Episode 281: Weeyoo Seepeeyoo

In this long episode of Gaming Podcast, the show runs long because of the tons of entries made to win a Steam code of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Paul gets upset at Jonah for a topic about the Wii U, while Dan is delighted to say the F-word again. The latest Gaming Flashback is about the oldest coin-op arcade game from 1971, Galaxy Game.

The news includes the following items:

  • Sony drops 3D support, saying customers rejected it
  • Oddworld creator to EA: “F— you very much”
  • Wii U launch developer complains of lackluster CPU
  • Mists of Pandaria sales below expectations according to analyst firm
  • Microsoft enhances security at Xbox offices to stop next-gen leak

Finally, Paul eulogizes Nintendo Power, which is closing its doors after 24 years.

0 thoughts on “Episode 281: Weeyoo Seepeeyoo”

  1. @Sony drops 3D support, saying customers rejected it
    πŸ˜€ really? How about their pricing, can we reject that as well? The main issue with 3D TV for for now is the lack of 3D content (ah, where’s the porn industry when you need it …). Add to that a pricey TV and you start asking yourself if it’s worth it.
    My issue with 3D gaming is that in order to properly display it in 3D, you need to render the scene twice. Basically you need hardware that can do 120fps in plain 2D mode in order to have 60fps in 3D. Don’t know how many can afford buying such gear.

    @Oddworld creator to EA: β€œFβ€” you very much”
    πŸ˜€ I love this guy! As long as he has a good game, there will be somebody willing to distribute it.

    @Wii U launch developer complains of lackluster CPU:
    Oh my … this is definitely not good. They just aimed for a different ergonomics/usage type and forgot about the computing power …
    This reminds me of a particular phone, where the manufacturer focused mostly on user experience, completely forgetting that the device is still a phone that uses radio waves to communicate πŸ˜› *ahem* iPhone 4 *ahem*

    @Mists of Pandaria sales below expectations according to analyst firm
    Well, there’s that many times you can sell the same game again and again πŸ˜›
    Kidding aside, Jonah does provide a very good explanation.

    @Nintendo Power: it’s bound to happen, due to Internet alone; the more specialized magazine (more niche type of market) the faster the printed version will dead.
    I’m with Jordan on this one. Jonah, I send links to my friends …

    @favourite game of the 90’s:
    Jonah, good point with Unreal Tournament, that game was (if you ask me) the bets of the series. Everything from music to weapons felt better than any of the sequels.
    Now, the reason why I went for Quake 3 is (believe it or not) the bots. Play on nightmare any of the maps that has just one bot, and if the hair on the back of your neck stands up due to fear of being fragged, then you might understand. UT was fun, but could not do THAT.

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Activision Blizzard Trying To Scare Off Competition?Activision Blizzard Trying To Scare Off Competition?

A few months ago, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said investing $500 million to a billion still wouldn’t be enough to compete with an MMORPG like World of Warcraft. The MMORPG space is a costly investment and you’d need to really burn a lot of money to start competing against the mega-giant, but Mythic VP and Warhammer Online lead designer Mark Jacobs disagrees with that quote.

Jacobs says $100-million dollars would be needed to start competing against the giant subscription generator that is World of Warcraft. Although few developers are sitting on $100-million USD, it’s a bit more realistic an investment for a studio to scrape up compared to a billion bucks! A billion dollars is a scary number when you consider that’s the start of an investment that may, or may not, pay off in the end.

Kotick may not be using complete scare tactics, he may be working off experience when dealing with MMORPG’s. A startup MMO isn’t a cookie cutter system, there is a lot of development efforts, $100-million dollars worth, but MMO developers slip dates many times. When you start slipping your dates you’ll start burning more money and, before you know it, you’re a billion in the hole. Jacobs thinks $100-million will cover development costs and messing up, so a billion is still way over budget.

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Warhammer Online lead designer did mention one big barrier to entry: the need for “at least half a million subscribers to be successful.”

(Thanks, 1up)