This week’s podcast includes the following news items:
Let us know what you think.
This week’s comments and conversations almost followed a common theme: console hating. The cast explains why they’re not really PC gaming anymore and the frustrations with PC gaming but admits the industry is extremely important. This weeks news includes the following stories:
This weeks question of the week is this: Will gamer parents treat their kids differently in terms of what is acceptable in terms of video game selection, play time and other gaming related activities? Is our perspective that much different?
It’s Contest Time, as Gaming Podcast is giving away a swag bag that includes The Sims 4 and some videogame merch from E3. Most of the 87 minute podcast deals with more E3 talk, and 5 minutes spent on news items.
This week’s news includes:
Let us know what you thought of E3 this week in the comments.
(Must be a continental US resident to win the contest.)
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.
It seems Microsoft is taking some of the concepts from the Nintendo Wii which were poorly implemented due to the lack of any real network community and bring them to live with a more integrated useful system. This proves Nintendo was on the right track but shows off their lack of integration and fear of bringing people together.
“Create, share, and have fun with all of your friends… but avatars are just the beginning. The new Xbox is tailored for the living room. Here we are at the community channel — instead of a list of friends, you actually see them.” (joystiq)
Nintendo’s cute little idea of Mii’s and sharing them with friends was fantastic, a great bullet list feature, but rather useless. Typing in friends codes gets old way too fast and there really isn’t anyway to vocally chat with people on your friends list anyway, so who cares?
Microsoft has proven to know a bit about the community space, has parental controls and a fairly reliable LIVE system for making it all happen. Although Nintendo should look at this with a bit of pride, given duplication is the best form of flattery, they could learn a few things about how to work a community into your console too!
