Episode 69: Kneel Before Pod!: The Movie

Kneel Before Pod returns! We start the show off with a little reflection on this year's E3 and the fate of conventions like it. Then in the second part of our show we talk about adaptations. Whether it's your favorite comic book or video game, I can guarantee that there is someone out there working to make it into a TV show or a movie. Then we top it all off with a big heaping helping of Fucking News.

PUT IT IN YOUR EARS!!!

Music featured in this episode:
Devo - Fresh
Goldfrapp - Happiness

Play Episode

Direct Download: Right Click and Save Podcast Home: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/23055 RSS Subscription: http://feeds.feedburner.com/kbpod or just look us up on iTunes!

Project $10 - Get over it.

Today I was reading Game Informer magazine and I happened to see the little segment they call "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly." In this they label EA's most recent sports Online Pass as ugly. They claim it is going to hurt the poor little kids that are only saving a few bucks by buying a used game. I must say, I really don't care about those "kids."

If you're not familiar with the Online Pass, it's real simple to break down. To take advantage of EA Sport's rich and ever expanding online features, you will need an online pass. This pass is included with every new copy of their sports games. If you buy it used, you can buy a pass for a one time charge of $10. Recently some people have really been getting up in arms and saying this is nothing more than an attempt by EA to price gouge.

EA claims that this move is just to help support the cost of the online services. If you've played an EA sports game lately, this might make sense to you. Every year they add more interconnectivity between their games and website. For example, in the latest Fight Night and FIFA games, I uploaded a picture of myself on the EA website. I then connected my Xbox to their online service via the in game menu, downloaded my picture and then applied it to my custom player. So in both games I had custom players that looked like me.

Another feature that is offered in FIFA is uploadable instant replays. So if I score an amazing goal, I can pause it and then upload the video to the EA website. To illustrate this feature, here is my custom player that looks like me (though you can't see his face) scoring a really cool goal.

EA Sports: KC Wizards 0 - 2 Columbus Crew

When I was playing Fight Night, my menu would load audio updates from ESPN.com and play them as if I had a radio on in the gym. So I would get updates about other sports such as football and baseball. And I mean real life updates, not some silly pre-recorded fluff.

All of these features were made available to me for no additional cost. As long as I was connected to Xbox Live, I could access all these features. This is all well and good, but now EA is claiming that they are going to be stepping up their online game even more.

During EA's E3 presentation, they unveiled some of the details for their upcoming MMA title. To say they're ambitious is an understatement. EA is planning on more or less creating their own gaming league. In this league, gamers can cut promo videos to trash talk their opponents, participate in tournaments with real life prizes and be involved with live events. These live events will be broadcast over the internet to PCs and consoles with live commentary from real life MMA commentators. It is an unprecedented online presentation that combines the game itself and multimedia.

I see this as being a first step for a massive change in how EA presents their sports games and how players will play online. It will be risky and costly. Which now raises the issue of money. EA will have to pay for the bandwidth, the hardware and the staff to keep these online services going.

When you buy a used game, none of that money goes to the publisher. When you buy that used copy of Madden 2008 at Gamestop, all that money goes straight to Gamestop and no one else. That means someone could use EA's online services and they haven't paid a cent towards the upkeep of that service. Why should I, someone who mainly buys new games, have to pay towards the upkeep of these services while others don't?

So in the end, EA is saying it's fine to buy a used game. Feel free to play the variety of single player modes while we don't get a cent for it, but we draw the line. The line being they will not provide a maintained service to someone that hasn't even given them $10. It seems more than fair to me.

Dragon Age: Origins expansion hits shelves

Dragon Age: Origins was a huge hit for Bioware and EA last year. Not wasting anytime, they have already released their first expansion for the title today. I actually received my copy today from Amazon.com after only paying $1.99 due to the comic book kerfuffle from last week.

