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DTS Headphone:X brings 11.1 channel surround sound to headsets
Xbox One policy change means loss of family sharing, disc-free gaming
Steam beta code implies game-sharing plans
Crytek working on The Collectibles for iOS
Weekend Confirmed 84 - Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3, GTA V announced
by Garnett Lee, Oct 28, 2011 11:15am PDTBattlefield 3 blew up across the video game world this week and its shockwaves carried right over to Weekend Confirmed. But believe it or not, BlizzCon momentarily upstages the modern warfare, as Xav, Jeff, Andrea, and Garnett get distracted by pandas in WoW and the latest title to board the DOTA train. This special episode was recorded in the evening and the crew celebrated with beers and bourbon. So buckle up, it gets bumpy from the start. Along the rest of the way there's talk of Uncharted 3 and Dance Central 2, hopes and dreams for Grand Theft Auto V, and, of course, Finishing Moves.
Weekend Confirmed Ep. 84: 10/28/2011
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If you're viewing this in the GameFly application, you can play Weekend Confirmed Episode 84 directly.
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:
Show Breakdown:
Round 1 00:00:00 – 00:30:07
Whatcha Been Playing Part 1 00:30:41 – 01:02:32
Whatcha Been Playing Part 2 01:03:37 – 01:33:52
Featured Music Break: 01:33:52 – 01:35:02 Badazz Feat. Lil Wayne – 'Forgive Me'
Listener Feedback/Front Page News 01:35:02 – 02:09:56
NFL Tailgate 02:10:38 - 02:17:59
Bad Azz is a West Coast rap artist who has worked with and featured alongside some of the best-selling hip-hop artists of all time, including Snoop Dogg, Warren G., and Tupac Shakur (aka 2pac/Makaveli).
Download Bad Azz 'I'm Baaack And I Ain't Went Nowhere' Free Mixtape
Follow Bad Azz on twitter
Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest Album, The Wait is Over on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page, and follow him on twitter delriomusic.
Jeff Cannata 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!
Andrea Rene hosts the Clevver Games Channel. For more, check out the Clevver Games Facebook page and follow Andrea on twitter.
Follow the Weekend Confirmed hosts on Twitter! Garnett Lee @GarnettLee, Jeff Cannata @jeffcannata and Xav de Matos @xav.
Remember to join the Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page and add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.
Comments
My favourite quote is this:
"It's entirely understandable given what the developer is attempting to achieve - an unbroken flow of action that leads to climax - but, at the same time, beneath the spectacle there's a nagging feeling that your presence in the scene is an irritation rather than a preference."
This complaint speaks to me as a gamer 100%. It's something that has bothered me about so-called "cinematic games" for years. Going all the way back to when I first played Metal Gear Solid, I couldn't help but feel like I wasn't really an active participant in the game, that I was just being shown the game, and I had to do what I was told or else I'd ruin it.
Granted, games are all about doing what you're told to a certain extent, but it's different when a game banks so heavily on it's cinematic presentation. The scene plays out exactly the same each time, characters repeat the same lines of dialogue, the sequence of events never changes, and this happens over and over again until you, the player, get it fucking right already.
Much was made of how there weren't any QTE's during the big moments, but frankly, if the whole scene is going to fall apart and start over every time I deviate from the script, then the difference between that and Dragon's Lair starts to feel a little thin.
I suppose the payoff for me to put up with this is that the scene itself is an exhilarating white knuckle ride, but in the end, I just don't feel as though I've actually participated in making that scene awesome. My contribution was more of an impediment than anything else, I ruined the scene several times, lessening the impact, and the game would have been better off on autoplay.
I'm not going to play Uncharted 3, I'm going to watch a video of someone else's playthrough, because for what I'd get out of the experience, the game really might as well just be a movie.
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If only there was a way that you could see if the squad member you're about to spawn on was safe....
[like looking at the chase cam of the squad mate you're about to spawn onto]
Console gamers aren't retards.
Some experiences may need to be streamlined for the input or hardware limitations of the devices, and maybe a significant portion of the audience has been indoctrinated to that kind of experience over years of exposure.
