Vic's Basement

Episode 45: Vic, Ben, and the Future of All Things

Webby — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:38 +0000

Vic is on the road again, so he has to call into The Basement, just like a guest on an A.M. radio station. You do remember what radio is, right? Yes, Vic sounds tinny and far away, and his voice cuts out on occasion. DEAL WITH IT. Vic and Scott have a brief conversation about [...]

Episode 44: Mailbag, The Great Gatsby, And Netflix In Bed

Jamie — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:00:45 +0000

THIS WEEK ON THE BASEMENT: Vic and Scott open up the old listener mailbag and answer questions from three podcast fans. Scott complains about the fact that he desperately needs a haircut, then—how risque—confesses that he enjoys watching Netflix in bed on his iPad. Vic and Scott do a very short, very painless postmortem on [...]

Episode 43: Michael Mando: Actor, Storyteller, and Really Kind Guy

Webby — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:00:04 +0000

The Basement Smell Report is in: Cheese smell: 8/10; Feet smell: 7/10; Unidentified smell: 3/10. Vic and Scott make room in their piquant subterranean lair for a truly special guest: actor Michael Mando. He, of course, plays Vaas Montenegro in Far Cry 3, the baddest bad guy since the Mother Brain. (Who, technically, is a [...]

Episode 42: 4th Annual CVA’s and How To Get On TV

Webby — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:00:40 +0000

Today on The Basement: Vic and Scott do a little postmortem/pre-mortem on the 4th Annual Canadian Videogame Awards (which air this weekend on City TV and G4; check your local listings). Scott and Vic both share their favorite behind-the-scenes moments from the Awards, and from Fan Expo Vancouver, which was also held last weekend. And [...]

Episode 41: CVA’s, Fan Expo, and ALIENS

Webby — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:41:55 +0000

Today on The Basement: Vic and Scott find the only person in North America who actually finished Aliens: Colonial Marines. The boys grill this Mystery Person—actually, it’s our producer, Rob Koval, who is such a huge Aliens fan that he felt compelled to see the game through to completion—on the game’s ending, which sounds like [...]

Episode 40: Scott’s Year Walk and Talk to MacKenzie Gray

Webby — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:00:38 +0000

Today on The Basement: Scott confesses that he’s on a spirit quest/year walk to rediscover his love of videogames. Yes, it seems that after 10 years of reviewing every game ever created, Scott HAS HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH THIS B.S. The first stop on his magical rediscovery tour: 2005′s Ico. Then Vic and [...]

Episode 39: Bioshock Songbird Unboxed and LucasArts Boxed Up

Webby — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:00:04 +0000

THIS WEEK: We tried to get Shaun Hatton as a guest on The Basement this week. You’d think that, since he works here, this would be no problem. WELL, AS IT TURNS OUT, THIS IS A PROBLEM. Shaun was apparently TOO BUSY to join us. Maybe we’ll all learn from our mistake and remember to [...]

Episode 38: Billy Campbell: Actor, Rocketeer, Gamer

Webby — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:00:02 +0000

Today on The Basement, the boys get a visit from a special guest: it’s the Rocketeer himself, actor Billy Campbell. We won’t lie to you—Billy is a personal friend, and often takes Vic and Scott (well, mostly Vic) up in his Celebrity Helicopter, where they race against James Cameron and other Hollywood types in Celebrity [...]

Episode 37: CVA Host Elias Toufexis on Challenges in Voice Acting

Webby — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:00:47 +0000

On today’s show, actor Elias Toufexis—the voice of Adam Jensen in Deus Ex: Human Revolution and the just-announced host of the 2013 Canadian Videogame Awards—drives Vic’s mom to Target. Really. But before he does that, he has a chat with Vic and Scott about what it feels like to be named the host of this [...]

Episode 36: Superfluousity and Super Hard End-Games

Webby — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:00:01 +0000

THIS WEEK IN THE BASEMENT: It’s true-confession time as Vic comes clean about the fact that he was unable to get past “The Trials of Archimedes” portion in God Of War: Ascension. Yes, Vic’s gaming skills were apparently not up to snuff when it comes to this controversial section of the game. Scott, on the [...]

Episode 35: Gaming Marchvalanche!!

Webby — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:00:26 +0000

Today on The Basement: Vic and Scott discuss the Marchvalanche of games. Or, as Vic calls it, Marvember. (Since Revengeance, the boys have been more disposed to portmanteaus than they used to be. Also: “portmanteau” is the word of the day.) Vic and Scott offer their pro tips for surviving the deluge of upcoming games. [...]

