http://www.aggrogamer.com Though at times mostly random, our show revolves around the Gaming industry and it's rapid evolution. We discuss all types of games - including the ones you don't want your parents to know about! Our main concern is to get you the information you want to hear in an environment that is enjoyable and fun. We are AGGROGAMER.COM'S official podcast and we want to know what you think. Don't be afraid to call in or make requests. We want to hear from you guys! This is your podcast. en-us © 2010 AGGROGAMER.COM Video Games AggroCast - Gamer Podcast AGGROGAMER.COM Though at times mostly random, our show revolves around the Gaming industry and it's rapid evolution. We discuss all types of games - including the ones you don't want your parents to know about! Our main concern is to get you the information you want to hear in an environment that is enjoyable and fun. We are AGGROGAMER.COM'S official podcast and we want to know what you think. Don't be afraid to call in or make requests. We want to hear from you guys! This is your podcast. yes Video,games,PS3,Wii,Xbox,360,PC,PS2,Xbox,GameCube,PSP,GBA,DS,Wireless,Nintendo,Sony,Microsoft,ECA,Reviews,game,news,PS4,PS5,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Wii,Switch,VR,PSVR,Oculus, dbecker@aggrogamer.comAGGROGAMER.COM AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] The AggroCast crew is back and trying to sell one of them to get back into Magic The Gathering. Those who have been following along might know who is trying to do the convincing. Hear how that all goes down, as well as some of the thoughts and feelings over the way that Magic The Gathering has changed over the decades too. Along with some of the issues with Proxy cards and if finding the right ones will get others back into the mix. Even if it might be a bit more obscure of a proxy deck to do that here. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode123.mp3 Watch this episode on YouTube! Read The Transcript! Wed, 3 Sep 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] AGGROGAMER.COM 009 004 The AggroCast crew is back and trying to sell one of them to get back into Magic The Gathering. Those who have been following along might know who is trying to do the convincing. Hear how that all goes down, as well as some of the thoughts and feelings over the way that Magic The Gathering has changed over the decades too. Along with some of the issues with Proxy cards and if finding the right ones will get others back into the mix. Even if it might be a bit more obscure of a proxy deck to do that here. 41:02 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Magic The Gathering,Magic,Card Games,CCG,Wizards Of The Coast,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — Let’s Review Toxic Avenger (2025) [Episode Twenty] The AggroCast crew were given the chance to see the Toxic Avenger (2025) just before it hits theaters on August 29th. On top of what they saw during SDCC, and what the history of the IP offers, here is what they thought about the new film and if you should see it. Join them in the review of Toxic Avenger (2025) and then go see the film in theaters after all the makers had to go through to get it out there. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode122.mp3 Watch this episode on YouTube! Read The Transcript! Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Let’s Review Toxic Avenger (2025) [Episode Twenty] AggroCast — Let’s Review Toxic Avenger (2025) [Episode Twenty] AGGROGAMER.COM 008 004 The AggroCast crew were given the chance to see the Toxic Avenger (2025) just before it hits theaters on August 29th. On top of what they saw during SDCC, and what the history of the IP offers, here is what they thought about the new film and if you should see it. Join them in the review of Toxic Avenger (2025) and then go see the film in theaters after all the makers had to go through to get it out there. 32:39 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Toxic Avenger,Movie,Film,Review,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — The Universal Horrors Are Unleashed [Episode Nineteen] David was invited out to Universal Horror Unleashed during a small soft opening event before the attraction fully opens up to the public on August 14th. He had a chance to wander about the warehouse, take in some of the sights, some of the scares, food, and drinks. Ray, sadly, did not, but that does not mean they are not here to talk about it all. Join them as they dig further into what Universal Horror Unleashed and maybe add a bit more context to the full review that we have out there already. Also, to highlight if the whole thing is currently going to be worth your time and money to check out. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode121.mp3 Watch this episode on YouTube! Read The Transcript! Tue, 14 Aug 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — The Universal Horrors Are Unleashed [Episode Nineteen] AggroCast — The Universal Horrors Are Unleashed [Episode Nineteen] AGGROGAMER.COM 007 004 David was invited out to Universal Horror Unleashed during a small soft opening event before the attraction fully opens up to the public on August 14th. He had a chance to wander about the warehouse, take in some of the sights, some of the scares, food, and drinks. Ray, sadly, did not, but that does not mean they are not here to talk about it all. Join them as they dig further into what Universal Horror Unleashed and maybe add a bit more context to the full review that we have out there already. Also, to highlight if the whole thing is currently going to be worth your time and money to check out. 43:08 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Universal Horror Unleashed,Universal Studios,Review,Halloween Horror Nights,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Recap [Episode Eighteen] SDCC 2025 has come and gone, with the crew on the ground checking out the convention, a panel or two, and so many different off-site events. Now that they have had a chance to recoup and reflect on everything that was out there, here we go with a full recap. Some of the highs, some of the lows, and many criticisms where things can be improved. Along with so many bits of praise out there where it is all deserved. Have a listen and see what you might have missed out on during SDCC. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode120.mp3 Watch this episode on YouTube! Read The Transcript! Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Recap [Episode Eighteen] AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Recap [Episode Eighteen] AGGROGAMER.COM 006 004 SDCC 2025 has come and gone, with the crew on the ground checking out the convention, a panel or two, and so many different off-site events. Now that they have had a chance to recoup and reflect on everything that was out there, here we go with a full recap. Some of the highs, some of the lows, and many criticisms where things can be improved. Along with so many bits of praise out there where it is all deserved. Have a listen and see what you might have missed out on during SDCC. 01:03:51 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Adult Swim,Gen V,Rick And Morty,SDCC 2025,Magic: The Gatherng,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Preshow, pt. 2 [Episode Seventeen] This is the week of SDCC 2025, and the crew is on the ground out there for the year. Just to kick things into gear before Preview Night, we have one more dive into the various panels, events, parties, and general fun going down around San Diego for the week. That means one more bit of pre-show to get everyone further excited and ready to see all of the various nerdoms and fandoms coming to life. We have some things for Rick And Morty, Magic: The Gathering, Marvel Rivals, Peacemaker, and many, many more. Have a listen and then watch along for everything else still to come. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode119.mp3 Watch this episode on YouTube! Read The Transcript! Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Preshow, pt. 2 [Episode Seventeen] AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Preshow, pt. 2 [Episode Seventeen] AGGROGAMER.COM 005 004 This is the week of SDCC 2025, and the crew is on the ground out there for the year. Just to kick things into gear before Preview Night, we have one more dive into the various panels, events, parties, and general fun going down around San Diego for the week. That means one more bit of pre-show to get everyone further excited and ready to see all of the various nerdoms and fandoms coming to life. We have some things for Rick And Morty, Magic: The Gathering, Marvel Rivals, Peacemaker, and many, many more. Have a listen and then watch along for everything else still to come. 37:00 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Adult Swim,Gen V,Rick And Morty,SDCC 2025,Magic: The Gatherng,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Preshow, pt. 1 [Episode Sixteen] The crew is back and gearing up for SDCC 2025. San Diego Comic Con is almost here, and the news, off-sites, and panels are flowing. The crew offers up a bit of the early bits for all of this, as well as a few tips on how to experience Comic Con without having a badge. Mostly with the various off-site events and other things going on around town. Not to mention the various panels and Hall H events going on during the massive week of nerdom. Have a listen and join in the preshow fun, with a follow-up preshow coming very soon. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode118.mp3 Watch this episode on YouTube! Read The Transcript! Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Preshow, pt. 1 [Episode Sixteen] AggroCast — SDCC 2025 Preshow, pt. 1 [Episode Sixteen] AGGROGAMER.COM 004 004 The crew is back and gearing up for SDCC 2025. San Diego Comic Con is almost here, and the news, off-sites, and panels are flowing. The crew offers up a bit of the early bits for all of this, as well as a few tips on how to experience Comic Con without having a badge. Mostly with the various off-site events and other things going on around town. Not to mention the various panels and Hall H events going on during the massive week of nerdom. Have a listen and join in the preshow fun, with a follow-up preshow coming very soon. 31:19 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Music,Ironhear,GWAR,Cradle Of Filth,Weird Al,Babymetal,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — Concerts Rock Out [Episode Fifteen] The crew is back for another AggroCast to dive into all the shows, concerts, and random music they all have been checking out lately. Quite a few shows in Las Vegas with Nekrogoblikon, Weird Al, Puddles Pity Party, and Exmortus. Along with Hades taking a few trips around to check out the likes of Psychostick, Cralde Of Filth, and Lord Huron. All with a lead into other shows that are coming up like GWAR and Babymetal, with a few others musicians/bands mixed in. Have a listen and see if you can learn more about the crew and maybe something new to listen to. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode117.mp3 Wed, 9 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Concerts Rock Out [Episode Fifteen] AggroCast — Concerts Rock Out [Episode Fifteen] AGGROGAMER.COM 003 004 The crew is back for another AggroCast to dive into all the shows, concerts, and random music they all have been checking out lately. Quite a few shows in Las Vegas with Nekrogoblikon, Weird Al, Puddles Pity Party, and Exmortus. Along with Hades taking a few trips around to check out the likes of Psychostick, Cralde Of Filth, and Lord Huron. All with a lead into other shows that are coming up like GWAR and Babymetal, with a few others musicians/bands mixed in. Have a listen and see if you can learn more about the crew and maybe something new to listen to. 33:59 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Music,Ironhear,GWAR,Cradle Of Filth,Weird Al,Babymetal,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — TV Potpourri [Episode Fourteen] The crew is back for another fun podcast to dive into TV and all of the fun shows that are bingeable. They hit up things form all over the spectrum with The Studio, Abbott Elementary, Murderbot, and even talk about the upcoming Warhammer 40K show in the works. They do love their TV shows and "stories." Join them in the latest podcast, diving into all of that and more as we gear up to SDCC and maybe see what they all have to offer out there. That or learn about some other TV shows you might have missed out on, like Ghosts or Ironheart. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Hi, welcome to the Agrocast. This is Ray Brules and… David Hades Becker: David Hades Becker. RB: And we are back. This is after our great adventure at Horror Vibes Coffee. We’re going to talk about TV shows today. DHB: I know we teased a little bit last time where we talked a couple of things. RB: We talked about a lot of stuff last time. DHB: Well, last time it was more of a catch-up, trying to get back into the swing of things, but we teased like a couple of TV shows like Twisted Metal, Last of Us, stuff like that. RB: Well, and this will tie directly into possibly things we’ll see at San Diego Comic-Con this year. DHB: Oh, easily, yeah. RB: For instance, you were talking about Rick and Morty. DHB: Oh yeah, I was talking about Rick and Morty because I got to talk to the voice actors lots of at the IGN thing I did a couple of weeks ago. And they’re just pushing the new season. I know people are kind of dragging on it because it doesn’t feel the same without Justin Roiland and all that stuff. And keeping the humor alive, I’ve enjoyed the season so far, even though there’s nothing crazy to talk about, like the Pickle Rick thing that became a meme or Szechuan sauce or anything like that. I’ve still enjoyed it all. And it’s kept its nice little formula of each episode is kind of contained with a meta-narrative going over the entire. RB: I was just commenting earlier today to Juliet about how I was going to get a Mr. Meeseeks tattoo. Because I did something to my back this previous weekend, and so my life has been pain. And so I was like, I think that would be perfect to just have a Mr. Meeseeks tattoo. DHB: Well, so you got to get into a place where you could have a button, and then you can flex or move an arm, and then Mr. Meeseeks shows up? RB: That would be great. But yeah, Rick and Morty reminds me of the Animayhem stuff that we saw that year. DHB: Yeah, that was when, was it the Fox Network pushed out like everything from like Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Krapopolis, Hit Monkey, all that stuff. RB: Solar Opposites. DHB: Solar Opposites, yeah. That was an amazing little walkthrough. And I think it introduced people, like I don’t think you guys, you and Juliet, ever seen Krapopolis until we got to the end. And I’ve seen all like the second season just ends to that. And it’s so good. RB: It was our first exposure to that. We got pulled into Solar Opposites because of you. And for us, the storyline that really was the best were the people on The Wall. DHB: The Wall, I love The Wall. RB: And I’m just like, can we just have more of the people on The Wall and their story? DHB: They used to have like a movie of just that. But I guess at the same time, Solar Opposites does have like one or two episodes every season where it’s just The Wall. RB: Yeah, and you get to catch up on what’s going on. I have been really happy with some of the TV things that we’ve been exposed to with San Diego Comic-Con because I hadn’t thought to engage with some of those IPs. Like even they had that Rome TV show that we did, the Chariot Races. DHB: The Chariot Races, yeah. RB: We watched that for three or four episodes and it was okay. It wasn’t as Spartacus, but it’s still entertaining. DHB: Okay, well, I think it was the same year they did the Chucky thing. RB: Yeah. DHB: I remember you got, like I was really into the Chucky show. And I think you got into it after that. RB: Love the Chucky show. And then like, because of San Diego Comic-Con. And this is suddenly becoming a San Diego Comic-Con. DHB: Yeah, right, exactly. We’re just going to dovetail into it because they covered so much there. RB: But like the Interview with a Vampire walkthrough was so amazing. DHB: Yeah. RB: Getting to interact with not only Interview with a Vampire, but the Mayfair Witches. And how they had the gals out there where they were giving people out little things. DHB: I think I still have my little bag of mint they gave me or whatever as a ward off against something. RB: Yeah. But also talking about television shows, like Juliet and I have been keeping up with Welcome to Wrexham. DHB: Okay. RB: Because we loved that doc series. DHB: And you guys also went out there. RB: Yeah, when we got married, we went out to England because her dad is from Liverpool. And while we were out there, we took the train out to Wrexham. And so we got to walk around and see a lot of the sites that you see in the show. So that was really nice to be able to have that experience. We bought scarves because that’s the great football way. Soccer for Americans. DHB: But did you guys get any fights with the hooligans or anything like that? RB: No, but we did go to the place where they often get pints. And it was fun. And people were there. And we got to see the owner who is often showing up in the show, just walking around doing his thing. But we did also walk around the town. And there was at one point we stopped at, they had a gaming store, because of course. DHB: Yeah. RB: And we stopped in and we said hello to the owner. And we asked them, what’s it like with Rob and Ryan having bought the football team and all of the attention that has been pushed on to Wrexham? And he was like, yeah, there’s some folks that complain. They have done some good things for the town. But overall, people are just kind of embracing the experience for as long as it lasts. Because there’s always the question, at what point are they going to sell it off? DHB: Yeah, exactly. How long does this last? How long am I going to be able to live in this limelight and get this little extra bonus of the guarantee has to raise the tourism and all sorts of other little things just around all that. RB: Well, and that’s one of the things that I’ve loved about in the show. It shows how Ryan and Rob are investing in the town, not just the football club. Also, one of the things that I thought was really interesting with this last season of Welcome to Wrexham, Tom Brady evidently has gotten involved with a football club. And so there’s some conflict between Rob and Ryan and Tom Brady and the billionaire or whoever it is that is his partner who bought into a team. Because now celebrities are looking at European football. DHB: Well it’s the next thing to buy? RB: Yeah, you run out of things to buy, I guess. And so you buy football teams. DHB: Yeah, well, you either do that or you buy your own little movie studio and do your own thing like they’re doing out here with Mark Wahlberg and Nic Cage and all that stuff. RB: We’ll have to see what happens with Summerlin. But yeah, in terms of TV shows, we’ve watched a lot of TV. DHB: Well, to keep working on that, The Studio has been another big one that I’ve enjoyed. I mean, I’m also technically in episode nine, so I’ve got to disclose that. But that’s the new one with Seth Rogen and Katherine Hahn, a bunch of great guest stars also about him being the runner of a movie studio. RB: The number of cameos in that show. DHB: It goes nonstop. RB: So you brought it up when we went to Horror Vibes. DHB: Yes. RB: And then I came home and Juliet and I were like, what the hell are we going to watch? And so we started it up. And we got like five episodes in. And I was literally yelling at the screen because Seth Rogen’s character, I just want to fucking shut him up. Oh, my God. DHB: Well, he wants to make movies. He wants to be an auteur. He wants to do it. He’s a money guy now. Which is why it’s funny, the other Katherine, the one from Beetlejuice, blanking on her name. RB: Oh, yeah. DHB: The older one who got put down to producer. She’s like, oh, I love this now because now I can actually do stuff instead of having to worry about money all the time. RB: Well, and Bryan Cranston, he’s like, yes, I’m going to put you in charge. We’re going to make a movie that makes a billion dollars. DHB: About Kool-Aid. RB: And then all of the trials and tribulations of trying to create a movie about Kool-Aid. DHB: And it wasn’t Martin Scorsese where he’s like, yeah, I want to do one about Jonestown. He’s like, oh, wait… RB: isn’t that about how they drank the Kool-Aid, the poison Kool-Aid? DHB: Yeah. RB: And having to backtrack on all of that. Yeah. We don’t want to do too many spoilers for those who haven’t watched it. DHB: That’s episode one. So. RB: But then even like the Olivia Wilde episode. DHB: Oh, yeah. RB: And the fact that it had the noir kind of vibe, detective vibe. DHB: Yeah, the whodunit type thing. RB: And I’m like, wait, this is not realistic. A studio head would not be running around trying to solve a crime. DHB: And that’s the funny thing is everything I’ve seen like in interviews with Seth Rogen, and then even people I’ve seen online, a lot of these are based on real stories, like maybe not word for word, but things that have actually happened in Hollywood while they’re trying to film a movie or a TV show. And when you watch the show, some of the stuff gets crazy. RB: Gets really crazy. DHB: Because like another one they do is, it’s near the end of it. It’s not a huge spoiler. They go to CinemaCon, which happens out here. And some of the stuff they show are like, I’ve been on the strip with CinemaCon here. I’m like, that happens. Even though it’s like, yeah, they’re actors overblowing it. But no, I’ve seen some of that weird stuff happen down here. RB: I’m going to have to try to finish it, even though I’ll be fucking gnashing my teeth. That’s all of the shit that Seth Rogen, if I ever meet this guy, I’m going to have to thank him. Because his acting is so, it’s not just over the top, but it’s also, it’s so engaging. I get so wrapped up into the character. And how I just want to shut this character up. DHB: You just want to grab him and be like, okay, stop. You’re the money guy. Sit here. Let people do their thing. RB: Yeah, especially when they didn’t get the shot. But I’m glad that you pointed that out. Because yeah, we had started watching on Apple Plus, Murder Robot. DHB: Yeah. RB: Which, oh my goodness. I was originally introduced, a friend of mine said, are you going to watch this? And I’m like, what the hell are you talking about? And it’s based off of a book. DHB: Yeah. RB: But I had never seen the previews for it. And then it popped up on Apple Plus. DHB: I think the closest I came to knowing anything about, like I didn’t know Alexander Skarsgård was in it. RB: Yeah. DHB: Like the only one I knew was the guy who played Polka Dot Man. I’m blanking on his name as well. RB: Yep. DHB: Like I saw him doing an interview and I was like, I like everything he’s done. Like all the horror movies and everything he’s done. Like, I’ll give this a shot. I’ve only seen one episode so far. And I was like, holy crap, this is a stacked cast. And I was like… RB: Yeah, it’s got a great cast. And I just love Skarsgård’s performance. DHB: Yeah. RB: And his internal monologue. And even like some of the quirky nuance to the character is really touching. It resonates for me. DHB: Fair. I mean, that’s what it’s supposed to do. It’s supposed to invoke an emotion. RB: Well, especially when it invokes an emotion, even though the main character is a robot. DHB: Yeah, exactly. It’s like, this shouldn’t be happening, but it is. RB: Yeah. DHB: So weird. RB: And he even has his soap opera that he watches. DHB: Yeah. He just stands there watching it blankly to nothing. RB: Later on, it becomes an issue because you’ve got a free up computer space. DHB: Yeah, exactly. You can only still store so much in your media server. RB: So then it makes you wonder, what did you lose? DHB: Yeah. RB: And so that actually comes up during one of the episodes. So wonderful show. Definitely recommend it. What else have you been watching? DHB: Let’s see what else I’ve been watching. I’m fully caught up on Ghosts. The American Ghosts, not the English Ghosts. RB: I still need to catch up. I’m like maybe two or three episodes behind. DHB: It feels like they’re hitting a little more of a formulaic thing. They definitely have the meta story they’re talking about, where I think the latest season, the husband finally got his restaurant. They introduced some new ghosts and all that. But each episode kind of feels disjointed. RB: Yeah. There’s been a real weird vibe with this last season. DHB: Yeah. RB: And even as they start to engage with more of the ghosts’ backstories, and even one of them getting to learn what her power was, because each of the ghosts have a power. DHB: Yeah. RB: The problem I’ve had with ghosts is that disjointedness. And it’s starting… And I don’t want to say it’s boring me, but it’s just not as engaging as it had been at first. DHB: Yeah. RB: I’m glad that I dove into it because I hadn’t seen it. We went to the San Diego Comic-Con offsite. DHB: Yeah, the weird offsite at the Paramount thing. RB: And they did all of the scents. And I didn’t understand what that meant. DHB: For anybody who’s seen Ghosts, I was freaking out about getting Isaac’s smell. Nobody else there knew what it was until they brought it out. RB: Yeah. And they brought it out and it’s like, Who? DHB: And it was hysterical. But I think I was one of the two people that knew the show. RB: Yeah. DHB: Even though they’ve been trying to… Because it’s still a small show and it’s hitting the end of season four now. RB: Well, we have the American version and the British version. And I think they’re starting a French version or something. DHB: Yeah, I’ve seen that. RB: And it’s like, okay, I would love to watch the British version just to see how they convert some of the characters to a more British spin. DHB: Yeah. RB: But overall, I’m very glad that I watched the series to the point that I have. DHB: Well, if you want to get more interesting, I was re-watching What We Do In The Shadows TV show. And the guy who plays the camp counselor Ghost is playing a similar character on the city council in one of those episodes. Now I’m doing a crossover in my head because it’s all in New York as well. RB: I am sad that that show is over. DHB: I’m sad, but I’m also glad the way they ended that. RB: Oh, yeah. The end of that show was amazing. DHB: Yeah. Even with the Choose Your Own Event, which one is the actual ending? RB: Well, and I didn’t know that that was a thing until after we had watched the last episode. DHB: Yeah. RB: And then somewhere it was pointed out, like on YouTube or something, and we’re like, wait, what? DHB: Well, because they do like a little teaser in the show where out of nowhere, there’s like a weird thing between Nandor and Guillermo. And then they make it seem like a dream. I think that was supposed to tease one of the other endings. Like it was supposed to be the Newhart Show ending, but they just woke up. RB: Yeah. DHB: But then they have like six other ones that they filmed and only released on YouTube, which is probably going to be on the Blu-ray or whatever. Or if they do a cast get-together, you know, some convention, be like, okay, now let’s go through them all. Yeah. RB: I wonder what shows are going to kind of take the spot of shows like that, because it became such a big thing in the zeitgeist. I just, I don’t know what’s going to be able to capture people’s imagination. DHB: Well, at the same time, I don’t, yeah, exactly. It feels like a crapshoot with almost everything. Because like Twisted Metal is another one. I did not expect that show to be as good as it was. I expected it to be pitter-out, but now it’s getting season two. So it’s like almost like throwing darts. RB: But it’s got a pretty good cast. DHB: It does. RB: And I was not sure if Anthony Mackie could carry, because yes, Anthony Mackie is the lead. I didn’t know if he could carry that show, but he’s done a great job. DHB: It comes down, like we mentioned before, it’s like some actors, they get pigeonholed because they have to play up to other people. And I think that’s the issue with Anthony Mackie is he had to play up to Robert Downey Jr. for so fucking long. People are just like, okay, we can’t see him doing anything. Now it’s like, here, go. Because even when they did the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I didn’t think he could carry it all that well. But at the same time, he’s playing against a bunch of other people that weren’t even in the show. RB: Yeah. And he’s got a great cameo in The Studio. DHB: Yes, I love his cameo in The Studio. RB: To roll it back to The Studio. DHB: Yeah, the original topic. Who doesn’t have a cameo in The Studio? Oh, you haven’t gotten all the way through. So there’s cameos you haven’t seen that are just amazing. RB: And it’s funny because they just come out of nowhere. DHB: Yeah. RB: Like, for instance, one of the episodes had Ron Howard. And I’m like, they’re not going to have Ron Howard on the show. And lo and behold, there was Ron Howard. I was like, holy shit, this is amazing. DHB: I’m trying to remember the name of the director where they were telling him he had to rip off his own. The guy who did, I think it was Smile. And there’s the whole thing where he’s like, yeah, so I’m ripping off my own movie. Like, yeah, are you okay with that? He’s like, sure, just throw money at me. RB: Now we want you to make a show called Frown. DHB: Yeah. It was something stupid like that too. It was like, you know, this is the exact same premise. I was like, okay. But it’s like weird cameos like that that keep popping up. RB: I can’t wait to see how that, especially how the first season ends out. DHB: I know The Studio got greenlit for a second season, which they didn’t think because they got yelled at by so many studio execs. They’re like, you’re letting everybody see how the sausage is made. RB: But that’s where the fun is. It’s like when watching Mythic Quest. DHB: Right, exactly. RB: Or what was it, Silicon Valley? DHB: Oh, Silicon Valley, okay. RB: Yeah. That show, really, like anybody who’s worked in tech, especially with startups, it was nothing but. DHB: Well, I hadn’t watched Silicon Valley up until like recently. It was because Jana, one of the other writers and photographers, pointed that out. She does a lot of startup work and has done that forever. She’s like, you’ll appreciate this on the tech side of things. I watched that and I binged that whole show so fast. This is exactly how it feels. RB: Yep. Yeah, because those are the two shows anytime we talk to people in tech. Silicon Valley and Mythic Quest. Because Mythic Quest, though it doesn’t do a lot of the technical stuff, a lot of the studio stuff. DHB: Well, and that’s the surprising thing for me is Ubisoft lets them film in their offices and gives them all the assets. You realize they’re making fun of you at the same time and your horrible practices you do, but they still greenlit it. And I’m like, go ahead, buy all power. RB: Yeah, makes you wonder how they pulled that off. DHB: Well, season one, I know they didn’t do it as much, but it was like season two, you could tell. They’re definitely saying some things in the video game industry to be like, shine some lights here because people aren’t paying attention. RB: Well, especially the monetization. DHB: Yeah. RB: When they started diving into some of that. Wow, that’s really pointed. DHB: Yes, exactly. Or was it the last season when they started talking about AI and blockchain and all that? Ubisoft was one of the ones who got in trouble for doing blockchain. RB: Well, and a lot of companies had looked at tokenization that could be used in the games. We were talking about TV shows. DHB: Well, I mean, nonetheless this is a TV show. It just also happens to dovetail in the video games. But I guess also, because we’ve talked a lot about the guy from Wrexham, and now, was it Always Sunny is coming back? RB: Yeah, isn’t it their last season? DHB: I don’t think it’s their last season. I think they’re doing another after this. RB: Oh, wow. DHB: I mean, every season is their last season as they did it. So another one, I fell down the rabbit hole. Abbott Elementary. Because I heard they were doing a crossover with Always Sunny. I was like, all right, let’s see what this is. And we’ve seen it on a Comic-Con multiple. They had a huge carnival. And I’m like, what the hell is this every time? After watching it, I want to go to the carnival next year because it looks so cool. And for those who don’t know, Abbott Elementary is about an elementary school in Philadelphia. And it’s like the weird trials and tribulations of the smaller school who doesn’t get the budget and how the teachers have to work around that, how the principal. But it’s also done as a comedy to keep it engaging, even though it delves into some of that dark humor. And then because it’s in Philly, there’s an episode. And it’s supposed to happen in the new season of Always Sunny. For community service, that crew has to show up at the elementary school and work. And now I’m trying to figure out how they’re going to work that into the actual show itself. RB: That’s awesome. DHB: Because there’s nothing better than watching Danny DeVito show up with bags of raccoon piss to try to help the school out. I’ll leave it at that. You can watch the episode to find out the rest. RB: OK, I might have to dive into that show. DHB: Yeah, both of those are amazing shows. And both of them have new seasons coming out here soon. RB: What else have I… I’m trying to think what else I have watched. DHB: Oh, I know we mentioned The Last of Us we spoke about. RB: Oh, yeah. DHB: We dabbled around that. RB: I did not finish this season. I don’t know how it ends. I know that they’ve talked about next season following a different character. DHB: So they have two more seasons. And they made the official announcement that they’re going to be following the Abby character. But that’s similar to the video game. Like when you’re playing the video game, you kind of swap back and forth. But the only time they did that in the second season was they did the intro. So you can get to know the character that you’re supposed to hate. And then you followed Ellie’s story. And then now you get to go the exact same three days following the Abby story and seeing how Ellie’s fucked them all over at the same time. RB: As much as I enjoyed up to a point with that show. And then, of course, we’ve talked about Twisted Metal. It makes me wonder what other video games they might turn into shows. DHB: So God of War has been greenlit as a TV show. And I’m so ready for that. The BioShock has been hit up. It’s either a movie or a TV show. Really hoping they do a TV show because they could easily do three seasons of that. Devil May Cry is another one. But I think they did the anime. And I think they’re going to keep doing the anime. I think they learned their lessons from the 90s on how to not do video game adaptations. RB: Oh, gosh. Like those terrible Uwe Boll movies? DHB: Oh, yeah. I mean, I’ve only… RB: Blood Rain! DHB: To this day, I’ve only ever walked out of one movie. And that was House of the Dead. And because it was that bad. But at the same time, I was like, I didn’t think his Postal movie was all that terrible. But again, you really have to like the video game Postal. RB: I wonder in terms of fantasy stuff. Because they just canceled Wheel Of Time. DHB: Yes. RB: And… DHB: The last season was Good Omens, I think. Which is kind of fantasy adjacent. RB: Yeah. But because of some of the stuff that happened with the writer. DHB: Yeah. RB: They’re trying to abbreviate to finish it out for folks. The same with Sandman. DHB: Yeah. RB: Sandman on Netflix. DHB: Yeah. I think it’s only getting one more season and that’s it. RB: That had a lot of promise. They also had had an audio book, which I remember seeing advertised at San Diego Comic-Con. And I had picked it up and it was a radio drama. So they had different people playing the roles. And it was awesome. Now that he’s been canceled. DHB: Yeah. That whole IP is kind of fizzled out. RB: Yeah. DHB: Are they doing… I know they’re doing more Game of Thrones stuff. RB: Yep. DHB: I thought they were doing another bit for Lord of the Rings. Which I feel that’s an IP that’s been beaten to death. But if they can… RB: Well, because they did the War of the Rohirrim, which was that anime-esque thing. DHB: But they also had the two seasons of the live action thing on Amazon. RB: Yeah. DHB: The Rings of Power. RB: The Rings of Power. Yeah. Which I don’t… Did that get canceled? DHB: I don’t know if it got… I know it had two seasons. I don’t know if they got another one. I know it won awards for being pretty. RB: Well, and we… Again, that was another one we saw advertised all over San Diego Comic-Con. They even had like handout magazines because we were… I was stoked about it because I love Lord of the Rings. But then watching the show, there were a lot of things that just didn’t quite capture me. Then the quality just kind of kept going down. DHB: I think there was a rumor at one point of them doing a D&D TV show. RB: Yes. There has been talk about that. I think that’s actually going to be on Netflix. DHB: Okay. RB:People have been conjecturing like, is Dritz going to show up on the D&D show? Which is really sad. A brief aside about the D&D movie. I… DHB: Which one? RB: The newest one. DHB: Okay. RB: I love the D&D movie. DHB: I love the D&D movie, but I also went in thinking it was going to be somebody sat down, watched some people play a campaign, and then made that a movie. Whereas the other D&D movies, they try to go hard into the lore. I’m like, no, no, no. That’s what they did in the Honor Amongst Thieves one. That’s what they should do is just let people use the world. Yeah, we’ll nod to things here and there, but let people make their own stories in it. RB: They tried to introduce Harper’s, so people who had never… DHB: I’d never heard of Harper’s before that. RB: And the Red Wizards of Thay. DHB: Yeah. RB: The thing that I thought was really entertaining, as we tangent about this movie for a moment, there was the paladin NPC that they had to go and get the helm from. And how that character, there’s a point where he says goodbye, he walks away, and they’re like, oh, is he going to just… is he going around the rock? Nope, he’s going right over. DHB: He’s just going right over there. RB: And that is just like an NPC. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: The performance, I don’t know if it was intentional. I haven’t watched any of the interviews, but he played that character like a perfect NPC. DHB: Yeah, and that’s why I went into that movie thinking, just let people run a D&D game and call it a day, and just make that… throw the budget out, and that’s what they should do for the TV show. RB: Yeah. DHB: Just not try to follow any of the books or any of the lore, because when you do that, you run into the issue of people, the hardcore fans. This isn’t exactly how I imagined it in my head. This isn’t right. RB: Yeah, well, you’re going to get… but yeah, the diehard purists are always going to be an issue, no matter what you do with an IP. But then, like, I went… the other day I couldn’t sleep, so I went down the rabbit hole of catching up with all of Ari Salvatore’s Forgotten Realms books. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I know there’s a new book coming out that’s going to be following Dritz’s daughter, Breezy. DHB: Okay. RB: And so it’s kind of a passing of the torch. You’re going to have that issue with any IP and the purists who are going to hate on it, which I wondered if that happened with the D&D… DHB: I know, I mean, I remember seeing the D&D movie, people being upset, like, that still doesn’t work this way. And I’m like, but it worked well in the movie. It helped tell the story. And at the end of the day, that’s what D&D is about, is storytelling, not following rules as written. RB: But going back full circle, yeah, so there’s supposed to be the Forgotten Realms, I think it’s a Forgotten Realms TV show. DHB: Yeah. RB: A lot of people have talked about, since they did the House of the Dragon and we’ve seen dragons on screen, they could try to do a Dragonlance. DHB: I could see that. RB: And there’s a lot of folks that love Dragonlance, but there’s also a lot of fans, not fans, a lot of folks that have been exposed to it that are not fans of that IP, unfortunately. And I think we could go into that later because that’s more game related. DHB: Well, I mean, we could still stay on the game related and still go into another one that fans are going to lose their crap over if it’s not done correctly, Warhammer. Even though it’s being helmed by people who know it. RB: Yep, that’s the Amazon show. DHB: The Amazon show with Henry Cavill and all that stuff. But at the same time, that has a lot of lore. RB: Yes, there is so much lore. I spent months talking about the lore for Warhammer. And you know what’s interesting? Because Henry Cavill is like the darling because allegedly he’s a massive nerd. DHB: Yeah. RB: I say allegedly because there have been some people that have doubted his nerd cred when it comes to Warhammer. DHB: Yeah, well, it came in the other guy who played Alcide in Trueblood. There’s a werewolf guy. Even though one year we were at Comic-Con, he’s like, hey, I came out with a dice set for D&D. Who wants to come by? I was like, okay, yeah, he’s kind of got his cred. RB: Yeah, well, there were some outtakes of interviews with Henry Cavill and the guy that played Jaxxor from Witcher. DHB: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. RB: And they were talking about Warhammer 40K. And like, what army are you? I’m going to do Necron. So yeah, there are fans that are like, but when’s he ever played? Like, who’s he playing? DHB: Yeah, exactly. He’s just doing photo ops and all that stuff. But at the same time, it’s like, even if he hasn’t played, I think helming a TV show, as long as he understands the world and the lore, especially with how much he can drive from, it feels like he can make a TV show or the whole team can make a TV show. RB: Well, and what we heard about Witcher and how he was such a fan of that franchise. DHB: Yeah, which is why he didn’t do the last season because he completely butchered it. RB: Well, because they kept, I want to do my own story and drifting away from the original source material. If he is that much of a stickler for the lore because he’s that much of a fan, I love the idea of him doing… because of how big Warhammer is and how many stories there are, that could be a whole huge franchise of different stories, which they’ve done some of that with the Warhammer Plus. They’ve got their own little network that you can sign up for. And I’ve watched some of the episodes through the app and they’ve done great animated storytelling, but to see it translated to a live action show, I don’t know, it’s going to be interesting. DHB: It’ll be interesting, but I have a feeling it’s set in good hands. So, I mean, it’s Amazon throwing money at it as well. So we know it’s going to look pretty at the very least. RB: And I don’t think they’ve actually come out and said what the storyline that they’re settling on is. And given that they have so many different ones that they could draw from. DHB: I hope they don’t. I hope they don’t tell everybody what storyline they got because it’s going to set expectations. I don’t know. As somebody who’s not even hugely versed in Warhammer, I want to walk in completely blind and just fall in love. RB: But you know, marketers can’t do that. They’ve got to give it away before we even see it. DHB: I know. That’s part of the problem. When I could watch a TV show and know who the villain is from the beginning, I’m like, so one of my workout shows I’ve been watching is a weird TV show called Slasher. RB: Yeah. DHB: And it’s like there’s each season has like seven or eight episodes and it plays out like a horror movie. Every season so far, I’m like episode one, that’s the killer because it’s so formulaic. Even though it’s like all of our, the first one was just random slasher that followed like the seven deadly sins. The next season was, oh no, we accidentally killed somebody and buried their body at summer camp. I’m like, oh no, who’s going to be the killer this time? RB: Playing off the old tropes. DHB: Yeah. And then having every character and actor play up those tropes. I hate that. I’d rather just be like, surprise me. Like I guess even going circle again, Twisted Metal, that’s why I was so surprised. Like watching all of the trailers, I expected Sweet Tooth to be like the main star of it all. I’m like, he’s a secondary character and he’s still a good secondary character. RB: He was an awesome secondary. DHB: Yeah, exactly. But it’s like, I didn’t need to see a show about him. RB: Well, I don’t know if that character could carry a show. That’s actually… DHB: Not the way they wrote him. RB: Well, and that’s one of the things that recently came out. The guy that played Boba Fett. DHB: Yeah. RB: In The Book of Boba Fett. He’s sad that there isn’t a second season to that. DHB: Yeah. RB: It’s like, well, I love the actor. He’s done amazing work. But the character of Boba Fett. All right, look, I’m a Boba Fett fan. But Boba Fett only had like what, five minutes or something in the original trilogy? DHB: Three lines. Like, yeah, like five minutes total screen time. RB: And so the fans are the ones who really created all of the hype behind this character. But then you take that mystery and you drop it into a show where an actor’s got to portray that character with the helmet off. And it just, I didn’t, I felt like it was a disservice to the character as well as to the actor. As much as I liked some of the elements of that show and even some of the dive into the… DHB: Like the crime syndicate stuff? RB: The crime syndicate stuff. Because I was always a Black Sun fan. DHB: Yeah. RB: And even the sand people and some of the culture that he kind of stumbles into with that was interesting. DHB: It didn’t even get told through his story. RB: No. DHB: Because I think the mystery of that, and that’s why some people don’t need to have full backstories. Sometimes fans come up with better backstories than a writer can ever do. Yeah. RB: Well, and then The Book of Boba Fett introduced us to some characters that I loved them. I didn’t like where they were set. The Scooter kids. DHB: The Scooter kids, yeah. RB: They were awesome. But I would much rather have seen them in like Boriscont or… DHB: It was in the one that Obi-Wan was set in. That would have been better for that futuristic city that was set in, not random desert planet in the middle of nowhere. RB: Yeah. They were amazing characters. And hell, I would be happy with a show around them. DHB: Oh, right. RB: Yeah. Just the setting and putting them into the Book of Boba Fett just felt weird for me. DHB: Yeah. But it’s like we needed somebody to drive the story in a certain direction. So we’re just going to grab whatever we can. And unfortunately, they became fan favorites. It helped that they had Sophie Thatcher at the front of it as well. RB: Yeah. DHB: She was having a high time. So it was like she had Yellow Jackets, which I think season three just ended. And I don’t know if they had a season four. And then she had a bunch of other movies. You put something like that right there at the front end, obviously they’re going to blow up. RB: And that often happens with some of those shows. You get fan favorite characters. And for instance, like we talked about, Boba Fett. DHB: Yeah. RB: Fan favorite character that blew up into something more. But now we’ve got a, we’ve got a second season of Ahsoka, and we’re gonna have the Thrawn movie, and there’s gonna be other elements from those things that, that start coming into play. DHB: Yeah. They’re trying to do the MCU thing, when not everything has to be a full shared connected universe, you can do one-offs here and there. RB: Well, and Disney is, I, I feel like Disney is having to reevaluate what they’re, they’ve been doing. DHB: Yeah. RB: And pulling back, because it didn’t all work. DHB: Even, uh, speaking of Disney, it’s like even, I, I didn’t even know Ironheart was coming out. RB: Ironheart. DHB: They’ve held back on that so much. RB: We have been waiting for Ironheart for what I feel like is years. DHB: Yeah, it was about four years since they announced it. RB: And then they introduced Ironheart in the… DHB: Black Panther II. RB: …Black Panther II, and then they had, uh, Ironheart show up in the animated What If…? DHB: Yeah, the What If… and then I think there was like one little spinoff somewhere else where they had, just had the actress show up, and that was it, and it was like, “Okay, character’s, character exists, just to let everybody know.“ RB: But it, but it makes me wonder why they delayed. I’ve been waiting for that show because I loved the Red Hood. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I’ve been waiting to see the Red Hood in live action. DHB: Well, not only, not only that, having, having the Red Hood show up means that they can dive into some of the other… I’m a fan of the, you know, bringing in Mephisto, and all the, the, you know, evil stuff on the Ghost Rider side of stuff…. bring back Nick Cage, bring back Nick Cage. RB: Yeah. ’Cause, ’cause they talked about doing, uh, another Ghost-, uh, Ghost Rider, but they’re gonna recast it. DHB: Yeah. RB: Which I feel is sad to me in some ways, because I also liked the Ghost Rider that they had in Agents of S… DHB: In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., yeah. RB: It was the different character of Ghost Rider. DHB: Yeah, it was the Robbie Reyes instead of the Johnny Blaze. RB: Yeah. Well, and then, and then there’s been talk with them h- restarting the Daredevil Reborn, and all of the… DHB: That one’s already got a second season. RB: …and the, the Netflix shows, and how they, they canonize those. DHB: Yeah. RB: There’s been a lot of wondering, are they gonna canonize in some way the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? DHB: Well, I, I figured they already did that. ’Cause if you watch, uh, was it season two or three, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are cleaning up the fight after the first Thor movie. RB: Well, but that was the problem. So… DHB: Well, it was like the, the TV shows could reference the movies, but the movies never referenced the shows. RB: And, and that’s why, ultimately, they diverged. DHB: Yeah. RB: And, ’cause, well, even with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season one, allegedly, Joss hated the fact that they brought Coulson back to life. DHB: Yeah. RB: Because he felt his sacrifice was important to galvanize the team. But yeah, so they, they, up ’til like season three, they kind of ran with the movies, and then they had to diverge because the movies were taking too long, the TV show, and so… DHB: Yeah. But again, at the same time, you could see where, you know, they were going down their own alternate timeline path at that point, which, I mean, at that point, you could do that with every Marvel property, which is what they did with Daredevil… RB: Mm-hmm. DHB: …originally, ’cause I think it was supposed to be a different timeline with some of the events. But then they’re like, “Screw it. Everything that happened in Netflix happened before Devil- Daredevil Reborn.“ I think the only thing they said didn’t happen was some of the stuff from She-Hulk. RB: Yeah, ’cause I was wondering how they were gonna do Devil Reborn, which is this dark, gritty show, and then his walk of shame. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: I’m like, “Really?“ DHB: Yeah, his, his weird booty call walk of shame, but I think they’re dictating that’s a different timeline or different universe type thing. ’Cause both of those are based on the Netflix. RB: Yeah. DHB: And I think they already, they’ve already mentioned they got, brought back, uh, Krysten Ritter to play Jessica Jones. RB: Yep. DHB: Yeah. RB: There’s, the Danny Rand character was so contentious. DHB: Uh, they just, I think they just need to recast and work on the script a bit more. Or actually, get the Wu-Tang Clan to work on every episode. It, Iron Fist would’ve been amazing. RB: Well, and, and even if they, they keep the actor, ’cause I know the actor desperately wants to come back and, like… DHB: Yeah. RB: …show people. DHB: Yeah, he can do it. RB: But I’m like, “Dude, if you, if you come back, have you taken fight training? Have you…“ DHB: Right. RB: “…actually learned some martial arts to be able to sh… pull off the moves?“ Because if we have an Iron Fist in the same scene as… DHB: As Shang-Chi. RB: …as Shang-Chi, you’ve got to be able to fucking, uh… DHB: Yeah. RB: …show that… DHB: Yeah, this has to feel like it’s a stalemate fight. RB: Yeah. Arguably, I liked the end of Iron Fist when he pulled the two 45s. DHB: Yeah, yeah. RB: That was cool. But who knows what’s gonna happen with that character and that show? I do like the idea of a Heroes for Hire. DHB: Yeah. RB: But I have loved Daredevil Reborn, and I loved the reintroduction of the Punisher. DHB: I, I can’t wait for the Punisher one, like, they’re gonna do, isn’t that like a full spinoff? Like they did on Netflix, but I think he’s getting like a special, kinda like they did for, um, Werewolf By Night. RB: Yeah. DHB: And I… RB: And he’s helping write it. DHB: Yeah, and especially with like, they made him much more brutal. I didn’t think they were gonna go even brutal as Netflix did with the Punisher in Daredevil Reborn, and yeah, he went way more real Punisher in that. RB: You’re all clowns. DHB: Yeah. He rips a guy’s jaw off, and I’m like, “Wow, Disney just did not hold back on that one.“ RB: But I, I, I really liked the political commentary… DHB: Yes. RB: …of him seeing these people who had usurped his symbol. DHB: Yeah. RB: And he’s like, “Yeah, Punisher’s not a good guy. This is not someone you should be emulating.“ DHB: See, and I was waiting for that scene from the comic to, to come up when he gets confronted by all the cops. And I was like, even though it still played out, uh, similar, I was kinda hoping he would’ve done the exact same that they did in the comic, where he’s like, “Yeah, no, don’t look up to me. You’re abusing my symbol.“ RB: Yeah, the abuse of the symbol. Well, and that’s why Marvel had to, to move away from the original symbol. DHB: Well, and they, they, I think they just recently moved back to it, which is the thing. ’Cause I got a T- I bought a T-shirt that had the new symbol and nobody knew what it was ’cause it’s like this weird demon-looking thing. RB: Yeah. DHB: And the only reason people could tell it was it said Castle across the top. I wore it three times, and then everybody was like, “Yeah, that’s not the Punisher symbol anymore.“ I was like, “They changed it again on me?“ RB: They brought it back? DHB: Yeah. RB: Which I wondered if the reason they brought it back is because of the commentary on Daredevil Reborn. DHB: It could be, yeah. RB: And kind of retaking… DHB: Yeah, trying to reclaim what they, what they lost. RB: Yeah. DHB: But there’s a lot of TV shows to talk about. RB: A lot of TV shows to talk about. A lot of things that might potentially show up at San Diego Comic-Con. DHB: Correct. RB: And those off-sites, which s- a lot of ’em, you don’t even have to have a pass to go see. DHB: Yeah, you can just show up. Like, you know, the, uh, Fox thing we were talking about with all the f- uh, animation stuff. Anybody could show up. I mean, there might be a line, but you could just show up. RB: If you, if you stand in line, sunscreen, water, and an umbrella. DHB: Yes. RB: Whatever you do, just please don’t die if you’re, you’re standing in line, ’cause I know that was one of the things I appreciated about the FX walkthrough in the garden. DHB: Yeah. RB: And one of, one of them, they were giving away umbrellas. DHB: Yeah, it was like, “Oh, what are you doing? Well, What We Do In The shadows, we’re giving away umbrellas for that.“ I’m like, “Smart.“ RB: Yeah. But yeah, so many shows, so many tie-ins with San Diego Comic-Con, but… DHB: Yeah. RB: …that it’s gonna be fun to see what ’cause as the information starts trickling, ’cause we’re still in June, it should start… DHB: Well, I mean, I’ve already got a couple of things that, that can’t be… RB: Yeah, we can’t talk about. We’d have to bleep out… DHB: Yeah. RB: …you know, whole sections. DHB: Sorry about that. RB: But as we get closer, there shou- they should drop some of that information so we can actually… DHB: Yeah. RB: …start talking about ’em. DHB: And we’ll start posting on, on the website and all that stuff, and maybe work it in a couple of early podcasts. RB: I think next episode is gonna talk about Weird Al. DHB: Definitely. I, I’ve seen the show. I think you’re, you guys are seeing it this weekend. RB: We get to see it this Saturday. And we can have, talk about Weird Al, uh, Puddles. DHB: Puddles, Puddles. RB: And just music in general… DHB: Yeah. RB: …because there have been some really awesome concerts that you’ve gone to, that I’ve gone to. DHB: Mm-hmm. Oh yeah, I gone to so many different con… Yeah, exactly. We’ve been all over, so. RB: And there’s some shows coming up, so we get… DHB: Yeah. RB: …to talk about those as well. Well, this is Ray. DHB: I’m David. RB: And this has been the AggroCast, the official podcast of AggroGamer. Catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the AggroCast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today’s content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode116.mp3 Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — TV Potpourri [Episode Fourteen] AggroCast — TV Potpourri [Episode Fourteen] AGGROGAMER.COM 002 004 The crew is back for another fun podcast to dive into TV and all of the fun shows that are bingeable. They hit up things form all over the spectrum with The Studio, Abbott Elementary, Murderbot, and even talk about the upcoming Warhammer 40K show in the works. They do love their TV shows and "stories." Join them in the latest podcast, diving into all of that and more as we gear up to SDCC and maybe see what they all have to offer out there. That or learn about some other TV shows you might have missed out on, like Ghosts or Ironheart. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Hi, welcome to the Agrocast. This is Ray Brules and… David Hades Becker: David Hades Becker. RB: And we are back. This is after our great adventure at Horror Vibes Coffee. We’re going to talk about TV shows today. DHB: I know we teased a little bit last time where we talked a couple of things. RB: We talked about a lot of stuff last time. DHB: Well, last time it was more of a catch-up, trying to get back into the swing of things, but we teased like a couple of TV shows like Twisted Metal, Last of Us, stuff like that. RB: Well, and this will tie directly into possibly things we’ll see at San Diego Comic-Con this year. DHB: Oh, easily, yeah. RB: For instance, you were talking about Rick and Morty. DHB: Oh yeah, I was talking about Rick and Morty because I got to talk to the voice actors lots of at the IGN thing I did a couple of weeks ago. And they’re just pushing the new season. I know people are kind of dragging on it because it doesn’t feel the same without Justin Roiland and all that stuff. And keeping the humor alive, I’ve enjoyed the season so far, even though there’s nothing crazy to talk about, like the Pickle Rick thing that became a meme or Szechuan sauce or anything like that. I’ve still enjoyed it all. And it’s kept its nice little formula of each episode is kind of contained with a meta-narrative going over the entire. RB: I was just commenting earlier today to Juliet about how I was going to get a Mr. Meeseeks tattoo. Because I did something to my back this previous weekend, and so my life has been pain. And so I was like, I think that would be perfect to just have a Mr. Meeseeks tattoo. DHB: Well, so you got to get into a place where you could have a button, and then you can flex or move an arm, and then Mr. Meeseeks shows up? RB: That would be great. But yeah, Rick and Morty reminds me of the Animayhem stuff that we saw that year. DHB: Yeah, that was when, was it the Fox Network pushed out like everything from like Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Krapopolis, Hit Monkey, all that stuff. RB: Solar Opposites. DHB: Solar Opposites, yeah. That was an amazing little walkthrough. And I think it introduced people, like I don’t think you guys, you and Juliet, ever seen Krapopolis until we got to the end. And I’ve seen all like the second season just ends to that. And it’s so good. RB: It was our first exposure to that. We got pulled into Solar Opposites because of you. And for us, the storyline that really was the best were the people on The Wall. DHB: The Wall, I love The Wall. RB: And I’m just like, can we just have more of the people on The Wall and their story? DHB: They used to have like a movie of just that. But I guess at the same time, Solar Opposites does have like one or two episodes every season where it’s just The Wall. RB: Yeah, and you get to catch up on what’s going on. I have been really happy with some of the TV things that we’ve been exposed to with San Diego Comic-Con because I hadn’t thought to engage with some of those IPs. Like even they had that Rome TV show that we did, the Chariot Races. DHB: The Chariot Races, yeah. RB: We watched that for three or four episodes and it was okay. It wasn’t as Spartacus, but it’s still entertaining. DHB: Okay, well, I think it was the same year they did the Chucky thing. RB: Yeah. DHB: I remember you got, like I was really into the Chucky show. And I think you got into it after that. RB: Love the Chucky show. And then like, because of San Diego Comic-Con. And this is suddenly becoming a San Diego Comic-Con. DHB: Yeah, right, exactly. We’re just going to dovetail into it because they covered so much there. RB: But like the Interview with a Vampire walkthrough was so amazing. DHB: Yeah. RB: Getting to interact with not only Interview with a Vampire, but the Mayfair Witches. And how they had the gals out there where they were giving people out little things. DHB: I think I still have my little bag of mint they gave me or whatever as a ward off against something. RB: Yeah. But also talking about television shows, like Juliet and I have been keeping up with Welcome to Wrexham. DHB: Okay. RB: Because we loved that doc series. DHB: And you guys also went out there. RB: Yeah, when we got married, we went out to England because her dad is from Liverpool. And while we were out there, we took the train out to Wrexham. And so we got to walk around and see a lot of the sites that you see in the show. So that was really nice to be able to have that experience. We bought scarves because that’s the great football way. Soccer for Americans. DHB: But did you guys get any fights with the hooligans or anything like that? RB: No, but we did go to the place where they often get pints. And it was fun. And people were there. And we got to see the owner who is often showing up in the show, just walking around doing his thing. But we did also walk around the town. And there was at one point we stopped at, they had a gaming store, because of course. DHB: Yeah. RB: And we stopped in and we said hello to the owner. And we asked them, what’s it like with Rob and Ryan having bought the football team and all of the attention that has been pushed on to Wrexham? And he was like, yeah, there’s some folks that complain. They have done some good things for the town. But overall, people are just kind of embracing the experience for as long as it lasts. Because there’s always the question, at what point are they going to sell it off? DHB: Yeah, exactly. How long does this last? How long am I going to be able to live in this limelight and get this little extra bonus of the guarantee has to raise the tourism and all sorts of other little things just around all that. RB: Well, and that’s one of the things that I’ve loved about in the show. It shows how Ryan and Rob are investing in the town, not just the football club. Also, one of the things that I thought was really interesting with this last season of Welcome to Wrexham, Tom Brady evidently has gotten involved with a football club. And so there’s some conflict between Rob and Ryan and Tom Brady and the billionaire or whoever it is that is his partner who bought into a team. Because now celebrities are looking at European football. DHB: Well it’s the next thing to buy? RB: Yeah, you run out of things to buy, I guess. And so you buy football teams. DHB: Yeah, well, you either do that or you buy your own little movie studio and do your own thing like they’re doing out here with Mark Wahlberg and Nic Cage and all that stuff. RB: We’ll have to see what happens with Summerlin. But yeah, in terms of TV shows, we’ve watched a lot of TV. DHB: Well, to keep working on that, The Studio has been another big one that I’ve enjoyed. I mean, I’m also technically in episode nine, so I’ve got to disclose that. But that’s the new one with Seth Rogen and Katherine Hahn, a bunch of great guest stars also about him being the runner of a movie studio. RB: The number of cameos in that show. DHB: It goes nonstop. RB: So you brought it up when we went to Horror Vibes. DHB: Yes. RB: And then I came home and Juliet and I were like, what the hell are we going to watch? And so we started it up. And we got like five episodes in. And I was literally yelling at the screen because Seth Rogen’s character, I just want to fucking shut him up. Oh, my God. DHB: Well, he wants to make movies. He wants to be an auteur. He wants to do it. He’s a money guy now. Which is why it’s funny, the other Katherine, the one from Beetlejuice, blanking on her name. RB: Oh, yeah. DHB: The older one who got put down to producer. She’s like, oh, I love this now because now I can actually do stuff instead of having to worry about money all the time. RB: Well, and Bryan Cranston, he’s like, yes, I’m going to put you in charge. We’re going to make a movie that makes a billion dollars. DHB: About Kool-Aid. RB: And then all of the trials and tribulations of trying to create a movie about Kool-Aid. DHB: And it wasn’t Martin Scorsese where he’s like, yeah, I want to do one about Jonestown. He’s like, oh, wait… RB: isn’t that about how they drank the Kool-Aid, the poison Kool-Aid? DHB: Yeah. RB: And having to backtrack on all of that. Yeah. We don’t want to do too many spoilers for those who haven’t watched it. DHB: That’s episode one. So. RB: But then even like the Olivia Wilde episode. DHB: Oh, yeah. RB: And the fact that it had the noir kind of vibe, detective vibe. DHB: Yeah, the whodunit type thing. RB: And I’m like, wait, this is not realistic. A studio head would not be running around trying to solve a crime. DHB: And that’s the funny thing is everything I’ve seen like in interviews with Seth Rogen, and then even people I’ve seen online, a lot of these are based on real stories, like maybe not word for word, but things that have actually happened in Hollywood while they’re trying to film a movie or a TV show. And when you watch the show, some of the stuff gets crazy. RB: Gets really crazy. DHB: Because like another one they do is, it’s near the end of it. It’s not a huge spoiler. They go to CinemaCon, which happens out here. And some of the stuff they show are like, I’ve been on the strip with CinemaCon here. I’m like, that happens. Even though it’s like, yeah, they’re actors overblowing it. But no, I’ve seen some of that weird stuff happen down here. RB: I’m going to have to try to finish it, even though I’ll be fucking gnashing my teeth. That’s all of the shit that Seth Rogen, if I ever meet this guy, I’m going to have to thank him. Because his acting is so, it’s not just over the top, but it’s also, it’s so engaging. I get so wrapped up into the character. And how I just want to shut this character up. DHB: You just want to grab him and be like, okay, stop. You’re the money guy. Sit here. Let people do their thing. RB: Yeah, especially when they didn’t get the shot. But I’m glad that you pointed that out. Because yeah, we had started watching on Apple Plus, Murder Robot. DHB: Yeah. RB: Which, oh my goodness. I was originally introduced, a friend of mine said, are you going to watch this? And I’m like, what the hell are you talking about? And it’s based off of a book. DHB: Yeah. RB: But I had never seen the previews for it. And then it popped up on Apple Plus. DHB: I think the closest I came to knowing anything about, like I didn’t know Alexander Skarsgård was in it. RB: Yeah. DHB: Like the only one I knew was the guy who played Polka Dot Man. I’m blanking on his name as well. RB: Yep. DHB: Like I saw him doing an interview and I was like, I like everything he’s done. Like all the horror movies and everything he’s done. Like, I’ll give this a shot. I’ve only seen one episode so far. And I was like, holy crap, this is a stacked cast. And I was like… RB: Yeah, it’s got a great cast. And I just love Skarsgård’s performance. DHB: Yeah. RB: And his internal monologue. And even like some of the quirky nuance to the character is really touching. It resonates for me. DHB: Fair. I mean, that’s what it’s supposed to do. It’s supposed to invoke an emotion. RB: Well, especially when it invokes an emotion, even though the main character is a robot. DHB: Yeah, exactly. It’s like, this shouldn’t be happening, but it is. RB: Yeah. DHB: So weird. RB: And he even has his soap opera that he watches. DHB: Yeah. He just stands there watching it blankly to nothing. RB: Later on, it becomes an issue because you’ve got a free up computer space. DHB: Yeah, exactly. You can only still store so much in your media server. RB: So then it makes you wonder, what did you lose? DHB: Yeah. RB: And so that actually comes up during one of the episodes. So wonderful show. Definitely recommend it. What else have you been watching? DHB: Let’s see what else I’ve been watching. I’m fully caught up on Ghosts. The American Ghosts, not the English Ghosts. RB: I still need to catch up. I’m like maybe two or three episodes behind. DHB: It feels like they’re hitting a little more of a formulaic thing. They definitely have the meta story they’re talking about, where I think the latest season, the husband finally got his restaurant. They introduced some new ghosts and all that. But each episode kind of feels disjointed. RB: Yeah. There’s been a real weird vibe with this last season. DHB: Yeah. RB: And even as they start to engage with more of the ghosts’ backstories, and even one of them getting to learn what her power was, because each of the ghosts have a power. DHB: Yeah. RB: The problem I’ve had with ghosts is that disjointedness. And it’s starting… And I don’t want to say it’s boring me, but it’s just not as engaging as it had been at first. DHB: Yeah. RB: I’m glad that I dove into it because I hadn’t seen it. We went to the San Diego Comic-Con offsite. DHB: Yeah, the weird offsite at the Paramount thing. RB: And they did all of the scents. And I didn’t understand what that meant. DHB: For anybody who’s seen Ghosts, I was freaking out about getting Isaac’s smell. Nobody else there knew what it was until they brought it out. RB: Yeah. And they brought it out and it’s like, Who? DHB: And it was hysterical. But I think I was one of the two people that knew the show. RB: Yeah. DHB: Even though they’ve been trying to… Because it’s still a small show and it’s hitting the end of season four now. RB: Well, we have the American version and the British version. And I think they’re starting a French version or something. DHB: Yeah, I’ve seen that. RB: And it’s like, okay, I would love to watch the British version just to see how they convert some of the characters to a more British spin. DHB: Yeah. RB: But overall, I’m very glad that I watched the series to the point that I have. DHB: Well, if you want to get more interesting, I was re-watching What We Do In The Shadows TV show. And the guy who plays the camp counselor Ghost is playing a similar character on the city council in one of those episodes. Now I’m doing a crossover in my head because it’s all in New York as well. RB: I am sad that that show is over. DHB: I’m sad, but I’m also glad the way they ended that. RB: Oh, yeah. The end of that show was amazing. DHB: Yeah. Even with the Choose Your Own Event, which one is the actual ending? RB: Well, and I didn’t know that that was a thing until after we had watched the last episode. DHB: Yeah. RB: And then somewhere it was pointed out, like on YouTube or something, and we’re like, wait, what? DHB: Well, because they do like a little teaser in the show where out of nowhere, there’s like a weird thing between Nandor and Guillermo. And then they make it seem like a dream. I think that was supposed to tease one of the other endings. Like it was supposed to be the Newhart Show ending, but they just woke up. RB: Yeah. DHB: But then they have like six other ones that they filmed and only released on YouTube, which is probably going to be on the Blu-ray or whatever. Or if they do a cast get-together, you know, some convention, be like, okay, now let’s go through them all. Yeah. RB: I wonder what shows are going to kind of take the spot of shows like that, because it became such a big thing in the zeitgeist. I just, I don’t know what’s going to be able to capture people’s imagination. DHB: Well, at the same time, I don’t, yeah, exactly. It feels like a crapshoot with almost everything. Because like Twisted Metal is another one. I did not expect that show to be as good as it was. I expected it to be pitter-out, but now it’s getting season two. So it’s like almost like throwing darts. RB: But it’s got a pretty good cast. DHB: It does. RB: And I was not sure if Anthony Mackie could carry, because yes, Anthony Mackie is the lead. I didn’t know if he could carry that show, but he’s done a great job. DHB: It comes down, like we mentioned before, it’s like some actors, they get pigeonholed because they have to play up to other people. And I think that’s the issue with Anthony Mackie is he had to play up to Robert Downey Jr. for so fucking long. People are just like, okay, we can’t see him doing anything. Now it’s like, here, go. Because even when they did the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I didn’t think he could carry it all that well. But at the same time, he’s playing against a bunch of other people that weren’t even in the show. RB: Yeah. And he’s got a great cameo in The Studio. DHB: Yes, I love his cameo in The Studio. RB: To roll it back to The Studio. DHB: Yeah, the original topic. Who doesn’t have a cameo in The Studio? Oh, you haven’t gotten all the way through. So there’s cameos you haven’t seen that are just amazing. RB: And it’s funny because they just come out of nowhere. DHB: Yeah. RB: Like, for instance, one of the episodes had Ron Howard. And I’m like, they’re not going to have Ron Howard on the show. And lo and behold, there was Ron Howard. I was like, holy shit, this is amazing. DHB: I’m trying to remember the name of the director where they were telling him he had to rip off his own. The guy who did, I think it was Smile. And there’s the whole thing where he’s like, yeah, so I’m ripping off my own movie. Like, yeah, are you okay with that? He’s like, sure, just throw money at me. RB: Now we want you to make a show called Frown. DHB: Yeah. It was something stupid like that too. It was like, you know, this is the exact same premise. I was like, okay. But it’s like weird cameos like that that keep popping up. RB: I can’t wait to see how that, especially how the first season ends out. DHB: I know The Studio got greenlit for a second season, which they didn’t think because they got yelled at by so many studio execs. They’re like, you’re letting everybody see how the sausage is made. RB: But that’s where the fun is. It’s like when watching Mythic Quest. DHB: Right, exactly. RB: Or what was it, Silicon Valley? DHB: Oh, Silicon Valley, okay. RB: Yeah. That show, really, like anybody who’s worked in tech, especially with startups, it was nothing but. DHB: Well, I hadn’t watched Silicon Valley up until like recently. It was because Jana, one of the other writers and photographers, pointed that out. She does a lot of startup work and has done that forever. She’s like, you’ll appreciate this on the tech side of things. I watched that and I binged that whole show so fast. This is exactly how it feels. RB: Yep. Yeah, because those are the two shows anytime we talk to people in tech. Silicon Valley and Mythic Quest. Because Mythic Quest, though it doesn’t do a lot of the technical stuff, a lot of the studio stuff. DHB: Well, and that’s the surprising thing for me is Ubisoft lets them film in their offices and gives them all the assets. You realize they’re making fun of you at the same time and your horrible practices you do, but they still greenlit it. And I’m like, go ahead, buy all power. RB: Yeah, makes you wonder how they pulled that off. DHB: Well, season one, I know they didn’t do it as much, but it was like season two, you could tell. They’re definitely saying some things in the video game industry to be like, shine some lights here because people aren’t paying attention. RB: Well, especially the monetization. DHB: Yeah. RB: When they started diving into some of that. Wow, that’s really pointed. DHB: Yes, exactly. Or was it the last season when they started talking about AI and blockchain and all that? Ubisoft was one of the ones who got in trouble for doing blockchain. RB: Well, and a lot of companies had looked at tokenization that could be used in the games. We were talking about TV shows. DHB: Well, I mean, nonetheless this is a TV show. It just also happens to dovetail in the video games. But I guess also, because we’ve talked a lot about the guy from Wrexham, and now, was it Always Sunny is coming back? RB: Yeah, isn’t it their last season? DHB: I don’t think it’s their last season. I think they’re doing another after this. RB: Oh, wow. DHB: I mean, every season is their last season as they did it. So another one, I fell down the rabbit hole. Abbott Elementary. Because I heard they were doing a crossover with Always Sunny. I was like, all right, let’s see what this is. And we’ve seen it on a Comic-Con multiple. They had a huge carnival. And I’m like, what the hell is this every time? After watching it, I want to go to the carnival next year because it looks so cool. And for those who don’t know, Abbott Elementary is about an elementary school in Philadelphia. And it’s like the weird trials and tribulations of the smaller school who doesn’t get the budget and how the teachers have to work around that, how the principal. But it’s also done as a comedy to keep it engaging, even though it delves into some of that dark humor. And then because it’s in Philly, there’s an episode. And it’s supposed to happen in the new season of Always Sunny. For community service, that crew has to show up at the elementary school and work. And now I’m trying to figure out how they’re going to work that into the actual show itself. RB: That’s awesome. DHB: Because there’s nothing better than watching Danny DeVito show up with bags of raccoon piss to try to help the school out. I’ll leave it at that. You can watch the episode to find out the rest. RB: OK, I might have to dive into that show. DHB: Yeah, both of those are amazing shows. And both of them have new seasons coming out here soon. RB: What else have I… I’m trying to think what else I have watched. DHB: Oh, I know we mentioned The Last of Us we spoke about. RB: Oh, yeah. DHB: We dabbled around that. RB: I did not finish this season. I don’t know how it ends. I know that they’ve talked about next season following a different character. DHB: So they have two more seasons. And they made the official announcement that they’re going to be following the Abby character. But that’s similar to the video game. Like when you’re playing the video game, you kind of swap back and forth. But the only time they did that in the second season was they did the intro. So you can get to know the character that you’re supposed to hate. And then you followed Ellie’s story. And then now you get to go the exact same three days following the Abby story and seeing how Ellie’s fucked them all over at the same time. RB: As much as I enjoyed up to a point with that show. And then, of course, we’ve talked about Twisted Metal. It makes me wonder what other video games they might turn into shows. DHB: So God of War has been greenlit as a TV show. And I’m so ready for that. The BioShock has been hit up. It’s either a movie or a TV show. Really hoping they do a TV show because they could easily do three seasons of that. Devil May Cry is another one. But I think they did the anime. And I think they’re going to keep doing the anime. I think they learned their lessons from the 90s on how to not do video game adaptations. RB: Oh, gosh. Like those terrible Uwe Boll movies? DHB: Oh, yeah. I mean, I’ve only… RB: Blood Rain! DHB: To this day, I’ve only ever walked out of one movie. And that was House of the Dead. And because it was that bad. But at the same time, I was like, I didn’t think his Postal movie was all that terrible. But again, you really have to like the video game Postal. RB: I wonder in terms of fantasy stuff. Because they just canceled Wheel Of Time. DHB: Yes. RB: And… DHB: The last season was Good Omens, I think. Which is kind of fantasy adjacent. RB: Yeah. But because of some of the stuff that happened with the writer. DHB: Yeah. RB: They’re trying to abbreviate to finish it out for folks. The same with Sandman. DHB: Yeah. RB: Sandman on Netflix. DHB: Yeah. I think it’s only getting one more season and that’s it. RB: That had a lot of promise. They also had had an audio book, which I remember seeing advertised at San Diego Comic-Con. And I had picked it up and it was a radio drama. So they had different people playing the roles. And it was awesome. Now that he’s been canceled. DHB: Yeah. That whole IP is kind of fizzled out. RB: Yeah. DHB: Are they doing… I know they’re doing more Game of Thrones stuff. RB: Yep. DHB: I thought they were doing another bit for Lord of the Rings. Which I feel that’s an IP that’s been beaten to death. But if they can… RB: Well, because they did the War of the Rohirrim, which was that anime-esque thing. DHB: But they also had the two seasons of the live action thing on Amazon. RB: Yeah. DHB: The Rings of Power. RB: The Rings of Power. Yeah. Which I don’t… Did that get canceled? DHB: I don’t know if it got… I know it had two seasons. I don’t know if they got another one. I know it won awards for being pretty. RB: Well, and we… Again, that was another one we saw advertised all over San Diego Comic-Con. They even had like handout magazines because we were… I was stoked about it because I love Lord of the Rings. But then watching the show, there were a lot of things that just didn’t quite capture me. Then the quality just kind of kept going down. DHB: I think there was a rumor at one point of them doing a D&D TV show. RB: Yes. There has been talk about that. I think that’s actually going to be on Netflix. DHB: Okay. RB:People have been conjecturing like, is Dritz going to show up on the D&D show? Which is really sad. A brief aside about the D&D movie. I… DHB: Which one? RB: The newest one. DHB: Okay. RB: I love the D&D movie. DHB: I love the D&D movie, but I also went in thinking it was going to be somebody sat down, watched some people play a campaign, and then made that a movie. Whereas the other D&D movies, they try to go hard into the lore. I’m like, no, no, no. That’s what they did in the Honor Amongst Thieves one. That’s what they should do is just let people use the world. Yeah, we’ll nod to things here and there, but let people make their own stories in it. RB: They tried to introduce Harper’s, so people who had never… DHB: I’d never heard of Harper’s before that. RB: And the Red Wizards of Thay. DHB: Yeah. RB: The thing that I thought was really entertaining, as we tangent about this movie for a moment, there was the paladin NPC that they had to go and get the helm from. And how that character, there’s a point where he says goodbye, he walks away, and they’re like, oh, is he going to just… is he going around the rock? Nope, he’s going right over. DHB: He’s just going right over there. RB: And that is just like an NPC. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: The performance, I don’t know if it was intentional. I haven’t watched any of the interviews, but he played that character like a perfect NPC. DHB: Yeah, and that’s why I went into that movie thinking, just let people run a D&D game and call it a day, and just make that… throw the budget out, and that’s what they should do for the TV show. RB: Yeah. DHB: Just not try to follow any of the books or any of the lore, because when you do that, you run into the issue of people, the hardcore fans. This isn’t exactly how I imagined it in my head. This isn’t right. RB: Yeah, well, you’re going to get… but yeah, the diehard purists are always going to be an issue, no matter what you do with an IP. But then, like, I went… the other day I couldn’t sleep, so I went down the rabbit hole of catching up with all of Ari Salvatore’s Forgotten Realms books. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I know there’s a new book coming out that’s going to be following Dritz’s daughter, Breezy. DHB: Okay. RB: And so it’s kind of a passing of the torch. You’re going to have that issue with any IP and the purists who are going to hate on it, which I wondered if that happened with the D&D… DHB: I know, I mean, I remember seeing the D&D movie, people being upset, like, that still doesn’t work this way. And I’m like, but it worked well in the movie. It helped tell the story. And at the end of the day, that’s what D&D is about, is storytelling, not following rules as written. RB: But going back full circle, yeah, so there’s supposed to be the Forgotten Realms, I think it’s a Forgotten Realms TV show. DHB: Yeah. RB: A lot of people have talked about, since they did the House of the Dragon and we’ve seen dragons on screen, they could try to do a Dragonlance. DHB: I could see that. RB: And there’s a lot of folks that love Dragonlance, but there’s also a lot of fans, not fans, a lot of folks that have been exposed to it that are not fans of that IP, unfortunately. And I think we could go into that later because that’s more game related. DHB: Well, I mean, we could still stay on the game related and still go into another one that fans are going to lose their crap over if it’s not done correctly, Warhammer. Even though it’s being helmed by people who know it. RB: Yep, that’s the Amazon show. DHB: The Amazon show with Henry Cavill and all that stuff. But at the same time, that has a lot of lore. RB: Yes, there is so much lore. I spent months talking about the lore for Warhammer. And you know what’s interesting? Because Henry Cavill is like the darling because allegedly he’s a massive nerd. DHB: Yeah. RB: I say allegedly because there have been some people that have doubted his nerd cred when it comes to Warhammer. DHB: Yeah, well, it came in the other guy who played Alcide in Trueblood. There’s a werewolf guy. Even though one year we were at Comic-Con, he’s like, hey, I came out with a dice set for D&D. Who wants to come by? I was like, okay, yeah, he’s kind of got his cred. RB: Yeah, well, there were some outtakes of interviews with Henry Cavill and the guy that played Jaxxor from Witcher. DHB: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. RB: And they were talking about Warhammer 40K. And like, what army are you? I’m going to do Necron. So yeah, there are fans that are like, but when’s he ever played? Like, who’s he playing? DHB: Yeah, exactly. He’s just doing photo ops and all that stuff. But at the same time, it’s like, even if he hasn’t played, I think helming a TV show, as long as he understands the world and the lore, especially with how much he can drive from, it feels like he can make a TV show or the whole team can make a TV show. RB: Well, and what we heard about Witcher and how he was such a fan of that franchise. DHB: Yeah, which is why he didn’t do the last season because he completely butchered it. RB: Well, because they kept, I want to do my own story and drifting away from the original source material. If he is that much of a stickler for the lore because he’s that much of a fan, I love the idea of him doing… because of how big Warhammer is and how many stories there are, that could be a whole huge franchise of different stories, which they’ve done some of that with the Warhammer Plus. They’ve got their own little network that you can sign up for. And I’ve watched some of the episodes through the app and they’ve done great animated storytelling, but to see it translated to a live action show, I don’t know, it’s going to be interesting. DHB: It’ll be interesting, but I have a feeling it’s set in good hands. So, I mean, it’s Amazon throwing money at it as well. So we know it’s going to look pretty at the very least. RB: And I don’t think they’ve actually come out and said what the storyline that they’re settling on is. And given that they have so many different ones that they could draw from. DHB: I hope they don’t. I hope they don’t tell everybody what storyline they got because it’s going to set expectations. I don’t know. As somebody who’s not even hugely versed in Warhammer, I want to walk in completely blind and just fall in love. RB: But you know, marketers can’t do that. They’ve got to give it away before we even see it. DHB: I know. That’s part of the problem. When I could watch a TV show and know who the villain is from the beginning, I’m like, so one of my workout shows I’ve been watching is a weird TV show called Slasher. RB: Yeah. DHB: And it’s like there’s each season has like seven or eight episodes and it plays out like a horror movie. Every season so far, I’m like episode one, that’s the killer because it’s so formulaic. Even though it’s like all of our, the first one was just random slasher that followed like the seven deadly sins. The next season was, oh no, we accidentally killed somebody and buried their body at summer camp. I’m like, oh no, who’s going to be the killer this time? RB: Playing off the old tropes. DHB: Yeah. And then having every character and actor play up those tropes. I hate that. I’d rather just be like, surprise me. Like I guess even going circle again, Twisted Metal, that’s why I was so surprised. Like watching all of the trailers, I expected Sweet Tooth to be like the main star of it all. I’m like, he’s a secondary character and he’s still a good secondary character. RB: He was an awesome secondary. DHB: Yeah, exactly. But it’s like, I didn’t need to see a show about him. RB: Well, I don’t know if that character could carry a show. That’s actually… DHB: Not the way they wrote him. RB: Well, and that’s one of the things that recently came out. The guy that played Boba Fett. DHB: Yeah. RB: In The Book of Boba Fett. He’s sad that there isn’t a second season to that. DHB: Yeah. RB: It’s like, well, I love the actor. He’s done amazing work. But the character of Boba Fett. All right, look, I’m a Boba Fett fan. But Boba Fett only had like what, five minutes or something in the original trilogy? DHB: Three lines. Like, yeah, like five minutes total screen time. RB: And so the fans are the ones who really created all of the hype behind this character. But then you take that mystery and you drop it into a show where an actor’s got to portray that character with the helmet off. And it just, I didn’t, I felt like it was a disservice to the character as well as to the actor. As much as I liked some of the elements of that show and even some of the dive into the… DHB: Like the crime syndicate stuff? RB: The crime syndicate stuff. Because I was always a Black Sun fan. DHB: Yeah. RB: And even the sand people and some of the culture that he kind of stumbles into with that was interesting. DHB: It didn’t even get told through his story. RB: No. DHB: Because I think the mystery of that, and that’s why some people don’t need to have full backstories. Sometimes fans come up with better backstories than a writer can ever do. Yeah. RB: Well, and then The Book of Boba Fett introduced us to some characters that I loved them. I didn’t like where they were set. The Scooter kids. DHB: The Scooter kids, yeah. RB: They were awesome. But I would much rather have seen them in like Boriscont or… DHB: It was in the one that Obi-Wan was set in. That would have been better for that futuristic city that was set in, not random desert planet in the middle of nowhere. RB: Yeah. They were amazing characters. And hell, I would be happy with a show around them. DHB: Oh, right. RB: Yeah. Just the setting and putting them into the Book of Boba Fett just felt weird for me. DHB: Yeah. But it’s like we needed somebody to drive the story in a certain direction. So we’re just going to grab whatever we can. And unfortunately, they became fan favorites. It helped that they had Sophie Thatcher at the front of it as well. RB: Yeah. DHB: She was having a high time. So it was like she had Yellow Jackets, which I think season three just ended. And I don’t know if they had a season four. And then she had a bunch of other movies. You put something like that right there at the front end, obviously they’re going to blow up. RB: And that often happens with some of those shows. You get fan favorite characters. And for instance, like we talked about, Boba Fett. DHB: Yeah. RB: Fan favorite character that blew up into something more. But now we’ve got a, we’ve got a second season of Ahsoka, and we’re gonna have the Thrawn movie, and there’s gonna be other elements from those things that, that start coming into play. DHB: Yeah. They’re trying to do the MCU thing, when not everything has to be a full shared connected universe, you can do one-offs here and there. RB: Well, and Disney is, I, I feel like Disney is having to reevaluate what they’re, they’ve been doing. DHB: Yeah. RB: And pulling back, because it didn’t all work. DHB: Even, uh, speaking of Disney, it’s like even, I, I didn’t even know Ironheart was coming out. RB: Ironheart. DHB: They’ve held back on that so much. RB: We have been waiting for Ironheart for what I feel like is years. DHB: Yeah, it was about four years since they announced it. RB: And then they introduced Ironheart in the… DHB: Black Panther II. RB: …Black Panther II, and then they had, uh, Ironheart show up in the animated What If…? DHB: Yeah, the What If… and then I think there was like one little spinoff somewhere else where they had, just had the actress show up, and that was it, and it was like, “Okay, character’s, character exists, just to let everybody know.“ RB: But it, but it makes me wonder why they delayed. I’ve been waiting for that show because I loved the Red Hood. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I’ve been waiting to see the Red Hood in live action. DHB: Well, not only, not only that, having, having the Red Hood show up means that they can dive into some of the other… I’m a fan of the, you know, bringing in Mephisto, and all the, the, you know, evil stuff on the Ghost Rider side of stuff…. bring back Nick Cage, bring back Nick Cage. RB: Yeah. ’Cause, ’cause they talked about doing, uh, another Ghost-, uh, Ghost Rider, but they’re gonna recast it. DHB: Yeah. RB: Which I feel is sad to me in some ways, because I also liked the Ghost Rider that they had in Agents of S… DHB: In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., yeah. RB: It was the different character of Ghost Rider. DHB: Yeah, it was the Robbie Reyes instead of the Johnny Blaze. RB: Yeah. Well, and then, and then there’s been talk with them h- restarting the Daredevil Reborn, and all of the… DHB: That one’s already got a second season. RB: …and the, the Netflix shows, and how they, they canonize those. DHB: Yeah. RB: There’s been a lot of wondering, are they gonna canonize in some way the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? DHB: Well, I, I figured they already did that. ’Cause if you watch, uh, was it season two or three, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are cleaning up the fight after the first Thor movie. RB: Well, but that was the problem. So… DHB: Well, it was like the, the TV shows could reference the movies, but the movies never referenced the shows. RB: And, and that’s why, ultimately, they diverged. DHB: Yeah. RB: And, ’cause, well, even with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season one, allegedly, Joss hated the fact that they brought Coulson back to life. DHB: Yeah. RB: Because he felt his sacrifice was important to galvanize the team. But yeah, so they, they, up ’til like season three, they kind of ran with the movies, and then they had to diverge because the movies were taking too long, the TV show, and so… DHB: Yeah. But again, at the same time, you could see where, you know, they were going down their own alternate timeline path at that point, which, I mean, at that point, you could do that with every Marvel property, which is what they did with Daredevil… RB: Mm-hmm. DHB: …originally, ’cause I think it was supposed to be a different timeline with some of the events. But then they’re like, “Screw it. Everything that happened in Netflix happened before Devil- Daredevil Reborn.“ I think the only thing they said didn’t happen was some of the stuff from She-Hulk. RB: Yeah, ’cause I was wondering how they were gonna do Devil Reborn, which is this dark, gritty show, and then his walk of shame. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: I’m like, “Really?“ DHB: Yeah, his, his weird booty call walk of shame, but I think they’re dictating that’s a different timeline or different universe type thing. ’Cause both of those are based on the Netflix. RB: Yeah. DHB: And I think they already, they’ve already mentioned they got, brought back, uh, Krysten Ritter to play Jessica Jones. RB: Yep. DHB: Yeah. RB: There’s, the Danny Rand character was so contentious. DHB: Uh, they just, I think they just need to recast and work on the script a bit more. Or actually, get the Wu-Tang Clan to work on every episode. It, Iron Fist would’ve been amazing. RB: Well, and, and even if they, they keep the actor, ’cause I know the actor desperately wants to come back and, like… DHB: Yeah. RB: …show people. DHB: Yeah, he can do it. RB: But I’m like, “Dude, if you, if you come back, have you taken fight training? Have you…“ DHB: Right. RB: “…actually learned some martial arts to be able to sh… pull off the moves?“ Because if we have an Iron Fist in the same scene as… DHB: As Shang-Chi. RB: …as Shang-Chi, you’ve got to be able to fucking, uh… DHB: Yeah. RB: …show that… DHB: Yeah, this has to feel like it’s a stalemate fight. RB: Yeah. Arguably, I liked the end of Iron Fist when he pulled the two 45s. DHB: Yeah, yeah. RB: That was cool. But who knows what’s gonna happen with that character and that show? I do like the idea of a Heroes for Hire. DHB: Yeah. RB: But I have loved Daredevil Reborn, and I loved the reintroduction of the Punisher. DHB: I, I can’t wait for the Punisher one, like, they’re gonna do, isn’t that like a full spinoff? Like they did on Netflix, but I think he’s getting like a special, kinda like they did for, um, Werewolf By Night. RB: Yeah. DHB: And I… RB: And he’s helping write it. DHB: Yeah, and especially with like, they made him much more brutal. I didn’t think they were gonna go even brutal as Netflix did with the Punisher in Daredevil Reborn, and yeah, he went way more real Punisher in that. RB: You’re all clowns. DHB: Yeah. He rips a guy’s jaw off, and I’m like, “Wow, Disney just did not hold back on that one.“ RB: But I, I, I really liked the political commentary… DHB: Yes. RB: …of him seeing these people who had usurped his symbol. DHB: Yeah. RB: And he’s like, “Yeah, Punisher’s not a good guy. This is not someone you should be emulating.“ DHB: See, and I was waiting for that scene from the comic to, to come up when he gets confronted by all the cops. And I was like, even though it still played out, uh, similar, I was kinda hoping he would’ve done the exact same that they did in the comic, where he’s like, “Yeah, no, don’t look up to me. You’re abusing my symbol.“ RB: Yeah, the abuse of the symbol. Well, and that’s why Marvel had to, to move away from the original symbol. DHB: Well, and they, they, I think they just recently moved back to it, which is the thing. ’Cause I got a T- I bought a T-shirt that had the new symbol and nobody knew what it was ’cause it’s like this weird demon-looking thing. RB: Yeah. DHB: And the only reason people could tell it was it said Castle across the top. I wore it three times, and then everybody was like, “Yeah, that’s not the Punisher symbol anymore.“ I was like, “They changed it again on me?“ RB: They brought it back? DHB: Yeah. RB: Which I wondered if the reason they brought it back is because of the commentary on Daredevil Reborn. DHB: It could be, yeah. RB: And kind of retaking… DHB: Yeah, trying to reclaim what they, what they lost. RB: Yeah. DHB: But there’s a lot of TV shows to talk about. RB: A lot of TV shows to talk about. A lot of things that might potentially show up at San Diego Comic-Con. DHB: Correct. RB: And those off-sites, which s- a lot of ’em, you don’t even have to have a pass to go see. DHB: Yeah, you can just show up. Like, you know, the, uh, Fox thing we were talking about with all the f- uh, animation stuff. Anybody could show up. I mean, there might be a line, but you could just show up. RB: If you, if you stand in line, sunscreen, water, and an umbrella. DHB: Yes. RB: Whatever you do, just please don’t die if you’re, you’re standing in line, ’cause I know that was one of the things I appreciated about the FX walkthrough in the garden. DHB: Yeah. RB: And one of, one of them, they were giving away umbrellas. DHB: Yeah, it was like, “Oh, what are you doing? Well, What We Do In The shadows, we’re giving away umbrellas for that.“ I’m like, “Smart.“ RB: Yeah. But yeah, so many shows, so many tie-ins with San Diego Comic-Con, but… DHB: Yeah. RB: …that it’s gonna be fun to see what ’cause as the information starts trickling, ’cause we’re still in June, it should start… DHB: Well, I mean, I’ve already got a couple of things that, that can’t be… RB: Yeah, we can’t talk about. We’d have to bleep out… DHB: Yeah. RB: …you know, whole sections. DHB: Sorry about that. RB: But as we get closer, there shou- they should drop some of that information so we can actually… DHB: Yeah. RB: …start talking about ’em. DHB: And we’ll start posting on, on the website and all that stuff, and maybe work it in a couple of early podcasts. RB: I think next episode is gonna talk about Weird Al. DHB: Definitely. I, I’ve seen the show. I think you’re, you guys are seeing it this weekend. RB: We get to see it this Saturday. And we can have, talk about Weird Al, uh, Puddles. DHB: Puddles, Puddles. RB: And just music in general… DHB: Yeah. RB: …because there have been some really awesome concerts that you’ve gone to, that I’ve gone to. DHB: Mm-hmm. Oh yeah, I gone to so many different con… Yeah, exactly. We’ve been all over, so. RB: And there’s some shows coming up, so we get… DHB: Yeah. RB: …to talk about those as well. Well, this is Ray. DHB: I’m David. RB: And this has been the AggroCast, the official podcast of AggroGamer. Catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the AggroCast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today’s content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 37:3 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Halloween Horror Nights,Horror Vibes Coffee,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — Horror Vibes Coffee [Episode Thirteen] The AggroCast crew made a trip out to Horror Vibes Coffee in Las Vegas, NV. Not only to check out the new horror-themed coffee shop in town, but to also get back into the swing of things now that life has started to calm back down for them all. Enjoy a bit of Las Vegas with the crew, hear about some upcoming events and projects, as well as some of the life events that have gone down since the last major Aggrocast. The topics get all over the place here, but all done at the new Horror Vibes Coffee out here that you should check out if you are in Las Vegas, NV. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast, currently recording in my car after just going to the grand opening of Horror Vibes Coffee here in Las Vegas. David Hades Becker: Yeah, it’s a lot cooler in here than it was outside, especially with the long line we had to stand in to get inside. There’s a lot of people here for this. RB: It was great to see them have that kind of opening, even though they’ve been open for two weeks now, to have the grand opening and have everybody outside waiting. I enjoyed what I ordered. I had an apple pie chai type thing. It was awesome. DHB: I can’t remember how they named it. It was based on the movie XXX or whatever, or X, and Maxine. It was a pita colada lemonade. It was delicious. RB: With tajin? DHB: Yeah, with tajin around the inside. And then, gotta talk about the donut. RB: And then, of course, they had donuts that were decorated. We’re recording this on Friday the 13th, so they were like the hockey mask for Jason. And ours were Oreo stuffed cream. They had had some Fruity Pebbles, but evidently they had gone through those fairly quickly. DHB: It was a weird thing going with the Oreo filling. I would have expected some kind of cherry or strawberry jam type of filling. I feel like the blood oozing out. RB: That would have been cool. DHB: It was still tasty. RB: And then we met an artist that was there who does all of their murals. Phil Borkay? Bork? DHB: Yeah, you’re doing better than I would do it. RB: Yeah, so we will probably toss up some images and do a little write-up on the opening. And also his Instagram. But he was super cool. He’s like a traveling artist. He does tattoo work on the road and has done all of the artwork for the two different locations. If you’ve ever seen the artwork, you’ll probably see some images as we toss them up. Super cool, super fun. A lot of horror vibe mixed in with some whimsy. But right now he’s doing kind of eras of horror. So like the 1930s and 40s, 50s and 60s, all the way up to current day. And that’s going to be super fun. DHB: Yeah, and he’s doing that kind of as a timeline in the building here in Vegas. And he had a couple of images up to show all that stuff. But yeah, he mentioned doing that all the way down to where the bathrooms were, where they had the twin girls from The Shining, all the way back up to where the coffee’s at. RB: And he mentioned that he has a hand in how they started up. So I don’t know if he’s a part owner or what. But super cool guy. Enjoyed our conversation with him. Enjoyed all of the folks working at this location. They were all fun and friendly. And forward to coming down here more often. Maybe even doing a recording there in the coffeehouse. DHB: Yeah, right, exactly. I mean, it had a great vibe, but it was definitely packed and busy. So there was no way we were going to be able to record inside. RB: So yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve done the AggroCast. And a lot of stuff has been going on. We’ve done a few special editions. It’s really been like a year or so. DHB: Yeah, been close to a year, yeah. RB: And we’re trying to get this thing back on the rails. I got married, been going to school. And then just a lot of stuff going on. But we’ve also been staying busy. David’s been super active on the website. Always recommend checking out aggrogamer.com for all of your video game and pop culture news information. Because we’re always going to different events. We’re putting up an article today about the Universal Fan Fest. Juliet and I went out to that for one of our anniversary celebrations. And that was super fun. DHB: Yeah, it was definitely interesting to read all that and see all the pictures you guys got from that. Sad I got to miss out on it, but it still looked like it was a whole lot of fun. RB: But you know, Universal, if you want to send us out there as press for Fan Fest 2026, we would be more than willing to do that and jump on that bullet. DHB: So you’re thinking all the way out there. I’m also looking at the… To go back on the theme of the horror thing, we have the Universal Horror Unleashed opening up here in August. RB: Yes. DHB: So if they want to do that one as well, we could… RB: Hey, we will cover that. We will gladly cover that for you. We are horror fans and enthusiasts, and we’ve been talking about this for a while now. Universal, if you’re listening, hit us up. We also went to… Necrogoblokon was in town, so we got to see them. And I got a new favorite band out of that. Exmortus. DHB: Exmortus, yeah. RB: They were awesome. DHB: Not only as a band, just as really cool guys. They were all working their merch booth afterwards. RB: I got to meet the lead singer, and he was super cool. They got songs based off of Lord of the Rings. One of the T-shirts I picked up, Oathbreaker, is one of their songs, and it’s based off of the Oathbreakers in Lord of the Rings, the ones that Aragorn recruits this last year. Running around, trying to do stuff, and we’re getting ready for San Diego Comic-Con. You just went to an IGN event. DHB: Yeah, so the Summer Games Fest and the IGN Live, pretty much what’s taken over from E3, they’ve had all those events where they’re showing up all the new video games and trailers. And IGN invited me out for their Fan Fest, which is quite literally what that was. It really wasn’t, they weren’t showing off much there that we hadn’t seen already. It was stuff for Claire Obscura and A Killing Floor 3, so it was not brand, brand new games. They did have, Alan Tudyk was out there promoting Resident Alien. The guys from the voice actors for Rick and Morty were out there talking about the new season. But it was definitely more of a fan festival than it was IGN trying to push more of the E3 type of vibe, even though that’s also what it felt like they were trying to do, because it was at the convention space just down the road from where E3 was, during the time when E3 would normally be happening. RB: So an E3 tie-in, but also kind of shades of what to possibly expect at Comic-Con this year? DHB: Kind of, yeah. That’s kind of how it felt like. It felt like it was a solid Comic-Con off-site, where it’s like you can go in, have a vibe, check a few things out, and kind of move right along. RB: Well, thanks IGN for getting David out there to check that out. DHB: Yeah, it was definitely a blast. RB: So Comic-Con is coming up. I’m super stoked about that. Any ideas what we might see out there in terms of IPs for off-sites? DHB: As of right now, it’s mostly just rumors, but if you just look at the timing of certain things, Twisted Metal, the new season drops right after Comic-Con, so I’m expecting, like they did last season, we’ll probably see something out there for that. I know Marvel said they’re not showing up with anything massive for like Hall H or anything, and not doing another filming, which is weird, because Fantastic Four drops on the Friday of Comic-Con, so it feels like a missed opportunity. RB: I wonder if that’s tied in with what happened with the Deadpool and Wolverine, the debacle that happened last year. DHB: Yeah. RB: Which, from what we were told, wasn’t really San Diego Comic-Con’s fault. There was some miscommunication with whoever was running that event in Hall H. DHB: Yeah. RB: But there were a lot of conversations about how people who had been standing in line all day to get into that thing, they had started the event before they got everybody into the hall. And I’m sure that was super frustrating. DHB: Not to mention there was people still waiting outside with their wristband while the movie was starting. Yeah. So I was like, they had the panel, they had all that stuff, and still people were guaranteed a spot were left out. So I get it, but it’s weird. I know they might do something for Fantastic Four, they might not, who knows. I know there’s a bunch of other, they might do something for Horrors Unleashed, because that’ll be opening up shortly after. Thinking about other IPs that might be going down. Maybe something for the new Fallout, new Fallout season’s coming. RB: That would be cool. DHB: They’ll probably do something for The Last of Us to get people back on track with that. RB: Yeah, I fell off of that. We were talking about that in line. I just, as they killed Joel, spoilers if you haven’t been watching, oh no, I just lost interest. I just can’t get with it. DHB: I get that. Like I said before, it’s kind of the vibe everybody who played the game got as well, even when it wasn’t Pedro Pascal. RB: What about, when is Megan 2.0 coming out? DHB: Megan 2.0 I think comes out in a couple of weeks. So I don’t know if they’ll do anything for that, but I mean, Blumhouse will probably be out there pushing so many things. I mean, they just, I think, bought the Saw franchise. I know there was supposed to be a new Saw movie this year, so they might do something for that. RB: House of the Dragons, new season will be coming out, and they’ve got that offshoot of the Dunk and Egg Hedge Knight series that they’re doing. DHB: Yeah, so they might have something out there for the Game of Thrones thing. I’m kind of hopeful that they might do something for Severance. I love the thing they did the first time, and then season two, just as amazing. I know they’re working on season three now. RB: And then Telemuska is an offshoot of the Dark Universe Anne Rice Interview With A Vampire. That’s the research arm that’s tracking all the vampires and supernaturals. Maybe they’ll do something? Because that Interview With The Vampire one that year was awesome. DHB: That was really, really cool. RB: So I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting to see, as we start rolling towards Comic-Con, what information starts hitting the news and the press releases. DHB: I guess one of the other ones we could probably look forward to, now that I think about it, wearing the hat, The Boys and Gen V. Gen V has a new season coming out as well. And I know they went hard every year with something at Comic-Con for that IP. RB: Well, and they had that tragedy that happened with one of the actors. So I wonder how they’re going to recover from that. DHB: Watching the trailer, they show how they’re recovering from it. I know the cast is still recovering from the loss of a friend. But I think they are writing it into where he sacrificed himself somehow, and the father is taking over the same role. RB: Oh, wow. Okay. DHB: That’s the vibe I got from the trailer. Because all of a sudden the father is perfectly fine and healthy again. RB: So, yeah. Things to look forward to with Comic-Con. Comic-Con, man, this year, trying to get into the hotel block was insane. DHB: Yes, it was a nightmare. RB: As press, trying to just stay near the convention center is so damn hard to get through all of the lottery process. Why? DHB: Well, this has been the same process it’s been for the last decade. At the same time, even this year, every year it’s been getting harder and harder. I want to say it was the first year you got to go, we got to stay relatively close to the convention center. And then it’s been, even this year, we’re a mile away. And so we’ve been progressively getting further and further away. And even this time, we didn’t even get it in the lottery pool. We just randomly hopped on when they did the open sales. RB: Well, and we’ve got quite a few folks under the AggroGamer banner who were trying to get into everything to get rooms. And it was still like pulling teeth to get what we got. DHB: Yeah. RB: Crazy. So if you’re listening, San Diego Comic-Con, we love you so much. We would love a fourth pass so we can get the rest of our press team in and maybe look at getting some room block set aside for the press people. DHB: Like actual registered press so that you don’t have to worry about people trying to snake their way in using the back alleys or whatever. RB: Because we are legitimately there to cover the event and tell people how awesome it is and why they don’t really want to miss. While understanding that the lottery is a hell of a thing and trying to get passes can be extremely difficult. We want people to get that opportunity to see what it’s like to feel like they’re there. And we can’t do it if we can’t even get into a room block. DHB: Yeah, exactly. I don’t want to drive five hours every morning to head out just to stay home. RB: Yeah, we love Vegas. But damn, that’s a hell of a commute. DHB: Yeah. RB: So yeah, hopefully things will get better at least for next year. DHB: That is the hope that we do a little bit better each time. RB: And so like with AggroCast, we’re getting this back up off the ground. We’ve talked about possibly doing more YouTube. DHB: More than just gameplay. RB: Yeah. So that way you guys have to get, you’re stuck seeing our faces. DHB: Sorry. RB: Unless you want us in masks, you know, leave a comment down below. DHB: I got a couple of good masks. RB: Oh, yeah. I’ve got some masks from some awesome creators. I could toss one on and we could do the mask into… DHB: The Slipknot/GWAR thing. RB: That would be great. We might have to do an episode for Halloween for that. DHB: I’m down. Let’s do this. RB: Yeah. So this is just kind of a catch up Comic-Con like life update as to what’s going on. DHB: As well as to help promote the Horror Vibe Coffee. RB: Yeah. We are unofficially, not officially sponsored by Horror Vibe Coffee. Horror Vibe Coffee, if you happen to hear about this, please consider sponsoring us. Our demands are so few. Maybe just a cup of coffee and let us do a recording in the back. DHB: Nothing too crazy. RB: We’re not looking for hundreds of dollars or anything crazy. Just a little nod and some good Java. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: Yeah. This is fun actually getting out of the studio, getting into the wild, being able to record. There’s some horror movies coming out. Anything that you’re excited to see? DHB: Oh, I know there’s a new Frankenstein movie I’m really excited to see. RB: Guillermo del Toro DHB: Yeah. There’s a new Evil Dead in the works, but they haven’t really announced much of that. RB: I’ll Swallow Your Soul. DHB: Exactly. I’m ready for that. I wish they would do like a movie production of a musical just so I could have that at home and watch it over and over. RB: That would be awesome. DHB: At the same time, I only got two more before I hit the magic number 100 of seeing that show. RB: Is it still touring? DHB: Currently, not that I know of. But once it does, I will travel outside the country again if I need to. RB: Yeah, you are certainly a fan, a diehard fan. Also a fan of Psychostick. Psychostick, if you happen to hear about this. Just know David always talks about his love for you. And maybe one day we can talk to you guys about an intro theme song. DHB: That’d be amazing. But they’re busy doing the new Toxic Crusaders album. RB: Yeah, I’m still on the fence about that movie. I’m confused about… I don’t know if I’m going to be afraid of Peter Dinklage’s Toxie. DHB: I mean, there’s only going to be one way to find out. I mean, he did give a good Tyrion. RB: Hey, he drank in New Things. DHB: Exactly. RB: And he was the best part of Game of Thrones for me. But Toxie… I just remember as a kid watching the Toxic Avenger and how beefy he was in that tutu. And I’m just… I’m not sure. Like, muscles… There’s just a mop. Like, I’m not here to criticize anybody’s height. This isn’t a Snow White episode. But, yeah, I just… I don’t know. I don’t know. I will reserve… DHB: I will always say Heath Ledger as the Joker. Everybody gave those criticisms and he knocked it out of the park. So I’m willing to give all the benefit of the doubt. RB: Heath Ledger. I cried the day he died. I’d been a fan of his for a long time. And then he passed. Man, what a performance. DHB: Exactly. That’s why I’m always willing to give any actor who’s playing a role that most people can’t imagine give them a chance. RB: Yeah, that’s fair. All right. So I’m sure we will cover Toxic Avenger at some point after it’s come out. DHB: Yeah. Playing Toxic Crusader because that’s the video game that Psychostick is doing to bring it all the way back. RB: Yeah, yeah. So, all right. Talking about video games. DHB: Okay. RB: You have been keeping on track with video game stuff. What has been going on in the world of video games? Anything outstanding or really interesting? DHB: So, as of right now, a lot of the… Obviously, the big one everybody’s talking about is Claire Obscura. It’s a small French developer that nobody wanted to give a chance to. And they’re on the verge of Game of the Year right now. And it’s just kind of like a Final Fantasy turn-based game. I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but I’ve heard amazing things about that. I’ve been diving a lot into a lot of the weird indie games recently. Finding Frankie, which is a weird parkour Five Nights at Freddy’s type game. There’s the new Five Nights at Freddy’s Secret of the Mimic that just dropped today. Revenge of the Savage Planet, which is a weird Ratchet and Clank thing kind of also with Rick and Morty type humor. Copycat, the non-sci-fi version of the game Stray. RB: Oh, wow. DHB: Yeah. I’ve been diving into a lot of that kind of stuff. But I also know Gears of War. The new Gears of War is coming out to PlayStation, which is a huge thing. It’s the first time ever. What else was there? Oh, the Directive 8020. It’s the next in the Dark Pictures anthology, which is like you’re playing a video game that’s also a horror movie. And they’re adding a lot of stuff in. One of my favorite horror games from last year was The Casting of Frank Stone. RB: Yeah. DHB: And it’s exactly that. They’re adding in all of the fun stuff, like the cool game mechanics they had on that. Because they mixed in some stuff from Dead by Daylight into that game. RB: That’s pretty awesome. DHB: I’m looking forward to all that stuff. Still waiting to hear if there’s going to be the actual nod to a new God of War game, hopefully. I know there’s people losing their mind over the new Call of Duty, the new Game of Thrones RTS that’s coming out. RB: Yeah. I saw it. And what I thought was really interesting, there are some YouTubers that I watch that do TV and movie reviews that were doing reviews of that game. So I don’t know if they’re showing up money or if it’s just because there’s a tie-in to Game of Thrones where you can essentially rewrite the ending of the show. But it’s everywhere now, like all of the advertisements and talking about it. DHB: Yeah. They’re pushing it hard. I know that it was the mobile game they had. So I don’t know if that just wasn’t doing well. And I’m like, OK, let’s do it. It’s also, I think, a small Australian developer who’s doing it, too. So I think, I want to say this is the year of the small, independent developer. Because almost every massive game people are hyped for, we’re talking teams of between 1 to 50 at most. RB: Wow. DHB: I can’t remember the name of the game. There’s one I just recently checked out. Is it Gore Doctor? Kind of an Outlast, survive a serial killer type game. I think it was a team of six that made that game. And it’s nothing, not Game of the Year, but it’s still amazing that such a small team did something that also kind of feels like it could be a hit with the heavy hitters. RB: Well, and we were talking about how virtual reality games had taken a back seat. DHB: Yeah. RB: Recently, there’s been more of a push. DHB: Yeah, because they have the new VR Deadpool game coming out. I get emails all the time about random VR games. They’re like, I thought this took a back seat, but I don’t know if it’s because the Apple Vision tanked. So they’re just trying to push the Meta harder and the Steam VR, a lot of stuff. RB: Well, and Meta is allegedly changing up some of how they’re going to be doing stuff with VR. So I feel like what happened was a lot of these companies shifted gears from VR to AI. And now that AI is kind of settled down from the Wild West mentality it initially had, maybe they’re turning their gaze back on those investments that they had made into VR. So hopefully we’ll get some pretty cool titles. And I know there’s some VR experiences here in Vegas. DHB: Yeah, I actually got an email from them yesterday. So you might be checking that out over at the MGM, the Zero Latency. I’ve done some of their stuff in the past, and it’s a blast. And that’s a warehouse scale VR. RB: Yeah. The only video game stuff that I’ve been doing, and don’t judge me, I went back to Baulder’s Gate 3 because I still have not finished it. And so every time I stop, I have to restart to remember how to play the game again. And so I have just gotten to Act 3 of Baulder’s Gate 3. So I am pushing towards the end of the game. And since I’m on summer break, I should be able to finish it up, at least my first run. I know people are like, I’ve beat that game 12 times. I’m like, that’s just because you want to romance all of the companions. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: We’re not here to judge anyone. We do you. Karlach is best. DHB: Is that the bear? RB: No, that’s Halsin. Halsin, the giant elf guy, elf druid who will turn into a bear and love you with all of his bear-y might. DHB: Yeah, that’s where it gets a little weird. RB: Yeah, Halsin turns into a bear. There’s Astarion that everybody loves because it’s the vampire, gothy guy. And then Karlach is just a cinnamon roll of a barbarian who wants to love you. And hasn’t been able to be touched by anyone for a long time because of her fernal engine. Yeah, it’s a great game. There’s a reason it won all of those awards. I’ve just been dragging my ass on trying to finish it. DHB: You’re enjoying it. RB: I’m enjoying it. And I think there’s also part of me that’s like, OK, once I’ve done, I’ll be sad. And maybe that’s why I haven’t finished it. But I’m going to finish it so that way I can say I have. And it’s going to be one of the first games I’ve finished in a very long time. But then in tabletop news, there has been a lot of stuff going on. Critical Role released their tabletop game, Daggerheart, which everybody has been raving about. It’s interesting. There’s a lot of stuff in the Daggerheart game that I have seen through my myriad of experience in LARPs and tabletop games. And so I’m like, a lot of these elements I’ve seen, but I haven’t picked it up. We don’t get free copies. We’re not that important. But I might I might pick it up just so I can kind of read through it and get it. The only thing that’s weird, and I have played games like Savage Worlds that have card elements. Torg is the same way. Daggerheart uses cards. And some of the cards, I think the cards are your character abilities. So it’s really interesting having a card element tied into an RPG. I’m here for it. I’m willing to give it a try. Other than that… DHB: Speaking of cards, though, you still into Lorcana? RB: No. So we moved in. We bought a house and had to move in December. By the time we got done moving, they had released two more sets. And then I saw something about how they were releasing tournament rules for play. I’m like, the reason I got into this is because it wasn’t Magic the Gathering. I played Magic back in the day when there were type 1 and type 2 tournaments. I played type 2, but I couldn’t keep affording to buy new cards. So if Lorcana is moving in that direction where they’re limiting certain cards or how decks are constructed, I’m just not into it. I liked the whole Disney aspect. And I was all about the broom decks because I thought that was super fun. But I just, no, we haven’t played in months. We’ve thought about taking all of our cards and selling them to a local game store just to get some store credit to put towards other things. DHB: Yeah. RB: Although I did see Magic the Gathering does have a style of gameplay that I’ve considered. And it’s called Pauper. And play with common cards. Your decks are nothing but common cards. DHB: Okay. RB: I was like, okay. Depending upon how they limit whatever sets or whatever, that could be interesting. And they just released a Final Fantasy set. DHB: Yeah, I saw the Final Fantasy one. RB: Final Fantasy! I know Ike was really big in Magic for a while because of the art. But then they did some goofy cash grab stuff and they started doing like Warhammer 40K and Doctor Who and D&D. And so he lost interest when they started putting out all of these novelty sets. Yeah, Pauper. I don’t know. Maybe somebody is willing to teach me. And we can sit down and play Pauper and see how that works out. But yeah, so tabletop RPGs. There’s a lot of stuff going on. A lot of the creative team of Wizards of the Coast that did D&D, like Perkins, are gone. They’ve moved on to other things. So it’s going to be interesting to see who the new design team is after the release of the 2024 Player’s Handbook, DMG, and Monster Manual, which I’ve been playing around with some of the 2024 rules. I like the designs of the book. I know that there are some books that have already found ways to break the system. But of course, that’s the way with pretty much any system. DHB: Pretty much any game, yeah. RB: So I’m not going to give it a hard time for that because every time a new system comes out, there’s always going to be where can you find those opportunities, like I was telling you in line. Juliet found a way to use a diviner wizard with the rewrite of the sleep spell that was really kind of interesting. Too bad she tried it on some elves. Yeah, so there’s a lot of stuff going on still in the TTRPG space. DHB: Yeah. RB: And then of course, in the card game space, I think, what was that? There’s a new, there’s an IP that just released. DHB: I heard about Gwent from The Witcher. They just released their card, or the card game’s in pre-order right now. RB: Yeah, there was that one, and there’s one other. And I don’t remember. I’ll have to think on it. So yeah, there’s stuff going on there. But I also have fallen into wrestling. Last year, I got Juliet involved into wrestling, which she had been a fan when she was younger. So getting back into it, I’ve had to kind of explain some things. But she loves Tiffany Stratton. Tiffy time! And we have enjoyed a lot of the new wrestlers they have brought in, like Penta. And Chad Gable has been doing some fun, interesting things with his heel turn. And there’s this new mysterious luchador, El Grande Americano, the finest of coffees. He’s a luchador, an American luchador, which there’s some stuff there that’s a little… DHB: Questionable? RB: Questionable. RB: Like, I almost bought his T-shirt, but on the bottom it says, comes from the Gulf of America. And I was like, I don’t know if I want to go there. If you’re a wrestling fan, you understand. But if you’re tied to politics, I’m sure you understand. DHB: You understand it differently. RB: Yeah. But we had WrestleMania here in Las Vegas, and they’re having it again next year. DHB: Almost like the exact same day. It’s like the 18th and 19th of April. RB: Yeah, originally it was scheduled for New Orleans, but unfortunately that kind of fell through. And so you want to double your money, or they’re doing some kind of playoff of, you know, dropping the double deuce. DHB: Yeah. RB: The problem has been getting into the event because it’s so expensive. DHB: Yes. RB: I would love to actually… I’ve never been to a live wrestling event other than like what we did in Fremont. DHB: Yeah, the WOW thing, yeah. RB: And then we’ve talked about the little person wrestling. DHB: Midget wrestling. RB: That’s what they call it. That’s not us. That’s what they call it. We’ve talked about checking out that show down off the strip. DHB: Yeah. RB: I would love to go to an event, but then I also look at… They occasionally do this pan down from the rafters of these big stadiums where they’re holding the events, and the ring looks like a postage stamp. DHB: Yeah, if you’re up in the nosebleeds, yeah. RB: And so I’m like, you know what? But I can sit at home and hit pause and go get another Diet Coke. I don’t know. I’m sure that there’s something cool about the experience, but I’ve also heard like horror stories of like tickets down on the floor being 40 grand, shit like that. I’m like, holy cow. I know wrestling has caught a new resurgence, but damn, some of those ticket prices are just insane. And then you look, and every time I watch an event, I see some of the same people every event. I’m like, how do you afford this? Either you know somebody that works for TKO or WWE, or you’re independently wealthy, and that’s what you’re spending. DHB: That is what you chose your life to do, is I’m going to go to every show. RB: I won the lottery. I get 60 grand a month, and I’m going to wrestling shows. Every wrestling show. DHB: Every major wrestling show. I’m there. RB: I’m like, you know what? You do you, boo. That’s awesome. I would just like to go maybe once. DHB: Hook us up with a free ticket if you’re independently wealthy. RB: Yeah, if you’re independently wealthy, or if you’re somehow WWE listening. Remember us? We were Cody Stans. We’re Penta Stans. So many wrestlers that I am just in love with. Stephanie Vaquer. Oh, she is amazing. The angel of death. I don’t even remember what her tagline is. But even like, okay. Logan Paul. People don’t like him. That dude is freaking athletic. He’s teamed up with Cena right now, because Cena’s on his farewell tour, and he did his heel turn. But Logan Paul, you know what? That dude, not only does he have the physicality, but he is just super fucking talented. And he’s a great heel. He really lives it up. I’m like, dude, you’re awesome. You know how this game plays. DHB: You know how to hame it up for the camera. RB: Yeah, I might not be a Logan Paul fan of like his podcasts and all of that. But as a wrestler, I have to hand it to him 100%. So I went down the rabbit hole of wrestling. Not big into AEW. I know our buddy Frank Hartgrave was AEW. And now Frank’s moved on to being like a commentator on the Indy scene. DHB: Oh, nice. RB: Which is super awesome. Every once in a while, I see something that’s been posted. He’s doing videos and interviews. I’m like, Frank, you just kick ass, buddy. You’re doing awesome. This has been a hell of a catch up. DHB: It has been, yeah. RB: We’ve covered a lot of topics. DHB: We’ve gone over everything. And kind of given a little sneak peek into other things we’ll probably be talking about in future episodes. RB: Yeah, and remember, we will be there for coverage of San Diego Comic-Con because we love San Diego Comic-Con. We want them to love us as well. DHB: Yes. Same thing with Universal. RB: Yeah, and Universal, Wrestling, WWE, Horror Vibes Coffee. DHB: The list goes on. RB: The list goes on. DHB: Just re-listen to the whole podcast again so you can hear it all. RB: And we’re going to tag the shit out of this. So hopefully, maybe they’ll catch wind of this. DHB: Fingers crossed. RB: But it was great catching up, David. DHB: Likewise. RB: I look forward to next week. We can figure out what the hell we’re going to talk about. DHB: Dude, we both got Weird Al coming up. RB: Oh. DHB: I have that tonight? And I think you have it tomorrow night? RB: No, not tomorrow. It’s next week. DHB: Next week? RB: Yeah. DHB: But either way, we still have it. We can both talk about that if we get to. RB: And Puddles Pity Party. DHB: Yes. RB: I saw Puddles twice in Denver. Puddles is awesome. The guy’s like seven foot tall with the voice of an angel. DHB: Yes. RB: A rock angel. But yeah, so that’ll be great to talk about Weird Al. DHB: Yeah. I’m down. Let’s do this. RB: All right. Well, thank you again for listening. This has been the AggroCast, the official podcast of AggroGamer. I’m Ray. DHB: I’m David. RB: And we’ll catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Agrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AgroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at AgroGamer.com. If you enjoyed today’s content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode115.mp3 Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:00:00 GMT © 2025 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Horror Vibes Coffee [Episode Thirteen] AggroCast — Horror Vibes Coffee [Episode Thirteen] AGGROGAMER.COM 001 004 The AggroCast crew made a trip out to Horror Vibes Coffee in Las Vegas, NV. Not only to check out the new horror-themed coffee shop in town, but to also get back into the swing of things now that life has started to calm back down for them all. Enjoy a bit of Las Vegas with the crew, hear about some upcoming events and projects, as well as some of the life events that have gone down since the last major Aggrocast. The topics get all over the place here, but all done at the new Horror Vibes Coffee out here that you should check out if you are in Las Vegas, NV. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast, currently recording in my car after just going to the grand opening of Horror Vibes Coffee here in Las Vegas. David Hades Becker: Yeah, it’s a lot cooler in here than it was outside, especially with the long line we had to stand in to get inside. There’s a lot of people here for this. RB: It was great to see them have that kind of opening, even though they’ve been open for two weeks now, to have the grand opening and have everybody outside waiting. I enjoyed what I ordered. I had an apple pie chai type thing. It was awesome. DHB: I can’t remember how they named it. It was based on the movie XXX or whatever, or X, and Maxine. It was a pita colada lemonade. It was delicious. RB: With tajin? DHB: Yeah, with tajin around the inside. And then, gotta talk about the donut. RB: And then, of course, they had donuts that were decorated. We’re recording this on Friday the 13th, so they were like the hockey mask for Jason. And ours were Oreo stuffed cream. They had had some Fruity Pebbles, but evidently they had gone through those fairly quickly. DHB: It was a weird thing going with the Oreo filling. I would have expected some kind of cherry or strawberry jam type of filling. I feel like the blood oozing out. RB: That would have been cool. DHB: It was still tasty. RB: And then we met an artist that was there who does all of their murals. Phil Borkay? Bork? DHB: Yeah, you’re doing better than I would do it. RB: Yeah, so we will probably toss up some images and do a little write-up on the opening. And also his Instagram. But he was super cool. He’s like a traveling artist. He does tattoo work on the road and has done all of the artwork for the two different locations. If you’ve ever seen the artwork, you’ll probably see some images as we toss them up. Super cool, super fun. A lot of horror vibe mixed in with some whimsy. But right now he’s doing kind of eras of horror. So like the 1930s and 40s, 50s and 60s, all the way up to current day. And that’s going to be super fun. DHB: Yeah, and he’s doing that kind of as a timeline in the building here in Vegas. And he had a couple of images up to show all that stuff. But yeah, he mentioned doing that all the way down to where the bathrooms were, where they had the twin girls from The Shining, all the way back up to where the coffee’s at. RB: And he mentioned that he has a hand in how they started up. So I don’t know if he’s a part owner or what. But super cool guy. Enjoyed our conversation with him. Enjoyed all of the folks working at this location. They were all fun and friendly. And forward to coming down here more often. Maybe even doing a recording there in the coffeehouse. DHB: Yeah, right, exactly. I mean, it had a great vibe, but it was definitely packed and busy. So there was no way we were going to be able to record inside. RB: So yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve done the AggroCast. And a lot of stuff has been going on. We’ve done a few special editions. It’s really been like a year or so. DHB: Yeah, been close to a year, yeah. RB: And we’re trying to get this thing back on the rails. I got married, been going to school. And then just a lot of stuff going on. But we’ve also been staying busy. David’s been super active on the website. Always recommend checking out aggrogamer.com for all of your video game and pop culture news information. Because we’re always going to different events. We’re putting up an article today about the Universal Fan Fest. Juliet and I went out to that for one of our anniversary celebrations. And that was super fun. DHB: Yeah, it was definitely interesting to read all that and see all the pictures you guys got from that. Sad I got to miss out on it, but it still looked like it was a whole lot of fun. RB: But you know, Universal, if you want to send us out there as press for Fan Fest 2026, we would be more than willing to do that and jump on that bullet. DHB: So you’re thinking all the way out there. I’m also looking at the… To go back on the theme of the horror thing, we have the Universal Horror Unleashed opening up here in August. RB: Yes. DHB: So if they want to do that one as well, we could… RB: Hey, we will cover that. We will gladly cover that for you. We are horror fans and enthusiasts, and we’ve been talking about this for a while now. Universal, if you’re listening, hit us up. We also went to… Necrogoblokon was in town, so we got to see them. And I got a new favorite band out of that. Exmortus. DHB: Exmortus, yeah. RB: They were awesome. DHB: Not only as a band, just as really cool guys. They were all working their merch booth afterwards. RB: I got to meet the lead singer, and he was super cool. They got songs based off of Lord of the Rings. One of the T-shirts I picked up, Oathbreaker, is one of their songs, and it’s based off of the Oathbreakers in Lord of the Rings, the ones that Aragorn recruits this last year. Running around, trying to do stuff, and we’re getting ready for San Diego Comic-Con. You just went to an IGN event. DHB: Yeah, so the Summer Games Fest and the IGN Live, pretty much what’s taken over from E3, they’ve had all those events where they’re showing up all the new video games and trailers. And IGN invited me out for their Fan Fest, which is quite literally what that was. It really wasn’t, they weren’t showing off much there that we hadn’t seen already. It was stuff for Claire Obscura and A Killing Floor 3, so it was not brand, brand new games. They did have, Alan Tudyk was out there promoting Resident Alien. The guys from the voice actors for Rick and Morty were out there talking about the new season. But it was definitely more of a fan festival than it was IGN trying to push more of the E3 type of vibe, even though that’s also what it felt like they were trying to do, because it was at the convention space just down the road from where E3 was, during the time when E3 would normally be happening. RB: So an E3 tie-in, but also kind of shades of what to possibly expect at Comic-Con this year? DHB: Kind of, yeah. That’s kind of how it felt like. It felt like it was a solid Comic-Con off-site, where it’s like you can go in, have a vibe, check a few things out, and kind of move right along. RB: Well, thanks IGN for getting David out there to check that out. DHB: Yeah, it was definitely a blast. RB: So Comic-Con is coming up. I’m super stoked about that. Any ideas what we might see out there in terms of IPs for off-sites? DHB: As of right now, it’s mostly just rumors, but if you just look at the timing of certain things, Twisted Metal, the new season drops right after Comic-Con, so I’m expecting, like they did last season, we’ll probably see something out there for that. I know Marvel said they’re not showing up with anything massive for like Hall H or anything, and not doing another filming, which is weird, because Fantastic Four drops on the Friday of Comic-Con, so it feels like a missed opportunity. RB: I wonder if that’s tied in with what happened with the Deadpool and Wolverine, the debacle that happened last year. DHB: Yeah. RB: Which, from what we were told, wasn’t really San Diego Comic-Con’s fault. There was some miscommunication with whoever was running that event in Hall H. DHB: Yeah. RB: But there were a lot of conversations about how people who had been standing in line all day to get into that thing, they had started the event before they got everybody into the hall. And I’m sure that was super frustrating. DHB: Not to mention there was people still waiting outside with their wristband while the movie was starting. Yeah. So I was like, they had the panel, they had all that stuff, and still people were guaranteed a spot were left out. So I get it, but it’s weird. I know they might do something for Fantastic Four, they might not, who knows. I know there’s a bunch of other, they might do something for Horrors Unleashed, because that’ll be opening up shortly after. Thinking about other IPs that might be going down. Maybe something for the new Fallout, new Fallout season’s coming. RB: That would be cool. DHB: They’ll probably do something for The Last of Us to get people back on track with that. RB: Yeah, I fell off of that. We were talking about that in line. I just, as they killed Joel, spoilers if you haven’t been watching, oh no, I just lost interest. I just can’t get with it. DHB: I get that. Like I said before, it’s kind of the vibe everybody who played the game got as well, even when it wasn’t Pedro Pascal. RB: What about, when is Megan 2.0 coming out? DHB: Megan 2.0 I think comes out in a couple of weeks. So I don’t know if they’ll do anything for that, but I mean, Blumhouse will probably be out there pushing so many things. I mean, they just, I think, bought the Saw franchise. I know there was supposed to be a new Saw movie this year, so they might do something for that. RB: House of the Dragons, new season will be coming out, and they’ve got that offshoot of the Dunk and Egg Hedge Knight series that they’re doing. DHB: Yeah, so they might have something out there for the Game of Thrones thing. I’m kind of hopeful that they might do something for Severance. I love the thing they did the first time, and then season two, just as amazing. I know they’re working on season three now. RB: And then Telemuska is an offshoot of the Dark Universe Anne Rice Interview With A Vampire. That’s the research arm that’s tracking all the vampires and supernaturals. Maybe they’ll do something? Because that Interview With The Vampire one that year was awesome. DHB: That was really, really cool. RB: So I don’t know. It’s going to be interesting to see, as we start rolling towards Comic-Con, what information starts hitting the news and the press releases. DHB: I guess one of the other ones we could probably look forward to, now that I think about it, wearing the hat, The Boys and Gen V. Gen V has a new season coming out as well. And I know they went hard every year with something at Comic-Con for that IP. RB: Well, and they had that tragedy that happened with one of the actors. So I wonder how they’re going to recover from that. DHB: Watching the trailer, they show how they’re recovering from it. I know the cast is still recovering from the loss of a friend. But I think they are writing it into where he sacrificed himself somehow, and the father is taking over the same role. RB: Oh, wow. Okay. DHB: That’s the vibe I got from the trailer. Because all of a sudden the father is perfectly fine and healthy again. RB: So, yeah. Things to look forward to with Comic-Con. Comic-Con, man, this year, trying to get into the hotel block was insane. DHB: Yes, it was a nightmare. RB: As press, trying to just stay near the convention center is so damn hard to get through all of the lottery process. Why? DHB: Well, this has been the same process it’s been for the last decade. At the same time, even this year, every year it’s been getting harder and harder. I want to say it was the first year you got to go, we got to stay relatively close to the convention center. And then it’s been, even this year, we’re a mile away. And so we’ve been progressively getting further and further away. And even this time, we didn’t even get it in the lottery pool. We just randomly hopped on when they did the open sales. RB: Well, and we’ve got quite a few folks under the AggroGamer banner who were trying to get into everything to get rooms. And it was still like pulling teeth to get what we got. DHB: Yeah. RB: Crazy. So if you’re listening, San Diego Comic-Con, we love you so much. We would love a fourth pass so we can get the rest of our press team in and maybe look at getting some room block set aside for the press people. DHB: Like actual registered press so that you don’t have to worry about people trying to snake their way in using the back alleys or whatever. RB: Because we are legitimately there to cover the event and tell people how awesome it is and why they don’t really want to miss. While understanding that the lottery is a hell of a thing and trying to get passes can be extremely difficult. We want people to get that opportunity to see what it’s like to feel like they’re there. And we can’t do it if we can’t even get into a room block. DHB: Yeah, exactly. I don’t want to drive five hours every morning to head out just to stay home. RB: Yeah, we love Vegas. But damn, that’s a hell of a commute. DHB: Yeah. RB: So yeah, hopefully things will get better at least for next year. DHB: That is the hope that we do a little bit better each time. RB: And so like with AggroCast, we’re getting this back up off the ground. We’ve talked about possibly doing more YouTube. DHB: More than just gameplay. RB: Yeah. So that way you guys have to get, you’re stuck seeing our faces. DHB: Sorry. RB: Unless you want us in masks, you know, leave a comment down below. DHB: I got a couple of good masks. RB: Oh, yeah. I’ve got some masks from some awesome creators. I could toss one on and we could do the mask into… DHB: The Slipknot/GWAR thing. RB: That would be great. We might have to do an episode for Halloween for that. DHB: I’m down. Let’s do this. RB: Yeah. So this is just kind of a catch up Comic-Con like life update as to what’s going on. DHB: As well as to help promote the Horror Vibe Coffee. RB: Yeah. We are unofficially, not officially sponsored by Horror Vibe Coffee. Horror Vibe Coffee, if you happen to hear about this, please consider sponsoring us. Our demands are so few. Maybe just a cup of coffee and let us do a recording in the back. DHB: Nothing too crazy. RB: We’re not looking for hundreds of dollars or anything crazy. Just a little nod and some good Java. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: Yeah. This is fun actually getting out of the studio, getting into the wild, being able to record. There’s some horror movies coming out. Anything that you’re excited to see? DHB: Oh, I know there’s a new Frankenstein movie I’m really excited to see. RB: Guillermo del Toro DHB: Yeah. There’s a new Evil Dead in the works, but they haven’t really announced much of that. RB: I’ll Swallow Your Soul. DHB: Exactly. I’m ready for that. I wish they would do like a movie production of a musical just so I could have that at home and watch it over and over. RB: That would be awesome. DHB: At the same time, I only got two more before I hit the magic number 100 of seeing that show. RB: Is it still touring? DHB: Currently, not that I know of. But once it does, I will travel outside the country again if I need to. RB: Yeah, you are certainly a fan, a diehard fan. Also a fan of Psychostick. Psychostick, if you happen to hear about this. Just know David always talks about his love for you. And maybe one day we can talk to you guys about an intro theme song. DHB: That’d be amazing. But they’re busy doing the new Toxic Crusaders album. RB: Yeah, I’m still on the fence about that movie. I’m confused about… I don’t know if I’m going to be afraid of Peter Dinklage’s Toxie. DHB: I mean, there’s only going to be one way to find out. I mean, he did give a good Tyrion. RB: Hey, he drank in New Things. DHB: Exactly. RB: And he was the best part of Game of Thrones for me. But Toxie… I just remember as a kid watching the Toxic Avenger and how beefy he was in that tutu. And I’m just… I’m not sure. Like, muscles… There’s just a mop. Like, I’m not here to criticize anybody’s height. This isn’t a Snow White episode. But, yeah, I just… I don’t know. I don’t know. I will reserve… DHB: I will always say Heath Ledger as the Joker. Everybody gave those criticisms and he knocked it out of the park. So I’m willing to give all the benefit of the doubt. RB: Heath Ledger. I cried the day he died. I’d been a fan of his for a long time. And then he passed. Man, what a performance. DHB: Exactly. That’s why I’m always willing to give any actor who’s playing a role that most people can’t imagine give them a chance. RB: Yeah, that’s fair. All right. So I’m sure we will cover Toxic Avenger at some point after it’s come out. DHB: Yeah. Playing Toxic Crusader because that’s the video game that Psychostick is doing to bring it all the way back. RB: Yeah, yeah. So, all right. Talking about video games. DHB: Okay. RB: You have been keeping on track with video game stuff. What has been going on in the world of video games? Anything outstanding or really interesting? DHB: So, as of right now, a lot of the… Obviously, the big one everybody’s talking about is Claire Obscura. It’s a small French developer that nobody wanted to give a chance to. And they’re on the verge of Game of the Year right now. And it’s just kind of like a Final Fantasy turn-based game. I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but I’ve heard amazing things about that. I’ve been diving a lot into a lot of the weird indie games recently. Finding Frankie, which is a weird parkour Five Nights at Freddy’s type game. There’s the new Five Nights at Freddy’s Secret of the Mimic that just dropped today. Revenge of the Savage Planet, which is a weird Ratchet and Clank thing kind of also with Rick and Morty type humor. Copycat, the non-sci-fi version of the game Stray. RB: Oh, wow. DHB: Yeah. I’ve been diving into a lot of that kind of stuff. But I also know Gears of War. The new Gears of War is coming out to PlayStation, which is a huge thing. It’s the first time ever. What else was there? Oh, the Directive 8020. It’s the next in the Dark Pictures anthology, which is like you’re playing a video game that’s also a horror movie. And they’re adding a lot of stuff in. One of my favorite horror games from last year was The Casting of Frank Stone. RB: Yeah. DHB: And it’s exactly that. They’re adding in all of the fun stuff, like the cool game mechanics they had on that. Because they mixed in some stuff from Dead by Daylight into that game. RB: That’s pretty awesome. DHB: I’m looking forward to all that stuff. Still waiting to hear if there’s going to be the actual nod to a new God of War game, hopefully. I know there’s people losing their mind over the new Call of Duty, the new Game of Thrones RTS that’s coming out. RB: Yeah. I saw it. And what I thought was really interesting, there are some YouTubers that I watch that do TV and movie reviews that were doing reviews of that game. So I don’t know if they’re showing up money or if it’s just because there’s a tie-in to Game of Thrones where you can essentially rewrite the ending of the show. But it’s everywhere now, like all of the advertisements and talking about it. DHB: Yeah. They’re pushing it hard. I know that it was the mobile game they had. So I don’t know if that just wasn’t doing well. And I’m like, OK, let’s do it. It’s also, I think, a small Australian developer who’s doing it, too. So I think, I want to say this is the year of the small, independent developer. Because almost every massive game people are hyped for, we’re talking teams of between 1 to 50 at most. RB: Wow. DHB: I can’t remember the name of the game. There’s one I just recently checked out. Is it Gore Doctor? Kind of an Outlast, survive a serial killer type game. I think it was a team of six that made that game. And it’s nothing, not Game of the Year, but it’s still amazing that such a small team did something that also kind of feels like it could be a hit with the heavy hitters. RB: Well, and we were talking about how virtual reality games had taken a back seat. DHB: Yeah. RB: Recently, there’s been more of a push. DHB: Yeah, because they have the new VR Deadpool game coming out. I get emails all the time about random VR games. They’re like, I thought this took a back seat, but I don’t know if it’s because the Apple Vision tanked. So they’re just trying to push the Meta harder and the Steam VR, a lot of stuff. RB: Well, and Meta is allegedly changing up some of how they’re going to be doing stuff with VR. So I feel like what happened was a lot of these companies shifted gears from VR to AI. And now that AI is kind of settled down from the Wild West mentality it initially had, maybe they’re turning their gaze back on those investments that they had made into VR. So hopefully we’ll get some pretty cool titles. And I know there’s some VR experiences here in Vegas. DHB: Yeah, I actually got an email from them yesterday. So you might be checking that out over at the MGM, the Zero Latency. I’ve done some of their stuff in the past, and it’s a blast. And that’s a warehouse scale VR. RB: Yeah. The only video game stuff that I’ve been doing, and don’t judge me, I went back to Baulder’s Gate 3 because I still have not finished it. And so every time I stop, I have to restart to remember how to play the game again. And so I have just gotten to Act 3 of Baulder’s Gate 3. So I am pushing towards the end of the game. And since I’m on summer break, I should be able to finish it up, at least my first run. I know people are like, I’ve beat that game 12 times. I’m like, that’s just because you want to romance all of the companions. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: We’re not here to judge anyone. We do you. Karlach is best. DHB: Is that the bear? RB: No, that’s Halsin. Halsin, the giant elf guy, elf druid who will turn into a bear and love you with all of his bear-y might. DHB: Yeah, that’s where it gets a little weird. RB: Yeah, Halsin turns into a bear. There’s Astarion that everybody loves because it’s the vampire, gothy guy. And then Karlach is just a cinnamon roll of a barbarian who wants to love you. And hasn’t been able to be touched by anyone for a long time because of her fernal engine. Yeah, it’s a great game. There’s a reason it won all of those awards. I’ve just been dragging my ass on trying to finish it. DHB: You’re enjoying it. RB: I’m enjoying it. And I think there’s also part of me that’s like, OK, once I’ve done, I’ll be sad. And maybe that’s why I haven’t finished it. But I’m going to finish it so that way I can say I have. And it’s going to be one of the first games I’ve finished in a very long time. But then in tabletop news, there has been a lot of stuff going on. Critical Role released their tabletop game, Daggerheart, which everybody has been raving about. It’s interesting. There’s a lot of stuff in the Daggerheart game that I have seen through my myriad of experience in LARPs and tabletop games. And so I’m like, a lot of these elements I’ve seen, but I haven’t picked it up. We don’t get free copies. We’re not that important. But I might I might pick it up just so I can kind of read through it and get it. The only thing that’s weird, and I have played games like Savage Worlds that have card elements. Torg is the same way. Daggerheart uses cards. And some of the cards, I think the cards are your character abilities. So it’s really interesting having a card element tied into an RPG. I’m here for it. I’m willing to give it a try. Other than that… DHB: Speaking of cards, though, you still into Lorcana? RB: No. So we moved in. We bought a house and had to move in December. By the time we got done moving, they had released two more sets. And then I saw something about how they were releasing tournament rules for play. I’m like, the reason I got into this is because it wasn’t Magic the Gathering. I played Magic back in the day when there were type 1 and type 2 tournaments. I played type 2, but I couldn’t keep affording to buy new cards. So if Lorcana is moving in that direction where they’re limiting certain cards or how decks are constructed, I’m just not into it. I liked the whole Disney aspect. And I was all about the broom decks because I thought that was super fun. But I just, no, we haven’t played in months. We’ve thought about taking all of our cards and selling them to a local game store just to get some store credit to put towards other things. DHB: Yeah. RB: Although I did see Magic the Gathering does have a style of gameplay that I’ve considered. And it’s called Pauper. And play with common cards. Your decks are nothing but common cards. DHB: Okay. RB: I was like, okay. Depending upon how they limit whatever sets or whatever, that could be interesting. And they just released a Final Fantasy set. DHB: Yeah, I saw the Final Fantasy one. RB: Final Fantasy! I know Ike was really big in Magic for a while because of the art. But then they did some goofy cash grab stuff and they started doing like Warhammer 40K and Doctor Who and D&D. And so he lost interest when they started putting out all of these novelty sets. Yeah, Pauper. I don’t know. Maybe somebody is willing to teach me. And we can sit down and play Pauper and see how that works out. But yeah, so tabletop RPGs. There’s a lot of stuff going on. A lot of the creative team of Wizards of the Coast that did D&D, like Perkins, are gone. They’ve moved on to other things. So it’s going to be interesting to see who the new design team is after the release of the 2024 Player’s Handbook, DMG, and Monster Manual, which I’ve been playing around with some of the 2024 rules. I like the designs of the book. I know that there are some books that have already found ways to break the system. But of course, that’s the way with pretty much any system. DHB: Pretty much any game, yeah. RB: So I’m not going to give it a hard time for that because every time a new system comes out, there’s always going to be where can you find those opportunities, like I was telling you in line. Juliet found a way to use a diviner wizard with the rewrite of the sleep spell that was really kind of interesting. Too bad she tried it on some elves. Yeah, so there’s a lot of stuff going on still in the TTRPG space. DHB: Yeah. RB: And then of course, in the card game space, I think, what was that? There’s a new, there’s an IP that just released. DHB: I heard about Gwent from The Witcher. They just released their card, or the card game’s in pre-order right now. RB: Yeah, there was that one, and there’s one other. And I don’t remember. I’ll have to think on it. So yeah, there’s stuff going on there. But I also have fallen into wrestling. Last year, I got Juliet involved into wrestling, which she had been a fan when she was younger. So getting back into it, I’ve had to kind of explain some things. But she loves Tiffany Stratton. Tiffy time! And we have enjoyed a lot of the new wrestlers they have brought in, like Penta. And Chad Gable has been doing some fun, interesting things with his heel turn. And there’s this new mysterious luchador, El Grande Americano, the finest of coffees. He’s a luchador, an American luchador, which there’s some stuff there that’s a little… DHB: Questionable? RB: Questionable. RB: Like, I almost bought his T-shirt, but on the bottom it says, comes from the Gulf of America. And I was like, I don’t know if I want to go there. If you’re a wrestling fan, you understand. But if you’re tied to politics, I’m sure you understand. DHB: You understand it differently. RB: Yeah. But we had WrestleMania here in Las Vegas, and they’re having it again next year. DHB: Almost like the exact same day. It’s like the 18th and 19th of April. RB: Yeah, originally it was scheduled for New Orleans, but unfortunately that kind of fell through. And so you want to double your money, or they’re doing some kind of playoff of, you know, dropping the double deuce. DHB: Yeah. RB: The problem has been getting into the event because it’s so expensive. DHB: Yes. RB: I would love to actually… I’ve never been to a live wrestling event other than like what we did in Fremont. DHB: Yeah, the WOW thing, yeah. RB: And then we’ve talked about the little person wrestling. DHB: Midget wrestling. RB: That’s what they call it. That’s not us. That’s what they call it. We’ve talked about checking out that show down off the strip. DHB: Yeah. RB: I would love to go to an event, but then I also look at… They occasionally do this pan down from the rafters of these big stadiums where they’re holding the events, and the ring looks like a postage stamp. DHB: Yeah, if you’re up in the nosebleeds, yeah. RB: And so I’m like, you know what? But I can sit at home and hit pause and go get another Diet Coke. I don’t know. I’m sure that there’s something cool about the experience, but I’ve also heard like horror stories of like tickets down on the floor being 40 grand, shit like that. I’m like, holy cow. I know wrestling has caught a new resurgence, but damn, some of those ticket prices are just insane. And then you look, and every time I watch an event, I see some of the same people every event. I’m like, how do you afford this? Either you know somebody that works for TKO or WWE, or you’re independently wealthy, and that’s what you’re spending. DHB: That is what you chose your life to do, is I’m going to go to every show. RB: I won the lottery. I get 60 grand a month, and I’m going to wrestling shows. Every wrestling show. DHB: Every major wrestling show. I’m there. RB: I’m like, you know what? You do you, boo. That’s awesome. I would just like to go maybe once. DHB: Hook us up with a free ticket if you’re independently wealthy. RB: Yeah, if you’re independently wealthy, or if you’re somehow WWE listening. Remember us? We were Cody Stans. We’re Penta Stans. So many wrestlers that I am just in love with. Stephanie Vaquer. Oh, she is amazing. The angel of death. I don’t even remember what her tagline is. But even like, okay. Logan Paul. People don’t like him. That dude is freaking athletic. He’s teamed up with Cena right now, because Cena’s on his farewell tour, and he did his heel turn. But Logan Paul, you know what? That dude, not only does he have the physicality, but he is just super fucking talented. And he’s a great heel. He really lives it up. I’m like, dude, you’re awesome. You know how this game plays. DHB: You know how to hame it up for the camera. RB: Yeah, I might not be a Logan Paul fan of like his podcasts and all of that. But as a wrestler, I have to hand it to him 100%. So I went down the rabbit hole of wrestling. Not big into AEW. I know our buddy Frank Hartgrave was AEW. And now Frank’s moved on to being like a commentator on the Indy scene. DHB: Oh, nice. RB: Which is super awesome. Every once in a while, I see something that’s been posted. He’s doing videos and interviews. I’m like, Frank, you just kick ass, buddy. You’re doing awesome. This has been a hell of a catch up. DHB: It has been, yeah. RB: We’ve covered a lot of topics. DHB: We’ve gone over everything. And kind of given a little sneak peek into other things we’ll probably be talking about in future episodes. RB: Yeah, and remember, we will be there for coverage of San Diego Comic-Con because we love San Diego Comic-Con. We want them to love us as well. DHB: Yes. Same thing with Universal. RB: Yeah, and Universal, Wrestling, WWE, Horror Vibes Coffee. DHB: The list goes on. RB: The list goes on. DHB: Just re-listen to the whole podcast again so you can hear it all. RB: And we’re going to tag the shit out of this. So hopefully, maybe they’ll catch wind of this. DHB: Fingers crossed. RB: But it was great catching up, David. DHB: Likewise. RB: I look forward to next week. We can figure out what the hell we’re going to talk about. DHB: Dude, we both got Weird Al coming up. RB: Oh. DHB: I have that tonight? And I think you have it tomorrow night? RB: No, not tomorrow. It’s next week. DHB: Next week? RB: Yeah. DHB: But either way, we still have it. We can both talk about that if we get to. RB: And Puddles Pity Party. DHB: Yes. RB: I saw Puddles twice in Denver. Puddles is awesome. The guy’s like seven foot tall with the voice of an angel. DHB: Yes. RB: A rock angel. But yeah, so that’ll be great to talk about Weird Al. DHB: Yeah. I’m down. Let’s do this. RB: All right. Well, thank you again for listening. This has been the AggroCast, the official podcast of AggroGamer. I’m Ray. DHB: I’m David. RB: And we’ll catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Agrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AgroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at AgroGamer.com. If you enjoyed today’s content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 30:14 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,SDCC,Halloween Horror Nights,Horror Vibes Coffee,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2025 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2024 [Episode Twelve] The AggroCast crew takes the voyage out to check out Universal Halloween Horror Night in Hollywood, CA. Join them as they are joined by Ike again as they dive into the experiences leading up to the night. Experiences that explore various places around town, a chocolate factory restaurant, Super Nintendo World, and then the various haunts and scare zones within the park for 2024. Fun and frights we had, along with some interesting takes on various other aspects of it all. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the Agrocast. This is a special edition. This is the Horror Nights 2024 as they’re already giggling. I don’t know why. But we’re getting ourselves put together Friday the 13th September 2024 to go to Halloween Horror Nights. We’ve watched some content, at least I have. David’s caught some. We’ve got Ike with us. What do you guys look forward to seeing? David Hades Becker: Primarily, I know I’m here for like A Quiet Place. I really want to see the Purge Waterworld show. And the one that blew my mind years ago was the Bride of Frankenstein one where the storyline was amazing, but they didn’t offer anything to take home from it outside of the memories. RB: That Bride of Frankenstein one, I remember seeing some content afterwards online about how that was supposed to be like an official sequel to the Bride of Frankenstein movie. So that would be awesome if they ever did anything with it. But yeah, I totally agree. And it’s supposedly being done in like Studio 12. So you can actually go into what has been used for movies. How about you, Ike? Ike: I hadn’t thought about it, but I was wondering if they did the Quiet Place thing, if they’re going to be a thematic based scare where you have to go on the set and it’s dead quiet and anyone that dares makes a sound is the person that gets attacked or the person that gets accosted. DHB: See, that would be amazing. I: The other thing that I’m hoping for is last time we were here, the Jaws set thing was under repair and maintenance. So if that’s back up. DHB: I think it’s still under repair, unfortunately. RB: Yeah, as Ike says this, he’s wearing a Jaws t-shirt. But Ike is our magnet for anything water based. I’ve refused to tell him which haunts are actually going to squirt water just so he can be surprised. I: Because you don’t want to go to the Waterworld show. Well, yeah. Oh, there’s that one guy. DHB: We’re gonna throw him into the lake thing. But it’s the purge show instead of the Waterworld show, so it’s a little bit different. RB: I want to see what they do with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, because that’s always a favorite. DHB: The Backlot tour, where it’s all Blumhouse stuff. I’m really interested to see all the different IPs they put into that, and which ones stand out and which ones don’t. If we can also get the same thing that happened with the Us and Noop thing that happened earlier. I: We don’t have Zayden with us. DHB: True. RB: I do have to admit that I have been remiss in my watching a Blumhouse film. So I’m… I’m too shy from what they’re probably going to include. We were talking about it in the car on the way up. Freaky and happy… DHB: Happy Death Day. RB: Happy Death Day. Yeah. So I need to check those out when I get home. DHB: But you got, M3gan, you got The Black Phone. I believe they’re doing something with Five Nights at Freddy’s as well. RB: Yeah. I: Five hours before you have to be there. We have time. RB: Just watch him in the car. DHB: Power watch. RB: We have chosen specifically not to go to Trejo’s Tacos Only because a certain someone that’s back home just told us no well told me no specifically… DHB: You were told no. I: So, Ray has to stay here when we go for lunch. RB: But you know what since this is gonna come out after I’ve gotten home. We went to Trejo’s Cantina last night, which is their sit-down place and it was pretty pretty good. DHB: And technically different. RB: And technically different. Wasn’t specifically Trejo’s Tacos. So… I: Picture of the building. It doesn’t say Trejo’s Tacos. RB: Yeah. So on a technicality, I should be safe. Yeah. I’m technically right. Other than that, we’re possibly going to run around and do some sightseeing before we hit Universal. We’re going to try to get into, no, we’ve got a reservation for… DHB: Teservation for Toothsomes, which is the like the Willy Wonka steampunk chocolate factory thing. And we do have a reservation for the Toadstool Cafe. RB: Yeah, because Ike hasn’t seen the Nintendo World, Mario Brothers land. DHB: And it’s been over a year since we’ve gone. RB: Yeah. DHB: Really specifically to see everything. Last year, I think we did one little thing in there, but that was about it. RB: Well, and we wanted to try the food place again to see if the quality of the food has changed since press day. So that’ll be really interesting. DHB: And I can get the spicy meat ball. RB: Yeah, he’s really interested about putting balls in his mouth. I’m not sure why… DHB: Bowser’s balls Why wouldn’t you want to gargle Bowser’s balls? RB: Hey, you know what that that’s all about you my buddy. Yeah, they’re currently bunk mates so that’s gonna be interesting especially depending upon how spicy it is. We might have to get some odorizer in here. But uh, alright, so that is part one of our adventure today stay tuned. All right, so we’re just now finishing lunch and Ike wants to express his displeasure. I: In the same vein when I found out that Santa Claus wasn’t real and Easter Bunny was just a guy in a suit. My two friends who had hyped up this wonderful steampunk chocolate filled restaurant, we walk in and much to my dismay, lo and behold, no chocolate. DHB: There was a chocolate pickle. I: That was for friendship being on being back into the probationary period, no longer on tenure. Tenure evoked from friendship because there’s no chocolate fountain anymore. There’s not even the smell of chocolate. You know what the color is? The color is, the ground is a shit-stained brown, like a shit-stain on the underwear of our relationship because there’s no more chocolate in this place. You know what the best chocolate we had from was a frozen fucking pickle on top of their sandwiches. That’s the closest we got to this being a chocolate factory. I’m just disappointed. RB: And that was Ike, everyone. To give you a recap, on the way from Vegas to Universal, we talked about Toothsome’s Chocolate Factory restaurant in the Universal CityWalk and how amazing it was and how it had a whole section that was filled with candy and chocolate. And sadly, when we showed up today… we noticed that the candy section was replaced with a bar. I: You know how much of a lie it was? The person at the front couldn’t even remember there being a candy section here. RB: David? DHB: Well, I have some of the glassware and all that stuff and jars, so I can prove there was a candy section here at one point. And they still kind of have a remnants of it. They have a couple of things you can still buy, but. RB: But we were told by our waitress, a lovely person came by to take our order. That they were losing money on it and people love alcohol. So they replaced the candy section with alcohol. And they have a small kiosk with a few chocolate offerings. But yes, Ike is correct. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich. David ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. And on top of it was a frozen pickle dipped in chocolate. DHB: Yeah, it’s that hard chocolate that you do like the flash freeze on for like ice cream cones. I: To quote GLaDOS, the chocolate is a lie. RB: And as you can tell, Ike is really disappointed, and we’re not sure when this is gonna end. But he’s going to be mad for a while. DHB: Maybe after we go to the Toadstool Cafe, it’ll fix a few things. RB: It could be. I: Yeah, we’re gonna get there and there’s not gonna even be a Toadstools, is there? There’s not even gonna be any fucking Mario shit. It’ll walk into goddamn fucking McDonald’s. RB: Because of Toothsomes, now everything that we have told him is suspect. And we’re going to have to walk through this entire experience with him doubting everything we’re talking about. DHB: At least that sets the… I: I think there’s not even fucking horror… haunted houses, is there? It’s just, he’ll be like, oh, look, it’s microtransactions to get out of here. DHB: Well, at least that sets the expectations low so like even the minor thing is going to blow his mind. RB: Although… Microtransactions would definitely be a horrifying night. DHB: Unfortunately, yeah, that would. But this has been our lunch recap. RB: Stay tuned for when we actually enter the park. We’re in the Toadstool Cafe and we wanted to check the food out to see if it was the same quality as the Press Day and I went with the meatballs and spaghetti, the garlic knots and the princess cupcake. David finally got the Bowser’s Meatball Challenge and Ike went with the burger, the Mario Burger and the tiramisu. Overall, good quality. I: Again, the bun was like gluten free or something. Like it’s way too light and airy so it’s like you’re not even biting into it type of thing. So it’s not really reason to have a bun. RB: And it just kind of fell apart. I: Yeah. It didn’t hold up to even the moisture like on the bottom, the tomato had like dissolved the bun down to the ground. RB: So David, how was the Bowser’s challenge? DHB: It was completely worth it. It was a spicy meatball. I will say that much. I mean, as a fire elemental, if not my level of spice, it needs to go up higher. But for something you would put on a consumer market, oh yeah, it’s gonna kick a couple people’s asses. RB: So do you think that they really have maintained the quality of the food since press day? DHB: From what I’ve seen and tasted, it feels like it and press day was a little over a year and a half ago So it feels like it wasn’t one of those we’re gonna cart it out for the first few months and let it go to trash like everything else. RB: well, and you’re still you’re still having to make a reservation. DHB: Yes, even though even though we’re doing the reservation still oddly the entire place is relatively empty. RB: Yeah, it’s really interesting I don’t know how many slots they had her time. DHB: Well, also is when I was talking to the guy before we came in. It was listed that you had a half hour window. So even if you were scheduled at 430, you could show up as late as five and still be seated and all that. So maybe it’s something, people just sparse it out that way. Because even when we came in, I want to say we had a slow rush of maybe 20 people that were here on the same time as our reservation. And then it just kind of died out afterwards. RB: And this was Ike’s first time in Mario Land. What did you think overall? I: It’s very kid oriented. DHB: Well, and they had the gold boxes that you could beat on for coins and. And then you got to play some of the games and you went on the Bowser’s ride. I: Yeah, it made me long for playing actual Mario Kart, but it doesn’t, it doesn’t provoke Mario Kart syndrome where you incapacitate your friends really badly so you can get advantage. It was odd being completely cooperative. RB: Well, and what did you think about the AR experience? DHB: The Bowser Jr. challenge. I: I think it’s a good concept and it seemed like it was played down to appeal to as much of a wide audience as possible. But isn’t really a feature that you come to the park for. It’s just like, oh, here’s an extra little thing that’s like made mysterious to entice people to spend the $42 for the little band. RB: So, but overall, generally a decent experience. I: Yeah, but it’s one of those things of, now knowing what it is, I wouldn’t have purchased the wristband, which is what I’m glad I had tomorrow. DHB: I would say it still holds up to what our original assessment on. It’s not something to come to Universal Studios for specifically, but it’s something to come out and just experience if you’re coming out to check everything else out at the park. I: Yeah. RB: Nice. Well, and we’re about to get ready for Halloween Horror Nights. DHB: Horror Nights starts up soon and we’re going to hit the opening ceremonies, chainsaws everywhere. We did the tram rides. We got a sneak peek of a few of the other places. A few of the haunts will be going past. I: I’m curious about where the crows thing is because they have the Murder of Crows merchandise thing and usually everything that’s on merchandise has some sort of connection to it. RB: That’s it for this break. The next bit we’ll talk about some of the haunts that we saw and some of the horror areas. DHB: Scare Zones! RB: The scare zones. So thank you much and catch you soon. All right this is AggroGamer. We just finished going through the haunts at Universal Studios. We’re sitting down around the table to discuss what our likes and dislikes were. I’m going to start this off with David and Ike. David, what did you like most about it? What did you not like? DHB: So I’ll have to say, I went in with a little lower hopes on A Quiet Place, but I wanna say the animatronics in that, like the way they had them design and propped up and that stuff like really use the darkness to their benefit. And then when they would pop out, like the way the lighting hit, even though it wasn’t scary, it was just really cool to see, like they were using the area to great effectiveness there. And then I’m a huge fan of all the Blumhouse movies, so doing the terror tram that went through pretty much all of the, it had Freaky, it had Happy Death Day, Black Phone, pretty much all of their movies in like one long haunt. It was a lot of fun. The Chucky Show was great, as was The Purge Show. Kind of wish there was more scare actors roaming around in scare zones. The Crow was one that was there, that was really cool. And then I don’t know if there was any other ones. There was one that was like a luchador setup, but it just kind of felt like it was there. And the other thing I hate, and I don’t know why they keep doing it, is putting the smells in. Walking into the Texas Chainsaw Massacre one, and there’s an area where it just smells like shit. I’m like, yep, you nailed that smell, but I don’t want to be stuck in here with a bunch of other sweaty humans that also smell the same. I: That’s the colonge of Teen Spirit. That’s what you’re smelling. It smells like Teen Spirit in there. I know I liked, the unfortunate thing was, between the last time I, is this close enough? Um, between the last time we went in this time was that there was the addition of a third VIP line. There was an extra third of people that had to get in so they were power ushering people through instead of spacing people out. So there was no time for any actors to reset. There was no time for any jump trigger or animatronics to reset. So the majority of walking through it is you watch the thing pull out and then come back in. We even got the… like angry irate worker that was like, keep it moving, no pictures, go along. And it’s like, oh dear. And so I think that the effectiveness of all of the haunts was diminished severely because it was, a horror movie is dependent on timing and a haunted house is dependent on timing and there is none. They, there was like an artificial attempt to force it because a couple of the houses had like, you know, an S shaped curve area where they would have a bunch of drapery from the ceiling and no lights on. So you’d lose the people that you’re in front of, but you’re actually having like the force of gravity crush behind you, pushing you through. And you couldn’t stop to pay attention to the things that were cool. RB: Well, especially when you had those ushers that kept forcibly moving people through. I: Yeah, that was a thing too, that was different this time around because, okay, so it’s in comparison to what I went two or three years ago. RB: Two years ago. I: And they would have people that stood in front of the emergency exits and be like, no, this isn’t a place to go. Instead, now they had people with essentially aircraft lightsabers every 50 feet, ushering people further through and further through. And so it’s like… Okay, this is a shitty museum tour as opposed to a haunted house anymore. And it caused all of them to suffer terribly, especially Quiet Place one, because in Quiet Place, animatronics were awesome. They looked exactly like the monsters did, and if I was given the, you know, seven seconds needed for that thing to be able to reset and pop out, I would’ve actually been scared. Instead, it was just, that’s a cool looking animatronic. The other place that failed badly was the Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s wife. RB: The bride of Frankenstein. I: The bride of Frankenstein that had the story of being a Vampire Hunter or whatever. Hey, guess what? I couldn’t follow the story because I kept getting pushed ahead when I was trying to look at posters explaining the story. And they also turned up the volume on it. So I’m supposed to get some sort of details or sound effect from one room. That’s being drowned out by the sound from the other room that I just came from or the one that I’m going to. RB: And there was some distortion with that added volume, yeah. Because it’s an amazing story if you have the chance to catch it all. I: Yeah. And it was just like, you know, you and David took pictures afterwards and be like, oh, that would have been really cool to take the time to see what that is. Now that I have the time to look at this, pictures and whatnot. Oh, I appreciate, oh, there was an actual story that was going on in there. I thought it was just, you know, a death march that had to go, it would be done under two minutes because there had to be the crush. RB: And I understand pushing a large number of people through haunts, especially given that I’ve worked in the haunted industry. But when you’ve got the conga lines, like you said, you miss out on so much of the opportunities and the designers put those scares in there for a reason and then you don’t get them. I: And then I was like, we had, um, like happened to have some, like some person that worked there that was like super eager to point out, here’s all the cool work that’s gone in. It’s like, yeah, awesome. I want to be able to look at that when we’re going through. No, no. In the few instances where it’s like, Hey, yeah, there’s that thing I was talking about was like where, as it goes by. So while I can’t, unfortunately, I can’t comment on the quality of the scare or the experience because it was just like overshadowed by, we need to rush it through this. RB: So were there any of the haunts that stood out for you though? I: As far as like scaring or- RB: Or just overall interest? I: The overall interest was the Quiet Place one because they were designed that, because the horror of A Quiet Place is this, those things get really close to you and you have to do the whole like quiet, hence title or whatever. So I like the design choice that the animatronics would get really close to you, but it fell into the trap of when a horror movie or mystery movie is written in too well and it’s too interesting to be scary. And so you’re like, wow, that’s an awesome animatronic six inches away from my face. I’m more interested in how… I can’t see the mechanics behind the makeup and behind the paint job and stuff like that. Like this looks like the actual creature as opposed to a scare pop. And so I liked it for the wrong reasons. RB: Were there any that were boring to you? I: Yeah, the tram ride thing. It was the air quotes scare aspect of it was people were on risers behind fences and like yelling at you. And if I’m not, at some point it’s like, okay, this is tiresome, my feet hurt. And I’m looking at the ground and I don’t even notice that there’s people around me trying to scare me. And I was like, this is, and especially when, was it they made like the fake Hollywood sign that they put like zombies and stuff like on that. And part of the tour was "Photo Op Side Tour". And I’m like, really? We’re on a scare tour thing and you have a photo op tourist thing where people are actually lining up so they could take a picture of a set piece. RB: You know what’s really interesting is, because I’ve gone three or four years now, I think the scariest and most interesting of the Terror Trams, they had one that was a clown and it was a unique story. It wasn’t affiliated with any particular movie franchise. And I enjoyed that one, I think the most, because it was like this killer clown, but it was a unique character. It wasn’t a character from a movie. And… I think I really liked it when it wasn’t just a walk through, like, here’s all of the Bloomhouse movies, but an actual cohesive kind of story experience. Because, you know, you can have haunt actors running around and trying to scare people, but… DHB: There’s only so many chainsaws you can get thrown at your face and you’re like, okay, I’ve seen it tens of times. RB: Well, and we had, which one, where they wear the red jumpsuits and the scissors? DHB: Oh, the US. RB: Us. And it’s just like, Oh, okay. Cool. I guess it just, yeah. I: That one worked the last time because there wasn’t a huge amount of people running through it. And so you couldn’t see the scare actor reset. RB: Definitely more people this year, I think on the terror tram. I: Yeah. I said it was, it was just a flood of people. RB: Yeah. I: And the other thing is like, I’m familiar with like two Blumhouse movies. So, it’s like, oh, there’s a person that’s getting cut up with a knife. I’m sorry. Why should I care? Is that, is this the scary part of the movie? Is that what’s going on? Is that why it’s here? And also they had like, they were like, oh, little vignettes, but the vignettes are 10 feet apart. So you’re like, you’re just inundated by too many things that might have been scary individually, but you’re just kind of watching like, you know, a best of real in life in real time. RB: Yeah. So not really a scary experience. And I can’t even really say an interesting experience for me. DHB: Well, that was more of a fan service thing. I’ve seen all of the films that were debuted there. And I agree with Ike. It was like, yeah, they had to reset. And it’s like everything was like 10 feet apart. But it was definitely like, oh, I remember that scene in the movie. Or I remember it was definitely fan service. I: Yeah, that means it was meant for people to watch it. The thing that I missed was they didn’t have Death Eaters in Harry Potter world. When we went… the lights were turned off, there was smoke and green light everywhere and there were Death Eaters. Here it was, when we went this time, it was the same amount of light it was during the day and no Death Eaters and no fog. RB: And what was interesting was while you guys went and did the Harry Potter ride, they projected the symbol on the castle, but that was it. DHB: Yeah. But you know, like every year, so it’s not like something new or anything. RB: And the Death Eaters, they were so cool the year that they had them out because it was very picturesque and they were well dressed and they had the masks and they were, yeah, it was it was very thematic for the the Harry Potter section of Universal. For me, I enjoyed even though we got rushed through it. I love the story behind The Bride of Frankenstein. I love the old Universal Monster Haunts whenever they do them. Like Texas Chainsaw Massacre was kind of okay. Ghostbusters, I liked the light show. DHB: I was gonna mention that, yeah, there was a really cool light show. RB: With the proton packs on the wall. DHB: Yeah, that was cool, especially, it was just a retelling of the latest movie, The Frozen Empire. So it was cool to see that, but it was like, yeah, those lighting effects they did there, and they also had the hidden marshmallow men everywhere, which was fun to- RB: Well, what was funny was our inside connection had pointed out that in that haunt, there’s the room from the movie where it had been frozen solid and it was the hottest room in the entire Haunt. Like we walked in that room and I’m like, they could have put an AC or something in here. It is so stifling hot. I: They had an actor in that room that was in a three-piece suit that actually was like, oh, it’s so cold. And you could see like the beads of sweat on his head. I’m like, wow, that makeup is amazing. RB: But yeah, so in terms of Haunts. Probably the Universal one and probably the Ghostbusters I enjoyed. The scare zones I wish they would have had some like undead luchadors in that section. DHB: Yeah, that would have been really cool. RB: Because they had the statues out. The Murder of Crows was kind of cool but the only other thing I wish we could have done the lines were just heinous. They had this this really fun cute marshmallow man S’mores thing from the Ghostbusters… DHB: I wanted S’mores so bad… I: That line was like 60 people deep by the time we got to it. And watching it was if we went and got waters and sat across from it and watched it not move for the entire time. RB: It was sad, unfortunately, because they were so fun looking. Other than that, it was just a horror night’s experience. Not anything really stood out. DHB: Well, I will say, it was one thing I just remembered that did stand out that it was for the universal, for the… Bride of Frankenstein because that one was actually done in one of the sound stages. RB: Yep. DHB: It was it’s the one where they filmed Batman the 92 version or something… RB: With the Penguin DHB: Yeah, yeah And and there was something else they filmed in there and it was like that was kind of cool to be in that area, Because it felt like we were definitely going backstage again and… RB: And Universal if you’re listening, which I don’t expect it, but if you’re listening, please please put together the story of the bride in a book form. The art you have to tell the story looks super cool. DHB: It’s amazing. RB: Was it two years ago? They did the first part of it where she comes back and she’s a vampire hunter. It would be awesome to have that. There was literally next to no merch for her. And this year they only had a couple of things, but it’s still- DHB: They had a shirt and a hat. RB: Yeah, but it was still wasn’t really exciting for those of us who liked The Bride. Yeah, well, you know, and I’m sure you’d find merch like that at San Diego Comic-Con, but sadly not at Universal. And we went through a lot of the Universal stores. DHB: Yeah. Well, I also wish they would lean into the horror, not even horror, but like the villain side of the Super Nintendo world. Even if I: It was blocked off, it was blocked off and the lights were turned off. And I was like, excuse me, there’s ghost houses in all of the Mario games. The Boos are a thing that has been in Mario forever. And there was like none of it. There wasn’t even any like merchandise for it. So. RB: Yeah, it would be nice if they leaned more into it. They did all of that design. You would think that they’d be able to do something before Horror Nights. DHB: Well, yeah, even if they did something as basic as like what they do at Disney where they have the character out there that you can take a photo off and just walk by. Even having Bowser at his castle saying something, that would be cooler. Dry Bones, give us the Dry Bones in there, that would be really cool. RB: Well, or like Bowser, because they have Megatron. DHB: Yeah, the Megatron from Transformers. RB: Where he’s talking shit at everybody? DHB: Yeah. RB: Have Bowser, like… I: They have a velociraptor. RB: Oh, blue, yeah. I: It comes out of Jurassic Park, so it’s not like it’s beyond the realm of possibility. RB: Yeah. Well, and when David and I went for Press Day, we got to see Princess… DHB: Princess Peach. Peach and… Mario and Luigi. RB: So we know that they have suited characters. It wouldn’t… It shouldn’t be hard to have Bowser and do something Halloween-oriented. DHB: Yeah, especially just to lean into it just for a month. RB: Yeah. So yeah, I think that kind of covers our Universal Halloween Horror Nights experience for 2024. DHB: Yeah. The one thing I will add on is, I know there was a weird talk about the Purge thing at the Waterworld. RB: Oh yeah. DHB: Like that is still one of the coolest shows they have down there, but I’ve heard somebody talk, this might be the last year, next year might be the last year they do it. I’m like, don’t, cause that was such a cool thing. And… Not only is it a nice break from walking around and standing in line, the performances and everything, the pyrotechnics, everything they do, they’re just fun to watch. RB: It was neat to see them kind of flip the Waterworld experience into the Purge experience. Because I’ve done the Waterworld, I was a fan of the movie, but that’s also a dated franchise. Well, it’s not even a franchise, it was only one movie, which was a considerably expensive movie, but that thing’s been around forever. And so giving it that Purge kind of vibe, was a great use of the space. DHB: Yeah, I just hope they keep doing that and keep, even if they change it up, put something else just as cool in there because there was the year they did the Five Nights at Freddy’s thing and this year it was the Chucky late night TV show which is still fun to do. So even if you’re gonna change it out, just do something like that, keep using it in that kind of fun, explosive way. RB: Yeah. DHB: Pun not intended. RB: Yeah, and having some of those experiences that are not haunts or not the scare zones is nice. Like you said, you’re able to sit down, rest, but also it’s kind of an interactive, well, slightly interactive experience, especially with the Chucky thing. The Purge thing, you could hoot and holler and you really get behind the characters. Yeah, the Chucky thing was fun. Okay, now I’m gonna talk shit. I really wish that they release, that they get rid of the Simpsons area. I’m so ready for a revamp. We’ve had the Simpsons for a million years now. And I’m ready for something new in that space. DHB: I think that’s- I: I thought they were. Yeah, I thought they were because we were kept seeing the chunks of the roller coaster that was- RB: Well, no, that I think is the new Fast and Furious. I: Yeah, but it was like right there and they easily spread out that into Fast and Furious world. RB: Oh, family. DHB: Well, you know that so that area used to be where the Jabberwocky’s show was at. There was a couple of other things over there with the Fast and Furious. But there is I believe last year there is talk that they’re going to be either revamping or changing out the Simpsons thing. I mean, it’s owned by one of their competitors as well. So it’s we’re giving free publicity outside of obviously making some kind of money. But at the same time, Harry Potter is doing the same thing. RB: Yeah. Well, and then I heard that Netflix was going to be doing a new Harry Potter show. Yeah. So, yeah, I would I would really like them to get to to to revamp that area. I don’t know what they would stick in there, but there’s a lot of different franchises and things that Universal has access to that they could put something fun in there. DHB: Well, even if they want to do it with one of the other IPs that they don’t own outright for Universal, there’s so many other TV shows that they could put in. They’re like Solar Opposites, or even Rick and Morty, stuff like that. I mean, yeah, it’s a little more adult-oriented, and I’m not sure if Simpsons is supposed to be the kid-friendly zone. But it’s… RB: Welcome to the kid friendly zone. Have a three pound donut and give your kids diabetes. DHB: Well, but that’s what the playground is done by the Jurassic Park areas for. Right. RB: Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, so I think that kind of wraps it right. DHB: Yeah. It wraps up the short version of all my thoughts on what happened at Horror nights. RB: Fair enough. And of course, we have Universal opening up something here in Las Vegas in 2025. DHB: Yeah. RB: So I’m really looking forward to seeing what they do with that. And hopefully we can get in for a press thing there. DHB: Yeah, because they’re doing the horror nights out here, but then they’re also doing fan events at Universal Hollywood. One’s for Harry Potter. RB: The D&D. DHB: There’s a D&D. There’s one for Back to the Future and one for Star Trek. RB: Yeah. DHB: And it’s kind of like a horror nights experience where they’re taking over the park for the nighttime for like a month or whatever. And it’s all about that one specific IP. RB: Hey, do you know where you see those characters at outside of Universal? Usually, I mean, I see them at like a bunch of conventions like Comic Con. RB: Yeah, Comic Con. I: Like San Diego had one, right? RB: Yeah, San Diego Comic Con. All right. Well, that’s that’s going to be us talking about our Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2024 experience. Thank you, Ike. Thank you, David. And catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the Agrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AgroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at AgroGamer.com. If you enjoyed today’s content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode114.mp3 Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:00:00 GMT © 2024 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2024 [Episode Twelve] AggroCast — Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2024 [Episode Twelve] AGGROGAMER.COM 012 003 The AggroCast crew takes the voyage out to check out Universal Halloween Horror Night in Hollywood, CA. Join them as they are joined by Ike again as they dive into the experiences leading up to the night. Experiences that explore various places around town, a chocolate factory restaurant, Super Nintendo World, and then the various haunts and scare zones within the park for 2024. Fun and frights we had, along with some interesting takes on various other aspects of it all. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the Agrocast. This is a special edition. This is the Horror Nights 2024 as they’re already giggling. I don’t know why. But we’re getting ourselves put together Friday the 13th September 2024 to go to Halloween Horror Nights. We’ve watched some content, at least I have. David’s caught some. We’ve got Ike with us. What do you guys look forward to seeing? David Hades Becker: Primarily, I know I’m here for like A Quiet Place. I really want to see the Purge Waterworld show. And the one that blew my mind years ago was the Bride of Frankenstein one where the storyline was amazing, but they didn’t offer anything to take home from it outside of the memories. RB: That Bride of Frankenstein one, I remember seeing some content afterwards online about how that was supposed to be like an official sequel to the Bride of Frankenstein movie. So that would be awesome if they ever did anything with it. But yeah, I totally agree. And it’s supposedly being done in like Studio 12. So you can actually go into what has been used for movies. How about you, Ike? Ike: I hadn’t thought about it, but I was wondering if they did the Quiet Place thing, if they’re going to be a thematic based scare where you have to go on the set and it’s dead quiet and anyone that dares makes a sound is the person that gets attacked or the person that gets accosted. DHB: See, that would be amazing. I: The other thing that I’m hoping for is last time we were here, the Jaws set thing was under repair and maintenance. So if that’s back up. DHB: I think it’s still under repair, unfortunately. RB: Yeah, as Ike says this, he’s wearing a Jaws t-shirt. But Ike is our magnet for anything water based. I’ve refused to tell him which haunts are actually going to squirt water just so he can be surprised. I: Because you don’t want to go to the Waterworld show. Well, yeah. Oh, there’s that one guy. DHB: We’re gonna throw him into the lake thing. But it’s the purge show instead of the Waterworld show, so it’s a little bit different. RB: I want to see what they do with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, because that’s always a favorite. DHB: The Backlot tour, where it’s all Blumhouse stuff. I’m really interested to see all the different IPs they put into that, and which ones stand out and which ones don’t. If we can also get the same thing that happened with the Us and Noop thing that happened earlier. I: We don’t have Zayden with us. DHB: True. RB: I do have to admit that I have been remiss in my watching a Blumhouse film. So I’m… I’m too shy from what they’re probably going to include. We were talking about it in the car on the way up. Freaky and happy… DHB: Happy Death Day. RB: Happy Death Day. Yeah. So I need to check those out when I get home. DHB: But you got, M3gan, you got The Black Phone. I believe they’re doing something with Five Nights at Freddy’s as well. RB: Yeah. I: Five hours before you have to be there. We have time. RB: Just watch him in the car. DHB: Power watch. RB: We have chosen specifically not to go to Trejo’s Tacos Only because a certain someone that’s back home just told us no well told me no specifically… DHB: You were told no. I: So, Ray has to stay here when we go for lunch. RB: But you know what since this is gonna come out after I’ve gotten home. We went to Trejo’s Cantina last night, which is their sit-down place and it was pretty pretty good. DHB: And technically different. RB: And technically different. Wasn’t specifically Trejo’s Tacos. So… I: Picture of the building. It doesn’t say Trejo’s Tacos. RB: Yeah. So on a technicality, I should be safe. Yeah. I’m technically right. Other than that, we’re possibly going to run around and do some sightseeing before we hit Universal. We’re going to try to get into, no, we’ve got a reservation for… DHB: Teservation for Toothsomes, which is the like the Willy Wonka steampunk chocolate factory thing. And we do have a reservation for the Toadstool Cafe. RB: Yeah, because Ike hasn’t seen the Nintendo World, Mario Brothers land. DHB: And it’s been over a year since we’ve gone. RB: Yeah. DHB: Really specifically to see everything. Last year, I think we did one little thing in there, but that was about it. RB: Well, and we wanted to try the food place again to see if the quality of the food has changed since press day. So that’ll be really interesting. DHB: And I can get the spicy meat ball. RB: Yeah, he’s really interested about putting balls in his mouth. I’m not sure why… DHB: Bowser’s balls Why wouldn’t you want to gargle Bowser’s balls? RB: Hey, you know what that that’s all about you my buddy. Yeah, they’re currently bunk mates so that’s gonna be interesting especially depending upon how spicy it is. We might have to get some odorizer in here. But uh, alright, so that is part one of our adventure today stay tuned. All right, so we’re just now finishing lunch and Ike wants to express his displeasure. I: In the same vein when I found out that Santa Claus wasn’t real and Easter Bunny was just a guy in a suit. My two friends who had hyped up this wonderful steampunk chocolate filled restaurant, we walk in and much to my dismay, lo and behold, no chocolate. DHB: There was a chocolate pickle. I: That was for friendship being on being back into the probationary period, no longer on tenure. Tenure evoked from friendship because there’s no chocolate fountain anymore. There’s not even the smell of chocolate. You know what the color is? The color is, the ground is a shit-stained brown, like a shit-stain on the underwear of our relationship because there’s no more chocolate in this place. You know what the best chocolate we had from was a frozen fucking pickle on top of their sandwiches. That’s the closest we got to this being a chocolate factory. I’m just disappointed. RB: And that was Ike, everyone. To give you a recap, on the way from Vegas to Universal, we talked about Toothsome’s Chocolate Factory restaurant in the Universal CityWalk and how amazing it was and how it had a whole section that was filled with candy and chocolate. And sadly, when we showed up today… we noticed that the candy section was replaced with a bar. I: You know how much of a lie it was? The person at the front couldn’t even remember there being a candy section here. RB: David? DHB: Well, I have some of the glassware and all that stuff and jars, so I can prove there was a candy section here at one point. And they still kind of have a remnants of it. They have a couple of things you can still buy, but. RB: But we were told by our waitress, a lovely person came by to take our order. That they were losing money on it and people love alcohol. So they replaced the candy section with alcohol. And they have a small kiosk with a few chocolate offerings. But yes, Ike is correct. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich. David ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. And on top of it was a frozen pickle dipped in chocolate. DHB: Yeah, it’s that hard chocolate that you do like the flash freeze on for like ice cream cones. I: To quote GLaDOS, the chocolate is a lie. RB: And as you can tell, Ike is really disappointed, and we’re not sure when this is gonna end. But he’s going to be mad for a while. DHB: Maybe after we go to the Toadstool Cafe, it’ll fix a few things. RB: It could be. I: Yeah, we’re gonna get there and there’s not gonna even be a Toadstools, is there? There’s not even gonna be any fucking Mario shit. It’ll walk into goddamn fucking McDonald’s. RB: Because of Toothsomes, now everything that we have told him is suspect. And we’re going to have to walk through this entire experience with him doubting everything we’re talking about. DHB: At least that sets the… I: I think there’s not even fucking horror… haunted houses, is there? It’s just, he’ll be like, oh, look, it’s microtransactions to get out of here. DHB: Well, at least that sets the expectations low so like even the minor thing is going to blow his mind. RB: Although… Microtransactions would definitely be a horrifying night. DHB: Unfortunately, yeah, that would. But this has been our lunch recap. RB: Stay tuned for when we actually enter the park. We’re in the Toadstool Cafe and we wanted to check the food out to see if it was the same quality as the Press Day and I went with the meatballs and spaghetti, the garlic knots and the princess cupcake. David finally got the Bowser’s Meatball Challenge and Ike went with the burger, the Mario Burger and the tiramisu. Overall, good quality. I: Again, the bun was like gluten free or something. Like it’s way too light and airy so it’s like you’re not even biting into it type of thing. So it’s not really reason to have a bun. RB: And it just kind of fell apart. I: Yeah. It didn’t hold up to even the moisture like on the bottom, the tomato had like dissolved the bun down to the ground. RB: So David, how was the Bowser’s challenge? DHB: It was completely worth it. It was a spicy meatball. I will say that much. I mean, as a fire elemental, if not my level of spice, it needs to go up higher. But for something you would put on a consumer market, oh yeah, it’s gonna kick a couple people’s asses. RB: So do you think that they really have maintained the quality of the food since press day? DHB: From what I’ve seen and tasted, it feels like it and press day was a little over a year and a half ago So it feels like it wasn’t one of those we’re gonna cart it out for the first few months and let it go to trash like everything else. RB: well, and you’re still you’re still having to make a reservation. DHB: Yes, even though even though we’re doing the reservation still oddly the entire place is relatively empty. RB: Yeah, it’s really interesting I don’t know how many slots they had her time. DHB: Well, also is when I was talking to the guy before we came in. It was listed that you had a half hour window. So even if you were scheduled at 430, you could show up as late as five and still be seated and all that. So maybe it’s something, people just sparse it out that way. Because even when we came in, I want to say we had a slow rush of maybe 20 people that were here on the same time as our reservation. And then it just kind of died out afterwards. RB: And this was Ike’s first time in Mario Land. What did you think overall? I: It’s very kid oriented. DHB: Well, and they had the gold boxes that you could beat on for coins and. And then you got to play some of the games and you went on the Bowser’s ride. I: Yeah, it made me long for playing actual Mario Kart, but it doesn’t, it doesn’t provoke Mario Kart syndrome where you incapacitate your friends really badly so you can get advantage. It was odd being completely cooperative. RB: Well, and what did you think about the AR experience? DHB: The Bowser Jr. challenge. I: I think it’s a good concept and it seemed like it was played down to appeal to as much of a wide audience as possible. But isn’t really a feature that you come to the park for. It’s just like, oh, here’s an extra little thing that’s like made mysterious to entice people to spend the $42 for the little band. RB: So, but overall, generally a decent experience. I: Yeah, but it’s one of those things of, now knowing what it is, I wouldn’t have purchased the wristband, which is what I’m glad I had tomorrow. DHB: I would say it still holds up to what our original assessment on. It’s not something to come to Universal Studios for specifically, but it’s something to come out and just experience if you’re coming out to check everything else out at the park. I: Yeah. RB: Nice. Well, and we’re about to get ready for Halloween Horror Nights. DHB: Horror Nights starts up soon and we’re going to hit the opening ceremonies, chainsaws everywhere. We did the tram rides. We got a sneak peek of a few of the other places. A few of the haunts will be going past. I: I’m curious about where the crows thing is because they have the Murder of Crows merchandise thing and usually everything that’s on merchandise has some sort of connection to it. RB: That’s it for this break. The next bit we’ll talk about some of the haunts that we saw and some of the horror areas. DHB: Scare Zones! RB: The scare zones. So thank you much and catch you soon. All right this is AggroGamer. We just finished going through the haunts at Universal Studios. We’re sitting down around the table to discuss what our likes and dislikes were. I’m going to start this off with David and Ike. David, what did you like most about it? What did you not like? DHB: So I’ll have to say, I went in with a little lower hopes on A Quiet Place, but I wanna say the animatronics in that, like the way they had them design and propped up and that stuff like really use the darkness to their benefit. And then when they would pop out, like the way the lighting hit, even though it wasn’t scary, it was just really cool to see, like they were using the area to great effectiveness there. And then I’m a huge fan of all the Blumhouse movies, so doing the terror tram that went through pretty much all of the, it had Freaky, it had Happy Death Day, Black Phone, pretty much all of their movies in like one long haunt. It was a lot of fun. The Chucky Show was great, as was The Purge Show. Kind of wish there was more scare actors roaming around in scare zones. The Crow was one that was there, that was really cool. And then I don’t know if there was any other ones. There was one that was like a luchador setup, but it just kind of felt like it was there. And the other thing I hate, and I don’t know why they keep doing it, is putting the smells in. Walking into the Texas Chainsaw Massacre one, and there’s an area where it just smells like shit. I’m like, yep, you nailed that smell, but I don’t want to be stuck in here with a bunch of other sweaty humans that also smell the same. I: That’s the colonge of Teen Spirit. That’s what you’re smelling. It smells like Teen Spirit in there. I know I liked, the unfortunate thing was, between the last time I, is this close enough? Um, between the last time we went in this time was that there was the addition of a third VIP line. There was an extra third of people that had to get in so they were power ushering people through instead of spacing people out. So there was no time for any actors to reset. There was no time for any jump trigger or animatronics to reset. So the majority of walking through it is you watch the thing pull out and then come back in. We even got the… like angry irate worker that was like, keep it moving, no pictures, go along. And it’s like, oh dear. And so I think that the effectiveness of all of the haunts was diminished severely because it was, a horror movie is dependent on timing and a haunted house is dependent on timing and there is none. They, there was like an artificial attempt to force it because a couple of the houses had like, you know, an S shaped curve area where they would have a bunch of drapery from the ceiling and no lights on. So you’d lose the people that you’re in front of, but you’re actually having like the force of gravity crush behind you, pushing you through. And you couldn’t stop to pay attention to the things that were cool. RB: Well, especially when you had those ushers that kept forcibly moving people through. I: Yeah, that was a thing too, that was different this time around because, okay, so it’s in comparison to what I went two or three years ago. RB: Two years ago. I: And they would have people that stood in front of the emergency exits and be like, no, this isn’t a place to go. Instead, now they had people with essentially aircraft lightsabers every 50 feet, ushering people further through and further through. And so it’s like… Okay, this is a shitty museum tour as opposed to a haunted house anymore. And it caused all of them to suffer terribly, especially Quiet Place one, because in Quiet Place, animatronics were awesome. They looked exactly like the monsters did, and if I was given the, you know, seven seconds needed for that thing to be able to reset and pop out, I would’ve actually been scared. Instead, it was just, that’s a cool looking animatronic. The other place that failed badly was the Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s wife. RB: The bride of Frankenstein. I: The bride of Frankenstein that had the story of being a Vampire Hunter or whatever. Hey, guess what? I couldn’t follow the story because I kept getting pushed ahead when I was trying to look at posters explaining the story. And they also turned up the volume on it. So I’m supposed to get some sort of details or sound effect from one room. That’s being drowned out by the sound from the other room that I just came from or the one that I’m going to. RB: And there was some distortion with that added volume, yeah. Because it’s an amazing story if you have the chance to catch it all. I: Yeah. And it was just like, you know, you and David took pictures afterwards and be like, oh, that would have been really cool to take the time to see what that is. Now that I have the time to look at this, pictures and whatnot. Oh, I appreciate, oh, there was an actual story that was going on in there. I thought it was just, you know, a death march that had to go, it would be done under two minutes because there had to be the crush. RB: And I understand pushing a large number of people through haunts, especially given that I’ve worked in the haunted industry. But when you’ve got the conga lines, like you said, you miss out on so much of the opportunities and the designers put those scares in there for a reason and then you don’t get them. I: And then I was like, we had, um, like happened to have some, like some person that worked there that was like super eager to point out, here’s all the cool work that’s gone in. It’s like, yeah, awesome. I want to be able to look at that when we’re going through. No, no. In the few instances where it’s like, Hey, yeah, there’s that thing I was talking about was like where, as it goes by. So while I can’t, unfortunately, I can’t comment on the quality of the scare or the experience because it was just like overshadowed by, we need to rush it through this. RB: So were there any of the haunts that stood out for you though? I: As far as like scaring or- RB: Or just overall interest? I: The overall interest was the Quiet Place one because they were designed that, because the horror of A Quiet Place is this, those things get really close to you and you have to do the whole like quiet, hence title or whatever. So I like the design choice that the animatronics would get really close to you, but it fell into the trap of when a horror movie or mystery movie is written in too well and it’s too interesting to be scary. And so you’re like, wow, that’s an awesome animatronic six inches away from my face. I’m more interested in how… I can’t see the mechanics behind the makeup and behind the paint job and stuff like that. Like this looks like the actual creature as opposed to a scare pop. And so I liked it for the wrong reasons. RB: Were there any that were boring to you? I: Yeah, the tram ride thing. It was the air quotes scare aspect of it was people were on risers behind fences and like yelling at you. And if I’m not, at some point it’s like, okay, this is tiresome, my