But there's nothing we can't grasp about fucking Battlefield. Team-oriented, objective-based games aren't beyond the comprehension of console gamers. It may be a little more strategic, team-oriented, or methodically paced than a lot of console gamers want, but there's nothing about it that people don't understand.
It's personal preference that's the issue, not ignorance of the workings.
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You're not the only one who cares about the single player over multi-player.
You're not outdated!
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However it did get me thinking about who would be the best company to bring us a tripple A game with a female lead. I eventually settled on Naughty Dog. Of any game I've ever played I think the Uncharted series has the best written women. They are strong, smart, believable, and proportioned like real human beings plus the dialogue is all top notch,
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Games coming out soon (by no means all the great games):
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Uncharted 3
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
Batman: Arkham City
Modern Warfare 3
Battlefield 3
Halo Anniversary
Skyrim
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Microsoft Game Studios was also renamed to "Microsoft Studios" this year. Lots more Kinect and casual focus recently.
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Without wanting to derail this into an insult/hate fest against Weekend Confirmed or any other gaming podcast, but why is alcohol so commonplace in the gaming culture? It seems as though every podcast I hear, the cast talks about drinking during the show, drinking during gameplay sessions, and drinking at cons and press events. This comes across as drinking as a prerequisite for enjoying games or working in the industry, which cannot be further from the truth.
If I were an outsider to the world of gaming and I heard some drunk podcasting, I would lose any respect for the entire gaming culture that i had.
Thoughts?
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Where's indie Jeff?
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In terms of multiplayer, the Battlefield series has put a huge emphasis on teamwork, everything from the use of vehicles to gradually advancing towards objectives and coordinating with which classes each squad should roll out with. This applies both to attacking and defending.
The Call of Duty series, while can be approached in a tactical method, never really required such an approach. It is possible to have a rewarding experience both for self and for the team, thanks to the inclusion of killstreaks which are rewarded based on individual success.
Considering how multiplayer is the main draw for both games and the different approaches to that, did EA make the right move to incite a rivalry between the 2 franchises, or were they trying to market a game to an audience its not intended for?
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Let's see you've got most every final fantasy in 3/6 a female was the main Celena I believe after worlds end you start the main quest with her. Take most fighting games the woman are quick agile extremely lethal. Of course Tomb Raider, bloodrayne... Mirrors Edge yeah that was a slick none busty chick;) but then again which dudes aren't totally ripped in games so hell let the cleavage fly IMO. Portal the villian seemed female as well. I won't bore you all day with a further list.
Conclusion get over it there's no gender problem other than the one you create.
Now the real question would be which race do you perceive Master chief to be?
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I'm actually a bit disappointed by the reviews that these guys have delivered, you sort of missed the point entirely. I understand it's difficult for games pundits to give any amount of extended time to one game. I suppose this is why forums like this exist, for people like us to push our points forward.
I usually find people who nag on the comment thread a bit tiring, but the BF3 discussion you had actually bothered me a bit. The multiplayer in this has changed up what the idea of multiplayer gaming can achieve, and I think that you almost bypassed it.
I think people are annoyed because they put their trust in your opinions as the 'experts' and you didn't come accross as experts at all. Someone said it perfectly on the post further up, you mentioned you shouldn't really be able to talk about SF4, because none of you were experienced in playing it or knew what it was about... this seemed a similar situation, maybe you should have left out the BF3 talk entirely?
Other than that, I am a HUGE fan, keep it up. I loved this week's podcast, there's nothing wrong with having fun with a few drinks, Andrea was hilarious.
"Call of Duty offers players leeway in where they can go in a mission."
I think I'm going to take you guys up on the drinking thing. I have a feeling I'm going to need it.
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And the game does not have character? are you kidding? This game invented this concept. Base conquest - multiple vehicles etc. is that not enough character for you? as far as personality - you are playing your friends - they are the characters!
Sorry to hear none of you are "that guy." I love a good story too - but no one expects a story here. If you want to play golf - don't go to a basketball court.
Please redeem yourselves and admit on the next show that you are total morons so that I can listen to your podcast again - because I look forward to it every week.
I'm just saying if you as the press want games to be taken seriously, take yourself seriously for crying out loud.