Episode 34: The Oscars and Binge Gaming

Webby — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:25:44 +0000

Today on The Basement: Vic returns from New York and Scott thanks him for the postcard (which only just arrived today—THANKS FOR NOTHING, VIC). Scott and Vic discuss the Oscars, including the fact that their favorite movie of the year, Looper, WAS NOT NOMINATED FOR ONE DAMN THING. NOT ONE. WHICH IS A HUGE OVERSIGHT [...]

Episode 33: PS4 Welcomes Developers in the Door

Webby — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:00:10 +0000

Today on The Basement: Vic is on the road, so Scott has The Basement all to himself. Naturally, the first thing he does is call Vic, who delivers a full report from the PlayStation 4 press conference in a very frigid New York City. Vic talks about his deli experiences in New York—apparently, all they [...]

Episode 32: Fighting the BS that is Served

Webby — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 20:00:45 +0000

Vic and Scott order more pancakes—or, as Vic calls them, “flapjacks”—from Vic’s mom. Then Scott discusses the recent trip he took to go look at a game only to eventually deduce that there was no game to actually see. So, instead of describing the game that wasn’t there, Scott describes the nuances of the “low [...]

Episode 31: Vic and Scott VS the Cage

Webby — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:00:57 +0000

This week down in The Basement: Vic and Scott discuss David Cage’s recent controversial D.I.C.E. talk, “The Peter Pan Syndrome: The Industry That Refused To Grow Up,” in which Cage ticks off a list of nine things that the videogame industry can (and should) do in order to evolve. Cage is, in many ways, spot [...]

Episode 30: It’s an Oddworld in the Basement

Webby — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 20:00:07 +0000

Special guest Lorne Lanning joins Vic and Scott down in The Basement this week. Lanning, as you no doubt know, is the creator of the Oddworld series of videogames, which includes one of Scott’s all-time favorites, Stranger’s Wrath. So what has Lanning been up to lately? To find out, Scott and Vic put Lanning through [...]

Episode 29: LIVE ON TAPE FROM L.A.

Webby — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:50:35 +0000

LIVE ON TAPE FROM L.A. Vic and Scott leave the basement behind this week and take a trip to a surprisingly dreary Los Angeles, where they set up a makeshift basement in Vic’s hotel room. Topics of conversation this week: THQ’s everything-must-go sale; Atari’s bankruptcy declaration (yes, again); the possible death of triple-A games; and [...]

Episode 28: Dishonored Creator is Honoured by Vic’s Basement

Webby — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:00:31 +0000

SPOILER ALERT: Spoilers for Dishonored sneak up on you in this episode. Watch out! Vic and Scott get another surprise visitor—hey, are they really surprises anymore?—down in The Basement. Today it’s legendary developer Harvey Smith, one of the visionaries/creators behind Dishonored which, in case your memory is failing you, won our Rocket & Raygun Game [...]

Episode 27: The Devil May Cry When Faced With Jones Squared!

Webby — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 20:00:10 +0000

Today on The Basement: Vic asks Scott why he has decided to grow a mustache. Then he implores him to do the world a favor and shave it off. Also, Scott rediscovers his love of videogames, thanks in no small part to the upcoming Devil May Cry reboot. Speaking of Devil May Cry, or DmC [...]

Episode 26: The Future of Sony

Jamie — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 20:00:21 +0000

The One Without Scott. On today’s 94-percent Scott-free episode of Vic’s Basement: Vic interviews Sony marketing guru (and all-around sweet fellow) Matt Levitan. The two of them have a frank, intimate discussion about the future of all things Sony. Does Matt leak any details about the PlayStation 4? He unfortunately does not. Otherwise, we would [...]

Episode 25: Final Boss – Rocket & Raygun Awards

Webby — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:00:05 +0000

Welcome to the Final Boss of all podcasts. And, just like the Final Boss in every videogame, this one refuses to die. It is—and this is big news, so best sit down for this—the audio version of our year-end Rocket & Raygun videogame awards. Every word, every moment from four episodes that are airing this [...]

Episode 24: Mission Impossible: Answer Your Questions

Webby — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:00:47 +0000

This week on Vic’s Basement, Vic and Scott answer a flurry of old Twitter questions. Trust us, it’s more compelling than it sounds. That’s right, we devote the entire episode to answering questions ranging from our guilty-pleasure movies to whether women who game have bigger libidos than, you know, those other women. Also: Vic and [...]

Episode 23: Nobody Defeats Black Tusk

Webby — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:15:09 +0000

Two words that best describe this week’s show: “big” and “news.” Vic and Scott get a visit from Mike Crump who is the studio manager for the just-opened Microsoft-owned Black Tusk Studios. After all the studio closures and downsizings in Vancouver, this is some terrific news. Mike is a tall, thin, mild-mannered man who seems [...]