Will this expansion turn out to be some glorified DLC or will it be a fully realized expansion? Your guess is as good as mine, but you can expect a full review once I get a chance to play it.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 tips for new players

While hello there little Billy/Janey. I understand that you are interested in playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2, but are afraid you'll look like a complete n00b. Well, of course there is always a learning curve when you start playing a new game, but there are a few tips I can give you that will make your score and self-confidence rise! A lot of the tips I am about to give you are covered on loading screens in some way or another, but I am listing them here because apparently a lot of you don't read them or need them explained more clearly. So here are just a few basic things to help you and your team.

Socialize, socialize, socialize- No, I don't mean use team chat to talk about what toppings you should get on your pizza or asking that guy you just shot if he's mad. There is actually a "socialize" button (default binding "q") that will help you, your team and your score. It is the by far the most overlooked way of getting easy points in the game. It's quite simple though and I have faith you can use it. Any time you have an enemy in your sights, simply press "q." This will actually make your character shout out that he has a target. At that point, a nice little red triangle will appear above his head which not only makes him easier for you and your teammates to spot, but makes him appear on mini-map making it harder to sneak up on people. Not only is this a useful tool in team tactics, but you also get skill points as a reward. If you spot a target and it is killed, you will receive a spot assist bonus. So even if you don't do a lick of damage to the target, you're still getting points. You can also use this button to set objectives for your squad, which will allow you to get squad objective bonus points. So in short, shout out every bad guy you see!

When in doubt, blow it up- One of the key features in Bad Company 2 is the destructible maps. This can really be used to your advantage, especially if you're an engineer or recon solider with mortar strike. If you think you saw movement in a building, blow it up. If you don't see any friendly triangles in the area, just let loose a mortar strike or blow the roof off the house with some RPGs. This is also handing when attacking in a conquest map. If the objective is in a building and the enemy is bunkered down, simply bring down the building. A few well placed rockets or mortars will completely knock down the structure, destroying your objective and usually anyone unlucky enough to be in the building.

Bullets are heavy- Unlike other games that apparently assume that you're in a vacuum without gravity, the rounds fired in Bad Company 2 have weight and friction. This is especially important for low level recon snipers without unlocked scopes. Simply put, the further away the target is, the higher you have to aim. With some practice, you will find the sweet spot for your sniper rifle and be able to drop a bullet on some poor schmoe's head from halfway across the map using your stock scope. This is also important to keep in mind with explosive rounds like tank fire and RPGs. Many times you will have to aim slightly above your target so you don't drop the round a few feet in front of your target.

Tanks have armor- This seems like a no brainer. Of course tanks are armored. The important thing to keep in mind though is the armor isn't the same thickness all the way around. Armored vehicles are designed for a face to face exchange of fire, so the front of these death machines have more armor than the sides or back. So if you want to get the most bang for your buck, attempt to approach the tank from the side or back, then let loose your rocket. This will greatly increase your damage and unless they are paying close attention, it will make it harder for them to locate you for a counter attack. Be sneaky, the game will reward you for it.

Don't be Rambo- You are not a one man army. Sure, if you go lone wolf you might get some cool kills from sneaking up behind people and knifing them in the back, but it will catch up with you. There is strength in numbers. Overwhelm your enemy with shear force if possible. If you need more reason to stick together, nearly every action that is rewarded with skill points has a squad bonus. This means if you assist a squad mate with a kill, heal them or achieve an objective with them, you will receive more skill points. Not only is it a good tactic to stick together, but the game rewards you for sticking together.

Catch up with old friends- Again, in the spirit of sticking together, there are more benefits to be had from squad mates. Not only can they heal you or assist you in a kill, but each one of your squad mates is a walking respawn point. Not only can you spawn from your team's starting point or any control points you might control, but you can actually select a squad mate and spawn right next to them. This allows you to get further behind enemy lines in less time. Just be careful not to spawn into the middle of a mortar strike...

There you have it. These are all very basic tips, but they are easy to overlook and the benefits aren't always spelled out. Hopefully now you will be spotting enemies and bringing down buildings like a pro. Or at the very least, hopefully I will have less reason to curse at my teammates...

