On our season finale, we do a third and final Free Play, talking about our best games played this year, our most disappointing ones, a little dive into Red Dead Redemption 2, some games of the decade, and more. Happy New Year, all! See you in 2020. Ep S9E11
The Super Nintendo era of Final Fantasy was so good that many long-time fans of the series often see those games as the best in the series. Their amazing stories, memorable characters, and wonderful music make them worthy of being viewed in such a light. On this episode, we’re going to take a deeper look into Final Fantasy 6, and how its influence is still felt in JRPGs 25 years later. Ep S9E10
It's a sparse panel this time, and we shoot the metaphorical shit for 2 hours in this Free Play, covering topics like: yet more things that video game developers do that piss us off, the possibility of selling your digitally-purchased games and the court case in the EU that could be huge in that regard, and devoting the entire second half to Team Cherry's amazing game, Hollow Knight. Ep S9E9
Reviews are probably the only direct way a consumer has to voice their enjoyment or displeasure regarding a product. In the world of video games, though, coordinated efforts to quickly bombard a game's page with (mostly) negative reviews to address a perceived wrong either with the developer or the game itself leads us to ask: is this practice a good way to try to effect change, or are these review bombs just complaints by whiny and seemingly-entitled gamers? Ep S9E8...
It has been a brutal year for developers in the video game industry. Massive layoffs from Activision Blizzard, EA, and ArenaNet, the collapse of Telltale Studios…well over a thousand people suddenly out of work. Then we have the phenomenon known as "crunch." It is pervasive, with developers working 14-hour days for weeks and months on end to meet the unrealistic deadlines of publishers and shareholders. Is there anything that we as gamers can do, or that the industry at large can do? Ep S9E7...
Twenty years ago, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan put out just its second-ever game. It ended up an underrated gem: The Legend of Dragoon. Released almost 3 years after the much-beloved Final Fantasy 7, it sort of got swept under the rug. We dive in to the land of Endiness on this episode, and talk about why we still love it two decades later. Ep S9E6
Now that the dust is settling on E3 2019, we take a deep dive into all the conferences, big announcements, surprises in our annual recap. Part 1 covers Microsoft, EA, Bethesda, Google Stadia, Limited Run, and the PC Gaming Show. Part 2 covers Devolver Digital, Ubisoft, Kinda Funny, Square Enix, and Nintendo. Ep S9E5B
Now that the dust is settling on E3 2019, we take a deep dive into all the conferences, big announcements, surprises in our annual recap. Part 1 covers Microsoft, EA, Bethesda, Google Stadia, Limited Run, and the PC Gaming Show. Part 2 covers Devolver Digital, Ubisoft, Kinda Funny, Square Enix, and Nintendo. Ep S9E5A
After a few months off, we're back--this time, rolling out the first of our Free Plays for the year. We talk PAX East, the latest in eSports, gamers behaving badly, and the top 20 games of the Heisei era as voted on by Japan. Ep S9E4
Five years ago, we did some episodes talking about where the video game industry was regarding inclusivity and representation of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, etc. On this episode, we check in to see what strides have been made, and what we feel the industry could do more of. Ep S9E3
More and more companies are going the way of digital distribution only, and some companies are getting into business models where you can stream a video game, removing the idea of ownership completely and having the player pay a certain amount to rent a game to play. While the idea of offering video games as a service is not new, streaming now certainly appeals to the developers and publishers. How does that affect the gaming landscape for players? Ep S9E2...
From its humble beginnings on the Nintendo 64, this madcap insanity we know as Super Smash Bros. has kept us gleefully entertained, with something for just about everybody, whether you're a casual player to a hardcore tournament player. And with the latest incarnation on Nintendo Switch, this series shows no signs of letting up. How has this craziness kept going for twenty years and several console generations? Dive in as we open Series 9 with a love letter to this great series. Ep S9E1...
On the final episode of our 8th season of DLC, it's our third and final Free Play episode. This open discussion has us talking a variety of things: what games we're playing, VR games, recommendations for the Switch, FF15, the new Epic Games store, and a ton more as we go nearly 3 hours to close out 2018. Ep S8E17
When a developer creates a game and decides to take a multimedia approach to the game's narrative, what does that do for the player's experience? If a player has to go beyond the game in order to fully appreciate its narrative, does it become a chore? An expensive money grab? An acknowledgement that the developer can't contain the game's narrative in its own media? Inspired by an opinion article in Game Informer, we take a look at the idea of having to work for a story in this episode. Ep S8E16...