Episode 22: Butt-kickin’ for Goodness!

Webby — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 21:00:24 +0000

This week, Scott and Vic once again welcome a celebrity guest into their dank bunker. Yes, it’s none other than Dr. Greg Zeschuk, who represents 50-percent of the legendary “BioWare Doctors.” Greg, along with his partner Ray Muzyka, made some of the greatest games this industry has ever known including the Baldur’s Gate series, the [...]

Episode 21: Warren Spector’s Epic Interview

Webby — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:00:54 +0000

Welcome to one of the greatest episodes of Vic’s Basement, ever. We realize that this is hard to believe, but “The World’s Greatest Podcast” (that what Scott calls it anyway) just leveled up. We have an exclusive interview with one of the gaming world’s most vaunted developers: Warren Spector. This is the man who worked [...]

Episode 20: Assassin’s Creed vs. Halo

Jamie — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:00:38 +0000

This week on The Basement: Vic and Scott take a break from the annual November gamevalanche to have in-depth discussions about two of the biggest ones: Halo 4 and Assassin’s Creed III. Scott reveals that he is, in fact, human when he confesses that the score he hung on one of these games might have [...]

Episode 19: Star Struck With The Halo 4 Creative Director

Webby — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 19:00:32 +0000

Today in The Basement: Scott eats leftover Halloween candy until his stomach hurts. Then Vic brings up the whole Disney-taking-over-Star Wars thing, which only makes Scott’s stomach hurt even worse. Is this the new hope that Star Wars fans have been waiting for? Or has the empire struck back one more time? Then Vic and [...]

Episode 18: Retrocity Rampage Creator Interview

Webby — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:00:36 +0000

Vic and Scott discuss the pros, cons, and everything in between regarding the iPad Mini. But wait, there’s more: Brian Provinciano is in “da house.” Brian, in case you don’t know, is the man who made the superb videogame RetroCity Rampage. Gaming’s ironman—he built Retro all by himself—gives Vic and Scott a candid behind-the-scenes look [...]

Episode 17: Toothpaste Crush of NY Comic-Con

Webby — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:00:49 +0000

This week, Vic and Scott do terrible impressions (Bill Cosby, Christopher Walken). They offer three ways to fix New York Comic-Con. (You’re welcome, New York Comic-Con.) They discuss Retro City Rampage, a new downloadable game for the PlayStation 3 and Vita that has been blowing Vic and Scott’s minds. Dream Come True Alert: Vic and [...]

Episode 16: The Basement, New York

Webby — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 01:00:19 +0000

Today on The Basement, Vic and Scott leave the smelly confines of the basement—fly free, little birds!—and travel 3,000 miles to New York City where they interview Insomniac’s Brian Allgeier. Three things you need to know about Brian: 1. he worked on seven Ratchet & Clank games; 2. he’s working on a new game called [...]

Episode 15: Dishonored Delights

Webby — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:00:33 +0000

Today down in Le Basement (which is French for “The Basement”): Vic and Scott argue over the need for cases for electronic devices. Scott says no; but Vic says yes. After that, they both rave about Arkane Studio’s new game, Dishonored. This incredible experience is, well, incredible, with one extremely minor exception: Scott does not [...]

Episode 14: Deconstructing Looper

Webby — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 23:39:35 +0000

Vic and Scott are still talking about Looper, so they decided to share their most intimate thoughts with you, dear listener, in a spoiler-packed bonus episode of Vic’s Basement. Yes, we said “spoiler-packed.” Because we reveal everything in this episode. So, if you haven’t seen Looper, and you’re planning to, wait until after you’ve seen [...]

Episode 13: Half Empty/Half-Full Episode

Webby — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:00:37 +0000

Today on Vic’s Basement: Vic talks about all the things he loves; Scott rants about all the things he hates. In other words, IT’S PRETTY MUCH BUSINESS AS USUAL DOWN IN THE BASEMENT. A couple of love/hate topics: annual “iterations” of sports videogames, and the iPhone 5. Vic sees all of this as progress; Scott [...]

Episode 12: Indiana, iPhone, and the Wii U Reveal

Webby — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 19:00:17 +0000

Vic and Scott head underground to Vic’s game-cave/man-room/fart-thedral to fart, game, and scream obscenities at one another. This week they talk about/scream about the new Indiana Jones Blu-ray collection, the iPhone 5, and the big Wii U reveal. Bonus Topic of the Day: Scott and Vic discuss their need to curse like sailors on shore [...]