I hate your Favorite Games

Sometimes I get sucked in. I will buy, rent, or demo a game that seems like a winner but actually turn out to be a loser. Sometimes it will take a couple hours, a couple days or even a couple of years for me to get over the initial shock of getting a new game. Once we've been living together for a couple months and I met her mom, it becomes clear. The game is slightly crazy, a bad cook and thinks it's ok to watch Jersey Shore in a non-ironic sense. Wait, are we still talking about video games?

Anyways, God of War is that very video game. I bought the first installment of this franchise shortly after it was released. Those first beautiful hours were much like that new relationship. I was so blinded by booze, boobs and primal gratification that I was in a haze of love. I thought it was love, but then after a day or so of playing it all came crashing down. It was like finding out the person you're dating still really likes Savage Garden. It became clear, that I was just playing Dynasty Warriors. Ok, maybe not exactly Dynasty Warriors, but close to it.

God of War is nothing but a button masher combined with with boobs, a typing tutor program and a touch of the old ultra violence. I have a math problem to illustrate my point.

Just in case I have to spell it out, the Rock Band controller represents the game's quicktime events. Which reminds me, I'm tired of quicktime events. While God of War isn't responsible for me being tired of quicktime events, it is the game that inspired everyone to use them.

The game is honestly nothing more than a Roger Corman movie with a bigger budget and better effects. I would say a better storyline, but I think that's a stretch. Because if there's much of a storyline in the first God of War, I didn't see it. All I saw was a bunch of blood and titties, but even that gets old. If I wanted to watch hours of blood and boobs, I would simply have a horror movie marathon.

I can't really hold it against people that like God of War. On paper, I should like it too. Hell, I did really like it for the first few hours. The problem is the game lacked anything to keep my attention past that. People still love God of War though. Don't let me talk anyone out of like the game. You could do a lot worse. I mean, you could like Tekken...

World of Warcraft: The Savior or Destroyer of the MMO?

It is hard to argue that World of Warcraft is one of the most popular games of all time, let alone the most popular MMORPG in history. It has reached past the typical playerbase and brought in more people than any MMO before it. Students, Doctors, Teachers, Parents, Celebrities and Geeks all play this record breaking game. It has taken a very diverse genre and boiled it down to a concentrated experience, all while making it accessible and fun. Though WoW might have broadened the MMO's audience, will it also hurt the market in the long run?

With the high profile MMO Star Trek Online going into open beta recently, it's been open season for everyone with an internet connection and a pre-order key. The message boards and blogs have been filled with professional, and sometimes less than professional, first impressions of the game. One thing that is a common point in a lot of these previews is a comparison to World of Warcraft. While not everyone does it, it's hard not to. Even though these two games have very different dynamics and subject content, there is always a giant WoW shaped shadow hanging over the game. For better or worse, WoW has become a standard by which all other MMO games are measured. But is this truly a fair practice?

The World of Warcraft that people play today is a far cry from the game that was launched back in November 2004. Beyond the technical problems that plagued the game early on, the game itself is different. This is to be expected from an online game that has been going strong for over five years and having released two expansion packs. The original WoW was a large concept game. It has introduced some ideas that have made the genre, as whole, better. Things such as smaller penalties for death and less downtime after combat are things that many games have adopted. What people fail to remember though is the title as it was launched, not as it is today.

Structured Player vs. Player was not introduced to Azeroth until nearly six months after the game's launched. Racial traits and certain class talents were not even enabled till the first patch of the game. WoW, like many other MMOs, was not something that many people would consider a complete game. Over the first few months after launch, content was slowly added or completed. There was much rejoicing and the game flourished.

One of the best examples of a Massively Multiplayer Online game fine tuning itself after launch is Dark Age of Camelot. One of the largest selling points for DAoC was it's large scale Realm vs. Realm, or RvR, combat system. In this system, all players were from one of three countries. These countries would all compete in a frontier area that had castles you could capture and defend. At launch, this system was heralded as being the most innovative way ever to do player vs. player, but many eventually lost interest in the RvR system.