Squaresoft director Tetsuya Takahashi began writing a scenario for a game that was to begin development. Finding it too dark to be a Final Fantasy title, it became Xenogears. Several years of planning, creating backstory, and development ensued, and in February 1998, Xenogears was released. Critically acclaimed then despite its obvious lack of polish or completeness, does it hold up 20 years later? Ep S8E15
What makes speedrunners tick? These gamers devote countless hours to their craft: completing a game so quickly and so thoroughly that it boggles the mind. Whether for fun, for charity, or both, speedrunners give life to games decades old, broadcasting their conquests and giving new fans a glimpse into the titles we played as kids. There's truly an art to it, and we explore it on this episode. Ep S8E14
November 1998 saw the release of the 5th major installment in the Legend of Zelda series: Ocarina of Time. It proved to be a groundbreaking entry in the franchise, and is widely considered one of the greatest games ever made. Twenty years later, it continues to delight fans the world over. Why? Listen in as we dive into Hyrule once again. Ep S8E13
It's the 3rd official entry in the Metal Gear canon, but in 1998, Konami released Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 to universal acclaim. Widely considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time, it combines stealth and confusing narrative, as well as an unforgettable cast of characters. Listen in as we take a deep dive into this amazing classic. Ep S8E12
With Nintendo's current crusade against ROM-hosting websites, now seems a good time to talk about forced and planned obsolescence in video games. What happens when developers pull the plug on a game that is still enjoyed by many? What ways do we have to preserve games? With few legal ways to do so, is emulation and piracy the solution to preservation, or do we need to re-examine how we see games as part of our culture? Ep S8E11
With Resident Evil 2 bursting onto the scene in January 1998, survival horror became firmly established on the PlayStation. Not to be outdone, Square created a game that blended the styles of RPGs, action, science fiction, and survival horror to create Parasite Eve, based on the novel of the same name. We look back at this underrated classic on its 20th anniversary. Ep S8E10
In our 3rd and final part of our E3 2018 recap, we cover the highlights and game announcements from the PC Gaming Show, Sony, and Nintendo. Ep S8E9C
In Part 2 of our E3 2018 recap, we cover the highlights and game announcements from Square Enix, Limited Run Games, and Ubisoft. Ep S8E9B
E3 has wrapped up and there is a lot to digest. Lots of press conferences, lots of announcements of games, and lots of emotion. What stood out? What are we looking forward to? Who do we shit all over? What games do we think will not see the light of day for decades? On Part 1, we break down EA, Microsoft, and Bethesda's showings. Ep S8E9A
On the second Free Play of the year, we talk about some pre-E3 news, some games we're currently playing, talk about Nintendo a little bit, and plenty more in this open-discussion format episode. Ep S8E8
It's been 8 years since the last numbered Mega Man game; for its 30-year anniversary of the franchise, they announced Mega Man 11. On this episode, we prognosticate and speculate about it, and talk about what else is going on in Capcom-land as well. Ep S8E7
This year's incarnation of PAX East 2018 in Boston, MA, had to be expanded to 4 days because 3 just wasn't cutting it anymore. Joined by some of the fine folks at Sprites and Dice, we give our thoughts, opinions, and personal experiences about all the games (both video and tabletop) we sampled, concerts, panels, tournaments, and plenty more! Ep S8E6
On the first of our Free Play episodes this year, Tanya makes her first appearance in over a year, joining our great big panel to take part in discussion of a wide range of topics: Chrono Trigger on PC, more lootbox stuff, the Switch turning one, and plenty more in this 2.5-hour episode. Ep S8E5
What if we all could play our entire personal libraries of games on a single device, and no longer need to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars on separate consoles or a PC build? Or, at the very least, make it so that if two people have the same game but for different consoles, have the ability to still play with each other? We have the technology, and we're already starting to see games implement cross-platform play. How can this next step in gaming grow, and what's holding it back? Ep S...
We look back on a topic we discussed back in Season 1, looking once again at the idea of pay-to-play in video games now in light of the lootbox mess games like Star Wars Battlefront 2 have wrought, where we have to ask ourselves: is this actually gambling? And what can developers do to try to get more money without resorting to slimy tactics? Ep S8E3
Just in time for Valentines' Day--we take a look at romance in video games, whether it's games that feature a romantic plot or subplot as part of the overall narrative, or whether it's something that you as the player character can initiate and control. What are some of your favorite romantic storylines in games? Ep S8E2
