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Weekend Confirmed Episode Library

by Shack Staff, Dec 31, 2010 9:00am PST
Related Topics – Dead Space 2, Weekend Confirmed, Podcast, Sony NGP, PSP 2

Weekend Confirmed Episode 45 - January 28, 2011 (Comments)

Sony finally unveiled the PSP2--or as it's now called, the NGP--making it two consecutive weeks of major handheld hardware news. But there are a lot of games to cover as well. Shacknews's own Jeff Mattas joins Jeff and Garnett this week, kicking Whatcha' Been Playin? off with a good look at Dead Space 2. The Bulletstorm and Crysis 2 demos along with Microbot highlight Garnett's playlist. And Jeff's enthusiasm for DC Universe Online can hardly be contained. A closer look at CityVille and how it and similar social games fit into modern video gaming leads off the Warning. Then, the Front Page dives into all the details on Sony's NGP--the tech specs and the games--with plenty of discussion, plus the also announced PlayStation Suite for Android, along with all the other video game news of the week.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 45 - 01/28/2011

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Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin?: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:28:10

Whatcha' Been Playin? and Cannata-ford: 00:29:15 End: 00:59:30

The Warning: 01:00:34 End: 01:33:15

Featured Music "Already There (Not Too Deep Mix)" by YUG & Andy Reid featuring Jill Peacock: 01:33:15 End: 01:36:41

The Front Page: Start: 01:36:41 End: 02:14:41

The 44th & Filth label brings another strong track, maybe the best yet, to this week's featured music segment with "Already There(Not Too Deep Mix)" from YUG and Andy Reid featuring Jill Peacock. The full track is available now on iTunes and Beatport. For more from 44th & Filth label check out their official site or catch up with them on Facebook where you can also keep up with YUG and Andy Reid. And check out their brand new podcast.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 44 - January 21, 2011 (Comments)

Garnett took a quick trip earlier this week to New York for Nintendo's big press event unveiling the 3DS. Along with the pricing and launch info, he returns with detailed impressions of the upcoming hardware and hands-on impressions of several of the games. Jeff, Billy, and special guest Ryan Payton also get in plenty of questions, but there's more to the show than just the 3DS. Fluidity, LittleBIGPlanet 2, and 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors round out Whatcha' Been Playin? The Warning starts with what may become a regular feature of talking about favorite game endings before moving on to some excellent questions Ryan brought. And in the Front Page, December and Year-end sales figures for 2010 lead a full slate of news that concludes with a few thoughts on EA's ill-conceived "Your mom hates this game" marketing campaign for Dead Space 2.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 44 - 01/21/2011

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Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin?: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:31:44

Whatcha' Been Playin? and Cannata-ford: 00:32:48 End: 01:05:05

The Warning: 01:06:12 End: 01:37:32

Featured Music "1 Way Ticket" by Beat Bullys: 01:37:32 End: 01:41:00

The Front Page: Start: 01:41:00 End: 02:16:42

Tailgate Playoffs Wild Card Special: Start: 02:17:42 End: 02:30:09

The Featured Music segment presents "1 Way Ticket" by The Beat Bullys. They are a hip hop rap group based in Southern Califorina. Members BNews, Kree & Osama Bin Rappin were brought together creatively by Long Beach Native & Member of LBC Crew, Bad Azz! Their Debut Album, "Bully Music" is set to be released this year on up and coming Indie Label, Provocative Ent. "1way Ticket" is their newest single Produced by Prophit. Check out their Introduction Video on Youtube "Dedication" and follow on Twitter: BNews83 and itsjustkree

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 43 - January 14, 2011 (Comments)

Whatcha' Been Playin? gets off to a big start this week with a lively discussion on the windup to the end and boss fight in Uncharted 2, first impressions of LittleBIGPlanet 2 and Ghost Trick, and, of course, an update from Cataclysm. Garnett, Jeff, and Billy then move on to your continuing comments on the topic of reviews before considering whether you can be addicted to buying games and what happens when a pay-to-play MMO goes free-to-play. Top stories like the brewing storm over Splosion Man developer Twisted Pixel calling out Capcom mobile for ripping off their game, anticipation of the Battlefield 3 unveiling due to come at GDC, and rumors of a Final Fantasy XIII sequel finish the show on a strong note in the Front Page.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 43 - 01/14/2011

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Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin?: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:34:10