feet hurt. And I’m looking at the ground and I don’t even notice that there’s people around me trying to scare me. And I was like, this is, and especially when, was it they made like the fake Hollywood sign that they put like zombies and stuff like on that. And part of the tour was "Photo Op Side Tour". And I’m like, really? We’re on a scare tour thing and you have a photo op tourist thing where people are actually lining up so they could take a picture of a set piece. RB: You know what’s really interesting is, because I’ve gone three or four years now, I think the scariest and most interesting of the Terror Trams, they had one that was a clown and it was a unique story. It wasn’t affiliated with any particular movie franchise. And I enjoyed that one, I think the most, because it was like this killer clown, but it was a unique character. It wasn’t a character from a movie. And… I think I really liked it when it wasn’t just a walk through, like, here’s all of the Bloomhouse movies, but an actual cohesive kind of story experience. Because, you know, you can have haunt actors running around and trying to scare people, but… DHB: There’s only so many chainsaws you can get thrown at your face and you’re like, okay, I’ve seen it tens of times. RB: Well, and we had, which one, where they wear the red jumpsuits and the scissors? DHB: Oh, the US. RB: Us. And it’s just like, Oh, okay. Cool. I guess it just, yeah. I: That one worked the last time because there wasn’t a huge amount of people running through it. And so you couldn’t see the scare actor reset. RB: Definitely more people this year, I think on the terror tram. I: Yeah. I said it was, it was just a flood of people. RB: Yeah. I: And the other thing is like, I’m familiar with like two Blumhouse movies. So, it’s like, oh, there’s a person that’s getting cut up with a knife. I’m sorry. Why should I care? Is that, is this the scary part of the movie? Is that what’s going on? Is that why it’s here? And also they had like, they were like, oh, little vignettes, but the vignettes are 10 feet apart. So you’re like, you’re just inundated by too many things that might have been scary individually, but you’re just kind of watching like, you know, a best of real in life in real time. RB: Yeah. So not really a scary experience. And I can’t even really say an interesting experience for me. DHB: Well, that was more of a fan service thing. I’ve seen all of the films that were debuted there. And I agree with Ike. It was like, yeah, they had to reset. And it’s like everything was like 10 feet apart. But it was definitely like, oh, I remember that scene in the movie. Or I remember it was definitely fan service. I: Yeah, that means it was meant for people to watch it. The thing that I missed was they didn’t have Death Eaters in Harry Potter world. When we went… the lights were turned off, there was smoke and green light everywhere and there were Death Eaters. Here it was, when we went this time, it was the same amount of light it was during the day and no Death Eaters and no fog. RB: And what was interesting was while you guys went and did the Harry Potter ride, they projected the symbol on the castle, but that was it. DHB: Yeah. But you know, like every year, so it’s not like something new or anything. RB: And the Death Eaters, they were so cool the year that they had them out because it was very picturesque and they were well dressed and they had the masks and they were, yeah, it was it was very thematic for the the Harry Potter section of Universal. For me, I enjoyed even though we got rushed through it. I love the story behind The Bride of Frankenstein. I love the old Universal Monster Haunts whenever they do them. Like Texas Chainsaw Massacre was kind of okay. Ghostbusters, I liked the light show. DHB: I was gonna mention that, yeah, there was a really cool light show. RB: With the proton packs on the wall. DHB: Yeah, that was cool, especially, it was just a retelling of the latest movie, The Frozen Empire. So it was cool to see that, but it was like, yeah, those lighting effects they did there, and they also had the hidden marshmallow men everywhere, which was fun to- RB: Well, what was funny was our inside connection had pointed out that in that haunt, there’s the room from the movie where it had been frozen solid and it was the hottest room in the entire Haunt. Like we walked in that room and I’m like, they could have put an AC or something in here. It is so stifling hot. I: They had an actor in that room that was in a three-piece suit that actually was like, oh, it’s so cold. And you could see like the beads of sweat on his head. I’m like, wow, that makeup is amazing. RB: But yeah, so in terms of Haunts. Probably the Universal one and probably the Ghostbusters I enjoyed. The scare zones I wish they would have had some like undead luchadors in that section. DHB: Yeah, that would have been really cool. RB: Because they had the statues out. The Murder of Crows was kind of cool but the only other thing I wish we could have done the lines were just heinous. They had this this really fun cute marshmallow man S’mores thing from the Ghostbusters… DHB: I wanted S’mores so bad… I: That line was like 60 people deep by the time we got to it. And watching it was if we went and got waters and sat across from it and watched it not move for the entire time. RB: It was sad, unfortunately, because they were so fun looking. Other than that, it was just a horror night’s experience. Not anything really stood out. DHB: Well, I will say, it was one thing I just remembered that did stand out that it was for the universal, for the… Bride of Frankenstein because that one was actually done in one of the sound stages. RB: Yep. DHB: It was it’s the one where they filmed Batman the 92 version or something… RB: With the Penguin DHB: Yeah, yeah And and there was something else they filmed in there and it was like that was kind of cool to be in that area, Because it felt like we were definitely going backstage again and… RB: And Universal if you’re listening, which I don’t expect it, but if you’re listening, please please put together the story of the bride in a book form. The art you have to tell the story looks super cool. DHB: It’s amazing. RB: Was it two years ago? They did the first part of it where she comes back and she’s a vampire hunter. It would be awesome to have that. There was literally next to no merch for her. And this year they only had a couple of things, but it’s still- DHB: They had a shirt and a hat. RB: Yeah, but it was still wasn’t really exciting for those of us who liked The Bride. Yeah, well, you know, and I’m sure you’d find merch like that at San Diego Comic-Con, but sadly not at Universal. And we went through a lot of the Universal stores. DHB: Yeah. Well, I also wish they would lean into the horror, not even horror, but like the villain side of the Super Nintendo world. Even if I: It was blocked off, it was blocked off and the lights were turned off. And I was like, excuse me, there’s ghost houses in all of the Mario games. The Boos are a thing that has been in Mario forever. And there was like none of it. There wasn’t even any like merchandise for it. So. RB: Yeah, it would be nice if they leaned more into it. They did all of that design. You would think that they’d be able to do something before Horror Nights. DHB: Well, yeah, even if they did something as basic as like what they do at Disney where they have the character out there that you can take a photo off and just walk by. Even having Bowser at his castle saying something, that would be cooler. Dry Bones, give us the Dry Bones in there, that would be really cool. RB: Well, or like Bowser, because they have Megatron. DHB: Yeah, the Megatron from Transformers. RB: Where he’s talking shit at everybody? DHB: Yeah. RB: Have Bowser, like… I: They have a velociraptor. RB: Oh, blue, yeah. I: It comes out of Jurassic Park, so it’s not like it’s beyond the realm of possibility. RB: Yeah. Well, and when David and I went for Press Day, we got to see Princess… DHB: Princess Peach. Peach and… Mario and Luigi. RB: So we know that they have suited characters. It wouldn’t… It shouldn’t be hard to have Bowser and do something Halloween-oriented. DHB: Yeah, especially just to lean into it just for a month. RB: Yeah. So yeah, I think that kind of covers our Universal Halloween Horror Nights experience for 2024. DHB: Yeah. The one thing I will add on is, I know there was a weird talk about the Purge thing at the Waterworld. RB: Oh yeah. DHB: Like that is still one of the coolest shows they have down there, but I’ve heard somebody talk, this might be the last year, next year might be the last year they do it. I’m like, don’t, cause that was such a cool thing. And… Not only is it a nice break from walking around and standing in line, the performances and everything, the pyrotechnics, everything they do, they’re just fun to watch. RB: It was neat to see them kind of flip the Waterworld experience into the Purge experience. Because I’ve done the Waterworld, I was a fan of the movie, but that’s also a dated franchise. Well, it’s not even a franchise, it was only one movie, which was a considerably expensive movie, but that thing’s been around forever. And so giving it that Purge kind of vibe, was a great use of the space. DHB: Yeah, I just hope they keep doing that and keep, even if they change it up, put something else just as cool in there because there was the year they did the Five Nights at Freddy’s thing and this year it was the Chucky late night TV show which is still fun to do. So even if you’re gonna change it out, just do something like that, keep using it in that kind of fun, explosive way. RB: Yeah. DHB: Pun not intended. RB: Yeah, and having some of those experiences that are not haunts or not the scare zones is nice. Like you said, you’re able to sit down, rest, but also it’s kind of an interactive, well, slightly interactive experience, especially with the Chucky thing. The Purge thing, you could hoot and holler and you really get behind the characters. Yeah, the Chucky thing was fun. Okay, now I’m gonna talk shit. I really wish that they release, that they get rid of the Simpsons area. I’m so ready for a revamp. We’ve had the Simpsons for a million years now. And I’m ready for something new in that space. DHB: I think that’s- I: I thought they were. Yeah, I thought they were because we were kept seeing the chunks of the roller coaster that was- RB: Well, no, that I think is the new Fast and Furious. I: Yeah, but it was like right there and they easily spread out that into Fast and Furious world. RB: Oh, family. DHB: Well, you know that so that area used to be where the Jabberwocky’s show was at. There was a couple of other things over there with the Fast and Furious. But there is I believe last year there is talk that they’re going to be either revamping or changing out the Simpsons thing. I mean, it’s owned by one of their competitors as well. So it’s we’re giving free publicity outside of obviously making some kind of money. But at the same time, Harry Potter is doing the same thing. RB: Yeah. Well, and then I heard that Netflix was going to be doing a new Harry Potter show. Yeah. So, yeah, I would I would really like them to get to to to revamp that area. I don’t know what they would stick in there, but there’s a lot of different franchises and things that Universal has access to that they could put something fun in there. DHB: Well, even if they want to do it with one of the other IPs that they don’t own outright for Universal, there’s so many other TV shows that they could put in. They’re like Solar Opposites, or even Rick and Morty, stuff like that. I mean, yeah, it’s a little more adult-oriented, and I’m not sure if Simpsons is supposed to be the kid-friendly zone. But it’s… RB: Welcome to the kid friendly zone. Have a three pound donut and give your kids diabetes. DHB: Well, but that’s what the playground is done by the Jurassic Park areas for. Right. RB: Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, so I think that kind of wraps it right. DHB: Yeah. It wraps up the short version of all my thoughts on what happened at Horror nights. RB: Fair enough. And of course, we have Universal opening up something here in Las Vegas in 2025. DHB: Yeah. RB: So I’m really looking forward to seeing what they do with that. And hopefully we can get in for a press thing there. DHB: Yeah, because they’re doing the horror nights out here, but then they’re also doing fan events at Universal Hollywood. One’s for Harry Potter. RB: The D&D. DHB: There’s a D&D. There’s one for Back to the Future and one for Star Trek. RB: Yeah. DHB: And it’s kind of like a horror nights experience where they’re taking over the park for the nighttime for like a month or whatever. And it’s all about that one specific IP. RB: Hey, do you know where you see those characters at outside of Universal? Usually, I mean, I see them at like a bunch of conventions like Comic Con. RB: Yeah, Comic Con. I: Like San Diego had one, right? RB: Yeah, San Diego Comic Con. All right. Well, that’s that’s going to be us talking about our Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2024 experience. Thank you, Ike. Thank you, David. And catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the Agrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AgroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at AgroGamer.com. If you enjoyed today’s content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 31:53 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Halloween Horror Nights,Halloween,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast yes © 2024 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — Women Of Wrestling 2024 [Episode Eleven] The AggroCast crew is joined by Ike in the latest episode of the podcast. A new member to join in just as they head out to check the first nationally televised event for Women Of Wrestling ( @WOWSuperheroes ). All hosted out in Las Vegas, NV to showcase some of the Superheroes who are bringing the fun to us all once more. The team recaps the fun of the event and some of the culinary pitfalls that came about as they hit downtown Las Vegas for a night of wrestling fun TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the Agrocast. This is Ray with David. Juliet is in the background but she refuses to add commentary because there’s definitely a section of this podcast that she could really add some commentary. David Hades Becker: I agree. RB: So David got a notification that they were having the Women of Wrestling performing a free wrestling show down on Fremont. And so we’re like, okay, we’ll get together. We’ll go see this free show. But we’re going to get some food beforehand. David had seen this place called Therapy near the Fremont Experience. And so this is of course where Juliet would be great for ranting, but she refuses to come and join the commentary. So we sit down and the decor was really interesting, but then we go to order and our waitress was lovely. DHB: She did everything she could to help out. RB: Yeah, and she was so bubbly and fun. Ike: You’re doing that thing again where you build up expectations. RB: Well, cause we had expectations cause we had seen the menu. David has sent us the menu and we thought okay great this menu looks fine. It has a bunch of different options. So then we get their evening menu… DHB: At 7 p.m. I believe. RB: Yeah, it wasn’t even late. We’re like, okay great So they had like pizza and various options and we get this menu and it’s like half a dozen items. And then we start to order and they’re like, oh, we don’t have that. DHB: Like one of my favorite orders that was out there. Can I get a grilled cheese with chicken on it? They were out. RB: But they had other chicken things. I’m like, are you out of cheese? Are you out of bread? What is it that you’re out of? DHB: I know they weren’t out of bread or cheese because I ended up getting a cheeseburger. RB: Yeah, so it was baffling. And then Ike joined us and Ike went to order something. At least it wasn’t chocolate. I: It was like, no, the end of it was some sort of dip with fries, but it was, the start of it was. RB: Wasn’t it artichoke fries or something? I: No, it started out with like, it wasn’t mac and cheese bites because those came out as. Because of this, I don’t know, it was something that was on their thing that was like, oh, we’re famous for it, oh, I love this. Sure, you can have that. Five minutes later, so we don’t have that anymore. And then she had the big idea of like, maybe I should bring the tablet over so I can find out in real time what we do and do not have. She leaves and we’re all like, yeah, that’ll be good. RB: So she brought it over, you found something to order. I: Yeah, I ordered like spinach artichoke dip fries and they just brought the spinach artichoke dip over. RB: Yeah, we’re like, wait, he wanted the fries, not the spinach artichoke dip. Their chef came by, which was just he looked like a guy. And he’s like, I’ll take this back. I’ll give you a free app. You have one of two choices out of like the five things that were on the menu. We’re like, oh, so those are the only things they have available. OK, so we pick something. I: We got the mac and cheese bites. RB: Yeah. And oh, and Juliet and I ordered the chicken and waffles, which was supposed to be red velvet waffles. DHB: They looked good. RB: They looked good, but they were just pink waffles. I: That was the two of us independent of each other. The observation that it ceases to be finger food the moment you pour syrup on it. RB: Yeah, because they handed us little cups of syrup and we’re like, wow, okay. I: And there’s this thing that happens, this phenomenon that happens that once you had a certain age, you want to share things that are horrible with people that you know. And so this was, Juliet took a bite and was like, oh God, hey Ike, you need to try this. RB & I: Hey David, you need to try this. I: I was like, why? She’s like, because it’s really bad. And I was like, hey, you’re not selling it. She’s like, no, no, no, really. It’s supposed to be red velvet. I think they just put pink food coloring in the waffle mix and the chicken is cold, even though it’s a hot sandwich. And it’s like, okay. And so, you know, you share something that’s awful and you take a bite of it, you’re like, oh God, now it’s in my mouth. RB: So I think out of all of us, David chose the right thing. DHB: Yeah, I didn’t share mine with anybody. RB: It was safe. DHB: Yeah. And it was just a burger. RB: So at this point, we tell everybody that we’re never going back to Therapy, that Therapy has failed us, that they didn’t have any options in Therapy. And so it has a kind of a double meaning, of course, given that I’m going to school to become a therapist. This is I find this exceptionally funny. I: You know how not to do therapy. RB: Yeah. Yeah. So that is our little rant about Therapy. DHB: That was the start of our night towards getting to the Women of Wrestling. The side tangent from everything else. RB: So we get out of there finally. I’m surprised that we were able to get out, honestly. I thought we were going to be trapped in there. It was going to be a whole horror thing. But we make our way down Fremont and they had set up a ring and we were showing up just at the tail end of… DB: The tag team championship match. RB: Yeah. And so we we kind of we had to go through metal detectors and we wove our way through some of the people, the crowd of people, which half of them there. I don’t think they even knew what the hell they were there for. DHB: And yeah, I’m pretty sure they just kind of like walked by like, oh, something’s happening. I’m going to stop here. RB: Yeah. DHB: I have a drink. Let’s do this. RB: As we were walking up, I had watched the previous night some of episodes of WoW on YouTube because I was like, oh, well, we’re going to go see this. I should I want to I want to be a little familiar. And so I had heard of the Mother Truckers. Lo and behold, there they were. The Mother Truckers. DB: The first match we walked up on was the Mother Truckers and whatever Pink. I: Yeah, like Pretty In Pink or something or or. RB: Yeah. I: They were people in pink. RB: They were, they were the heels. I think they were based out of, there were a Florida team. I: Imagine, uh, what Cindy Lauper would look like if she aged badly. Imagine what, uh, P!ink would look like when she is an 80 year old woman. And imagine your neighbor’s mom who thinks that she looks attractive and spanks. This was the trio of people that were the quote tag team against the Mother Truckers. It was amazing. The reason that you don’t see hair extensions on white people was the embodiment of one of them. RB: That’s Ike everybody. So it was fun. They had some interesting matches and it definitely felt like they were warming up over the course of the matches because the first couple of matches were a little sedate and then they just kept getting a little more extreme. DHB: Yeah, it was like after they introduced the horror trio that came in. I: Daisy Lane. Daisy Lane and her friends. I don’t know what the other two were, but… RB: Oh, Chainsaw and… I: One of them had an apron that was made out of human faces. RB: Yeah, that was Chainsaw. I: And another person had like a chain jacket. And when she took it off, she had more chains on underneath. It was amazing. And Daisy Lane’s opening move was jumping on someone’s back and biting her neck. RB: Yeah, that was that was pretty awesome. The other person was Angelica Dante. So, yeah, that was really fun match. Watching watching that go down, because, of course, you know, it was supposed to be a one on one and then everybody got pulled in. And so they’re throwing people around. And that was fun to see. DHB: And it turned kind of like into a massive rumble where it was like nine people in the ring at some point. RB: Yeah. DHB: It was from there that it felt like it started to like get more intense because, I want to say it was the next match where it’s like, oh, it felt like people were making more contact. RB: They were definitely. And one, we got to see the heavyweight champion, which was the Hispanic wrestler, the luchador. I don’t know what the female version of a luchador is… luchadora. And she was, she was a bad-ass. I couldn’t understand. Of course I couldn’t understand anything. She’s yeah. Cause she did have later, it had a translator. Because she signed a contract for a match with rule master or the Class Master DHB: Class Master! RB: So… I: Think Bass Master, but but less impressive. RB: So it was interesting. I did a little research after we had gone to this so we’re recording this after the fact. But David McLean, who was kind of the ring emcee, evidently he was the creator, or one of the major creative forces behind GLOW. And then he did a couple of other women wrestling groups. And then this Women of Wrestling, and their Instagram is like Women of Wrestling Superheroes. And they do look good. Their costumes looked great, their makeup was on point. DHB: They, most of them embodied like the character like they were trying to portray. RB: Yeah. DHB: Even so, some of them were stupid and goofy. It was still like they leaned into it and like, we understand what we’re doing and we’re gonna we’re gonna lean into that and make sure everybody’s entertained. RB: One wasn’t one of the matches The Coach. DHB: Yeah, there was a coach. RB: Yeah. So that was really entertaining to see some of the shit talking. They definitely kept the KFAB and they did some good talking. As opposed to like the scripted stuff you see in a lot of like WWE or AEW. It was fun. And the fact that it was a free show down on Fremont Street really kind of set it apart. I guess they’re hoping to do more like that. DHB: Yeah. And I think they mentioned they were looking to do a tour around the country as well and hit up a few other places. And to go back to something you also mentioned, while we were there, there was also a couple of other, like they were just in the crowd watching, but other members from the original GLOW, GLOW GIRLS. RB: Yeah, the original, the gal that played the Russian. DHB: Yeah. RB: So there was a Netflix show that kind of recapped, I think it was called GLOW. DHB: Yeah. RB: And it talked about the history of how that started and had actresses playing those characters. But the original Russian, and there was another individual in the stands that was one of the original wrestlers. And that was super exciting to kind of see them there supporting there on Fremont Street. DHB: And did you say one of the other like crew members was also one of the original wrestlers on GLOW? RB: So when I did some research on YouTube, there was a history of WOW. And one of the original wrestlers is part of the production team now. And she was there helping direct things and that was neat to see. DHB: Yeah, it’s like their career didn’t end. Part of the whole network and trying to keep that, keep their passion going. RB: Yeah, well, and we weren’t there to do any autograph signings or they didn’t have any of that really. And we didn’t have the opportunity to go to the press event on Friday. DHB: Yeah, it was Friday they offered up for us to come down and talk to some of the superheroes. Like they actually mentioned superheroes, which was interesting to hear that. I was like, okay, you know, it’s usually when I hear that I think of, you know, Comic-Con. DHB: Yeah. Oh, well. I: Yeah, San Diego Comic Con, you see lots of heroes. Yeah, I really, because we’re always trying to cover not only video games, but pop culture stuff. This was a great opportunity for us to get out and do something local. DHB: Yeah, local and as I think I’ve write about it all the time, immersive experiences, because even though you wouldn’t think that as a wrestling thing, when you’re brought out there, you’re part of a play. So even if you’re in the crowd, you’re watching it, and depending on if you want to believe it’s real or fake or whatever, depending on who’s doing the wrestling. You’re part of this immersive experience. You wanna get in there and cheer for it. Cause yeah, you see some of the stupid, stupid shit that goes on. Like when Daisy Lane jumps over and bites somebody, yeah, she’s not ripping somebody’s neck out, but you’re cheering on for that. It’s one of those immersive experience, which is kind of the lean towards it all. RB: And to go back, the Luchadora was Tormenta. DHB: Tormenta, yes. RB: And she looked great. She had the mask. She definitely seemed to carry it well. Evidently, she’s been doing it since she was 15 years old. Yeah. Born in Guadalajara. So yeah, so I’m really excited. Maybe we can do some other wrestling. There is some more local wrestling stuff. And then we, we found out that there was midget wrestling being offered at… DHB: Little People Wrestling. I: No, it was a wrestling, midget wrestling is an American pastime. The problem with that was what was it? There was like a $25 cover to get in the building or drinks were $20. RB: Or if you talk to the guy out front, he would get you in for free. I: And, you know, and he had to make sure to tell us that, Oh, I don’t get any kickbacks or get paid for doing this. And it’s like… RB: I felt I could, I could feel him rubbing his fingers together saying, Hey, why don’t you tip me? But yeah, I do hope that we can get out. And I only called it midget wrestling because that’s what’s on the advertisement. DHB: Well, it’s on the advertisement. And I think they’re from what I’ve understood. It’s something they’re trying to embrace as well. RB: Yeah. DHB: So I just trying to make sure we’re saying, mining our P’s and Q’s as best we can. RB: I’m not here to offend anyone. I: It’s specific. That’s the, as opposed to being a descriptor, like midget wrestling is like the name brand like of it. It’s not a descriptor of little people doing wrestling. It’s no, it’s the little people that are doing midget wrestling type of thing. RB: Well, yeah, it’s part of their branding and their advertisement. DHB: Yeah. RB: What’s the name of the place that that’s being done at? Nerd? DHB: The Nerd Bar, yeah. RB: Yeah, because I guess they have a ring built in. DHB: Yeah, they have the ring built in there. They have a mechanical penis that you can ride in there. RB: Oh. DHB: A bowling alley. There used to be a movie theater and a bunch of arcades and all that stuff. I: Does Midget KISS perform there or is that elsewhere in Vegas? DHB: I think… I: Midget KISS is a worldwide phenomenon. They are, apparently they are like dead on amazing. DHB: Yeah, I think it’s Little KISS is what they call themselves. But there’s somewhere I don’t know. I know they perform somewhere in town. They used to do it at the Rio because there was the KISS mini golf that was there. I: Yeah. And then I knew they used to do it also across from what was the Hard Rock. DHB: The Virgin now? I: Yeah, by the Hofbrauhaus. Like it’s kitty corner to the Hofbrauhaus type of thing. But I don’t know anymore. DHB: I haven’t seen them promote any new shows, but that would be amazing if they did perform at the Nerd at midget rustling. RB: Well, and that’s something that we could always try to track down is to see Little KISS, maybe, maybe get some autographs and do a giveaway. I: Yes. That’s the epic quest that we have to do is we have to find Little KISS. RB: Well, we could do interviews. We could interview Little KISS, but I think that would be, that would be entertaining. Yeah. So, and of course next year we have WWE is doing. DHB/RB: WrestleMania, DHB: Allegiant Stadium. RB: Evidently the tickets are thousands of dollars. DHB: I believe they go on sale October 25th. RB: Yeah, yeah, it’s gonna be insane. Anytime you see a sporting event that’s offering a layaway program, you know you’re in danger at the cost of the tickets. DHB: But people will pay it. RB: Yeah, well, yeah, especially because there’s such a vibe right now. WWE when, with the last WrestleMania and the Roman Reigns/Cody Rhodes feud and then bringing The Rock back and all of that. It’s really built, built it back up and there’s a lot of excitement right now. And then of course there’s feuding with allegedly feuding with AEW because there’s shit talking that always goes on back and forth… DHB: But until they bring in the JCW, I’m you, it’s the Juggalo wrestling wrestling… guys. If you don’t know what that is. RB: Well, then WWE did some kind of merger or they’re now affiliated with UFC because the NXT guys do stuff here in town. So we might be able to get into an NXT event and kind of do some wrestling coverage there too, which could be entertaining. But yeah, so this was, this was a great departure from some of our typical stuff, getting out, seeing the women of wrestling. Next week we’re going to a GWAR concert. DHB: Yeah, there’s, there’s the GWAR concert and then we’re going to be hitting up a bunch of the haunts out here in Vegas as well. RB: Yeah, because the Freakling Brothers are back up and running. And so that’ll be great to see because they’ve got a three in one. We love the haunt stuff. And, and we’re actually going to get I have dubbed him Carrot, but it’s David’s nephew. DHB: Zayden, he’s done a few writings on the site. RB: And we get Ike grabbing Zayden who’s like six, four and help push him through the haunt. I: I’m not looking forward to it because the last time we went to it, there was a section where we got all sprayed with water, or rather I got sprayed with water, and then we had to move through an area where they had chains dangling from the ceiling that were electrified that had like a resistor on it, so they would only go off when the first person hit them. So everyone lines up behind Ike and gets pushed through and I got shocked so many times. RB: See, and here’s the thing about Ike. Anywhere we go that there’s water being sprayed, Ike is going to be the person that gets sprayed. Even like our last trip to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights, we got in before Horror Nights started. And every ride or thing that we went through that had water spraying, it hit Ike. Even the one time that I could have possibly gotten hit with water, I was spared. It hit Ike. So he’s our water magnet. DHB: This is all talk for another podcast. RB: So we should wrap this up. This was AgroGamer. With the Agrocast talking about Women of Wrestling 2024, the Fremont free show. Hopefully they’ll be able to bring them back and we’ll get to see another Women of Wrestling superhero show. DHB: Right. RB: And that’s it. Catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode113.mp3 Wed, 23 Oct 2024 10:00:00 GMT © 2024 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Women Of Wrestling 2024 [Episode Eleven] AggroCast — Women Of Wrestling 2024 [Episode Eleven] AGGROGAMER.COM 011 003 The AggroCast crew is joined by Ike in the latest episode of the podcast. A new member to join in just as they head out to check the first nationally televised event for Women Of Wrestling ( @WOWSuperheroes ). All hosted out in Las Vegas, NV to showcase some of the Superheroes who are bringing the fun to us all once more. The team recaps the fun of the event and some of the culinary pitfalls that came about as they hit downtown Las Vegas for a night of wrestling fun TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the Agrocast. This is Ray with David. Juliet is in the background but she refuses to add commentary because there’s definitely a section of this podcast that she could really add some commentary. David Hades Becker: I agree. RB: So David got a notification that they were having the Women of Wrestling performing a free wrestling show down on Fremont. And so we’re like, okay, we’ll get together. We’ll go see this free show. But we’re going to get some food beforehand. David had seen this place called Therapy near the Fremont Experience. And so this is of course where Juliet would be great for ranting, but she refuses to come and join the commentary. So we sit down and the decor was really interesting, but then we go to order and our waitress was lovely. DHB: She did everything she could to help out. RB: Yeah, and she was so bubbly and fun. Ike: You’re doing that thing again where you build up expectations. RB: Well, cause we had expectations cause we had seen the menu. David has sent us the menu and we thought okay great this menu looks fine. It has a bunch of different options. So then we get their evening menu… DHB: At 7 p.m. I believe. RB: Yeah, it wasn’t even late. We’re like, okay great So they had like pizza and various options and we get this menu and it’s like half a dozen items. And then we start to order and they’re like, oh, we don’t have that. DHB: Like one of my favorite orders that was out there. Can I get a grilled cheese with chicken on it? They were out. RB: But they had other chicken things. I’m like, are you out of cheese? Are you out of bread? What is it that you’re out of? DHB: I know they weren’t out of bread or cheese because I ended up getting a cheeseburger. RB: Yeah, so it was baffling. And then Ike joined us and Ike went to order something. At least it wasn’t chocolate. I: It was like, no, the end of it was some sort of dip with fries, but it was, the start of it was. RB: Wasn’t it artichoke fries or something? I: No, it started out with like, it wasn’t mac and cheese bites because those came out as. Because of this, I don’t know, it was something that was on their thing that was like, oh, we’re famous for it, oh, I love this. Sure, you can have that. Five minutes later, so we don’t have that anymore. And then she had the big idea of like, maybe I should bring the tablet over so I can find out in real time what we do and do not have. She leaves and we’re all like, yeah, that’ll be good. RB: So she brought it over, you found something to order. I: Yeah, I ordered like spinach artichoke dip fries and they just brought the spinach artichoke dip over. RB: Yeah, we’re like, wait, he wanted the fries, not the spinach artichoke dip. Their chef came by, which was just he looked like a guy. And he’s like, I’ll take this back. I’ll give you a free app. You have one of two choices out of like the five things that were on the menu. We’re like, oh, so those are the only things they have available. OK, so we pick something. I: We got the mac and cheese bites. RB: Yeah. And oh, and Juliet and I ordered the chicken and waffles, which was supposed to be red velvet waffles. DHB: They looked good. RB: They looked good, but they were just pink waffles. I: That was the two of us independent of each other. The observation that it ceases to be finger food the moment you pour syrup on it. RB: Yeah, because they handed us little cups of syrup and we’re like, wow, okay. I: And there’s this thing that happens, this phenomenon that happens that once you had a certain age, you want to share things that are horrible with people that you know. And so this was, Juliet took a bite and was like, oh God, hey Ike, you need to try this. RB & I: Hey David, you need to try this. I: I was like, why? She’s like, because it’s really bad. And I was like, hey, you’re not selling it. She’s like, no, no, no, really. It’s supposed to be red velvet. I think they just put pink food coloring in the waffle mix and the chicken is cold, even though it’s a hot sandwich. And it’s like, okay. And so, you know, you share something that’s awful and you take a bite of it, you’re like, oh God, now it’s in my mouth. RB: So I think out of all of us, David chose the right thing. DHB: Yeah, I didn’t share mine with anybody. RB: It was safe. DHB: Yeah. And it was just a burger. RB: So at this point, we tell everybody that we’re never going back to Therapy, that Therapy has failed us, that they didn’t have any options in Therapy. And so it has a kind of a double meaning, of course, given that I’m going to school to become a therapist. This is I find this exceptionally funny. I: You know how not to do therapy. RB: Yeah. Yeah. So that is our little rant about Therapy. DHB: That was the start of our night towards getting to the Women of Wrestling. The side tangent from everything else. RB: So we get out of there finally. I’m surprised that we were able to get out, honestly. I thought we were going to be trapped in there. It was going to be a whole horror thing. But we make our way down Fremont and they had set up a ring and we were showing up just at the tail end of… DB: The tag team championship match. RB: Yeah. And so we we kind of we had to go through metal detectors and we wove our way through some of the people, the crowd of people, which half of them there. I don’t think they even knew what the hell they were there for. DHB: And yeah, I’m pretty sure they just kind of like walked by like, oh, something’s happening. I’m going to stop here. RB: Yeah. DHB: I have a drink. Let’s do this. RB: As we were walking up, I had watched the previous night some of episodes of WoW on YouTube because I was like, oh, well, we’re going to go see this. I should I want to I want to be a little familiar. And so I had heard of the Mother Truckers. Lo and behold, there they were. The Mother Truckers. DB: The first match we walked up on was the Mother Truckers and whatever Pink. I: Yeah, like Pretty In Pink or something or or. RB: Yeah. I: They were people in pink. RB: They were, they were the heels. I think they were based out of, there were a Florida team. I: Imagine, uh, what Cindy Lauper would look like if she aged badly. Imagine what, uh, P!ink would look like when she is an 80 year old woman. And imagine your neighbor’s mom who thinks that she looks attractive and spanks. This was the trio of people that were the quote tag team against the Mother Truckers. It was amazing. The reason that you don’t see hair extensions on white people was the embodiment of one of them. RB: That’s Ike everybody. So it was fun. They had some interesting matches and it definitely felt like they were warming up over the course of the matches because the first couple of matches were a little sedate and then they just kept getting a little more extreme. DHB: Yeah, it was like after they introduced the horror trio that came in. I: Daisy Lane. Daisy Lane and her friends. I don’t know what the other two were, but… RB: Oh, Chainsaw and… I: One of them had an apron that was made out of human faces. RB: Yeah, that was Chainsaw. I: And another person had like a chain jacket. And when she took it off, she had more chains on underneath. It was amazing. And Daisy Lane’s opening move was jumping on someone’s back and biting her neck. RB: Yeah, that was that was pretty awesome. The other person was Angelica Dante. So, yeah, that was really fun match. Watching watching that go down, because, of course, you know, it was supposed to be a one on one and then everybody got pulled in. And so they’re throwing people around. And that was fun to see. DHB: And it turned kind of like into a massive rumble where it was like nine people in the ring at some point. RB: Yeah. DHB: It was from there that it felt like it started to like get more intense because, I want to say it was the next match where it’s like, oh, it felt like people were making more contact. RB: They were definitely. And one, we got to see the heavyweight champion, which was the Hispanic wrestler, the luchador. I don’t know what the female version of a luchador is… luchadora. And she was, she was a bad-ass. I couldn’t understand. Of course I couldn’t understand anything. She’s yeah. Cause she did have later, it had a translator. Because she signed a contract for a match with rule master or the Class Master DHB: Class Master! RB: So… I: Think Bass Master, but but less impressive. RB: So it was interesting. I did a little research after we had gone to this so we’re recording this after the fact. But David McLean, who was kind of the ring emcee, evidently he was the creator, or one of the major creative forces behind GLOW. And then he did a couple of other women wrestling groups. And then this Women of Wrestling, and their Instagram is like Women of Wrestling Superheroes. And they do look good. Their costumes looked great, their makeup was on point. DHB: They, most of them embodied like the character like they were trying to portray. RB: Yeah. DHB: Even so, some of them were stupid and goofy. It was still like they leaned into it and like, we understand what we’re doing and we’re gonna we’re gonna lean into that and make sure everybody’s entertained. RB: One wasn’t one of the matches The Coach. DHB: Yeah, there was a coach. RB: Yeah. So that was really entertaining to see some of the shit talking. They definitely kept the KFAB and they did some good talking. As opposed to like the scripted stuff you see in a lot of like WWE or AEW. It was fun. And the fact that it was a free show down on Fremont Street really kind of set it apart. I guess they’re hoping to do more like that. DHB: Yeah. And I think they mentioned they were looking to do a tour around the country as well and hit up a few other places. And to go back to something you also mentioned, while we were there, there was also a couple of other, like they were just in the crowd watching, but other members from the original GLOW, GLOW GIRLS. RB: Yeah, the original, the gal that played the Russian. DHB: Yeah. RB: So there was a Netflix show that kind of recapped, I think it was called GLOW. DHB: Yeah. RB: And it talked about the history of how that started and had actresses playing those characters. But the original Russian, and there was another individual in the stands that was one of the original wrestlers. And that was super exciting to kind of see them there supporting there on Fremont Street. DHB: And did you say one of the other like crew members was also one of the original wrestlers on GLOW? RB: So when I did some research on YouTube, there was a history of WOW. And one of the original wrestlers is part of the production team now. And she was there helping direct things and that was neat to see. DHB: Yeah, it’s like their career didn’t end. Part of the whole network and trying to keep that, keep their passion going. RB: Yeah, well, and we weren’t there to do any autograph signings or they didn’t have any of that really. And we didn’t have the opportunity to go to the press event on Friday. DHB: Yeah, it was Friday they offered up for us to come down and talk to some of the superheroes. Like they actually mentioned superheroes, which was interesting to hear that. I was like, okay, you know, it’s usually when I hear that I think of, you know, Comic-Con. DHB: Yeah. Oh, well. I: Yeah, San Diego Comic Con, you see lots of heroes. Yeah, I really, because we’re always trying to cover not only video games, but pop culture stuff. This was a great opportunity for us to get out and do something local. DHB: Yeah, local and as I think I’ve write about it all the time, immersive experiences, because even though you wouldn’t think that as a wrestling thing, when you’re brought out there, you’re part of a play. So even if you’re in the crowd, you’re watching it, and depending on if you want to believe it’s real or fake or whatever, depending on who’s doing the wrestling. You’re part of this immersive experience. You wanna get in there and cheer for it. Cause yeah, you see some of the stupid, stupid shit that goes on. Like when Daisy Lane jumps over and bites somebody, yeah, she’s not ripping somebody’s neck out, but you’re cheering on for that. It’s one of those immersive experience, which is kind of the lean towards it all. RB: And to go back, the Luchadora was Tormenta. DHB: Tormenta, yes. RB: And she looked great. She had the mask. She definitely seemed to carry it well. Evidently, she’s been doing it since she was 15 years old. Yeah. Born in Guadalajara. So yeah, so I’m really excited. Maybe we can do some other wrestling. There is some more local wrestling stuff. And then we, we found out that there was midget wrestling being offered at… DHB: Little People Wrestling. I: No, it was a wrestling, midget wrestling is an American pastime. The problem with that was what was it? There was like a $25 cover to get in the building or drinks were $20. RB: Or if you talk to the guy out front, he would get you in for free. I: And, you know, and he had to make sure to tell us that, Oh, I don’t get any kickbacks or get paid for doing this. And it’s like… RB: I felt I could, I could feel him rubbing his fingers together saying, Hey, why don’t you tip me? But yeah, I do hope that we can get out. And I only called it midget wrestling because that’s what’s on the advertisement. DHB: Well, it’s on the advertisement. And I think they’re from what I’ve understood. It’s something they’re trying to embrace as well. RB: Yeah. DHB: So I just trying to make sure we’re saying, mining our P’s and Q’s as best we can. RB: I’m not here to offend anyone. I: It’s specific. That’s the, as opposed to being a descriptor, like midget wrestling is like the name brand like of it. It’s not a descriptor of little people doing wrestling. It’s no, it’s the little people that are doing midget wrestling type of thing. RB: Well, yeah, it’s part of their branding and their advertisement. DHB: Yeah. RB: What’s the name of the place that that’s being done at? Nerd? DHB: The Nerd Bar, yeah. RB: Yeah, because I guess they have a ring built in. DHB: Yeah, they have the ring built in there. They have a mechanical penis that you can ride in there. RB: Oh. DHB: A bowling alley. There used to be a movie theater and a bunch of arcades and all that stuff. I: Does Midget KISS perform there or is that elsewhere in Vegas? DHB: I think… I: Midget KISS is a worldwide phenomenon. They are, apparently they are like dead on amazing. DHB: Yeah, I think it’s Little KISS is what they call themselves. But there’s somewhere I don’t know. I know they perform somewhere in town. They used to do it at the Rio because there was the KISS mini golf that was there. I: Yeah. And then I knew they used to do it also across from what was the Hard Rock. DHB: The Virgin now? I: Yeah, by the Hofbrauhaus. Like it’s kitty corner to the Hofbrauhaus type of thing. But I don’t know anymore. DHB: I haven’t seen them promote any new shows, but that would be amazing if they did perform at the Nerd at midget rustling. RB: Well, and that’s something that we could always try to track down is to see Little KISS, maybe, maybe get some autographs and do a giveaway. I: Yes. That’s the epic quest that we have to do is we have to find Little KISS. RB: Well, we could do interviews. We could interview Little KISS, but I think that would be, that would be entertaining. Yeah. So, and of course next year we have WWE is doing. DHB/RB: WrestleMania, DHB: Allegiant Stadium. RB: Evidently the tickets are thousands of dollars. DHB: I believe they go on sale October 25th. RB: Yeah, yeah, it’s gonna be insane. Anytime you see a sporting event that’s offering a layaway program, you know you’re in danger at the cost of the tickets. DHB: But people will pay it. RB: Yeah, well, yeah, especially because there’s such a vibe right now. WWE when, with the last WrestleMania and the Roman Reigns/Cody Rhodes feud and then bringing The Rock back and all of that. It’s really built, built it back up and there’s a lot of excitement right now. And then of course there’s feuding with allegedly feuding with AEW because there’s shit talking that always goes on back and forth… DHB: But until they bring in the JCW, I’m you, it’s the Juggalo wrestling wrestling… guys. If you don’t know what that is. RB: Well, then WWE did some kind of merger or they’re now affiliated with UFC because the NXT guys do stuff here in town. So we might be able to get into an NXT event and kind of do some wrestling coverage there too, which could be entertaining. But yeah, so this was, this was a great departure from some of our typical stuff, getting out, seeing the women of wrestling. Next week we’re going to a GWAR concert. DHB: Yeah, there’s, there’s the GWAR concert and then we’re going to be hitting up a bunch of the haunts out here in Vegas as well. RB: Yeah, because the Freakling Brothers are back up and running. And so that’ll be great to see because they’ve got a three in one. We love the haunt stuff. And, and we’re actually going to get I have dubbed him Carrot, but it’s David’s nephew. DHB: Zayden, he’s done a few writings on the site. RB: And we get Ike grabbing Zayden who’s like six, four and help push him through the haunt. I: I’m not looking forward to it because the last time we went to it, there was a section where we got all sprayed with water, or rather I got sprayed with water, and then we had to move through an area where they had chains dangling from the ceiling that were electrified that had like a resistor on it, so they would only go off when the first person hit them. So everyone lines up behind Ike and gets pushed through and I got shocked so many times. RB: See, and here’s the thing about Ike. Anywhere we go that there’s water being sprayed, Ike is going to be the person that gets sprayed. Even like our last trip to Universal for Halloween Horror Nights, we got in before Horror Nights started. And every ride or thing that we went through that had water spraying, it hit Ike. Even the one time that I could have possibly gotten hit with water, I was spared. It hit Ike. So he’s our water magnet. DHB: This is all talk for another podcast. RB: So we should wrap this up. This was AgroGamer. With the Agrocast talking about Women of Wrestling 2024, the Fremont free show. Hopefully they’ll be able to bring them back and we’ll get to see another Women of Wrestling superhero show. DHB: Right. RB: And that’s it. Catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 17:33 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,Women Of Wrestling,WOWSuperheroes yes © 2024 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — Reviewer Wellness Check-In For Mr. Hartgrave [Episode Ten] The AggroCast crew is joined by Mr. Hartgrave in the latest episode of the podcast. They have put Mr. Hartgrave through the wringer with a few reviews so far, with more to come, and it is time to hear the feelings about all of that. Listen in as they all talk about the process, titles, and what is coming down the line for these special reviews being done out there. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. And today we also have special guest the Mr. Hartgrave. He has returned despite all of the abuse that we have leveled upon him over the last few months. Today's topic is the reviews that we've had Frank do and discussing some of the games that he's covered for us and his thoughts on those games and what it's been like working with Aggrogamer. Frank Hartgrave: Yeah, kind of a little behind the scenes here. That's pretty cool. Yeah, I know that the people that have watched the Aggrogamer reviews really like them. And I'm trying to convince more people to watch those reviews. And that's why we're airing this on my YouTube channel as well to try to get that traffic over there. These Marvel Strike Force nerds are so goddamn resistant to entertainment. It's ridiculous. It's like they're addicted to a predatory mobile game and can't see the fucking forest for the trees. David Hades Becker: It's almost like we did a podcast about this before, didn't we? RB: We did cover this topic, yeah. FH: I'm trying to drag them over to... Like, I can be so much more entertaining and valuable as a video personality YouTuber. I don't know what the fuck you want to call me, but this Marvel Strike Force thing is really tip of the iceberg. I can talk about that shit because it's what I've been doing for five years, But I think we've been making some really quality stuff. And yeah, thanks for having me on to talk about it. RB: It has definitely been a learning experience for me because when we did the first one, I had no idea how to edit video. But I said, OK, I'll learn how to do it. And I downloaded DaVinci Resolve. And you made it entertaining for me as I was trying to bash my head against the screen because you were just funny. Your quips and your one-liners and you know looking at the screen and trying and and kind of talking to breaking that fourth wall and talking to the watcher is really entertaining and and that has only progressed as we've been doing it because as I've been editing there are times that I feel like I'm having conversations with you. You're like hey Ray do do editor things and that's When I'm sitting there trying to figure out how to do something or I'm trying to get just the right cut I know that you're there at least in spirit to to either tell me to go fuck myself and keep me enthused or or to rally my spirits and you know, I know that you're in my corner. DHB: We're just to judge you from the future. FH: Well, it's interesting because yeah we don't we don't work in an office together and we don't really have like long calls about how we want the review to go. So when I'm just shooting the review, I'll just kind of have that one sided meeting where I kind of tell you what the plan is, at least in my mind. And I'm always open to whatever you want to do. I don't give a shit. I shoot this stuff. And then what I want to, I've worked with a couple of editors before and my instruction is just whatever's funny. You can do whatever the fuck you want with what I give you. As long as it's funny, then put it in. I don't have any ego or whatever. And I don't like to stifle people's creativity either if you have like a really good idea like today you threw something at me And I was like, yeah, great. That sounds wonderful. I don't you know, once it once it kind of like I did my part like here it is. I there's my part. I captured the game footage. I did my little review, I have to give up control at that point and I'm just happy to see what happens. RB: Yeah, I've been running under two rules that over the last three reviews that we've done that I have learned. One whatever is funny always trumps you you've said that from day one and two don't make you look like an asshole. That was the... FH: Like an asshole sometimes. I'm not like an asshole and if you can avoid that that that'd be good. Well, and for me, it's impossible if it's funny then and then the asshole things stands. RB: Well, and for me you said that and I'm like, but no, it's funny. It's not you being an asshole. It's you being funny. So... FH: Perfect. DHB: But it is being genuine, which is what I know I've always, that was the only thing I always put out there when I'm handing over reviews. I want that genuine aspect to it all. I don't want somebody to be like, oh, I'm vamping this up because I'm worried about what the publisher is going to think, what the developer is going to think. I want to put out the honest stuff that that's why I'm handing these over to you. And I really appreciate that. FH: No problem. RB: Even some of the conversations that David and I have had regarding games, it's like Frank is ready for a new game. What do you have? And he's like, OK, let me look through. Oh, this looks terrible. I'm like, I don't know. Frank might be into it. FH: Now it's going down. It being unpleasant, I think, is part of it. I think that helps me be entertaining. Because I mean, that's kind of the, if I think about what's going on with Marvel Strike Force, which is my main content, of course, is I'm being very, I'm being tortured. And people enjoy that. I don't think, some people are like, oh, like it when you're happy I'm like really because my fucking views don't show that my views go up the more agitated I am right now on my channel the thing that gives me the best views are is a thumbnail where I write the words total bullshit and that kind of indicates what tone we're going for and then that one just heats up like everyone's like oh Mr. Hartgrave is fucking pissed or knocked out of sort in some way we want to watch that that's. That's... DHB: Well, I think I might have a few more lined up to pass over to you, but we'll see about that. FH: I'll do it. RB: I don't know. I heard there was something about Gollum. DHB: Oh, don't get me started on Gollum. I should have handed that one over. That one is, oh, that one is not good. RB: Yeah, this is a non Lord of the Rings zone. FH: Yeah, I'm not in. Well, did you see the thing though? I actually literally have a life-size cardboard stand up of Christopher Lee as Saruman in this studio. RB: Oh, wow. FH: And it's been here. I've had that I've transported that from Alaska. And while I'm sitting here, because the whole the big thing is everyone's jumping over the Lord of the Rings predatory mobile game. And they're like, Mr. Hargrave, are you going to go cover that? And I'm like, Fuck, no, I don't like Lord of the Rings. But while I'm saying that I'm literally staring at a life size cut out of Saruman, I just like Christopher Lee. RB: Oh, yeah. FH: Is it? Which is always fun to explain to people. They're like, Oh, Lord of the Rings. I'm like, fuck You're like, but but you always stand up. I'm like, I just like Christopher Lee. RB: Hell, we could do a whole podcast just on Christopher Lee. That dude was awesome. FH: That's a great subject. Yeah, absolutely. DHB: Noted. RB: Yeah. Actor spy, you know, one of the best horror icons of the hammer era. FH: The goddamn dragon man. RB: Yeah, we've actually done three reviews. The one I want, I need to finish, which was Amanda, the Adventurer. But the first one we did, that was the virtual game. Kill It With... Kill It With Fire. FH: That was fun? Yeah. It's only getting more painful from there, right? DHB: Right. RB: Oh, yeah. Yeah. The spiral spiral goes from there. FH: As I keep trying to get more ambitious, I'm like, let me film more shit, because I don't have an outlet for this when it's Marvel Strike Force. When it's Marvel Strike Force, I'm stuck doing camera in room, game footage. I don't do, like I used to really push what I could do with Marvel Strike Force, but it wasn't appreciated by this community. This Marvel Strike Force community didn't give a shit. And no, and I know like the people that like me gave a shit. The people that like me love the Zemo stuff. They love it when I, you know, cloned myself and there was like three of me on the screen or whatever the fuck I was doing, and whatever green screen crazy shit I was doing or acting or whatnot. My hardcore fans like that. Fuck, I had one shot to make a video with MobileGamer. I didn't know that was gonna be my only shot, but I gave it over to Zemo and it was Zemo and MobileGamer doing fucking goofball shit. And that used to be like my creative outlet. But what works for Marvel Strike Force is the most boring shit, tier list. Tell us who to unlock who to build all this kind of boring shit. They all I know so it's something I can do for this you know community that gave me this platform that put me in this space. But my god is it ever not you know what I want to be doing really or what you know what I want to be known for but you don't really get to pick what you're known for is the problem. RB: So how is the AEW channel going? FH: As far as second channels go let's just say really well I have no idea. It's not horrible. Like I've looked at other small wrestling channels and they are dog shit. Like no views. Like literally zero views so I think our best video on there's like at 200 views. That's better than zero and you know it's near the main channel so it's really hard to compare these things. The ceiling for wrestling content on YouTube is so much higher than the ceiling on Marvel Strike Force content. If I make the best Marvel Strike Force, the most compelling Marvel Strike Force video, known to man, and I probably need to quit, what I need to do is quit and make that video. That video, Mr. Hartgrave quits Marvel Strike Force, max views, max views 40,000. Now if I the most mundane shitty wrestling video but somehow the algorithm picks up 400,000 views. So you know you do the math like what what should I be doing right like I gotta take a shot at it. RB: Yeah. FH: Wrestling content is just ridiculous. Um as far as the amount of people consuming it on YouTube as opposed to Marvel Strike Force, which is um on average a good video for me is like maybe 7,000 to 10,000 views is doing really, really good. Whereas, yeah, if you were doing wrestling videos, 10,000 views is on the low end, basically. But if you're doing it daily, I would rather do that daily than anything else because I do consume a lot of wrestling content and whatnot. Or these reviews. For these reviews that we're doing, those are gonna be hard to break through. But on stuff like that, I mean, that's what can get you millions of views. It's where you're doing something really kind of work. RB: I've got a pitch for you. An October Halloween Zemo versus Hartgrave wrestling match. FH: Oh shit. DHB: Oh yeah. RB: That way, both channels, you get both groups. FH: Well, it's true. This was what I used to say. I used to say there used to be a little bit of a challenge going on, that if we hit 10,000 subscribers, which at the time didn't seem seem like a far away goal. And I would do the wrestling match but the thing is about that is I wouldn't I would have to really do it and what I did was I did this cup design where it's you know me fighting a Zemo Hulk thing and I said you know now if we sell enough of these cups maybe I'll do it. I kind of pushed it off and I was hoping no one would noticed or call me on my bullshit? Yeah, maybe 20,000 subscribers. What do you think? 