Episode 11: The Mark of the Ninja Episode

Webby — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 19:00:29 +0000

Vic and Scott celebrate their unabashed love of the new XBLA game Mark of the Ninja by inviting the game’s lead designer, Nels Anderson, down to their underground bunker. Nels shares some candid, behind-the-scenes stories about the game’s development. Nels also reveals several things that didn’t make it into the final game. Also: the guys [...]

Episode 10: The Super Hero Fan Expo Panel

Webby — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:48:07 +0000

Calling all True Believers! Each year at Fan Expo Toronto Vic and Scott team up with that magnificent bastard Syd Bolton and hold a Buried Treasures-centric panel which takes a look at the history of gaming. This year, the boys decided to focus on superhero games. They shine a spotlight on some of their favorites, [...]

Episode 9: Live From Fan Expo, It’s the ROTR and EP Daily Cast

Webby — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:00:48 +0000

Welcome to a special all-star BONUS EPISODE of Vic’s Basement. On today’s show, Vic and Scott actually leave the basement and travel to Toronto for Fan Expo 2012. There they meet up with the rest of the Reviews on the Run and the EP Daily cast, including Ben Silverman, Miri Jedeikin, Jose Sanchez, Shaun Hatton, [...]

Episode 8: The Sleeping With The Sleeping Dogs Show

staff — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:24:20 +0000

Welcome to a special “Sleeping Dogs” edition of Vic’s Basement. This week: Sleeping Dogs producer Dan Sochan joins Vic and Scott down in their subterranean lair, where they bark orders at Vic’s mom to BRING DOWN MORE DAMN MEATLOAF. Dan gives a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Sleeping Dogs, including a true story [...]

Episode 7: The One Where Scott Hates Action Figures

staff — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:16:45 +0000

This week down in The Basement: Scott and Vic weigh in with What We’re Playing (Scott = Deadlight; Vic = Sound Shapes). Also: the basementeers discuss the new movie Hit & Run in what turns into an impromptu (and not at all creepy) meeting of the Kristen Bell Fan Club. Finally, Vic badgers Scott into [...]

Episode 6: The Summer Drought Has Ended!

staff — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:00:43 +0000

It’s the NSFW Edition. This week: Vic and Scott swear a record 32 times down on The Basement. No kidding. If you have sensitive ears, or if you’re our moms, use caution when listening. Also: there’s one unfortunate reference to buttholes and one reference to “ramming tongues.” Scott also does a dramatic reading of The [...]

Episode 5: OUYA! Talking with Julie Uhrman

Webby — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:15:56 +0000

This week on the latest episode of Vic’s Basement: Vic and Scott enjoy some idle chitchat with our special guest Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman. Yes, Julie is officially the first woman to visit the show, making her the Neil Armstrong of Vic’s Basement. Is the Ouya the console of our dreams? ($8.6 million says that [...]

Episode 4: Total Recall, New Presents, and Talk of the Future of Games

Webby — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 17:30:08 +0000

Vic and Scott have seen Total Recall, and they share their thoughts. After touching on the new tech in the basement like the Nintendo 3DS and Google Nexus 7, Vic and Scott debate over how many gadgets is too many. Finally, things get introspective as the future of gaming is discussed, including business models, what [...]

Episode 3: Zombie Rob, Man of Steel Trailers

Webby — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:00:34 +0000

Special guest Rob Koval (the EP Elf) shares his origin story, including the story of how he and Vic first met. As a long-time producer and friend of the show, Rob also weighs in with Vic and Scott on the pair of new Man Of Steel trailers. You’re not going to want to miss this [...]

Episode 2 Bonus: Dark Knight Post Mortem

Webby — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 22:04:29 +0000

BONUS EPISODE! Vic and Scott respond to listeners who agreed—and disagreed—with their negative reviews of The Dark Knight Rises. Also: Vic and Scott sing Christmas songs in the voices of Bane and Bruce Wayne. Even if you’re not a Bat-fan, you’re going to want to tune in for this one.

Episode 2: Batman Spoilers

Webby — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:00:57 +0000

Down in Vic’s Basement, Vic and Scott talk out the pain they are feeling in the wake of The Dark Knight Rises. SPOILER ALERT: Most definitely see the movie before listening to this week’s show. EXPLICIT LANGUAGE ALERT: Vic, arguably the world’s biggest Batman fanatic, is hopping mad. TESTICLE REFERENCE ALERT: Scott makes several extremely [...]

Episode 1: Batman, Ouya, and Skunks

Webby — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 09:00:25 +0000

Vic and Scott meet up in Vic’s basement to talk about Batman, Ouya, and some smelly neighbourhood friends.