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Composed by: Grant Kelly

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TOPIC

Boardgame Empire

• Do devices like the Microsoft Pixelsense or Lenovo Horizon represent a genuine opportunity for expansion?
• What sorts of games or genres are conducive to touch experiences?
• Can these types of devices retain and improve the social experience presented by table card games?

Quarterly Review

• Gamergate
• Destiny
• Console race
• Broken big launches

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E3 2014

Microsoft:

Forza: Horizon 2
Sunset Overdrive
Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha Prime
Fable Legends
Project Spark
Ori and the Blind Forest
Halo: Master Chief edition
Halo Guardians
Inside
ID @Xbox
Phantom Dust
Crackdown

EA:

Battlefront
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Mass Effect 4
Sims 4
Dawngate
Mirror's Edge 2
FIFA 15
Battlefield Hardline

Ubisoft:

Far Cry 4
The Division
The Crew
Assassin's Creed Unity
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Rainbow Six Siege

Sony:

Destiny
White PS4
The Order: 1886
Entwined
inFamous: First Light
Little Big Planet 3
Bloodborne
Battlefield Hardline
More Destiny
Magicka 2
Grim Fandango
Let It Die
Abzû
No Man's Sky
PlayStation Now
PlayStation TV
The Last of Us Remastered
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Nintendo:

Super Smash Bros
Amiibo
Yoshi's Woolly World
Legend of Zelda
Bayonetta 2
Comes with original Bayonetta
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Hyrule Warriors
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Mario Maker
Splatoon
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Star Fox
Mario Party 10
Devil's Third
Fantasy Life
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright

Third-Party:

Final Fantasy Type-0 for PS4 and Xbox One, no Vita release
Evolve
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
GTA V for current gen and PC
Dark Souls 2 DLC
Witcher 3 

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Playing the Race Card

• Did people take games like Resident Evil out of context?
• Where do we stand with depictions of race and sexual orientation in gaming?
• Is the industry as a whole working towards more fair and meaningful representation?

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Second Anniversary Edition

Where We've Come

• Site reorg
• Name change
• New contributors
• Less episodes
• Fabula Nova Crystallis Sitrep

Where WGG Has Come

• Video game release vids
• Dan stepping down, John stepping up
• End of Drink Alongs and the podcast?
• End of Premature Evaluations, Trailer Talk
• Start of consistent daily livestreams
• Move away from walkthroughs, focuses on shorter exploit videos

Where the Industry has Come

• Next/current gen console debate
• Saints Row 4 vs. GTA V
• WiiU dying off
• Steam Machines
• The Last of Us
• Divekick
• Lucasarts and EA
• Square Enix rebirth
• Dark Souls 2 and Titanfall

Where We Want the Industry to Go

• Valve Steam Machines, care to avoid fragmentation
• Halo 5
• Destiny
• Star Wars: Batttlefront
• FFXV and Kingdom Hearts 3
• Elder Scrolls Online
• Dragon Age: Inquisition
• The Evil Within
• The Division
• Watch_Dogs
• Assassin's Creed: Unity
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Theme: ARP!

Composed by: Grant Kelly

Indie Games

Current Favorites

• Reus
• Papers, Please
• FTL
• Sir, You Are Being Hunted

Ones to Watch For

• Routine
• Ether
• Among the Sleep
• Monaco
• Spy Party beta
• Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

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GameDistiller Productions

TOPICS

Community Callback

Astrokid248's response to Melissa Bachman hunt

Jack's article from Penny Arcade

Awards Picks

Cross Platform:

• Batman Arkham Origins
• Bioshock: Infinite
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
• Crysis 3
• Dead Space 3
• Diablo III
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Metro Last Light
• Payday 2
• Saints Row IV
• Battlefield 4
• Call of Duty: Ghosts
• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Xbox 360:

• Gears of War: Judgment

PS3:

• Beyond: Two Souls
• The Last of Us

Xbox One:

• Dead Rising 3
• Killer Instinct
• Ryse: Son of Rome Crimson Dragon
• Lococycle

PS4:

• Killzone: Shadow Fall
• Resogun
• Knack
• Contrast
• War Thunder
• Warframe

Wii U:

• Super Mario 3D World
• The Wonderful 101

PC:

• Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
• Dota 2
• Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (Addition: Max)
• Gone Home
• The Stanley Parable
• The Novelist
• Papers, Please
• Total War: Rome II
• Gunpoint

