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 209: Subpoenaing ZeldaGaming Podcast 209: Subpoenaing Zelda

This weeks gaming podcast covers the top game news of the week, a flashback on the video game Gorf and some feedback from the listeners. This weeks news includes:

  • Reggie Fils-Aime Calls Low Priced Apps a “Threat” to the Industry
  • Verizon Stops Taking iPhone Preorders After 17 Hours
  • Harmonix Confirms Layoffs
  • Parent Group Attacks “Your Mom Will Hate Dead Space 2” Ad
  • Halo 1 Being Remade for 360?
  • Sony Wants More Defendants In Rootkey Case

This weeks question of the week: What older game do you want to see a modern remake of most?

Gaming Flashback: Lode RunnerGaming Flashback: Lode Runner

Lode Runner, a game many of us logged hundreds of hours upon. Lode Runner has a great deal of replay value thanks to its great map editor. The game was first published by Broderbund in 1983, but was first prototyped by Douglas Smith, an architecture student at the University of Washington.

The Lode Runner prototype was called Kong and was originally written for a Prime Computer 550 minicomputer on campus, but shortly after it was ported to the VAX minicomputer. Originally programmed in FORTRAN and utilized only ASCII character graphics (the most basic of characters).

In September of 1982 Smith was able to port it to the Apple II+ (in assembly language) and renamed it to Miner. In October of that same year he submitted a rough copy to Broderbund and he’s said to have received a one-line rejection letter, “Sorry, your game doesn’t fit into our product line; please feel free to submit future products.”

The original title had no joystick support and was developed in full black and white…not exactly exciting. So, Smith then borrowed money to purchase a color monitor and joystick and continued to improve the game. Around Christmas of 1982, he submitted the game, now renamed Lode Runner, to four publishers and quickly received offers from all four: Sierra, Sirius, Synergistic, and Brøderbund.

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