Episode 388: Off To E3 Again

It’s the last episode before the start of E3, which both Jonah and Paul will be attending, as Paul fantasizes about having some fancy footwear for the conference.

The abbreviated episode includes the following news:

  • The $100 headset uses controversial electric shocks to make you a better gamer
  • Oculus unveils final model of the Rift, due early 2016
  • Xbox One exclusives Crackdown, Scalebound and Quantum Break will skip E3 for Gamescom

Question of the Week this time is, “Do you prefer a silent or voiced protagonist?”

0 thoughts on “Episode 388: Off To E3 Again”

  1. @electroshock headset: Why? I can’t fathom why anyone would pay $100 to do this on purpose.

    @VR horror survival: I think this is a good idea, and I thought DayZ was a survivor horror game. I do tend to get jumpy with various mobs from different games so having it VR would be even worse.

    I wanted to give my impressions of E3, I have to say that Bethesda just knocked it out of the park day one. I was admittedly on the fence about Fallout 4, I wasn’t sure I wanted to even look at it. Then Todd Howard took to the stage and converted me to a rabid fanatic of Fallout 4. He did a fantastic job of building up and revealing the various features of the game. Showing the great detail of character creation, adding that you can play as a woman (to be fair you can do so in all Fallout games). Then the sheer amount of vibrant color which goes a long way to look better than the drab colors of Fallout 3. Then he went into the sheer amount of weapon customization and then stated “oh and you can build settlements” at which point I lost it and had to have this game. Then he revealed you can have a real freaking Pip boy!

    After that presentation everything else just felt lack luster. Even the lovely rendered Doom just failed to impress me. When Adam Sessler asked what’s different about this Doom? They then stated that it was speed and weapons, which to me is what every FPS has or aspires to have. FPS in general just doesn’t make me happy, building does and adding THAT to Fallout 4 is like making it an entirely different game.

    I will most likely be building settlements across the wasteland like I’m building a new Civilization. I may end up forgetting the main story entirely as I will be busying acting like I’m playing a modded Civ game to look like Fallout.

    I saw the Hololens which is a great concept and idea, but it seemed like the control of it was a little rough there. I’ve been told this game is 2x the size of Skyrim, one developer spent 4oo hours exploring and was still finding new things. So I suspect Jonah may not want to play this.

    I do like when you guys have Genre talk like the D&D, Vampire Masquerade, and Dr Who.

    QotW: I think I prefer a voiced character, someone who has an identity. The blank slate is nice but I feel like I need a complete story and knowing that my character never says anything can feel kind of gimmicky at times, especially when other characters are basically having to be your voice.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Post

Our New Casual Games StoreOur New Casual Games Store

Every now and again we mention casual games on our Gaming Podcast and we’ve taken the opportunity to open a little store to sell some casual game titles. Our store is located at BuyCasualGames.com and carries titles publishes and distributed by Big Fish Games.

Lot’s of folks have found the games Big Fish publishers are great quality titles for a low cost (as casual games should be). We’ve been working with Big Fish Games for a few years on CasualGamerChick so we’re extending that to its own little website. If you’re looking to pickup a few casual games, this is a great way to get familiar with some titles.

A new game arrives each day and we have free downloadable trials that gamers can test drive before they commit on a purchase. If you’re into the casual gaming scene and want to help support us, use buycasualgames.com for all your casual gaming needs!

Robbie Bach says: There Will Be Multiple VictorsRobbie Bach says: There Will Be Multiple Victors

It’s amazing to think we’re in our third year of “next generation” console bliss. Three years have passed since the first Xbox 360 shipped, for good or bad, and it’s time to start thinking about the future.

Or is it?

Bobbie Bach, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices president, seems to believe this generation of consoles will expand out further than the typical four-year release cycle. Perhaps because the console developers have invested so much money in defeating each other in the market and making their console “number one” in the eyes of their investors.

Bach does not believe we’re cresting on the current generation, that is for certain, and we’ve yet to hear any hype over a new next-generation console from Microsoft. They were the first to market so, theoretically, they should be the first in the next-generation as well, right?

Their move to be number one was really a strategic attack which has paid out well, leading them above the past domination of Sony and Nintendo before it. However, they are holding strong with the Xbox 360 and there might be cause to sit tight and let this generation playout before bringing in another piece of hardware.

Bach stated that he believes consoles today are competing at different levels than ten years ago. There isn’t one clear winner, there isn’t one dominating console. There will be victors in different areas of the industry; casual consoles, top game sellers, best graphics and others. It’s not about sheer “units sold” it’s more about being profitable and building a community around your hardware, see Xbox Live as a great example.

Next generation will be full of fantastic new features, ways to connect and crazy hardware specifications, no doubt, but… for many of us, it will take years before we forget the pain and suffering we paid shipping our dead Xbox 360’s back to Microsoft for repairs. Would you be willing to buy into their next generation as their first customer?

(Thanks, 1up)

E3 Needs FanboysE3 Needs Fanboys

It’s official, E3 would be a lively show if they packed a few fanboys into the press events to cheer on their favorite brands. As Microsoft’s Peter Moore said it, “let’s invite the community. With the right planning, involving our biggest fans in E3 would bring back some of the raw passion the event has lost.” (kotaku)

The offhand comment may not go as unnoticed as those the rest of the blogging community have been making. It seems most “normal gamers” are telling the industry E3 needs more fans to liven the show, but it’s going to take “top executive” like Peter Moore and others to make it a reality.

Imagine going to a rock concern where all the fans are critics waiting to see your performance, stoned faced and unexcited. Obviously your show is going to be a little limp in comparison than a stage full of crazy fans excited to hear anything at all from you.

We’re not saying to bring in 100,000 ravaging fans, we’re just asking for a few rows of excited fanboys to help cheer everyone on. The show would be less flat if you knew you were going on stage to present information you’re fans have been waiting to hear.

E3 doesn’t have to be another Woodstock nor does it have to be an staged audition with critics waiting for you to screw up.