BEST DLC/EXPANSION:

• Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea
• Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep
• Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (Addition: Max)
• Mass Effect 3: Citadel
• The Walking Dead: 400 Days

XCOM: Enemy Within

• Civlization V: Brave New World

DLG:

• Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
• The Wolf Among Us
• Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
• Bit Trip Runner 2
• Divekick (Jonathan's video interview with Divekick creator Adam Heart)

GameMinder Road Ahead:

• Child of Light
• Dark Souls II
• DayZ Standalone
• Destiny
• Dragon Age: Inquisition
• Final Fantasy XV
• inFamous: Second Son
• Game of Thrones
• Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
• No Man's Sky
• South Park: The Stick of Truth
• Star Wars: Battlefront
• The Division
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• The Evil Within
• The Walking Dead: Season 2
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Thief
• Titanfall
• Watch Dogs

Theme: ARP! 

Composed by: Grant Kelly

The Great Divergence

• Are we beginning to see more narrative heavy games take center stage as the graphics reach a point where we can fully attach ourselves to the character(s) in the story?
• On the flip side, are we seeing more games moving away from single-player and instead move towards multiplayer only, like Destiny, Titanfall, The Division, etc.?
• Could single-player games make a return in the form of single-player/multiplayer hybrids, like Demon's Souls, Watch Dogs, Dragon's Dogma, etc.?
• Have budgets reached a point where it's nearly impossible to make a return of profits funding these "AAAA" titles?
• Would the death of Call of Duty bring about change in the industry?

Theme: ARP!

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On Location 

Day 1 Writeup

Day 2 Writeup

Day 3 Writeup

Developer and Voice Actor Interviews

Theme: ARP!

Composed by: Grant Kelly

E3 2013

Microsoft

• Minecraft
• Ryse: Son of Rome
• Forza 4
• Project Spark
• Quantum Break

Sony

• DriveClub
• Killzone: Shadow Fall
• Infamous: Second Son
• Knack
• The Order: 1866

Nintendo

• Super Smash Bros. WiiU
• Pokemon X&Y
• Bayonetta 2
• A Link Between Worlds
• Super Mario 3D World
• Mario Kart 8
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

EA

• Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare
• Battlefield 4
• Peggle 2
• Star Wars Battlefront
• Titanfall
• Need for Speed: Rivals
• Dragon Age 3: Inquisition
• EA Sports 2014
• Mirror's Edge 2

Ubisoft

• Watch_Dogs
• Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
• South Park: The Stick of Truth
• The Crew
• Rayman Legends
• Tom Clancy's The Division
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist
• Trials Fusion

Activision

• Call of Duty: Ghosts
• Destiny

Bethesda

• Elder Scrolls Online
• The Evil Within
• Wolfenstein: The New Order

Misc.

• Saint's Row 4
• Batman: Arkham Origins
• Final Fantasy XIV, XV
• Kingdom Hearts 3
• MGS V: Phantom Pain

Theme: Time to Go from Music by www.pacdv.com/sounds 

Guitar Here We Go Again

• Is the rhythm genre an incredibly niche case that is not repeatable by any other genre?
• Was the decline caused by needing expensive peripherals, or by sheer title overload?
• What would have further installments offered in terms of meaningful advances?
• What lessons, if any, can the publishers and developers learn from this example?

Theme: Order 66

Lucasarts, A Fond Farewell? 

• Is our methodology of only considering games published AND developed by Lucasarts fair?

• Did their energy really taper off in later years, or were they focusing more energy into fewer projects rather than reskins of a point and click game each year?

• Did Lucasarts’ shift towards mainly Star Wars game sap it of needed creativity and innovation?

• Is this transition towards becoming a publisher and farming out work inevitable? What does it say about companies undergoing that change, e.g. Bethesda?

• In the final reckoning, where will Lucasarts stand in terms of a major force in gaming history?

Theme: Saint's Row Theme and You'll Never Walk Alone

Achievements, What Are They Good For?

• What do achievements accomplish?
• Is having stagnant achievement types and story completion achievements redundant and stale?
• Are multiplayer achievements evil?
• Do collectible achievements make it worth it or do they incentivize grinding?
• Have achievements started to deeply impact the creation process of games?
• What is the future of achievements?

