FOLLOWING UP

- SmartGlass is now available for Kindle Fire.

- The PS3-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Legacy Collection will be available in June.

- Final results of the THQ auction have been announced:

• Homeworld goes to Gearbox
• Drawn to Life goes to 505 Games
• Darksiders, Red Faction, MX vs. ATV, Titan Quest, and more go to Nordic Games

- Dead Island: Riptide still includes the headless bloody bikini torso in its special edition.

- Devil Survivor 2: Break Record hits Japan on July 11.

- Miiverse is now live for PC and mobile browsers.

- Shantae arrives on 3DS Virtual Console at the end of June for NA, EU, and Oceanic regions.

- Watch Dogs is due out November 19 for PC, PS3, 360, and Wii U, and will be a PS4 launch title.

- More details have emerged about Classic Mode in New Etrian Odyssey: Millenium Girl.

- Aonuma-san confirms that the new 3DS Zelda title will have Light and Dark Worlds.

- Zone of the Enders is getting a PS3 patch, but Enders Project has been put on hold.

- Two new sound packs will be available for Sound Shapes, May 14 in NA and May 15 in EU.

OMG NEWS

- The next Xbox will be revealed on May 21.

- Nintendo has returned to profitability but missed sales forecasts by 50%.

- Iwata-san is officially the new CEO of Nintendo of America.

- Nintendo will not hold an E3 keynote, opting for smaller and more focused events.

- Corpse Party: Blood Drive is headed to the Vita.

- A shocking pink 3DS XL will be available in the UK on May 31.

- Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded is slated for a June release.

- Aksys is bringing 3DS title Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi to North America.

- A new Kunio Kun game will be coming to 3DS in August.

- The bizarre dating sim Boyfriend Maker has returned to the iOS App Store.

- Ratchet and Clank is being turned into a movie!

- For some reason, Heavenly Sword is also being turned into a movie…

- The amazing Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds concert is coming to Blu-Ray.

- Kamiya-san doesn’t care if games are short, just if they’re fun.

- Game Dev Tycoon tricks pirates by having piracy affect pirated games. 

- DSiWare Publisher Dream is coming soon to the US.

- Arcade game Sonic Athletics requires players to run on treadmills.

- Nintendo is now selling refurbished DS and 3DS systems, complete with warranty.

- Square Enix turns Final Fantasy Tactics into a social game with Final Fantasy Tactics S.

- A sequel to Eternal Darkness might be on its way.

- The creators of Nyan Cat and Keyboard Cat are suing Warner Bros. and 5th Cell for the memes’ appearances in Scribblenauts titles.

- Lobo will be a new DLC character for Injustice: Gods Among Us.

- Batgirl will also be a DLC character for Injustice.

- A new Dead or Alive 5 title is coming to PS3 and 360.

- King of Fighters X Fatal Fury, a card game, is a new mobile title.

- Art of Fighting Rush, however, is a slot machine.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick welcome special guest Sea Wolf Jason onto the SS Game Buoy to talk about the history of fighting games up until the turn of the century. They look briefly at the predecessors to Street Fighter, which helped launch the genre as we know it, and the evolution of fighting games throughout the 1990s. The Podcast Pirates talk about the big guns – including Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters, and Tekken - but they also look at some lesser known games, including Sega’s Eternal Champions and Square’s Tobal No. 1. Captain Spike, First Mate Slagkick, and Sea Wolf Jason examine how fighters changed throughout the years, culminating in a look at Nintendo’s foray into the fighting world: Super Smash Bros.

“CRASH COURSE: A Brief Introduction to the World of Fighting Games” is Part 1 in a two-part series. Please look forward to Part 2 in the future, where Game Buoy will take a look at fighting games in the 21st century.

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike has been playing Mega Man Zero, more Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, Super Mario World, and Ice Climbers. Slagkick has been making Social Links in Persona 4 Golden, while Jason has been enjoying Injustice: Gods Among Us and Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine.

SMASH OR TRASH

This week it’s a DOUBLE DOSE of Smash or Trash as the Podcast Pirates bring you two great articles and two poor articles to show how gaming journalism should be done…and not be done.

SMASH: You don’t like breasts? You must like men: The disappointing conversation and art of Dragon’s Crown (The PA Report)

After a Kotaku writer expresses his criticism of the problematic art design of female characters in Dragon’s Crown, Vanillaware founder George Kamitani makes what is presumably a gay joke involving artwork of burly dwarves – The PA Report discusses why both of these things aren’t okay on Vanillaware’s part.

SMASH: The quest for Shadow of the Colossus’ last big secret (Eurogamer)

This great feature from Eurogamer follows a group of dedicated fans of Shadow of the Colossus who aim to uncover every last secret of the game. The article is a great read and a shining example of gaming journalism done right.

TRASH: JRPG Censorship is Such a Silly Thing (Kotaku)

Kotaku complains about JRPG censorship without thinking critically about the reasons why certain changes may have been made, totally missing the mark and making this article an ineffective contribution to the discussion of censorship in gaming.

TRASH: FYI: Butts Are Off-limits in Nintendo Games, But Penises Aren’t (Kotaku)

Kotaku thinks that the presence of Michelangelo’s David in Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a sign that Nintendo is okay with male genitalia in games, but not with female butts (such as the one that was censored in Fire Emblem: Awakening).

SOCIAL LINKS

The Question of the Week was:

“This week Game Buoy looks at the nigh-impenetrable world of fighting games. What have your experiences with fighters been like? Have a fave?”

It yielded some great answers from @nintendoug, Space Pirate Ben, Wicked from Nerdgasm Network, Game Buoy superfan Dan D., and Jeremy from Qoopa Klub!

Also, Crystal H. from California sends a sweet message of support, and @nintendoug sends some more love.

FAREWELL AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

- NPCs Only, Space Pirate Ben and Sea Wolf Jason’s podcast about pen and paper gaming from the GM/DM perspective

- Gayme Bar, the podcast that “fills your brain with hours of gay video game commentary”

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

Game Buoy is planning to take part in the Podcast X Zone panel at GaymerX (formerly GaymerCon) with our friends from OLR, Horde House, Qoopa Klub, and Gayme Bar – but your help is needed! If you’re a member of GaymerConnect (and you really should be!), vote on the panel to let the fine folks at GaymerX know that you’d like to see this panel become a reality.

FOLLOWING UP

- Silent Enemy, Minority Media’s next game, will be for Ouya and tackle the topic of bullying.

- The Castle of Illusion HD remake will be out this summer.

- EA is shutting down three Playfish Facebook games,

- Final Fantasy Versus XIII news might be coming soon.

- Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D will have a new world and a new difficulty optimized for portable play.

- Sentai Filmworks have acquired the licensing rights to the Devil Survivor 2 anime.

- Puzzle & Dragons Z will be more of an RPG.

- The final THQ auction raised $6-7 million.

OMG NEWS

- RPG Maker 3 is part of the newest set of PS2 Classics on PSN.

- Ikaruga is available for Android at Google Play.

- Shadowrun Returns‘ non-Kickstarter DLC will require Steam.

- The Korg M01D synth will be coming to the 3DS eShop this summer.

- The chiptune compliation “NoiseChan & Nugget: Adventures in Chiptune” is raising money for Child’s Play.

- BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma will add two new playable characters to the upcoming PS3 version.

- Capcom is re-evaluating games in development and cancelling certain titles.

- Ragnarok Online 2 had a North American stress test beta weekend.

- Capcom and Tencent are teaming up for a CryEnging 3-powered Monster Hunter free to play MMO.

- The 3DS XL Circle Pad Pro is now available in the US through Nintendo.

- Bethesda has announced Shinji Mikami’s new game, The Evil Within, with a bloody trailer!

- Nintendo has developed a tool for the 3DS browser to share screenshots from Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Tomodachi Collection: New Life on Twitter and Tumblr.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and Slagkick look at the Nintendo Direct from April 17, share their reactions, and discuss what this might say about Nintendo’s battle plan for 2013, including E3 in a scant few weeks. Here are the news stories that cover this rather eventful Nintendo Direct:

- A full-fledged Mario Party title is coming to 3DS this winter.

- Japan gets a special Luigi 3DS XL to celebrate the Year of Luigi.

- An Animal Crossing special edition 3DS XL bundle is coming in June.

- Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy hits EU this year and NA next year.

- The Wii U Spring System Update is coming this week.

- A new Yoshi’s Island game is coming to 3DS.

- Mario Golf: World Tour will have worldwide online play.

- Three of the Guild 02 titles will be coming to the 3DS eShop as separate downloads.

- Game & Wario hits in North America on June 23.

- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons will be out on May 30.

- Pikmin 3 has recieved an August 4 release date.

- Mario & Luigi: Dream Team will be out in July in Europe and August in North America.

- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past will be getting a 3DS sequel later this year.

- Earthbound is coming to Virtual Console.

- Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is coming to the US in 2014.

RUMOUR HAS IT

- The next Xbox is rumored to require an always-on connection to play games.

- Newegg listed a November 28 release date for Gran Turismo 6.

- Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection has appeared on a Korean rating site.

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike has been playing Injustice, Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. Slagkick has also been playing Dark Moon, as well as Fire Emblem: Awakening and Puzzle & Dragons.

SMASH OR TRASH

SMASH: Ad-blockers, the games press, and why sexy cosplay galleries lead to better reporting (The PA Report)

This eye-opening looking into the gaming press reveals the real reasons why so many sites rely on photo galleries and click-bait sensationalist headlines – and how that content, in return, allows journalists to publish quality stories.

TRASH: Can the 2D Sequel to ‘A Link to the Past’ Revive an Ailing Genre? (VICE)

This article is not flawed in its point of view, but its evident lack of research and fact-checking – including referring to A Link to the Past as a roguelike – demonstrates why mainstream media so often misses the mark when it comes to reporting about video games.

SOCIAL LINKS

Jason L., Karen O., and Toupsi from Gayme Bar left some Facebook comments about TingleCast! @skie says “u r mr gay!”

Space Pirate Ben shares some thoughts on the BioShock Infinite episode he guested on last week.

@nintendoug made us some amazing fanart, one of which is our new album art and the other is set to be a Game Buoy sticker in the future!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

- Gayme Bar, the podcast that “fills your brain with hours of gay video game commentary”

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

FOLLOWING UP

- The second Killer is Dead trailer has been released.

- Shin Megami Tensei 4 is coming to the US this summer at a $50 price point. 

- Project X Zone will be released in North America on June 25.

- Batman: Arkham Origins for Wii U, 360, and PS3 is due out October 25 alongside Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for 3DS and Vita.

- A SmartGlass update for Android brings support for 7″ tablets and larger tablets, as well as numerous bug fixes.

- WayForward is developing a Smurfs 2 game for Ubisoft, and it’s going to be a 2.5D platformer.