Whatcha' Been Playin? and Cannata-ford: 00:35:15 End: 01:08:00

The Warning: 01:09:00 End: 01:41:40

Featured Music "Chemistry" by Tyrannosaurus Grace: 01:41:40 End: 01:44:56

The Front Page: Start: 01:44:56 End: 02:15:04

Tailgate Playoffs Wild Card Special: Start: 02:16:05 End: 02:28:37

The Featured Music segment presents Tyrannosaurus Grace, a 5 piece Pop Rock band from Ellensburg, WA. founded in late 2009 by childhood friends Tim Held and Justin Foss. They released their first self titled album in October of 2010 and currently play shows all over the Pacific Northwest as they continue to write and record new material all the time. The members are: Tim Held-Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Justin Foss-Guitar, keyboard, audio production, Jeff Gerrer- Bass, David Hoffman- Drums, Lakyn Bury-Vocals, guitar, keyboard. Their album is available on iTunes, Amazon.com, and CDBaby.com. Their website is tgraceband.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 42 - January 07, 2011 (Comments)

Everyone is excited to get back in the studio for this first show of 2011. Though new releases cooled over the holidays, Garnett, Brian, and Jeff have plenty of stories for Whatcha Been Playin? Catch up time includes classics like Uncharted 2 and more recent titles such as Vanquish and Bad Company 2 "Vietnam". Jeff got in some time with a new game too; he has mixed feelings about Lost in Shadow, though. Your responses to how much a review score determines whether a game is worth playing get the conversation started in the Warning. There's even a little homework for next week too on a couple of subjects we'd like to get your thoughts on. And in the news, we've got a look at the video game stories coming out of CES from Microsoft's press conference to handheld gaming PC concept by Razer, indie games nominated for IGF awards, and more.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 42 - 01/07/2011

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 42 (player window will pop-up)

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Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin?: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:28:56

Whatcha' Been Playin? and Cannata-ford: 00:30:00 End: 01:03:52

The Warning: 01:04:40 End: 01:37:52

Featured Music "Baba Yetu" by Christopher Tin: 01:37:52 End: 01:41:22

The Front Page: Start: 01:41:22 End: 02:08:20

Tailgate Playoffs Wild Card Special: Start: 02:09:21 End: 02:19:07

The Featured Music segment presents the Grammy nominated track "Baba Yetu" by Christopher Tin. This theme song for Civilization IV has become something of a hit in the video game community. After the game came out in 2005, Tin re-recorded the song as the first track of his debut album Calling All Dawns, which came out last year. This new recording is recorded by the Soweto Gospel Choir and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Tin went to London's famous Abbey Road Studios to record the orchestra, and then down to Johannesburg, South Africa to record the choir; and, it was mixed at Eargasm Studios. It has won awards in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, International Songwriting Competition, USA Songwriting Competition, and now it's gunning for the biggest award of all... the Grammy.

Billboard picked "Baba Yetu" as one of their nominations to watch. It's up for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists and Tin's Calling All Dawns is up for Best Classical Crossover Album.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 41 - December 31, 2010 (Comments)

For this New Year's Eve 2010 show--the second of our two holiday specials--Shane Bettenhausen joins Garnett, Brian, and Jeff for one final 2010 recap and then a lengthy gaze into the crystal ball to see what may lie ahead in 2011. We catch up some with what Shane's been playing with friends back home from music games like Dance Central and Rock Band to developing thumb blisters at Super Street Fighter IV ... oh, and, uh, Sonic IV. Your responses from our SModcastle live show seed the conversations in the second segment with topics like why we really want to get our hands on the Nintendo 3DS. In the second half of the show all attention turns to 2011--the games, the trends, and, of course, predictions!

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 41 - 12/31/2010

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Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin?: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:30:24

Whatcha' Been Playin (cont) and the Warning: 00:31:28 End: 01:01:43

2010 Wrap-up and 2011 predictions: 01:02:45 End: 01:32:02

Featured Music "Shake Shake Boom Boom" by Those Crosstown Rivals: 01:32:02 End: 01:35:08

2011 predictions (cont): Start: 01:35:08 End: 02:13:08

In the Featured Music segment this week it's Lexington, KY based Those Crosstown Rivals with "Shake Shake Boom Boom" from their album The Day After Yesterday available now on iTunes, Amazon, and cdbaby. Show them some love if you like what you hear! Keep up with Those Crosstown Rivals on their Reverb Nation page, Facebook page, and Twitter.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 40 - December 24, 2010 (Comments)