Theme: Special Intro and Ride to Victory

Community Callback

Jeff Gertsmann's Interview

AngryJoe's Gaming Journalism Discussion

Reading Between Yahtzee's Lines

Steam Offline Mode Troubles

How Far We've Come

WGG Com-Cast Episode 1: Science and Religion, Best Friends

First Com-cast Pitch

Our Original Blog Site (now just redirect page)

• Weekend Short-Takes
• Mindshare
• Synoptic Sitreps (waiting for Sparknotes name)
• Natural Double d20s
• New website entering second phase from a blogger site
• Always new project ideas and content on the way

How Far They've Come

• Renewed commitment to scheduled Drink Alongs
• Premature Evaluations
• Trailer Talk and Trailers of the Week
• A unified typography set and youtube end screens
• 10,000 videos and 100,000 subscribers broken
• Livestreams are returning, the podcast going through soul-searching

Where It’s Come

• Wii U out, PS4 announced, Xbox v. Next soon to come
• New beginnings as the first non-Bungie Halo game was released
• Also some finales as AC3 ended poorly and THQ went bankrupt

Where It’ll Go

• Home for the holidays? Will both Next-gen consoles be out by Christmas?
• GTA V vs. Saint's Row 4, will it be a purple dildo sword fight to the death?
• Will Ubisoft follow EA and Activision into the yearly franchise arena with AC 4?

Theme: The End Run and Purgatory

TOPICS

Community Callback

Andrew/Uriyya's Website

The Show Radio Podcast on iTunes

Solifluktion's German vs. Rest of World CoD

The era of Japanese consumer electronics giants is dead

Mass Effect Redux... Again

Mass Effect 3 Ending Discussion: Whiplash and Brother

• What are your thoughts on Whiplash's brother's opinion?
• Is the ending explained away by Shepard being unconscious?
• Is a "brutal" ending something that breaks the mold and should be welcomed?
• Where will Mass Effect 4 go? Backwards, forwards, or sideways?

Theme: Hazardous Environment & Taps

TOPICS

Community Callback

Many Wars in One, ‘The Second World War,’ by Antony Beevor

Let's See the Big Picture

• Do traditional Steam gamers have a real use for BPM?
• Will BPM significantly alter Valve's focus in the long run?
• If BPM is the final version of the Steambox OS, does it have enough software-wise to separate it from the pack?
• Will the Steambox have other services like Netflix, ESPN, etc? Or will it be gaming only?
• What demographic is the Steambox/BPM aiming for?

Theme: Bastila Shan's Theme

TOPICS

New Projects

Synoptic Sitrep: Halo (Sparknotes)

Mindshare: CoD's Next Steps

Game of the Year Awards

Final Awards Tally

Xbox 360: Halo 4

Playstation 3: Tie (Assassin's Creed 3 & Far Cry 3)

PC: Day Z

Mobile: Angry Birds Star Wars

DLC: Mass Effect 3: From Ashes

DLG: Walking Dead

Gameminder/The Road Ahead: 4-Way Tie (GTA V, Bioshock: Infinite, DayZ, Rome 2: Total War)

Totally Modular

• Are totally segmented and compartmentalized AAA titles possible?
• Where does DLC fit into this new paradigm?
• Will this only be considered if the next-gen consoles fail to stop continued decline?
• Does in-game purchasing of small items even the playing field or privilege a few?
• Will this synergistcally work with the renewal of episodic gaming?

Theme: Happy Xmas (War is Over)

TOPICS

Community Callback

Ben Mazzara's Website

Year End Awards

XBOX 360

• Mass Effect 3
• Halo 4
• AC3
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
• Borderlands 2
• Far Cry 3
• Hitman: Absolution
• Dishonored
• Darksiders II
• Darkness II
• Double Dragon: Neon
• Spec Ops: The Line
• Max Payne 3

Playstation 3

• Mass Effect 3
• AC3
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
• Borderlands 2
• Far Cry 3
• Hitman: Absolution
• Dishonored
• Darksiders II
• Darkness II
• Double Dragon: Neon
• Spec Ops: The Line
• Max Payne 3

PC

• Borderlands 2
• Far Cry 3
• Hitman: Absolution
• Dishonored
• Darksiders II
• Darkness II
• Mass Effect 3
• AC3
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
• Black Mesa
• Diablo 3
• Day Z
• Lone Survivor

Mobile

• Angry Birds Star Wars
• Bad Piggies
• Curiosity – What’s Inside the Box?
• Mass Effect - Infiltrator