- The Rayman Legends team has added 30 new levels and some new bosses since the delay was announced.

- Ace Attorney 5 releases in Japan on July 25.

OMG NEWS

- The 16-bit inspired Super Adventure Box is playable in Guild Wars 2 for the month of April!

- Far Cry 3‘s DLC, “Blood Dragon,” has a VHS-style teaser trailer!

- Nintendo is bundling prepaid eShop cards with special AR cards in Japan.

- Poker Night at the Inventory 2 from Telltale Games will feature Claptrap from Borderlands, Brock Samson from Venture Bros., Ash from Army of Darkness, and dealer GLaDOS.

- Gaist Crusher, a 3DS title from Capcom that will be part of a larger media franchise, is coming to Japan this winter.

- Nexon is ending Dungeon Fighter Online support in NA due to an overall lack of players.

- Disney has shut down LucasArts.

- SEGA Studios Australia will be closing later this year.

- High Moon Studios has laid off 40 members of the Deadpool team.

- “A number of positions” have been eliminated at Square Enix Los Angeles, and Square Enix America president and CEO Mike Fischer will be let go in May.

- Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U has been canceled.

- Manami Matsumae, composer for games including the original Mega Man, will be contributing two tracks to 8-bit action platformer Shovel Knight.

- Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition is now available on Steam.

- Torchlight 2 in-house dev tool, GUTS, has been released.

- Farewell Umihara Kawase is planned for overseas release.

- SEGA has released a teaser trailer for what can only be an HD remake of Castle of Illusion.

- Ridge Racer Driftopia, a ”free-to-drift” game, will be available on PS3 and PC

- Layoffs are occurring at branches of EA around the world.

- Ubisoft has a remake of Flashback in the works for XBLA and PSN.

- Retro-style RPG Mystic Chronicles is being localized for PSP by Natsume.

- Anarchy Reigns is now available to download on PSN, and the Day One DLC wil be available for $0.99!

- Puzzle & Dragons Z is coming to 3DS this winter.

- Harmonix is facing some re-licensing issues with legacy Rock Band DLC; the only affected content so far is Metallica Pack 01.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick are joined by special guest, Space Pirate Ben, to take an in-depth look at game of the year contender BioShock Infinite. This discussion is chock full of spoilers, so please be advised before listening!

• BioShock Infinite: The Game 

  The Pirates discuss BioShock infinite as a game both in the context of the BioShock franchise and as part of the FPS genre.

• BioShock Infinite: The Art 

  The Pirates look at Columbia from a design perspective, including the propoganda, the character design, and the contextualized use of licensed music.

• BioShock Infinite: AS Art 

  The Pirates discuss the successes and failures of themes, motifs, and commentaries the game tries to make, including topics of religion, race, and feminism.

• BioShock Infinite: Reader Response 

  Captain Spike wraps up the discussion with this segment, where he asks First Mate Slagkick and Space Pirate Ben a few final questions about their personal experiences with the game.

Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick had a great time with Space Pirate Ben, and BioShock Infinite is a game with so much depth that the discussion ran for almost two hours! As such, regular and recurring Game Buoy segments do not make an appearance this week and will be returning in Episode 26.

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

- Gayme Bar, the podcast that “fills your brain with hours of gay video game commentary”

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

FOLLOWING UP

- Fez hits Steam on May 1.

- Epic Mickey 2 is getting a Vita port.

- The first English trailer for Killer is Dead has hit!

- Devil Survivor 2: The Extra World will be a social card-based game for smartphones.

- SEGA has responded to the Shining Force video removal controversy.

- Ron Gilbert has officially unveiled Scurvy Scallywags in the Voyage to Discover the Ultimate Sea Shanty: A Musical Match-3 Pirate RPG!

- Vanillaware’s Dragon’s Crown comes out on July 25 in Japan.

- Atlus is “working hard” on the next Persona game.

- Nintendo has lifted the European Wii U eShop restrictions.

- The FFX and FFX-2 HD remasters will be coming to North American PS3s and Vitas.

- Capcom has been having “ongoing discussions” in regards to a new Mega Man game.

- Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara hits PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, Wii U eShop, and Steam in June.

- The North American release of Phantasy Star Online 2 has been delayed.

- Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain have been confirmed as two seperate games under the Metal Gear Solid 5 banner.

- David Hayter apparently isn’t doing any voice acting in Metal Gear Solid 5.

- Project Versus J is now officially titled J-Stars Victory Vs. and will allow up to four players, with Naruto being confirmed as a playable character.

- Despite strong sales, Tomb Raider, Hitman Absolution, and Sleeping Dogs have sold below Square Enix’s expectations.

- Yoichi Wada will be stepping down as president of Square Enix at the end of June.

- Concept art has been revealed for the first Grasshopper Manufacture game under new owners GungHo Entertainment.

- Crytek USA’s CEO is interested in bidding on the Darksiders IP, after all.

OMG NEWS

- Team Fortress 2 will be Oculus Rift’s first game.

- EA CEO John Riccitiello has resigned.

- Final Fantasy V has come to iOS in Japan!

- Deux Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut hits Wii U on May 7, with retooled boss fights and a bevy of GamePad features.

- Firaxis will be launching Haunted Hallow, a free-to-play iOS game, this spring.

- Capcom has announced that WayForward is developing Ducktales Remastered, an HD remake of the NES classic!

- New Etrian Odyssey: Millenium Girl, a 3DS reimagining of the original Etrian Odyssey, hits Japan in June.

- A Vita game called Metrico will use infographics as landscapes.

- Papo and Yo is coming to Steam on April 18.

- Brenda Romero has resigned from the IGDA after its GDC party featured female dancers.

- Skullgirls will be getting five new characters.

- Zero Escape 3 will take place between 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward.

- Super Robot Taisen OE has been announced as an episode PSP download.

- Sengoku Basara 4 hits PS3 in early 2014.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick had some fun recording their April Fools’ Day joke, TingleCast, for your enjoyment! Because Game Buoy launched at the beginning of April last year, the Podcast Pirates celebrate their first anniversary by sharing ten of their favorite April Fool’s Day jokes in the history of gaming. Listen to hear their thoughts on the following (in no particular order):

1. Simon Belmont in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (EGM, 1991)
2. Sheng Long trick for Street Fighter II (EGM, 1992)
3. “All Bonds” cheat in GoldenEye 007 (EGM, 1998)
4. Super Smash Bros. Melee‘s “Unlock Sonic and Tails” (EGM, 2002)
5. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker with updated “realistic” Graphics (EGM 2005)
6. Mushroom Kingdom Hearts (EGM, 2007)
7. Pokémon Kart (1UP, 2010)
8. Live Action Zelda Movie (IGN, 2008)
9. Luigi Playable In Super Mario 64 (Super Mario 128 Central, 2000)

Wait…that is only nine…what is #10?!?! Listen to the episode to find out!

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike and Slagkick share their love for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and BioShock Infinite. Then, Slagkick talks about spending time with Rock Band Blitz, HarmoKnight, and Kersploosh!

SMASH OR TRASH

In this revamped version of a classic Game Buoy segment, Captain Spike and Slagkick share a great gaming article (Smash) and a poor gaming article (Trash) to highlight the best and worst of gaming journalism.

SMASH: Darkstalkers Resurrection: Why Some Things Shouldn’t Stay Dead (Siliconera)

Yusouf from Siliconera writes a nice review (without relying on giving it a score or a grade) that highlights the near-perfect arcade ports of two of Capcom’s classic fighters.

TRASH: Final Fantasy V on Smartphones? Nineteen Bucks in Japan. (Kotaku)

$19? $19! $19? $19! #SquareEnixMobilePriceQQ #OverIt

SOCIAL LINKS

Long-time Game Buoy listener Crystal thinks First Mate Slagkick needs to respect his elders! (Oh no, am I going to get slapped again? -FMS)

Also, the Podcast Pirates share their favorite #GameBuoyMemory! What is your #GameBuoyMemory? Tweet us at @GAMEBUOYdotORG with the hashtag #GameBuoyMemory! Thank you so much for all your love and support over the past year.

Join in the discussion over at Facebook, Tumblr, or Google+, too!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

Spike and Slagkick left the SS Game Buoy for the greener pastures of the gay Great Deku forest because they felt that they weren’t left of center enough just focusing on LGBT issues, feminist issues, and Japanese/import gaming with a focus on RPGs. So, they’ve decided to focus exclusively on the most unfairly hated creation in gaming – Tingle!

The episode starts out with a question that sounds more simple than it actually is: who is Tingle? Great Fairy Spike and Pink Fairy Slagkick explore the archetypes, metaphors, and mythos that are encompassed by this 35-year-old man who wants to be a fairy.

After that, the Faeries discuss Tingle’s appearance in Zelda games. From his prominent role as a supporting character in Majora’s Mask and Wind Waker, to his cameos in Oracle of Ages, Four Swords Adventures, Minish Cap, and Phantom Hourglass, Great Fairy Spike and Pink Fairy Slagkick note that Tingle is an essential part of Link’s journey, providing him with knowledge and valuable items to aid him on his quest.

It was only a matter of time before this captivating character starred in his own game. Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland is such a landmark game in the Zelda series that it deserves to be considered more than a spinoff. Before discussing this groundbreaking, innovative game, Great Fairy Spike and Pink Fairy Slagkick take a look at the other Tingle games that would follow this gem: Tingle’s Balloon Fight, Color-Changing Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love, and the DSiware application Too Much Tingle Pack.

No discussion about Tingle would be complete without examining Tingle’s family. The Faeries talk about Tingle’s father in Majora’s Mask, the Pictograph Contest man, and wonder about the absence of his mother. Tingle’s Wind Waker family included twin brothers Ankle and Knuckle, but David Jr. – who is not actually related to Tingle at all – is perhaps the most interesting and controversial member of the Tingle family to date.

Great Fairy Spike and Pink Fairy Slagkick round out the discussion with two articles that portray different viewpoints of Tingle. IGN’s IGNcube’s 2004 “Die, Tingle, Die! Die!” Campaign is a look back at the darker days when Tingle hatred was at its height. Please be warned that this article contains violent imagery and hateful language. This reaction to the innocuous Tingle is shocking and, frankly, disgusting. Fortunately, Zelda in My Pocket’s What Makes Tingle Appealing? is a positive look at why the 35-year-old fairy loving man has captured the hearts of many gamers.

Finally, the Faeries wrap up their premiere episode of TingleCast by sharing how they would like to see the Tingle franchise evolve.

Thank you for Tingle Tuning in to TingleCast Episode #1, and please look forward to the next episode, where Great Fairy Spike and Pink Fairy Slagkick will be sharing Tingle cosplay tips!