In the first of two holiday specials, the Weekend Confirmed crew reminisces on the best video games and industry trends of 2010. Shacknews editor Xav de Matos and fourth chair all-star Billy Berghammer join Garnett and Jeff in a spirited look back that more than fills the show. Taking next week's Shacknews Best of awards as a template, the conversations include favorites for their story and mulitplayer, best in their genre like role-playing and action adventure, and tops for their platform. And naturally it all culminates in the Game of the Year awards.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 40 - 12/24/2010

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Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 40 (player window will pop-up)

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Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 40

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Best of 2010 Part 1: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:34:27

Best of 2010 Part 2: 00:35:32 End: 01:06:11

Best of 2010 Part 3: 01:07:08 End: 01:38:08

Featured Music Del Rio's "Next Phase" Produced by Anon: 01:38:08 End: 01:41:52

Best of 2010 Part 4: Start: 01:41:52 End: 02:18:56

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 39 - December 17, 2010 (Comments)

Get in the spirit with an epic Weekend Comfirmed holiday party recorded live at the SModcastle. A number of our good friends drop by for a turn on the mic including Geoff Keighley, Billy Berghammer, Patrick Klepek, and Christian Spicer. Garnett and Jeff anchor the show, with Brian still recovering from his bout with a bug. We also brought Shacknews' own Xav de Matos in for the fun. There's no shortage of video game topics to talk about either. Epic Mickey gets defended in the opening Whatcha' Been Playin? before attention turns to the flurry of games revealed at the VGAs. There's your comments and audience questions after that, a look back at 2010, and then forward into 2011--including a few bold predictions. All that, plus we've got music from Win Win Global's dj eMpTy and a fantastic stand-up set from Christian.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 39 - 12/17/2010

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 39 (player window will pop-up)

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Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:27:00

Christian Spicer -- Stand-up Comedy: Start: 00:27:40 End: 00:37:00

The Warning: Start: 00:37:00 End: 01:07:30

2010 Review: Start: 01:09:30 End: 01:35:11

2011 Predictions: Start: 01:36:38 End: 02:08:17

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 38 - December 10, 2010 (Comments)

Two hallmarks of the season come together this episode of Weekend Confirmed. Brian got hit full force with the flu this week and is out recouperating (get well soon buddy). But this time of year always brings people together and in that spirit, joining Garnett and Jeff this week are David Ellis and Billy Berghammer. A massive show ensues. All four have been playing Cataclysm and share their different experiences both with the early and high-level content. But this isn't Warcraft Confirmed and there's more Gran Turismo 5 talk and Assassin's Creed Brotherhood to round out Whatcha' Been Playin? Your insights on the future for Modern Warfare 3 lead the Warning, where the topic of whether our expectations have risen too high for games in general. Big time game announcements in advance of the VGAs anchor the news in the Front Page.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 38 - 12/10/2010

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 38 (player window will pop-up)

And if you're on GameCenter, you can play the show here:

Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 38

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:29:57

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:30:54 End: 01:06:03

The Warning: Start: 01:07:05 End: 01:41:47

Music Break featuring "Shake the Heartbreak" YUG: 01:41:47 End: 01:45:07

The Front Page: Start: 01:45:07 End: 02:24:42

NFL 'Tailgate': Start: 02:25:42 End: 02:34:02

Music Break this week features 44th and Filth artist YUG with "Shake the Heartbreak". It's a massive track with a serious beat, fantastic vocals, and a great drop. "Shake the Heartbreak" is available now in both the iTunes Store and from Beatport (please support the artists who generously let us feature their music each week if you like what you hear). Connect with more from YUG at his artist page and from all their artists at the 44th and Filth Facebook page.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 37 - December 03, 2010 (Comments)

Fix yourself one last leftover turkey and stuffing sandwich and get ready for a great show. Epic Mickey and Gran Turismo 5 both arrived and headline this week's Whatcha' Been Playin? In the Warning Jeff's return to World of Warcraft gets things started and then it's on to your thoughts on having fun versus being competitive. Sales for Move and Kinect, a new squad-based shooter from Yakuza's creator, and the rest of the week's videogame news bring the show home in the Front Page.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 37 - 12/03/2010

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 37 (player window will pop-up)

And if you're on GameCenter, you can play the show here:

Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 37

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:30:08

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:31:12 End: 01:02:04

The Warning: Start: 01:02:56 End: 01:34:40

Music Break featuring "Let Me Put You at Ease": 01:34:40 End: 01:37:50

The Front Page: Start: 01:37:50 End: 02:08:37

NFL 'Tailgate': Start: 02:09:39 End: 02:18:23

Music Break this week features "Let Me Put You at Ease" by Jonathan Carter aka graphicnapkin. For more, check out his official site and follow him on Twitter.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 36 - November 25, 2010 (Comments)

Garnett, Brian, and Jeff gather round the studio with Del Rio and Brooklyn in the booth for this Thanksgiving Day special edition of Weekend Confirmed. Along with a little eggnog for holiday spirit, Whatcha' Been Playin? gets the festivities started with a closer look at Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Donkey Kong Country Returns, and then the upcoming Noble maps for Halo:Reach. The Front Page takes the holiday week off. In its place, the rest of the show includes favorite holiday memories, what games come out with the family at the holidays, and your comments on some of the best topics over the past few weeks. And if you're gearing up for gift shopping or already in the thick of it you won't want to miss the final segment which covers some of the best deals and videogame gift ideas.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 36 - 11/25/2010

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 36 (player window will pop-up)

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Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 36

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:30:25

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:31:30 End: 01:00:23

The Warning: Start: 01:01:33 End: 01:29:02

Music Break featuring "Back": 01:29:02 End: 01:32:20

Holiday Specials: Start: 01:32:20 End: 02:03:58

NFL 'Tailgate': Start: 02:04:56 End: 02:14:36

Music Break this week features "Back" by Ivan Ives. Ivan Ives is a new breed of rapper. Mixing golden-era style beats with synthesizers and innovative song concepts with a skin-tight flow, he brings his truth to the mic with fervor and precision.

Originally splashing onto the scene in late 2007, Ives has manifested a name for himself by garnering multitudes of press and guest appearances. Rolling Stone named him one of the next 40 artists to watch. SPIN named him one of 8 artists you should know about. URB put him in their coveted Next 1000 and CMJ gave him in an artist spotlight. XXL/Scratch said, "don't let his indie rocker persona fool you—this guy can spit." The list goes on. Ives' global clout is further solidified by the co-signers on many of his tracks: The Cool Kids, Black Milk, Tre Hardson (Pharcyde), Percee P, Oh No, Cappadonna (Wu-Tang), O.C. (DITC), 2Mex (Visionaries), Vast Aire (Can Ox), and Fresh The Hitman—his main producer.

Ives' facility with his chosen musical form should come as no surprise considering his immersion over the years in the Wu-Tang Clan, D.I.T.C., and Big L. His professed influences are so inclusive, however, that they extend from the Delfonics, Kraftwerk, and Jefferson Starship to Arvo Part, Bela Bartok, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. The last one is a clue to what IS surprising about Ives‐he was born in Russia. But you'd never know it from listening to his records (or conversing with him); he sounds like a native of Los Angeles, where he's lived most of his life.

For more, check out the official Ivan Ives website and his "All My Life" video.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 35 - November 19, 2010 (Comments)

Thanksgiving might be a week away but the new release feast is in full swing. After a couple of quick follow ups to last week's Black Ops coverage, Garnett, Brian, and Jeff serve up Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, 007: Blood Stone, and Donkey Kong Country Returns as the main dishes in Whatcha' Been Playin? The reactionary commentary of ESPN's 1st and Ten cast in response to Kobe's appearance in the Black Ops ads starts off the Warning. Your thoughts on shooter fatigue, urgency without a ticking clock, and more take the conversation right up to the Front Page. October's NPD sales numbers and Bizarre Creation's uncertain future headline a full slate of news.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 35 - 11/19/2010

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 35 (player window will pop-up)

And if you're on GameCenter, you can play the show here:

Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 35

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:31:07

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:32:10 End: 01:03:58

The Warning: Start: 01:05:08 End: 01:37:16

Music Break featuring "Never Get 2 See U Again": 01:37:16 End: 01:40:30

The Front Page: Start: 01:40:30 End: 02:11:14

NFL 'Tailgate': Start: 02:12:15 End: 02:20:42

Music Break this week features "Never Get 2 See U Again" by Beta. Chris Contreras aka Beta is an emcee and aspiring filmmaker hailing from Southern California. The Hip Hop culture and movies have made a huge impact in his life, and to his work. Beta is also an avid gamer. "Never Get 2 See U Again" is a collaboration between Beta and his brother Brandon Menace (who is currently in the military stationed in Japan). He has known and worked with Tak/Ribkat from the acclaimed groups Fort Minor and Styles of Beyond, for many years. For more from Beta, keep up with him on Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 34 - November 12, 2010 (Comments)