DLC- All Platforms

• Skyrim- Dawnguard
• Gears of War 3: RAAM’s Shadow
• Mass Effect 3: From Ashes
• Borderlands 2: Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage

DLG- All Platforms

• Walking Dead
• Trials
• Journey
• Slender
• Fez

Gameminder/The Road Ahead

• GTA V
  
• Bioshock Infinite
  
• Dead Space 3
  
• Gears of War: Judgment
  
• Crysis 3
  
• DayZ
  
• Rome 2 Total War

Theme: Cowboy Bebop

TOPICS

The Aftermath

Full Text of Ben Mazzara's Response

• Do you agree with Ben and Whiplash's viewpoint?
• Is there really room for interpretation and fan ideas in video game stories?
• Is it wrong for video games to tell you about the game world more thoroughly?
• Does the "Valve" version of storytelling work because the plot is more ancillary?

Theme: FFXIII Theme

TOPICS

Community Callback

The beauty of Wii U: Nintendo knows how to go all in on a gimmick

Editorial: Why America's most popular gaming genre likely won't work on Nintendo's new console

Once Upon a Time...

Full Text of Whiplash's Email

• Do you agree or disagree with Whiplash's presentation of FFXIII and game storytelling?
  
• Does Mass Effect in fact include aspects of what he is looking for?
• Does secondary media add or detract from the game story? What is the right balance?
• Where does art style fit in? Do Borderlands or Darkness have the story enhanced by the art?

AAA Dinosaurs?

Spreadsheet: New IP vs. Sequels

• What does the proliferation of sequels mean for the industry?
  
• Can a completely new game be totally fostered through Kickstarter?
• What is marketing for huge games like CoD and Halo even doing at this point?
• What are some creative avenues for new games and marketing?

Theme: 117

TOPICS

CoD Creep

• From your experience from Halo: Reach, or to a greater extent, Halo 4, do you feel that elements of CoD have indeed come in significantly?
• Does any of this negatively (or positively) affect the game experience and feel?
• Was this a necessary step on the part of Bungie and 343 to keep up with the times?
• Should they have fought harder to continue Halo's original style?
• Are any other games subject to CoD creep?

Multiplayer's Mystical Allure

• What are the factors that make multiplayer fundamentally different from campaign and keep people come back?
• Does symmetry of a map help or hinder it's popularity?
• What kind of problems or layouts can make or break a map or gametype?

Theme: As Time Goes By (Casablanca Theme)

TOPICS

Ebert's Wager

Borderlands 2: In-game edit allows cel-shading graphics to be removed

Behind Borderlands' 11th-hour style change

The Darkness II: Story and Art Style Interview

GDC 2012: The Art and Design of Batman: Arkham City

• Are these art styles here because of the graphics gap between consoles and PCs?
• Are they a key differentiator from realism?
• What does it say about these art styles that Borderlands' use of them and subsequent success was very  much unintended?
• What do you think would have happened if Borderlands was released as a realistic game?

Round Up the Usual Gimmicks

• Are gimmick features very niche, providing significant immersion for a very narrow window of games?
• Does the burden for finding creative solutions for these features rest with the developers?
• Do these features tend to ultimately fall out due to lack of effort from the developers, (e.g. Kinect voice commands) or are they truly meant to stick to casual/family games?

Theme: It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

TOPICS

Community Callback

OnLive defiant: "We have to prove the business"

Do We Like the Wii U? Do You?

Wii U Tech Specs

Interview: Nintendo Talks eShop Disparity, Miiverse, and Wii U's Online Focus At Launch

I Hate the Wii U Pro Controller

Nintendo targets the living room with Nintendo TVii

Wii U launching with 23 games

Wii U struggles to build buzz

Nintendo's Wii U Already Selling Out Online

• Are the specs for the Wii U a wash compared with the Xbox and Playstation?
• Will the Gamepad controller be more like a smartphone or tablet in terms of battery life?
• Would you be interested or able to play competitive multiplayer on a Gamepad?
• Will cross-platform developers constantly go out of their way to create good experiences for the Wii U Gamepad?
• Does the system software, Miiverse, and services like TVii inspire confidence in Nintendo actually making an online commitment now?
• Are we just at a point where consoles are really far below smartphones in mainstream consciousness?

It's the End of the Consoles as We Know Them

• Is this the last generation of dedicated console hardware?
• What kind of Internet speeds and service do we need for this to be viable?
• Does the Sony purchase and Microsoft partnership with cloud gaming services prove its viability?