Oh, and don’t forget to visit the mirror of Great Fairy Spike’s old GeoCities Tingle fan page – Great Fairy Spike’s Tiny Tingle Town. It was part of the #1 Tingle web ring, and an archived copy was able to be recovered for your enjoyment.

(Theme music courtesy of Zelda Reorchestrated)

FOLLOWING UP

- Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag has been confirmed for PS4 release.

- Suda51 is “horny” for PS4 possibilities.

- Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey finished its Kickstarter campaign with $1.5 million.

- The Ouya will not have online chat, friends lists, or achievements at launch.

- Kingdom Hearts X[chi]  will be a card-based game.

- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages will hit the eShop before summer.

- Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D hits the NA and EU regions on May 24.

- The last episode of Retronauts has gone up.

- The Pikachu 3DS XL will hit March 24 alongside Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity.

OMG NEWS

- Crysis 3 was ready to launch on Wii U, but Nintendo and EA couldn’t strike a deal.

- Dark Horse announced Mass Effect: Foundation, a new comic book mini-series, at Emerald City Comic Con.

- Tecmo Koei Canada is closing.

- SEGA has released Sonic Dash, an iOS endless runner.

- Lost Planet 3 will be released on June 25 in North America, with the European release three days later.

- Liberation Maiden has been ported to iOS.

- Dance Central DLC will be coming to an end.

- Drakengard 3 is coming to Japanese PS3s this year and will reuinite members of the original Cavia team.

- Pokémon Rumble U will use the Wii U GamePad’s NFC technology with Skylanders-like toys.

- Here’s the first look at the adorable Rumble U figures!

- Japanese dating sim Sentimental Graffiti is among the PSOne Imports that hit PSN.

- Ron Gilbert has parted ways with Double Fine Productions.

- The arcade game F-Zero AX has been discovered, in its entirety, on the F-Zero GX GameCube disc.

- The ESRB has changed the marketing rules for Rated M for Mature games.

- Level-5 may be bringing Guild02 games Bugs vs. Tanks and The Starship Damrey overseas.

- The credits for Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX contain clips from Kingdom Hearts 2, Birth By Sleep, and coded.

- Saints Row 4 will be out on August 20.

- A new Civilization V expansion, Brave New World, hits this summer.

- Capcom is porting arcade classics Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara and Tower of Doom to PSN and Xbox Live Aracde.

- Doug TenNapel, creator of The Neverhood, has a new clay adventure game in the works for PC and Mac.

- Capcom and Valve have teamed up for a Resident Evil 6 x Left 4 Dead 2 crossover.

- Cyberpunk 2077 will have multiplayer, according to CD Projekt Red.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick take a look at the always-on paradigm in gaming. They start by looking at three motivations for always-on connections: DRM motivated, design motivated, and marketing motivated. In this context, they explore Ubisoft’s shaky history with DRM and the issues surrounding Diablo III.

The main point of discussion, of course, is the recent SimCity debacle. EA and Maxis claim that the game cannot run offline and was designed as a multiplayer game, but how much truth is there to that? Modders and gaming enthusiasts suggest otherwise. Have EA and Maxis been lying to their customers while struggling to keep a game running and stripping it of features? How will this affect always-on features in future games, and what does this mean for EA and Maxis? All these topics and more are explored in the discussion of the week: The Always-On Paradigm.

Further reading:

- Interview: Ubisoft On DRM, Piracy, and PC Games (Rock Paper Shotgun)

- ‘Non-critical’ SimCity features disabled to improve server issues (Joystiq)

- Rumor: EA asks SimCity affiliates to ‘stop actively promoting the game’ (Joystiq)

- Maxis: SimCity offline mode is ‘just not possible’ (Joystiq)

- Maxis Insider Tells RPS: SimCity Servers Not Necessary (Rock Paper Shotgun)

- Upcoming SimCity patch to resolve traffic jams, features returning (Joystiq)

RUMOUR HAS IT

- Spanish retailer XtraLife.es has listed Assassin’s Creed: Rising Phoenix as a Vita title with an October 10 release date.

- Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 was briefly listed on Steam.

WHAT’S UP

Slagkick talks about Mega Man 2, New Super Mario Bros. 2, and rekindling his love for Rock Band. Captain Spike talks about SimCity, Narultimate 3 and Rock Band, but his main focus is on Tomb Raider.

SMASH OR TRASH

In this revamped version of a classic Game Buoy segment, Captain Spike and Slagkick share a great gaming article (Smash) and a poor gaming article (Trash) to highlight the best and worst of gaming journalism.

SMASH: The Sentimental process behind GungHo’s PSOne Imports (Joystiq)

This article from JC Fletcher shares the labor of love that is GungHo’s foray into the PSOne Imports business.

TRASH: OPINION: Crystal Dynamics deserves an apology from gamers for hasty Tomb Raider ‘controversy’ (PlayStation Universe)

Zachary Bricston not only misses the mark in his discussion of the Tomb Raider controversy, he opens the floodgates for a flurry of disgusting, misogynistic comments about feminism and rape.

SOCIAL LINKS

@gamespite thanks us for showing him some @1up love!

@boyofstone couldn’t wait to hear our last episode.

@fixyourface0814 counts the number of times we say “gurl” on the show and likes it!

Join in the discussion over at Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Google+!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Retronauts, the legendary retro gaming podcast from 1UP

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick would like to apologize for not getting this episode to you earlier – there was a bout of plague on the Game Buoy vessel that forced us to postpone our recording.

This episode was recorded in memory of Kenji Eno, the Japanese video game auteur who passed away on February 20.

FOLLOWING UP

- Rayman creator Michel Ancel protested the Rayman Legends delay along with other members of Ubisoft Montpellier. In happier news, the Wii U “exclusive demo” is now a challenge mode.

- Journey bankrupted thatgamecompany, so its next title will be multiplatform.

- Hideo Kojima will be showing a demo of the FOX engine at GDC.

- Wargaming has purchased Gas Powered Games.

- Take Two will be publishing WWE games. WWE 2K14 is slated for arrival this fall.

- Shin Megami Tensei 4 hits Japan on May 23.

- The free-to-play Kingdom Hearts browser game will be called Kingdom Hearts X. The X in the name is the Greek letter chi, which is being pronounced as “key” – get it?

- The final single-player DLC for Mass Effect 3 will be out March 5.

- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX is coming to North America this fall!

-  The Vita entry in the BioShock franchise still has not entered development.

- The so-called THQ “legacy auction” is now underway. Final bids are due April 15.

- Zeus and Isaac Clark are upcoming DLC for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, along with a new stage that is a crossover of MediEvil and The Unfinished Swan.

- A trailer for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag has been leaked online.

- The Bravely Default: Flying Fairy Twitter says they hear Western fans!

OMG NEWS

- Due to restructuring of IGN, 1UP, UGO, and GameSpy are shutting down. 1UP’s closure is particularly hard-hitting news for Game Buoy, and Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick eulogize the spectacular site and thank Jeremy Parish and the grew for their superb work.

- A new Batman Arkham game is coming this year!

- Tank! Tank! Tank! is now free-to-play in Europe.

- Pokémon Rumble U will be coming to the Wii U eShop in Japan. A Western release has not been announced, but it is likely to hit before Pokémon X & Y drop in October.

- Terraria is coming to consoles this month!

- A Nintendo Direct aired on February 14!

• New Super Luigi U is an upcoming single-player expansion for New Super Mario Bros. U. It will feature new, challenging maps for every level in the game for players to guide Luigi through.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns is coming to 3DS, and Captain Spike wonders if this might be the definitive version of the game.
• Animal Crossing: New Leaf is coming to North America on June 9, with the European release launching June 14.
• Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, a new RPG in the Mario & Luigi series, is due out this summer.
• If you buy a 3DS XL and either Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
  and register your purchases on Club Nintendo between March 21 and April 30, you can choose a free game download: Super Mario 3D Land, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!, StarFox 64 3D, or Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!
• Mario Golf: World Tour from Camelot “tees off” this summer!
• Some great 3DS eShop releases are coming up. Kerploosh, a puzzle game about dropping things in a well, is set for March 7. Dillon’s Rolling Western: The Last Ranger will be out on March 11. Game Freak’s rhythm platformer HarmoKnight will have a demo available on March 14, with a release date of March 28. Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move was also announced, but no release date was given.
• The surprisingly cool Wii Street U (powered by Google Maps) is free for a limited time.

- Rock Band DLC will be ending in April.

- Nintendo will be returning to GamesCom in 2013.

- Nintendo is putting a 60Hz version of F-Zero onto Europe’s Wii U Virtual Console.

- Another Nintendo Direct aired at the end of February, this one only in Japan. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages was announced for 3DS Virtual Console and hit February 27. A Western release is confirmed to be in development. The other big announcement was an app for Wii U that allows Japanese players to play Monster Hunter 3G online with their 3DS.

- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will get cross-region play and off-TV play after an April patch.

- PlayStation Vita has had its price cut in Japan only.

- Persona 2: Eternal Punishment finally came out as a PSOne Classic. PSP and Vita support is currently not available but was always intended, so Atlus is working on a solution.

- Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R for Vita will have a Western release!

- Devil Survivor 2: Break Code is coming to 3DS this summer in Japan. The game is an update of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 with new story content

RUMOUR HAS IT

- A listing for a Wii U version of Kid Icarus: Uprising on France’s Amazon page seems to lend credibility to this long-standing rumor.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

As we expected, SONY revealed the PlayStation 4 at their SONY Meeting 2013. Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick start their discussion of the upcoming console by looking at its rather impressive stats and just how powerful this beast is in comparison to the PS3, let alone other consoles. They discuss their impressions of the games they were announced, including the controversial console release of Diablo III - which will not have cross-platform support with the PC version. Captain Spike and Slagkick also share their thoughts on the tech demos shown at the event.

The discussion continues with a look at some details and features of the new system. The PlayStation 4 will not require an always-online connection, despite rumors to the contrary prior to the system’s announcement. However, what’s more interesting is SONY’s partnership with Gaikai, which opens up the possibility of streaming PS1, PS2, and PS3 games from the cloud. The system will not have native backwards compatibility, even for PSN titles – though SONY addressed their awareness of this being an issue consumers care about. Slagkick wonders if gamers feel entitled, at this point, to have backwards compatibility as a feature of the console. SONY says that the PS4 will not block out used games, but Ben Kuchera at The PA Report has some thoughts on the matter.

Captain Spike and Slagkick round out the discussion with their overall concerns, impressions, and hopes for the PlayStation 4. Slagkick, in particular, is impressed that SONY is trying to “think social” this time around, and he discusses the social features with Captain Spike (who thinks they are cool, but does not personally see himself using them). To close out the discussion, they each share a #PlayStationMemory in the spirit of SONY’s attempt at a trending topic on social media.