Call of Duty: Black Ops dropped this week and we've been playing it along with, oh, a few million other folks around the Net. It hoards the spotlight in Whatcha Been Playin? and fair warning, there are some spoilers in the discussion but with a clear disclaimer beforehand. Battlefield Play4Free and the Vietnam DLC for Bad Company 2 also come up as shooters rule this week's show. In the Warning your counter-points to the idea floated last week of 2-3 hour games get us started and we also open the question of how susceptible to fatigue Call of Duty looks to be? News of Rock Band developer Harmonix hitting the sales block, a handful of new game announcements, and more wrap it all up in the Front Page.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 34 - 11/12/2010

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 34 (player window will pop-up)

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Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 34

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:30:10

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:31:14 End: 01:04:29

The Warning: Start: 01:05:34 End: 01:37:29

Music Break featuring "Line 'em Up": 01:37:29 End: 01:40:40

The Front Page: Start: 01:40:40 End: 02:05:20

NFL 'Tailgate': Start: 02:06:20 End: 02:16:10

Music Break this week features "Line 'em Up" by Final Gravity. This track is from their "4 Pack" EP available on iTunes and CDBaby. For more from them check out the official Final Gravity site. And if you're in the LA area, Final Gravity will be opening for rock guitarist Gary Hoey (who, if you don't know the name, shreds) at the Brixton on the Redondo Beach Pier, Thursday, December 16 at 9pm.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 33 - November 05, 2010 (Comments)

Microsoft unleashed the Kinect sensor add-on that brings controller-less play to the Xbox 360 and we've been playing with it and the first batch of games. But Dance Central, Kinect Adventures, and Kinect Sports aren't the only thing in Whatcha' Been Playin? The GoldenEye remake for Wii, Z.H.P., Fable 3, and more get in on the act as well. Your thoughts on videogame length, achievement systems, and the concepts of universal design spur the conversation in the Warning. We break down both sides in the challenge to California's law to prohibit the sales of violent games to minors heard by the US Supreme Court as well as rumors of a poker game headed to Xbox Live, the cancellation of NBA Elite, and more.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 33 - 11/05/2010

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Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 33

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:31:02

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:32:05 End: 01:06:02

The Warning: Start: 01:07:08 End: 01:42:08

Music Break featuring "Fireworks": 01:42:08 End: 01:45:36

The Front Page: Start: 01:45:36 End: 02:18:38

NFL 'Tailgate': Start: 02:19:40 End: 02:26:37

Music Break this week features "Fireworks" by yOya. This track is from their "Nothing to Die" album available on iTunes. For more from them check out the official yOya site and follow them on Facebook. And if you live in the LA area, they're playing a free show tonight, Friday, Nov 5 at 7:30 at Ground Zero with Moving Picture Show.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 32 - October 29, 2010 (Comments)

Videogame consultant and columnist N'Gai Croal joins Garnett, Brian, and Jeff on the show this week. Heavy-hitters like Star Wars Force Unleashed 2 and Fable 3 step to the plate in Whatcha' Been Playin? along with hands-on reports from Blizzcon on Diablo 3 and the upcoming custom StarCraft 2 maps. A quick consideration of whether game design stagnates at times by falling in to habits leads off the Warning which moves on to topics including whether derivative design is inherently bad and why we care so much about achievements. And wrapping it up in the Front Page are details on the relaunch of the Games for Windows Marketplace, Zenimax beefing up its development resources with the addition of Shinji Mikami's new Tango Gameworks studio, and more.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 32 - 10/29/2010

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We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 32 (player window will pop-up)

And if you're on GameCenter, you can play the show here:

Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 32

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:31:12

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:32:16 End: 01:06:30

The Warning: Start: 01:07:40 End: 01:44:34

Music Break featuring "El Cuerno": 01:44:34 End: 01:47:48

The Front Page: Start: 01:47:48 End: 02:16:09

NFL Pick Three: Start: 02:18:09 End: 02:26:30

Music Break this week features "El Cuerno" by 44th & Filth co-founder Andy Reid. Latin percussion lays a strong foundation for the track but it's the wicked horn line that really makes it possible to not get moving to. This brand new track is available now in the iTunes Music Store and on Beatport. On Facebook you can connect with both 44th & Filth and Andy Reid.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 31 - October 22, 2010 (Comments)