Theme: Threnody

TOPICS

Persistently Obtrusive: The Death of Persistent DRM?

• Does DRM punish legitimate buyers only?
• Did Ubisoft do the right thing by removing DRM?
• Is Steam a viable method for PC gaming DRM moving forward?
• What kind of future methods could we see?

Fair Dues

• Did Nintendo price the Wii U too high?
• What should you think the price should be of the next consoles?
• The next accessories, games, services?
• Are the consoles now merely boxes to transmit services?

Theme: Norweigian Pirate

TOPICS

OnLive Dies, Long Live OnLive

Weekend Short-Takes 8/25/12

• Who would have benefited most from purchasing OnLive?
• Is OnLive just a concept company waiting for a bigger buyer, or can it stand alone?
• Was OnLive too ahead of its time to succeed, and are the conditions right for it to succeed today?
• What next for the company moving forward?

The New Fandom Factor

Why Mass Effect 3’s Ending Doesn’t Need Changing

BioWare Is Working on a Modified Mass Effect 3 Ending

The Most Important Character in Mass Effect 3 Never Even Showed Up Until After the Credits

• What is a "good" relationship between the fans and developers?
• Conversely, what classifies a "poor" relation between the community and devs?
• Is the collective Internet sometimes too quick to judge/ have feelings sensationalized by sheer mass?

Theme: Jessica (Top Gear)

TOPICS

Community Callback

• Bioware Explains Day One DLC

Next Gen Trashcan

PS4 Problems

360 Problems

Get Xbox Saves on the 360

Xbox Live ID Emails Expired

• What does the PS4 not need to be a bigger success?
• What does the next Xbox need to be a bigger success?
• Is a flawless launch necessary to shore up sagging console sales?
• Is profile transfer a key element to the transition?

For Teh Lulz

Battlenet Hacked

Steam Hacked

PSN Hacked

• Are they being targeted simply because they are so big and therefore have lots of data, are there inherent flaws in such large networks that make such a large network an appealing target, or is this, perhaps, just coincidence?
• Does the free nature of each of these services have any effect on these intrusions?
• PSN and Sony fans have long touted that the free nature of the PSN service makes it better than the paid for Xbox Live service run by Microsoft, but is PSN more vulnerable because of this? 
• If it is, is it still a better value, risk of information loss vs. not having to pay for the service?

Theme: Dark Knight Rises Theme

TOPICS

Community Callback

• Xbox Internet Explorer
• KOTOR Textures Mod
• Worst Video Game Movies
• Digg Redesign Failure
• The Onion: Running out of Nostalgia

Could PC Gaming Make a Comeback

Could PC gaming make a comeback? (Fortune)

• Is simplicity and ease of access the main driving force behind PC-to-console and console-to-mobile?
• Is the lull in console revision the root cause for the upswing in PC games?
• Will PCs ever incorporate console features such as better gamepad mapping and plug and play?
• Do mobile and long-lasting Ultrabooks and integrated Xbox experience change the game for PCs against stationary, involved consoles?

Theme: Olympic Fanfare and Theme, Summon the Heroes, and USSR Anthem

TOPICS

Opening Ceremony

Will the 2012 Olympics revitalize East London?

Olympic Stadium (London)

• Did certain sections of the opening ceremony drag on too long?

• How was the lighting of the cauldron and the symbolic handover?

'Slumdog' director Boyle to lead Olympic opening ceremony

Danny Boyle: Olympics Opening Ceremony mastermind

• Did the creative director get it right?

• How does it compare to Beijing?

Behind the Scenes

G4S faces losing out on lucrative contracts: report

London Feels More Like a Military Base Than an Olympic Park

• How bad was the failing of G4S?

Few are Coming to See Greece's Modern Olympic Ruins

China's Post-Olympic Woe: How To Fill An Empty Nest

• Can the venues have another life afterwards?

London Olympics mascots: menacing or magic?  

• Are the mascots disgusting?

McDonald's talks up good nutrition at London Games

• Are the Olympics' sponsors ironic?

