Another late podcast, as Summer is in sight, and E3 looms ahead. Some minor audio issues with the podcast, but still the same podcast-y goodness we can expect from Paul and Jonah.
The news includes:
All that and Listener Feedback.
The Internet has given us a communication mechanism which allows developers to better understand their audience. You can use community sites to market your content and your brand but you can also use them to better understand your market and bring your strageties and progress to your fans.
Valve Software has taken their latest successful franchise title Team Fortress 2 and followed it up with a website or “blog” which can keep their fans “in the loop.” Teamfortress.com will, no doubt, be the launch pad for much hype, community offerings and up-to-date news about the TF2 game and any updates.
“Now that we’ve settled into regular releases of content, we’ve found ourselves wanting a better way to talk directly to the TF2 community about the state of the game and some of the reasoning behind the choices we’re making. Our hope is that this blog will accomplish that, and give everyone some better insight into our development process as well.” (teamfortress.com)
Now, there is a great chance Valve will use their new launch pad to talk about upcoming games and lead you to demo’s and downloads to the TF2 title; they already link to the valve store to purchase the game. But, blogs bring in users searching for fresh content about the game and give official word to kill any bad rumors.
Call it marketing, call it journalism or developers notes, there is nothing wrong with having one more resource which represents the voice of Valves TF2 development team. Congradulations guys!
This weeks gaming podcast, we’re flashing back to Trade Wars and the Teleplay Modem while learning a bit about our communities ideas about video gaming in prison. We’re checking out a few news tidbits for the week:
This week we’re asking the question: Is it acceptable for older people to play games and when did this become socially acceptable for adults to be gamers?
This week has a full crew again with Jordan, Jonah, Paul and Dan, and even though there’s no Gaming Flashback or Gaming History, there’s a ton of news to pour over.
This week’s news includes:
On a sadder note, Dan announced a day after the podcast recording that he will be employed full-time and no longer have the time to be a regular member of the podcast.
This week’s Question of the Week: “What game do you want to see a sequel to the most?”
@Better Than Life
Above title is a reference to the popular UK TV series Red Dwarf. Better Than Life was a virtual reality headset that rendered anything that you ever dreamed off. However, it was banned because people using Better Than Life would spend all their time in the virtual world and eventually starve and die.
I don’t think VR will fail. Simply because too many big players are investing into it. Microsoft, Facebook, Apple and Sony are all bringing out a separate headset. And no-one can fault them. VR and AR have a lot of potential, especially outside video games.
My experience with AR on the 3DS was limited but I was impressed nonetheless. Seeing your tabletop transform into a fire breathing dragon was pretty cool and it’s sad Nintendo never followed up on this feature.
I think there is so much interest in VR and AR because it was a big sci-fi hook in the 90s. As Paul mentioned, there was the Lawnmower Man. There was also Johny Quest. Now, in 2015, the 90s kids have turned into working adults and are willing to shell out a lot of money for their childhood dreams. If there was ever a time for a VR revolution, it is now.
Will it be as successful as the mobile revolution? Don’t think so. My iPhone is with me wherever I go. But I don’t see taking Oculus Rift on the train. VR and AR devices will be anchored to your house and will probably be as revolutionary as a VHS player. Which is not a bad thing really.
@Thanks a lot Nintendo for region locking your products because I really don’t feel discriminated against because I live in Europe
Wow.That is one sweet Humble Bundle. If only the codes worked outside of US I would probably have more than 2 Wii U games. Thank you Nintendo for catering to ALL your customers.
On a different note, Paul raises a serious point. Since the creation of Humble Bundle and Steam sales I accumulated a lot of games on my Steam account. So far I have properly played maybe 15. Adding it to the countless PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, GBA, DS, 3DS, PSP, Wii and Wii U titles, in terms of playing new games I should be sorted for the next 50 years. And yet I keep buying more. It is turning from a habit into a disorder. But if a game costs £1, as my friend puts it, “I could skip out on that can of coke”. It’s strange. In 2005 here in UK it was almost impossible to find a game under £10. How things have changed.
@World of Warcraft: Broken Wings and Raging Tears
My stance on this topic is that whoever wants to see more content will look for it and therefore not fly. On the other hand, whoever wants to zoom past on his legendary mount “Dragon-Hoof-That-Was-Forged-From-My-Dad’s-Credit-Card”should be free to do so. I don’t see why WoW can’t have both.
Great show guys!
@VR/AR: I think the whole VR thing has been a long time coming, I think it’s been mostly that the hard ware wasn’t easy to use, as pointed out that Mobile phones are. Between clunky headsets, tvs requiring glasses and price tags. I’m still waiting for Holodecks personally. I do like what I have seen with the Altered reality hardware where a virtual bad guy can pop out through your device in your own environment.
@Oh What do you do with the funny little things, they go no wings: (that was reference to the Animated Hobbit movie) I can see why this has made many angry, you give they a great feature something they had been demanding for awhile. Then take it away, talk about pissing in their cornflakes and smiling about it. I remember a area just above Ironforge I could never get to because of the restriction of flying. I, like you Jonah, haven’t played WoW in years but being able to get to these hard to reach places needed flying and now they want to limit that. So you’ll have your taxi but I guess the fancy mounts are all grounded. I don’t think Blizzard can afford to give reasons for people to quit their servers. Several have already commented that they have stopped playing.
@FFXV: This is a series that really does need it’s Final iteration. They’ve gone into a direction I no longer want to follow. It’s a shame too cause it was one of my favorite series. I think it goes with my point when you two can’t keep the latest ones straight.