Garnett, Brian, and Jeff confirm what's sure to be an awesome weekend (and week to come). The festivities kickoff in Whatcha Been' Playin? with Medal of Honor, Rock Band 3, Costume Quest, Fallout: New Vegas, and more. Our skipping cutscenes discussion became the most talked about subject this past week and leads off the Warning. There's also the question of how well shooters handle the sensitivities of real-world situations and whether game designs include things like crouching simply out of habit. A full slate of news wraps the show up in the Front Page with Patrice Desilets' new THQ Montreal studio, Kinect adding support for seated players, Steam posting tremedous growth stats, and more.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 31 - 10/22/2010

Subscription Links:

We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 31 (player window will pop-up)

And if you're on GameCenter, you can play the show here:

Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 31

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:31:19

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:32:23 End: 01:07:37

The Warning: Start: 01:08:47 End: 01:45:11

Music Break featuring "Good Times Remix": 01:45:11 End: 01:48:30

The Front Page: Start: 01:48:30 End: 02:19:29

NFL Pick Three: Start: 02:20:30 End: 02:31:10

Music Break this week features a reprise of Ongaku's "Good Times" remixed by and featuring the lyrics of our own Del Rio. He was inspired to pen the verses when he heard the song the first time, contacted Ongaku to setup this collaboration, and the result speaks for iteslf.

Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest single, Small Town Hero on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page.

Jeff can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!

Our Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page is coming along now so add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.

Weekend Confirmed Episode 30 - October 15, 2010 (Comments)

Indiecade took place here in LA last weekend and our own Jeff Mattas who covered it on Shacknews and the Indie Games Channel joins us to talk about some of the games and topics from the festival. We also continue the massive fall hits lineup in Whatcha' Been Playin? with NBA 2K11, Kirby's Epic Yarn, and some upcoming PSN titles including Pixel Junk Shooter 2! The Warning begins with your responses to morality choices in games and the potential for a new round of hardware before we turn to the subjects indie developers talked about at Indiecade. And, though Brian is out with a cold, Garnett rips through the Front Page with news highlighted by the Halo: Reach 'Noble Map Pack', details of Red Dead Redemption's zombies, and more.

Weekend Confirmed Ep. 30 - 10/15/2010

Subscription Links:

We've got a handy player to listen to the show right here on the site if you like:
Listen to Weekend Confirmed Episode 30 (player window will pop-up)

And if you're on GameCenter, you can play the show here:

Download Weekend Confirmed Episode 30

Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:

Whatcha' Been Playin: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:33:30

Whatcha' Been Playin and Cannata-ford a New Game: Start: 00:34:34 End: 01:11:23

The Warning: Start: 01:12:30 End: 01:51:54

Music Break featuring exclusive debut of "Don't Get Us Wrong" from Substance Abuse featuring Tash of the Alkaholiks: 01:51:54 End: 01:55:04

The Front Page: Start: 01:55:04 End: 02:20:37

NFL Pick Three: Start: 02:21:37 End: 02:34:08

Music Break this week features the debut of "Don't Get Us Wrong" the first single off the upcoming Substance Abuse album "Background Music" which features appearances from Sadat X, Percee P, Myka Nyne, MC Eiht, and Max Julien. As opposed to groups who either force change or resist it, Substance Abuse embraces natural progression. The duo creates earnest hip-hop music, combining equal measures of intelligence, clarity, innovation, and polish to evoke the unpretentious consciousness of the Golden Age era, while avoiding corny retro posturing.

Group member


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Dead Space 2

  • PC, X360, PS3
  • Release Date: Jan 25, 2011
  • Genre: Action
  • Developer: EA Redwood Shores
  • Publisher: Electronic Arts

Videos

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  • #194
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    By: BastardOfDoom x
    Reply
    Long time listener, love the show! And it's just keeps getting better.

    In the latest episode you discussed open world games, discussion trees and the illusion of choice. I love that aspect of games, probably because I am an old pen-and-paper role playing gamer who loves to develop my character and feel that my actions makes a difference in the world I am playing in.

    When playing Bethesda games (Oblivion, Fallout 3/NV, etc), I rarely feel connected to the world, the protagonist or the stories being played out in front of me - except for how much loot, xp and story progression they will provide. That is probably because Bethesda always have chosen to give us a protagonist that is never seen nor heard. Don't get me wrong, I still love those games - but they feel like a modern version of hack'n'slash.