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How about next week BF3 gets a fair shake and you get someone in who actually has has a clue about things like the MP part of the game. I don't think that's too much to ask for...
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"The organisers of a new competition for games - the Gamecity prize - are calling for video games to be embraced as an art form. Charlie Higson, the writer of the Young James Bond books who was on the panel, and the writer Ekow Eshun, former director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, discuss the merits of computer art. "
It's an audio clip from a radio show
http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9628000/9628274.stm
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You covered BF3, and the only multi player discussion covered was launch/server problems. A huge portion of gamers out there(myself included) care about multi player. We care about balance, map design, match making/joining with friends, etc.
I love the show, and I'll keep listening to it, but I would enjoy hearing from someone that cares as much about multi player as the existing hosts care about the story, or industry direction, etc.
You've got Indy Jeff that comes on every once and a while and talks indy games, what about having someone come on every once and a while and talk multi player games.
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To use my earlier analogy, imagine a couple of months from now if you guys decided to talk almost exclusively about the multiplayer in Mass Effect 3. You know while you're talking about it that, at best, it's an OK distraction and, at worst, it affects the single-player in a negative way.
Garnett you encountered this problem years ago with Street Fighter 4. You acknowledged the games popularity but then you clearly stated that neither you or any of the panelists that day had any real knowledge or expertise to talk about the game in depth, so you skipped it. Do that next time.
To anyone out their who waited for the Weekend confirmed guys to break down Battlefield 3 for a purchasing decision here is the general consensus:
Single player isn't worth the price of admission. Even as a rental it isn't worth your time. You've played that campaign before in some form or another.
Co-op is better than single-player but still not very good. Not worth a rental either.
Multiplayer is worth the price of admission alone. There isn't any other game like it on the market. The destruction, the vehicles, the way it forces you into a squad to push team work and coordination. It isn't for everyone but give it a chance and you'll more than likely be hooked by it.
If you don't like multiplayer don't bother purchasing the game or playing like Jeff. There are much better single-player experiences on the way that are much better than what you find in Battlefield 3.
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I posed this question to my coworkers at an advertising agency and found that, probably unsurprisingly, all the women gamers were in full support of a female lead, while the guys were split. If adult men are uncomfortable playing a female character I find it hard to believe that 13-16 year old guys (still a large portion of the gaming audience) would want to play as a female.
With that said, drunken Andrea is just about the cutest thing I've ever heard.
I've just listened to the latest podcast and would like to say thank you very much for reading my post! I never really expected to get a mention and was flabbergasted when my tag was read aloud not once but twice on my favourite podcast. Thanks for making my year, keep up the great work guys and gals.
Tickleygonad
Seriously, she said that on the podcast for the site that descended from Quakeholio? I'm giving her some homework to finish before her next appearance:
1. Buy Doom on Steam
2. Download ZDoom from http://zdoom.org/Download
3. Use the instructions in http://www.doomworld.com/vb/doom-general/18077-read-this-doom-on-windows-steam/ to get the game running in ZDoom. I can help along the way if necessary.
I had different priorities in high school; instead of going to the senior prom, I played QuakeWorld co-op.
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I just joined Shacknews after listening to the latest Weekend Confirmed episode (great show btw), and I’d like to offer my view on the idea of GTA 5 with a female lead character.
The idea of exploring a GTA universe through a female perspective does not sound appealing to me. The title of the game repels this idea from my mind.
Grand Theft Auto Car thief- Person who loves cars Man
My memory of GTA games is shaky (I’ve only played GTA IV, Vice City, and Liberty City Stories), but don’t these games typically involve a fair amount of organized crime? I don’t mean like the mafia, but just a group of people working toward a goal. The idea of an organized crime group with an active or retiring female member/hitwoman/lead thief seems less real and more like a Hollywood movie.
To be honest, my idea of GTA 5 starring a female lead would be something like the VH1 show called ‘Mob Wives’. Those ladies were tough and all, but I just wouldn’t want to play a game about them.
I’d be curious to know how relationships were integrated into the story. Would it be scripted that I had, or would have a boyfriend or husband during the game? I just really do not want to play as a woman in a relationship. If she’s single and killing lots of stuff that’s cool, but if I have to immerse myself in the role of someone who intimately cares, or once cared for a dude, that’s just not for me.
