Dan Quick returns again to cover for Paul Nowak, and this week, the Gaming Podcast is offering free copies of The Darkness II Limited Edition, which comes with the main game and some free DLC. The guys are giving away an Xbox 360 version and a PlayStation 3 version. To win, just listen to the podcast and post what your favorite scary movie is.
The game news this week includes:
- Ex-SCEE senior VP Phil Harrison joins Microsoft’s European team
- DOOM developer John Romero has “plans” for “old school” shooter
- EA defends Mass Effect 3 From Ashes DLC data being on disc
- Notch settles with Bethesda over “Scrolls” trademark
- DICE: 2GB RAM won’t be enough for next gen consoles
- Angry Birds theme park to open in Finland
- GAME puts itself up for sale, GameStop interested
- Diablo III release date announcement “in a few days“, no PvP in launch version
And yes, they know that the announcement was just made today – May 15th release date for Diablo III.
The contest to win either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version of The Darkness II will run this and next week, with the winners announced in Episode 257.
We’re all used to Sony falling on their face at E3 in the last few years, but, this year, things were different. They’re information was delivered well, they had a great presentation medium using Little Big Planet‘s game engine as a presentation platform over the standard PowerPoint slides and everything went smoothly.
Diablo 3 Lead Designer Jay Wilson sat down with 
Gating the users ability to heal is a classic RPG/Adventure game mechanism for changing the playing field in terms of difficulty. You can make a game with weaker enemies in abundance and still cause you harm, take a look back at Gauntlet in the arcade for an example of this method. You can build challenging enemy styles and dungeon traps to cause the player to mind their step, look at the classic Zelda series and some of their crazy enemies. A great example is the Darknuts from The Legend of Zelda, it was a small knight that could only be attacked from behind but had a sharp little dagger if you bumped them from the front. You had to use tactics to wipe out a full room of Darknuts.
You know, I really like that Dan Quick is replacing Paul when he isn’t around, because a 2 person podcast feels a bit empty to me.
Also, if you ever get to discuss Mass Effect 3 again, please do not spoil the ending for me. I have been avoiding news stories and youtube videos all week. And yes, Mass Effect 3 is incredible, leagues better than the demo.
@QOTW: Damn, I’ve pretty much avoided scary movies my whole life (Why do I have to be so honest?). Seriously, I cannot recall a single horror movie that I have watched. The only movie that I remember being scared while watching was the first Scooby Doo live-action movie released back in 2002 when I was just 6, so I guess that will have to be my entry. I also remember liking it because I think I watched it at least 5 times. I am entering for the PS3 version.
@QOTW: hm tough one but im probably going to have to go with alien. great sci fi and special effects as well as great suspense. of the thing film (the old one not the new one) is up there too.
as a bonus ill throw in my favorite scary game too . metal gear solid 2. if youve played it to the end you know what im talking about =)
0xFF FTW!
Ho can y tell a programmer from a regular dude? You ask them to count in even numbers. The one that goes 2,4,8,16,32 is the programmer.
@Phil Harrison joins Microsoft’s European team:
Microsoft gained my respect with handling the 360 and the kinect. I hope that the new addition is not a bad omen.
@John Romero has “plans” for “old school” shooter
I believe that twitch shooters, considered dead in 2007, will make a comeback around 2014-2015.
Jonah, level design is just as important as the tech powering the game. If you want, I can show you a lot of crapware in CryEngine and plenty of excellent games/maps on 2001 game engines.
@DICE: 2GB RAM won’t be enough for next gen consoles
Ahem, already ranted about it in the comment for the previous episode. As I said, 4GB of RAM were ok for a pc back in 2008, so they should be definitely affordable for consoles in 2012.
@Angry Birds theme park to open in Finland
pure waste of money.
QOTW: Although I love the Alien franchise, I’ll go with “The Birds”, by Hitchcock.
Look up some scenes on youtube.Makes any zombie film look pale, since birds are real.
And evil. And recently … ANGRY!
If I do win, pass along the prize to the runner up, I don’t own any of the consoles and I hardly have the time to play.
QOTW: I think there are four films that distinctly stick out in my mind. The first is “Silent Hill” because of the atmosphere it created. And then when the siren went off and the area pealed away to reveal the horrors beneath…it’s just good stuff (besides the ending). The bathroom scene especially.
The second is “The Omen” the early-2000s remake. It wasn’t so much scary as that it made me jump in the theatre twice. The first time, I kicked my roommate in the back of the head. The second time I hit my seatmate. Good stuff!
The third and fourth are sort of combined. They’re “2001: A Space Odyssey” when HAL gets all crazy (the rest of the film put me to sleep) and, finally, “Sunshine.” That film freaked me out when they first enter the ship and you see flashes from the previous crew. And then again near the end when they’re discussing oxygen levels. Great stuff. I hear “Event Horizon” is pretty good, but can’t remember that film for the life of me.
Keep up the great podcasts, guys! And don’t get sick, haha. (Either version of the Darkness works for me!)
@notch settles with bethesda
at least notch will not have bethesda scumbag lawyers after him… for now
@DICE: 2gb ram future gen consoles is not enough
i see why DICE wants more RAM: in BF3 PC has 64 man maps and consoles have only 24 with now a days consoles… the moar RAm the better!
@Diablo lunch date
oh god is comming!!!! goodbye social live and loved ones, hello diablo III!!!!!!!!!!
@QOTW
Y U NO GIVEAWAY PC VERSION???
i’m very 🙁 with you… jk.
and for the sake of the competition, CHUCK, that crazy doll that kills people and sh*t. i watched that when i was 9 and i could not sleep if my door was not locked and i checked every corner of my room (sister had dolls). scary movie at the time…
YOU BETTER MAKE AN PC VER. OF A GAME NEXT CONTEST… OR ELSE!!!
Hey guys, been a while since I’ve posted, but still listening. I feel like the best way to welcome Paul back, again (possibly), would be to provide him with hate mail.
So Paul, I hate you. I hate you from the bottom of my heart, right next to where the love is created. I hate you so much that I weep at night thinking about how there are people in this world such as yourself. I hate you so much that when I play video games, I name my character after you, then continue to die hundreds of times, hoping that one day, you might just cough, and I will know that my hard work has caused you some grief, no matter how small. I hate you with such a passion, that I pray for everyone of your family members, I pray that one day they may forgive the lord for what he has done to them by giving them, you.
With that said, Jonah, you are my favorite of the three, followed closely by Jordan, then Paul dragging his ass in dead last. But I still love you Paul, and hope all is well if you are, again, missing from the show.
TO THE NEWS!
EA DLC Bullsh*t – I… I just don’t understand what has happened with video game companies. Just put the fucking DLC in with the game. I don’t wanna have to pay for shit that should already be in the game. And the fact that EA seems to try to tip toe around the fact that they are just scumbags makes me angry. Internet angry, of course. Haven’t bought ME3 because I like playing quality titles, and the Mass Effect series doesn’t qualify. However I do own a Wii, so my judgement may be cloudy sometimes.
Notch Settles w/ Bethesda – Glad that’s over. Stupid lawyers are stupid.
2GB Not Enough For Next Gen? – Refer to Jordan’s quote for this. He’s like an old man version of me.
Angry Birds Theme Park – I again agree with Jordan. I would love to see the Finnish people flying through the air. That’s Youtube gold, however I fail to see how they could make a ride that is both safe, and relevant to the game’s gameplay.
QOTW – The scariest movie to me would have to be the Grudge movies. Scares my little booties right off. Don’t watch many, so that would be my favorite by default. Also, I have won once before, so give to someone else.