Almost three years later, developers Mythic released a free expansion titled New Frontiers. This new expansion completely overhauled the Realm vs Realm system. Breathing new life to the series, creating what many MMO fans have described as one of the best and most rewarding player vs. player systems ever in a game. A gameplay system that shared very little from the original release of the game, but was a huge reward to those that saw the potential of the title and hung around for a few years.

Now let us return to 2010 and more specifically Star Trek Online. Many people are saying that it is an incomplete game or that the game may have less content than other games on the market. Server issues and other problems have arisen during the recent open beta testing. Problems that are very similar to those Blizzard had with overloaded servers during the launch of World of Warcraft. These issue are common place and are the very reason that companies use open beta as a stress test for their servers.

In the end, will Star Trek Online be a game that grows up into a "WoW killer" if it gets the support it needs? Not likely. Frankly there isn't any one that can "kill" WoW other than Blizzard at this point. Would a game like Tabula Rasa had done better if it wasn't in many player's nature to compare a launch game to a long established game? Maybe. The only thing that's clear is development of MMO games in general will eventually be forced into longer and longer cycles. Longer development cycles that many smaller companies just simply can't afford. Sure the future of the game will require less faith on the part of players, but the ability for game makers to take risks will be greatly reduced as well. Gone are the days that a game can come out with a solid gameplay engine, a few novel ideas and the promise of content down the road.

Maybe there will be something that changes it all. Maybe when Bioware's Old Republic comes out, there will be some strange shifting of the moon and planets, allowing people to have multiple MMOs to compare to with a variety of features and gameplay styles. Maybe there will be some way of billing or production that will allow for games to compete against World of Warcraft. But until that day, I think it's safe to say that WoW is the greatest and worst thing to happen to MMORPGs.

I Hate Your Favorite Game

I will not apologize.

There is a list of games. These games are the “best” games of all time. These games are your favorite games. These are the games that everyone with “good” taste likes. The games that are console sellers, killer apps and must plays. Games that you love more than some family members. I hate these games and I will not apologize.

Ok, maybe I am coming across a little strong. I don't hate every game that is popular or is a critical success, but sometimes it sure feels like it. When I worked at Gamestop, I could depend on the fact that almost daily someone would come into the shop and start talking about some lame game as if I cared. Here's a free tip, I don't. So without further ado, here is the first in a list of games you're wrong about.

Halo. I will despise this game till the end of time. Though I am man enough to admit that my rage towards this franchise is also compounded by my own stupidity and general lack of pattern recognition. You can count on Microsoft running some of the coolest ads of all time whenever something comes out with “Halo” in the title. You can also bet that every video game centered media outlet will also be covering it like the second coming. Without fail, whenever I see these ads and TV specials, I think to myself, “Maybe this time will be different. Maybe I will like this newest version of Halo.” It never happens. I get the game home, play it a few minutes and then I remember that there are hundreds of FPS games that are better than Halo.

Maybe the fact that I grew up playing games like Tribes, Team Fortress, and Unreal Tournament left me spoiled, but when I played Halo: Combat Evolved for the first time, I literally said out loud “It's ok.” When people say “Halo was the first game to bring a PC FPS experience to a home console,” what they mean to say is “Halo is a watered down version of a FPS that is adequate for consoles, but would not have mattered if released on the PC.” There is nothing that Halo does that hasn't been done better many times over, and with games like Call of Duty, it has now even been done better on the console.

The multi-player is repetitive and doesn't provide for a unique player experience. The game forces you to play exactly like everyone else or get left behind. Games like Tribes or Team Fortress encouraged players to find a play style that fit them and allowed people to be a benefit to their team even if they weren't the best with the two or three most powerful weapons. Halo is the NASCAR of shooters. It has a stock character with a stock selection of weapons that only lets you turn left repeatedly. Not to mention the online community that popped up around it is like a teenage tourette support group without all the laughs.

The story, while not terrible, is not original either. It borrows a lot from other sci-fi over the years, but still offers a somewhat new feel to it. But frankly, if you're playing a game for this sort of story you need to play Mass Effect instead.

