Today's PB & Jason is filled with news and opinions. What does the Mandatory Binding Arbitration clause in Steam's Terms of Use mean? Which Square Enix RPG will be available on the Ouya? Where in the world is E3 2013? Spoiler alert: The answer is in the site's recent news. Are buttons a huge barrier to video games? What crazy prediction for the Wii U launch has Jason come up with now? All these answers and more can be found in PB & Jason #95! Click through for the show's download and listening links!
Sex. Now that I have your attention, why is it something that gaming podcasts don’t talk about very often? Sex sells, and game developers have used it more and more in their games over the years. Your favorite nerdy trio takes off their pants, turns on their mics, and talk at length about sex in vidya games. But before that we talk some recent games, including Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, Slender, and Unchained Blades.
You've probably already heard the rumor about Final Fantasy Versus XIII's cancellation. You've probably even heard the news about the rumor being false. I've another rumor: A major videogame media outlet has taken my idea about reporting fake video game news! Oh, and they forgot to outright tell people it was fake. Anyway, in this week's PB & Jason, we talk about the Final Fantasy Versus XIII debacle, the Borderlands formula, and we learn of a possible reason why EA's former COO is "Former" and not "Current." Want to listen to PB & Jason? Click through to the embedded player and download links!
It shouldn't be very difficult to guess the main subject of today's PB & Jason. I'll give you three hints: There was cosplay, I said the name of this topic in the title of Issue 93, and the beginnings of this event were announced during Nintendo's E3 2011 press conference. Give up? Ok, ok. This issue of PB & Jason is based mostly on the Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert! Spoiler alert: It's good. Of course, there's a little bit of other information about things like the sales numbers of the PlayStation Vita in Japan, but you'll have to give this issue of PB & Jason a listen to hear all of them by clicking through to the embedded player and download links.
Greetings, true believers! Welcome to the first episode of Nerds Without Pants. Do join us for some generally nerdy talk about games, movies, and comics...sans pants.
The original (well, sort of) crew of PixlTalk is back this week as they reclaim the podcast that has been under the loving care of our previous two crews for the past few months. Coming back into the show we wanted to do something new and fresh that would shake up the original format and keep things moving at a steady rate.
This week, the news on Jason's radar has been pretty weak. There has been some conversation about a small handful of major topics, but just about everyone has discussed and editorialized said topics to death. The alternative? When there is no news worth talking about, why not create fake news to share? Join Jason as he rambles off several fake headlines. Maybe you'll have a laugh, maybe you'll shed a tear. Maybe you'll make up a few fake stories of your own. Who cares? Whatever you do, be sure to listen to PB & Jason by clicking through to the embedded player and download links.
In many ways, Mass Effect 3’s ending was a mess. Whether you were content with it or not, it’s hard to dispute the many shortcomings of the endings. There were numerous plot holes, inconsistencies and an overall lack of closure that left fans of the series angry and confused. Following the uproar of complaints about Mass Effect 3’s original ending, Bioware decided to take an opportunity to expand and elaborate on the endings that we already got. While this isn’t exactly what all fans wanted, I feel this is the best thing Bioware could have done to keep the integrity of their ending.
The rest of this article contains spoilers of the ending to Mass Effect 3 and its Extended Cut
This week's PB & Jason has a focus on fireworks! Well, maybe not fireworks exactly, but rather the Fourth of July, the USA's Independence Day. Expect to hear of a handful of video games that really get in the July 4th spirit with fireworks and, in the case of Metal Gear Solid 2, convoluted plots! For those of you looking for a little more than holidays, don't worry! I've packed PB & Jason 91 with a lot more, mostly centered around what video games I'd like to see in the future! Spoiler Alert: I mention the Ice Climbers. A lot. There's also some hype for the Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess concert I'll be attending in less than two weeks, as well as a little bit of discussion about a not-so-retro game I'm replaying: Dragon Quest IX. Click through to find listening and download links!
It’s the end of the Tri-Force as we know it! That’s right, this is the final PixlTalk hosted by Julian, Rob, and Patrick. Stay tuned at the end of the episode for the official announcement of our new show, Nerds Without Pants.
As wonderful and awesome as the internet is, it really fucked things up for gamers like me. It wasn’t really an issue in the early stages – that short period of time before it was as all pervasive as it is now. Consoles remained offline for the most part, with only a handful of games offering any kind of online component. Online gaming was for the PC crowd, not the console kids who enjoyed a far more streamlined and simplified gaming experience.
Tonight: MAME cabinets, Zeboyd RPGs, and Pokémon. For whom is the 3DS XL the right choice? Earlier, I interviewed producers behind the Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess tour. Find out my thoughts on their interview before it hits the site! All this and more in PB & Jason #90. Click through to find listening and download links!
E3 has come and gone and it’s time to focus on what’s really important, the games. This week we have a casual discussion covering what we’ve been playing and what we hope to play in the near future. We also delve off to discuss how 2013 is shaping up to be one of the craziest years ever for game releases, and the ludicrous notion that unfinished games receive awards at E3.
Hey, it's Rob. Since Julian is still in a state of orgasmic coma from his Vegas shenanigans, I'll be spearheading this podcast. It's like Omar Bradley handing the keys over to George Patton for the invasion of Normandy, but f**k it, my body is ready.
The show dates for E3 2013 have not yet been announced! Neither has the location! Did Carmen Sandiego literally steal next year's show? No? Oh. Well, looking at this year's E3, perhaps that's a bad thing. More on topic, this week's PB & Jason talks about the things that went wrong with E3 2012. As the show exited, most gamers were left with at least mild disappointment at the lack of coverage and announcements. Why? Find out inside! Also featured? Kirby's 20th anniversary collection and a tiny bit of Epic Mickey 2. Click through for the show's download and listening links!
When asked to name female video game characters that embody some aspect of stereotypically exploitive depictions of women there are a few that almost anyone would name, but the name that almost always rolls off the tongue first is Lara Croft of Tomb Raider fame.
When Activision first announced Call of Duty: Elite (their premium service for the Call of Duty franchise) there was an avalanche of criticism. Many felt that the service was taking advantage of the series’ loyal fans, some even going far enough to boycott the iconic shooter altogether. Since then, much of the hatred and anger that originally spawned form the Call of Duty: Elite announcement has subsided. Seeing the service in action, a large portion of fans have rescinded their original protests, with many now claiming that the service is actually a great value.
This year was a bit thinner than what we were expecting, especially with Nintendo supposedly pulling back the curtain on the Wii U. But while we were left a bit underwhelmed and with more questions than answers there were still plenty of games on display to get us excited for something.
A lot of people are down on this year’s E3, but were the games really that bad? We think not. In fact, all of us are in agreement that the games looked fabulous this year. So why was E3 so bland? Find out on this special of edition of PixlTalk: E3 Post Mortem.
At this point, we've nearly reached the end of our E3 journey. Without being on the show floor to get our hands on the games, we've all just been spectating and deriving as much information as we can from those who are experiencing the show first hand. With another disappointing showing from Nintendo and a general lack of new items at the show, the conference is wearing on this crew's optimism.
Nintendo revealed some of their Wii U plans and gave us an idea of where they're looking to take their business in the coming months, but they were seemingly holding back. Find out what Nick, Chessa, and Jason thought of the conference, E3 thus far, and the potential challenges of Nintendo's new system when it launches later this year.
The various members of PixlBit have come together to recap the news from the day and give their impressions of the various conferences. For this E3, we've split off into three groups, one to cover each of the big three companies.