Jonah is in LA, TJ is at EVO, and who knows where Scott is.
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Episode 396: Getting TargetedEpisode 396: Getting Targeted
This week’s episode is very long to make up for the crappiness of last week’s episode, and the crew have fun with the trolling of Target critics this past week.
The news this week includes:
- Guillermo del Toro quits videogame development
- There is no suspend feature for Steam Machines
- Gamescom sets attendance record
- Chinese console crowdfunding project manages to rip off PS4 and Xbox One
This and Listener Feedback.
Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?Are Game Controllers Too Complicated?
The same company that brought us the NES Advantage has proven the Wii control scheme isn’t as bad as critics speculated. The beauty of adding the “waggle” technology is limiting your button count to a reasonable level without overwhelming gamers.
We’re seeing casual gaming on the rise both in the press and in the public. Yet, each “next generation” console brings new features and functionality to the consoles, games and accessories. Since NES birthed the SNES we’ve seen button count increase on controllers.
Nintendo has usually been conservative on buttons, trying to work “shape” over sheer volume of buttons, barring the C button count on the N64 controller. Nintendo controllers change shape with each generation and they’ve evolved, not innovated, their way around with the Wii control scheme. Each function of the controller exists, on its own, in other products but nobody has built a fully functional controller in such a way for a game console until now.
Sony took pieces of this concept in their PS3 controller and its ability to detect “tilt.” Xbox 360 stuck with the beefy controller with lots of buttons and analog sticks. Not just a D-Pad but two analog sticks and a ton of buttons to press, some pressure sensitive as well. What of our next-generation console? Maybe a few new buttons?
Or, maybe a few new motions? Wii evolved the control scheme and Sony validated their decision, what’s next? Are the controllers just too damn complicated in today’s world? Or, perhaps limiting the buttons brings in more gamers, like Grandma and Grandpa, to play your console as well.
Episode 299: Here Comes the PS4Episode 299: Here Comes the PS4
This week is heavy on content on the PlayStation 4 unveiling as the next-generation approaches for both Sony and Microsoft – there’s no room for Nintendo in this episode. Nor is there a lot of Reader, er, Listener Feedback, nor any Gaming Flashback.
This week’s major news includes:
- Sony unveils PS4 at “See the Future”
- Sony: Pre-owned game blockage “up to publishers” on PS4
- Fans express outrage at offline/LAN play for console version of Diablo III
- Rumor: Microsoft revealing next-gen console in April
- GameSpy, UGO, 1UP say farewell
- Activision to have “fewer” licensed games out in 2013
The Question of the Week is “What was the first videogame periodical or site you enjoyed?”