In the end you get a generic game with good graphics and a rabidly stupid fanbase. I should be clear, liking Halo does not make you stupid, but it does increase the likelihood. I don't like your game, but hey, at least I have a diagram to support my opinion.

Episode 51: Kneel Before 2009

It's that time of year again. We are all a little fatter and we all think that within a couple of days, everything will be different because it's a new year. While this might not always be true, one thing about New Years is for sure, it sure does make for a proper time to do a year in review show!

In this wrap up episode, we pick our favorite video games, movies and comic books. So sit back and enjoy this fond look back at the past 365 days.

Play Episode

Direct Download: Right Click and Save Podcast Home: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/23055 RSS Subscription: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/recordings.talkshoe.com/rss23055.xml or just look us up on iTunes!

Episode 50: Kneel Before Activity

This episode of Kneel Before Pod, we talk some spooky things. Things that will make your skin crawl! Things that will make some people sick at their stomach! But we don't just talk about Transformers 2 folks! We also give you some information of the amazing new low budget thriller "Paranormal Activity." Then we round out the hour talking about video games! What Halloween fun!

Play Episode

Direct Download: Right Click and Save Podcast Home: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/23055 RSS Subscription: http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/recordings.talkshoe.com/rss23055.xml or just look us up on iTunes!

Beatles Rockband rumours.

So,Ripten is reporting that the Beatles Rockband setlist might have been leaked. The list includes 45 songs in total and range their entire career. I think when you have a library about 600 songs to choose from, that anything under 50 on the disc is a little silly. I know that there are going to be a lot more songs to come and they have already promised full album downloads, but if you slap "Over 50 completely remastered Beatles' Tracks!" on the album, you're really doing yourself a favour when the price point is $250. This won't keep me from buying it. I am a whore for The Beatles and Harmonix, so it's a given. I am really excited about this and am looking forward to the entire presentation. I'm glad to see that they're not just slapping a couple songs into the existing game and calling it an expansion.

Also, in case you missed it, here's the absolutely beautiful intro sequence that was shown at E3. Do yourself a favor and watch it right now.

"Get her!" That was your whole plan?

A nice little video from G4's Xplay about the upcoming Ghostbusters game featuring none other than Ray himself. Not sure if they're just kind words, but it really makes me get excited about the game.

Video Game - Video Game Reviews - X-Play

Web bias, what a cruel mistress thou are...

We here are Kneel Before Pod are bias. Ryan and I actually had a discussion the other night about it. It went something like this;

Me: "I think we should make sure we focus on being editorial. We're not a news site."

Ryan: "Yeah, we're bias."

Me: "And we just don't have the connections or resources to matter in the news world."

We understand that there is a line in journalism. It's one that used to be sacred and some would make it their mission to never cross it. When you are reporting news, you should do so without bias. When you include your opinion or start to skew the story to support your point of view, it becomes something else. It's no longer news meant to keep you informed of the latest developments in your world. This has been the official standard in journalism for years. There is room for these non-reporting features in the world, and frankly this is some of the best content. Where do I find a problem? When this content is not clearly marked as such. Some people can easily tell the difference, but some people in the world also need a reminder to *not* put a plastic bag securely over their head. I think it's safe to assume if a person doesn't know enough to not kill themselves with what most of us use to carry our cereal home, said person might not be able to tell that a story is being tainted by bias.

Most traditional (i.e. printed) outlets seem to be holding true to this tradition, or at least claim to be when call out as otherwise. That's why when you read an issue of your favourite gaming magazine, there is one whole section labelled "Reviews." This tells you clearly that you're entering the world of opinion. Or they will even state clearly that the content is editorial in nature. The biggest perpetrators of this are the websites that carry video game news. Their mix of editorial content and legit news often makes for a bizzare mix of unbias reporting and complete unblinking bias the next, sometimes by the same author on the very same topic.