Country Analysis

U.S. men blow past France 

Olympic Swimming Records Smashed, Hopes Dashed

U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Beats Colombia at the Olympics: Fan View

• US: Basketball, Swimming, Women's Soccer

Ainslie 2nd after opening day of Olympic sailing

London 2012 Olympics: Team GB's Bradley Wiggins in shape to make history in cycling time-trial

Veteran Giggs leads Britain to victory

• UK: Sailing, Cycling, Men's Soccer

Rivals take advantage as China, Japan wobble in gymnastics

List of Olympic medalists in weightlifting (Women)

China Brings Its Past to Ping-Pong’s Birthplace

Qiu Bo: The China diver who stands between Tom Daley and glory

China Adds Shooting, Diving Golds to Lead Olympics Medals

• China: Gymnastics, Women's Weightlifting, Table Tennis, Diving, Women's Shooting

• Olympics Drinking Game

Theme: Hot Wheels Battle Force 5

TOPICS

Community Callback

• Xbox "Infinity"

Games: The Movie: Part 2

• Does this next wave of films stand a chance against the prejudices of Hollywood?
• Will failure make any support even more hesitant in the future?
• Does failure mean we will stick with short films, trailers, and promos indefinitely?

The Future of DLC and You

Pitchford: Borderlands has "highest attach rate of any DLC"

• How much DLC is too much?
• What kind of DLC is needed or wanted most?
• When is the best time to release DLC/ best release schedule?
• How much should DLC cost/will you pay?
• What is your take on confusing content licensing and how it might be fixed for the next gen?

Theme: Blood Gulch Blues (used with express permission) and Vode An (Republic Commando)

TOPICS

Community Callback

• Karen Traviss FAQ: How Would You Have Ended Imperial Commando 2? (SPOILERS)

Microsoft's About (Sur)face

Gaming on Microsoft Surface

Wireless Reciever for Xbox Controller on Windows

Microsoft Mouse Nano Transceiver

• Would you use a Surface tablet with an Xbox controller to play games in its current form?
• If not, what if it was built in Bluetooth or a nano-reciever?
• Would you want to play full games even though it is a tablet, just casual games, or a hybrid of the two?
• Do you think Steam or Origin implementations on a tablet could be successful?

8 on 8: Gaming on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8

Windows Phone 8 Will Support DirectX For Better Gaming

Microsoft's Xbox 8 URL Grabs Spark Rumors

Microsoft grabs Xbox 8 domains, rumors run amok

• Would buying one part of the Microsoft ecosystem entice you to buy others because of cross-compatibility?
• Does closing down an ecosystem make for a better experience, especially where cross-platform is concerned?
• Are the new hardware specs for Windows Phone 8 sufficient to win you over?
• Xbox 720 or Xbox 8?

La Fin du Monde: ME3 Extended Cut DLC

• If you believe the indoctrination theory, was it supported or contradicted by the additional content?
• Did Bioware live up to this promise of providing closure without violating "artistic integrity"?
• What do you make of the additional ending provided?

Live From RTX

• RTX Day 1 Coverage
• RTX Day 2 Coverage

Theme: God Save the Queen & Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain (Brave)

TOPICS

Community Callback

• Nintendo 3DS XL
• Next Generation Xbox Preview- Winsupersite
• Sony Vaio Motion Gesture Controls
• Vaio Z Gaming Video

Nintendo

• Did the E3 press announcement bring anything new to the table?
• Can a solely gaming company work anymore?
• Why is Ubisoft a more energized partner in the Wii U launch than Nintendo?
• How badly will this tentative social network idea fall?
• Will the same low buy rates and play rates plague the Wii U? Worse?
• Is the fact that the better Xbox 360 with Kinect is cheaper mean this is DOA?

Sony

• Are the exclusive games enough to offset the lack of entertainment compared to Xbox?
• Is Move being phased out or transitioned to Wonderbook?
• What is Sony trying to accomplish with the HTC deal? Can all the underdogs cobble together an effective alliance?

Microsoft

• Is the free-for-all second screen approach of Smartglass going to beat the proprietary systems of Sony and Nintendo?
• Since they are actual smartphones and tablets, can we see more interesting integrated game experiences? (eg: Saint's Row the Third, Mass Effect)
• How are they going to adapt to fragmentation on these platforms? Will it prevent the more immersive experiences above?
• Did the plethora of major exclusive franchise announcements significantly dampen Sony and Nintendo's anticipated momentum?

EA

• Should EA just make one concerted challenger to CoD?
• Can co-op be renewed with Dead Space 3?
• Is it time to stop doing name copy reboots?

Activision

• Does Black Ops II add enough new ideas, or are they also gimmicks?
• Is there a paradox of selling the singleplayer when the multiplayer is the main component?
• How will this new James Bond game turn out, given past precedents?

