Weekend Confirmed 151 - Sly Cooper, Dead Space 3, MMO's,

@jeffcannata So I totally understand about certain games and their pedigree. There are certain companies and franchises that I'll buy without question. Ace combat being primarily among them. Ace combat 3 electrosphere? Sold. Shattered skies? Fuck yeah! Unsung war? Hot damn! The Belkan war? Belkan is a stupid fucking name for a country but fuck it I'm buying it! Then assault horizon came along. I have never played a game for 10 minutes and took it back to the store before. And I've played battle toad battlemaniacs which is by far the most shit eating ,frustrating, ruin your fucking controller game out there followed closely by ninja " holy fuck is this game for real"? Gaiden. After ace combat went and tapped their inner Jerry bruckheimer I kind of said fuck it. Plus the fact It wouldn't let me roll the fucking airplane kind of set the tone for that particular gaming experience. Will I still by ace combat? Maybe. They have earned the right to fuck up at least once. But I swear if those fucks go all flying dove on me I'm walking the fuck away forever.

I have to say I am disappointed in Alex, I am an avid Guild Wars 2 player, and the things he said about dungeons is just not true. Maybe for him and his group things were very un-organized and everybody was running around crazy, but if you get a "good" group everything is smooth as butter. Eh, you can call me a fan boy, but is just seems people get everything about GW2 wrong because they don't spend enough time with it. Oh well.

Comparisons to Apple TV are freaking stupid! For one, Apple TV is not even remotely as successful as current gen consoles (or alternative smart tv options for that matter)... all of which already provide the same functionality as Apple TV.

Apple TV is not doing anything innovative. All smart tv's from vendors such as Samsung and LG have the same services built into them already. The need to name drop the service like 30 times only signals the fact that you are one of the Apple brainwashed idiots that think everything Apple does is praiseworthy. Apple TV isn't opening the door for shit... they're just doing more of what has already been done. I'm glad that you're enjoying you're obviously enjoying your purchase... but it was highly irrelevant to the discussion on consoles b/c both Sony and Microsoft already provide the same services that are available through Apple TV.... and to a MUCH wider audience.

Hell, even Google TV is leagues better than Apple TV with the search/voice search features... plus the ability to interact with live programming and not just online content.

And still... my preferred venu for online services would be my console if it were as easy to control as Google TV (no need for remotes or controllers). The only major advantage of services like Google TV or Apple TV is the ability to stream content directly from our tablets or smartphones. Sony could technically allow streaming from all Android devices, as they likely will from their Xperia line of phones. But if either Sony or Microsoft limit this feature to their own branded devices, that would be the only real weakness of their service compared to Google or Apple.

Yes FUCK Time Warner, but don't forget the government are the ones that lubed them up to fuck you.
Here's why it's a mess WATCH--> http://vimeo.com/59236702
This also has a huge effect on gaming and especially the next gen with the coming Sony streaming service and day one digital downloads that are going to be 20GB+ a game.
If you want it fixed boys and girls, VOTE and bitch to your congressperson/senator relentlessly.
While you're at it you mine as well mention to them that videogames and guns are two very different things.

Contrarian to not have cable? LA has brainwashed you, Cannata. :P

Good Evening everyone, My first time writing/blogging period. I LOVE the podcast, and I have a question for everyone on the show or the community at large. I am 18 years old, but I have this sick infatuation with Legend of Zelda right now but I do want to use an emulator for this and other N64 games. I looked at the Nintendo 3DS and Ocarina of Time got a 9.5. IS this worth getting an entire "system" ? Any suggestions, and I again Love the show!!

In honor of Valentine's Day, we're going to field your videogamer relationship questions on this week's show with Jeff, Nikole, and I...and hopefully one more guest. So, fire away and we'll do our best to answer as many as we can on the show!

Nintendo knocking it out of the park large scale DLC for super Mario U!!! Donkey kong 3D!!! Mario and lungi RPG in 3D!!!! And classic golf just killing it they are:)

Will we get some 3DS love one day ???

So, on a whim, I went and bought a 3DS and a Vita yesterday. Tell me what to get, and what not to get.

Other than the obvious, of course. Already got Super Mario 3D Land, Golden Abyss, and AC Liberation.

I can't agree more with Andrew regarding Sony handling of its first party titles.

I'm shocked they DID NOT SUPPORT whatsoever the game you mentionned : All Star, Starhawk, Twisted Metal, Sly Cooper... It seems they send those game to die !