The most recent example I have found of this is a website, which I will not name just because I don't want to make it look like I am trying to start a "feud," that has been one of a couple sites running regular posts about the recent stink over Gamestop's policy of allowing employees to take new games home to try and then still sale them as new. I personally think it's all pretty stupid, but that's not the point. The point of my editorial is that this site's posts are hard to take as being impartial. Ever. They have shown blatant bias on many issues in the past. So now, every time I read something of theirs I personally question "Are they being bias now?" Consistently, I never know how to take the words that are written on their page.

Think I might be a little rough on them? Well, you be the judge. Here is a direct quote from one of their stories. "With legal ambiguities surrounding this issue, we'd simply suggest buying used titles from your friendly, online click-and-order retailer in the meantime, rather than contributing to billions of dollars in used game sales at your own and other gamers' expense" is said at a more recent post about Gamestop. They are suggesting that you, the reader and consumer, bypass a company before anything is decided by *ANY* governing body. This is a practice that the company has done for well over a decade and has never been deemed illegal. Yet despite the total lack of guilt on Gamestop's part, they are suggesting you boycott them. Not only that, they are suggesting that you boycott the purchase of their... used games... which... has nothing to do with the current issue. This makes my brain cry. That is par for the course on this website.

Now let me say, there is nothing wrong with opinion laden content. Hell, that is 99% of all the original content you see on our site. We have a third of our weekly show dedicated to us remarking and talking general jackassery about actual news. I'm just saying lets make this a clear divide. Lets see a little tag that indicates real news and what is the ranting of a clearly bias fanboy. I feel so strongly about this, that recently we have started doing it on our site, even though I have already admitted that 99% of our content is pretty much devoid of unbias fact.

One last thing before I finally decide to go to bed. I hate Gamestop. With the burning passion of a million suns. I think that they are part of the problem and not the solution in nearly every issue that the video game industry faces. I think that they are a company that treats a majority of their employees *very* poorly. So, it almost causes me physical discomfort to defend them in even the most remote way. If you want to know how we feel about this policy at Gamestop, listen to this weeks show. I'm sure it will come up. Till then, be excellent to each other.

KO!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

"The Pitt"falls of DLC: A look at my favourite games' DLC

So, I make it no secret that I am kind of picky about my games. I have so many hobbies and habits that I have to play it smart with my money. This is why many times you'll see me get very passionate about the games I play. I try to choose games that will have a lot of replay value and deep storylines. There are two such games that I have talked about at lengths that fall into this group. Mass Effect and Fallout 3 are prime examples of what I think is right in the video game world. They both feature a robust mixture of action and RPG. They both have deep storylines with moral choices that will rock you to your core. Both are just fun, rewarding and engaging games.

There is one other thing that both these games have in common, they both completely fail in the way they incorporate their post-release downloadable content. I have played to completion both games multiple times before this content was released. I was completely consumed by these games and couldn't stop playing them even if I wanted to. So why would both these games release content after the fact that depends on you not finishing the game? Do they expect me to not finish these wonderful games until they have released all their DLC? Apparently so, because in both cases, once you finish the game, that's it. There's no more exploring or free roaming as a post game reward. Unless you have the foresight or the blind dumb luck to have a save file, you're going to have to start a completely new character just so you can access this new content. In most cases, this new content is maybe a night's worth of extended play. Now, this might not sound like a big deal, but for me personally it is a deal killer. I have downloaded the Mass Effect DLC and have never played it. I never had the desire to start a fourth character just so I could do one extra mission.

More recently, I downloaded The Pitt expansion for Fallout 3 and was completely uninspired. I was lucky enough to have a save file from my first play through from right before the last mission. So I get my level 20 character up to the new map marker in my fully decked out Power Armor, only to be told "Yeah, you can't take any of your gear. All you can take is this gun or this knife, but not both. Your anal cavity only has room for one." Ok, I added the anal cavity part, but it's still the truth. So I do what any red blooded vault dweller would do in this situation, I ignore Snake Plissken and decide I am going to do what everyone says I can't do. I walk in with full armor and combat shotgun raining pain. I have no problems killing all their gate guards, only to be stopped at a second gate and beat down in a cut scene. That's right, the game can't stop me so it cheats and just knocks me out in a cut scene. So moments later, I wake up in a slave pit with nothing but the slave rags they put me in and the small handgun I smuggled in my ass. I attempt to start trudging my way through this campaign to get to the story which I am told is full of some great moral choices and such, but I can't do it...