    On the other hand we have excellent RPG games that make me care about the protagonist and the world around him/her. For example Mass Effect where I really could connect and feel that the choices I made was more than minmaxing in order to get to my next level as quickly as possible. In Mass Effect I played a really Paragon character, and in Mass Effect 2 I played as Renegade. (Don't get me started on good or bad in games, since no game has been able to do that properly (grey areas HELLO?!).

    There are open world games that provide the same level of immersion, but they are more controlled (like GTA3-4).

    I think that what I am trying to say is that I don't think that our current way of creating story in games (scripted story) is good enough for making open world game that will provide full dialogue options, excellent immersion and a story that makes sense.

    Sorry, TLDNR for most of you.
    Feb 01, 2011 1:00pm PST

    Thread Truncated. Click to see all 3 replies.

  • #203
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    By: BastardOfDoom x
    Reply
    What I am missing from a lot of commentary about portable gaming is something I am really missing:

    * Management and planning apps for my games, online and offline, for example:

    - Build order planner for Supreme Commander, Starcraft II, etc
    - Inventory/auction/build/guild management for my MMORPGs
    - Quest planner for my RPGs (going through the quest notes and scan the map) to plan ahead in my offline RPG games (synced via iTunes/computer)

    I would gladly pay a couple of bucks for apps like that, extra revenue and more time invested for me = bigger lock in for the game developers.

    Is it just me who wants this?
    Feb 01, 2011 10:40pm PST
  • #188
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    By: CaptBoxx x
    Reply
    All I can think of while you guys have been talking 3DS and NGP is "I don't care and it's so obvious that the sales numbers for both these devices will be far less than Nintendo and Sony are hoping." but I couldn't put my finger on why that is.

    I have an iPhone and it has changed the way I game on the go and the thing is I NEED to have a cell phone right? So spending a few hundred dollars (only really cost me $150 because i upgraded) on an iPhone doesn't seem like discretionary spending. I didn't weigh it against all my other entertainment spending, i just bought it because i needed it.

    Now when i think about spending money on a 3DS or on a NGP, I have to think, what else could I spend that money on? $300 is 5 Xbox360 games! That's almost half as many games as i played all last year. So the question i ask myself is, am i going to spend that money on a 3DS/NGP? Or am i going to buy Batman Arkham City, Rage, Portal 2, Deus Ex, and Elder Scrolls? Or Gears 3, Bulletstorm, Dead Space 2, LA Noire, etc etc etc

    In that case, it's such an easy answer. I'll play iOS games on the go, and 360 games at home and I think a lot of other people will do the exact same thing.
    Feb 01, 2011 8:12am PST
  • #132
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    By: OldManRendo x
    Reply
    I, for one, applaud Garnett's foray into facebook gaming. After so many requests to come see some friend's farm and announcements that some acquaintance just got a thingamajig, there was a morbid curiosity growing in me to check one of these things out for the hell of it. Thankfully, my curiosity has now been sated and I can go back to my policy of "If you request any facebook game crap, I will be deleting you."

    Also, haven't seen a lot discussion as to the "Happiness Generator" question. I'll throw a few out:
    Katamari Damacy; because duh. SSX3; i still play to this day when I've had a crappy work shift and want some relaxing escapism. I still pop in Mad Maestro as well; it's Guitar Hero for us classical music fans. Music games in general get me; particularly Dance Central and Elite Beat Agents.

    And, of course Animal Planet on the Gamecube and DS. I remember once reading on the couch while my girlfriend played the Gamecube version when she started laughing because Pate (who I hate) had proudly displayed a letter I had wrote to him: "If farts are ever lethal, I hope that's how you die." He got a lot of those letters. That's happiness generated.
    Jan 30, 2011 4:16pm PST

    Thread Truncated. Click to see all 2 replies.

  • #112
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    By: the archvile This person is cool! x
    Reply
    The Shackpinion of the Bulletstorm demo hasn't been that glowing, especially from those who played Painkiller: http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?id=25104989#itemanchor_25104989

    I'm passing on it primarily due to the PC version requiring Games for Windows Live, but also because it looks like it'll get really boring fast, judging from the videos I've seen. The vulgarity seems to be for the sake of vulgarity, like a middle school lunch table who had a couple of kids from the wrong side of the tracks visit and teach everyone else all of the awesome swear words, and then everyone mashes them together into nonsensical combinations, and it escalates into this raucous mess of incoherent swearing. As for the gameplay, I've read some people who have played it say that the "kill with skill" thing gets old after a while. The game also has QTEs, and looks like every other Unreal Engine 3 game you've ever seen.