WHAT’S UP

Slagkick talks about putting some time into two monster-battling games: Pokémon White 2
and Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. Captain Spike discusses his time playing Fire Emblem: Awakening, Final Fantasy XI, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

SMASH OR TRASH

In this revamped version of a classic Game Buoy segment, Captain Spike and Slagkick share a great gaming article (Smash) and a poor gaming article (Trash) to highlight the best and worst of gaming journalism.

SMASH: The Incredible Rise and Fall of a Hacker Who Found the Secrets of the Next Xbox and PlayStation—And Maybe More (Kotaku)

This lengthy article about SuperDaE, the hacker known for gaining access to information regarding SONY and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles, is an extraordinary piece of investigative journalism by Stephen Totilo.

TRASH: So No Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Huh (Kotaku)

Brian Ashcraft reports on the lack of a FF Vs. XIII announcement at SONY Meeting 2013 by posting quotes from forum posts where people are complaining about it. Enough said.

SOCIAL LINKS

This episode’s Social Links Question of the Week asked for your impressions of the PS4. However, nobody replied! Sniff, sniff, cry. Feel free to share your belated thoughts and stay tuned for our next Question of the Week!

@nintendoug was eager to know when the next episode of Game Buoy was due out. (Here it is!)

@Flaco_Jones loved Game Buoy’s presentation of the DICE 2013 Awards!

Join in the discussion over at Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Google+!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Retronauts, the legendary retro gaming podcast from 1UP

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

FOLLOWING UP

- Captain Spike and Slagkick take a look at the general state of the industry based on fiscal year reports:

• Disney Interactive was Disney’s least profitable branch in Q1 2013
• Square Enix posts $61 million nine-month net loss, net sales up
• Take-Two Interactive bags 405% year-over-year profit increase during Q3 2013
• Sony shares drop by 10 percent
• Activision Blizzard sold 12 million copies of Diablo III

- Epic Games has closed its Impossible Games studio, which consisted of former Big Huge Games employees. They will have the opportunity to keep the studio name and logo.

- Markus “Notch” Persson of Minecraft fame is no longer involved in the funding of Psychonauts 2.

- OUYA will be available at Target, Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop starting in June. Extra controllers will cost $49.99.

- Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360.

- As the THQ saga wraps up, the company has formally terminated its executive staff.

- Crytek is not interested in having Crytek USA work on a Darksiders game.

- Capcom acknowledges Resident Evil 6‘s low sales and inability to appeal to consumers.

- Wii U gets a ZombiU bundle for $390! It comes with a deluxe console, a pro controller, a game disc of ZombiU, and a digital copy of NintendoLand. As of recording it was a few days away from release but it is available now!

- Bobby Kotick, Activision CEO and offspring of Gollum and Frodo, is disappointed with the Wii U’s launch because he is concerned about its install base with children ages 6-11.

OMG NEWS

- Sony has cut ties with SuperBot, developer of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, and all future DLC will be handled by Sony’s own Santa Monica Studio.

- In similar news, minions and a Heavenly Sword DLC is coming to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

- PlayStation Home Arcade will bring classic arcade games to the Vita.

- The PS3 version of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will get an exclusive DLC pack of 30 exclusive VR missions.

- Rayman Legends is no longer a Wii U exclusive, and it will be delayed until September so it can release with the PS3 and Xbox 360 ports.

- Kamiya-san says that Bayonetta 2 and The Wonderful 101 appearing on other consoles is up to the publisher, Nintendo.

- In response to the Rayman Legends drama, Ubisoft is giving Wii U owners…an exclusive demo. Oh.

- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate‘s online mulitplayer will be region locked.

- Fire Emblem: Awakening DLC pricing details have been revealed.

- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity will have free launch DLC.

- Square Enix is teasing a game called Murdered: Soul Suspect for PC, PS3, and 360.

- A new Dreamfall Chapters: The Longest Journey trailer is available. Support the Kickstarter today!

- Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that the next Assassin’s Creed game will feature a new time period and protagonist.

RUMOUR HAS IT

On this new recurring segment of the Game Buoy podcast, Captain Spike and Slagkick take a look at hearsay that’s grown too big to ignore.

- A Redditor claims to have seen an Ubisoft employee working on a presentation for a game called Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flags. Given that this was posted shortly before Yves Guillemot made his aforementioned announcement, there is some validity to this rumor.

- This leads Kotaku to speculate wildly about the future of the series..

- The next Xbox is rumored to use Blu-Ray discs and have an “always-on” internet connection. This could have an impact on the secondhand games market, to the point where rumors like these negatively impact GameStop’s stock.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and Slagkick discuss the D.I.C.E. 2013 Summit – short for “Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain.” Each year, gaming industry professionals meet in Las Vegas to discuss game design and philosophy and celebrate outstanding achievements in gaming over the past year.

This year’s D.I.C.E. Summit kicked off with a great keynote by J.J. Abrams and Gabe Newell, discussing the concept of storytelling across platforms, and how movies and games can learn from each other. They also teased a future collaboration.

Two similar presentations examined age and maturity in the games industry. The first, by Warren Spector, had some valid points about the gaming audience as it grows up, but some of his points rubbed Kotaku (and Game Buoy) the wrong way. David Cage, CEO of Quantic Dreams, covered similar ground in his presentation. Both men argue that we need more mature, human experiences in games along the lines of Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead – but does this mean that the games industry as a whole should shift towards this direction?

Captain Spike and Slagkick briefly mention some other presentations given, but we wrap up the discussion by sharing the results of the D.I.C.E. 2013 Awards – which are significant because they are overall in line with the achievements in gaming that Game Buoy has celebrated over the past year.

If you are interested in watching either highlights or full videos from D.I.C.E. 2013, Variety has compiled a complete playlist for your viewing pleasure. Last year’s sessions from the 2012 Summit are available on the D.I.C.E. website.

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike talks about sinking over 23 hours into Fire Emblem: Awakening, while First Mate Slagkick discusses why Pokémon Conquest doesn’t quite reach the heights of the Fire Emblem: Awakening demo. He also shares his extreme disappointment with Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, which relies too much on touchscreen gimmicks rather than being an homage to the classic Mickey Mouse Illusion series from SEGA or the Magical Quest series by Capcom.

SOCIAL LINKS

Each week, Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick will be asking you a Question of the Week. This week’s question was:

During his DICE 2013 session this week on the maturation of the games industry, games luminary Warren Spector gave Kotaku cause for running a chillingly accurate sensationalist headline by stating outright that “There are some games that should just not be made” while an image of Lollipop Chainsaw was projected behind him. Capt. Spike and his trusted First Mate Slagkick will be discussing this this weekend, but we’d like to hear from YOU, what did you think about Spector’s suggestion?

Join in the discussion over at Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Google+!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Reading is Fundamental, our seasonal side project with Rob Roberts where we dish on RuPaul’s Drag Race

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

FOLLOWING UP

- The THQ bankruptcy saga has come to a close, which is the focus of this week’s discussion topic.

- A demo for Etrian Odyssey IV will be available February 7 on the 3DS eShop.

- Reddit’s “Gaymer” community will be fighting back against Chris Vizzini’s trademark claims with the help of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and San Francisco-based law firm Perkins Coie.

OMG NEWS

- Sega, Capcom, and Namco Bandai crossover Project X Zone is confirmed for North American release this summer.

- Resident Evil: Revelations is getting a HD remaster, due out in May for PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U. Its reception will shape the future of the Resident Evil franchise.

- In a thrilling Nintendo Direct, Iwata-san had some great Wii U announcements to share!

• Monolith Soft will be releasing a game currently referred to as X, which seems to be a Xenoblade successor with online gameplay in some capacity.
• Nintendo and Atlus will bring two beloved franchises together with Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem.
• A Yoshi game, perhaps called Yoshi Land, borrows the art style from Kirby’s Epic Yarn.
• Wii U Virtual Console will officially be released this spring. To celebrate the Famicom’s 30th anniversary, Nintendo is offering seven games for 30¢ for 30 days each – with Balloon Fight available right now.
• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker will receive a HD remaster this fall!
• More Wii U news is on its way at E3, including the next 3D Mario platformer in a playable state.

- Namco-Bandai is bringing One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 to North America on March 20, exclusively for PS3.

- Crytek has formed Crytek USA in Austin, Texas, staffing it with 35 former Vigil employees.

- Warren Spector’s Junction Point, the studio behind Epic Mickey, has been shut down due to Disney restructuring its games division.

- GungHo, best known for Ragnarok Online, has acquired Grasshopper Manufacture!

- Killer is Dead will receive a worldwide launch this summer, with XSEED publishing it in North America.

- XSEED’s impressive 2013 release calendar will also include Vita titles –  Ys: Memories of Celceta and Valhalla Knights 3 are coming this fall – as well as a PC version of Ys I & II Chronicles+ this month and Rune Factory 4 for 3Ds this summer. Not to mention the previously announced Pandora’s Tower for Wii!

- Development on the PC version of indie fighter Skullgirls will begin soon, thanks to a partnership with Japanese publisher Marvelous AQL.

- Rumble Roses costume packs and more will be available in the tri-Ace RPG Frontier Gate Boost+.

- Kojima-san has been immortalized in the form of a Play Arts figure.

- Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, a beat ‘em up in the style of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, will hit Xbox Live arcade on February 7 for 800 Microsoft points.

- Nintendo will be helping third-party Japanese developers bring their games to North America and Europe.

- Sony will be holding a PlayStation 2013 event on February 20. All signs point to a PS4 announcement.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

Everything Falls Apart

As the dust settles on the THQ closure, Captain Spike and First Mate Slagkick look back on where the company went wrong – particularly focusing on the failure of the uDraw peripheral – and discuss the fate of the publisher’s former studios and intellectual properties.

Supplemental Reading: A History of THQ, 1989-2013 (Kotaku)

Turn the Beat Around

The Podcast Pirates look at a few disasters that could have spelled certain doom for their respective companies – SEGA’s over-budgeting of games and Square’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within – and how they recovered. They close out the discussion by looking at the troubled history of Interplay and its current attempt to, once again, “Turn the Beat Around.”

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike shares his experiences with DmC: Devil May Cry, and First Mate Slagkick shares the Mario Party 8 fun the two had together.

FEEDBACK

Long-time Game Buoy listener, Crystal, mentions that the Pirates forgot to talk about Dead or Alive in our previous episode, which was about mature content.  They’ll be revisiting adult content in a future episode and have many things to say about the Dead or Alive franchise.

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, a podcast for the “average gamer”

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

- Fox News stirs up SWTOR “gay planet” controversy, while GamesIndustry looks at why people are upset.

- Team Fortress 2 characters are confirmed for the PC release of Danica Patrick All Stars Racing Hyper Turbo GO!