Bethesda

• Is Bethesda now capable of making Rockstar-like huge DLC packs?
• How does Dishonored look, and will it break from the very similar Fallout and Elder Scrolls gameplay?

Ubisoft

• Has Ubisoft won significant mindshare from this conference?
• Can they force current gen consoles to play Watchdogs, or is that a reference piece for next gen consoles?
• Will you respect and buy the new IPs released even if they are not of supreme quality, because that kind of endeavor and support is sorely needed?

Lucasarts

• Is the complete and concerted effort from the Lucas Empire going to create a compelling game?
• Has Lucasarts spent too much time away from anything hardcore (read: Clone Wars) to make this well?
• If this succeeds, will Lucasarts be redeemed for a decade of poor performance? 

Theme: Sky Brigade

TOPICS

Community Callback

• Xbox Beyond the Box
• Xbox Sales Defying Gravity
• Amazon Instant Video streaming is now live on the Xbox 360
  

Blockbuster Marketing

Landfall

Lineage

We are ODST

Deliver Hope

Deceived

Take Back Earth

Operation Kingfish

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Alpha

• Why are we seeing these incredibly elaborate productions, especially when mobile gaming is on the rise?
• Who are these videos being aimed at? Hardcore, casual, somewhere in between?
• If the latter two categories, are you being hooked and intrigued by these attempts?
• What should they be treated as? Secondary material or promotional marketing? 

The Rise of Minecraft

• Is Minecraft the true digital-age successor to Legos, and will it be to this generation of kids what Legos were to prior generations?
• Is the popularity that Minecraft enjoys due mostly to its total flexibility and simplicity?
• Is Minecraft the ultimate expression of the sandbox game, building on a storied legacy?
• Is this rise sustainable, or is it a brief flare of interest?
• Do you feel lost or resent the total lack of direction or game-driven purpose?

Theme: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Theme & Stormcry

TOPICS

Community Callback

• The Imagination Engine: Why Next-Gen Videogames Will Rock Your World

Limitless Editions: How Far is Too Far?

• Where do you draw the line with hyper limited editions?
• Are you more of a fan for resisting the cheap gimmicks and staying with the pure product?
• Should DLC exclusive to the limited edition add to the story in any way?
• Are Limited edition consoles different? Do they hold their value better, and is that a better justification?

The PC Conundrum

• Given that Windows 8 has so many Xbox services integrated and lower system reqs, are the drastic changes in Windows 8 worth it?
• Will Windows 7 be the next XP, used far beyond its intended lifespan?
• Will these new technologies such as Ivy Bridge open up hardcore PC gaming to the masses?

Is Prequel Play Pertinent?

• Do you need to play earlier releases for all of the sequels we have been seeing lately?
• How much is the overall story and/or understanding are impacted by a potential lack of prior game play experience?
• Some series to consider are Assassin's Creed, Halo, Gears of War, Call of Duty, Mass Effect, The Elder Scrolls, and Crysis

Theme: Archangel & Stand Strong, Stand Together

TOPICS

Revelations: Assassin’s Creed III

• Will we see any more spin-offs from this setting?
• Is this title being rushed to meet the in-game deadline?
• How do you feel about this paradigm shift from cities to forest?
• Would you be lost if you went straight from AC2 gameplay to AC3?
• Is there going to be more Desmond and present day story in this one?
• Would you get rid of Den Defense, Mediterranean Defense, or block stacking?
• Could Ubisoft pull off episodic AC content?

Hardcore Gamers: The Few, the Proud, the Marginalized?

• Is time against us in hardcore v. casual gaming?
• Will the companies cater to the lowest common denominator in our economically troubled times and simply aim to make a cheap box, rather than a powerful console for us?
• Do we still need traditional gaming conferences, or can Twitter and blog releases cover adequately?
• Will developers, publishers, and OEMs mark this next-gen transition with a huge paradigm shift?
• Do you agree or disagree with Simon’s argument?

Better with Kinect?

Rumor: Kinect-Controlled Web-Browsing Coming to the Xbox 360 with Internet Explorer

Is Xbox Still Gaming To The Core?

• Has the Kinect been a big part of the shift away from hardcore gaming, or a small reason?
• Were promises kept with all the functionality promised to us?
• Is the hardcore tie-in “Better with Kinect” initiative actually compelling enough to make you get one?
• How does it fit in to MSFT’s whole home entertainment push, and how will newer versions help that along?