That's unacceptable !

We're not talking about crappy game as Call of Duty Black Ops, but pretty good game !

That's a pity because Sony has done a fantastic job this gen to bring the freshest new franchises on the first party front !

And when I see how they treat the Vita, I don't have any high expeactations for the PS4 marketing support.

I'm really worried...

wow whats up with all the Playstation hate. As someone who plays exclusively on playstation your making it unbearable to listen to this podcast anymore

So much for Sony having a space all to themselves. Bungie stepped in and said yeah I'm going to take a lot of that away from you... Really excited for the destiny trailer:)

I don't think Sony has done a perfect job when marketing some exclusive games but I think the 'marketing hate train' is a little silly and I'm not hearing many solutions.
* A few positive things I noticed with the Sly marketing

1) went into the PS Store and what is on the front page this week-Sly Cooper-39.99 cross-play. This means everyone who goes into the PS Store will see that Sly is out this week and for a great price for PS3 and Vita.

2) They put Sly Cooper to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7fh0arV5Ww keeping the character relevant

3) Release Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time Animated Short the week of Release http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI6vkyyK4Lc

4) Release Sly Collection: Sly Cooper Thievius Raccoonus HD Remakes 1-3 -making money and getting Sly back into the spotlight http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBdX2h5uCY

5) New game on every major game site with previews and reviews


The marketing isn't as bad as some media seem to make it out to be. Could it be better sure-if you have it could have been better then reply-

A really great episode this week, guys. Conversation felt smooth and natural, and was genuinely funny at times. It was a joy to listen to.

Jeff talking about the limitations of scripted events in games compared to the freedom of D&D, and how he really enjoyed being a DM made me think of something.

Wouldn't it be really cool if you could have sort of a DM role for your friends while they are playing together in a videogame? You could watch them as an invisible puppet-master and guide them through the story, throwing monsters at them or perhaps even talking live as characters through some sort of voice distortion. Sort of like D&D.

Perhaps a game like that would be to complex to make, but one can always dream.

Starwing is going to have this really cool feature. It's like when you die you'll have 3 lives. Man the indie space is the only place advancing games it's so cool. Hey ahhhhh not to burst your bubble but that's a feature in every game since super Mario bros., but I know indie games get stuff like picking gender way better then everyone else lmao;)

Dead Space 3. Come on guys, tell me what I really need to know about this game.

Is my mom gonna like it?

Great episode! Alex should be a regular. Rename the show Totally Rad Weekend Confirmed. I really liked that the episode didn't have a lot of whining or snark. It was just fun and informative which I hope carries on in future shows.

You can't blame Sony for playstation all stars. Superbot missed their date, I know its easier to blame the faceless corporation instead of people you know in the development community. That's not the reality Sony had a great plan of when to launch the game and the developer F'd up and it got lost in November developer fault.

I didn't try the Dead Space Coop just yet but I have an interesting idea for the next game. They should add internal voice chat like in BF3 etc. But when you play coop it would sometimes screw up your voice or mix strange stuff in there. But only one of the players can hear it. So he'll be like what the fuck is that noise and the other is like I don't hear anything. Or sometimes the signal would break up and you wouldn't hear anything from your partner. Or maybe you would just here strange noises or scream over the voice channel. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Holy God in heaven save us. If you have never watched the Behind the Scenes for the show before you NEED to do it for this episode.

I'm just gonna say, Jeff got touched on an airplane and then told the world about it. Watch that shit.

So I finally got my copy of fire emblem:) HOLY cow does this game look great!!! And I love the new casual option it's just more in line with how you'd general a army... To me making sacrifice for strategic advantage is more plausible then slowly inching just to keep from losing a major piece.

I think if you want to make the "boring" parts of MMOs more rewarding, developers have to create tool sets that have actual depth. This is basically what Gabe Newell talked about this week with "player productivity." He even invoked Photoshop as a "free to play game," and suggested creating a 3D modeling RPG. So I mean, if you want players to be an armor maker or whatever in an MMO, you have to give them the richness of a software program like Photoshop---so that they're not just sort of leveling up the gameplay value of the armor, but getting to apply their own aesthetic and so forth.