- Street Fighter X Mega Man v2.0 is now available, fixing some bugs and adding features and content!

- Disney Infinity is revealed as a Skylanders-inspired game, with price and release details available.

- Not exactly a follow up, but the Podcast Pirates have THQ in their thoughts as the bidding deadline rapidly approaches. Tune in to the next episode of Game Buoy for another follow up.

OMG NEWS

- A new round of Steam games have been greenlit, most notably the PC release of celebrated indie game La-Mulana.

- Dead Island: Riptide‘s UK special edition will come with a statue of a bloody, bikini-clad, severed female torso.

- Final Fantasy: All The Bravest is released for iOS, causing some people to bemoan the “death” of the Final Fantasy franchise.

- XSEED is bringing Pandora’s Tower to North America this spring.

- The Fire Emblem: Awakening demo is now available on the 3DS eShop, and the special edition 3DS will cost $200.

- The updated 3DS port of Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers hits North America on  April 16.

- Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will be released on March 19 with USB keyboard support.

- After the launch of their new Kickstarter campaign, Gas Powered Games lays off employees due to financial hardships.

- Details emerge for the upcoming Suda51 game, Killer is Dead, as well as the first trailer!

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and Slagkick tackle the controversial topic of adult content – specifically, sexual content – in video games. They look at the evolution of adult gaming from Custer’s Revenge to Night Trap to EroGe and the fact that erotic games are all but nonexistent in the Western world. The main talking points are:

Sex as a Weapon

There’s a long history of salaciousness being used as a selling point in all media, why should games be any different? The Podcast Pirates look at exploitative games and controversial games, as well as the Japanese gaming genre of EroGe/hentai games. Special attention is given to the controversy surrounding Night Trap for Sega CD and the infamous Hot Coffee mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too.

Captain Spike and Slagkick examine games that use sex and sexuality as a storytelling device, most notably 2011′s surprise hit Catherine – but Persona 4, Metal Gear Solid 3, and the Mass Effect series are highlighted as examples of  games that manage to tackle these issues in a mature manner.

Violence, Gore, and the AO Rating

Captain Spike briefly covers the history of the AO rating and how the majority of games rated AO were done so due to the inclusion of adult content or nudity rather than violence.

Silly SINsuality

The Podcast Pirates lighten the mood a bit by sharing their favorite examples of bizarre erotic content in gaming.

Further reading:

- Sex in Games, Five Years After “Hot Coffee” (1UP)

- Who spilled Hot Coffee? (Eurogamer)

- The Top 10 Naughtiest Games of All Time (Seanbaby)

WHAT’S UP

First Mate Slagkick talks about Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and Civilization V. Captain Spike discusses his experiences with Punch-Out!! and Ghosts’n Goblins for 3DS Virtual Console.

READ OF THE WEEK

…is once again being retooled. Game Buoy is passionate about bringing you the best and worst of gaming journalism, but in light of the Read/Reeeeead (or was it Reeeeead/Read?) from last week, it has become clear that this segment needs some “bug fixes” in order to better serve you.

FEEDBACK

- “#1 Fan of Horde House” @Flaco_Jones loves him some Game Buoy <3

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

- The THQ financial saga continues and it looks like its franchises may be sold at auction piecemeal.

- Same-gender romances will be available on a planet in the upcoming expansion pack to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

- Code Hero faces even more drama as some backers look like they’re preparing to pursue legal action.

- Actual original gameplay footage on the Ouya has surfaced, as well as emulated games running quite nicely.

- Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta applications are open.

OMG NEWS

- Terry Cavanagh scraps Nexus City and Selma’s Story in favor of pursuing other projects.

- Zynga is shutting down 11 games, most of them from Zynga’s recently shuttered Japanese studio.

- Capcom Arcade Cabinet is coming to XBLA and PSN, with Black Tiger already announced for the app.

- Pokémon X & Y have been announced for simultaneous worldwide release in October, and we got our first look at the starters and legendary mascots.

- CES 2013 News Roundup!

• Sony didn’t show anything gaming specific; however, their main focus was on 4K television, which suggests future PlayStation consoles will indeed take advantage of this tech.
• Microsoft didn’t show anything gaming specific, either, but they showed a proof of concept for the Kinect-powered IllumiRoom during Samsung’s keynote.
• Valve is working with third-party hardware developers as well as developing their first-party Steam Box, which Gabe Newell discusses in a great interview on The Verge.
• nVidia unveils Project Shield, an Android-powered portable gaming console with a 720p screen and  many (perhaps too many) other capabilities.
• It has nothing to do with gaming, but how about that Qualcomm keynote? It makes Sony’s infamous E3 keynote look flawless in comparison.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

With some 2012 Game of the Year contenders literally having no fail conditions, Captain Spike and Slagkick take a look at the changing role of challenge in games, looking at gaming then and now to explore trends, evolution, and differences in game design and gameplay in terms of difficulty and challenge. The concept of the “Nintendo hard” meme is explored, as well as the proper time and place for a “lives mechanic” and how game saves and checkpoints have influenced the role of challenge, as well. Captain Spike and Slagkick also explore cultural differences in challenge by examining five games where difficulty level varied between Japanese and Western release: Black Tiger, Battletoads, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, Devil May Cry 3, and Streets of Rage 3. If you were expecting the Japanese versions to all be more difficult, you may be surprised!

Further reading:

- Examining Subjective Difficulty: How Plumbers Can Fight Demons (Gamasutra)

- On Difficulty Levels (The Escapist)

- Playing to Win (David Sirlin)

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike and Slagkick have been having a great time with Anarchy Reigns (which you should definitely go buy), and they are both getting back into World of Warcraft.

READ OF THE WEEK

Each week, Captain Spike and Slagkick look at one article and tell you whether it’s well-written (Read!)  or an embarrassment to gaming journalism (Reeeeeeead.)

Kotaku and the Problem With Inflammatory Headlines in Video Game Blogging (Forbes)

When Hideki Kamiya tweeted about his thoughts regarding PC gaming, Kotaku decided to write an article about it. Although the article was a mostly valid look at differing views of PC gaming, the title – “The Guy Who Made Bayonetta is Clueless About Valve and PC Gaming” – evoked a colorful response from Kamiya himself. This wonderful blog post on Forbes points out exactly the type of problem that Game Buoy has been trying to point out since day one: when a site relies on inflammatory, sensationalist headlines, it becomes clear that their focus is more on page views and site traffic rather than good reporting. Not only that, but a badly written headline can totally diminish what a decent article is trying to say. When a blog post on a business journalism website has to call out one of the most-visited gaming blogs on the web, that makes a pretty strong case for the need for gaming journalists to do a better job at being our eyes and ears to the industry.

Verdict: This Reeeeeeeeeead is a definite Read!

FEEDBACK

- @Dan_Dias tweets us about Mega Man Soccer and Street Fighter X Mega Man!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

- The Wii U eShop restrictions in EU regions are due to German law.

- The Square Enix countdown site was for Star Galaxy, a browser-based MMO.

- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX will be released in Japan on March 14, 2013.

- The Secret World has done away with monthly subscription fees.

- The first real Kickstarter drama hits when Code Hero fails to deliver rewards and updates.

- THQ has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is seeking a buyer.

- GaymerCon is now Gaymer X due to trademark issues. Also, they have launched GaymerConnect!

OMG NEWS

- Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is available on the iOS App Store with in-app purchases that add up to a horrifying price!

- Namco Bandai is developing Project Versus J for PlayStation 3 and Vita, a fighting game in the vein of Jump Ultimate Stars.

- Wada-san explains the reasoning behind making Dragon Quest X an MMORPG and how it has already made back its development costs.

- Polygon shared leak details for Disney Infinity, a cross-platform open world game focused on user created content.

- Earth Defense Force 4 has been confirmed for a US release in 2013 as Earth Defense Force 2025.

DISCUSSION TOPICS

Discussion Topic #1 – Mega Man: 25 Years of Jumpin’ and Shootin’

Captain Spike and Slagkick celebrate the Blue Bomber’s 25th anniversary by looking back at the series and particularly how various iterations brought new ideas and concepts to the franchise and to platform gaming in general. Particular focus is given to Mega Man, Mega Man 2, Mega Man 3, Mega Man 4, Mega Man X, Mega Man 9, and Mega Man 10. The Podcast Pirates also discuss Street Fighter X Mega Man and its shortcomings, but also how its success could shape the future of the franchise. Also, Captain Spike gives a rundown of the rest of this prolific series, giving his recommendations for games to play and games to avoid. Finally, the Podcast Pirates look at the current state of the franchise and what the future might hold for our favorite robot.

Discussion Topic #2 – 2012 Year in Review Redux

Captain Spike discusses a few games that he either missed in 2012  or were recommended as game of the year candidates – Journey, The Walking Dead, Unit 13, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star – and why Asura’s Wrath is his Game of the Year. First Mate Slagkick briefly shares his experience with Boost Mode in New Super Mario Bros. U (a Game Buoy top game of 2012), but his main focus is on why he caved in and bought a new PS3 – with particular attention given to Journey and how it is the pinnacle of Thatgamecompany’s mission statement, why it’s his Game of the Year, and the intense emotional experience connected with the gameplay.

READ OF THE WEEK

Each week, Captain Spike and Slagkick look at one article (or sometimes, more than one) and tell you whether it’s well-written (Read!)  or an embarrassment to gaming journalism (Reeeeeeead.) This week, Game Buoy offers a trio of Kotaku articles:

Yes, BioShock Infinite‘s Cover is Terrible, and Yes, That Actually Matters (Kotaku)

Kotaku is disappointed that BioShock Infinite has typical dudebro cover art, and insists upon itself that this is a terrible thing that actually matters. (Game Buoy enourages you to instead check out The PA Report’s article on why it doesn’t actually matter, which is a definite “Read!”)

Verdict: Reeeeeeead.

Hey Square Enix, Where the Hell is Bravely Default Flying Fairy? (Kotaku)

Kotaku feels entitled to a stateside release of the extremely successful Bravely Default Flying Fairy and complains about no localization announcement, despite only having been out in Japan for a few months. Instead of taking a positive approach, they choose to be Negative Nancies.

Verdict: Reeeeeeead.

The Game Savers: How A Tiny Company Gives Neglected Japanese Games New Life In America (Kotaku)

Despite the overly serious headline, this is a great look inside the offices of XSEED, with some anecdotes and analysis into their business model. Very well-written and actually relevant, since The Last Story was such a huge success over here. Obviously, Game Buoy is also in support of positive press for XSEED so this article is definitely recommended.

Verdict: Read!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

- Karaoke on Xbox Live will be going live on December 11, with pricing for two hours, six hours, and twenty-four hours at $3, $5, and $10 respectively.

OMG NEWS

- The DS remake of Final Fantasy IV has been ported to iOS and will be available in Japan on December 20. An Android version will be released in Spring 2013.

- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate will hit on March 5, with the European release three days later.

- Rayman Legends is due out February 26 in North America and March 1 in the UK.

- Nintendo of Europe is restricting access to 18+ content in the eShop during the day.

- Bioshock Infinite‘s release date has been pushed back to March 26.

- A new Square Enix countdown site teases what could be Star Galaxy.

- Atlus is teasing a new Devil Survivor 2 project, perhaps an “overclocked” version of the game.

- The gaming world was shocked by the sudden announcement of Street Fighter vs. Mega Man (which Captain Spike and Slagkick accidentally call Street Fighter vs. Capcom since they are so excited by this news). The game, which began as a Singaporean fan project, will be released for free December 17 on Capcom Unity.

- Falcom is going to remaster The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC for PS3 with HD graphics.

- Capcom noted an increase in DmC: Devil May Cry pre-orders after its demo went up.

- The awesome Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo hits PSN on December 13.

- Dark Souls II was announced at the VGAs with a debut trailer!

- Square Enix registers a European trademark for “All The Bravest,” which may or may not be related to Bravely Default Flying Fairy.

- Also at the VGAs was a trailer for The Phantom Pain, which sounds a hell of a lot like it might be Metal Gear Solid V.

- Atlus is reprinting the first three games in the Etrian Odyssey series for in preparation for Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

As the gaming year comes to a close, Captain Spike and Slagkick look back at 2012 and its most notable games, news, and events. They also talk about what they look forward to in 2013 as well as their hopes and predictions for the new year! The Pirates wrap up the discussion with their New Year’s Gaming Resolutions.

If you are interested in hearing more about Game Buoy’s Top 10 News Stories of the Year, both from Game Buoy and other sources, you don’t need to look any further than the links below!

1. The SEGA Saga
2. The Perilous State of THQ
3. Mass Effect 3 Ending QQ
4. Women’s Issues in the Gaming World
5. Nintendo Resurrected Bayonetta 2
6. Sony is Junk
7. You’ll Get Caught Up in the Kickstarter!
8. The Launch and Struggles of the PlayStation Vita
9. The Launch of the Wii U
10. E3 2012 and Backlash to Nintendo’s Keynote

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike has been spending time with Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Unlimited, exploring his inner bro with Black Ops 2, wrapping up Disgaea 3, and of course putting the pedal to the metal with Danica Patrick All Stars Racing. However, it’s his experience with Ocarina of Time 3D that’s surprising him the most.

First Mate Slagkick has been also spending time with Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Unlimited, but the bulk of his time has been devoted to Saints Row the Third, and he explains why it surpasses Grand Theft Auto IV in every way imaginable (and also what most of his game time has consisted of so far).

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

- Anarchy Reigns “Day One” edition has been confirmed for release in North America as a GameStop exclusive.

- THQ are in talks with a “mystery financial sponsor and have reached an agreement with Wells Fargo.

- Fighters of Capcom has been trademarked and could be a localized version of the GREE game, Capcom All Stars With Everyone.

OMG NEWS

- The Karaoke Channel will be teaming up with Xbox Live to make its 8,000+ song library available for streaming. You’ll pay for blocks of time to “rent” the content, in the vein of an Asian karaoke box. There will be some sort of SmartGlass integration involved.

- Uncharted: Fight for Fortune for PlayStation Vita will be hitting the PSN store on December 4. The turn-based card game will only set you back $4.99 and will probably be much better than Golden Abyss was.

- The Last Story sold super well and now it’s only $29.99. Though this is not a special edition like the original package,  you can now get this great JRPG at a budget price.

- SEGA is removing old Shining Force fan videos from YouTube because the trailer for their new PSP game, Shining Ark, is not turning up in the top 10 search results.

- Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade to America! If you sign up for this free iOS/Android social game on the official site, you can get a Cloud Strife summon.

- Crimson Shroud, part of the Guild01 project, will be released on the eShop for 3DS on December 14 and cost $7.99. Yasumi Matsuno put out gems like Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story, so this is highly recommended.

- In response to the Humble THQ Bundle, the gaming community at large seems to think that Humble Bundle lost what made it special, and that this THQ bundle threatens the Humble Bundle brand’s reputation.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

The Wii U has been out for about two weeks now, so Captain Spike and Slagkick wrap up the discussion they started last episode by giving their first impressions. A majority of the discussion is devoted to Miiverse and why it is successful as a gaming community and unlike others out there (as Penny Arcade so perfectly points out). The Pirates then highlight the games they have been spending the most time with – New Super Mario Bros. U, NintendoLand, and Danica Patrick All Stars Racing Hyper Turbo GO! Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed. What is it about these games that Captain Spike and Slagkick find so appealing? The discussion closes with thoughts on how Microsoft and Sony can improve on what the Wii U offers (specifically, taking the Miiverse concept a step further) – but Slagkick gives a different (and very in-depth) vision of what he would like the eighth console generation to look like.

Supplemental reading material:

- The State of the Wii U, Just Three Days In (Kotaku): A surprisingly not-terrible “first impressions” post by Steven Totilo that is a fair assessment of the new console.

- The Nintendo Wii U: A Review (Entertainment Weekly): A decent review from the mainstream media, which gives an opinion shared by many but is a competent article.

- Nintendo’s Wii U: The console’s first must-have games (Los Angeles Times): Another mainstream article that gives great recommendations, including indie games!

- Wii Can’t Go On, Wi’ll Go On (Gamasutra): An academic essay from Ian Bogost that is the single best thing ever written about the Wii U. Required reading!

READ OF THE WEEK

Each week, Captain Spike and Slagkick look at one article (or very rarely, two) and tell you whether it’s well-written (Read!)  or an embarrassment to gaming journalism (Reeeeeeead.)

560 People Are Playing Black Ops II on the Wii U Right Now (Kotaku)

At the time of press, Wii U had been out for less than 36 hours – yet Stephen Totilo wonders why Black Ops II on Wii U didn’t have the 800,000-user player base that it had for Xbox 360 on launch day.

Verdict: Reeeeeeead.

Here’s a Devastating Account of the Crap Women in the Games Business Have to Deal With. In 2012. (Koktau)

A concise article documenting the Twitter hashtag #1reasonwhy, letting the tweets speak for themselves and shedding light on the horrid gender inequality in the gaming industry.

Verdict: Read!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

- THQ’s financial drama continues as they announce new delays and default on a $50 million credit facility.

- Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed might have even more secret characters waiting for gamers to unlock.

- Platinum will be releasing an Anarchy Reigns “Day One Edition” in Europe, which includes Bayonetta as a playable character and two exclusive game modes.

OMG NEWS

- StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm was announced by Blizzard, but only Joystiq seemed to pay attention.

- Steam is making all new developers go through Greenlight in order to submit games.

- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is now available as an ad-supported, browser based free-to-play game.

- PlayStation Plus is now available for the Vita.

- SingStar is now available for free as a digital download from the PlayStation Store.

- Masao Ohata has been announced as SNK Playmore’s new corporate president.

- Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse will be coming to the 3DS eShop! Shantae, you stay!

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, the Pirates recorded an episode in the hours leading up to the Wii U’s midnight launch. First, they discuss what it means on a larger scale that the eighth generation of console gaming has officially started – will Sony and Microsoft rush to get their new platforms out? The bulk of the discussion is devoted to exploring the Wii U’s launch library, which many people have dismissed as being weak. What Wii U launch games get the Pirate seal of approval?  Listen and find out!

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike talks about Disgaea 4, Halo 4, and why he’s given up on Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation (for now). Slagkick talks about Super Mario 3D Land, Pokemon White, and why he’s given up on Assassin’s Creed 3 (for now).

READ OF THE WEEK

Loltaku of the Week is reborn in this new segement, where the Podcast Pirates focus on one gaming article that caught their eye. This time, however, it can be a really good article – like this week’s What Went Wrong With Silicon Knights’ X-Men: Destiny? from Kotaku. This well-written, greatly investigated article takes a look at the missteps taken by Silicon Knights leading up to the release of its flop game, X-Men Destiny.

Verdict: Read!

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Dorked!, a delightful 10-minute audio parfait

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Theme music by Zelda Reorchestrated

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

Iwata-san gave a Q&A following an earnings presentation, and among other things, he discussed the strategy behind delaying some of the titles originally planned for release at Wii U’s launch.

OMG NEWS

- Aksys and Amazon.com promised to fulfill demand for a pre-order bonus watch for Virtue’s Last Reward, but they fell short and upset fans.

- Ace Attorney 5 will be fully voice acted!

 DISCUSSION TOPIC

The Podcast Pirates take a look at three major Japanese gaming developers/publishers – Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Konami – at three snapshots in time: 1992, 2002, and the present day. At each point, Captain Spike and Slagkick look at each company’s gaming library in each era as a means of analyzing trends in the Japanese gaming industry. The Podcast Pirates think that one company is doing pretty well, another is extremely successful despite seemingly neglecting some of its IPs (to the chagrin of fans), and the other is a shade of its former self that struggles to create quality games in the modern market. Can you figure out which is which? Listen as the Pirates take you on a time-travel trip, covering the highs and lows of the past twenty years for these three kingpins of the Japanese gaming industry.

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike talks about picking Disgaea 3 back up and grinding like never before! Then, he joins in first mate Slagkick’s discussion about Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation, its potential issues with political correctness, and how shocking it is that Ubisoft shipped such a buggy game.

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Dorked!, a delightful 10-minute audio parfait

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

OMG NEWS

- Sega is releasing Crazy Taxi for iOS, but what’s notable is the return of the original soundtrack, which was left out of the PC port and the recent HD re-releases. Unfortunately, the Pizza Hut and KFC licenses were not renewed!

- At New York Comic Con 2012, Capcom announced Darkstalkers Resurrection, an HD re-release of the second and third games in the Darkstalkers franchise for XBLA and PSN. Even more exciting, perhaps, is the teaser trailer called Darkstalkers Are Not Dead, suggesting a new title in the franchise is on its way.

- NBA Baller Beats was a huge flop, selling a dismal 3,000 units in its first month.

- Anarchy Reigns hits January 8, 2013 at a $30 price point!

- Sony Online Entertainment announces Everquest Next at SOE Live 2012.

- Bioshock Infinite is due out February 26, 2013 and has an awesome gameplay trailer.

- Nippon Ichi has announced Disgaea D2, a direct sequel to the first game in the series.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, the Podcast Pirates take a look back at some of their favorite under appreciated gems. They start by looking at some games that are typically considered the least loved in their franchise: Final Fantasy VIII, Super Princess Peach, and Mega Man X6. Next, the Podcast Pirates share their favorite cult classics: PaRappa the Rapper, Um Jammer Lammy, Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers, Tiny Toon Adventures, New Zealand Story, Barbie, and Demon’s Crest. Finally, Captain Spike highlights two relatively unknown RPGs published by Enix: E.V.O.: Search for Eden and Robotrek.

