go out at midnight to get it. We’re not that lucky, but we’re also not standing in line this year for an event.
@Wii U will cost Nintendo $180 and retail for $300
Well, while the profit margin seems big, hardware is not the only cost associated with the device. Me thinks that they can lower the price all the way to 220 USD, if they need to get the attention of the market.
@Online petition calls for end to Tera ‘censorship’ in EU
Wow! From “Mature” to 12+! Wow!
Dan, loved the “vote with the wallet” point.
Jonah, you are right, Germany does have stricter rules regarding violence in video games.
@Videogame-only Kickstarter alternative debuting at E3 2012
What about indiegogo? Don’t get me wrong, websites that concentrate donations will work ok, but there are already enough of them.
As for buying ownership over a part of the game via a website, with no legal advisors … erm … I see an epic fail ahead.
No developer with the slightest sense of business will accept this.
Ukraine was part of the USSR, and broke off in early ’90 (when most former USSR counties broke off as well).
@NPD: 40% of freemium players pay for in-game upgrades
I think this will vary from game to game. I’d say that 40% pay for upgrades in the best (both quality and market segmentation) games, and the percentage drops for the other games.
@Wii U – Not much to say about this, but the more I see about Wii U the more I realize they’re going for the same strategy of catering for casual gamers. Which is all good ( I am a very casual gamer when it comes to consoles ), but as a dust covered Wii owner I’m just not sure Ill go for it again.
@Tera online petition – I am a MMO gamer, I love sandbox action based MMOs like Tera is supposed to be, but I didn’t like what I saw of Tera so far, the game just looks like a Korean Care Bear fest…
That said, I think the problem here is the wrong rating in EU, in a nutshell it is a game based on combat, war and killing… Games with the same concept but less cartoonish graphics have 18+ ratings here so I really don’t understand this 12+.
@Video game only Kickstarter – I don’t really see much point in here, a few years back gamers and developers were struggling to get more attention to their entertainment platform, and now instead of showing everyone how much games are valued we want to do fund raising in a niche community-based project? I do understand there are differences between this and Kickstarter, but there I think Kickstarter allows all this anyway.
Don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing, but most of the time I can’t tell who is talking, except Paul. Thanks for wishing me luck. Also, everyone does their GCSEs at 15. A quick google search would have given you:
“The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education”
My country is normally behind the times, so I remember dial-up internet too. Anyway, I’m not going to comment on the news because I need to go study Physics and Geography for tomorrow.
To reinforce the point made by Paul on the last episode (VGRT – best podcast), VGRT was not the first podcast that I came across. I tried a whole bunch of them but non suited me. One was 2 hours long and they just went on about which chick will be topless next in True Blood and how they had fun playing COD. Another was aimed at the South American religious community. I stopped at VGRT because you deliver whats important to me: the news. Plus, reader feedback makes the podcast that much more involving.
@Wii U and profits
Won’t be buying it on day one. Not after the 3DS fiasco. Even now there are only 10 or so games that are worth buying here in Europe. I regret not buying a Japanese 3DS. At least that would give me an import option. I will wait untill the Wii U drops in price. Examine the game library. See if it’s worth buying (if it lives long enough).
@ Tera’s censorship
I generally dislike censorship. I don’t mind my games with sex, blood and other naughty themes. Good to hear that the issue got resolved. I might even play it if I live through my exams.
@Freemium games
I played quite a few freemium games in my time. Hell, I was there when the whole thing started to get popular. But I can see why people leave freemium gaming. Most games I played give a lot of advantage to the paying customer. Special skills. Fancy weapons. If you don’t pay, you will feel left out. However, by paying for a free game you are foced to commit to extracting your moneys worth out of it. And games like RPG can get very boring and tedious in the long run.
PS: Thank you for the Magicka code.
PPS: Paul is Ukranian? I’m Russian. But I live in UK. I suppose I am sort off like Paul but on the eastern hemisphere.
its been a while since I didn’t listen or commented on the podcast because of my minecraft server management but its good to see the podcast still up and running, keep it up guys ,i have no time to comment about the news though coz I’m in boracay