I'm happy that the PS3 has exclusives coming in 2013 -list of PS3 exclusives http://www.reddit.com/r/PS3/comments/16yt2k/the_games_media_seem_to_be_focused_on_whats_next/

Does anyone know or have a list of Xbox 360 exclusives in 2013? I only know of Gears of War Judgment and it seems to be getting little to no news or hype.
***Pre-order at 7 weeks until launch of game comparison***
***Gears of War Judgment*** 92,000
***Gears of War 3 with weeks before launch pre-order numbers***1,500,000

That's a story. The one big Xbox 360 exclusive is getting little marketing, buzz or hype. Does anyone have a list or know of any other 360 exclusives in 2013? If so, I would love to hear about them

Great episode, guys! The Space Team recap had me rolling with laughter :D

Wowwwwwwww!!!! Playstation all stars sold 11,758 copies in Japan.... Yeah that's just not very good...

So I posted this last week, but I don't care because you all need to hear it.

There's a demo for Etrian Odyssey 4 on the eShop RIGHT NOW!

You can play it RIGHT NOW! FOR FREE! RIGHT NOW!

Why are you still reading this? Go play it! RIGHT NOW!

Wow, surprised you've had such a terrible experience with TWC, Andrew -- even in New York?

It may be that their service varies from area to area, but at least in Chelsea (in Manhattan) they seem to be the best available option--and they're really not that bad. (There is no Verizon FiOS service here, so I can't get fiber).

In terms of customer service, yeah, they could improve their 'windows' and scheduling, but the few times I've had to get a technician over, they've been pretty professional and competent. I wonder if they may be using outsourced techs in your area (which would explain why they recommended another service too). Was the guy who came to your place wearing a TWC uniform?

There's only been one time about 6 or 7 years ago where my internet was getting painfully slow. Their tech came over (yes, after a few days waiting), checked some stuff w/ my cable modem, and then just replaced it with a newer model.

Since then, it's been pretty smooth sailing with some really decent speeds (for cable internet) that have gradually increased:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/2495988443.png

(Note that's a test from NYC to San Jose, CA)

In fact the one comms company I really do HATE is Verizon, because of an old beef from 2000 where their DSL tech came in and unplugged my Covad Internet service, leaving me in DSL hell for 2 months.

When Jeff says "Put out to pasture" I assume he means no longer being discussed in whatever community of people he's thinking should be discussing successful MMOs. That seems like a pretty unfortunate way to evaluate the health of an MMO.

The draw of an MMO is the community, or at least that’s what gets people to stick around. Alex is right that SWTOR succeeded with the Single Player/CoOp part of the game but failed at the purely Multiplayer end game part of the MMO.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen (GMT),

I'd just like to thank all the weekend confirmed team for helping me get through a stressful time at work. I’m an structural design engineer in the aerospace industry and we’re currently having a crunch time on the AW189, without you I'm not sure how I'd keep my sanity!

It occurs to me that the publishers in this industry are so caught up in backing what they imagine to be more secure investments that they are strangling the life out of the mainstream market. By throwing all of their funds into the 3rd, 4th and 5th instalments of IP’s, which are more likely to bank a profit, and neglecting to take a punt on any original ideas they are losing control of any evolution within the industry.

The majority of new ideas seem to be coming from the indie scene, where people are making games for the love of it rather than being driven by potential revenue.
It’s great that there is a way for people with a unique vision to express themselves in this industry but unless developers start freeing some of their funds to back some more original ideas people are going to get bored of the same old generic AAA releases.

If indie developers can succeed using Kickstarter, Steam Greenlight or another community format, not to mention the iOS and Android marketplaces, why would they ever choose to work in a more restrictive corporate environment?

I hate to compare the movie industry, but…
As with summer blockbusters, there’s always room for a big budget, no brainer, action title but the mainstream industry is so focused on pushing out more and more Independence Day’s that we’ll never get a Citizen Kane.

I hope the next round of consoles does something to reinvigorate the market because, although many will be comfortable playing yet another ‘same old’ shooter I personally am starting to find it a little predictable.

I hope the major developers don’t end up getting so wasted at the shareholders party they wake to find that somebody has screwed the pooch while they were unconscious.


Anyway, I’d love it if you all get a chance to discuss this during your next show, keep up the great work.

Cheers,
Tickley

So I watched the injustice matches, and the game looks interesting. I can see those long room passing animation becoming annoying if there isn't much variety to the animations. I'm wondering how the background interactions work, if its anytime with anything or just the specific... Namely the Bane bouncing batman off the giant sphere.