Most likely this game could work, but I would probably be underwhelmed by the pitch.
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Just wanted to say I %100 agree with Jeff's view on SP BF3. Sure it has its flaws and it is highly derivative but I enjoyed it more than MW2 and BLOPS SP. Also the Russian missions were awesome. I will be curious to see what everyone take will be on MW3 SP because I thought people were overly critical on BF3.
PS I bought BF3 for MP.
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Have you ever watched Black Hawk Down? Did you enjoy it?
I loved it, but a lot of my friends hate it, and a common complaint is 'it's just noise - I don't know what the hell is going on, or why this shit is happening, and I don't care about anybody.'
I love it because I feel like it puts the audience in the boots of a guy on the ground, letting them experience the chaos. I can't tell you the name of a single character in the movie, off hand, but I can describe all of the major set-pieces in detail because of how the cinematography and direction seared them into my brain.
Battlefield 3 is nowhere near the quality of Black Hawk Down (the movie). But I feel like it's trying for the same thing. Don't worry about drama, humanization, dialogue - you're you a warzone, talk and cry over beers when the job is done. Let the action, the chaos, and the comradery among your team speak in broad strokes.
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I would fully endorse and purchase this product from Rockstar. I still feel we are a little far out from it actually coming to fruition, but I think our industry as a whole needs it.
Right now I am playing through fable III (a little late) with my gf as a female character. This is the most shallow "female experience" you could probably have in a game, but every time the game takes a small turn to address the gender differences, it is unique and fun. If we could have a game that fully embraces this idea, it would be a great experience to learn and to enjoy games in a new way.
My gf nods in approval. Perhaps one day, if a game like this comes out, she can be convinced to listen to this podcast.
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THANK YOU!
Somebody finally gets my motion-controls are a con.
Since videogames were invented, they have provided players with large action for small input.
Press a button to jump.
This is what makes frenetic action games possible, what makes large worlds possible to explore, what makes incredibly complicated feats like flying fighter jets possible.
Trying to force a one-to-one ratio of input to result can only drag-down game design, not evolve it. The games that make use of such input must become simple and one-dimensional in order to accomodate the effort, space, and precision constraints of the user.
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Eventually we went through the catch-22 scenario where AAA 3rd party games were not going to get made for the Wii until 3rd party games sold on the Wii, but 3rd party games were not going to sell on the Wii until AAA 3rd party games were made for the Wii.
This is why the Kinect half-life was going to be much shorter. We had been there, done that. And If 3rd parties would not put much effort/resources into Wii games when it was smoking hot and when it had such a massive install base then why would they put money into a Kinect game?
Also working against it was the an old rule of consoles - you make games for the lowest common denominator. A subset of which is you do not make games for peripherals or accessories unless you desire to exclude half your audience.
Plus Kinect launched with a mediocre pack-in game. Not even close to a Wii Sports. I forget the name of the game already and I purchased it.
All in all, anyone that wanted these dancing, fitness, mini games, arcade sport mini games already had 4 years in which to play them on the Wii. It was starting to get obvious by the time that Kinect launched that consumers were over the Wii. It sold to anyone and everyone that wanted one. The craze was over.
Kinect wasn't enough of a new thing to start a new craze anywhere close to the level of a Wii. Copycats almost never are. It offered "no controller" play, but also no buttons and camera/space issues. And I would argue that software wise it was not only a copycat, but a step back in quality.. The Nintendo made Wii games were better software than any of the software released with or alongside Kinect.
And so Kinect was doomed to the dust bin much sooner than the Wii.
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I'm getting to the point where I might need to start fast-forwarding through huge portions of your podcast because you're just re-treading the same ground over and over again.
My point is that you should re-examine the Kinect maybe once every six months. Instead, every time a Kinect game comes out it instigates a huge discussion of why Kinect basically sucks (I've never tried it, just the impression that I seem to be getting); if a Kinect game release DOES change the scene, and changes opinions on what Kinect can and can't do, then by all means tell us about it. Otherwise, I'm going to assume that it's the same scene as it was (by your estimation) a week or two ago.
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