I have been playing video games the better part of 27 years. I know all the cheap tricks. I know about invisible walls, random respawning enemies and the worst of the worst. The old "We can't balance the game play or we're having a problem making this challenging for the player, so we're going to take away all your power ups and make you start all over again." No sir. I do not approve. Taking away items/skills/power-ups, or Samus Disorder as I like to call it, should not be a part of any game, especially after the first fourth of the experience. Retconning a person's character never achieves anything but frustrating the player, unless said character is completely removed from the reality of the gameworld. Prime example of the proper use of this is the Fallout 3 DLC "Operation Anchorage" where almost the entire story takes place in a simulation.

In a situation where you're basically formatting a character, why bother even letting us use our old character? Why not just give us a new character to play. I would have been much more compelled if The Pitt was a stand alone game where I roll up a brand new level 15 character to play through the campaign. Grand Theft Auto did pretty much that with it's new GTA4 DLC to great success. Mass Effect, Fallout 3 and GTA4 all benefit from having a rich world where you could just plug in a new character, tell a new story and it would still be compelling.

So, I know there are a lot of people that say "Well, you're complaining a lot, but I bet you have no suggestions on making it better." Well, that's where you're wrong slapnuts. Here's my suggestion for Bioware and Mass Effect 2. Release the game and get as much content as you can on the release. After that, forget about adding anymore content to the main campaign. You're done. Just call it a night. Now, start working on a couple stand alone expansion packs that focus on either side characters or completely new characters that bridge the story from Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 3. You can have that one for free Bioware, but if you want more, put me on the payroll.

So, in sort... here are my rules for good DLC content.

1. Don't use the original main character if the game locks after completion.
   
2. Don't Metroid us and take away everything away from our characters unless it serves a really good purpose.
   
3. Don't be afraid to use new characters if the game locks or if the main character dies.
   
4. Do use DLC as a bridge between sequels.
   
5. Do use the complex universe that you've created to it's fullest
   

Just follow these simple rules developers and we'll be cool.

Episode 32 - Two electronic devices enter...

So, this week in Thunderdome, we put console gaming and PC gaming in a cage to let them duke it out. Who will win? Does anyone win? Find out!



Direct Download: Right Click and Save
Podcast Home: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/23055
RSS Subscription: http://recordings.talkshoe.com/rss23055.xml
or just look us up on iTunes!

March 18th. PC vs. Console gaming!

In this coming week's show, we are going to discuss out stances on the battle of PC gaming versus Console gaming.

Is PC gaming dead? Are consoles a fad? Give us your feedback on the issue. As always, have your feedback submitted before Wednesday 8pm est if you want to have it on this week's show.

A link to the forum thread for this topic. or contact us using the information on the top of the blog.

EPISODE 31 - Kneel Before Watchmen: The Aftemath

The boys discuss Watchmen, and be warned...IT'S SPOILER HEAVY! Also, a public internet-apology, and some newsy-news.



Next Week - Consoles vs. PCs: Will there be a winner in the Gaming Wars?

Direct Download: Right Click and Save
Podcast Home: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/23055
RSS Subscription: http://recordings.talkshoe.com/rss23055.xml
or just look us up on iTunes!

Think of the children...

Are Violent Video Games Adequately Preparing Children For The Apocalypse?

David Jaffe's video

We mentioned a youtube video by Mr. Jaffe during last episode. I posted it in our news ticker, but in case you missed that...

Snap into some brains! OH YEAH!

So, I have to share this. This is a mod for Left 4 Dead.



Yes. Those zombies do sound like Macho Man Randy Savage. Strange... :P