Theme: FIFA Anthem

TOPICS

Earning Reports Galore: Everything Sucks For Everyone

Sony sees return to profit, aims to halve TV losses

Microsoft FY Q3 Tops Estimates; Revs $17.41B; EPS 60 Cents 

Nintendo posts first annual loss of $460 million, predicts turnaround next year

• Is this a sign that the consoles need to be revised faster, generate some interest?
• Is motion gaming also enough of a cushion to tie companies over until the next-gen?
• Is Nintendo finally paying the price for the horrendous lack of innovation and will they suffer from the awkward timing of the Wii U release?
• Are console gamers the new hardcore few, just as PC gamers were in the original schism?
• Are you interested by the prospect of cross platform games: console, PC, phone? Will we see apps freely flowing across the various platforms? Is any delay worth it?

Contract Consoles

$99 Xbox 360 Confirmed - Is This The Future Of Console Gaming?

• Is this a new and potentially successful business model? Almost cell-phone carrier-esque stipulations and arrangements, or will that be why it fails so hard?
• Does the hardcore gaming audience even care?
• Does that seriously mean that we could have the 360 for two more years, or is MSFT going to screw people over that buy this, if the Xbox v. Next comes out in the middle?
• Or, again, are they the audience that uses it more for the software and services, which can always be updated?
• Can this trend continue? Will Sony and Nintendo adopt it? Could you be able to buy a TV subsidized or get a free Roku if you sign a 2 year contract of Netflix or Hulu Plus?

Console Carryover?

• What kind of games do we want carried over from this gen?
• Does the release cycle and amount of releases make it a non-issue?
• Would they just sell it to you again from Games on Demand?
• What about peripherals and accessories?
• But then what is the new lifecycle of the next generation? Even longer, to allow you to buy back up all of the accessories again?

Online Service FFA

AT&T Suspends U-verse TV On Xbox Option to Re-Engineer Kit

Xbox LIVE Partners With ESPN, GameSpot, Last.fm, Manga Entertainment And MUZU.TV To Expand TV-Like Advertising On Xbox LIVE

• Are we seeing the same ad creep that infected Hulu now start to trickle onto the console?
• How is this fragmentation in content and location goin to affect the platforms?
• Who is going to be held accountable or blamed in the end; Microsoft & Sony, the telcos, or the services? 

Theme: Mercenaries: POD Theme

TOPICS

Microsoft’s New Music Service

• Could it be called Xbox Music?
• Prepping the waters for a smoother Xbox v. Next launch?

Will the Next-Gen Consoles Fail?

• When will the next gen consoles be released?
• Disk drives, used games, will it, won’t it?
• Is our Internet capable of handling all downloads?
• What else do we really need at this point? (Insane graphics, smaller footprint, more efficient, more media services?)
• 10 years down the road? What about an all-in-one TV, console, set top box?
• Will we see motion gaming come standard now, be unable to get a SKU without them?
• What do you want in the new consoles?

Crysis 3

• What do you make of the overgrown NYC environment and bows as the featured weapon?
• Is the Stephen King domes with each having a unique environment gimmicky, or is it a compelling vector?
• Will it be one of the first cross platform games with the next gen consoles?
• Can they make gameplay more nuanced than 2: more than cloak, regen, repeat?

Can Halo CE Anniversary Start a Trend of Major Franchise HD Refreshes?

• What if old favorite titles like Call of Duty 1 and 2 were given MW3 graphics? Is that enough for you to buy them? Would you pay $40 for them?
• If not, what if they added more content and expanded?
• What are games you would like to see fully rendered with the latest graphics?

Halo Fourgasm

• Will this be the last Halo game for 360?
• Will 343’s apparent new tactic of trying to be more emotionally connected and involved with a darker and deeper story work? Will it be their defining mark?
• Should his personality and humanity be left to secondary material, because that was Bungie’s approach and it worked very well?
• Co-op: normal and iconic Halo style, or more trying to copy Call of Duty spec ops with Spartan ops, both?
• They say that it will take place aboard UNSC Infinity, there will be plot for it, and that they will release content regularly. Is it a new iteration of episodic gaming? Having episodes as part of a major release, so that they don’t fall apart like previous attempts?
• Is trying to crowbar story into multiplayer really worth it? Does it matter? Is it just going to be a skin deep justification, and that’s where they’ll leave it?