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

- Qoopa Klub, a Nintendo-centric LGBT podcast

- Dorked!, a delightful 10-minute audio parfait

- Orange Lounge Radio, where EVERY gamer has a voice

- Nerdgasm Network, the wildest 3 hours of shock jock video game radio

- Horde House, the show about World of Warcraft but NEVER too seriously

- Girls Gone WoW, for a female perspective on the world’s most popular MMO

- Video Game Outsiders, an Xbox Live Community Award-winning podcast running 7 years strong

- Email Captain Spike and Slagkick and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter

FOLLOWING UP

NiGHTS HD (which includes Christmas NiGHTS) and Sonic Adventure 2 HD will be available on October 2. On a related  note, you can own the HD re-release of Jet Set Radio today (unless you only own a Vita)! In an interview with Polygon, Platinum Games confirms that Bayonetta 2 would not exist had Nintendo not shown interest in the IP. The PA Report looks further into the NBA Baller Beats controversy, and apparently Majesco lied to their investors.

OMG NEWS

- Dragon Age III: Inquisition has been announced by BioWare!

- On a related note, BioWare co-founders Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuck have announced they are retiring from the company and from gaming forever.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

Captain Spike and his first mate, Slagkick, share highlights from Tokyo Game Show 2012. Perhaps the most exciting news for the Podcast Pirates is that Square Enix has announced Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, currently slated for release in 2013 and exclusive to PS3 (which leads Slagkick to discuss his real issues with Sony and the PS3).

Team Ninja had a lot to show off at TGS ’12 – Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z with Keiji Inafune in a partnership with Comcept, as well as Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge for Wii U, which has been retooled into a more hardcore game, complete with fanservice!

Finally, there is a newer, slimmer PS3. And it’s more expensive.

WHAT’S UP

Though Captain Spike and Slagkick have both been playing their share of sequels lately – namely Borderlands 2, Torchlight 2, and Guild Wars 2 – each Pirate focuses on one game. For Spike, it’s New Super Mario Bros. 2 – which he loved with the exception of one fatal flaw in the game design. Slagkick, not surpisingly, has been loving the new WoW expansion, Mists of Pandaria.

LOLTAKU OF THE WEEK

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the recording of Episode 11 came to an abrupt end; however, the Podcast Pirates had planned to discuss a Wall Street Journal article, Borderlands 2 Fails To Cross Over, as an example of why we need gaming journalism (even if it means we have to deal with Kotaku and the like) – because not only does the author seem to write the game off based on Gearbox’s quirky sense of humor (“joy puke,” anyone?), but dismisses it as a dudebro FPS for the 18-35 male demographic, lumping it in with Halo and Call of Duty instead of recognizing the strong RPG elements of both the original and the sequel, suggesting that – by virtue of only supporting 4-player co-op instead of 18-player death matching, that the value of the game is reduced and should be a budget title (a stance Game Buoy firmly disagrees with…not that games couldn’t stand to be cheaper, mind.)

Remember, the Podcast Pirates are not trying to be Bitter Brians – but when even the mainstream media isn’t doing its job, calling them out is the only weapon we have.

FOLLOWING UP

A Neo Geo X package without the extra accessories (joystick and docking station) will be available for the lower price of $130.

OMG NEWS

- Drakerider is a new episodic RPG for iOS from Square Enix. You can download the first chapter for free on the iTunes Store!

- Capcom will be teaming up with social media company GREE to release six games for the mobile platform, with three coming to the US: a Resident Evil title, a Dead Rising title, and a Monster Hunter title.

- Chris Vizzini, owner of Gaymer.org, sent a cease and desist to the “/r/gaymers” Reddit community, which upset many members of the LGBT gaming community. He also may or may not have herpes.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

Although this is really more part of “OMG NEWS,” Captain Spike and his first mate, Slagkick, wanted to spend their time today discussing launch details for the Wii U! The new console will be available in the U.S. on November 18th in a basic package for $299 and a deluxe package for $349. The basic console is white and the deluxe console is black, but hopefully Nintendo doesn’t repeat the PSP’s marketing mistake. What’s even more exciting, however, is that Platinum Games announced Bayonetta 2 as a Wii U exclusive, along with Project P-100‘s official title of The Wonderful 101 (or Won101, as Slagkick calls it).

LOLTAKU OF THE WEEK

There is not an official Loltaku this week, since even Kotaku has been doing a decent job lately – but the Podcast Pirates share a great article by Ben Kuchera from The PA Report called Lying to get press: the seemingly bought or faked Twitter followers of NBA Baller Beats. Kuchera examines the suspiciously high number of Twitter followers for the Majesco title – a unique Kinect rhythm game involving a real basketball – and how it has gained the exact same number of followers each day. Majesco has remained mum on the subject, which raises the question – is it worse that they potentially bought or faked Twitter followers, or that they feel they have to pad their marketing to meet today’s ridiculous sales expectations?

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

Captain Spike gives a new shout out to Dorked! – a delightful little audio parfait that clocks in at about 10 minutes an episode. Shout-outs are also given to Orange Lounge Radio, Horde House, and Girls gone WoW - all part of the Voice of Geeks Network. Slagkick gives a special mention to the Nerdgasm Network video game podcast, where he was a guest on their 3-hour NSFW 50th episode bonanza, and reminds you to tune into Video Game Outsiders. The Podcast Pirates also shout out to Captain Spike’s roommate, who helped them upgrade their recording gear and will be soon launching a podcast about tabletop gaming. Of course, Captain Spike and Slagkick also invite you to e-mail them and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

FOLLOWING UP

An unofficial Mass Effect 3 romance survey was published and compiles the input of thousands of participants! Also, GaymerCon completed its Kickstarter campaign and raised over $90,000. The Podcast Pirates will re-visit GaymerCon in a future episode and discuss why it’s so great that this sort of convention is going to be a reality.

OMG NEWS

 - Neo Geo X Gold details announced. It will hit in December with a $200 price tag!

- Level-5 applied for US trademarks that appear to be related to several of the games from Guild01, a quirky collection of games from the likes of Suda51, Yoot Saito, and Yasumi Matsuno.

- GameStop is considering an online store for vintage cartridges and discs. The Podcast Pirates discuss why this could be a good thing for retro games enthusiasts. 

- The latest Nintendo Direct conference showed some great 3DS titles on the horizon: a new Professor Layton game (currently planned as the final one!), a new Tomodachi Collection sequel (Mii realness!), a pink 3DS XL (which Captain Spike wants), a look at the next Animal Crossing game, a new rhythm-platformer from Game Freak called HarmoKnight, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star!

- Also, the limited edition Pikachu 3DS XL looks like it has nipples.

AND NOW FOR A F***ING RANT

Captain Spike rants about how Square Enix teased a new The World Ends With You title, which turned out to be an iOS port with features removed.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary Final Fantasy event that happened this weekend, Captain Spike and Slagkick discuss the highlights of the event and a look back at the much loved franchise through their own personal lens. First, the Podcast Pirates discuss Final Fantasy Dimensions, a new iOS title in the vein of classic Final Fantasy games. Then, they discuss the Final Fantasy Anniversary box set, which will compile every main Final Fantasy game from FF1 through FF13 on PS1, PS2, and PS3 (with FF3 being the sole PSP title in the box). Most significantly, Lightning Returns was announced – and its promise of being a Bayonetta/Kingdom Hearts style action game has Captain Spike and Slagkick extremely excited.

The bulk of the discussion is devoted to the Podcast Pirates sharing their history with the Final Fantasy series – including their introduction to JRPGs in general, and the first Final Fantasy game they played, espousing the qualities that drew them into exploring the franchise further. They examine the franchise chronologically, discussing definitive releases of titles, and the highs and lows of the series. Finally, the Podcast Pirates look forward to the future of the franchise.

LOLTAKU OF THE WEEK

Keeping with the Final Fantasy theme, this week’s Loltaku is Square Enix Thinks This Mobile RPG Is Worth $30. Jason Schreier takes the opportunity, as he frequently does, to bash Square Enix’s decision to price mobile games at higher price points – including the new Final Fantasy Dimensions, an episodic title that costs $28.99 if all chapters are purchased together.

(As always, we’re not doing this to be Negative Nanaki, but the guys getting paid to do this and to be our eyes and ears should be doing better. Calling them out is the only weapon we have.)

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

As always, Captain Spike and Slagkick invite you to e-mail them and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Shout-outs are given to Orange Lounge Radio, Horde House, and Girls gone WoW - all part of the Voice of Geeks Network - and everyone over at the Nerdgasm Network and Video Game Outsiders. Slagkick also shouts out to Nfamous Gamers, a great geek site run by fans.

FOLLOWING UP

The HD remake of Jet Set Radio gets a price ($9.99) and release dates for PSN, XBLA, and Steam. It will be playable along with eight other digital SEGA titles at PAX, including a mystery title! Also, World Heroes Perfect is now on Virtual Console, so you can see Rasputin’s gay rampage for yourself. Finally, Yoichi Wada, president of Square Enix, diffuses the rumor that Final Fantasy Vs. XIII is dead.

OMG NEWS

- The Ouya sucessfully completed its Kickstarter campaign, far surpassing its $950,000 goal by raising $8.5 million. Significantly, Namco Bandai and Square Enix will be supporting the new console.

- GamyerCon, an LGBT themed gaming convention, will be coming to San Francisco in August 2013. You can pledge on Kickstarter today, and the Podcast Pirates will be covering it in greater detail next week.

- GameStop has announced that it is interested in selling secondhand digital downloads. Everyone seems shocked and confused, despite the fact that the precedent has been set by Green Man Gaming.

WHAT’S UP

This week, Captain Spike played Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Slagkick has been playing World of Warcraft, which leads into…

DISCUSSION TOPIC

The Podcast Pirates discuss MMORPGs this week, celebrating their renewed excitement for World of Warcraft and its upcoming expansion, Mists of Pandaria. Captain Spike shares his experiences with The Secret World and the pros and cons of its unconventional approach to character progression. The Pirates talk about the upcoming relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV, now bearing the subtitle A Realm Reborn, and its promising new features. They also give some airtime to highlight the upcoming release of Guild Wars 2. However, the bulk of the discussion ties into the recent news that Star Wars: The Old Republic is going free to play, and the Podcast Pirates examine the “freemium” model, how it has affected past MMOs, and what this could mean for SWTOR. Finally, the Pirates talk about some new MMOs that will be coming out soon.

Also, Captain Spike wants to know if you think the Mists of Pandaria collector’s edition pet and mount are ugly.