20,000 subscribers. We arranged the... I've had people offer to help me with it. It could happen. RB: It could happen. That would be awesome. We get we get Gordon a war and Stephen Strange, Stephen Strange involved and we come up with some posters for the match. And... FH: Yeah, it's definitely on possibility, I suppose. I feel like it's something I would jump to do if I was doing this full-time and not in like a part-time capacity, which people don't know about me so much. They think I'm, I mean, look around, this looks like a man that's doing this full-time, but what I'm doing is I'm taking all of the revenue and putting it into studio upgrades. I donate a lot as well. We do a lot of charity stuff too, but I'm not paying my rent with this stuff. So I can afford to upgrade desks and lightings and throw monitors around and all kinds of stuff. RB: And then the screen behind you just lit up. FH: Yeah. RB: What's going on with that screen back there? Oh, it's cycling through things. FH: Yeah, yeah, I got all the thumbnails that I do for Addicted to Marvel Strike Force that take me way more time than I should ever spend on thumbnails for Marvel Strike Force. And just kind of reusing them back there as a little screen saver. RB: That's pretty sweet. FH: A little added production value. We're always adding needless production value on this channel. I have no idea why. RB: Well, and as you can tell that I have done nothing with my office, it's a terrible mess. David doesn't even have his camera on. So... DHB: Yeah, exactly. I'm sitting in a black void right now. You'd see nothing right now. It's just complete darkness where I'm at. FH: And it's as it should be. If you're Hades, you know... DHB: Exactly. Well then I have Cerberus barking downstairs at me and he's just upset and I'm like, okay, I'm fine. I'm gonna hide even further into my cave. RB: So you did the VR game first with us. What was that like trying to record and play the VR game for the review? FH: Well, VR is something that I've been into for a long time. I think me and the family got into it during quarantine, during lockdown. Back in 2020, we were approaching Christmas and we were feeling like failures as parents because we were in, no one knew what was going on, you know, the longevity of COVID. My wife kind of did know she has a doctorate in microbiology, so she was trying to school us on it and be like, guys, we're not going anywhere. No, seriously, guys, we're not going anywhere for a very long goddamn time. And so it kind of dawned on us that, yeah, we're not going anywhere. So we said, all right, one of the kids really wanted VR. So we did up VR. It's actually the computer that I'm running everything off of today. It's a very powerful computer that you need to run VR right so I ended up turning up and when they lost interest because my kids lost interest in VR way before I did. I I'm still kind of into it I like doing it. I do have a threshold on it like if you do so many hours of VR you kind of get VR fatigue and get kind of dizzy and stuff. I don't know you. Kind of kind of get into VR shape. So I was a little daunted taking on a VR game, not being in any kind of VR shape whatsoever. But I played it pretty pretty hardcore for a few days where I would do like an hour a day every day for I don't know how many video clips ended up sending over like six of them or something to get through the whole game or most of the game. I gave up at a certain point I was like fuck it I can't. I can't do anyways it's a good game. But then I wonder what I'm like I always get to this like point with doing these things where I start wondering well how many people are gonna watch this is this? Is This worth the effort I'm putting in. Boy I'm investing a lot of time in doing this thing and then I got to fight through that and finish. Rb: Well I'm talking about a lot of time and investment that leads us right into the second one which was Sherlock... FH: The Awakening and there was a massive fail on my behalf to things re reigned in. Yeah. RB: Because that was eight hours of just gameplay footage. I got to see a really great game and how you play games. FH: Yeah, I I didn't set out to beat that game. They're all supposed to be like kind of like brief videos, I guess. But then like like Burn It With Fire. I guess I left a little bit of that game uncovered, but it was a short game. Most VR experiences are pretty short. So that wasn't a big deal. But then Sherlock Holmes, I was like, let me just play a little bit, get some highlights and then I'll give some impressions of it and we're out. You know, uh, the, the last one didn't hit like a ton of views or anything. I think it got like 500. So I'm like, you know, I don't need to go crazy about this, but then I got to one point of the game, which is in the video where like my whole opinion of this chat, I think I definitely messaged you that day. I'm like, oh shit, I got to finish this thing. I got to, I got to do it justice. Cause now it's like a good game and I don't want to be short with it. I don't I want to be authentic with it. I don't want to be like, oh, this is just a shitty because the first half of the game I did not like the first like two hours. Which I thought was going to be the whole review. Like, I'm just going to bag on this game. And then it got really good. And I'm like, oh, shit, now I got to finish this game. RB: Two hours of table staring. FH: Yeah. Thankfully, I cheated and I looked I got a walk through and that made it actually possible just to solve all the puzzle because this is an adventure game. So most of the time you're gonna spend on it if you're gonna play it for like 20 hours or whatever, would be trying to figure things out yourself. But I just kinda, I figure a lot of reviewers do that. I don't know what game reviewers do. I am not a professional at all. DHB: But usually we're all sent reviewing guides that give little tips and hints and all that stuff to be like, if you get stuck at this point so you can continue forward, here's what you do here. Here's how you do this. And here's this little shortcut here. FH: They want you to get through the game. DHB: Yeah. FH: And like Kill It With Fire actually had a debug menu where I could just unlock all the content which is exactly what I should have done. It's not what I did. I started playing it like a jabroni. But what I should have done is use the debug menu and then I could have been done with that video in about an hour or two, instead of the six hours or whatever to play through the it was a fun game. DHB: But you played through it like a normal game or would though, and that's the important thing. RB: Well and you don't pull punches when you're talking about stuff in the game, so that gives a very real sense of playing through the game and the shit that you see and some of your responses on the screen to what you're playing through. FH: Yeah absolutely, and with the Sherlock game I think the first half of that where its very negative. I would have probably not played more unless I was doing the review I probably would have been like, alright, this is not for me. I'm gonna load it up I would have got stuck at that point. I would have missed a really cool experience though so that's why I like putting that video out there because it's definitely a game where you could write it off. Maybe seen it initially or whatever. So I that's why I thought it's like it was almost on a mission with you on that I'm like we have to show people how cool this game is so that maybe they will go experience it because normally I would not play a game like that. I wouldn't do that and one a lot of things I tried on my channel to kind of promote people to go check out VR because I thought it was really transformative I think it's so cool to play VR and a lot of people are like, oh, it's too expensive. It's literally like 200 bucks for 200 bucks. Maybe two hundred and forty dollars you can go be in Resident Evil 4. And be inside of Resident Evil. I don't know how else I can better sell VR to anyone than telling you that for a mere $240, you can be inside of the iconic Resident Evil 4, which is probably one of the coolest things I've done in VR. And you don't need any special hardware or computer. You can do that with a Quest 2, which is basically a right in the box VR system. It's not as expansive as PC VR, which I also have which I would you know, if you're gonna be a VR connoisseur you might want to do that and kind of get into Half-Life Alex which you cannot do on the on the Quest 2. But I think for a lot of people just playing Resident Evil 4 and VR would be extremely eye-opening to what VR is that's one of the coolest experiences that I've had with it for sure. RB: So are you saying that we need to do some kind of review for VR Resident Evil? FH: Absolutely. I can't wait to play Resident Evil 7 and 8 someday in VR. I've never played Resident Evil 7 because that was the one that came out on VR, yeah. DHB: I've done Resident Evil 7 in VR. That is, that was when my eyes got opened to it, to have good VR. And that was on the PS VR, not even like any of the higher end PC ones. Yeah, I was like, okay, this is apparently way different that I remember back in the like the late 90s early 2000s It was just like make the virtual boy and all that shit was coming out. FH: Yeah. Yeah. DHB: Yeah, exactly. FH: Well, yeah, that's a new old four was really cool too because like I played that game so many times from outside. RB: Yeah. FH: Being inside of it It's like this special kind of nostalgia that you really need to experience if you have it like it's really something else to be inside of this game that I'm so familiar with. But now you can just like walk over to that little area that you've only seen before. You can crouch down, you can look at, it's just so weird. RB: Now I'm wanting to see it. FH: You gotta check it out, you gotta do it. Every grown dork needs to go do this. It's like your duty to go be inside Resident Evil 4. If you've ever played Resident Evil 4, it's just a really cool experience. DHB: I can agree with that, 100%. FH: I love video games at all. I don't know why you're skipping that one. Well, I keep wanting to review Resident Evil 6. I started playing Resident Evil 6. I don't have any footage captured, though, unfortunately. I've been playing it on my Steam Deck, but I don't know. I could probably do some kind of, maybe we just need to do a podcast about Resident Evil 6. Everybody should play through it or something. Because the initial reaction to Resident Evil 6 was, this is the drizzling shits. This is the worst Resident Evil. Fuck Resident Evil. Resident Evil is dead. Resident Evil 6 has killed the franchise. I get a Steam Deck. One of the first things I get is Resident Evil 6 because it's on sale like the day I get the Steam Deck for like six bucks. And I'm like, I've played it a little bit before, I did not like it on console. For some reason the moment I have it on a handheld device, I'm like, this is the greatest Resident Evil ever. Maybe not that, but it felt so much better and more right on a portable console than trying to play it on like, you know, a high end TV or something like, I don't know, something felt off about it, but as like a portable, digestible, short little experience, it's such a better game. But now I'm doing the Resident Evil 6 podcast. RB: Well, and so the third one that we're that we've had you review, which the review should come out before this podcast goes out. So we can we could technically talk about it. Amanda the Adventurer. FH: This is like spoilers So if you're watching this on addicted to Marvel Strike Force and Raymond has failed to get it out by Monday Then you're getting a little preview of what this video is and yeah, I haven't talked about it. I've been coy I've been like I did another one. I won't tell you but even if I say Amanda the Adventurer I mean people have Google now so they can just Google it up. I thought it was gonna be a VR game. And it wasn't. DHB: It was an Edutainment game. FH: Kind of. Yeah. RB: Yeah, I think that I had got my wires crossed when I was talking to David, because I thought it was the VR game, because we we had a couple of VR possibilities. And then he was like, but I got this one. And I'm like, OK, I'll just see what Frank says. If he tells me, go fuck myself. Then I know that's that he's on board. FH: Well, if you send me the game, I'm going to I'll do it. I don't I'm not gonna I don't think I'm gonna say no. I don't know what you would have to send me for me to be like nah I'm not doing like even if it's the worst thing. I'm like, alright, that'll probably be good for the content. DHB: There are some games out there. I've had solicited to be that I'm like, no, that's not good content, like I've had the entirety of like the Leisure Suit Larry remasters thrown at me and I'm like... FH: You know what I do it though because I remember those games I totally remember Leisure Suit Larry I remember wanting to play them as a kid. And then I remember actually playing a couple and not wanting to do that ever again. But I think there's interesting content in that, though. It's a weird little piece of computer game history, for sure. RB: Yeah, because I played those around the time that I was doing BBSes. And I downloaded the original Wolfenstein and Duke Nukem from a BBS. And they were done by Apogee and I remember shanking Nazis in Duke Nukem, no Wolfenstein shanking Nazis and then killing Hitler in all of his pixeled glory. So that was, yeah, I remember Leisure Suit Larry on floppy floppy disk. FH: good times, good times and floppy disk and the confirmation codes, you got to look in the manual for him. It's good stuff. RB: But Amanda the Explorer, or Amanda, Amanda the Explorer. Because it is kind of a riff on Dora the Explorer. But Amanda the Adventurer, it has been really interesting and entertaining, as I've been putting this review together from your footage and content. Just how, because I think at one point you summed up the fact that it's in a contained space, but it is, it does a lot with that contained space. FH: It does. It would be a really great VR title. And I would totally play it again in VR because I think the fear would be so much higher. It would be such a creepier game in VR. It's a really good example of how elevated that experience can be. I mean, I'm only speaking from having a lot of experience playing with VR games, but I could kind of tell when I was playing this because I'm pretty much distanced from it. If you're on the outside of it, you're not inside of it. So it's only as immersive as you kind of let it be. So it didn't really get to me that much. Watching some of the game has moments where it's a little unsettling. But all that would be so much more heightened inside VR. It would be a really good. It's a shame that it wasn't VR. I'm sure they'll do it. It feels like it's developed for VR. Or just, like, that wouldn't happen. DHB: Well, anything that takes place in a first-person view can technically be in a VR space. It just takes the extra work to make that happen. FH: Well, it's weird, because it has a lot of, like, it feels like a lot of the games that are in VR. It's one room, and you interact with a lot of objects in the room, and all the objects have, like, a little physics thing to them. You turn things around or whatever. It would all just translate brilliantly to VR. DHB: Well, if the developers are listening to this are watching this, hint. FH: I try not to say that too much. I had to stop myself so many times when doing the review from being like, this should be VR. I didn't want to hammer that every, I wanted to say it every minute, but I was like, that is the worst video I could possibly make, because you can't go play it in VR. So what, I'm just going to sit here and say, this game should be VR. And that's my review of the game. Like, nah, I have to do the job. But I'll say it now. I'll see how that motherfucker should be VR. It's a missed opportunity. It would be so much more freaky. RB: So we have given you some games that have not been mainstream titles. FH: Yeah, you guys sent me some really weird stuff. RB: And are you good with that weird stuff overall? FH: Well, that's all good I think it's it's I mean it's kind of becoming part of the joke of the videos is like, alright guys What do I get today? Do I get to play like some you know? Is this gonna be a Harry Potter or Amanda the Explorer? Okay, I mean Sherlock Holmes was close. I have heard of the Sherlock Holmes games and that is kind of a I don't know. I guess it's not a big budget. It was a studio like out of the Ukraine, right? RB: Yeah. DHB: Well, they also they're the same one that did the Sunken City games Fogwares has done a few games I think they did the original one back in 2007 so this was a remaster you keep the studio up and floating while the war is going on well and... RB: And this was the second Sherlock game that they had done. Because the first one actually had a combat mechanic that you didn't really get to see in Sherlock the Awakened Which I thought I thought that yeah. I thought that was really interesting because I know at one point during the review You had mentioned like there was no real combat it was all a lot of table looking and a lot of clues hunting and that sort of thing. I think the closest you got to it with the awakened was when you were in Louisiana the Bayou and you were having to shoot the bodies out of the trees. FH: Yeah, yeah to get away from the alligators. I don't think that made the final cut of the video that whole alligator section. Which is wise because there was so much gameplay. I played the whole damn game and so I loved the montage you did but yeah, we didn't lose the I meant to play some of it on Twitch, but the timing just didn't work out. Because that kind of stuff would have been cool for Twitch the the whole alligator section, which is really cool it's a really cool game like that might not have... I hope that the video was intriguing enough that people would if they saw Sherlock Holmes game, especially this one and on sale or whatever or I don't know where you find how you find video games anymore or maybe you seek it out now that you hear about it like watch it or whatever you again. It's worth it it's worth going through all of the puzzles and whatnot if you don't like that kind of stuff. Because I don't like that kind of stuff I like my video games a little more immediate. I think Resident Evil puzzles are about as much as I can really tolerate on a normal basis. I don't think I normally turn to walkthroughs and just like give me the fucking code. I'll go and search around for it. For this one, I was like, just give me the fucking code. So I can open the thing up. So I was a little bit like that with Amanda as well. I did not hunt down all the hunting down. Some of that shit was cryptic as hell to hunt down all the secrets. And Amanda, the explorer would have taken... I if I need to be a child with unlimited time or something to do that. So I did look at all that shit. RB: So what you're saying is you don't want to do the remastered MYST. FH: Oh my god. Once again, you know, I remember that I remember MYST I remember thinking this is gonna be great Then I remember playing MYST and it wasn't so great. So either there's probably is material in it. Maybe not all adventure or what do you call them adventure games? I guess is what they're called. RB: Yeah. Well, that's really David looking at the void that is David's icon to see what he has to toss your way next. FH: Or maybe all adventure games. Maybe that's what's funny. Torturing me with adventure games is funny. DHB: All adventure games going forward, got it. Anything that has serious puzzles, that's all I'm going to give you. Get ready for Matcho. That one's going to come your way now. FH: What you guys should try to do is give me games that would get YouTube clicks. RB: Well, David was actually teasing about that earlier when we were talking. DHB: I may have a few in the works right now. I can't really speak about, but I think one of them will work really well for your second channel. FH: That sounds great. DHB: So I'm working on some of that to get you something a little more mainstream, it's not torture you so much because the torture works best when you have a couple of reprieves. You're like okay everything's fine now then then we hit you again right in the gut that's the best part well. FH: I think it'd be funny if you could get me a wrestling game that isn't AEW: Fight Forever. DHB: Noted. I will work on that one. RB: There's got to be a VR wrestling game out there. DHB: I think there's a JCW one out there. i'm gonna get you some juggalo wrestling out there. FH: I'm down with the clown. So yeah, there's actually a pretty cool VR game. I forget what it's called. It's like Gord or something. I forget what it's called exactly, but it is like a like barbarian fight simulator. That's probably the closest to wrestling. It's actually pretty great and violent. Like, you can just rip people's heads off and stuff and kind of get into hand-to-hand altercations. That one's pretty fucked up. Pretty interesting. I don't like playing VR games, though, where I swing my hands because I always end up really close to a wall and just fracturing my hand on the wall, because I get into it. I just believe I'm in there and I'm just fighting for my life and just bam, knocking holes in the wall. And I just redid everything around here. I'm gonna put my head right through that television back there, it's bad news. That's one thing my studio is not equipped for anymore is VR, so I don't know what I'm gonna do if I get another VR. I'm sure I'll work it out, but I did put a massive desk right in the middle of the studio now, so that's a bit of a problem. DHB: Alright, so God of Rock is on the list now. That's a VR title where you're, it's kind of like Beat Saber, but you're fighting off zombie hordes instead of hitting notes. FH: That sounds awesome. I'm a big rhythm game fan. I got so into Rock Band for so many years, me and my wife actually entered a Rock Band tournament and won. We got into it. RB: Wow, congrats. FH: Yeah, absolutely. DHB: I did the same thing back in, I think it was 2008 or 2009, and the only reason I won was that they added in performance as well. I was playing They Say by Scars on Broadway. The person that I was going up against had to quit because I turned around, and this song memorized so well. I played with my back to the screen. And the guy's like what the hell's going on like he freaked out just missed every other note and I was able to play just perfectly the entire time on like expert got it destroyed. FH: My friend used to be able to do that with Free Bird, the Free Bird song so well that he could not look at the screen while he did it. I was like you bastard. RB: See and I have no sense of timing or rhythm or pattern recognition so I can't I can't do any of that. Whereas my partner loves DDR and does all that DDR stuff and loved Rock Band and I I'm terrible. We went to Super Nintendo World at Universal and there was a game that we had to play and David hit. The first time first shot and it took me like three freaking times to actually get past it. DHB: Yeah, that was pretty funny. RB: Yeah, and you got that recorded. Thanks, David. DHB: It's up on the YouTube as well as it's there forever for everybody to see. RB: Yay my embarrassment. FH: It's a more beautiful playlist where we just embarrassed right? RB: Thanks guys. FH: What you need. DHB: Third channel? Here we go. FH: Perfect. RB: Wow. All right friendship. That's what... FH: Raymond plays rhythm games. ALL: Yeah, yeah, yeah. RB: Yeah. You want to you want to see somebody aggroed? I'll start smashing the guitar into the walls and shit because I can't do it. Well, for for our podcast, we are coming up on the 40 minute mark. So Mark, we're going to we're going to have to wrap this one down. If not, I'm going to be editing a video review as well as a podcast forever. FH: So that's my secret. I just don't edit anything. RB: Yeah, but you're far more funnier than we are so that's why we brought you back because we're like we need Frank to be here to up our game because if not, we're just two chuckle heads talking into mics and nobody wants to listen to that. DHB: Exactly. We're just trying to steal all the secrets. FH: I'm happy to help out. I've really enjoyed doing the reviews. Looking forward to doing more of them and Yeah, one of these days, I'm going to play a good game. Like something I actually want to do. I don't know. RB: We're going to shock you at some point. You're going to be like, wait, what? FH: I mean, I play Marvel Strike Force. How high is my bar? Like, it's the games I played so far were great. What am I saying? They're all better than Marvel Strike Force, so it's a win. DHB: Resident Evil 6 remastered, but only the console version got it. RB: Wow. FH: Oh, man. You know, I want to rep for that game. I think that game got a bad rap. I don't because I play Resident Evil 5 and I don't understand what is worse about Resident Evil 6 than Resident Evil 5. If you're not going to dis on Resident Evil 5, then I don't know why you hate Resident Evil 6 so much. I think... DHB: it was it was it was because there was more of the action and less of the horror. It was like you could watch kind of like the Fast and the Furious movies as they get further and further. They get more furious than fast. And you watch how they get shittier and shittier. It's kind of like Resident Evil. It had like the amazing Resident Evil 4 horror stuff. Then Resident Evil 5 ends with you punching a boulder. And then Resident Evil 6 is like, fuck it, we're just going all action, nonstop. FH: I don't know. I think it's medium, because I think it really improves on the handheld. Everybody's got to try it on Steam Deck, you got to get a VR, you got to the Steam, I'm really sounding ableist, is how we're like. I don't know. I don't know. These things will become more available over time, I assume. RB: They don't even make Steam decks anymore, do they? I think they do. DHB: Yeah, they still make Steam decks. It's the one that was the bridge between your PC and your TV. It's kind of like a Steam TV type thing. They don't make those anymore. I got one of those for like $1. So we're just trying to liquidate. I'm like, OK, here's a dollar. RB: Well, Frank, I truly appreciate that you are willing to hop on and talk to us this evening. And we promise we will get you a game that is one that you've heard of to do a review. But I also want to bring you in, because at one point I had pitched possibly doing a podcast episode about Monster Squad, which I still say is one of the best horror movies of the 90s. And we've got a bunch of different ideas like that that we really hey Frank. What do you think of this? FH: Yeah, that sounds great I'll have to rewatch Monster Squad. I'm sure I saw it because I used to work in a video store and I watched everything in there. So I'm sure I saw it at some point, but I remember some of the stuff from I know what movie you're talking about. RB: You're like Wolfman's got Nards. I was like, that's it. Okay, you remember that. FH: That was like on the trailer and that the trailer for Monster Squad was on every video that I watched. So I know that part really well. RB: Okay we'll have to maybe even just do it like a movie a movie watch so we all get caught up and then we can talk about it. FH: That sounds perfect. RB: Great well thank you again Frank and we'll have you back in the not-too-distant future after we've terrorized you with a few more reviews. FH: Perfect. Looking forward to the torture. RB: This has been the AggroCast. We'll catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode112.mp3 Fri, 30 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Reviewer Wellness Check-In For Mr. Hartgrave [Episode Ten] AggroCast — Reviewer Wellness Check-In For Mr. Hartgrave [Episode Ten] AGGROGAMER.COM 010 003 The AggroCast crew is joined by Mr. Hartgrave in the latest episode of the podcast. They have put Mr. Hartgrave through the wringer with a few reviews so far, with more to come, and it is time to hear the feelings about all of that. Listen in as they all talk about the process, titles, and what is coming down the line for these special reviews being done out there. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. And today we also have special guest the Mr. Hartgrave. He has returned despite all of the abuse that we have leveled upon him over the last few months. Today's topic is the reviews that we've had Frank do and discussing some of the games that he's covered for us and his thoughts on those games and what it's been like working with Aggrogamer. Frank Hartgrave: Yeah, kind of a little behind the scenes here. That's pretty cool. Yeah, I know that the people that have watched the Aggrogamer reviews really like them. And I'm trying to convince more people to watch those reviews. And that's why we're airing this on my YouTube channel as well to try to get that traffic over there. These Marvel Strike Force nerds are so goddamn resistant to entertainment. It's ridiculous. It's like they're addicted to a predatory mobile game and can't see the fucking forest for the trees. David Hades Becker: It's almost like we did a podcast about this before, didn't we? RB: We did cover this topic, yeah. FH: I'm trying to drag them over to... Like, I can be so much more entertaining and valuable as a video personality YouTuber. I don't know what the fuck you want to call me, but this Marvel Strike Force thing is really tip of the iceberg. I can talk about that shit because it's what I've been doing for five years, But I think we've been making some really quality stuff. And yeah, thanks for having me on to talk about it. RB: It has definitely been a learning experience for me because when we did the first one, I had no idea how to edit video. But I said, OK, I'll learn how to do it. And I downloaded DaVinci Resolve. And you made it entertaining for me as I was trying to bash my head against the screen because you were just funny. Your quips and your one-liners and you know looking at the screen and trying and and kind of talking to breaking that fourth wall and talking to the watcher is really entertaining and and that has only progressed as we've been doing it because as I've been editing there are times that I feel like I'm having conversations with you. You're like hey Ray do do editor things and that's When I'm sitting there trying to figure out how to do something or I'm trying to get just the right cut I know that you're there at least in spirit to to either tell me to go fuck myself and keep me enthused or or to rally my spirits and you know, I know that you're in my corner. DHB: We're just to judge you from the future. FH: Well, it's interesting because yeah we don't we don't work in an office together and we don't really have like long calls about how we want the review to go. So when I'm just shooting the review, I'll just kind of have that one sided meeting where I kind of tell you what the plan is, at least in my mind. And I'm always open to whatever you want to do. I don't give a shit. I shoot this stuff. And then what I want to, I've worked with a couple of editors before and my instruction is just whatever's funny. You can do whatever the fuck you want with what I give you. As long as it's funny, then put it in. I don't have any ego or whatever. And I don't like to stifle people's creativity either if you have like a really good idea like today you threw something at me And I was like, yeah, great. That sounds wonderful. I don't you know, once it once it kind of like I did my part like here it is. I there's my part. I captured the game footage. I did my little review, I have to give up control at that point and I'm just happy to see what happens. RB: Yeah, I've been running under two rules that over the last three reviews that we've done that I have learned. One whatever is funny always trumps you you've said that from day one and two don't make you look like an asshole. That was the... FH: Like an asshole sometimes. I'm not like an asshole and if you can avoid that that that'd be good. Well, and for me, it's impossible if it's funny then and then the asshole things stands. RB: Well, and for me you said that and I'm like, but no, it's funny. It's not you being an asshole. It's you being funny. So... FH: Perfect. DHB: But it is being genuine, which is what I know I've always, that was the only thing I always put out there when I'm handing over reviews. I want that genuine aspect to it all. I don't want somebody to be like, oh, I'm vamping this up because I'm worried about what the publisher is going to think, what the developer is going to think. I want to put out the honest stuff that that's why I'm handing these over to you. And I really appreciate that. FH: No problem. RB: Even some of the conversations that David and I have had regarding games, it's like Frank is ready for a new game. What do you have? And he's like, OK, let me look through. Oh, this looks terrible. I'm like, I don't know. Frank might be into it. FH: Now it's going down. It being unpleasant, I think, is part of it. I think that helps me be entertaining. Because I mean, that's kind of the, if I think about what's going on with Marvel Strike Force, which is my main content, of course, is I'm being very, I'm being tortured. And people enjoy that. I don't think, some people are like, oh, like it when you're happy I'm like really because my fucking views don't show that my views go up the more agitated I am right now on my channel the thing that gives me the best views are is a thumbnail where I write the words total bullshit and that kind of indicates what tone we're going for and then that one just heats up like everyone's like oh Mr. Hartgrave is fucking pissed or knocked out of sort in some way we want to watch that that's. That's... DHB: Well, I think I might have a few more lined up to pass over to you, but we'll see about that. FH: I'll do it. RB: I don't know. I heard there was something about Gollum. DHB: Oh, don't get me started on Gollum. I should have handed that one over. That one is, oh, that one is not good. RB: Yeah, this is a non Lord of the Rings zone. FH: Yeah, I'm not in. Well, did you see the thing though? I actually literally have a life-size cardboard stand up of Christopher Lee as Saruman in this studio. RB: Oh, wow. FH: And it's been here. I've had that I've transported that from Alaska. And while I'm sitting here, because the whole the big thing is everyone's jumping over the Lord of the Rings predatory mobile game. And they're like, Mr. Hargrave, are you going to go cover that? And I'm like, Fuck, no, I don't like Lord of the Rings. But while I'm saying that I'm literally staring at a life size cut out of Saruman, I just like Christopher Lee. RB: Oh, yeah. FH: Is it? Which is always fun to explain to people. They're like, Oh, Lord of the Rings. I'm like, fuck You're like, but but you always stand up. I'm like, I just like Christopher Lee. RB: Hell, we could do a whole podcast just on Christopher Lee. That dude was awesome. FH: That's a great subject. Yeah, absolutely. DHB: Noted. RB: Yeah. Actor spy, you know, one of the best horror icons of the hammer era. FH: The goddamn dragon man. RB: Yeah, we've actually done three reviews. The one I want, I need to finish, which was Amanda, the Adventurer. But the first one we did, that was the virtual game. Kill It With... Kill It With Fire. FH: That was fun? Yeah. It's only getting more painful from there, right? DHB: Right. RB: Oh, yeah. Yeah. The spiral spiral goes from there. FH: As I keep trying to get more ambitious, I'm like, let me film more shit, because I don't have an outlet for this when it's Marvel Strike Force. When it's Marvel Strike Force, I'm stuck doing camera in room, game footage. I don't do, like I used to really push what I could do with Marvel Strike Force, but it wasn't appreciated by this community. This Marvel Strike Force community didn't give a shit. And no, and I know like the people that like me gave a shit. The people that like me love the Zemo stuff. They love it when I, you know, cloned myself and there was like three of me on the screen or whatever the fuck I was doing, and whatever green screen crazy shit I was doing or acting or whatnot. My hardcore fans like that. Fuck, I had one shot to make a video with MobileGamer. I didn't know that was gonna be my only shot, but I gave it over to Zemo and it was Zemo and MobileGamer doing fucking goofball shit. And that used to be like my creative outlet. But what works for Marvel Strike Force is the most boring shit, tier list. Tell us who to unlock who to build all this kind of boring shit. They all I know so it's something I can do for this you know community that gave me this platform that put me in this space. But my god is it ever not you know what I want to be doing really or what you know what I want to be known for but you don't really get to pick what you're known for is the problem. RB: So how is the AEW channel going? FH: As far as second channels go let's just say really well I have no idea. It's not horrible. Like I've looked at other small wrestling channels and they are dog shit. Like no views. Like literally zero views so I think our best video on there's like at 200 views. That's better than zero and you know it's near the main channel so it's really hard to compare these things. The ceiling for wrestling content on YouTube is so much higher than the ceiling on Marvel Strike Force content. If I make the best Marvel Strike Force, the most compelling Marvel Strike Force video, known to man, and I probably need to quit, what I need to do is quit and make that video. That video, Mr. Hartgrave quits Marvel Strike Force, max views, max views 40,000. Now if I the most mundane shitty wrestling video but somehow the algorithm picks up 400,000 views. So you know you do the math like what what should I be doing right like I gotta take a shot at it. RB: Yeah. FH: Wrestling content is just ridiculous. Um as far as the amount of people consuming it on YouTube as opposed to Marvel Strike Force, which is um on average a good video for me is like maybe 7,000 to 10,000 views is doing really, really good. Whereas, yeah, if you were doing wrestling videos, 10,000 views is on the low end, basically. But if you're doing it daily, I would rather do that daily than anything else because I do consume a lot of wrestling content and whatnot. Or these reviews. For these reviews that we're doing, those are gonna be hard to break through. But on stuff like that, I mean, that's what can get you millions of views. It's where you're doing something really kind of work. RB: I've got a pitch for you. An October Halloween Zemo versus Hartgrave wrestling match. FH: Oh shit. DHB: Oh yeah. RB: That way, both channels, you get both groups. FH: Well, it's true. This was what I used to say. I used to say there used to be a little bit of a challenge going on, that if we hit 10,000 subscribers, which at the time didn't seem seem like a far away goal. And I would do the wrestling match but the thing is about that is I wouldn't I would have to really do it and what I did was I did this cup design where it's you know me fighting a Zemo Hulk thing and I said you know now if we sell enough of these cups maybe I'll do it. I kind of pushed it off and I was hoping no one would noticed or call me on my bullshit? Yeah, maybe 20,000 subscribers. What do you think? 20,000 subscribers. We arranged the... I've had people offer to help me with it. It could happen. RB: It could happen. That would be awesome. We get we get Gordon a war and Stephen Strange, Stephen Strange involved and we come up with some posters for the match. And... FH: Yeah, it's definitely on possibility, I suppose. I feel like it's something I would jump to do if I was doing this full-time and not in like a part-time capacity, which people don't know about me so much. They think I'm, I mean, look around, this looks like a man that's doing this full-time, but what I'm doing is I'm taking all of the revenue and putting it into studio upgrades. I donate a lot as well. We do a lot of charity stuff too, but I'm not paying my rent with this stuff. So I can afford to upgrade desks and lightings and throw monitors around and all kinds of stuff. RB: And then the screen behind you just lit up. FH: Yeah. RB: What's going on with that screen back there? Oh, it's cycling through things. FH: Yeah, yeah, I got all the thumbnails that I do for Addicted to Marvel Strike Force that take me way more time than I should ever spend on thumbnails for Marvel Strike Force. And just kind of reusing them back there as a little screen saver. RB: That's pretty sweet. FH: A little added production value. We're always adding needless production value on this channel. I have no idea why. RB: Well, and as you can tell that I have done nothing with my office, it's a terrible mess. David doesn't even have his camera on. So... DHB: Yeah, exactly. I'm sitting in a black void right now. You'd see nothing right now. It's just complete darkness where I'm at. FH: And it's as it should be. If you're Hades, you know... DHB: Exactly. Well then I have Cerberus barking downstairs at me and he's just upset and I'm like, okay, I'm fine. I'm gonna hide even further into my cave. RB: So you did the VR game first with us. What was that like trying to record and play the VR game for the review? FH: Well, VR is something that I've been into for a long time. I think me and the family got into it during quarantine, during lockdown. Back in 2020, we were approaching Christmas and we were feeling like failures as parents because we were in, no one knew what was going on, you know, the longevity of COVID. My wife kind of did know she has a doctorate in microbiology, so she was trying to school us on it and be like, guys, we're not going anywhere. No, seriously, guys, we're not going anywhere for a very long goddamn time. And so it kind of dawned on us that, yeah, we're not going anywhere. So we said, all right, one of the kids really wanted VR. So we did up VR. It's actually the computer that I'm running everything off of today. It's a very powerful computer that you need to run VR right so I ended up turning up and when they lost interest because my kids lost interest in VR way before I did. I I'm still kind of into it I like doing it. I do have a threshold on it like if you do so many hours of VR you kind of get VR fatigue and get kind of dizzy and stuff. I don't know you. Kind of kind of get into VR shape. So I was a little daunted taking on a VR game, not being in any kind of VR shape whatsoever. But I played it pretty pretty hardcore for a few days where I would do like an hour a day every day for I don't know how many video clips ended up sending over like six of them or something to get through the whole game or most of the game. I gave up at a certain point I was like fuck it I can't. I can't do anyways it's a good game. But then I wonder what I'm like I always get to this like point with doing these things where I start wondering well how many people are gonna watch this is this? Is This worth the effort I'm putting in. Boy I'm investing a lot of time in doing this thing and then I got to fight through that and finish. Rb: Well I'm talking about a lot of time and investment that leads us right into the second one which was Sherlock... FH: The Awakening and there was a massive fail on my behalf to things re reigned in. Yeah. RB: Because that was eight hours of just gameplay footage. I got to see a really great game and how you play games. FH: Yeah, I I didn't set out to beat that game. They're all supposed to be like kind of like brief videos, I guess. But then like like Burn It With Fire. I guess I left a little bit of that game uncovered, but it was a short game. Most VR experiences are pretty short. So that wasn't a big deal. But then Sherlock Holmes, I was like, let me just play a little bit, get some highlights and then I'll give some impressions of it and we're out. You know, uh, the, the last one didn't hit like a ton of views or anything. I think it got like 500. So I'm like, you know, I don't need to go crazy about this, but then I got to one point of the game, which is in the video where like my whole opinion of this chat, I think I definitely messaged you that day. I'm like, oh shit, I got to finish this thing. I got to, I got to do it justice. Cause now it's like a good game and I don't want to be short with it. I don't I want to be authentic with it. I don't want to be like, oh, this is just a shitty because the first half of the game I did not like the first like two hours. Which I thought was going to be the whole review. Like, I'm just going to bag on this game. And then it got really good. And I'm like, oh, shit, now I got to finish this game. RB: Two hours of table staring. FH: Yeah. Thankfully, I cheated and I looked I got a walk through and that made it actually possible just to solve all the puzzle because this is an adventure game. So most of the time you're gonna spend on it if you're gonna play it for like 20 hours or whatever, would be trying to figure things out yourself. But I just kinda, I figure a lot of reviewers do that. I don't know what game reviewers do. I am not a professional at all. DHB: But usually we're all sent reviewing guides that give little tips and hints and all that stuff to be like, if you get stuck at this point so you can continue forward, here's what you do here. Here's how you do this. And here's this little shortcut here. FH: They want you to get through the game. DHB: Yeah. FH: And like Kill It With Fire actually had a debug menu where I could just unlock all the content which is exactly what I should have done. It's not what I did. I started playing it like a jabroni. But what I should have done is use the debug menu and then I could have been done with that video in about an hour or two, instead of the six hours or whatever to play through the it was a fun game. DHB: But you played through it like a normal game or would though, and that's the important thing. RB: Well and you don't pull punches when you're talking about stuff in the game, so that gives a very real sense of playing through the game and the shit that you see and some of your responses on the screen to what you're playing through. FH: Yeah absolutely, and with the Sherlock game I think the first half of that where its very negative. I would have probably not played more unless I was doing the review I probably would have been like, alright, this is not for me. I'm gonna load it up I would have got stuck at that point. I would have missed a really cool experience though so that's why I like putting that video out there because it's definitely a game where you could write it off. Maybe seen it initially or whatever. So I that's why I thought it's like it was almost on a mission with you on that I'm like we have to show people how cool this game is so that maybe they will go experience it because normally I would not play a game like that. I wouldn't do that and one a lot of things I tried on my channel to kind of promote people to go check out VR because I thought it was really transformative I think it's so cool to play VR and a lot of people are like, oh, it's too expensive. It's literally like 200 bucks for 200 bucks. Maybe two hundred and forty dollars you can go be in Resident Evil 4. And be inside of Resident Evil. I don't know how else I can better sell VR to anyone than telling you that for a mere $240, you can be inside of the iconic Resident Evil 4, which is probably one of the coolest things I've done in VR. And you don't need any special hardware or computer. You can do that with a Quest 2, which is basically a right in the box VR system. It's not as expansive as PC VR, which I also have which I would you know, if you're gonna be a VR connoisseur you might want to do that and kind of get into Half-Life Alex which you cannot do on the on the Quest 2. But I think for a lot of people just playing Resident Evil 4 and VR would be extremely eye-opening to what VR is that's one of the coolest experiences that I've had with it for sure. RB: So are you saying that we need to do some kind of review for VR Resident Evil? FH: Absolutely. I can't wait to play Resident Evil 7 and 8 someday in VR. I've never played Resident Evil 7 because that was the one that came out on VR, yeah. DHB: I've done Resident Evil 7 in VR. That is, that was when my eyes got opened to it, to have good VR. And that was on the PS VR, not even like any of the higher end PC ones. Yeah, I was like, okay, this is apparently way different that I remember back in the like the late 90s early 2000s It was just like make the virtual boy and all that shit was coming out. FH: Yeah. Yeah. DHB: Yeah, exactly. FH: Well, yeah, that's a new old four was really cool too because like I played that game so many times from outside. RB: Yeah. FH: Being inside of it It's like this special kind of nostalgia that you really need to experience if you have it like it's really something else to be inside of this game that I'm so familiar with. But now you can just like walk over to that little area that you've only seen before. You can crouch down, you can look at, it's just so weird. RB: Now I'm wanting to see it. FH: You gotta check it out, you gotta do it. Every grown dork needs to go do this. It's like your duty to go be inside Resident Evil 4. If you've ever played Resident Evil 4, it's just a really cool experience. DHB: I can agree with that, 100%. FH: I love video games at all. I don't know why you're skipping that one. Well, I keep wanting to review Resident Evil 6. I started playing Resident Evil 6. I don't have any footage captured, though, unfortunately. I've been playing it on my Steam Deck, but I don't know. I could probably do some kind of, maybe we just need to do a podcast about Resident Evil 6. Everybody should play through it or something. Because the initial reaction to Resident Evil 6 was, this is the drizzling shits. This is the worst Resident Evil. Fuck Resident Evil. Resident Evil is dead. Resident Evil 6 has killed the franchise. I get a Steam Deck. One of the first things I get is Resident Evil 6 because it's on sale like the day I get the Steam Deck for like six bucks. And I'm like, I've played it a little bit before, I did not like it on console. For some reason the moment I have it on a handheld device, I'm like, this is the greatest Resident Evil ever. Maybe not that, but it felt so much better and more right on a portable console than trying to play it on like, you know, a high end TV or something like, I don't know, something felt off about it, but as like a portable, digestible, short little experience, it's such a better game. But now I'm doing the Resident Evil 6 podcast. RB: Well, and so the third one that we're that we've had you review, which the review should come out before this podcast goes out. So we can we could technically talk about it. Amanda the Adventurer. FH: This is like spoilers So if you're watching this on addicted to Marvel Strike Force and Raymond has failed to get it out by Monday Then you're getting a little preview of what this video is and yeah, I haven't talked about it. I've been coy I've been like I did another one. I won't tell you but even if I say Amanda the Adventurer I mean people have Google now so they can just Google it up. I thought it was gonna be a VR game. And it wasn't. DHB: It was an Edutainment game. FH: Kind of. Yeah. RB: Yeah, I think that I had got my wires crossed when I was talking to David, because I thought it was the VR game, because we we had a couple of VR possibilities. And then he was like, but I got this one. And I'm like, OK, I'll just see what Frank says. If he tells me, go fuck myself. Then I know that's that he's on board. FH: Well, if you send me the game, I'm going to I'll do it. I don't I'm not gonna I don't think I'm gonna say no. I don't know what you would have to send me for me to be like nah I'm not doing like even if it's the worst thing. I'm like, alright, that'll probably be good for the content. DHB: There are some games out there. I've had solicited to be that I'm like, no, that's not good content, like I've had the entirety of like the Leisure Suit Larry remasters thrown at me and I'm like... FH: You know what I do it though because I remember those games I totally remember Leisure Suit Larry I remember wanting to play them as a kid. And then I remember actually playing a couple and not wanting to do that ever again. But I think there's interesting content in that, though. It's a weird little piece of computer game history, for sure. RB: Yeah, because I played those around the time that I was doing BBSes. And I downloaded the original Wolfenstein and Duke Nukem from a BBS. And they were done by Apogee and I remember shanking Nazis in Duke Nukem, no Wolfenstein shanking Nazis and then killing Hitler in all of his pixeled glory. So that was, yeah, I remember Leisure Suit Larry on floppy floppy disk. FH: good times, good times and floppy disk and the confirmation codes, you got to look in the manual for him. It's good stuff. RB: But Amanda the Explorer, or Amanda, Amanda the Explorer. Because it is kind of a riff on Dora the Explorer. But Amanda the Adventurer, it has been really interesting and entertaining, as I've been putting this review together from your footage and content. Just how, because I think at one point you summed up the fact that it's in a contained space, but it is, it does a lot with that contained space. FH: It does. It would be a really great VR title. And I would totally play it again in VR because I think the fear would be so much higher. It would be such a creepier game in VR. It's a really good example of how elevated that experience can be. I mean, I'm only speaking from having a lot of experience playing with VR games, but I could kind of tell when I was playing this because I'm pretty much distanced from it. If you're on the outside of it, you're not inside of it. So it's only as immersive as you kind of let it be. So it didn't really get to me that much. Watching some of the game has moments where it's a little unsettling. But all that would be so much more heightened inside VR. It would be a really good. It's a shame that it wasn't VR. I'm sure they'll do it. It feels like it's developed for VR. Or just, like, that wouldn't happen. DHB: Well, anything that takes place in a first-person view can technically be in a VR space. It just takes the extra work to make that happen. FH: Well, it's weird, because it has a lot of, like, it feels like a lot of the games that are in VR. It's one room, and you interact with a lot of objects in the room, and all the objects have, like, a little physics thing to them. You turn things around or whatever. It would all just translate brilliantly to VR. DHB: Well, if the developers are listening to this are watching this, hint. FH: I try not to say that too much. I had to stop myself so many times when doing the review from being like, this should be VR. I didn't want to hammer that every, I wanted to say it every minute, but I was like, that is the worst video I could possibly make, because you can't go play it in VR. So what, I'm just going to sit here and say, this game should be VR. And that's my review of the game. Like, nah, I have to do the job. But I'll say it now. I'll see how that motherfucker should be VR. It's a missed opportunity. It would be so much more freaky. RB: So we have given you some games that have not been mainstream titles. FH: Yeah, you guys sent me some really weird stuff. RB: And are you good with that weird stuff overall? FH: Well, that's all good I think it's it's I mean it's kind of becoming part of the joke of the videos is like, alright guys What do I get today? Do I get to play like some you know? Is this gonna be a Harry Potter or Amanda the Explorer? Okay, I mean Sherlock Holmes was close. I have heard of the Sherlock Holmes games and that is kind of a I don't know. I guess it's not a big budget. It was a studio like out of the Ukraine, right? RB: Yeah. DHB: Well, they also they're the same one that did the Sunken City games Fogwares has done a few games I think they did the original one back in 2007 so this was a remaster you keep the studio up and floating while the war is going on well and... RB: And this was the second Sherlock game that they had done. Because the first one actually had a combat mechanic that you didn't really get to see in Sherlock the Awakened Which I thought I thought that yeah. I thought that was really interesting because I know at one point during the review You had mentioned like there was no real combat it was all a lot of table looking and a lot of clues hunting and that sort of thing. I think the closest you got to it with the awakened was when you were in Louisiana the Bayou and you were having to shoot the bodies out of the trees. FH: Yeah, yeah to get away from the alligators. I don't think that made the final cut of the video that whole alligator section. Which is wise because there was so much gameplay. I played the whole damn game and so I loved the montage you did but yeah, we didn't lose the I meant to play some of it on Twitch, but the timing just didn't work out. Because that kind of stuff would have been cool for Twitch the the whole alligator section, which is really cool it's a really cool game like that might not have... I hope that the video was intriguing enough that people would if they saw Sherlock Holmes game, especially this one and on sale or whatever or I don't know where you find how you find video games anymore or maybe you seek it out now that you hear about it like watch it or whatever you again. It's worth it it's worth going through all of the puzzles and whatnot if you don't like that kind of stuff. Because I don't like that kind of stuff I like my video games a little more immediate. I think Resident Evil puzzles are about as much as I can really tolerate on a normal basis. I don't think I normally turn to walkthroughs and just like give me the fucking code. I'll go and search around for it. For this one, I was like, just give me the fucking code. So I can open the thing up. So I was a little bit like that with Amanda as well. I did not hunt down all the hunting down. Some of that shit was cryptic as hell to hunt down all the secrets. And Amanda, the explorer would have taken... I if I need to be a child with unlimited time or something to do that. So I did look at all that shit. RB: So what you're saying is you don't want to do the remastered MYST. FH: Oh my god. Once again, you know, I remember that I remember MYST I remember thinking this is gonna be great Then I remember playing MYST and it wasn't so great. So either there's probably is material in it. Maybe not all adventure or what do you call them adventure games? I guess is what they're called. RB: Yeah. Well, that's really David looking at the void that is David's icon to see what he has to toss your way next. FH: Or maybe all adventure games. Maybe that's what's funny. Torturing me with adventure games is funny. DHB: All adventure games going forward, got it. Anything that has serious puzzles, that's all I'm going to give you. Get ready for Matcho. That one's going to come your way now. FH: What you guys should try to do is give me games that would get YouTube clicks. RB: Well, David was actually teasing about that earlier when we were talking. DHB: I may have a few in the works right now. I can't really speak about, but I think one of them will work really well for your second channel. FH: That sounds great. DHB: So I'm working on some of that to get you something a little more mainstream, it's not torture you so much because the torture works best when you have a couple of reprieves. You're like okay everything's fine now then then we hit you again right in the gut that's the best part well. FH: I think it'd be funny if you could get me a wrestling game that isn't AEW: Fight Forever. DHB: Noted. I will work on that one. RB: There's got to be a VR wrestling game out there. DHB: I think there's a JCW one out there. i'm gonna get you some juggalo wrestling out there. FH: I'm down with the clown. So yeah, there's actually a pretty cool VR game. I forget what it's called. It's like Gord or something. I forget what it's called exactly, but it is like a like barbarian fight simulator. That's probably the closest to wrestling. It's actually pretty great and violent. Like, you can just rip people's heads off and stuff and kind of get into hand-to-hand altercations. That one's pretty fucked up. Pretty interesting. I don't like playing VR games, though, where I swing my hands because I always end up really close to a wall and just fracturing my hand on the wall, because I get into it. I just believe I'm in there and I'm just fighting for my life and just bam, knocking holes in the wall. And I just redid everything around here. I'm gonna put my head right through that television back there, it's bad news. That's one thing my studio is not equipped for anymore is VR, so I don't know what I'm gonna do if I get another VR. I'm sure I'll work it out, but I did put a massive desk right in the middle of the studio now, so that's a bit of a problem. DHB: Alright, so God of Rock is on the list now. That's a VR title where you're, it's kind of like Beat Saber, but you're fighting off zombie hordes instead of hitting notes. FH: That sounds awesome. I'm a big rhythm game fan. I got so into Rock Band for so many years, me and my wife actually entered a Rock Band tournament and won. We got into it. RB: Wow, congrats. FH: Yeah, absolutely. DHB: I did the same thing back in, I think it was 2008 or 2009, and the only reason I won was that they added in performance as well. I was playing They Say by Scars on Broadway. The person that I was going up against had to quit because I turned around, and this song memorized so well. I played with my back to the screen. And the guy's like what the hell's going on like he freaked out just missed every other note and I was able to play just perfectly the entire time on like expert got it destroyed. FH: My friend used to be able to do that with Free Bird, the Free Bird song so well that he could not look at the screen while he did it. I was like you bastard. RB: See and I have no sense of timing or rhythm or pattern recognition so I can't I can't do any of that. Whereas my partner loves DDR and does all that DDR stuff and loved Rock Band and I I'm terrible. We went to Super Nintendo World at Universal and there was a game that we had to play and David hit. The first time first shot and it took me like three freaking times to actually get past it. DHB: Yeah, that was pretty funny. RB: Yeah, and you got that recorded. Thanks, David. DHB: It's up on the YouTube as well as it's there forever for everybody to see. RB: Yay my embarrassment. FH: It's a more beautiful playlist where we just embarrassed right? RB: Thanks guys. FH: What you need. DHB: Third channel? Here we go. FH: Perfect. RB: Wow. All right friendship. That's what... FH: Raymond plays rhythm games. ALL: Yeah, yeah, yeah. RB: Yeah. You want to you want to see somebody aggroed? I'll start smashing the guitar into the walls and shit because I can't do it. Well, for for our podcast, we are coming up on the 40 minute mark. So Mark, we're going to we're going to have to wrap this one down. If not, I'm going to be editing a video review as well as a podcast forever. FH: So that's my secret. I just don't edit anything. RB: Yeah, but you're far more funnier than we are so that's why we brought you back because we're like we need Frank to be here to up our game because if not, we're just two chuckle heads talking into mics and nobody wants to listen to that. DHB: Exactly. We're just trying to steal all the secrets. FH: I'm happy to help out. I've really enjoyed doing the reviews. Looking forward to doing more of them and Yeah, one of these days, I'm going to play a good game. Like something I actually want to do. I don't know. RB: We're going to shock you at some point. You're going to be like, wait, what? FH: I mean, I play Marvel Strike Force. How high is my bar? Like, it's the games I played so far were great. What am I saying? They're all better than Marvel Strike Force, so it's a win. DHB: Resident Evil 6 remastered, but only the console version got it. RB: Wow. FH: Oh, man. You know, I want to rep for that game. I think that game got a bad rap. I don't because I play Resident Evil 5 and I don't understand what is worse about Resident Evil 6 than Resident Evil 5. If you're not going to dis on Resident Evil 5, then I don't know why you hate Resident Evil 6 so much. I think... DHB: it was it was it was because there was more of the action and less of the horror. It was like you could watch kind of like the Fast and the Furious movies as they get further and further. They get more furious than fast. And you watch how they get shittier and shittier. It's kind of like Resident Evil. It had like the amazing Resident Evil 4 horror stuff. Then Resident Evil 5 ends with you punching a boulder. And then Resident Evil 6 is like, fuck it, we're just going all action, nonstop. FH: I don't know. I think it's medium, because I think it really improves on the handheld. Everybody's got to try it on Steam Deck, you got to get a VR, you got to the Steam, I'm really sounding ableist, is how we're like. I don't know. I don't know. These things will become more available over time, I assume. RB: They don't even make Steam decks anymore, do they? I think they do. DHB: Yeah, they still make Steam decks. It's the one that was the bridge between your PC and your TV. It's kind of like a Steam TV type thing. They don't make those anymore. I got one of those for like $1. So we're just trying to liquidate. I'm like, OK, here's a dollar. RB: Well, Frank, I truly appreciate that you are willing to hop on and talk to us this evening. And we promise we will get you a game that is one that you've heard of to do a review. But I also want to bring you in, because at one point I had pitched possibly doing a podcast episode about Monster Squad, which I still say is one of the best horror movies of the 90s. And we've got a bunch of different ideas like that that we really hey Frank. What do you think of this? FH: Yeah, that sounds great I'll have to rewatch Monster Squad. I'm sure I saw it because I used to work in a video store and I watched everything in there. So I'm sure I saw it at some point, but I remember some of the stuff from I know what movie you're talking about. RB: You're like Wolfman's got Nards. I was like, that's it. Okay, you remember that. FH: That was like on the trailer and that the trailer for Monster Squad was on every video that I watched. So I know that part really well. RB: Okay we'll have to maybe even just do it like a movie a movie watch so we all get caught up and then we can talk about it. FH: That sounds perfect. RB: Great well thank you again Frank and we'll have you back in the not-too-distant future after we've terrorized you with a few more reviews. FH: Perfect. Looking forward to the torture. RB: This has been the AggroCast. We'll catch you next time. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 41:01 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,Amanda The Adventurer,AWE: Fight Forever,Sherlock Holms,Kill It With Fire yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast — Getting Ready For Diablo IV [Episode Nine] The AggroCast crew is back and ready to talk about the recent Summer Game Fest. Many of you have most likely watched it out there, but here we go with a deeper dive into what it is and what was shown off. Also, David has even more words to have about Summer Game Fest and the various other streams that took place around it. Get ready to hear more ranting on why this is a terrible thing for the industry and gaming consumers in general. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the Aggrocast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we are talking about Summer Game Fest. So David, what the hell is this thing? David Hades Becker: Uh, Summer Game Fest. It is a project Geoff Keighley has done in the past. And it was usually one of those little hype up teasers when we were coming up to like E3. It was carryover from The Game Awards he would do. Whereas he would get a couple exclusive things here. But it was more or less a hype machine to go, here's why you need to go to E3 or you need to go to this, this huge gaming event that one of the other publishers or developers are doing. And that's what it started out to be. Now for this year, it has been literally day one of not E3 become uh, like, I think they showed 40 plus games during this live stream they did for about two and a half hours that they streamed on Twitch, YouTube, everything else. And it was to show off some world premieres and show off some stuff. But on top of that, it was also to get you hyped for all of the other gaming streams that every other developer and publisher was also going to do since there was no in-person E3 this year. RB: So it sounds like there was a ton of content. DHB: Yes, there was and like so the whole thing started off with something that I know a lot of people didn't realize didn't realize but didn't expect because almost a couple of days before we heard there was a cancel or not a cancellation but a postponement of a new Prince of Persia game because they were doing a remake of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and the whole show started off with Prince of Persia: Lost Crown, which is a whole new entry into the franchise, and it's taking a whole bunch of elements from all sorts of other games. So it's interesting that they started with that, even though the other one was kind of put on a permanent hiatus. And then they moved into like Mortal Kombat 1, Dead by Daylight showed up, Nicolas Cage is going to be in there, and they actually had Nicolas Cage on stage to talk about it. They hyped up Witcher Season 3, even though I could of swore Henry Cavill wasn't done with it all, but they featured him front and center, so maybe that's their sending for the for him as the character. RB: My understanding was this was going to be the last season for him and then it was switching over to uh Liam Hemsworth. DHB: Gotcha okay which is probably why they featured him so heavily in the trailer because after that it was it was interesting they went from witch uh Witcher to Witchfire which is an interesting medieval magic shooter which I've been excited for and I've been covering it quite a bit on the site itself It feels like BioShock, if it was set during a medieval witch period, it's cool. Then there's Sonic Superstars, which is more or less a full remake or remaster of the original games in a 3D space, so even though it's a 2D side-scroller for a Sonic game, it was a full 3D perception on all the characters. They showed off more of Lies of P, which is the new, unfortunately, Death Souls-like video game. Set like in a cool steampunk Victorian age. It looks so cool. RB: Yeah, that sounds pretty awesome. DHB: But unfortunately it's going to be like Bloodborne where it sounds awesome, visuals are awesome, I've played the demo, it's a Souls-like through and through and oh I hate that fucking game game mechanic. RB: Yeah I love everything about Bloodborne other than playing it. DHB: Yeah exactly everything even like in the comics everything is amazing. So if you haven't checked it out check out Lies of P. It's like they take the Pinocchio story and they turn it into where Pinocchio he's already gone through the whole transition where he a real boy but he's still half robot and it's in a whole steampunk era. And Geppetto has been kidnapped and the blue fairy sends him and he's just this badass warrior but it's a Soul-like and I have gameplay coming up on the site soon of the demo. It's everything about it is amazing I just hate the gameplay. Yeah after that there was there's a bunch of other things that they showed off there like Crash Team Rumble. They showed off some new stuff for that. They showed off some stuff for Dying Light 2. I think there's an anime called Sand Land that's getting a whole first-person shooter type game with that done in kind of the Borderlands style of visuals. It looks amazing. I had no idea, but the small crowd that I was with in where I was watching it, they got all excited. I was lost. And then we move into one of the next bigger things. And it's one of the bigger talking points I tried to bring up in the last podcast we did about them driving the narrative with this thing. And it was Alan Wake 2. And Alan Wake 2 looks amazing. And it's a sequel to a game done by Remedy Entertainment and I love the game even though I'm more of a PlayStation player. It was on it was the reason I got an Xbox was to play this game and now they have the full sequel coming out. If you remember back to the past podcast which you might have to go back and listen to about you know E3 getting cancelled and everything this is the one title that it felt like they were trying to push the specific narrative on things and had it not been Remedy I would have called it out beforehand. Because so, they show gameplay and they label it as Raw Uncut Gameplay that everybody's gonna experience whenever they play this game. And I'm sitting there, I'm watching it, and it looks creepy. It's awesome. The main character's Saga's walking through a forge, she's got her flashlight out, looking around, and it's scripted. Everything is scripted as if, the better way to say it is, when you see one of those one-take shots that you see in movies and TV. Where somebody, they have everybody practice it so much that it, no matter how they play it out, it's gonna play out the same way. So it might as well have been a completely scripted scene as in the game engine running it. RB: So they really made it cinematic in the gameplay. DHB: They did, yes. Yes, they made it really cinematic it made it feel like like you were watching just a normal trailer. Even though I guarantee it was also pre-recorded because it was a live stream instead of having somebody sitting there playing it. But when you watch it they're like oh yeah it's live somebody's actually playing this. I don't know a single person that would play it to where if you've heard a sound go off in the bushes they'll slowly pan the the flash fight over to look at it. Every gamer I know they're gonna snap too and look over there. At one point during the demo one of the big bads comes out and comes at you with this giant axe or something like or giant axe or hammer and they go slowly running out of the building and they do the smart thing where they kind of put like a park bench between them to kind of like slow them down. But then they slowly take their aim and it's like you could tell it was very scripted because they still wanted to make it look amazing but it wasn't raw. I guess to me it was somebody going through they had practiced this 90 to 100 times so that it looked great when they presented it to everybody but people were taking that as that's going to be the definitive experience everybody has, no matter where they're playing this game. And the reason I know that is I've had other people tell me that's how they expect the game to play when it's in their hands and not in the hands of another person. RB: Yeah, that's, that's dishonest. DHB: It is, it is. And like I said, thankfully it's from, from Remedy Entertainment. And so far they've been one of the few companies out there that's been completely transparent and so far almost all of their titles they put out have lived up to the hype they've built for it. So I'm giving them a pass, but I feel like that's priming people to start thinking that way, which leads into one of the other games that I saw there was there was a teaser for Assassin's Creed Mirage, which is the next one coming out in October from Ubisoft. Now, for those just listening and haven't been in the gaming industry before, please look it up. But there was something, I don't remember what the internet was calling it, I want to say it was like Watch Dog Gate or something like that because it was like the big thing at the time. During one of the E3s when the first Watch Dogs came out, Ubisoft did the same thing. We're like, this is raw, unedited gameplay, and they had somebody on stage playing it. And you're watching this, watching the video and everybody's like, Oh, this is amazing and everything, but then people were rewatching it and things weren't lining up and then when more demos came out, what we saw in the very first gameplay, which was the raw unedited, what we should have seen at the very end didn't match up to stuff that was coming out just before long, but people were pre-ordering, spending money and all this stuff beforehand, expecting to get what they saw as the raw and edited, but then ended up getting, even though Watch Dogs was still a great game, they didn't get what was sold to them. And that's why I feel like it was a, it was a priming situation where taking this company that's known for never doing this build this up and then when you watch stuff for like even though they didn't do live gameplay during during this event and that that took place in the Ubisoft show that took place a couple days later it kind of sets that sets that emotion where people start thinking all this gameplay they're seeing is live unedited raw footage and now they're going to expect that from other games that's kind of the narrative they're driving. RB: Were there any other games during games this Summer Game Fest that did that kind of pushed their own narrative? DHB: Out of the rest of them, not that I can I... I mean, Mortal Kombat 1 kind of did, but they actually had Ed Boon on stage talking about it all. So he was actively correcting things as it was coming up. He's like, oh yeah, this is this. Like people were expecting they have the new, they call it the Kameo system. And people were expecting to be kind of more of a tag team system where you choose two characters, you could swap between them. And he corrected that right out the gate. He was like, no, no, no, you choose your character and then you choose another one and they kind of come in as a special move that you can call, um, kind of like one of the environmental attacks. And there's going to be some that are more akin to the previous Mortal Kombat games. They're not going to be full characters you can play as but there will be some of those full characters in there so... Like he went out of his way to make sure that people were not speculating on the quote-unquote raw gameplay they were seeing on screen. But that was the next closest I remember seeing that to coming anywhere near that. RB: But he corrected their expectation DHB: Yeah he corrected the expectation but I guarantee that was because he was on stage. I don't think if he was on stage, there wouldn't have been anybody there to correct that expectation. And they only had like a couple other people on stage throughout the rest of the event that were there talking about stuff. And most of those were just like, oh yeah, we're just making story places here, or we're talking about this here. And it was like, it was nothing to where it was like, they were trying to make a big selling point on stuff. But the Mortal Kombat 1, yeah, he was, when people would think, oh, I'm gonna get a tag team Mortal Kombat, he's like, no, no, no, that's what the expectation is set. He pulled that back. And I guess Spider-Man was the other one. They had the developers up there for that. And there was a lot of people talking about because Venom is gonna be one of the main characters. And that was a huge speculation online. People were talking about one thing or another. And he's like, no, Venom is not who you're thinking it is. It's not even gonna be Eddie Brock. It's not gonna be any of the other Venoms that we've had in the past as well. It's a completely new thing for this game. And which I guess spirals into another thing which is interesting because Insomniac, who did the first Spider-Man game, they got caught doing the same thing Ubisoft did that I mentioned before. And this one's called Puddle Gate, was during the first Spider-Man, they showed out the first Spider-Man on PS4 and then PS5. There was a bunch of gameplay and it looked amazing and like he's swinging around, you see these puddles on the ground and having one-to-one reflection, and everybody was losing their mind because it was it was on the PS4 at the time, and it was technology that people did not expect to see up there because it was like perfect ray tracing. And then when people were actually playing the game and demo behind the scenes, they were starting to notice that they were no longer there. And then when the game actually came That's when it came out that the PS4 couldn't actually run those visuals in the demo Everybody saw in the gameplay that they were expecting was run on a high-end PC that could do it all which was just the development PC and it took them I think it was six months to actually patch the PS4 version to include just random puddles it sounds stupid to talk about but it was like they were sold this expectation on visual quality and then the visual quality they got was downgraded for the actual release. RB: Wow, that's funny DHB: Yeah, and I mean, thankfully, they were out there and they weren't trying to sell any they were trying to lower expectations on just characters and stories, but it's interesting that they were out there, even though not even like I think it was like four or five videos before was when they had the Alan Wake one come on and do like this is Raw Unedited gameplay, you know, it's going to be that way it's going to be at the very final game like it's not really but okay. RB: So there were like 40-50 games that they showed. DHB: Oh, yeah, and I've only I've only touched up touched on a few I know on our YouTube And on the website, we're going to list all those trailers. We're gonna have all the other trailers kind of in a, here's everything you might have missed just in case people weren't able to sit there and live stream the entire event. Because it went on for, I mean, it's still going on as of this recording of this podcast. There's still more events going on and instead of doing it all clustered into a couple of days, now they've sorted it out over almost two weeks of live streams that you have to log in at random times during the week. Like even Summer Game Fest, it took place at 11 a.m. on a Thursday in a period where school is still technically in session for most places, and obviously everybody else could be in the office working. But it's not like the prime time to stream, like I think there was a few streams that happened over the weekend, but then there's a whole bunch that have happened during the week during normal business hours, normal school hours. RB: So you had to specifically go out of your way to catch this thing. DHB: Yeah, so I got invited out to go watch one of the live streams of one of the IMAX theaters here in Las Vegas, and I was also invited to actually go out to LA and be in person, and I opted to not drive out there for a two-hour event, even though there's a whole bunch going on with all of that stuff I can get into in a little bit. But yeah, I got invited out to watch this in a IMAX theater, and there was, including myself, about seven people in this giant theater watching on the screen because it was 11 a.m. on Thursday. RB: All right. So knowing you, I know there's a rant somewhere inside you about this. DHB: I've been I've been building it up. I have. All right. So here we go. RB: David has now been aggro'd. DHB: I have been aggro'd. Now you're going to see the AggroGamer come out here. So I get invited out to go to this livestream because I have opted to not drive out to L.A. for this two hour event that I'm only going to sit in the audience get to watch. Which, start off the rant, for anybody watching, if you were in the L.A. area or wanted to make the travel out there, yes, you could have gone to Summer Game Fest, you could have paid for admission, sat in the crowd, but for about three to four days leading up to this, every casting site that I know about that does extras or small commercials or anything like that, we're handing out free tickets to do seat fillers so that the audience felt full throughout the entire event. And I bring this up specifically because instead of having a live E3 where you could have had all sorts of fans and all sorts of people from the industry sitting here, cheering it on, having a great time, it was in an isolated area that you had to pay for or sit there and watch as a stream outside of. And they built it up as this huge thing of like, oh, we're filled with fans. We have all these people here, it's all great. And I'm like, 50% of those people were hired actors to stand in that crowd. I had the option to take myself and around 11 other people, if I so wanted to, to go sit in that crowd as seat fillers and potentially get paid to be there. That's my first part of this rant, is anybody who thinks the event was specifically for fans in person, it's really not. It's all to sell ads, it's all to sell more video games, and I know it sounds like I'm being a catty bitch or anything like that about this, but that's really what this ended up being, including a point where, in the middle of the stream, Geoff Keighley mentions the next Final Fantasy, and everybody gets excited because they think they're going to see the next Final Fantasy thing and it's him literally to shell an ad for Grubhub live to everybody and I'm just like so this is a huge advertisement thing. Moving on from that we go out and like okay so say you can't make it to L.A. they're filming it in a bunch of theaters around the country a bunch of IMAX theaters I was like which is what I ended up doing oh yeah here's a free ticket you can go I think it was like 25 50 bucks or somebody had to go to go sit in a theater and watch it. That's fine I went and I showed up and the ticket says hey show up at 11 a.m. because that's when the stream is going to start. I show up at 11 a.m. I'm literally the only person in this quote crowded theater that they report online for the first half hour. At 11 o'clock the lights dimmed down I'm like okay it's like like a movie's gonna start. I'm getting ready and I'm sitting in a theater for a half hour in complete darkness by myself nothing on the screen. At this point a few other people kind of mingle in and at one point the max capacity we had in the theater was seven including myself. But so around 11:30 comes about and the screen turns on like okay maybe it's gonna start now cuz I'm like checking my phone to make I didn't mess up the times. And according to the ticket, it says 11 o'clock. But then the Twitch stream and the YouTube stream is like, oh, we're going to start at 12. And I'm like, okay, that's that's really weird. But okay, whatever. Maybe they're running behind. 