Episode 544: Kickstarter Fraud

This podcast deals with the shady dealings of a Kickstarter — no Gaming Flashback this week though.

The news includes:

  • An ambitious GTA Online-alike won’t be allowed to finish its Kickstarter campaign
  • Tetris Effect headed to PC next week via Epic Games Store
  • Joy-Con drift is becoming a real problem on the Switch

Let us know what you think.

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Gaming Podcast 205: Scary PoopGaming Podcast 205: Scary Poop

This week’s gaming podcast includes a gaming flashback on Rock N Roll Racing, a game that was very close to the game Derrick thought about last week. We’ve got community comments, as the usual, and a few good news articles that emphasis hacking:

  • PS3 Hacking Begins in Earnest, and Sony “Looking Into” It
  • Mac App Store Cracked
  • Microsoft Thinks PC Kinect Hacks are “Cool
  • Nintendo 3DS to Have 3-8 Hours Battery Life
  • Interplay Calls Bethesda’s Legal Claims Absurd
  • Lord of the Rings Online Triples Profit

The focus on security and hacking brings out the emotions in this episode, we’re sure you’ll have a few things to say about it as well. Say on young warriors! (and warriorette’s). This weeks question of the week: What non-game features do you enjoy on your videogame console, and what features do you find useless?

Rock Band 2, Song Tracks and InstrumentsRock Band 2, Song Tracks and Instruments

The latest news on the Rock Band 2 front covers the instruments and a few confirmed song tracks. There have been rumors flying around the Internet about the “leaked song tracks” for the next release with absolutely no confirmation. Now, however, we have solid proof on some tracks and some equipment changes.

First, all instruments are backwards compatible. That’s key to the success of Rock Band because fans of the original ponied up a lot of bones to grab themselves the original Rock Band kit. However, there is an incentive to upgrade your equipment in some regards.

If you like the original Rock Band guitar you’re going to love the new one if only for the color updates, wood grain and actual look and feel of a real guitar not a “toy.” As you’d expect (or hope) the new guitar will be wireless, finally, and will have a sturdy strum bar with even quieter buttons. Wireless alone is a great selling point but quiet buttons is important for folks like me who play the guitar like it was a jackhammer and can easily interrupt the drummers concentration during a difficult set.

The drum kit has been improved as well, with a re-enforced foot pedal to avoid the ease of breaking the plastic “toy” version of Rock Band original. As a person who’s busted up their drum petal and forked out cash on eBay for a wood solution, this is more great news. The drum kit will also be wireless which is great for those of you, like myself, who have kids that run through your line of site or dance while you’re playing. Nobody likes their Xbox 360 being flung off the shelve due to tripped cords.

The drum kit will have quieter pads and a velocity sensor; again, your old kit is still usable without these enhancements but the desire to upgrade if you’re a dedicated fan will be high.

The song tracks currently confirmed:

  • “Panic Attack” — Dream Theater
  • “Chop Suey” — System of a Down
  • “Everlong” — Foo Fighters
  • “Kids in America” — The Muffs
  • “Give it Away” — Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • “Ace of Spades” — Motörhead
  • “Hello There” — Cheap Trick
  • “Pump it Up” — Elvis Costello
  • “Anyway You Want It” — Journey
  • “Pinball Wizard” — The Who

This is a great indication to where Rock Band 2 is going, mixing up a great selection of artists with classic hits like Anyway You Want It and Pinball Wizard to newer late generation X music like Give it Away and Chop Suey. Talented artists like Dream Theater are sure to keep Rock Band 2 a challenge to all gamers.

Other great improvements being a World Tour mode now accessible online and the removal of the “Band Leader” concept which always locked you into an instrument once you created a band.

NOTE: Xbox 360 will have a timed exclusive on Rock Band 2, arriving later in the year for the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3.

Checkout the full feature set so far explained at Kotaku.

Episode 650: Walking SimulatorsEpisode 650: Walking Simulators

This week’s episode looks at the progenitor of all walking simulator games, Dear Esther, in this week’s Gaming Flashback. They also discuss the upcoming Game Pass games for May as well as voice masking on the Playstation 3 and Xbox. In addition, Scott discusses Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, the spinoff of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes that was crowdfunded on Kickstarter.

The news includes:

  • EA Sports officially ends FIFA partnership after 30 years of games
  • Starfield and Redfall have been delayed
  • Sony reportedly “will not approve any statements” from PlayStation studios on reproductive rights
  • Alan Wake developer Remedy provides update on five projects in pipeline

Let us know what you think.