LOLTAKU OF THE WEEK

This week, the Podcast Pirates take a look at  The Power (and Danger) of Big Numbers in RPGs and how Kotaku’s Jason Schreier lets a design flaw in a Suikoden MUD he made negatively influence his views of big numbers in RPGs, then seemingly contradicts himself.

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

As always, Captain Spike and Slagkick invite you to e-mail them and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Shout-outs are given to Orange Lounge Radio, Horde House, and Girls gone WoW - all part of the Voice of Geeks Network - and everyone over at the Nerdgasm Network and Video Game Outsiders.

FOLLOWING UP

Just when things were looking grim in the world of SEGA, the company has announced a NiGHTS into DREAMS… HD re-release for PSN, XBLA, and PC and a Western release for Phantasy Star Online 2! The Podcast Pirates want to know what SEGA IPs you would like to see the company revive.

OMG NEWS

- The same Fez patch that causes issues for a minor percentage of the player base is back on XBLA, because Microsoft would have charged Polytron a substantial amount of money just to fix the patch.

- Ono-san gave a Darkstalkers 4 teaser at San Diego Comic Con and assured fans that they won’t have to thrown their money at Capcom to get the game made!

- Kotaku reported a rumor that Final Fantasy Versus XIII is dead and tons of major gaming sites ran with the story, seemingly ignoring the fact that a Versus XIII song was released as Theatrhythm DLC a few weeks ago. Captain Spike and Slagkick also talk about how cool the gameplay looks, especially as Kingdom Hearts fans.

- Speaking of Kotaku, glitches, and Final Fantasy, Kotaku ran an article about how to get an airship in Final Fantasy VI way earlier than intended!

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week the Podcast Pirates have a discussion about LGBT characters, issues, and themes in gaming. If you are uneasy listening to talk of LGBT matters, please tune in next week.

Captain Spike and Slagkick start off the discussion by looking at some prominent LGBT characters in the gaming world, covering a diverse range of games including Persona 4, the Metal Gear Solid series, the Street Fighter series, World Heroes Perfect, Guilty Gear, innocent Sin, Enchant Arms, Shadow Hearts, Bioshock, and Valkyria Chronicles.

Rockstar  is highlighted for LGBT portrayals (positive and negative) in The Ballad of Gay Tony, Red Dead Redemption, and Bully; similarly, Bioware’s treatment of same-sex romance in Mass Effect is examined, and how Dragon Age 2‘s approach creates a different kind of character development.

Another interesting phenomenon is that of characters who were changed to transgendered  during the localization process, and in the case of Vivian from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, changed from being a transsexual to just being an ugly witch. Ash from Streets of Rage 3 also gets a shout-out, as he was removed from the U.S. version to avoid controversy in the Western release.

Some notable LGBT plots and subplots are explored. Significant cases include Indigo Prophecy‘s look at homophobia, and how Fear Effect 2: Retro Helix used lesbianism as a selling point for the game.

LGBT recommendations for you include The Ballad of Gay Tony, Persona 4, innocent Sin, the Shadow Hearts series, and Nier – a game with a twist that the Podcast Pirates did not want to spoil for you.

And of course, no gay gaming discussion is complete without a mention of Cho Aniki!

WHAT’S UP

This week, Captain Spike played Theatrhythm Final Fantasy for 3DS, while first mate Slagkick has been catching up with indie classic on Steam – particularly Super Meat Boy and Cave Story+. The Podcast Pirates also mention the Ouya and how it passed the million dollar mark on Kickstarter in a matter of hours.

LOLTAKU OF THE WEEK

Either the New Devil May Cry is Very Good, or the Whiskey Was Really Strong. In this thoroughly unprofessional preview. Mike Fahey got into a San Diego Comic Con event where he got to play DmC, but he was too drunk to tell whether it was a good game or that the alcohol made it more enjoyable.

(As always, we aren’t doing this to be negative Nathans. The guys getting paid to do this and to be our eyes and ears should be doing better. Calling them out is the only weapon we have.)

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

As always, Captain Spike and Slagkick invite you to e-mail them and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Shout-outs are given to Orange Lounge Radio, Horde House, and Girls gone WoW - all part of the Voice of Geeks Network - and our buddies over at the Nerdgasm Network. Additionally, the Podcast Pirates say hello to Video Game Outsiders and Captain Spike gives a special non-gaming shout out to an awesome comics podcast called DECOMPRESSED.

FOLLOWING UP

Captain Spike and Slagkick share their thoughts on Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut! Also, some good news/bad news from SEGA: the good news is that Anarchy Reigns will be coming to the U.S. and Europe in 2013, but the bad news is that SEGA is downsizing and will be focusing on four main IPs, as was initially rumored. They touch on a few of the points about the latter that members of NeoGAF were discussing, as well.

OMG NEWS

- The big news, of course, is that the 3DS XL was revealed during the Nintendo Direct stream from June 21st. The Podcast Pirates talk about the history of hardware revisions for Nintendo handhelds as well as a few of the games that were highlighted during the show.

- Capcom Summer Jam, which surprisingly is not the name of a summer concert festival, built some hype for Monster Hunter 4 and E.X. Troopers.

- A port of the DS version of Final Fantasy III has been released on the Android store and it looks great! Aside from some of the lackluster DS texture work, that is.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

After the sudden drama involving a series of tweets by gaming journalist Ryan Perez that were insulting Felicia Day (and also Wil Wheaton), Destructoid made the smart choice to end their professional relationship with him. However, this causes the Podcast Pirates to reflect on the status of gaming journalism as a “boy’s club” that has an incestuous relationship with the industry. We also talk about the positive contributions 1UP is making to gaming journalism and why this shouldn’t be the exception, but the standard.

WHAT’S UP

In this new segment, the Podcast Pirates share what they have been playing lately that may be a little off the beaten path. Slagkick highlights Gravity Rush for his newly purchased Vita, while Spike has been enjoying the little known Shantae for Game Boy Color.

LOLTAKU OF THE WEEK

This week, Captain Spike and Slagkick criticize On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 3: The Kotaku Review because it was written by someone who hates the genre and did not even bother to finish the game. However, because they don’t want to be negative nannies, they also give credit to Stephen Totilo for writing a decent article in I like the Wii U. I like it a lot.

TWEETS

- OLR thanks us for shout outs and returns the favor!

- snohoodie likes our attitude! Thanks snohoodie!

- Dan_Dias gives us a straight man’s perspective on No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw, and has some nice words to say about the show.

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

As always, Captain Spike and Slagkick invite you to e-mail them and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Shout-outs are given to Orange Lounge Radio, Horde House, and Girls gone WoW - all part of the Voice of Geeks Network - and our buddies over at the Nerdgasm Network.

FOLLOWING UP

In a happy ending to the 38 Studios drama, the developers of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning were bought out by Epic Games. Also, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate was shown publicly and Alucard is a playable character!

OMG NEWS

- Nintendo’s 3DS conference mostly focused on games that were already announced before E3, but Kotaku cornered Reggie and confirmed that Fire Emblem: Awakening will be coming to the US!

- It may not have had a huge surprise announcement at the end, but we discuss our overall happiness towards Nintendo’s E3 keynote. Though there was a bit too much time devoted to Arkham City, we like NintendoLand and are excited for Project P-100, a Platinum Games title.

- Microsoft’s E3 keynote was pretty uneventful, and we discuss why SmartGlass is not all that exciting and question how much support it will actually get. Gears of War and Halo 4 didn’t really get us pumped, either.

- There wasn’t much to report from Sony’s E3 keynote, because the Wonderbook looks silly and the buzz titles Last of Us and Watch_Dogs don’t seem to be anything special. However, the wacky Tokyo Jungle is getting a Western release!

- Square Enix’s next-gen engine tech demo looks delicious.

- ZombiU looks fun, despite the cheesy video clip during the Nintendo Direct Pre-E3 Presentation.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

Captain Spike and Slagkick reflect upon E3 2012′s lackluster reception throughout the gaming community to examine what exactly E3′s function is, these days. Is it a show for the fans like PAX, a show for the industry like GDC (where there was once a really cool presentation about the history of the Mii), a show for the media, or some combination of all of these?

LOLTAKU OF THE WEEK

CNN’s tech blogger, Larry Frum – happily married father of two – takes a look at the Wii U in Our hands-on demo with the Wii U, except he keeps using the term “Wii U” to discuss the gamepad. The fact that this persists despite multiple revisions to the article suggests that Larry Frum thinks the Wii U is just the gamepad and an accessory for the existing Wii. Is Slagkick nitpicking, or should we be expecting information on a major news site to be well-researched?

FAREWELLS AND SHOUT OUTS

Shout-outs are given to Orange Lounge Radio, Horde House, and Girls gone WoW - all part of the Voice of Geeks Network - and our buddies over at the Nerdgasm Network. We also want you to interact with us on  Twitter and Facebook! Seriously! We ask this every week, so do it!

FOLLOWING UP

Captain Spike wants you to all buy Monster World 4 now. Slagkick shares about The Indoctrination Theory – A Documentary, which expands on the Podcast Pirates’ discussion from Episode 1.

OMG NEWS

- Capcom is aiming at a two and a half year development cycle for all key franchises.

- A new Castlevania game is being teased…but is it a sequel to Lords of Shadow, a new 3DS Metroidvania game…or is it a 2D Lords of Shadow spinoff?!?!?

- SEGA is unclear about the release of Anarchy Reigns in the West, which leads the Podcast Pirates to worry if we’ll see this Platinum Games brawler at all outside of its Japanese release.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week the Podcast Pirates do something a little different (and biased):

IN DEFENSE OF NINTENDO
A Discussion in Three Parts.

I. Looking Back at the Wii
-Highlights of the Wii
-Disappointments of the Wii

II. Outlook for E3 2012
-Popular Rumors
-What We Already Know

III. Looking Forward to Wii U
-Games We’re Excited For
-Games Nintendo Needs to Pursue
-The Prospect of Nintendo as #1

Slagkick wraps up the discussion with a Nintendo rant that he almost got into last week, but held back on. Hear him let loose on the Nintendo haters and defend the GameCube, among other things.

KOTAKU OF THE WEEK

What’s this?!?!? The Podcast Pirates do not have a LOLtaku this week, instead actually recognizing that Kotaku wrote a decent article for once. Curt Schilling’s Role-Playing Game Supposedly Needed to Sell 3 Million Copies to Not Fail manages to report the facts of this sad story that has hit the industry recently, without resorting to hyperbole or poop jokes. However, out of this tragedy, Twitter users have rallied behind the 38 Studios employees to try and help them find work.

FAREWELLS AND SHOUTOUTS

As always, Captain Spike and Slagkick invite you to e-mail them and join in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter. Shout-outs are given once again to Orange Lounge Radio and the Nerdgasm Network.