This episode was recorded on short notice thanks to last week’s late posting, so the Listener Feedback that responded to 382 couldn’t make it here. Paul and Jonah discuss some board games with remarkably similar themes they played in the past few days. Paul also waits for his compensation for The Sims Freeplay.
The news of the week includes:
- Microsoft discontinues Kinect for Windows
- Microsoft says open source Windows is “definitely possible”
- OnLive shuts down streaming games service, sells patents to Sony
- Mario Maker gets release date
No Listener Feedback this week, so the Question of the Week remains the same: “What do you think the future is for old games?”
Microsoft has come out and validated some earlier rumors about Xbox 360 Avatar’s and their 3D dashboard design. Apparently, this is to build more of a community and bring a bit of the Mii-like influence from the Nintendo Wii to the 360 hardware.
This weeks gaming podcast covers a bunch of crazy content, we’re putting out the question, are collectors editions games going a bit too far? Also, a look back at UniRacers, before Rockstar North was known as Rockstar and history on the gameboy and its portable madness.
Now here is another interesting video game for the Atari 2600, the game Dragon Fire consisted of two game screens, one which you ran across a bridge while fireballs were shot at you, you had to duck or jump over the fireball. This screen was a side-scroller style screen (although it doesn’t actually scroll), at the other end of the bridge was a castle door which you’d enter to get to the next screen.
When you finished collecting all the treasure an exit would pop up in the corner and you had to run to it without being burned by the fireballs, that dragon would turn from left to right nearly instantly too! Then, you’d jump into the exit and be back on the bridge again, but this time it was harder. You could die up to 7 times before the game was over (just to show you how hard it is, they gave you a bunch of lives).
@Kinect: I’m glad this gimmick seems to be fading I rather use a remote or get up if I have to. The whole system felt clumsy and as Jonah demonstrated annoying when doing things that have nothing to do with the system. I’m quite content with using controllers, it just feels quicker and more precise.
@Windows open source: It seems to be little more then speculation if they are actually going to do this or if all that has happened is they talked about it. There are people that barely seem to be able to even use a computer let alone meddle with it under the hood.
@Kickstarter: I think this would be a great topic for an episode, I know Paul feels burned out on it but there are successes. Pillar’s of Eternity is just one of many, their’s is probably the best example of it being done right. I looked for games that I wanted to play and this was one of them, and yes I also looked at who was making it so yes choosing “famous” or those already previously successful is exactly what one should take into consideration.
Also a game’s difficulty rating I don’t think deters from the fact that a company that said they would deliver a game did so. I found it hard too but that doesn’t make it a failure of a game or a kickstarter investment. Like with this topic and the previous Windows open source people need to exercise some common sense with these things. Kickstater or crowd funding isn’t a bad idea when it is helping those with good ideas, and knowledge on how to do make it happen but just lack the funds to execute it.
You don’t have to back anything but I don’t think it deserves condemnation as a failure either.
QotW: Back to a topic Paul does like, I think I mentioned that Abadonware would be a good policy to help preserve these old games. You guys are right that we do more to preserve records and history than we have before and it’s a shame that games are facing trouble because of outdated software, license holders, hardware advancements, copyright laws etc.
I love you guys. I listen to you. But I work like a horse for the good of the public. Being an adult sucks.
@QOTW
Not sure. I didn’t get into heavy gaming until 2005 sadly. Eastern Europe had limited access to video games. So a lot of the classics I am playing first time. People fuelled with nostalgia tell me how good Goldenye, Zelda and WoW were. But when I play them I feel they are dated and clunky and not half as fun as modern games. Playing Twilight Princess ruined Ocarina of Time for me. Ocarina didn’t have a lot of modern features that I would expect from a modern game. And I won’t even start on Kingdom Hearts.
Only a few games contain a formula that endures over time. Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Halo are all still good games. But because of that they are re-released a lot, and I would rather play their modern descendants. So I would say on the future, Retro gaming will become a niche part of gaming, much like a genre. You will play it if you like it. Wider gaming public will ignore it and those games that have good gameplay would be updated every other year. Wait up for Mario Kart 15 and Ultimate Super Smash Bros Tussle.