    Back in July, Mark Rein evaded this question from Rock Paper Shotgun: "Is it more, though, that it’s the engine and the UDK that you’re pushing to PC, but your own games will remain much more console focused?" ( http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/07/01/epic-its-a-myth-that-weve-abandoned-the-pc/ ). I don't think it's a stretch to forecast that Bulletstorm will not be the game that Epic can hold up and say with confidence, "See? We make great PC games too!" They may try to say that, but will we believe them?
    Jan 30, 2011 9:43am PST
  • #111
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    By: the archvile This person is cool! x
    Reply
    On the Crysis 2 360 multiplayer demo seeming to have a control delay, one thing I've always found about the CryEngine games I've played on the PC (those being Far Cry and Crysis) was that they prominently feature motion blur that takes effect when you move your character around, but it seems to result in a perceived delay. I don't know if it's a true delay, or an artifact of the motion blur making the scene look like you haven't turned yet when you have, but I felt that it was a visual feature that did more harm than good in fast-action gameplay, even though it would've looked awesome at a closed press demo or an E3 kiosk. For the sake of gameplay, I'm hoping that Crytek will allow motion blur to be disabled on 360 and PS3 versions of Crysis 2, as well as the PC version.

    FEAR 2 had motion blur and the film grain effect; I turned both of those off and the game played better, though it didn't save the game's other shortcomings.

    Lately there's been a trend of developers not putting in advanced rendering options in the options menu of the game, which means you can't rectify things that look pretty but hurt playability. On consoles, sometimes that's something that the developer enabled to showcase the engine's features, or disabled to improve performance on the 360 or PS3. On the PC, you can have the video driver force some of the standardized rendering options (antialiasing and anisotropic filtering, primarily) when the game starts, but unless the developer gives you a config option on the engine-specific features, you're stuck with whatever they thought was best in their game, which may not mean best performance.

    I was reminded of this by playing Singularity last night; at one point I glanced at the floor in front of me, and the diamond-textured metal surface had hard mipmap transitions scrolling across as I walked. "Damnit, they didn't enable anisotropic filtering!" I open the Options menu, and there's no option for AA or AF. There's no config editing for this game either, as it's stored in a hash-checked binary file.
    Jan 30, 2011 9:29am PST
  • #65
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    By: bouxdag x
    Reply
    So, i love the show. I really do. I also love Garnett and feel like he's the real reason I listen to the show. Essentially, he's the heart and soul. While I was sad Brian left, I'm going to continue listening to every episode. If Garnett left but Gamefly or whoever tried to keep the show going...I would stop listening.

    That being said, I don't think I could disagree more with his opinion's on the NGP.

    First of all, comments like "If you're a gamer and you buy an iPad over a NGP you're wrong" and "gamers said they wanted dual sticks on the PSP....now they've got it so they should stop complaining" are just silly and very fanboyish to me. I only listened to the show once in a noisy environment so maybe I somehow misunderstood.

    For multiple weeks it was discussed that the 3DS might not do as well as the DS had because of the iOS gaming market. Also, Garnett stated something like "$250 is a lot for a handheld gaming device." Yet, when it comes to the NGP...it's not even competing vs the iPhone...it's somehow competing vs a device with a screen twice as big. To me, this just sounds like a way to justify the possible $400 price tag.

    "NGP is $100 less than an iPad" sounds a lot better than "NGP is $100+ more than an iPhone." Never mind the fact that all the non gaming stuff the NGP does the iPhone probably does better and you HAVE to have your phone. (I guess it's possible the NGP may do non gaming things just as well as the iPhone, but if it was that easy to compete with Apple in that area, Microsoft would have a long time ago).

    I was honestly just extremely surprised by the whole discussion. Instead of NGP vs 3DS, or NGP vs iPhone...it somehow became NGP vs iPad?

    Like I said, I love the show. Listen to every episode. I guess I just find it bizarre that instead of hearing what I felt like should have been an interesting debate about the NGP's potential from someone I have a lot of respect for....I felt like I got a fanboy's argument telling me why I should go buy an NGP or I was somehow wrong for not doing so.
    Jan 29, 2011 11:12am PST

    Thread Truncated. Click to see all 2 replies.

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