11:30 comes and the screen pops up. And we see the vertical bars that you see like the different colored bars with the white, white and black, red, all that stuff. And we're like, okay, you know, they're getting ready to hit broadcast. Sure. And then that loud pitch beat comes on that whole like, we have no audio, but we're going to play audio anyway. So it's like, I put my headphones in because I'm like, I'm not going to deal with this. And I was Maybe it's gonna take for like 10 seconds, 30 seconds, and they're gonna realize this. No, 20 minutes of this goes on. That is not an exaggeration. I posted a short about it on our YouTube channel. 20 minutes of this goes on. I would have lost my mind not having my earbuds in, cranking my music to its loudest. Finally, 11:50 comes around and the screen finally changes over. And it's like, oh, the stream's gonna start soon in 10 minutes. And I'm like, all right. I'm like, I'm going back and checking forth, checking the Twitch and YouTube. And they're running all the little lead-up to the show's type thing. They're like, well, why aren't they playing this in the theater? People have already lost an hour of time that they've paid for, but they're not. So we just sit there in complete silence with the screen slowly counting down. So I'm just sitting there playing games on my phone, listening to music in my headset, taking little notes in my notebook, just waiting for this to start. And then noon comes around and the whole thing starts. They start going through everything, the stream goes through, and they make it seem like everybody's cheering everywhere. That you see the video of the crowd like cheering on everything. I didn't hear a single peep out of anybody in the crowd outside of when the uh I think it was Sand Land came on and they were excited because like oh we know this anime and I'm like I have no clue what this anime is but good for you guys. That was the only noise I heard the entire time. And then for anybody who watched the stream it continued and continued and then they had Anthony Mackie come on and he started to present Twisted Metal. And I was like oh this is what I'm here for I want to see this. I've loved some of these other trailers I'm trying to get hyped about this new show for twisted bevel, he's talking about it, Will Arnett's talking about it, let's do this, and then the screen goes dark, and the entire theater, all the lights turn on, and everyone just kind of looks at each other like what the hell happened. So we all go into our phone to make sure like the stream didn't die or whatever, we're looking at it, and the stream keeps going, and one of the patrons goes out to go talk to the manager, and the manager's like oh no no, they only paid for the theater till this point, we're setting up for the next Spider-Man movie to turn on, so we're gonna have to have you guys clear out here. So we sat in the theater, watching the rest of the stream, which was still like or five more game trailers and presentations that went on for about another 20 to 30 minutes on our phones streaming it on Twitch and YouTube which we could have done from home. Like it got so bad I left it. I was like, I didn't pay for this. I got everything I needed. I'm gonna go talk about it. I'm gonna rant. It gave me content for this podcast you're hearing me rant right now and I left. But I watched people who paid for this go and demand refunds because they wasted an hour getting there and then they lost the last half hour where they could have been it on their phone all because of whatever was going on when they were trying to stream it and they didn't contact anybody to let them know what was going on. RB: what a cluster. DHB: Yeah and I guarantee... watching... if anybody rewatches the YouTube or Twitch restreams of it all, you're not going to see any of this stuff because you get to see what was live recorded and that's what they're going to replace out there instead of actually showing what happened during the actual live. RB: Yeah, they're going to curate that experience. DHB: Exactly! Because there was even a point I think I got to see live and it was when Nick Cage came on to talk about him being in Dead by Daylight, he was getting ready to leave and he looked confused like he didn't know where to go. And the camera lingered on him for like a couple extra seconds because he's like, okay, uh, and he's like pointing to figure out which way to go because nobody gave him direction on where to leave. And you would think this would have been a meme kind of like the whole John Travolta like, uh, where do I go type meme. Because it literally looked like Nick Cage was doing that because he was confused where to go after doing his presentation. I haven't seen any of that stuff, which means any of the restreams that have been out there, nobody's caught that yet. And I'm almost certain because it's been, like you said, edited and curated specifically to show the highlight. And this unfortunately feels like it's going to be the way it's going to keep going moving forward, because even though there are other podcasts in themselves, if you've watched any of the other streams that have gone on for like Xbox or Ubisoft or Square Enix or any of the other ones, they all kind of follow the same suit and instead of having true fans there or even showing off the game to people who want to actually experience or anybody who's not in the top five media outlets give them a chance to actually experience this stuff it's not gonna happen outside of having an in-person E3. Like I know Mortal Kombat 1 was out there and they were having behind closed doors viewings for certain media outlets. Which were not us. And I any of my press contacts wouldn't even get back to me on whether or not I could even just show up and check them out because it was literally the big ones out there and nobody else. Whereas if it was an in-person E3, they would have found a way to, to sneak me into the thing or even just make a side appointment to be like, yeah, you can come by, even though you're not a main, main outlet. We still want to get as many people's hands on eyes and impressions out there, not only just to obviously help the marketing, you know, me talking about a game is obviously just going to be marketing in the first place, but also get kind of feedback from people instead of being an echo chamber. And it was the same thing I watched with Alan Wake. All of the social media channels for Remedy Entertainment, the Alan Wake channel, and even Sam Lake, the guy who wrote the game, is the game director. It was all like, oh, we had so many people out there checking this out, checking this out. And you only get to see like four or five outlets that were there actually invited to this behind closed doors thing, instead of seeing the 50 to 100 that you normally get. And not only that, 50 to 100 that are global instead of local. There's been many times in the past I've gone to E3, where I'm sitting in there and there's some some small-time guy from like Germany or somebody from you know the UK somewhere that they flew out to E3 to cover this stuff so they can go back and do it all. I also guarantee these people, unless they live in the town where that developer or publisher are, they're not going to get any of this hands-on that they would normally get and it's all going to be this driven media through these specific companies that they know they can manhandle or know are already on board to share whatever vision or narrative they put out there. RB: So they've really discounting grassroots marketing and the everyman. Which in a lot of ways that's what AggroGamer tries to embody is the everyman gamer for these corporate media. DHB: That is exactly it. Like I was at a gaming shop a couple of days ago recently, just after all this stuff went down and I was talking to somebody and their very first E3 they got to go to in-person was the one in 2019, which is obviously the last in-person E3. And it was, I think it was the second or third when they actually allowed non-industry or non-media to go to. So like any gamer could show, like pay their money and go, and actually experience stuff. And they weren't so hyped about getting to, having the chance to go do that. And even this year, they were unaware anything was going on because E3 was canceled. And now all they know is there's trailers that are getting dumped out there. And they don't know that there's this thing going on. And they're taking things at face value. And that's kind of the way it feels like. Even my nephew, he's another one that came up, there was a game that got showed, he got overly hyped for it. And I had to explain to him, that's not gameplay. That's a scripted scene that you saw. And I can't confirm or deny that's how it's going to be at your final at the final build. Had it been like maybe Alan Wake, I could have maybe came close to it. But I want to say it was the the new Star Wars game from Ubisoft that's coming out. RB: The Outlaws? DHB: The first Star Wars game. Yeah, Outlaws. Yeah, which is the first Star Wars game that hasn't been done by EA. And while yes, it looks impressive, I don't know a single person in any of my inner or outer circles for the media or press contacts that have had a chance to get hands-on with it. Everybody just has the curated video we got to see and the curated gameplay we got to see. Whereas if we had an in-person E3, if they were ready to show any of that, they would have showed the trailer so that anybody who couldn't make it to the event could look at it and all that stuff, but then be like, oh yeah, you can come over here and if you have a media appointment, hop right in and play the game where you can stand in this line over here for an hour or two to actually play it. So they can get dedicated fans to have it in their hands and actually be like, oh, this game's amazing. Or, oh, this game is crap right out the gate. And then on top of that, if it is crap, go to the developer who should be right there on site to go, here's how to change this. And here's what we should, here's what you don't think about here. You know, this is what I like and didn't like. So it's almost like getting focus groups that they're paying to be a focus group for. But we're not doing that anymore. RB: Cause you get that immediate feedback. DHB: Well, like CD Projekt Red, there was, I did it multiple times for Cyberpunk, which I know that that is a game that everybody still even even though it's gotten much better and the new DLC looks really really cool. Every year for the five years it was in development and they were showing it off at E3 before you could leave the press event or even pick up any of the swag they were giving out, they gave you a survey and they required you to fill it out so that the developers could take that and go work on it. They did that for the Witcher like Witcher 3. I remember filling that out for the Witcher 3. I remember filling it out for Gwent and they would do that constantly where it's like, you're, yeah, you're here as media, you're here to look at this cool stuff and yes, we're giving you swag, but we also want actual feedback from gamers to be like, oh yeah, this part sucks or maybe you should change this or this didn't make any sense or maybe you should fix this here. And they can get that live right there from fans and people in the industry, whereas right now they're getting it from effectively yes-men. RB: Well, and you said that this was kind of the way you expected things to go. And sadly, we are now seeing the proof in the pudding, as they say, that you were right on the money with it. DHB: Yeah. And I wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be wrong so much. And mind you, I'm just talking mainly about Summer Game Fest and what they showed there, but we've had so many other streams go on and I'm still, as of right now, going through all the rest of the content because I'm only one person. We have a small team, so we can only do so much and there's been so much dropped out there that it's hard to keep up. But I guarantee as we keep going through all this stuff, we're going to see more and more stuff out there that comes up and goes, here's the red flag. Here's a red flag. Like, so even though it wasn't part of Summer Game Fest, I'll bring it up. Starfield. Starfield wasn't because that was the one thing that triggered to me E3 was done and that was when it was done for this year. And that was when Microsoft announced they were going to do a Starfield specific stream on the 12th, 11th or 12th of June, which would have been the day before E3 happened. And to their credit, Microsoft still did that. They pulled it all off, but it felt almost like it was another Fallout 76 type stream. And since there was nobody there to actually prove it one way or another, you're just getting fed this by the developer. It felt like that's where that's going to be. And we have no way of proving that or disproving it at this point. RB: It's really, really unfortunate that this is playing out. DHB: And I am kind of hopeful, which makes me hopeful for Comic-Con, which I know is going to be our next big thing that we're going have all of us out at, which I know we've mentioned before. And there's already been confirmations that Ubisoft will be out there with Star Wars Outlaws and there's a couple of other ones. And specifically with people playing the game, either onsite or developers that are playing it live for the crowd, but it gives me a little bit of hope for certain things. But when we're talking about Summer Game Fest, we have a list of like 40 games just for this. And then we have Ubisoft did like 12 or 14 games. Microsoft did like 20 games. Capcom did a bunch of games. Square Enix did a bunch of games. Like everybody was a PC Gamer had like something like 70 different games they showed off, but it was just trailers where the developers talking about the trailer and all that stuff. That's so many titles out there that somebody could just easily go, well, that kind of looks cool and the developers really hyped about it, let me throw money at it, not realizing you're getting bamboozled in because it's the PR marketing of it all instead of actually getting to experience it or even getting somebody that hasn't been able to be purchased in the past to experience it and be like, here's my raw unedited filtered thoughts on it. RB: Well, with you mentioning SDCC, Comic-Con, I'm worried that with this trend, that even the stuff that might be at Comic-Con, small outlets like AggroGamer, we might not be able to get into the rooms to view or to interview developers or anything like we did last year. DHB: I am slightly worried about that, but not as much. And that's only because a lot of the PR people I know, once you talk to them in-person, they will do whatever they can to get you set up, and I have all those contacts ready for us to go. Even though we might be sending emails leading up to that, and they may be like, oh no, we're only going to let IGN in, we're only going to let Kotaku in. Once you can actually be in-person and talk to them, that's usually when it changes, which again comes down to the, this is the same thing I ran into E3 every year. Ubisoft is a great example of it, rarely got invited to go see any of their in-person events they did during E3. When I was on the show floor and showed up and talked to the PR person directly, magically out of nowhere, oh yeah, we can slot you in here, or we had a cancellation here or this here. And it was because you could have that human interaction and it wasn't just that faceless email or faceless DM or text or whatever. Having that social interaction feels like it makes it better. I mean, games are supposed to be social in the first place. So it's like, as soon as you remove out that social aspect, you're going to get this curated stuff where it's, you know, that's why I'm not too worried about Comic-Con to get back to the original point, because once we can get there and talking to people, usually that goes a little bit smooth... RB: kind of massage those relationships with the PR people. DHB: Yeah. Well, again, it's like, you're no longer somebody who's just out here to try to swag video games or free shit and all that stuff. They're like, Oh, you're actually here to cover it. Even though, even though we're not out there with the fedoras and press press stickers in the hat, which we might have to do, but doing the old like 1930s thing or whatever, even though we're not out there, the fact that we show up, we're like, Oh yeah, we're they could see, we're excited. We want to see all this stuff. And even though what they're going to show may not be overly exciting for us, you know, like, like for instance, last year at SDCC, we went to go talk to a bunch of people for MultiVersus. I wasn't overly excited about it. I don't, I'm not sure if you even knew what, what it was up until, up until we got the appointment or anything like specifically, but we still went there. We were excited. We were happy to be there and we interacted with everybody. We asked questions, all that stuff. And it was like, as soon as that happened, it was like a completely different world. As you can see, like, yes, we're excited. We're here to be happy. We want to enjoy these games. RB: And speaking of MultiVersus, it was because we were able to go in there and interview and talk to people that I came home, the non-video game player that I am, well I play some but not a lot, I downloaded and started playing that game and was having a lot of fun actually playing through some of that. DHB: Yeah. See it's, it's other things like that. Like you can go out there and find something you never knew existed or never knew, knew you wanted to experience, but like going out there, like, and we, because we interviewed Matthew Lillard and Tara Strong. And I, even, even me sitting there, like talking to Matthew Lillard and going, he's the voice of Shaggy. He's not my voice is Shaggy, but he is definitely the voice of Shaggy for the last like 25 years. This is awesome. I still want to kind of like, even though it's not my game, still want to go in and do this. Cause he got me excited, you know, being in person, whereas if I'm a trailer and be like, yeah, be excited. I'm going to do the voice like, all right, yeah, whatever. That's just PR marketing, you know, they're using a face or whatever. RB: Well, and the same with, uh, was it Arkham Knights? DHB: Uh, uh, Gotham, Gotham Knights. RB: Gotham Knights. Yeah. Gotham Knights. Cause we got to meet a couple of the actors behind that and that was super exciting and the gameplay looked super awesome. So that kind of got me excited about it. DHB: Yeah. Cause even, even me, like I was, I was slightly excited because it was still part of the Arkham series. I, and, or no, no, it wasn't part of the Arkham series. It was like, it felt like it was part of the Arkham series, but it was done by the developer and a lot of stuff. And then even though we got to talk to some of the voice actors in MoCap, we got to talk to the game director and the writer and all that. And I got overly, I got even more excited than I was because I was, I was cautiously optimistic. It was going to be a decent game. I've played it, I enjoyed it. But up until that point, it was like, until I had that and I could see that passion in person, I really didn't have that. And this hearing them talk about, hearing the actors talk about, which I mean, that's part of the whole PR marketing, you know, campaign. They go out there to hype their stuff up. But when you do that in person instead of over a video, it works so much better. Which I mean, I guess it could be why Summer Game Fest kind of was very lackluster to me because even if I had been in the crowd in L.A., upfront looking at everything, it still wouldn't have felt personal because it was just Geoff Keighley up there talking about all of his friends or his quote, friend Hideo Kijima, which he always brings up. You want a fun drinking game? Take a shot every time Geoff Keighley mentions these friends with Hideo Kijima. Depending on the stream, you'll be drunk within the first minute. But it feels like it's more about him promoting himself and getting to talk about a bunch of cool games instead of him doing it for the actual true love and true passion of it all. Because I mean even when he has a subbie up there like Nicholas Cage you should even though he comes out there and he's got like the most erratic energy about it you should see something come from that. And he was talking passionately about Dead by Daylight which is an old game like a 2014 game that's still been going on he's a new character and you can just see how passionate he's getting because it was one of his kids brought it up to him and he's like oh I got do it because my kids love this game and that's the whole reason he got into it and you can kind of see just Geoff Keighley just going through the motions. Like, oh yeah, that's cool uh-huh yeah yeah like not even trying to match that energy and that comes through on the video and even being a person I don't think that would have changed much. This thing they're watching somebody else be like oh yeah look I'm getting to do the cool job you get to sit there and watch me do it. RB: Nicholas Cage is a national treasure. DHB: He really is. RB: We're coming up on time my friend. Are we doing a follow-up on some of these other minor events outside of the Summer Game Fest? DHB: There's a couple other ones I do want to talk about. Cause the Ubisoft one, there was some interesting stuff from that. I wanted to bring up. Same thing with Microsoft and debating on the Square Enix one, because that just felt like one six hour long commercial for the next Final Fantasy game more than it was an actual gameplay stream. So we'll see, we'll see. We'll talk about some of that, I guess. RB: All right. Well, for our listeners, hopefully the next podcast, you'll get to hear some more of that, cause I love hearing David rant about the games and the stuff that's coming out. But until next time, we'll catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode111.mp3 Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast — Let’s Talk Summer Game Fest [Episode Nine] AggroCast — Let’s Talk Summer Game Fest [Episode Nine] AGGROGAMER.COM 009 003 The AggroCast crew is back and ready to talk about the recent Summer Game Fest. Many of you have most likely watched it out there, but here we go with a deeper dive into what it is and what was shown off. Also, David has even more words to have about Summer Game Fest and the various other streams that took place around it. Get ready to hear more ranting on why this is a terrible thing for the industry and gaming consumers in general. TRANSCRIPTION Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the Aggrocast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we are talking about Summer Game Fest. So David, what the hell is this thing? David Hades Becker: Uh, Summer Game Fest. It is a project Geoff Keighley has done in the past. And it was usually one of those little hype up teasers when we were coming up to like E3. It was carryover from The Game Awards he would do. Whereas he would get a couple exclusive things here. But it was more or less a hype machine to go, here's why you need to go to E3 or you need to go to this, this huge gaming event that one of the other publishers or developers are doing. And that's what it started out to be. Now for this year, it has been literally day one of not E3 become uh, like, I think they showed 40 plus games during this live stream they did for about two and a half hours that they streamed on Twitch, YouTube, everything else. And it was to show off some world premieres and show off some stuff. But on top of that, it was also to get you hyped for all of the other gaming streams that every other developer and publisher was also going to do since there was no in-person E3 this year. RB: So it sounds like there was a ton of content. DHB: Yes, there was and like so the whole thing started off with something that I know a lot of people didn't realize didn't realize but didn't expect because almost a couple of days before we heard there was a cancel or not a cancellation but a postponement of a new Prince of Persia game because they were doing a remake of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time and the whole show started off with Prince of Persia: Lost Crown, which is a whole new entry into the franchise, and it's taking a whole bunch of elements from all sorts of other games. So it's interesting that they started with that, even though the other one was kind of put on a permanent hiatus. And then they moved into like Mortal Kombat 1, Dead by Daylight showed up, Nicolas Cage is going to be in there, and they actually had Nicolas Cage on stage to talk about it. They hyped up Witcher Season 3, even though I could of swore Henry Cavill wasn't done with it all, but they featured him front and center, so maybe that's their sending for the for him as the character. RB: My understanding was this was going to be the last season for him and then it was switching over to uh Liam Hemsworth. DHB: Gotcha okay which is probably why they featured him so heavily in the trailer because after that it was it was interesting they went from witch uh Witcher to Witchfire which is an interesting medieval magic shooter which I've been excited for and I've been covering it quite a bit on the site itself It feels like BioShock, if it was set during a medieval witch period, it's cool. Then there's Sonic Superstars, which is more or less a full remake or remaster of the original games in a 3D space, so even though it's a 2D side-scroller for a Sonic game, it was a full 3D perception on all the characters. They showed off more of Lies of P, which is the new, unfortunately, Death Souls-like video game. Set like in a cool steampunk Victorian age. It looks so cool. RB: Yeah, that sounds pretty awesome. DHB: But unfortunately it's going to be like Bloodborne where it sounds awesome, visuals are awesome, I've played the demo, it's a Souls-like through and through and oh I hate that fucking game game mechanic. RB: Yeah I love everything about Bloodborne other than playing it. DHB: Yeah exactly everything even like in the comics everything is amazing. So if you haven't checked it out check out Lies of P. It's like they take the Pinocchio story and they turn it into where Pinocchio he's already gone through the whole transition where he a real boy but he's still half robot and it's in a whole steampunk era. And Geppetto has been kidnapped and the blue fairy sends him and he's just this badass warrior but it's a Soul-like and I have gameplay coming up on the site soon of the demo. It's everything about it is amazing I just hate the gameplay. Yeah after that there was there's a bunch of other things that they showed off there like Crash Team Rumble. They showed off some new stuff for that. They showed off some stuff for Dying Light 2. I think there's an anime called Sand Land that's getting a whole first-person shooter type game with that done in kind of the Borderlands style of visuals. It looks amazing. I had no idea, but the small crowd that I was with in where I was watching it, they got all excited. I was lost. And then we move into one of the next bigger things. And it's one of the bigger talking points I tried to bring up in the last podcast we did about them driving the narrative with this thing. And it was Alan Wake 2. And Alan Wake 2 looks amazing. And it's a sequel to a game done by Remedy Entertainment and I love the game even though I'm more of a PlayStation player. It was on it was the reason I got an Xbox was to play this game and now they have the full sequel coming out. If you remember back to the past podcast which you might have to go back and listen to about you know E3 getting cancelled and everything this is the one title that it felt like they were trying to push the specific narrative on things and had it not been Remedy I would have called it out beforehand. Because so, they show gameplay and they label it as Raw Uncut Gameplay that everybody's gonna experience whenever they play this game. And I'm sitting there, I'm watching it, and it looks creepy. It's awesome. The main character's Saga's walking through a forge, she's got her flashlight out, looking around, and it's scripted. Everything is scripted as if, the better way to say it is, when you see one of those one-take shots that you see in movies and TV. Where somebody, they have everybody practice it so much that it, no matter how they play it out, it's gonna play out the same way. So it might as well have been a completely scripted scene as in the game engine running it. RB: So they really made it cinematic in the gameplay. DHB: They did, yes. Yes, they made it really cinematic it made it feel like like you were watching just a normal trailer. Even though I guarantee it was also pre-recorded because it was a live stream instead of having somebody sitting there playing it. But when you watch it they're like oh yeah it's live somebody's actually playing this. I don't know a single person that would play it to where if you've heard a sound go off in the bushes they'll slowly pan the the flash fight over to look at it. Every gamer I know they're gonna snap too and look over there. At one point during the demo one of the big bads comes out and comes at you with this giant axe or something like or giant axe or hammer and they go slowly running out of the building and they do the smart thing where they kind of put like a park bench between them to kind of like slow them down. But then they slowly take their aim and it's like you could tell it was very scripted because they still wanted to make it look amazing but it wasn't raw. I guess to me it was somebody going through they had practiced this 90 to 100 times so that it looked great when they presented it to everybody but people were taking that as that's going to be the definitive experience everybody has, no matter where they're playing this game. And the reason I know that is I've had other people tell me that's how they expect the game to play when it's in their hands and not in the hands of another person. RB: Yeah, that's, that's dishonest. DHB: It is, it is. And like I said, thankfully it's from, from Remedy Entertainment. And so far they've been one of the few companies out there that's been completely transparent and so far almost all of their titles they put out have lived up to the hype they've built for it. So I'm giving them a pass, but I feel like that's priming people to start thinking that way, which leads into one of the other games that I saw there was there was a teaser for Assassin's Creed Mirage, which is the next one coming out in October from Ubisoft. Now, for those just listening and haven't been in the gaming industry before, please look it up. But there was something, I don't remember what the internet was calling it, I want to say it was like Watch Dog Gate or something like that because it was like the big thing at the time. During one of the E3s when the first Watch Dogs came out, Ubisoft did the same thing. We're like, this is raw, unedited gameplay, and they had somebody on stage playing it. And you're watching this, watching the video and everybody's like, Oh, this is amazing and everything, but then people were rewatching it and things weren't lining up and then when more demos came out, what we saw in the very first gameplay, which was the raw unedited, what we should have seen at the very end didn't match up to stuff that was coming out just before long, but people were pre-ordering, spending money and all this stuff beforehand, expecting to get what they saw as the raw and edited, but then ended up getting, even though Watch Dogs was still a great game, they didn't get what was sold to them. And that's why I feel like it was a, it was a priming situation where taking this company that's known for never doing this build this up and then when you watch stuff for like even though they didn't do live gameplay during during this event and that that took place in the Ubisoft show that took place a couple days later it kind of sets that sets that emotion where people start thinking all this gameplay they're seeing is live unedited raw footage and now they're going to expect that from other games that's kind of the narrative they're driving. RB: Were there any other games during games this Summer Game Fest that did that kind of pushed their own narrative? DHB: Out of the rest of them, not that I can I... I mean, Mortal Kombat 1 kind of did, but they actually had Ed Boon on stage talking about it all. So he was actively correcting things as it was coming up. He's like, oh yeah, this is this. Like people were expecting they have the new, they call it the Kameo system. And people were expecting to be kind of more of a tag team system where you choose two characters, you could swap between them. And he corrected that right out the gate. He was like, no, no, no, you choose your character and then you choose another one and they kind of come in as a special move that you can call, um, kind of like one of the environmental attacks. And there's going to be some that are more akin to the previous Mortal Kombat games. They're not going to be full characters you can play as but there will be some of those full characters in there so... Like he went out of his way to make sure that people were not speculating on the quote-unquote raw gameplay they were seeing on screen. But that was the next closest I remember seeing that to coming anywhere near that. RB: But he corrected their expectation DHB: Yeah he corrected the expectation but I guarantee that was because he was on stage. I don't think if he was on stage, there wouldn't have been anybody there to correct that expectation. And they only had like a couple other people on stage throughout the rest of the event that were there talking about stuff. And most of those were just like, oh yeah, we're just making story places here, or we're talking about this here. And it was like, it was nothing to where it was like, they were trying to make a big selling point on stuff. But the Mortal Kombat 1, yeah, he was, when people would think, oh, I'm gonna get a tag team Mortal Kombat, he's like, no, no, no, that's what the expectation is set. He pulled that back. And I guess Spider-Man was the other one. They had the developers up there for that. And there was a lot of people talking about because Venom is gonna be one of the main characters. And that was a huge speculation online. People were talking about one thing or another. And he's like, no, Venom is not who you're thinking it is. It's not even gonna be Eddie Brock. It's not gonna be any of the other Venoms that we've had in the past as well. It's a completely new thing for this game. And which I guess spirals into another thing which is interesting because Insomniac, who did the first Spider-Man game, they got caught doing the same thing Ubisoft did that I mentioned before. And this one's called Puddle Gate, was during the first Spider-Man, they showed out the first Spider-Man on PS4 and then PS5. There was a bunch of gameplay and it looked amazing and like he's swinging around, you see these puddles on the ground and having one-to-one reflection, and everybody was losing their mind because it was it was on the PS4 at the time, and it was technology that people did not expect to see up there because it was like perfect ray tracing. And then when people were actually playing the game and demo behind the scenes, they were starting to notice that they were no longer there. And then when the game actually came That's when it came out that the PS4 couldn't actually run those visuals in the demo Everybody saw in the gameplay that they were expecting was run on a high-end PC that could do it all which was just the development PC and it took them I think it was six months to actually patch the PS4 version to include just random puddles it sounds stupid to talk about but it was like they were sold this expectation on visual quality and then the visual quality they got was downgraded for the actual release. RB: Wow, that's funny DHB: Yeah, and I mean, thankfully, they were out there and they weren't trying to sell any they were trying to lower expectations on just characters and stories, but it's interesting that they were out there, even though not even like I think it was like four or five videos before was when they had the Alan Wake one come on and do like this is Raw Unedited gameplay, you know, it's going to be that way it's going to be at the very final game like it's not really but okay. RB: So there were like 40-50 games that they showed. DHB: Oh, yeah, and I've only I've only touched up touched on a few I know on our YouTube And on the website, we're going to list all those trailers. We're gonna have all the other trailers kind of in a, here's everything you might have missed just in case people weren't able to sit there and live stream the entire event. Because it went on for, I mean, it's still going on as of this recording of this podcast. There's still more events going on and instead of doing it all clustered into a couple of days, now they've sorted it out over almost two weeks of live streams that you have to log in at random times during the week. Like even Summer Game Fest, it took place at 11 a.m. on a Thursday in a period where school is still technically in session for most places, and obviously everybody else could be in the office working. But it's not like the prime time to stream, like I think there was a few streams that happened over the weekend, but then there's a whole bunch that have happened during the week during normal business hours, normal school hours. RB: So you had to specifically go out of your way to catch this thing. DHB: Yeah, so I got invited out to go watch one of the live streams of one of the IMAX theaters here in Las Vegas, and I was also invited to actually go out to LA and be in person, and I opted to not drive out there for a two-hour event, even though there's a whole bunch going on with all of that stuff I can get into in a little bit. But yeah, I got invited out to watch this in a IMAX theater, and there was, including myself, about seven people in this giant theater watching on the screen because it was 11 a.m. on Thursday. RB: All right. So knowing you, I know there's a rant somewhere inside you about this. DHB: I've been I've been building it up. I have. All right. So here we go. RB: David has now been aggro'd. DHB: I have been aggro'd. Now you're going to see the AggroGamer come out here. So I get invited out to go to this livestream because I have opted to not drive out to L.A. for this two hour event that I'm only going to sit in the audience get to watch. Which, start off the rant, for anybody watching, if you were in the L.A. area or wanted to make the travel out there, yes, you could have gone to Summer Game Fest, you could have paid for admission, sat in the crowd, but for about three to four days leading up to this, every casting site that I know about that does extras or small commercials or anything like that, we're handing out free tickets to do seat fillers so that the audience felt full throughout the entire event. And I bring this up specifically because instead of having a live E3 where you could have had all sorts of fans and all sorts of people from the industry sitting here, cheering it on, having a great time, it was in an isolated area that you had to pay for or sit there and watch as a stream outside of. And they built it up as this huge thing of like, oh, we're filled with fans. We have all these people here, it's all great. And I'm like, 50% of those people were hired actors to stand in that crowd. I had the option to take myself and around 11 other people, if I so wanted to, to go sit in that crowd as seat fillers and potentially get paid to be there. That's my first part of this rant, is anybody who thinks the event was specifically for fans in person, it's really not. It's all to sell ads, it's all to sell more video games, and I know it sounds like I'm being a catty bitch or anything like that about this, but that's really what this ended up being, including a point where, in the middle of the stream, Geoff Keighley mentions the next Final Fantasy, and everybody gets excited because they think they're going to see the next Final Fantasy thing and it's him literally to shell an ad for Grubhub live to everybody and I'm just like so this is a huge advertisement thing. Moving on from that we go out and like okay so say you can't make it to L.A. they're filming it in a bunch of theaters around the country a bunch of IMAX theaters I was like which is what I ended up doing oh yeah here's a free ticket you can go I think it was like 25 50 bucks or somebody had to go to go sit in a theater and watch it. That's fine I went and I showed up and the ticket says hey show up at 11 a.m. because that's when the stream is going to start. I show up at 11 a.m. I'm literally the only person in this quote crowded theater that they report online for the first half hour. At 11 o'clock the lights dimmed down I'm like okay it's like like a movie's gonna start. I'm getting ready and I'm sitting in a theater for a half hour in complete darkness by myself nothing on the screen. At this point a few other people kind of mingle in and at one point the max capacity we had in the theater was seven including myself. But so around 11:30 comes about and the screen turns on like okay maybe it's gonna start now cuz I'm like checking my phone to make I didn't mess up the times. And according to the ticket, it says 11 o'clock. But then the Twitch stream and the YouTube stream is like, oh, we're going to start at 12. And I'm like, okay, that's that's really weird. But okay, whatever. Maybe they're running behind. 11:30 comes and the screen pops up. And we see the vertical bars that you see like the different colored bars with the white, white and black, red, all that stuff. And we're like, okay, you know, they're getting ready to hit broadcast. Sure. And then that loud pitch beat comes on that whole like, we have no audio, but we're going to play audio anyway. So it's like, I put my headphones in because I'm like, I'm not going to deal with this. And I was Maybe it's gonna take for like 10 seconds, 30 seconds, and they're gonna realize this. No, 20 minutes of this goes on. That is not an exaggeration. I posted a short about it on our YouTube channel. 20 minutes of this goes on. I would have lost my mind not having my earbuds in, cranking my music to its loudest. Finally, 11:50 comes around and the screen finally changes over. And it's like, oh, the stream's gonna start soon in 10 minutes. And I'm like, all right. I'm like, I'm going back and checking forth, checking the Twitch and YouTube. And they're running all the little lead-up to the show's type thing. They're like, well, why aren't they playing this in the theater? People have already lost an hour of time that they've paid for, but they're not. So we just sit there in complete silence with the screen slowly counting down. So I'm just sitting there playing games on my phone, listening to music in my headset, taking little notes in my notebook, just waiting for this to start. And then noon comes around and the whole thing starts. They start going through everything, the stream goes through, and they make it seem like everybody's cheering everywhere. That you see the video of the crowd like cheering on everything. I didn't hear a single peep out of anybody in the crowd outside of when the uh I think it was Sand Land came on and they were excited because like oh we know this anime and I'm like I have no clue what this anime is but good for you guys. That was the only noise I heard the entire time. And then for anybody who watched the stream it continued and continued and then they had Anthony Mackie come on and he started to present Twisted Metal. And I was like oh this is what I'm here for I want to see this. I've loved some of these other trailers I'm trying to get hyped about this new show for twisted bevel, he's talking about it, Will Arnett's talking about it, let's do this, and then the screen goes dark, and the entire theater, all the lights turn on, and everyone just kind of looks at each other like what the hell happened. So we all go into our phone to make sure like the stream didn't die or whatever, we're looking at it, and the stream keeps going, and one of the patrons goes out to go talk to the manager, and the manager's like oh no no, they only paid for the theater till this point, we're setting up for the next Spider-Man movie to turn on, so we're gonna have to have you guys clear out here. So we sat in the theater, watching the rest of the stream, which was still like or five more game trailers and presentations that went on for about another 20 to 30 minutes on our phones streaming it on Twitch and YouTube which we could have done from home. Like it got so bad I left it. I was like, I didn't pay for this. I got everything I needed. I'm gonna go talk about it. I'm gonna rant. It gave me content for this podcast you're hearing me rant right now and I left. But I watched people who paid for this go and demand refunds because they wasted an hour getting there and then they lost the last half hour where they could have been it on their phone all because of whatever was going on when they were trying to stream it and they didn't contact anybody to let them know what was going on. RB: what a cluster. DHB: Yeah and I guarantee... watching... if anybody rewatches the YouTube or Twitch restreams of it all, you're not going to see any of this stuff because you get to see what was live recorded and that's what they're going to replace out there instead of actually showing what happened during the actual live. RB: Yeah, they're going to curate that experience. DHB: Exactly! Because there was even a point I think I got to see live and it was when Nick Cage came on to talk about him being in Dead by Daylight, he was getting ready to leave and he looked confused like he didn't know where to go. And the camera lingered on him for like a couple extra seconds because he's like, okay, uh, and he's like pointing to figure out which way to go because nobody gave him direction on where to leave. And you would think this would have been a meme kind of like the whole John Travolta like, uh, where do I go type meme. Because it literally looked like Nick Cage was doing that because he was confused where to go after doing his presentation. I haven't seen any of that stuff, which means any of the restreams that have been out there, nobody's caught that yet. And I'm almost certain because it's been, like you said, edited and curated specifically to show the highlight. And this unfortunately feels like it's going to be the way it's going to keep going moving forward, because even though there are other podcasts in themselves, if you've watched any of the other streams that have gone on for like Xbox or Ubisoft or Square Enix or any of the other ones, they all kind of follow the same suit and instead of having true fans there or even showing off the game to people who want to actually experience or anybody who's not in the top five media outlets give them a chance to actually experience this stuff it's not gonna happen outside of having an in-person E3. Like I know Mortal Kombat 1 was out there and they were having behind closed doors viewings for certain media outlets. Which were not us. And I any of my press contacts wouldn't even get back to me on whether or not I could even just show up and check them out because it was literally the big ones out there and nobody else. Whereas if it was an in-person E3, they would have found a way to, to sneak me into the thing or even just make a side appointment to be like, yeah, you can come by, even though you're not a main, main outlet. We still want to get as many people's hands on eyes and impressions out there, not only just to obviously help the marketing, you know, me talking about a game is obviously just going to be marketing in the first place, but also get kind of feedback from people instead of being an echo chamber. And it was the same thing I watched with Alan Wake. All of the social media channels for Remedy Entertainment, the Alan Wake channel, and even Sam Lake, the guy who wrote the game, is the game director. It was all like, oh, we had so many people out there checking this out, checking this out. And you only get to see like four or five outlets that were there actually invited to this behind closed doors thing, instead of seeing the 50 to 100 that you normally get. And not only that, 50 to 100 that are global instead of local. There's been many times in the past I've gone to E3, where I'm sitting in there and there's some some small-time guy from like Germany or somebody from you know the UK somewhere that they flew out to E3 to cover this stuff so they can go back and do it all. I also guarantee these people, unless they live in the town where that developer or publisher are, they're not going to get any of this hands-on that they would normally get and it's all going to be this driven media through these specific companies that they know they can manhandle or know are already on board to share whatever vision or narrative they put out there. RB: So they've really discounting grassroots marketing and the everyman. Which in a lot of ways that's what AggroGamer tries to embody is the everyman gamer for these corporate media. DHB: That is exactly it. Like I was at a gaming shop a couple of days ago recently, just after all this stuff went down and I was talking to somebody and their very first E3 they got to go to in-person was the one in 2019, which is obviously the last in-person E3. And it was, I think it was the second or third when they actually allowed non-industry or non-media to go to. So like any gamer could show, like pay their money and go, and actually experience stuff. And they weren't so hyped about getting to, having the chance to go do that. And even this year, they were unaware anything was going on because E3 was canceled. And now all they know is there's trailers that are getting dumped out there. And they don't know that there's this thing going on. And they're taking things at face value. And that's kind of the way it feels like. Even my nephew, he's another one that came up, there was a game that got showed, he got overly hyped for it. And I had to explain to him, that's not gameplay. That's a scripted scene that you saw. And I can't confirm or deny that's how it's going to be at your final at the final build. Had it been like maybe Alan Wake, I could have maybe came close to it. But I want to say it was the the new Star Wars game from Ubisoft that's coming out. RB: The Outlaws? DHB: The first Star Wars game. Yeah, Outlaws. Yeah, which is the first Star Wars game that hasn't been done by EA. And while yes, it looks impressive, I don't know a single person in any of my inner or outer circles for the media or press contacts that have had a chance to get hands-on with it. Everybody just has the curated video we got to see and the curated gameplay we got to see. Whereas if we had an in-person E3, if they were ready to show any of that, they would have showed the trailer so that anybody who couldn't make it to the event could look at it and all that stuff, but then be like, oh yeah, you can come over here and if you have a media appointment, hop right in and play the game where you can stand in this line over here for an hour or two to actually play it. So they can get dedicated fans to have it in their hands and actually be like, oh, this game's amazing. Or, oh, this game is crap right out the gate. And then on top of that, if it is crap, go to the developer who should be right there on site to go, here's how to change this. And here's what we should, here's what you don't think about here. You know, this is what I like and didn't like. So it's almost like getting focus groups that they're paying to be a focus group for. But we're not doing that anymore. RB: Cause you get that immediate feedback. DHB: Well, like CD Projekt Red, there was, I did it multiple times for Cyberpunk, which I know that that is a game that everybody still even even though it's gotten much better and the new DLC looks really really cool. Every year for the five years it was in development and they were showing it off at E3 before you could leave the press event or even pick up any of the swag they were giving out, they gave you a survey and they required you to fill it out so that the developers could take that and go work on it. They did that for the Witcher like Witcher 3. I remember filling that out for the Witcher 3. I remember filling it out for Gwent and they would do that constantly where it's like, you're, yeah, you're here as media, you're here to look at this cool stuff and yes, we're giving you swag, but we also want actual feedback from gamers to be like, oh yeah, this part sucks or maybe you should change this or this didn't make any sense or maybe you should fix this here. And they can get that live right there from fans and people in the industry, whereas right now they're getting it from effectively yes-men. RB: Well, and you said that this was kind of the way you expected things to go. And sadly, we are now seeing the proof in the pudding, as they say, that you were right on the money with it. DHB: Yeah. And I wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be wrong so much. And mind you, I'm just talking mainly about Summer Game Fest and what they showed there, but we've had so many other streams go on and I'm still, as of right now, going through all the rest of the content because I'm only one person. We have a small team, so we can only do so much and there's been so much dropped out there that it's hard to keep up. But I guarantee as we keep going through all this stuff, we're going to see more and more stuff out there that comes up and goes, here's the red flag. Here's a red flag. Like, so even though it wasn't part of Summer Game Fest, I'll bring it up. Starfield. Starfield wasn't because that was the one thing that triggered to me E3 was done and that was when it was done for this year. And that was when Microsoft announced they were going to do a Starfield specific stream on the 12th, 11th or 12th of June, which would have been the day before E3 happened. And to their credit, Microsoft still did that. They pulled it all off, but it felt almost like it was another Fallout 76 type stream. And since there was nobody there to actually prove it one way or another, you're just getting fed this by the developer. It felt like that's where that's going to be. And we have no way of proving that or disproving it at this point. RB: It's really, really unfortunate that this is playing out. DHB: And I am kind of hopeful, which makes me hopeful for Comic-Con, which I know is going to be our next big thing that we're going have all of us out at, which I know we've mentioned before. And there's already been confirmations that Ubisoft will be out there with Star Wars Outlaws and there's a couple of other ones. And specifically with people playing the game, either onsite or developers that are playing it live for the crowd, but it gives me a little bit of hope for certain things. But when we're talking about Summer Game Fest, we have a list of like 40 games just for this. And then we have Ubisoft did like 12 or 14 games. Microsoft did like 20 games. Capcom did a bunch of games. Square Enix did a bunch of games. Like everybody was a PC Gamer had like something like 70 different games they showed off, but it was just trailers where the developers talking about the trailer and all that stuff. That's so many titles out there that somebody could just easily go, well, that kind of looks cool and the developers really hyped about it, let me throw money at it, not realizing you're getting bamboozled in because it's the PR marketing of it all instead of actually getting to experience it or even getting somebody that hasn't been able to be purchased in the past to experience it and be like, here's my raw unedited filtered thoughts on it. RB: Well, with you mentioning SDCC, Comic-Con, I'm worried that with this trend, that even the stuff that might be at Comic-Con, small outlets like AggroGamer, we might not be able to get into the rooms to view or to interview developers or anything like we did last year. DHB: I am slightly worried about that, but not as much. And that's only because a lot of the PR people I know, once you talk to them in-person, they will do whatever they can to get you set up, and I have all those contacts ready for us to go. Even though we might be sending emails leading up to that, and they may be like, oh no, we're only going to let IGN in, we're only going to let Kotaku in. Once you can actually be in-person and talk to them, that's usually when it changes, which again comes down to the, this is the same thing I ran into E3 every year. Ubisoft is a great example of it, rarely got invited to go see any of their in-person events they did during E3. When I was on the show floor and showed up and talked to the PR person directly, magically out of nowhere, oh yeah, we can slot you in here, or we had a cancellation here or this here. And it was because you could have that human interaction and it wasn't just that faceless email or faceless DM or text or whatever. Having that social interaction feels like it makes it better. I mean, games are supposed to be social in the first place. So it's like, as soon as you remove out that social aspect, you're going to get this curated stuff where it's, you know, that's why I'm not too worried about Comic-Con to get back to the original point, because once we can get there and talking to people, usually that goes a little bit smooth... RB: kind of massage those relationships with the PR people. DHB: Yeah. Well, again, it's like, you're no longer somebody who's just out here to try to swag video games or free shit and all that stuff. They're like, Oh, you're actually here to cover it. Even though, even though we're not out there with the fedoras and press press stickers in the hat, which we might have to do, but doing the old like 1930s thing or whatever, even though we're not out there, the fact that we show up, we're like, Oh yeah, we're they could see, we're excited. We want to see all this stuff. And even though what they're going to show may not be overly exciting for us, you know, like, like for instance, last year at SDCC, we went to go talk to a bunch of people for MultiVersus. I wasn't overly excited about it. I don't, I'm not sure if you even knew what, what it was up until, up until we got the appointment or anything like specifically, but we still went there. We were excited. We were happy to be there and we interacted with everybody. We asked questions, all that stuff. And it was like, as soon as that happened, it was like a completely different world. As you can see, like, yes, we're excited. We're here to be happy. We want to enjoy these games. RB: And speaking of MultiVersus, it was because we were able to go in there and interview and talk to people that I came home, the non-video game player that I am, well I play some but not a lot, I downloaded and started playing that game and was having a lot of fun actually playing through some of that. DHB: Yeah. See it's, it's other things like that. Like you can go out there and find something you never knew existed or never knew, knew you wanted to experience, but like going out there, like, and we, because we interviewed Matthew Lillard and Tara Strong. And I, even, even me sitting there, like talking to Matthew Lillard and going, he's the voice of Shaggy. He's not my voice is Shaggy, but he is definitely the voice of Shaggy for the last like 25 years. This is awesome. I still want to kind of like, even though it's not my game, still want to go in and do this. Cause he got me excited, you know, being in person, whereas if I'm a trailer and be like, yeah, be excited. I'm going to do the voice like, all right, yeah, whatever. That's just PR marketing, you know, they're using a face or whatever. RB: Well, and the same with, uh, was it Arkham Knights? DHB: Uh, uh, Gotham, Gotham Knights. RB: Gotham Knights. Yeah. Gotham Knights. Cause we got to meet a couple of the actors behind that and that was super exciting and the gameplay looked super awesome. So that kind of got me excited about it. DHB: Yeah. Cause even, even me, like I was, I was slightly excited because it was still part of the Arkham series. I, and, or no, no, it wasn't part of the Arkham series. It was like, it felt like it was part of the Arkham series, but it was done by the developer and a lot of stuff. And then even though we got to talk to some of the voice actors in MoCap, we got to talk to the game director and the writer and all that. And I got overly, I got even more excited than I was because I was, I was cautiously optimistic. It was going to be a decent game. I've played it, I enjoyed it. But up until that point, it was like, until I had that and I could see that passion in person, I really didn't have that. And this hearing them talk about, hearing the actors talk about, which I mean, that's part of the whole PR marketing, you know, campaign. They go out there to hype their stuff up. But when you do that in person instead of over a video, it works so much better. Which I mean, I guess it could be why Summer Game Fest kind of was very lackluster to me because even if I had been in the crowd in L.A., upfront looking at everything, it still wouldn't have felt personal because it was just Geoff Keighley up there talking about all of his friends or his quote, friend Hideo Kijima, which he always brings up. You want a fun drinking game? Take a shot every time Geoff Keighley mentions these friends with Hideo Kijima. Depending on the stream, you'll be drunk within the first minute. But it feels like it's more about him promoting himself and getting to talk about a bunch of cool games instead of him doing it for the actual true love and true passion of it all. Because I mean even when he has a subbie up there like Nicholas Cage you should even though he comes out there and he's got like the most erratic energy about it you should see something come from that. And he was talking passionately about Dead by Daylight which is an old game like a 2014 game that's still been going on he's a new character and you can just see how passionate he's getting because it was one of his kids brought it up to him and he's like oh I got do it because my kids love this game and that's the whole reason he got into it and you can kind of see just Geoff Keighley just going through the motions. Like, oh yeah, that's cool uh-huh yeah yeah like not even trying to match that energy and that comes through on the video and even being a person I don't think that would have changed much. This thing they're watching somebody else be like oh yeah look I'm getting to do the cool job you get to sit there and watch me do it. RB: Nicholas Cage is a national treasure. DHB: He really is. RB: We're coming up on time my friend. Are we doing a follow-up on some of these other minor events outside of the Summer Game Fest? DHB: There's a couple other ones I do want to talk about. Cause the Ubisoft one, there was some interesting stuff from that. I wanted to bring up. Same thing with Microsoft and debating on the Square Enix one, because that just felt like one six hour long commercial for the next Final Fantasy game more than it was an actual gameplay stream. So we'll see, we'll see. We'll talk about some of that, I guess. RB: All right. Well, for our listeners, hopefully the next podcast, you'll get to hear some more of that, cause I love hearing David rant about the games and the stuff that's coming out. But until next time, we'll catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast Resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 33:35 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,E3,Summer Game Fest,Ubisoft Forward,Xbox Showcase,PC Gamer Show,Future Games Show,Steam Next Fest yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected — Getting Ready For Diablo IV [Episode Eight] The AggroCast crew is gearing up for the full release of Diablo IV. Hades had a chance to experience the Closed Beta and Server Slam and Raymond has a long history with the title. Listen in as they talk about their hopes, dreams, fears, and theories on what could be coming in the final version of Diablo IV. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi! Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we are talking about Diablo IV. So David, I know you got to play some of the beta for Diablo IV. David Hades Becker: Yes, I got it. I got into the beta back when I think it was around St. Patrick's Day. They opened up a few like they opened up a few channels where people could play three of the classes and then, like, the next weekend, you're able to play all five of the classes. And then there was the server slam that they did, which was like a server stress test to make sure that when the game actually launches in June, it just doesn't crash as every other Blizzard game generally does on launch day. But yeah, that was, I got to experience many different levels of Diablo IV. RB: I haven't really looked at any of the Diablo IV. I played one, two, and three, played the shit out of three. And then for a brief moment, I downloaded Diablo Immortal and then quickly deleted that off my phone just because I was like, no, I don't need microtransactions. And as much as I love the franchise and the IP, I just cannot bring myself to do it. What classes are you getting to play in Diablo for? DHB: Well, I mean, as of right now, I think the five core classes, they have the Rogue, Sorcerer, Barbarian, Necromancer, and Druid. I think those are the only ones they've announced so far. RB: So kind of a smattering of classes from the other games in the franchise. DHB: Yeah. Somewhat. Like I think a couple of them haven't shown up in other games and then some of them like not brand new, but like they're being more focused on instead of being like a DLC or something like that. It's interesting that they chose these five. RB: Yeah. DHB: I have a feeling there's going to be more that come down the line given that it's Blizzard and how they normally do like microtransactions or not even microtransactions like DLC or like, oh, yeah, spend another $10 here. Get the season pass and you can get this next character. It's like randomly the fighter or, you know, bring the wizard back. RB: Yeah, kind of like what they did in three with the crusader and the necromancer. DHB: I think it was the demon hunter. RB: Demon hunter. OK. Yeah. And we haven't seen the rogue class since Diablo one. DHB: Yeah. RB: So that's interesting that they brought them back. DHB: And I haven't had a chance to play or play the Rogue, even though Rogue is my general go to when I play like these kind of games, like in D and D or anything like that. I'm like, I'm going to play the Rogue. But of course, necromancer, they brought necromancer and I'm a necromancer through and through. RB: I love the necromancer. Necromancer and barbarian used to be my two, mostly because I loved squishing the corpses and getting potions as the barbarian or leaping across the map to attack things. But necromancer, I always loved. And of course the aesthetic for necromancer was always cool. Cause you had the bone armor and the bone shards and you do the different summons. DHB: You know and I know that's all back at least in the beta I played for Diablo IV is they have the necromancer and that was the one that I mained for the entire time he was you know like I said necromancer and he has has all the fun stuff I think at one point I equipped the scythe to him just because I was like I gotta have a necromancer with a scythe. And then there was all the extra summons even though at the early levels it was just mainly skeletons and zombies I can raise, but I didn't see a need to raise anything else is the weird thing when I was playing the beta. RB: Yeah. Well, and I always found with the Diablo games, Summons really, I'm not going to say they were OP, but they certainly stacked things in your favor. DHB: Well, they definitely do that in this one. I don't think at any point I felt like I was in danger with my Necromancer. And that's from level one all the way up to, I think I got to level 13 or 14 before the beta ended. RB: Yeah. DHB: And I never died once with my Necromancer. RB: Damn. DHB: I also don't think any of my undead died unless it was like a scripted scene where they had to die because I had to go into a town or something happened and everything on the screen died except for my character. And it feels like it was one of the weird balancing issues that I'm kind of hoping they fixed because I felt like I walked through the entire beta with almost zero issues whatsoever. RB: Yeah and you definitely want a challenge with these games. You don't want it to be dick-punchy, but you definitely want that challenge. DHB: Yeah. No, I mean, at one point I walked into a dungeon that was rated as a very, very like, I think it was like two levels higher than me, but because of the, I had five zombies or whatever, skeletons or whatever running around, I didn't have to use a single potion for myself. I didn't have to use almost any other items. I was just like, yeah, go kill it. Go kill it. Or even the, I didn't even have to dictate sometimes the AI just did that. It walked forward and was like, OK, we're going to kill this boss. And I'm like, well, I took zero damage. But that was also the beta. So that could also have changed by the time the game launches here. RB: Yeah. When when you were playing the beta, did they have any of the crafting system that Diablo is known for? DHB: I'm pretty sure it was in there, but I don't remember that being any focus that we were that they had out there for it. RB: OK. Yeah, because I'm sure they probably had specific things they were asking folks to test. DHB: Yeah. Well, to my knowledge, it was like, let's let's make sure everything's balanced between these character classes. They did two different betas, where I think the first one they did, they only released the Rogue, Sorcerer, and Barbarian, I think it was, or maybe it was the Druid. And then the second one they did, they added in the other two characters. And then when they did the server slam, they're like, okay, fuck it, go with everything. We have all five characters out there. You can go to, I think it was like level 20, level 25, before you hit the end game for the beta. RB: That's awesome. And were you able to play through some of the actual story line? DHB: Yeah. They, so the story starts off right from the beginning where you're pretty much just abandoned out in the middle of winter scape, where you're just pretty much fighting your set, fighting your way through to get to the first town and then the first town takes you in and then you build from there and you continue the story going along. I don't think it delves deep into the overall story to keep that kind of obfuscated from the general populace, but you definitely got some of those story beats leading up to it. I almost feel like I spoiled the first at least hour of the game because that's where the the main mission. Like it felt like you were playing main mission kind of content at that point. RB: Yeah, cuz I think one point I read something that Lilith was the primary antagonist behind this the game And that it was actually kind of a flash forward like 50 years from the events of Diablo 3. So it should be interesting to see what they actually do with a Storyline and the world building because that was always a thing for me. I love world building of Diablo and you've got the angels and the demons and all of these forces that were at work and then the Nephalem and I guess they're going to dive into a little bit of that because of Lilith. So that's pretty cool. DHB: Well, from what I've seen so far, it looks like they might be playing with, at least further down the line, where you might get to choose a side because there's an I want to say, I almost want to say it's the Crusader that they had in the past is coming back and it looks like he's more of an angel type character. And the way they're leading that side of humanity, it feels more like a cult, where Lilith is doing the same thing, and it feels like she has her own cult your clashing. So I don't know if maybe at some point you get to choose which side you're on, because they both, at least in some of the story failures that they put out there, it feels like they're like, you get to decide, is maybe the Agents of Heaven the right side or is the Agents of Hell the right side? RB: Yeah, that would be really interesting to actually have to pick one side over the other and actually put you in a conflict, especially if they do any kind of open play where people can play against each other. DHB: Well, I mean, I know they do have the multiplayer in their last beta as I played, it was all co-op. So I don't remember there being any PVP when I was playing, but that might've changed in some of the, obviously some of the other stuff. And yeah, with June 6th coming up here quickly, they might've been like, okay, we're keeping this hidden from that, from everybody. This is going to be the surprise to where now you've chosen your side. And while you're in these missions, somebody might randomly drop into your game and be like, okay, well screw you. You're on Lillith's side. I'm going to kill you or vice versa. RB: Well, I also, I wonder because they, they tried to launch that Diablo Immortal cell phone game, which was chocked full of microtransactions. I wonder how much content is, is being drawn from that into Diablo IV, because I don't remember a lot of people, at least in my circle of people, that played Diablo Immortal at all. DHB: Yeah, I don't know anybody, honestly, I don't think anybody outside of you that downloaded, actually downloaded the game. I know you didn't even really play the game. You just, you downloaded it, you dipped a toe and you're like, yeah, that's not for me, and then kind of got rid of it. So I'm kind of, at the end of the day, to answer your question, I think at most, I'm hoping all they do is maybe do some character skins. And they kind of, and that's how they do that where they don't go. Now you've got to play Diablo Immortal to understand why XYZ happened in Diablo IV or vice versa, which I mean, it's Blizzard. Like it's seen them kind of forcing that those kinds of microtransactions or that kind of, uh, synergy between the games to be like, well, now I've got to spend thousands of dollars in Diablo Immortal to understand this one thing or get this one costume of Diablo IV. RB: Yeah. I think I'd rather just read website. DHB: There's there's YouTubers out there. I guarantee someone will go through that and here's all the more you need to see it. Here's how cool this is. Let me, I think it was a big, not to harp on it again, even though we've hit it so big times Marvel Strike Force, but they did the same thing with Midnight Suns. They had a couple of special costumes in, in Marvel Strike Force specifically for from Midnight Suns. And I'm like, but they didn't require any costs. You just had to do like basic game place on them. They're okay. Keep it that way. Don't make me do a micro transaction here and there so I can have this over both, you know, in a mobile game, nobody fucking cares about as well as a console/PC game that everybody's going to care about. RB: Well, and I think one of the things I had heard about the beta for Diablo IV, there was something about a little dog or wolf companion that people were strapping to their chests, like a Papoose or something. My head, somebody telling me about that. DHB: Well, I think that's the, um, cause I, Bilizzard's done this in the past where it's like, if you give them your time, you give them your effort and you put in the work into their betas, they give like, they did it with World of Warcraft. Like here's a little cool little companion you get because you actually helped us try to make the game better. If I remember correctly that's what that is, is it's hey you you were in the beta here's your cool little extra thing that we're not going to give to anybody else for like another year or so. So now you can strap this little cool little dog companion to yourself and I think it might have some long game mechanics in the mix but I don't remember what instead of you have a you have a dog strapped to your chest now. RB: Well I'm certainly hoping that this new Diablo game works out and actually builds some resurgence into the franchise. Because it is definitely one of my favorite ones. DHB: I mean, how long has it been since we had, since Diablo 3 stopped putting out content? It's been a while, hasn't it? RB: Uh, yeah, it's been a while. They were still running different events during the pandemic. I knew a lot of folks at the height of the pandemic had gone back to Diablo 3 because they were doing like not campaigns, but they, they were doing these these events periodically. And so they were keeping people enthused and gave people something to do. But I don't know when they actually stopped creating content or putting out new fresh new content for Diablo 3. DHB: I think I was at the last I want to say the necromancer was the last thing they put out. And almost want to say it was like six years ago, like 2017 was when that DLC came out and then everything else has been kind of people doing doing their own little events and all that stuff. But like without any new content, they're just like, we're going to play with what we have and just keep it going. I know there was also the Diablo 2 they did, or remaster they did, and then obviously Diablo Immortal, Which we don't want to talk about. RB: And I remember playing the Crusader because Juliet had it for the PS4, and that's where I first played the Crusader was on the PS4, and holy shit, that class was, I would say that it was OP because it was incredible. We just fucking stomped through the game without a problem. DHB: And that's kind of why I hope that the storyline ends up leading into that. The Crusader is the other character that we're we're going to get introduced to later on in Diablo IV is like one of the other either not even antagonists, but antiheroes or something else. It's causing some kind of strife in the game. Yeah, at least as long as it doesn't do the whole like, oh, no, here's just another DLC character to download. RB: Well, I also wonder if they're going to do anything with the henchmen Because in the past, some of the Diablo games, you could have henchmen, which I thought were kind of a neat concept. I never really did much with it, but I remember it being there. DHB: Well, so far with the classes they've announced, I don't see where they would fit a henchman in. I could see animal companions or familiars. Obviously, the Necromancer has its undead servants, but a barbarian's not gonna really have a henchman. Rogues not gonna really have a henchman. Then when you look at sorcerer and druid, the sorcerer may have a familiar, which would just be another animal or some kind of special creature. And the same thing with the druid who might have animal pets or something like that. RB: Yeah. DHB: But as far as a henchman goes, I don't, I, there wasn't anything that I remember in the beta. It could be something safe for a later character, I guess. RB: Well, and what were the graphics like for the beta? DHB: They were very, very reminiscent of, I won't say like Diablo 3, but I mean, it was still the same top down or whatever, but they tried to upscale it as much as possible. There was obviously tons of blood and tons of, tons of all the other stuff going everywhere. But it wasn't like some of the other games where they're getting a full another entry into the franchise where it feels like they're going harder into the photorealistic or higher-res visuals. Like they're doing exactly what they need to do just to get the gameplay going. And then I guess all the higher end stuff comes in the cut scenes. RB: Were there any cut scenes that you got to see with the beta? DHB: There was the intro cut scene, which was just kind of like an introduction into how you got brought into the world. And I want to say there was like two or three other ones that of introduced you and kind of pushed you through this story. But those were those were the same level level that we'd expect from Blizzard at this point. Like it wasn't it wasn't in game. It was all like CGI cinematic. RB: So I have always been impressed by a lot of their cutscenes. I always wished that they would have done a Diablo movie of some kind, because the cinematics were always really, to me, compelling. DHB: It's funny you bring that up. So I remember somebody was talking about that specifically with Diablo. I think it was Corridor Crew. They brought this up on one of their YouTube channels where they're talking about the visuals that we see now for Blizzard, and we just always imagine that way. And they play one of the original cut scenes from World of Warcraft. And it's almost like a night and day difference where everybody's minds were blown on this amazing CGI they did for World of Warcraft. And then you put it up next to Diablo's stuff, they're like, oh no, that was child stuff. That was something from like the early 90s. And now we're talking like, like Avatar level graphics on the new stuff. RB: It's pretty impressive. DHB: As a small segue. RB: Yeah, no, totally. So yeah, it gives us something to look forward to you said June 6th? DHB: June 6th if you pre-ordered I think you could still pre-order up to as of as of when we're doing this podcast. But I think they open up an early access three to four days before the 6th. So depending on when you depending on when you buy it when you pre-order it and everything. You could be playing it as early as June 2nd or June 3rd But definitely June 6th is the official release date on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. RB: Damn, all right. DHB: Yeah, and possibly mobile if they're going to tie it into Diablo Immortal. RB: Oh, yeah. Let's hope they don't. Yeah, mobile games, man, I tell you. DHB: Yeah, I like how we try to stick away from doing mobile games. Somehow it just keeps sucking us back in. RB: Well, I think part of that is we can blame Mr. Hartgrave for that and Marvel Strike Force. DHB: That's where I'll pass the blame. That's why we'll keep sending him horrible things towards you. RB: Yeah. DHB: Yeah. RB: So Frank, if you, if you're, if you ever listened to this, just know that it's all love and we just love to torment you. DHB: Exactly. RB: But yeah, it's so great. Are you actually signed up to pick that up when it comes out? You an early buyer? DHB: Uh, I, I'm not an early buyer yet. I've got my eye on it. I have a, I have a few other irons of the fire right now that I've got to work through. Because I want to sit down and I want to, I want to just dive into it for myself, but with everything else going on in life, I've So to give it its proper due, I got to hold out a little bit for it. RB: That's fair. Yeah, I might look to pick it up just because I know Juliet and I had a good time playing three together on the PS4. So we just sit down on the couch and just kind of hammer through that. DHB: Well, now you guys can go get it on both your PS4, PS5, everything you've got in your PC, play with each other in the house. RB: Yeah, scream across the house from one office to the other. DHB: Exactly. Yeah. RB: Well, I think that about wraps it up for talking about Diablo IV. DHB: Yeah, hopefully everybody's enjoying it. RB: Any last thoughts? DHB: I think I've put out all my thoughts out there for it. I just really hope everybody who's been excited for it gets exactly the game they were hoping for. I hope it's not another Diablo Immortal type situation. And I hope everybody that did preorder it has zero server issues as soon as June 1 or June 2 or whatever the, whenever the early access kicks off, whenever that hops in. I hope you all are able to hop in and play it without any issues. RB: And I really look forward to seeing any of the cosplays that come out of it because some of the artistry of the cosplayers is just amazing. DHB: I forgot all about that. Like I'm kind of excited when it's dropped. I wanna see how well people do for like Comic-Con and show up wearing them for that and some of the other various smaller conventions. RB: Yeah. Well, and of course then BlizzCon has always been a great medium for the cosplayers to go out there and really show off their talent. DHB: Well, yeah, but they can go out for Comic-Con, show off their their alpha builds and then go to some of the other smaller ones, show off their beta builds. That way, when Blizzcon comes around, they could be like, OK, here it is in its final form where smoke's billowing out everywhere. Everything's lit up and there's skulls dripping off of it somehow. And, you know, all the crazy shit that we see out there all the time. RB: Well, and talking about Comic-Con, we're going to have coverage. We're going to try to do regular podcast coverage as well as some written coverage while we're out there. Lots of pictures, I'm sure. DHB: Tons of pictures, tons of video. Hopefully, the idea would be to get some kind of podcast out almost every day, recapping it, because we'll have pretty much the entire crew out there for that. RB: That'll that'll be crazy trying to get us all on the podcast. But it'll be fun to to get everybody together. Comic-Con is always a fun for us media event. DHB: Yeah, well, it's going to be bigger this year because of a guarantee because of E3 being canceled. RB: Yeah. DHB: Somebody's going to have to find another way to put all that content up. But that is a whole different podcast we can go into. This is the Diablo IV podcast. RB: Yep, so if you're listening, make sure you check back with us as we start to talk about our preliminary Comic-Con coverage and the things that are starting to roll out information-wise. But as David said, this was Diablo IV coming out June 6. We look forward to seeing the gameplay. All right, David, it was great talking to you. And those listening, we'll catch you next time. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode110.mp3 Fri, 2 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected — Getting Ready For Diablo IV [Episode Eight] AggroCast Resurrected — Getting Ready For Diablo IV [Episode Eight] AGGROGAMER.COM 008 003 The AggroCast crew is gearing up for the full release of Diablo IV. Hades had a chance to experience the Closed Beta and Server Slam and Raymond has a long history with the title. Listen in as they talk about their hopes, dreams, fears, and theories on what could be coming in the final version of Diablo IV. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi! Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we are talking about Diablo IV. So David, I know you got to play some of the beta for Diablo IV. David Hades Becker: Yes, I got it. I got into the beta back when I think it was around St. Patrick's Day. They opened up a few like they opened up a few channels where people could play three of the classes and then, like, the next weekend, you're able to play all five of the classes. And then there was the server slam that they did, which was like a server stress test to make sure that when the game actually launches in June, it just doesn't crash as every other Blizzard game generally does on launch day. But yeah, that was, I got to experience many different levels of Diablo IV. RB: I haven't really looked at any of the Diablo IV. I played one, two, and three, played the shit out of three. And then for a brief moment, I downloaded Diablo Immortal and then quickly deleted that off my phone just because I was like, no, I don't need microtransactions. And as much as I love the franchise and the IP, I just cannot bring myself to do it. What classes are you getting to play in Diablo for? DHB: Well, I mean, as of right now, I think the five core classes, they have the Rogue, Sorcerer, Barbarian, Necromancer, and Druid. I think those are the only ones they've announced so far. RB: So kind of a smattering of classes from the other games in the franchise. DHB: Yeah. Somewhat. Like I think a couple of them haven't shown up in other games and then some of them like not brand new, but like they're being more focused on instead of being like a DLC or something like that. It's interesting that they chose these five. RB: Yeah. DHB: I have a feeling there's going to be more that come down the line given that it's Blizzard and how they normally do like microtransactions or not even microtransactions like DLC or like, oh, yeah, spend another $10 here. Get the season pass and you can get this next character. It's like randomly the fighter or, you know, bring the wizard back. RB: Yeah, kind of like what they did in three with the crusader and the necromancer. DHB: I think it was the demon hunter. RB: Demon hunter. OK. Yeah. And we haven't seen the rogue class since Diablo one. DHB: Yeah. RB: So that's interesting that they brought them back. DHB: And I haven't had a chance to play or play the Rogue, even though Rogue is my general go to when I play like these kind of games, like in D and D or anything like that. I'm like, I'm going to play the Rogue. But of course, necromancer, they brought necromancer and I'm a necromancer through and through. RB: I love the necromancer. Necromancer and barbarian used to be my two, mostly because I loved squishing the corpses and getting potions as the barbarian or leaping across the map to attack things. But necromancer, I always loved. And of course the aesthetic for necromancer was always cool. Cause you had the bone armor and the bone shards and you do the different summons. DHB: You know and I know that's all back at least in the beta I played for Diablo IV is they have the necromancer and that was the one that I mained for the entire time he was you know like I said necromancer and he has has all the fun stuff I think at one point I equipped the scythe to him just because I was like I gotta have a necromancer with a scythe. And then there was all the extra summons even though at the early levels it was just mainly skeletons and zombies I can raise, but I didn't see a need to raise anything else is the weird thing when I was playing the beta. RB: Yeah. Well, and I always found with the Diablo games, Summons really, I'm not going to say they were OP, but they certainly stacked things in your favor. DHB: Well, they definitely do that in this one. I don't think at any point I felt like I was in danger with my Necromancer. And that's from level one all the way up to, I think I got to level 13 or 14 before the beta ended. RB: Yeah. DHB: And I never died once with my Necromancer. RB: Damn. DHB: I also don't think any of my undead died unless it was like a scripted scene where they had to die because I had to go into a town or something happened and everything on the screen died except for my character. And it feels like it was one of the weird balancing issues that I'm kind of hoping they fixed because I felt like I walked through the entire beta with almost zero issues whatsoever. RB: Yeah and you definitely want a challenge with these games. You don't want it to be dick-punchy, but you definitely want that challenge. DHB: Yeah. No, I mean, at one point I walked into a dungeon that was rated as a very, very like, I think it was like two levels higher than me, but because of the, I had five zombies or whatever, skeletons or whatever running around, I didn't have to use a single potion for myself. I didn't have to use almost any other items. I was just like, yeah, go kill it. Go kill it. Or even the, I didn't even have to dictate sometimes the AI just did that. It walked forward and was like, OK, we're going to kill this boss. And I'm like, well, I took zero damage. But that was also the beta. So that could also have changed by the time the game launches here. RB: Yeah. When when you were playing the beta, did they have any of the crafting system that Diablo is known for? DHB: I'm pretty sure it was in there, but I don't remember that being any focus that we were that they had out there for it. RB: OK. Yeah, because I'm sure they probably had specific things they were asking folks to test. DHB: Yeah. Well, to my knowledge, it was like, let's let's make sure everything's balanced between these character classes. They did two different betas, where I think the first one they did, they only released the Rogue, Sorcerer, and Barbarian, I think it was, or maybe it was the Druid. And then the second one they did, they added in the other two characters. And then when they did the server slam, they're like, okay, fuck it, go with everything. We have all five characters out there. You can go to, I think it was like level 20, level 25, before you hit the end game for the beta. RB: That's awesome. And were you able to play through some of the actual story line? DHB: Yeah. They, so the story starts off right from the beginning where you're pretty much just abandoned out in the middle of winter scape, where you're just pretty much fighting your set, fighting your way through to get to the first town and then the first town takes you in and then you build from there and you continue the story going along. I don't think it delves deep into the overall story to keep that kind of obfuscated from the general populace, but you definitely got some of those story beats leading up to it. I almost feel like I spoiled the first at least hour of the game because that's where the the main mission. Like it felt like you were playing main mission kind of content at that point. RB: Yeah, cuz I think one point I read something that Lilith was the primary antagonist behind this the game And that it was actually kind of a flash forward like 50 years from the events of Diablo 3. So it should be interesting to see what they actually do with a Storyline and the world building because that was always a thing for me. I love world building of Diablo and you've got the angels and the demons and all of these forces that were at work and then the Nephalem and I guess they're going to dive into a little bit of that because of Lilith. So that's pretty cool. DHB: Well, from what I've seen so far, it looks like they might be playing with, at least further down the line, where you might get to choose a side because there's an I want to say, I almost want to say it's the Crusader that they had in the past is coming back and it looks like he's more of an angel type character. And the way they're leading that side of humanity, it feels more like a cult, where Lilith is doing the same thing, and it feels like she has her own cult your clashing. So I don't know if maybe at some point you get to choose which side you're on, because they both, at least in some of the story failures that they put out there, it feels like they're like, you get to decide, is maybe the Agents of Heaven the right side or is the Agents of Hell the right side? RB: Yeah, that would be really interesting to actually have to pick one side over the other and actually put you in a conflict, especially if they do any kind of open play where people can play against each other. DHB: Well, I mean, I know they do have the multiplayer in their last beta as I played, it was all co-op. So I don't remember there being any PVP when I was playing, but that might've changed in some of the, obviously some of the other stuff. And yeah, with June 6th coming up here quickly, they might've been like, okay, we're keeping this hidden from that, from everybody. This is going to be the surprise to where now you've chosen your side. And while you're in these missions, somebody might randomly drop into your game and be like, okay, well screw you. You're on Lillith's side. I'm going to kill you or vice versa. RB: Well, I also, I wonder because they, they tried to launch that Diablo Immortal cell phone game, which was chocked full of microtransactions. I wonder how much content is, is being drawn from that into Diablo IV, because I don't remember a lot of people, at least in my circle of people, that played Diablo Immortal at all. DHB: Yeah, I don't know anybody, honestly, I don't think anybody outside of you that downloaded, actually downloaded the game. I know you didn't even really play the game. You just, you downloaded it, you dipped a toe and you're like, yeah, that's not for me, and then kind of got rid of it. So I'm kind of, at the end of the day, to answer your question, I think at most, I'm hoping all they do is maybe do some character skins. And they kind of, and that's how they do that where they don't go. Now you've got to play Diablo Immortal to understand why XYZ happened in Diablo IV or vice versa, which I mean, it's Blizzard. Like it's seen them kind of forcing that those kinds of microtransactions or that kind of, uh, synergy between the games to be like, well, now I've got to spend thousands of dollars in Diablo Immortal to understand this one thing or get this one costume of Diablo IV. RB: Yeah. I think I'd rather just read website. DHB: There's there's YouTubers out there. I guarantee someone will go through that and here's all the more you need to see it. Here's how cool this is. Let me, I think it was a big, not to harp on it again, even though we've hit it so big times Marvel Strike Force, but they did the same thing with Midnight Suns. They had a couple of special costumes in, in Marvel Strike Force specifically for from Midnight Suns. And I'm like, but they didn't require any costs. You just had to do like basic game place on them. They're okay. Keep it that way. Don't make me do a micro transaction here and there so I can have this over both, you know, in a mobile game, nobody fucking cares about as well as a console/PC game that everybody's going to care about. RB: Well, and I think one of the things I had heard about the beta for Diablo IV, there was something about a little dog or wolf companion that people were strapping to their chests, like a Papoose or something. My head, somebody telling me about that. DHB: Well, I think that's the, um, cause I, Bilizzard's done this in the past where it's like, if you give them your time, you give them your effort and you put in the work into their betas, they give like, they did it with World of Warcraft. Like here's a little cool little companion you get because you actually helped us try to make the game better. If I remember correctly that's what that is, is it's hey you you were in the beta here's your cool little extra thing that we're not going to give to anybody else for like another year or so. So now you can strap this little cool little dog companion to yourself and I think it might have some long game mechanics in the mix but I don't remember what instead of you have a you have a dog strapped to your chest now. RB: Well I'm certainly hoping that this new Diablo game works out and actually builds some resurgence into the franchise. Because it is definitely one of my favorite ones. DHB: I mean, how long has it been since we had, since Diablo 3 stopped putting out content? It's been a while, hasn't it? RB: Uh, yeah, it's been a while. They were still running different events during the pandemic. I knew a lot of folks at the height of the pandemic had gone back to Diablo 3 because they were doing like not campaigns, but they, they were doing these these events periodically. And so they were keeping people enthused and gave people something to do. But I don't know when they actually stopped creating content or putting out new fresh new content for Diablo 3. DHB: I think I was at the last I want to say the necromancer was the last thing they put out. And almost want to say it was like six years ago, like 2017 was when that DLC came out and then everything else has been kind of people doing doing their own little events and all that stuff. But like without any new content, they're just like, we're going to play with what we have and just keep it going. I know there was also the Diablo 2 they did, or remaster they did, and then obviously Diablo Immortal, Which we don't want to talk about. RB: And I remember playing the Crusader because Juliet had it for the PS4, and that's where I first played the Crusader was on the PS4, and holy shit, that class was, I would say that it was OP because it was incredible. We just fucking stomped through the game without a problem. DHB: And that's kind of why I hope that the storyline ends up leading into that. The Crusader is the other character that we're we're going to get introduced to later on in Diablo IV is like one of the other either not even antagonists, but antiheroes or something else. It's causing some kind of strife in the game. Yeah, at least as long as it doesn't do the whole like, oh, no, here's just another DLC character to download. RB: Well, I also wonder if they're going to do anything with the henchmen Because in the past, some of the Diablo games, you could have henchmen, which I thought were kind of a neat concept. I never really did much with it, but I remember it being there. DHB: Well, so far with the classes they've announced, I don't see where they would fit a henchman in. I could see animal companions or familiars. Obviously, the Necromancer has its undead servants, but a barbarian's not gonna really have a henchman. Rogues not gonna really have a henchman. Then when you look at sorcerer and druid, the sorcerer may have a familiar, which would just be another animal or some kind of special creature. And the same thing with the druid who might have animal pets or something like that. RB: Yeah. DHB: But as far as a henchman goes, I don't, I, there wasn't anything that I remember in the beta. It could be something safe for a later character, I guess. RB: Well, and what were the graphics like for the beta? DHB: They were very, very reminiscent of, I won't say like Diablo 3, but I mean, it was still the same top down or whatever, but they tried to upscale it as much as possible. There was obviously tons of blood and tons of, tons of all the other stuff going everywhere. But it wasn't like some of the other games where they're getting a full another entry into the franchise where it feels like they're going harder into the photorealistic or higher-res visuals. Like they're doing exactly what they need to do just to get the gameplay going. And then I guess all the higher end stuff comes in the cut scenes. RB: Were there any cut scenes that you got to see with the beta? DHB: There was the intro cut scene, which was just kind of like an introduction into how you got brought into the world. And I want to say there was like two or three other ones that of introduced you and kind of pushed you through this story. But those were those were the same level level that we'd expect from Blizzard at this point. Like it wasn't it wasn't in game. It was all like CGI cinematic. RB: So I have always been impressed by a lot of their cutscenes. I always wished that they would have done a Diablo movie of some kind, because the cinematics were always really, to me, compelling. DHB: It's funny you bring that up. So I remember somebody was talking about that specifically with Diablo. I think it was Corridor Crew. They brought this up on one of their YouTube channels where they're talking about the visuals that we see now for Blizzard, and we just always imagine that way. And they play one of the original cut scenes from World of Warcraft. And it's almost like a night and day difference where everybody's minds were blown on this amazing CGI they did for World of Warcraft. And then you put it up next to Diablo's stuff, they're like, oh no, that was child stuff. That was something from like the early 90s. And now we're talking like, like Avatar level graphics on the new stuff. RB: It's pretty impressive. DHB: As a small segue. RB: Yeah, no, totally. So yeah, it gives us something to look forward to you said June 6th? DHB: June 6th if you pre-ordered I think you could still pre-order up to as of as of when we're doing this podcast. But I think they open up an early access three to four days before the 6th. So depending on when you depending on when you buy it when you pre-order it and everything. You could be playing it as early as June 2nd or June 3rd But definitely June 6th is the official release date on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. RB: Damn, all right. DHB: Yeah, and possibly mobile if they're going to tie it into Diablo Immortal. RB: Oh, yeah. Let's hope they don't. Yeah, mobile games, man, I tell you. DHB: Yeah, I like how we try to stick away from doing mobile games. Somehow it just keeps sucking us back in. RB: Well, I think part of that is we can blame Mr. Hartgrave for that and Marvel Strike Force. DHB: That's where I'll pass the blame. That's why we'll keep sending him horrible things towards you. RB: Yeah. DHB: Yeah. RB: So Frank, if you, if you're, if you ever listened to this, just know that it's all love and we just love to torment you. DHB: Exactly. RB: But yeah, it's so great. Are you actually signed up to pick that up when it comes out? You an early buyer? DHB: Uh, I, I'm not an early buyer yet. I've got my eye on it. I have a, I have a few other irons of the fire right now that I've got to work through. Because I want to sit down and I want to, I want to just dive into it for myself, but with everything else going on in life, I've So to give it its proper due, I got to hold out a little bit for it. RB: That's fair. Yeah, I might look to pick it up just because I know Juliet and I had a good time playing three together on the PS4. So we just sit down on the couch and just kind of hammer through that. DHB: Well, now you guys can go get it on both your PS4, PS5, everything you've got in your PC, play with each other in the house. RB: Yeah, scream across the house from one office to the other. DHB: Exactly. Yeah. RB: Well, I think that about wraps it up for talking about Diablo IV. DHB: Yeah, hopefully everybody's enjoying it. RB: Any last thoughts? DHB: I think I've put out all my thoughts out there for it. I just really hope everybody who's been excited for it gets exactly the game they were hoping for. I hope it's not another Diablo Immortal type situation. And I hope everybody that did preorder it has zero server issues as soon as June 1 or June 2 or whatever the, whenever the early access kicks off, whenever that hops in. I hope you all are able to hop in and play it without any issues. RB: And I really look forward to seeing any of the cosplays that come out of it because some of the artistry of the cosplayers is just amazing. DHB: I forgot all about that. Like I'm kind of excited when it's dropped. I wanna see how well people do for like Comic-Con and show up wearing them for that and some of the other various smaller conventions. RB: Yeah. Well, and of course then BlizzCon has always been a great medium for the cosplayers to go out there and really show off their talent. DHB: Well, yeah, but they can go out for Comic-Con, show off their their alpha builds and then go to some of the other smaller ones, show off their beta builds. That way, when Blizzcon comes around, they could be like, OK, here it is in its final form where smoke's billowing out everywhere. Everything's lit up and there's skulls dripping off of it somehow. And, you know, all the crazy shit that we see out there all the time. RB: Well, and talking about Comic-Con, we're going to have coverage. We're going to try to do regular podcast coverage as well as some written coverage while we're out there. Lots of pictures, I'm sure. DHB: Tons of pictures, tons of video. Hopefully, the idea would be to get some kind of podcast out almost every day, recapping it, because we'll have pretty much the entire crew out there for that. RB: That'll that'll be crazy trying to get us all on the podcast. But it'll be fun to to get everybody together. Comic-Con is always a fun for us media event. DHB: Yeah, well, it's going to be bigger this year because of a guarantee because of E3 being canceled. RB: Yeah. DHB: Somebody's going to have to find another way to put all that content up. But that is a whole different podcast we can go into. This is the Diablo IV podcast. RB: Yep, so if you're listening, make sure you check back with us as we start to talk about our preliminary Comic-Con coverage and the things that are starting to roll out information-wise. But as David said, this was Diablo IV coming out June 6. We look forward to seeing the gameplay. All right, David, it was great talking to you. And those listening, we'll catch you next time. 20:00 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,Diablo IV,Diablo,Diablo 4 yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected — Interviewing Mr. Hartgrave [Episode Seven] The AggroCast crew is joined by Mr. Hartgrave in the latest episode of the podcast. You've seen and heard him in some of the gaming reviews we have had here recently, and now we get to know him a little better in the latest podcast. Have a listen to them all complain more about Marvel Strick Force and various other elements of the industry that are good and bad for us all. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we are going to be introducing the talent behind some of our game reviews and a well-known content streamer, Frank Hartgrave. Hello, Frank. Frank Hartgrave: Hey, how's it going? I hate that intro. Hey, how's it going? That really bugs me whenever people say that, like, I don't know. I’m here. leave me alone. David Hades Becker: That's where you gotta throw out something horrible when you when somebody does that just to throw them off… off base… FH: Yeah. RB: Yeah, I always think about the tick so how's it going. DHB: Expecting to recite back like Spoon or Not In The Face or… RB: Not the Earth. that's where I keep my stuff. FH: It's just so pedestrian and as you might be able to tell by the by the background that I rock I’m not pedestrian. And it's just, how's it going? I’m like, I’m on the AggroGamer podcast. I’m talking to you. RB: That's true. FH: I’m very aggro. I think this is apopro. RB: Well, and I love the fact that you always find some way to kind of wrap that in to whatever review we're doing. And it's generally, it's like, I put the Gamer in Aggro or the Aggro in Gamer. I don't fucking know. I’m Frank Hartgrave. It's It's always like you're confused while you're there. It's great. FH: I am actually genuinely confused about all of this. Life imitates art. DHB: That's all part of the fun. FH: There you go. RB: So to give our listeners some background, I had initially started trying to write a article about Marvel Strike Force. the sunk cost fallacy mobile game. And then I started watching a ton of YouTube content came across this guy by the name of Mr. Hartgrave. Who seemed really cool, super on top of shit, and was far smarter than me about playing the game despite the fact that he tends to be self-deprecating. And I was like alright I want to talk to this guy. I want to see what he's about maybe try to work him into an article, especially given the fact that he was the only person I found talking about negativity of mobile games and how they try to just suck the life and money out of people and nobody else was really addressing that. So, I reached out he was willing to talk to me. Juliet says I stalked him. DHB: You stalked him. You definitely stalked him. RB: All right look. I I just wanted to know and so we had a conversation and then the article didn't go anywhere because every goddamn week. There's something going on with Marvel Strike Force. Sometimes it's every fucking day. And then we got caught up in going to shows. But I tried to keep that avenue of communication open with Frank, and here we are. DHB: Get back on your thing. Like the other podcast we did specifically about Marvel Strike Force, by the time we finished recording that podcast, the entire ecosystem of the game changed. In like the 20 minutes like when we hit end recording. RB: Did you hear at the end of that episode, I added an addendum? DHB: I did, yes. FH: That's just a change. That's the inside joke. RB: Yeah. FH: I’m glad it's not just me. When you started talking about Marvel Strike Force, the cursing intensified. Which is just what happens. People are like, you curse so much. And I’m like, I’m just talking about Marvel Strike Force. RB: The game gives people Tourette's. It's natural. Yeah, it's natural. It's just what happens. Though I think I do it all the time, but it's more so, it's uncontrollable with Marvel Strike Force. I cannot avoid it. RB: But I do appreciate the fact that you were the, really the only person that I had found that talked about the predatory nature of mobile games. And then going back to your channel, you had already done other videos talking about that predatory nature. And then just kind of catching your vibe, the fact that here you are in your basement with a 12 foot skeleton, you're rocking the purple lights, you're a comic book fan. I was like, okay, this guy is one of our people. And so I had to try to bring you in to do something fun with AggroGamer. And David was totally on board. DHB: I think we've already tortured you a couple of times with the Kill It With Fire and then the Sherlock Holmes game and Hitman. FH: It's good. I think that I’m most entertaining when I’m uncomfortable, that's what I found. If I would say there's like, if I could identify the one thing that people enjoy watching my videos for, it's me being, you know, tortured in some way, because that's what Marvel Strike Force is. And I think the difference between me and the other guys is that I played Marvel Strike Force for like three, four years before I ever made one video on it. And I wasn't a YouTuber or any, I didn't do any of that stuff until like four years into it and I finally just got fed up that I didn't hear anyone talking about the real experience. It was all a bunch Marvel Strike Force content creator thing, which is interesting. And I feel like there's a documentary in that, like what it means to be a content creator for a live service video game, often mobile, but there's other games. Any game that exists as a live service. It doesn't have to be mobile because we have like Dead By Daylight which is a live service game and they have gigantic content creators. We have guys on there that are doing like half a million or 300,000 views a day especially if something's going on they're doing… DHB: We have a couple people that used to work for aggro and pwned.com that have moved on to do specifically Dead by Daylight type content. FH: it's a huge game so any game that has this ongoing live service, always updating, there's a culture, there's a community. They need to have voices and that becomes the people on YouTube. So when I came to content creation for Marvel Strike Force, I wanted to tell my story. That's what I want to do. I’m a, I come from a performance background, from fronting, singing for bands, for writing songs. So I think of that as storytelling. I want to tell a story. I was driven to tell the story. Now, at this point, we're two years into it and there ain't nothing else to tell. You know, I got to do something like this if I want to tell the story. I’m interested in doing this now because this helps me tell it again. And when you look around and you look for other people talking about this game, like bold face, this is a predatory video game. Some of them have done that, but they did it once, you know, a few years ago. And it's not, it didn't persistently. I feel obligated. I call my every Monday on YouTube, I have a video called Addicted to Marvel Strike Force. And the reason why I don't necessarily always talk about game addiction during that, although I’m not opposed, is because I want it to be known that this can be addictive for people. This can be damaging for people. It's the elephant in the room. And I will talk about it often because I don't want to hide it. I don't want to lure someone into this game because I do. I literally Pied Piper people into this game. I make beginner videos. Hey, man, you just started playing Marvel Strike Force. Here's what it is. And so I feel an obligation then to quickly tell them as well. Don't take this game too seriously and don't spend money on it because it's not healthy to do that. Play casually. Have fun. Make sure you're having fun is like one of my main messages, right? It's dangerous. I have ethics. It hurts. RB: And we understand ethics. David's mentality behind the AggroGamer is very much about ethics, which is why… FH: That was one of my favorite stories when I met you guys. David was talking about how you had a meeting with one of these companies, and you just start hitting them with the hard questions and I was like, oh man, I want to do that. DHB: Yeah it was like literally one of the one of the it was a gaming uh it was a mobile game specifically for gambling and they didn't want to you know give in that yeah we're kind of promoting that gambling addiction type thing and I’m just like no no you need to dive into this because you're you are the villain you are the bad guys here. FH: Let's talk about that oh that's so good because yeah I work directly with uh the company that makes Marvel Strike Force. I have those conversations with them they don't want to talk about it and i'll be like look guys we gotta talk about this. DHB: Well they didn't want to talk about it either even though they were you know specifically making a gambling game and because it was also I think one of the people that was in charge of it was also the person in charge of the notorious uh Auction House in world of warcraft and everything so… he kind of wanted to shy away from all that kind of stuff as well. They kind of shut down and turned to talk to some of the other people at the table with me. FH: I love that. That's that's what I think that's the next step. I want to do stuff like that. I want to talk about it more, but there's only so much I can do with Marvel. It's like with Marvel Strike Force, eventually it just feels like beating a dead horse, like it's all there. And I'll remove videos off my channel where it's just like, because there's so much day to day news. Here's what you do to win this event. Here's what you do today kind of stuff. I'll delete all those after a few weeks. I'll leave this stuff where I talk about predatory tactics. I'll leave this stuff about game addiction and all that because that's important. If someone's going to check out my channel, I want to make sure they hit that stuff. DHB: You want to make sure that your your beliefs, your ethics, everything you're pushing out there is just the one thing that blasts them in the face. Instead of just going on, here's how to unlock this character. Here's you know, how to get this. FH: And some people try to use me that way. I mean, there's a lot of that. That's what content creation is you are it But they don't care who the creator is. They don't care about me. They don't care about my 12 foot skeleton. They want to hear about any of that stuff. They want to know how to get this character right now. They want to know how to win. How do I get more gold? How do I get this? How do I get better than the other guy? How do I? That's what they want from me. And they don't, they don't want to hear all this other stuff. I make sure they hear all the other stuff. I mean, and then some people get mad about, I mean, this is what keeps me from being a bigger content creator too, because I literally refuse to play ball and be mainstream. I just keep throwing my personality into it and people just get sick of it. DHB: Well people come to watch you to see you get tortured so you just have to torture them back by being now here's the ethics and here's the rules and here's the all the other stuff going on so it's a tit for tat. FH:If I feel bad you gotta feel bad too. DHB: Yeah. FH: Some people are here for it I got a lot of I have die-hard fans I have a very loyal following that I don't think exists in this space. Like we're doing a thing now where I’m really talking about the Patreon right now. And I don't know other content creators in my space what's going on, but I've got a hundred Patreons. And my Patreon is just one tier. Now I’m pitching my Patreon. This isn't an ad, I’m just trying to explain. It's one dollar a month. And I try to give back to that as well. I’m not just taking a dollar. I put extra content my Patreon, anything. I get copyright issues sometimes. I throw that on the Patreon. I've committed to sending my Patreon something in the mail twice a year. So I love my fans and I really, I get a lot of support from them. It keeps me going. I’m not the number one Marvel Strike Force guy, but my following makes me feel like it. And that's awesome. RB: Well and you you have also through other videos expressed your ethics like you know you for a while you had a button on your mic that was anti. FH: Yes. Yes. RB: and no nazis and you have spoken against you know folks that… FH: We got it right here. It's sitting right by the can. I didn't get rid of it. Uh wait focus on that. There it is! There it is! Yeah, no, fuck Nazis! RB: Yeah. Fuck Nazis! DHB: Yeah! Fuck Nazis! RB: You have talked about homophobes and denouncing those folks. You have no problem calling people out on their bullshit. FH: Oh yeah, I'll alienate sections of my audience. In fact, I want to. I pride myself that my audience, my inner circle, whoever the gravediggers, as we call them, I didn't make that name up. They're scary. They came up with that. I pride myself in having a safe space for people. If you're LGBTQ+, if you are different, if you're a weirdo, you are welcome here, and people that have a problem with that are not. RB: I appreciate that, given the nature of the world and how much hate is out there. The fact that you have no problem standing on your convictions and telling people to go fuck themselves. FH: I feel it's important. I feel it's extremely important, especially as someone the way I was raised. I was born in Alaska, and Alaska is known to Alaskans as the New South. And what all that connotates racism and bigotry definitely included. They are proud at least they were when I grew up now things I know I haven't been there in many years it's been you know good 20 years since I was there so hopefully they've corrected that. But I grew up you know I've always had long hair except for when I haven't but most of the time my hair is especially as a child. And you can imagine it would be the experiences if you were doing that you know in the south like 20 years ago. I would say even 30 years ago because Alaska has always felt 10 years behind and that's just not my that's everybody who's there is like and we are 10 years behind. DHB: yeah they just lost their last blockbuster so yeah they just finally caught up to Netflix. FH: they are literally like in all ways 10 years behind. So yeah, I've heard every homophobic slur possible. I would walk down the street and people would literally be driving by me in cars honking and yelling that crap out the windows. Insane, insane homophobia. I’m just a dude with long hair. I’m not doing anything provocative. I wasn't wearing like assless chaps or anything. Not just regular, you know, kind of goth looking kid. And this is pre, you know, pre all this stuff that happened. I don't know if we want to get into what happened. And then goths. As the year went on. This is back when goths were just, you know, friendly, you know, you know, nonviolent. DHB: They just look different outside of the norm. FH: Yeah, there you go. I think we now we call the friendly goth types emo, right? Yeah. Yeah. DHB: Or vamp kids, whichever one you want to go with. FH: I think I think that's my kids. RB: So what do you see as the future for Frank Hartgrave? FH: Oh my god that's a rough one. I try to envision that every night before bed to try to get myself you know right in the head because I don't know what I’m doing and I'd like to figure that out so I have many conversations with myself and it changes a lot. It depends on what's going on in the day, what's getting views, what's working. I have a lot of you know irons in the fire right? A lot of pokers in the fire. You guys are one of them. So AggroGamer is extremely exciting. That's one of the more exciting things going on is working with you. I really enjoy the review that we did together, Ray. Kill It With Fire, the VR. I feel like anyone could enjoy that video, which is where I want to go. I want to make videos. I want to do content. I want to create things that anyone can enjoy because I’m very tired of just talking to the Marvel Strike Force audience especially the veteran of Marvel Strike Force. They are unreasonable and very hard to please and they know me I know them and we're both sick of each other so I really wanted to get out there. RB: Well we are we're committed to try to find a way to drag you with us. We're constantly… FH: Screaming into the sunlight. DHB: Exactly we're going to pull you right down with us. FH: No please don't don't make me go out in daylight. Anything other than daylight I’m into. Convention spaces, you know, that's good, as long as it's not just not natural light. It's very bad for the skin. DHB: So I feel the same. So you don't don't worry about that. RB: But David, you live in Vegas. DHB: And I know I don't go outside when the day star is out. Yeah. It's only only when the moon is out, we go out there and we survive. Because that's how you survive. FH: I've always loved Vegas, by the way, I've only been once, but it was it was a magical town. DHB: Always growing and changing. So it's there's always something new to see if you haven't been here in like a year. FH: Yeah, it was exciting. It's been, God, it's probably been 20 years since I was there. Maybe 15. DHB: Yeah, it is completely different than what you've seen before then. FH: Yeah, I bet. But it was a really cool town. It was a cool vibe. It was interesting. An entertainment town, right? BOTH: Yes. Yeah, that's what I like about it. I like New York City for that same reason. That's why I live here in New Jersey. I came here on vacation. I went to New York City. Mind instantly blown. As a guy that lived in Anchorage, Alaska and never left for 21 years coming to New York City, I was like, Oh my God, this is, this is because I hate the outdoors. I don't do that stuff. If you're in Alaska and you like outdoors, you're like fishing, hiking, skiing, all that stuff. That's great. I hate all that. Hated it desperately. So going to New York for the first time was like, I need to live. I don't need to live in New York. That's a little too intense for me. I’m definitely introverted, extroverted, you know, I have my moments and then I to my cave with my skeleton and curl up and shake in a corner and cry after I do something. So New Jersey is great because I’m close to New York. I can go have that experience, but then when I’m done I can come back to my relative safety and seclusion. RB: That's how I felt about New York City when I saw Times Square. I just loved the lights. I like the idea of people. I generally find people disappointing and exhausting, but I liked to be around them and so it was great to go into Times Square and it was the same thing for with Vegas when I when I got to see downtown Vegas. Now I’m like I don't want to fucking go there nobody goes there it's like it's like Lion King that's that's the dark place Simba we don't go there see it… DHB: Here I've randomly will walk down the strip just to get to touch the roots down here in Vegas just to feel back at home every time. RB: Well but that's you're an actual native of Las Vegas. DHB: Exactly. I feel I got to feel like a Batman strove roving the streets and being like, Yep, there's a hooker. Yep. There's some people try to pass out porn cards, you know, the good stuff. There's the discount Mickey that's probably on meth. RB: I don't know if you're actually building a case for Frank to visit us, David. FH: No, I saw it all man. No, I was there. This is the experience. I was only there for like three days, but I got all of that. And that's what I was there for. I was like, this is great. The entertainment is on the street. You don't even have to go anywhere to get it. It's just right there. And that's what I liked about New York too. It's right there. You don't have to go find it. It's because that's what I was living with for 21 years in Alaska. There was no entertainment. There's literally nothing happening. All they do is watch videos, do drugs, and blow things up. Sucks. So like New York city is like so cool. Like you're just walking down the street. And what I walked by famous comedy club in New York. What's it called again? All the big comedians play there. DHB: The Laugh Factory? Is that it? I thought it had a name started with a C. RB: I don't know. FH: Now I got to find it. But I walked by there and who was playing? Jeff Proups was playing. Is that how you say his name? Proups, Props? You know the guy from Whose Line is it anyway? DHB: Yeah, I think you're saying it right. FH: Dude is hilarious. And he was on and I just went and saw him. I just went and saw him. I just went and a ticket. It was like expensive. I didn't care. You just wait and go see them. You can't do that in Alaska. You got to wait like three years, four years, six years before somebody comes to Alaska. And then you got to buy tickets like a year in advance. And then they cancel before they show up. It sucks. But here in New York, just awesome things are happening left and right. You just buy a ticket, you go, you see the show. Unbelievable. Like you could just do it impulsively. And that's what I, that's what I love about it. And now, now I don't do that. Now I don't just go into New York and be like, what's playing, I’m buying a ticket. No, I plan it out years in advance and, you know, buckle up for it, but it's cool to have that ability as opposed and something's always going on. Like if I did, well, one night I was just like, yeah, I’m going to go, I’m not going to go to this concert. And I just drove in, I bought a ticket and I drove and went, you can do that in the tri-stage because I have access to New York, Philadelphia. We can go down to Delaware, Boston, anywhere you want to go, you can go. Like, if you especially if you come from, I come from, you know, coming from Alaska, I keep saying this, but to go anywhere. It's like a 12 hour drive, a horrible 12 hour drive. If you want to like go to Seattle. It's going to take you like two days of driving through desolate nowhere. Whereas here it's like a two hour drive and people will complain about that. I’m like, no, this is nothing to complain about two hours is like a magical fairy ride. I can go anywhere on the planet and do whatever I want. Basically. DHB: Last time I was in that area, I was in Baltimore, and I decided I’m going to do like a two hour drive down to Richmond, Virginia to go to the GWARbar. It was like it felt like it was just driving across town. It was nothing. But like here, it's four hours to get to like either Phoenix or LA another four hours back. I’m just like… FH: That's what I did. We actually went to Colorado for a friend's wedding. And then we drove to Vegas. And like through the Grand Canyon area through Zion. And it was a long drive of nothing. Right? Yeah. I get it. Yeah. Different. Oh, good. I’m leaving uncomfortable. Normally I don't leave uncomfortable pauses in when I do things, but I know you'll edit it out. That's unless you don't edit this out and now this is in… RB: or that'll show up at the end of the podcast. Cause that's cause that's what I do. FH: I trust you a lot, right? RB: I have learned. I have learned so much about you because of how you it's amazing. I feel like we have this relationship that really doesn't exist because it's probably all in my mind because it's the Frank that's on the screen. DHB: You say you're not a stalker. FH: It's kind of one dimensional but I don't know I feel it back because when you when you sent me back the you know Kill It With Fire when I saw it I was like you got my notes you understood what I was saying. We got, we, we worked this out. It's all good. But I am like just a rambling crazy man into the camera. What's funny is when you, when we first talked when we did the interview, I was so happy. I was going through a rough patch. Um, there were some drama, some YouTube drama that hit me. So I was so paranoid. I thought that you were like, you were like going to get me, but I still wanted to do it. I’m that crazy. So I was dead set in my heart. I knew that you were out get me and that this was some kind of hit piece or something. Which that was just my paranoia, but it was really strong. But I was like, I still don't want to close this door. I had to change my thinking to one of the things that got me on YouTube. One of the things that got me down this path, even before I made it to YouTube and before I started making videos, was I told myself, you got to stop saying no to stuff. You got to say yes to stuff. Because if you say no to everything, you're never going to do anything, dude. Like you want to do all this. I've always wanted to entertain. I want to get into the entertainment industry. I want to do something. I want to sing for a band. I want to be on the radio. I want to be an actor or TV, whatever it is, you know, you got, you can't say no. You can't be like, no, that makes me uncomfortable. No, I don't want to do that. No, I’m apprehensive. Just yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Which leads me to a place where I don't get to sleep at all. But I hear that that's very normal. So that's good, I guess. And that's why I did the thing. And now we're just and we're at the point now where I just ramble into a camera for you. And I think it's working out. RB: Yeah. DHB: This is the time we dropped. So we got you. This is the long game we're playing. FH: But it's funny how paranoid I was on that first meeting. I was definitely more guarded too. I was like really watching myself. I’m like, I need to make sure it was kind of a challenge to myself. I’m like, if this guy is out to get me, let me make sure I don't say, let me make sure I don't put my foot in my mouth as I normally was. RB: Well, because I’m not a stalker, I do my research. I knew that you had been dealing with some things. So there were certain things I didn't want to bring up. There were some things I knew would be sensitive because of the drama within that closed community of a fucking mobile game. FH: And it's a small pond. RB: It still blows my mind how much crap you had to go through because of… FH: I’m still going through it. It's like, it's not over. It's not bad. Like there's no stress happening right now, but I still like, if I go do something, I won't be surprised if you put this online, some people track it down and put some crooked comments on it. I wouldn't be surprised in the least. But you know what? Fuck those people. That's how I feel. Fuck yourself. RB: We'll see. David finds that to be a challenge. FH: So let them come, bring it on motherfuckers. RB: There's a reason it's AggroGamer. FH: Well, that's, that actually makes me comfortable because you told me that. And so I’m like, all right, if this guy knows all the shit, which is I made an effort to let my audience know I didn't hide it as well. I don't go out of my way to talk about this shit now because it's over or whatever. And if anybody wants to know, it's still really there to find. I didn't delete that shit. RB: Well, and you did like a six hour stream. FH: Yeah, that's gone now. That doesn't exist anymore because Twitch streams delete themselves after like, I don't know, a few weeks or something. I didn't hide. Definitely I confronted it pretty head on at the time. RB: Yeah. But yeah, I constantly give you shit about the fact that I don't believe you sleep. In my mind, you pass out in your chair, the skeleton gets up, puts a blankie over you, and then you at some point wake up. FH: It sounds legit. No, I get a solid eight hours of sleep a night, I think about that. I go pretty hard in between that time, from wake up to sleep. Some days I just can't do anything. Some days I can't function. I’m just so, and that's what it takes to get me to kind of not, and I don't know, I went through large portions of my life where that's all I did, And that's what kind of drives me now. I’m like, I've already rested. Like now it's time to go. Like let's do it. If there's something to do, let me do it. Especially right now, cause I’m running my main YouTube channel. I have a second YouTube channel that's kind of focused on wrestling. I have two main Twitch streams I do every week, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. Doing the promo now by the way. And then Thursday, I do a wrestling stream around 10 o'clock at night, all Eastern standard time. Plus I kind of stream every other day in between I do stuff like this I don't say no and not only do I not say no but if I see an opportunity to say yes to something that no one has asked me. If someone's like boy this thing really isn't going well I sure do wish someone would help me i'd be like I can help you I don't have time but I can help you. And I just agree to stuff that I wasn't even asked to agree to I’m trying to I’m trying to do it. RB: And on top of that, you're a husband, a father, you work a job, you have a pet, so you take your dog for walks. FH: The walks are mandatory, man. Those have got to happen. No matter what's going on, I got to find time to walk that dog. RB: So yeah, when you start to add all of that up, it's just like, holy shit. FH: That's actually, I count walking the dog as relaxation. That's it. I get like maybe that's like 30 minutes day where I own and still like kind of my brain is usually turning I’m usually talking to myself I’m usually producing the next video while I’m walking the dog. But at least I’m outside it's in the air and I’m like I’m out of the cave that I count as relaxation time. It's therapeutical I think. DHB: o you drag yourself out into the sun. I see how this. FH: Yeah. DHB: Gotchya! FH: I wear like I'll wear a burka, you know, because I have protect. I have a brand. My brand is like really pale guy. So I have to like really protect my face. I can't be getting weird half tans. RB: I keep expecting to see a video where you're carrying an umbrella. FH: I've done it. Yeah, absolutely. It's important. Like, yeah, if I get a tan, I don't know that might destroy the mystique. DHB: That's what corpse paint is for. RB: Yeah, FH: Yeah, yeah, I’m not good at makeup. That's one thing I never got into. I’m not a pretentious vampire. So I never really got into makeup. I wish I would have because I would like to have really good makeup skills now. But I’m really old. And I don't I don't know if it now is the time to practice that on a global on a global stage. I have fans from all over people all over the which is weird. And I don't want to practice my makeup skills in front of them. RB: See, that's your next that's your next channel… FB: The makeup. I think my kids can do it. My kids have offered they're getting really good. DHB: I’m gonna have to see if I can find your review to do was like makeup artists, maker or something like that. And that's all you got to do. So you're really make you suffer. RB: You're a video game player. I've seen that you've reviewed board games and card games. You were in a band, Orange Crush, which was a tribute band, as opposed to… FH: Yeah, R.E.M. Band. I did that. That was what I was doing right before YouTube. That's what geared me up. RB: And there's a difference between a cover band and a tribute band. I learned that because of you. FH: Absolutely. There's a whole bit here. This is like another podcast, is getting into that, because those guys just started up again. And I have a whole, I got like easily an hour's worth of material there. Let's just say I don't feel they're a tribute band anymore, now they're a cover band because I’m not involved anymore. I believe they are in the cover band territory and that's an insult in my book. Because I was all in, like what it means to be a cover band and a tribute band is I shaved my head bald. Michael Stipe is bald and Michael Stipe weighs 140 pounds. So I shaved my head, and I lost like 30 pounds. That's how serious I was. I was learning. Absolutely. That's how I and I found out something about myself. I found out dude, I’m hardcore. Like I started off. Not hardcore. They asked me. I was like, I put a post out on Facebook. I was like, I’m a singer. I’m in New Jersey. Let me front your band, you know, I’m a weirdo or not. I don't know. And they were like, Do you want to do R.E.M.? And I was like, No. And then I thought about it. And I was like, yeah, you know, let me say yes. That's what it was about. Let me say yes, let me not say no to this. And, you know, I found out I actually really do like R.E.M. I thought I didn't, but I do. And at the start, I was like, well, I don't have to shave my head, right? And they're like, oh, no, no, no, of course, not. I ended up shaving. I ended up being the one to tell me I need to shave my head. Because I understood that we were doing a tribute and not a cover band. And the difference is tributes look like the band. Rributes like the band. They want to reproduce what the band has done. Whereas a cover band wants to put their own unique spin on it, right? They want to put a few originals into the mix. They want to add a couple other bands. You know, they play a mix of music or whatever. Maybe they primarily play this. There's a different, there's a less hardcore version of what it is. And that's a cover band. And there's a more hardcore version of it. That's a tribute. And if you look at some of the best tribute acts, these dudes, one of the best guys out there, he does Queen, he's transcended tribute though. But the guy kind of looks like Freddie Mercury. He sounds like Freddie. There's a lot of Queen tributes though. And a lot of guys that do this look like them, sound like them. And that's not easy. That's Freddie Mercury, but they'll go for it, you know, as much as they can. They'll lose as much weight as they can. They'll get into it. And these guys, they love the material. And that's what it comes down to is the love and respect of the original band. You're trying to do that tribute. I found out, I’m rather I can be that hardcore. And when that kind of dissolved during COVID, I was like, I should take all this pent up hardcore energy and do something else like that. RB: So games, music, horror. You like horror movies? FH: Yeah, absolutely. You know, from a young age, do you want me to tell the American Werewolf in London story? RB: Yes, because it resonates for me. I would love to have you share that. DHB: I don't think I've heard this story, so I’m willing to hear it. FH: Yeah, we did this on the Gore Cast. We had a couple of guys from Gore Noir and Stephen Strange, the artist. And yeah, when it comes to my love of horror or my, I don't know, whatever's broken in my head that gets me to enjoy horror movies more than the average person. When I was three years old, my mother took me to go, my mother went to go see American Werewolf in London and brought me. I don't wanna say that she brought me to see it. She was under the impression that I was going to sleep through it. Well, I did not sleep through it. But I was very quiet and I sat next to her with a styrofoam cup and she wasn't looking over at me. She just thought I was asleep because it was late at night and I was like three years old. Well, I sat there. I watched the movie. I was totally terrified and I ate the styrofoam cup like in a little circle. I can remember doing it because it was traumatic and I ate the little styrofoam. She looks over. There's just like a little piece of styrofoam cup left where at the end of the movie he's running through London, right, going nuts. We stayed for the end of the movie. Like, I don't know what's going on with my mom, but that broke me. You know, I still, I had, you know, nightmares for a long time about that, especially the Nazi werewolf scene. That was, you know, just insane to see as a three-year-old. And then I don't know, I just kind of, I was desensitized to it. It wasn't a big deal anymore. So then all through my childhood, I was, you know, I gravitate to that. It was Alaska. So the only thing to do, like I said, movies, drugs, blowing stuff up. I didn't, I don't, I've never done drugs. I don't like to blow stuff up. I was all about movies. And you know, what's the coolest movies to get, especially when my mother didn't really have any, I was an only child divorced parents. Mom was just like, get whatever you want. You know, I've failed so you can do whatever you want. Just don't go into the porno room. You know, in Alaska, I don't know if they had this around here, but they had the back room, right? RB: Yep. FH: Don't go back there. So we didn't go back there, but everything else was fair game. So yeah, horror movies, loved them. I think every year for Halloween, I was Freddy Krueger, which is horribly inappropriate. Now I would be like really worried if my kid was like Freddy Krueger every year. Like demanding new masks and gloves like upgrades. I don't know what I would do. Now you can get like a real glove with real knives on it. I would have been so into that and that would have been so disturbing. It would have been a totally different path. So thank God that didn't exist. RB: David, this is one of the things that I share in common with Frank because for me I was six and I was taken to the theater by my parents and I was sitting on the floor of the theater with my my orange jacket over my head. And it scared me. And eventually I overcame my fear of horror movies. But the funny thing for me is not only Frank sharing that, and that connection. But last year, we went to Monster Palooza in L.A. And the actor that played David in the movie, David Naughton was there. And as we were walking out, I noticed him and I walked up and I said, Can I get your autograph? Because you scared the shit out of me as a kid, and drove me, you know, to to find my love of horror movies. And the poor guy was just utterly fucking confused. He looked up he's like, You're welcome.? And signed my autograph and I disappeared. Yeah, it was definitely a thing. But I appreciate that we share that in common because that movie really has resonated for me over the over the years. FH: It's a great movie. And it's funny because I made my wife hadn't seen it like 20 years ago, I made her watch it and she had nightmares afterwards. So it'll traumatize you even as like a full grown adult. It's it's brutal. That transformation scene. That whole movie holds up. It's a classic. It's an amazing movie. RB: That's why American were American Werewolf in Paris came out. I was heartbroken. FH: Yeah, terrible. That movie was I can't remember it, which is the worst thing I can say about a film. I think I was actually Yeah. You didn't know it happened. DHB: No, I was saying did it actually happen? I was trying to give you guys an out to imagine that it didn't happen. FH: It didn't happen. DHB: Exactly. It didn't happen at there was no movie like that. RB: It was all a nightmare. FH: I heard that when John Landis directed that, right? RB: He directed the original one. FH: Yeah, he directed the original one. His son, Max Landis, you know, controversial. He wanted to remake it. He had some really good ideas about it. It's too bad that he's been canceled now. RB: Yeah, I personally hate remakes, but if there… FH: he does these pitches and he had he had a really good take on it. It could it could have been good, could have been a contender could have been a contender. Well, we are I wouldn't want anyone else to redo it though, if you're not going to get the guy's son to read like someone who really really gets it would need to do it if you're going to do that. RB: Well, it's like the Ghostbusters, the newer of the older Ghostbusters, not the newer remake of the… FH: Ghostbusters Afterlife. RB: Yeah. Because the family will some of… FH: Well, it's interesting you bring that because Max Landis, a of his ideas went into that. I think the whole ending I believe was his. Because he at one point was going to direct that or write that and you know these things get rewritten and rewritten and they just pick stuff up. They're like Katamaris right? Katamari Damacy just picked junk up and yeah the ending was pretty much what he pitched. RB: It was a good movie. I’m looking forward to what they do next. FH: Yeah they had a lot of understanding of the property going into that. I mean, I like the we were talking about this too on the on the Gore Cast. I like the the one with the women. I don't know what you it's like Ghostbusters like 2015. I don't know. DHB: Yeah, 2016 or something like that. FH: Yeah. I think maybe Answer The Call it that. But anyways I like Melissa McCarthy. I like those women are incredibly funny. They're incredibly funny women and it's a funny movie. Do does it need to continue on the legacy? I mean, people were putting way, way up on a pedestal it didn't belong on. This is going to carry on the lineage. It's ruining my childhood. Oh my God, guys, calm down. Just a dumb movie. My daughters loved it. That's all I know. RB: I went and saw it in the theater. The first half of the movie, I sat there and perhaps the humor just didn't really resonate for me. But the second half of the film exploded and it was just hilarious. And Chris Hemsworth, playing the the secretary was amazing so yeah… FH: I mean it's, it's you know stupid humor but I mean I love stupid you you know this hey we do stupid humor around here it's, it's fine. RB: Yeah well we gotta entertain… FH: I think people get into problems when they expect a movie to be something and then it's not the thing like I had a problem when I went to go watch Venom the the first Venom movie. I went in there and I wanted something and I didn't get it and I hated it. Now I watched it three years later with my kids and I loved it. Because I knew what it was and I was pumped that I could show it to my kids and there was nothing in it that was objectionable. So I was enjoying this kind of edgier movie than we, that was one of the first kind of horror. That was maybe the first horror movie I watched with my kids is that first Venom movie because my kids were little, they're like 11 years old or something. You're not going to show up. I’m not going to show them American. My wife wouldn't allow me to show them American Werewolf in London. I wanted to recreate the experiment, but I’m like, we can do Venom. I was like, we can do Evil Dead. She's like, no, you can do Venom. And it was great for that. It was like a great baby's first horror movie. It works great for that. It's just enough for that. RB: I didn't see, I saw the first one. I didn't see the second. FH: The second one is great. I don't know if people saw it, but it's it's really kind of out there and it's cool. It reminded me of the second Ghost Rider film, which I also think is fantastic with Nicolas Cage, where the first one's kind of straight. And then the second one is just like all the weird stuff they wanted to do but weren't able to do in the first one. DHB: Like I had the same issue you did when I watched the second one, because I, Carnage was my favorite one. So I went in having very specific things I wanted to see. And then watching it the first time I was kind of like, then on a rewatch, I was like, for what it is, they did a good job. And for what their limitations were, I was like, I still enjoyed it. And I've watched it a couple of times. RB: Well, that was written by Tom Hardy, the guy… FH: He was really into that project. RB: Yeah, yeah. And then it was dirceted by, uh, the guy that did Gollum. Andy Serkis. FH: Nice. Yeah. Yeah. RB: Well, we are coming up on our time. So we're gonna have to bring this to a close. Frank, do you have any last words? Last thoughts? FH: Is this where I plug everything? I feel like I already did the plugs. RB: You already did the plug. DHB: You can plug it again. You can plug things again. FH: I mean, I just want to plug what we're doing here. My favorite thing we're doing are the reviews on the aggrogamer site. So definitely check those out. We got one of them up now. We should have the Sherlock one out soon. As soon as you're done, you know, in the Dungeon. RB: Yep. FH: And then hopefully we'll be doing more of those and more things on the channel, which is very exciting. I’m excited about that. DHB: That is the plan and the hope. FH: If you go on YouTube, you type in Mr. Hargrave, it should pull up my YouTube channel. There's some good stuff if you go digging around. If you just look at the video of the day, it's probably garbage for Marvel Strike Force. Marvel Strike Force garbage, but then there's some fun stuff on there too. I got movie tier lists and all kinds of cool stuff. RB: Yeah, I liked your vampire tier list. That was pretty good. FH: It's funny people have told me that I when I was doing it I’m like I’m bombing this is horrible this is not as funny as I want it wanted it to be but I don't know go watch it you make the call let me know down in the comments right it's great for the algorithm. RB: All right Frank well we look forward to working with you soon because we're always going to find ways to drag you into things and who knows you might show back up on the AggroCast We've talked about doing some conversations about horror movies or shit-talking video games. So… FH: Yeah, I’m into all those things and you know, I don't say no. RB: That that's true now that we've got it. We actually have a recording. DHB: Exactly we have evidence. FH: Anytime you see I’m just I’m a glutton for it. Yes, whenever you need me. RB: And you know, this is like a Faustian pact. So… FH: Yeah pretty much and I am still gonna say yes. RB: Excellent. Well, until then, thank you so much, and we will talk to you soon. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. FH: I’m AggroGamer. I put the aggro in gamer. Put the gamer in aggro? I don't fucking know. I’m Mr. Hartgrave. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode109.mp3 Wed, 24 May 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected — Interviewing Mr. Hartgrave [Episode Seven] AggroCast Resurrected — Interviewing Mr. Hartgrave [Episode Seven] AGGROGAMER.COM 007 003 The AggroCast crew is joined by Mr. Hartgrave in the latest episode of the podcast. You've seen and heard him in some of the gaming reviews we have had here recently, and now we get to know him a little better in the latest podcast. Have a listen to them all complain more about Marvel Strick Force and various other elements of the industry that are good and bad for us all. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we are going to be introducing the talent behind some of our game reviews and a well-known content streamer, Frank Hartgrave. Hello, Frank. Frank Hartgrave: Hey, how's it going? I hate that intro. Hey, how's it going? That really bugs me whenever people say that, like, I don't know. I’m here. leave me alone. David Hades Becker: That's where you gotta throw out something horrible when you when somebody does that just to throw them off… off base… FH: Yeah. RB: Yeah, I always think about the tick so how's it going. DHB: Expecting to recite back like Spoon or Not In The Face or… RB: Not the Earth. that's where I keep my stuff. FH: It's just so pedestrian and as you might be able to tell by the by the background that I rock I’m not pedestrian. And it's just, how's it going? I’m like, I’m on the AggroGamer podcast. I’m talking to you. RB: That's true. FH: I’m very aggro. I think this is apopro. RB: Well, and I love the fact that you always find some way to kind of wrap that in to whatever review we're doing. And it's generally, it's like, I put the Gamer in Aggro or the Aggro in Gamer. I don't fucking know. I’m Frank Hartgrave. It's It's always like you're confused while you're there. It's great. FH: I am actually genuinely confused about all of this. Life imitates art. DHB: That's all part of the fun. FH: There you go. RB: So to give our listeners some background, I had initially started trying to write a article about Marvel Strike Force. the sunk cost fallacy mobile game. And then I started watching a ton of YouTube content came across this guy by the name of Mr. Hartgrave. Who seemed really cool, super on top of shit, and was far smarter than me about playing the game despite the fact that he tends to be self-deprecating. And I was like alright I want to talk to this guy. I want to see what he's about maybe try to work him into an article, especially given the fact that he was the only person I found talking about negativity of mobile games and how they try to just suck the life and money out of people and nobody else was really addressing that. So, I reached out he was willing to talk to me. Juliet says I stalked him. DHB: You stalked him. You definitely stalked him. RB: All right look. I I just wanted to know and so we had a conversation and then the article didn't go anywhere because every goddamn week. There's something going on with Marvel Strike Force. Sometimes it's every fucking day. And then we got caught up in going to shows. But I tried to keep that avenue of communication open with Frank, and here we are. DHB: Get back on your thing. Like the other podcast we did specifically about Marvel Strike Force, by the time we finished recording that podcast, the entire ecosystem of the game changed. In like the 20 minutes like when we hit end recording. RB: Did you hear at the end of that episode, I added an addendum? DHB: I did, yes. FH: That's just a change. That's the inside joke. RB: Yeah. FH: I’m glad it's not just me. When you started talking about Marvel Strike Force, the cursing intensified. Which is just what happens. People are like, you curse so much. And I’m like, I’m just talking about Marvel Strike Force. RB: The game gives people Tourette's. It's natural. Yeah, it's natural. It's just what happens. Though I think I do it all the time, but it's more so, it's uncontrollable with Marvel Strike Force. I cannot avoid it. RB: But I do appreciate the fact that you were the, really the only person that I had found that talked about the predatory nature of mobile games. And then going back to your channel, you had already done other videos talking about that predatory nature. And then just kind of catching your vibe, the fact that here you are in your basement with a 12 foot skeleton, you're rocking the purple lights, you're a comic book fan. I was like, okay, this guy is one of our people. And so I had to try to bring you in to do something fun with AggroGamer. And David was totally on board. DHB: I think we've already tortured you a couple of times with the Kill It With Fire and then the Sherlock Holmes game and Hitman. FH: It's good. I think that I’m most entertaining when I’m uncomfortable, that's what I found. If I would say there's like, if I could identify the one thing that people enjoy watching my videos for, it's me being, you know, tortured in some way, because that's what Marvel Strike Force is. And I think the difference between me and the other guys is that I played Marvel Strike Force for like three, four years before I ever made one video on it. And I wasn't a YouTuber or any, I didn't do any of that stuff until like four years into it and I finally just got fed up that I didn't hear anyone talking about the real experience. It was all a bunch Marvel Strike Force content creator thing, which is interesting. And I feel like there's a documentary in that, like what it means to be a content creator for a live service video game, often mobile, but there's other games. Any game that exists as a live service. It doesn't have to be mobile because we have like Dead By Daylight which is a live service game and they have gigantic content creators. We have guys on there that are doing like half a million or 300,000 views a day especially if something's going on they're doing… DHB: We have a couple people that used to work for aggro and pwned.com that have moved on to do specifically Dead by Daylight type content. FH: it's a huge game so any game that has this ongoing live service, always updating, there's a culture, there's a community. They need to have voices and that becomes the people on YouTube. So when I came to content creation for Marvel Strike Force, I wanted to tell my story. That's what I want to do. I’m a, I come from a performance background, from fronting, singing for bands, for writing songs. So I think of that as storytelling. I want to tell a story. I was driven to tell the story. Now, at this point, we're two years into it and there ain't nothing else to tell. You know, I got to do something like this if I want to tell the story. I’m interested in doing this now because this helps me tell it again. And when you look around and you look for other people talking about this game, like bold face, this is a predatory video game. Some of them have done that, but they did it once, you know, a few years ago. And it's not, it didn't persistently. I feel obligated. I call my every Monday on YouTube, I have a video called Addicted to Marvel Strike Force. And the reason why I don't necessarily always talk about game addiction during that, although I’m not opposed, is because I want it to be known that this can be addictive for people. This can be damaging for people. It's the elephant in the room. And I will talk about it often because I don't want to hide it. I don't want to lure someone into this game because I do. I literally Pied Piper people into this game. I make beginner videos. Hey, man, you just started playing Marvel Strike Force. Here's what it is. And so I feel an obligation then to quickly tell them as well. Don't take this game too seriously and don't spend money on it because it's not healthy to do that. Play casually. Have fun. Make sure you're having fun is like one of my main messages, right? It's dangerous. I have ethics. It hurts. RB: And we understand ethics. David's mentality behind the AggroGamer is very much about ethics, which is why… FH: That was one of my favorite stories when I met you guys. David was talking about how you had a meeting with one of these companies, and you just start hitting them with the hard questions and I was like, oh man, I want to do that. DHB: Yeah it was like literally one of the one of the it was a gaming uh it was a mobile game specifically for gambling and they didn't want to you know give in that yeah we're kind of promoting that gambling addiction type thing and I’m just like no no you need to dive into this because you're you are the villain you are the bad guys here. FH: Let's talk about that oh that's so good because yeah I work directly with uh the company that makes Marvel Strike Force. I have those conversations with them they don't want to talk about it and i'll be like look guys we gotta talk about this. DHB: Well they didn't want to talk about it either even though they were you know specifically making a gambling game and because it was also I think one of the people that was in charge of it was also the person in charge of the notorious uh Auction House in world of warcraft and everything so… he kind of wanted to shy away from all that kind of stuff as well. They kind of shut down and turned to talk to some of the other people at the table with me. FH: I love that. That's that's what I think that's the next step. I want to do stuff like that. I want to talk about it more, but there's only so much I can do with Marvel. It's like with Marvel Strike Force, eventually it just feels like beating a dead horse, like it's all there. And I'll remove videos off my channel where it's just like, because there's so much day to day news. Here's what you do to win this event. Here's what you do today kind of stuff. I'll delete all those after a few weeks. I'll leave this stuff where I talk about predatory tactics. I'll leave this stuff about game addiction and all that because that's important. If someone's going to check out my channel, I want to make sure they hit that stuff. DHB: You want to make sure that your your beliefs, your ethics, everything you're pushing out there is just the one thing that blasts them in the face. Instead of just going on, here's how to unlock this character. Here's you know, how to get this. FH: And some people try to use me that way. I mean, there's a lot of that. That's what content creation is you are it But they don't care who the creator is. They don't care about me. They don't care about my 12 foot skeleton. They want to hear about any of that stuff. They want to know how to get this character right now. They want to know how to win. How do I get more gold? How do I get this? How do I get better than the other guy? How do I? That's what they want from me. And they don't, they don't want to hear all this other stuff. I make sure they hear all the other stuff. I mean, and then some people get mad about, I mean, this is what keeps me from being a bigger content creator too, because I literally refuse to play ball and be mainstream. I just keep throwing my personality into it and people just get sick of it. DHB: Well people come to watch you to see you get tortured so you just have to torture them back by being now here's the ethics and here's the rules and here's the all the other stuff going on so it's a tit for tat. FH:If I feel bad you gotta feel bad too. DHB: Yeah. FH: Some people are here for it I got a lot of I have die-hard fans I have a very loyal following that I don't think exists in this space. Like we're doing a thing now where I’m really talking about the Patreon right now. And I don't know other content creators in my space what's going on, but I've got a hundred Patreons. And my Patreon is just one tier. Now I’m pitching my Patreon. This isn't an ad, I’m just trying to explain. It's one dollar a month. And I try to give back to that as well. I’m not just taking a dollar. I put extra content my Patreon, anything. I get copyright issues sometimes. I throw that on the Patreon. I've committed to sending my Patreon something in the mail twice a year. So I love my fans and I really, I get a lot of support from them. It keeps me going. I’m not the number one Marvel Strike Force guy, but my following makes me feel like it. And that's awesome. RB: Well and you you have also through other videos expressed your ethics like you know you for a while you had a button on your mic that was anti. FH: Yes. Yes. RB: and no nazis and you have spoken against you know folks that… FH: We got it right here. It's sitting right by the can. I didn't get rid of it. Uh wait focus on that. There it is! There it is! Yeah, no, fuck Nazis! RB: Yeah. Fuck Nazis! DHB: Yeah! Fuck Nazis! RB: You have talked about homophobes and denouncing those folks. You have no problem calling people out on their bullshit. FH: Oh yeah, I'll alienate sections of my audience. In fact, I want to. I pride myself that my audience, my inner circle, whoever the gravediggers, as we call them, I didn't make that name up. They're scary. They came up with that. I pride myself in having a safe space for people. If you're LGBTQ+, if you are different, if you're a weirdo, you are welcome here, and people that have a problem with that are not. RB: I appreciate that, given the nature of the world and how much hate is out there. The fact that you have no problem standing on your convictions and telling people to go fuck themselves. FH: I feel it's important. I feel it's extremely important, especially as someone the way I was raised. I was born in Alaska, and Alaska is known to Alaskans as the New South. And what all that connotates racism and bigotry definitely included. They are proud at least they were when I grew up now things I know I haven't been there in many years it's been you know good 20 years since I was there so hopefully they've corrected that. But I grew up you know I've always had long hair except for when I haven't but most of the time my hair is especially as a child. And you can imagine it would be the experiences if you were doing that you know in the south like 20 years ago. I would say even 30 years ago because Alaska has always felt 10 years behind and that's just not my that's everybody who's there is like and we are 10 years behind. DHB: yeah they just lost their last blockbuster so yeah they just finally caught up to Netflix. FH: they are literally like in all ways 10 years behind. So yeah, I've heard every homophobic slur possible. I would walk down the street and people would literally be driving by me in cars honking and yelling that crap out the windows. Insane, insane homophobia. I’m just a dude with long hair. I’m not doing anything provocative. I wasn't wearing like assless chaps or anything. Not just regular, you know, kind of goth looking kid. And this is pre, you know, pre all this stuff that happened. I don't know if we want to get into what happened. And then goths. As the year went on. This is back when goths were just, you know, friendly, you know, you know, nonviolent. DHB: They just look different outside of the norm. FH: Yeah, there you go. I think we now we call the friendly goth types emo, right? Yeah. Yeah. DHB: Or vamp kids, whichever one you want to go with. FH: I think I think that's my kids. RB: So what do you see as the future for Frank Hartgrave? FH: Oh my god that's a rough one. I try to envision that every night before bed to try to get myself you know right in the head because I don't know what I’m doing and I'd like to figure that out so I have many conversations with myself and it changes a lot. It depends on what's going on in the day, what's getting views, what's working. I have a lot of you know irons in the fire right? A lot of pokers in the fire. You guys are one of them. So AggroGamer is extremely exciting. That's one of the more exciting things going on is working with you. I really enjoy the review that we did together, Ray. Kill It With Fire, the VR. I feel like anyone could enjoy that video, which is where I want to go. I want to make videos. I want to do content. I want to create things that anyone can enjoy because I’m very tired of just talking to the Marvel Strike Force audience especially the veteran of Marvel Strike Force. They are unreasonable and very hard to please and they know me I know them and we're both sick of each other so I really wanted to get out there. RB: Well we are we're committed to try to find a way to drag you with us. We're constantly… FH: Screaming into the sunlight. DHB: Exactly we're going to pull you right down with us. FH: No please don't don't make me go out in daylight. Anything other than daylight I’m into. Convention spaces, you know, that's good, as long as it's not just not natural light. It's very bad for the skin. DHB: So I feel the same. So you don't don't worry about that. RB: But David, you live in Vegas. DHB: And I know I don't go outside when the day star is out. Yeah. It's only only when the moon is out, we go out there and we survive. Because that's how you survive. FH: I've always loved Vegas, by the way, I've only been once, but it was it was a magical town. DHB: Always growing and changing. So it's there's always something new to see if you haven't been here in like a year. FH: Yeah, it was exciting. It's been, God, it's probably been 20 years since I was there. Maybe 15. DHB: Yeah, it is completely different than what you've seen before then. FH: Yeah, I bet. But it was a really cool town. It was a cool vibe. It was interesting. An entertainment town, right? BOTH: Yes. Yeah, that's what I like about it. I like New York City for that same reason. That's why I live here in New Jersey. I came here on vacation. I went to New York City. Mind instantly blown. As a guy that lived in Anchorage, Alaska and never left for 21 years coming to New York City, I was like, Oh my God, this is, this is because I hate the outdoors. I don't do that stuff. If you're in Alaska and you like outdoors, you're like fishing, hiking, skiing, all that stuff. That's great. I hate all that. Hated it desperately. So going to New York for the first time was like, I need to live. I don't need to live in New York. That's a little too intense for me. I’m definitely introverted, extroverted, you know, I have my moments and then I to my cave with my skeleton and curl up and shake in a corner and cry after I do something. So New Jersey is great because I’m close to New York. I can go have that experience, but then when I’m done I can come back to my relative safety and seclusion. RB: That's how I felt about New York City when I saw Times Square. I just loved the lights. I like the idea of people. I generally find people disappointing and exhausting, but I liked to be around them and so it was great to go into Times Square and it was the same thing for with Vegas when I when I got to see downtown Vegas. Now I’m like I don't want to fucking go there nobody goes there it's like it's like Lion King that's that's the dark place Simba we don't go there see it… DHB: Here I've randomly will walk down the strip just to get to touch the roots down here in Vegas just to feel back at home every time. RB: Well but that's you're an actual native of Las Vegas. DHB: Exactly. I feel I got to feel like a Batman strove roving the streets and being like, Yep, there's a hooker. Yep. There's some people try to pass out porn cards, you know, the good stuff. There's the discount Mickey that's probably on meth. RB: I don't know if you're actually building a case for Frank to visit us, David. FH: No, I saw it all man. No, I was there. This is the experience. I was only there for like three days, but I got all of that. And that's what I was there for. I was like, this is great. The entertainment is on the street. You don't even have to go anywhere to get it. It's just right there. And that's what I liked about New York too. It's right there. You don't have to go find it. It's because that's what I was living with for 21 years in Alaska. There was no entertainment. There's literally nothing happening. All they do is watch videos, do drugs, and blow things up. Sucks. So like New York city is like so cool. Like you're just walking down the street. And what I walked by famous comedy club in New York. What's it called again? All the big comedians play there. DHB: The Laugh Factory? Is that it? I thought it had a name started with a C. RB: I don't know. FH: Now I got to find it. But I walked by there and who was playing? Jeff Proups was playing. Is that how you say his name? Proups, Props? You know the guy from Whose Line is it anyway? DHB: Yeah, I think you're saying it right. FH: Dude is hilarious. And he was on and I just went and saw him. I just went and saw him. I just went and a ticket. It was like expensive. I didn't care. You just wait and go see them. You can't do that in Alaska. You got to wait like three years, four years, six years before somebody comes to Alaska. And then you got to buy tickets like a year in advance. And then they cancel before they show up. It sucks. But here in New York, just awesome things are happening left and right. You just buy a ticket, you go, you see the show. Unbelievable. Like you could just do it impulsively. And that's what I, that's what I love about it. And now, now I don't do that. Now I don't just go into New York and be like, what's playing, I’m buying a ticket. No, I plan it out years in advance and, you know, buckle up for it, but it's cool to have that ability as opposed and something's always going on. Like if I did, well, one night I was just like, yeah, I’m going to go, I’m not going to go to this concert. And I just drove in, I bought a ticket and I drove and went, you can do that in the tri-stage because I have access to New York, Philadelphia. We can go down to Delaware, Boston, anywhere you want to go, you can go. Like, if you especially if you come from, I come from, you know, coming from Alaska, I keep saying this, but to go anywhere. It's like a 12 hour drive, a horrible 12 hour drive. If you want to like go to Seattle. It's going to take you like two days of driving through desolate nowhere. Whereas here it's like a two hour drive and people will complain about that. I’m like, no, this is nothing to complain about two hours is like a magical fairy ride. I can go anywhere on the planet and do whatever I want. Basically. DHB: Last time I was in that area, I was in Baltimore, and I decided I’m going to do like a two hour drive down to Richmond, Virginia to go to the GWARbar. It was like it felt like it was just driving across town. It was nothing. But like here, it's four hours to get to like either Phoenix or LA another four hours back. I’m just like… FH: That's what I did. We actually went to Colorado for a friend's wedding. And then we drove to Vegas. And like through the Grand Canyon area through Zion. And it was a long drive of nothing. Right? Yeah. I get it. Yeah. Different. Oh, good. I’m leaving uncomfortable. Normally I don't leave uncomfortable pauses in when I do things, but I know you'll edit it out. That's unless you don't edit this out and now this is in… RB: or that'll show up at the end of the podcast. Cause that's cause that's what I do. FH: I trust you a lot, right? RB: I have learned. I have learned so much about you because of how you it's amazing. I feel like we have this relationship that really doesn't exist because it's probably all in my mind because it's the Frank that's on the screen. DHB: You say you're not a stalker. FH: It's kind of one dimensional but I don't know I feel it back because when you when you sent me back the you know Kill It With Fire when I saw it I was like you got my notes you understood what I was saying. We got, we, we worked this out. It's all good. But I am like just a rambling crazy man into the camera. What's funny is when you, when we first talked when we did the interview, I was so happy. I was going through a rough patch. Um, there were some drama, some YouTube drama that hit me. So I was so paranoid. I thought that you were like, you were like going to get me, but I still wanted to do it. I’m that crazy. So I was dead set in my heart. I knew that you were out get me and that this was some kind of hit piece or something. Which that was just my paranoia, but it was really strong. But I was like, I still don't want to close this door. I had to change my thinking to one of the things that got me on YouTube. One of the things that got me down this path, even before I made it to YouTube and before I started making videos, was I told myself, you got to stop saying no to stuff. You got to say yes to stuff. Because if you say no to everything, you're never going to do anything, dude. Like you want to do all this. I've always wanted to entertain. I want to get into the entertainment industry. I want to do something. I want to sing for a band. I want to be on the radio. I want to be an actor or TV, whatever it is, you know, you got, you can't say no. You can't be like, no, that makes me uncomfortable. No, I don't want to do that. No, I’m apprehensive. Just yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Which leads me to a place where I don't get to sleep at all. But I hear that that's very normal. So that's good, I guess. And that's why I did the thing. And now we're just and we're at the point now where I just ramble into a camera for you. And I think it's working out. RB: Yeah. DHB: This is the time we dropped. So we got you. This is the long game we're playing. FH: But it's funny how paranoid I was on that first meeting. I was definitely more guarded too. I was like really watching myself. I’m like, I need to make sure it was kind of a challenge to myself. I’m like, if this guy is out to get me, let me make sure I don't say, let me make sure I don't put my foot in my mouth as I normally was. RB: Well, because I’m not a stalker, I do my research. I knew that you had been dealing with some things. So there were certain things I didn't want to bring up. There were some things I knew would be sensitive because of the drama within that closed community of a fucking mobile game. FH: And it's a small pond. RB: It still blows my mind how much crap you had to go through because of… FH: I’m still going through it. It's like, it's not over. It's not bad. Like there's no stress happening right now, but I still like, if I go do something, I won't be surprised if you put this online, some people track it down and put some crooked comments on it. I wouldn't be surprised in the least. But you know what? Fuck those people. That's how I feel. Fuck yourself. RB: We'll see. David finds that to be a challenge. FH: So let them come, bring it on motherfuckers. RB: There's a reason it's AggroGamer. FH: Well, that's, that actually makes me comfortable because you told me that. And so I’m like, all right, if this guy knows all the shit, which is I made an effort to let my audience know I didn't hide it as well. I don't go out of my way to talk about this shit now because it's over or whatever. And if anybody wants to know, it's still really there to find. I didn't delete that shit. RB: Well, and you did like a six hour stream. FH: Yeah, that's gone now. That doesn't exist anymore because Twitch streams delete themselves after like, I don't know, a few weeks or something. I didn't hide. Definitely I confronted it pretty head on at the time. RB: Yeah. But yeah, I constantly give you shit about the fact that I don't believe you sleep. In my mind, you pass out in your chair, the skeleton gets up, puts a blankie over you, and then you at some point wake up. FH: It sounds legit. No, I get a solid eight hours of sleep a night, I think about that. I go pretty hard in between that time, from wake up to sleep. Some days I just can't do anything. Some days I can't function. I’m just so, and that's what it takes to get me to kind of not, and I don't know, I went through large portions of my life where that's all I did, And that's what kind of drives me now. I’m like, I've already rested. Like now it's time to go. Like let's do it. If there's something to do, let me do it. Especially right now, cause I’m running my main YouTube channel. I have a second YouTube channel that's kind of focused on wrestling. I have two main Twitch streams I do every week, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. Doing the promo now by the way. And then Thursday, I do a wrestling stream around 10 o'clock at night, all Eastern standard time. Plus I kind of stream every other day in between I do stuff like this I don't say no and not only do I not say no but if I see an opportunity to say yes to something that no one has asked me. If someone's like boy this thing really isn't going well I sure do wish someone would help me i'd be like I can help you I don't have time but I can help you. And I just agree to stuff that I wasn't even asked to agree to I’m trying to I’m trying to do it. RB: And on top of that, you're a husband, a father, you work a job, you have a pet, so you take your dog for walks. FH: The walks are mandatory, man. Those have got to happen. No matter what's going on, I got to find time to walk that dog. RB: So yeah, when you start to add all of that up, it's just like, holy shit. FH: That's actually, I count walking the dog as relaxation. That's it. I get like maybe that's like 30 minutes day where I own and still like kind of my brain is usually turning I’m usually talking to myself I’m usually producing the next video while I’m walking the dog. But at least I’m outside it's in the air and I’m like I’m out of the cave that I count as relaxation time. It's therapeutical I think. DHB: o you drag yourself out into the sun. I see how this. FH: Yeah. DHB: Gotchya! FH: I wear like I'll wear a burka, you know, because I have protect. I have a brand. My brand is like really pale guy. So I have to like really protect my face. I can't be getting weird half tans. RB: I keep expecting to see a video where you're carrying an umbrella. FH: I've done it. Yeah, absolutely. It's important. Like, yeah, if I get a tan, I don't know that might destroy the mystique. DHB: That's what corpse paint is for. RB: Yeah, FH: Yeah, yeah, I’m not good at makeup. That's one thing I never got into. I’m not a pretentious vampire. So I never really got into makeup. I wish I would have because I would like to have really good makeup skills now. But I’m really old. And I don't I don't know if it now is the time to practice that on a global on a global stage. I have fans from all over people all over the which is weird. And I don't want to practice my makeup skills in front of them. RB: See, that's your next that's your next channel… FB: The makeup. I think my kids can do it. My kids have offered they're getting really good. DHB: I’m gonna have to see if I can find your review to do was like makeup artists, maker or something like that. And that's all you got to do. So you're really make you suffer. RB: You're a video game player. I've seen that you've reviewed board games and card games. You were in a band, Orange Crush, which was a tribute band, as opposed to… FH: Yeah, R.E.M. Band. I did that. That was what I was doing right before YouTube. That's what geared me up. RB: And there's a difference between a cover band and a tribute band. I learned that because of you. FH: Absolutely. There's a whole bit here. This is like another podcast, is getting into that, because those guys just started up again. And I have a whole, I got like easily an hour's worth of material there. Let's just say I don't feel they're a tribute band anymore, now they're a cover band because I’m not involved anymore. I believe they are in the cover band territory and that's an insult in my book. Because I was all in, like what it means to be a cover band and a tribute band is I shaved my head bald. Michael Stipe is bald and Michael Stipe weighs 140 pounds. So I shaved my head, and I lost like 30 pounds. That's how serious I was. I was learning. Absolutely. That's how I and I found out something about myself. I found out dude, I’m hardcore. Like I started off. Not hardcore. They asked me. I was like, I put a post out on Facebook. I was like, I’m a singer. I’m in New Jersey. Let me front your band, you know, I’m a weirdo or not. I don't know. And they were like, Do you want to do R.E.M.? And I was like, No. And then I thought about it. And I was like, yeah, you know, let me say yes. That's what it was about. Let me say yes, let me not say no to this. And, you know, I found out I actually really do like R.E.M. I thought I didn't, but I do. And at the start, I was like, well, I don't have to shave my head, right? And they're like, oh, no, no, no, of course, not. I ended up shaving. I ended up being the one to tell me I need to shave my head. Because I understood that we were doing a tribute and not a cover band. And the difference is tributes look like the band. Rributes like the band. They want to reproduce what the band has done. Whereas a cover band wants to put their own unique spin on it, right? They want to put a few originals into the mix. They want to add a couple other bands. You know, they play a mix of music or whatever. Maybe they primarily play this. There's a different, there's a less hardcore version of what it is. And that's a cover band. And there's a more hardcore version of it. That's a tribute. And if you look at some of the best tribute acts, these dudes, one of the best guys out there, he does Queen, he's transcended tribute though. But the guy kind of looks like Freddie Mercury. He sounds like Freddie. There's a lot of Queen tributes though. And a lot of guys that do this look like them, sound like them. And that's not easy. That's Freddie Mercury, but they'll go for it, you know, as much as they can. They'll lose as much weight as they can. They'll get into it. And these guys, they love the material. And that's what it comes down to is the love and respect of the original band. You're trying to do that tribute. I found out, I’m rather I can be that hardcore. And when that kind of dissolved during COVID, I was like, I should take all this pent up hardcore energy and do something else like that. RB: So games, music, horror. You like horror movies? FH: Yeah, absolutely. You know, from a young age, do you want me to tell the American Werewolf in London story? RB: Yes, because it resonates for me. I would love to have you share that. DHB: I don't think I've heard this story, so I’m willing to hear it. FH: Yeah, we did this on the Gore Cast. We had a couple of guys from Gore Noir and Stephen Strange, the artist. And yeah, when it comes to my love of horror or my, I don't know, whatever's broken in my head that gets me to enjoy horror movies more than the average person. When I was three years old, my mother took me to go, my mother went to go see American Werewolf in London and brought me. I don't wanna say that she brought me to see it. She was under the impression that I was going to sleep through it. Well, I did not sleep through it. But I was very quiet and I sat next to her with a styrofoam cup and she wasn't looking over at me. She just thought I was asleep because it was late at night and I was like three years old. Well, I sat there. I watched the movie. I was totally terrified and I ate the styrofoam cup like in a little circle. I can remember doing it because it was traumatic and I ate the little styrofoam. She looks over. There's just like a little piece of styrofoam cup left where at the end of the movie he's running through London, right, going nuts. We stayed for the end of the movie. Like, I don't know what's going on with my mom, but that broke me. You know, I still, I had, you know, nightmares for a long time about that, especially the Nazi werewolf scene. That was, you know, just insane to see as a three-year-old. And then I don't know, I just kind of, I was desensitized to it. It wasn't a big deal anymore. So then all through my childhood, I was, you know, I gravitate to that. It was Alaska. So the only thing to do, like I said, movies, drugs, blowing stuff up. I didn't, I don't, I've never done drugs. I don't like to blow stuff up. I was all about movies. And you know, what's the coolest movies to get, especially when my mother didn't really have any, I was an only child divorced parents. Mom was just like, get whatever you want. You know, I've failed so you can do whatever you want. Just don't go into the porno room. You know, in Alaska, I don't know if they had this around here, but they had the back room, right? RB: Yep. FH: Don't go back there. So we didn't go back there, but everything else was fair game. So yeah, horror movies, loved them. I think every year for Halloween, I was Freddy Krueger, which is horribly inappropriate. Now I would be like really worried if my kid was like Freddy Krueger every year. Like demanding new masks and gloves like upgrades. I don't know what I would do. Now you can get like a real glove with real knives on it. I would have been so into that and that would have been so disturbing. It would have been a totally different path. So thank God that didn't exist. RB: David, this is one of the things that I share in common with Frank because for me I was six and I was taken to the theater by my parents and I was sitting on the floor of the theater with my my orange jacket over my head. And it scared me. And eventually I overcame my fear of horror movies. But the funny thing for me is not only Frank sharing that, and that connection. But last year, we went to Monster Palooza in L.A. And the actor that played David in the movie, David Naughton was there. And as we were walking out, I noticed him and I walked up and I said, Can I get your autograph? Because you scared the shit out of me as a kid, and drove me, you know, to to find my love of horror movies. And the poor guy was just utterly fucking confused. He looked up he's like, You're welcome.? And signed my autograph and I disappeared. Yeah, it was definitely a thing. But I appreciate that we share that in common because that movie really has resonated for me over the over the years. FH: It's a great movie. And it's funny because I made my wife hadn't seen it like 20 years ago, I made her watch it and she had nightmares afterwards. So it'll traumatize you even as like a full grown adult. It's it's brutal. That transformation scene. That whole movie holds up. It's a classic. It's an amazing movie. RB: That's why American were American Werewolf in Paris came out. I was heartbroken. FH: Yeah, terrible. That movie was I can't remember it, which is the worst thing I can say about a film. I think I was actually Yeah. You didn't know it happened. DHB: No, I was saying did it actually happen? I was trying to give you guys an out to imagine that it didn't happen. FH: It didn't happen. DHB: Exactly. It didn't happen at there was no movie like that. RB: It was all a nightmare. FH: I heard that when John Landis directed that, right? RB: He directed the original one. FH: Yeah, he directed the original one. His son, Max Landis, you know, controversial. He wanted to remake it. He had some really good ideas about it. It's too bad that he's been canceled now. RB: Yeah, I personally hate remakes, but if there… FH: he does these pitches and he had he had a really good take on it. It could it could have been good, could have been a contender could have been a contender. Well, we are I wouldn't want anyone else to redo it though, if you're not going to get the guy's son to read like someone who really really gets it would need to do it if you're going to do that. RB: Well, it's like the Ghostbusters, the newer of the older Ghostbusters, not the newer remake of the… FH: Ghostbusters Afterlife. RB: Yeah. Because the family will some of… FH: Well, it's interesting you bring that because Max Landis, a of his ideas went into that. I think the whole ending I believe was his. Because he at one point was going to direct that or write that and you know these things get rewritten and rewritten and they just pick stuff up. They're like Katamaris right? Katamari Damacy just picked junk up and yeah the ending was pretty much what he pitched. RB: It was a good movie. I’m looking forward to what they do next. FH: Yeah they had a lot of understanding of the property going into that. I mean, I like the we were talking about this too on the on the Gore Cast. I like the the one with the women. I don't know what you it's like Ghostbusters like 2015. I don't know. DHB: Yeah, 2016 or something like that. FH: Yeah. I think maybe Answer The Call it that. But anyways I like Melissa McCarthy. I like those women are incredibly funny. They're incredibly funny women and it's a funny movie. Do does it need to continue on the legacy? I mean, people were putting way, way up on a pedestal it didn't belong on. This is going to carry on the lineage. It's ruining my childhood. Oh my God, guys, calm down. Just a dumb movie. My daughters loved it. That's all I know. RB: I went and saw it in the theater. The first half of the movie, I sat there and perhaps the humor just didn't really resonate for me. But the second half of the film exploded and it was just hilarious. And Chris Hemsworth, playing the the secretary was amazing so yeah… FH: I mean it's, it's you know stupid humor but I mean I love stupid you you know this hey we do stupid humor around here it's, it's fine. RB: Yeah well we gotta entertain… FH: I think people get into problems when they expect a movie to be something and then it's not the thing like I had a problem when I went to go watch Venom the the first Venom movie. I went in there and I wanted something and I didn't get it and I hated it. Now I watched it three years later with my kids and I loved it. Because I knew what it was and I was pumped that I could show it to my kids and there was nothing in it that was objectionable. So I was enjoying this kind of edgier movie than we, that was one of the first kind of horror. That was maybe the first horror movie I watched with my kids is that first Venom movie because my kids were little, they're like 11 years old or something. You're not going to show up. I’m not going to show them American. My wife wouldn't allow me to show them American Werewolf in London. I wanted to recreate the experiment, but I’m like, we can do Venom. I was like, we can do Evil Dead. She's like, no, you can do Venom. And it was great for that. It was like a great baby's first horror movie. It works great for that. It's just enough for that. RB: I didn't see, I saw the first one. I didn't see the second. FH: The second one is great. I don't know if people saw it, but it's it's really kind of out there and it's cool. It reminded me of the second Ghost Rider film, which I also think is fantastic with Nicolas Cage, where the first one's kind of straight. And then the second one is just like all the weird stuff they wanted to do but weren't able to do in the first one. DHB: Like I had the same issue you did when I watched the second one, because I, Carnage was my favorite one. So I went in having very specific things I wanted to see. And then watching it the first time I was kind of like, then on a rewatch, I was like, for what it is, they did a good job. And for what their limitations were, I was like, I still enjoyed it. And I've watched it a couple of times. RB: Well, that was written by Tom Hardy, the guy… FH: He was really into that project. RB: Yeah, yeah. And then it was dirceted by, uh, the guy that did Gollum. Andy Serkis. FH: Nice. Yeah. Yeah. RB: Well, we are coming up on our time. So we're gonna have to bring this to a close. Frank, do you have any last words? Last thoughts? FH: Is this where I plug everything? I feel like I already did the plugs. RB: You already did the plug. DHB: You can plug it again. You can plug things again. FH: I mean, I just want to plug what we're doing here. My favorite thing we're doing are the reviews on the aggrogamer site. So definitely check those out. We got one of them up now. We should have the Sherlock one out soon. As soon as you're done, you know, in the Dungeon. RB: Yep. FH: And then hopefully we'll be doing more of those and more things on the channel, which is very exciting. I’m excited about that. DHB: That is the plan and the hope. FH: If you go on YouTube, you type in Mr. Hargrave, it should pull up my YouTube channel. There's some good stuff if you go digging around. If you just look at the video of the day, it's probably garbage for Marvel Strike Force. Marvel Strike Force garbage, but then there's some fun stuff on there too. I got movie tier lists and all kinds of cool stuff. RB: Yeah, I liked your vampire tier list. That was pretty good. FH: It's funny people have told me that I when I was doing it I’m like I’m bombing this is horrible this is not as funny as I want it wanted it to be but I don't know go watch it you make the call let me know down in the comments right it's great for the algorithm. RB: All right Frank well we look forward to working with you soon because we're always going to find ways to drag you into things and who knows you might show back up on the AggroCast We've talked about doing some conversations about horror movies or shit-talking video games. So… FH: Yeah, I’m into all those things and you know, I don't say no. RB: That that's true now that we've got it. We actually have a recording. DHB: Exactly we have evidence. FH: Anytime you see I’m just I’m a glutton for it. Yes, whenever you need me. RB: And you know, this is like a Faustian pact. So… FH: Yeah pretty much and I am still gonna say yes. RB: Excellent. Well, until then, thank you so much, and we will talk to you soon. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. FH: I’m AggroGamer. I put the aggro in gamer. Put the gamer in aggro? I don't fucking know. I’m Mr. Hartgrave. 45:31 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,E3,E3 2023, yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected — E3’s Cancelation [Episode Six] The AggroCast crew has some words to say about the cancelation of E3 in 2023 in the latest episode of the podcast. Okay, it is more David has a lot of words to say about the E3 cancelation. Partially as the long-term journalist going to the convention for over a decade. Partially since Ray was a bit under the weather during the recording but was still a superstar to press on through. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi! Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we're going to talk about E3. Or, more importantly, the cancellation of E3 in 2023. So, David, what the hell happened? David Hades Becker: There's a lot that's happened, and there's a lot that still hasn't come about because they put out the official statement canceling it. There's rumors going about. If you read some of the signs that are out there, you can kind of piece things together. but what it feels like is there was so much backlash for E3 for the longest time mixed in with the pandemic that other organizations and all that stuff kind of feel like they're moving in to do their own thing and... Here I am I'm rambling there it feels like there's a progression that most people didn't see or saw coming and now some of those companies are finally taking advantage of it to do their own thing and by that I mean we have to go back a few years with some of the drama that's happened with E3 in the past... because when I started going E3, every publisher, developer, hardware and creator would show up and they would have a place on the floor or they'd have a meeting room for everybody to get together and actually talk about games, look at games, play the games, all that kind of thing. And then slowly over time, because of the internet and technology, it became easier for them to stream stuff. So like EA, EA was one of them, Ubisoft did the same thing where they would host their own streams, but they would still be on the show floor until it was cheaper to just do the stream and not have these big booth spaces. And that's kind of where it all started. Even though you still have like, you had Sony showing up, Nintendo showing up, Microsoft showing up, and they would do these huge booths, as well as these massive showcases, so that people see the games and everybody that wasn't actually able to on the show floor could see the games. But if you're on the show floor, you can actually play some of them. And it just feels like the shift right now is it's just deeper into stream stuff, as well as allows them to dictate their narrative that want to sell it at all. I think that's the bigger one I kind of want to dive in on. RB: Yeah, I wondered with some of the changes, especially after COVID and the lockdowns and how everything was kind of put on hiatus, if some of this was because of that and companies recognizing that they didn't need conventions to get their message out, to get their advertising out and so they've shifted to a more online platform. DHB: Well in some instances it makes sense for it because I remember the last in-person E3 I went to they were still showing off Psychonauts 2 and I remember having a special press access and all they did was they took me into a special room that was done up in a theme, they gave me a little press swag bag and all they did was show me video that they could have just uploaded to YouTube so I could have watched. The only difference was I was in this room that they kind of built an experience around. I was still just watching gameplay that ended up getting uploaded to YouTube a day or two later. So I mean, I get like for companies like that. I mean, at the time, I can't remember the name of the studio, Double Fine. They were a smaller studio, they hadn't been bought by Microsoft yet. So it made it would have made sense for them to save their money and do that. Whereas like, there was one year I went to go like for Dead Space 3, EA had this massive booth. It was almost the same thing. I had this whole experience, you walked in like this ice cave thing, sat down and watched the fight with a giant drill from the game, but it was literally just video that they were showing that wasn't actual live gameplay. But EA can afford to do that. So they can put on that extra spectacle and show off to, you know, press industry and all that stuff. The bigger the bigger issue, I guess the bigger swap comes in is if they can show up the video and then have people go and play that, it would make more sense to obviously have an in person thing. So they can make sure that people aren't taking the handing it out to other people because if you know they send me a demo reel they run the risk of me taking that demo and accident you know quote accidentally leaking it online for it to make a buck or something like that so they have better access there. RB: So, with the cancellation of E3 do you do you think E3 is ever coming back? DHB: Sadly, I don't think it is. Because they're as it's been proven because it was it was what the nails in the coffin for E3 it was Microsoft pulling out. Sony pulling out. Sega pulling out. Ubisoft pulling out. All so that they can do their own, um, live streams, which makes sense. I mean, they were doing that during the pandemic and they were getting, you know, decent viewership, not only just for that, but also effectively they could put out the sizzle reels that they wanted to put out there and they could put the information they wanted out there without having to filter it through, uh, any, any individuals like, you know, like ourselves, you know, press or journalists or bloggers or anything like that. It was just, it's what they want to dump out there. RB: But with those companies pulling out, E3 is probably just dead. DHB: Yeah, but with those companies pulling out, that was the first sign going, well, now we've removed our big showcases. And then, you know, so it's like, what were we going to E3 for if you didn't have these massive companies? Because obviously, Sony doesn't just show up with their first party. They show up with all of their third party games they're gonna show off, as well as the hardware. Same thing with Microsoft. Ubisoft is gonna show up there and show up there however many games they're showing off, and then would have space on the floor. But if they're not there, now you have these empty booth spaces, you have no draw for it because even though they still try to highlight in the indie games, they don't get as many into developers because it costs a lot to go to a convention in LA. It was a domino effect where people started just like, they saw, oh, these major ones pulled out, so these other companies are pulling out. And I guarantee that's what happened is finally the ESA finally saw it's like, oh, we're now going to be bleeding money if we hold this and it's gonna be developers that you would see at like kind of any of the smaller gaming conventions that's happened throughout the world. Like the way it was kind of at the original Penny Arcade where you'd get the smaller developers because they can go to those smaller events and show off their stuff. And that was kind of what E3 was turning into. And if we're gonna move into a little bit more of the speculation, it's to be able for these companies to put their narrative through very specific companies. Because if you look at it, all of the companies I've named had planned, including Microsoft announced, they were going to be showing off, was it Starfield, was going to have the big debut of all the games that everybody wanted to watch the Sunday before E3 would have even happened. And that was still when it was happening. It couldn't have any presence at the show. RB: Yeah. DHB: So now Microsoft could be like, here's what we want to show. Nobody gets to play it. All you get to do is speculate on this. Kind of like what Ubisoft did with the original Watch Dogs, where they showed off this amazing looking footage. Everybody assumed that's what game was going to be like, everybody bought it, and then realized, oh, no, we got kind of got duped. And then you, so you take all of that and then you add in the fact that the only people who kind of benefited from this on top of that, as far as the game journalist side were the bigger companies, because now you have a Geoff Keighley, I think IGN is the site that's hosting it, having the Summer Game Fest going on with kind of a collaboration between the two of them. And they get to show off everything and they get to sit down and play the games with the developers. But these are going to be in very, very tight quarters. But you're not going to get, in my opinion, a truly unbiased opinion on these games. You're going to be fed whatever the marketing teams want to give you, if that makes sense. RB: Well, yeah, because any time you've got some kind of conference, you're going to have talking points that are fed by marketing. So you won't have that true gaming experience of being able to test it while at the con. DHB: Oh, yeah, exactly. I've run into that with multiple other things. It's why I was always a fan of making sure we had an in-person E3 every year. Because you could see those videos and they look amazing and I almost want to say it was I think it was the God of War 2018 which or no God of War 3 I mean it's still one of my favorite games. I loved it. But from the video they showed in the presentation they showed at that E3 anybody watching it outside of the show would be like oh this is amazing but I remember sitting down and I'm like no there's some issues with this game. They need to be fixed. Thankfully, they did fix that but at the time it made me worried to go I don't want to I want to promote this game yet because it's still in development. I'm getting fed the marketing. And if I was to buy into all the marketing, I would have just thrown my money down and not thought about it. And it wouldn't have mattered if they fixed it or not. And that's kind of the same thing that's happened with Watch Dogs. They didn't have anybody there to sit down, play the game or anything in the original setting. They just had it filtered through. Everybody saw these crazy videos. They assumed, there was people picking it apart, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't real. But at that point, it was all theory crafting and not actual people having real knowledge. And then the game came out and it was good, but it wasn't what people were promised. And I could see that moving forward when you can go and be like, okay, we have our IGN, we have our GameSpot, we have our Polygon, we have these very, very specific relationships where we can put our sponsored content on them already. But now you just have marketing people creating the video, capturing gameplay that only highlights the positives of the game and completely ignores any of the negatives. RB: Yeah, they're controlling the narrative as you said and they're basically creating like movie trailers You only see the best parts that they want to show you. DHB: Yeah, exactly! And I mean even though this is gonna kind of date it right the podcast a little bit It they kind of did the same thing with the current Star Wars, Star Wars Jedi game is they've shown off some amazing stuff for it. They've mentioned a few things I'm currently in the middle of doing the review for it. The game I'm playing isn't what I saw in the marketing. It's not it's not bad. I prepped myself up for a specific game, and it's not what I was, I felt like I was given. So, and that's, and I see that just happening more and more, because to dovetail from that, through the cancellation of E3 happened, that's when some of the stuff like the press asset communication I had started to kind of wind itself back. And it felt like there was a couple of extra embargos in general that make it feel like they want to push this content through these people that they can pay the sponsored content for. While, I don't want to say lower level, but like the more junior or not as popular, I guess, outlets have to wait. And by then, because the way the algorithms and all that stuff work on Google, YouTube, everything, our content will be pushed down and thus they control the narrative even further. RB: So the end of E3, by having those anchors pull out of the show, it hurts indie developers who would rely on the show to get their product out there in front of people. It hurts the smaller reviewers and outlets who perhaps don't have those relationships or don't do sponsored content. DHB: Or even have the resources to show up every to every other convention because I mean there's so many other conventions that go on. But usually E3 was the big one where you can go oh I live in the United States I can make this one convention instead of having to try to figure out how to go to nine different conventions to find these little indie developers as well as big AAA developer. RB: Going forward, do you think that any of these anchor companies that already kind of either pulling out of E3 and setting up their own stuff before the show or pulled out like the the dominoes falling over, do you think that they're going to ever go to other shows or are they just gonna kind of do their own thing now? DHB: I would like to think they would go to other shows not do their own thing but they have no incentive. I mean, if they could save money where they could just have their marketing team which they've already paid for and hired. Whip up some trailers to upload to YouTube or to run Twitch streams that is free for them to do, as well as hand out to people they know they can drive the narrative for. They're just saving money while making money at the same time. So there's no real benefit for them to kind of go back to having an in-person E3. And that's unfortunate because we're talking at it as members of the media and the press and bloggers also. E3 two, three years before the pandemic happened, We're starting to open it up to people who weren't in the industry, who weren't media, Who weren't press. That you could actually have fans go out there, get the hands on with their actual games, and kind of form an opinion. And then, you know, as well as I do, word of mouth is a great marketing strategy as well. So if you have one guy who goes out, plays this game, goes back and tells four of his friends how amazing it was or how shitty it was, now it just kind of builds from there. RB: Yeah, you've got that grassroots marketing. DHB: And they're going to lose that kind of thing unless they start mixing in smaller events, it'll be, again, probably paid for and pulled by the companies. I've been to a few where Sony's done that, Capcom's done that, where they, they go on like these tours around the country where you can go out and see the game, play the game. And it's kind of like going to little mini E3, but it still comes down to you're going into a trailer to watch video, a video of a game or a very, very specific segment of a game to highlight it and not actually getting a true sense of what you're getting into, or allowing anybody whose job it is to go get that sense for you and kind of, you know, craft, not, not craft, I don't want to say craft a narrative. But kind of give you that unbiased, unfiltered response. You're kind of destroying the narrative the marketing team is to kind of give the reality to people. RB: We've seen so many issues with video games the last few years. Even recently, EA's Last Survivor, Star Wars The Last Survivor (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), there was a lot of conversation about the game was not built with new graphics cards in mind. So there were a lot of stuttering and graphics issues and the gameplay was was not great. DHB: Yeah from a lot of people I've heard the game was almost unplayable on the PC. And, I mean, they've I know they've patched it since or they're still and they're still working on patches to fix that but that's something that could have been told right out the gate if you know... if somebody actually got to sit down and be like, oh, what's the specs of the system? I'm using here I guess we saw that it at CES where you'd sit down you look at the computer next to it say what the specs are so you compare that to what you're seeing on the screen and that kind of would have thrown a red flag up if everybody's looking over and like why is it running on this really low-end graphics card how is it going to work if i've got the the latest and greatest. And also to that extent games like Cyberpunk nobody was seeing any of the red flags because they were kind of driving the narrative for the year that was building up at E3 and all the other conventions. Until the E3 before it was supposed to launch and then all of a sudden like i remember being in that room with ever with a bunch of other press people behind closed doors. They gave us like jackets and statues and all sorts of stuff. Like it felt like they were buttering us up and like we had to walk it. We walked into one of the bars from the game and like, yeah, here's the beers. Here's the jacket. Here's this. Okay, and then we go back and watch the game play. I'm like, this is not the game we saw in any of the trailer or the game. We've been promised and it felt like they're in that and the news started to flow out there because there was a lot of independent writers, bloggers, and journalists out there and they were catching on to that. And that's if they're driving the narrative through these other mainstream outlets. As well as just doing, we're just going to show videos that we want to show everybody. RB: Well, and we've spoken on other podcasts about some of these outlets and how even when they do the reviews, the review scores that they give do not reflect the content of the review. Because they will score them higher than how they actually describe the gameplay. DHB: Well, I've seen it the other way, too. Where I've seen reviews that have been out where you read it and it sounds like the the the writer really loved what they were playing. Then all of a sudden it's like it's got a three out of out of ten or a four out of ten and then you come to find out that the reason it has that is because they didn't want to promote that game because they didn't have the decent relationship with that developer or that publisher. They kind of wanted to get it buried down by giving it the lower score or to kind of like i know it's it's horrible like the review bombing thing where people go out there just give a shitty review because they don't like one person's politics or they don't one person's thing. And I've seen some of these some of these outlets do that as well. RB: I hadn't heard of that. That's really interesting. DHB: It's rare but I've seen it happen a few times. Because there was years ago but I know I saw it on Kotaku and it was when they got blacklisted by another publisher I'm not going to name right now. But for whatever reason they were giving bad reviews because they were 'A' having to buy the game themselves putting their review out pretty much a week after the game came out because the publisher wanted nothing to do with them. Because Ironically, because they leaked some information they shouldn't have leaked in the first place. Good talker. By knowledge, that's all been rectified and all that stuff, and like I said, that was years ago about trying to put out, throw any cake in the current state of everything. But it's an easy Google search. You can find out any of this information. RB: Yeah. But it shows that that actually happens as well. So there's a reverse to the relationships and the false ratings that are given. DHB: Yeah. RB: Interesting. DHB: Yeah, and it's all a way to manipulate the market. It's all a way to get more pre-orders, more day one buys, and all that kind of stuff. Again, to control the narrative, and that's what feels like it's gonna happen with the cancellation of E3 is, even though it sounds like, yes, I'm griping because I get to go out there and do all this stuff and now I'm losing that access, and it's access I'll probably never be able to get back instead of sitting there and doing the grind with some very specific developers and very specific publishers. It's also a detriment for the consumer in general. RB: They lose an outlet for information. DHB: Yeah. Well, in this sense, they're losing multiple outlets. There's YouTube creators, Twitch creators, multiple sources go out there and have been covering it up until the pandemic. And then even when the pandemic hit, a lot of us were still able to still do that even though it was, you know, here's a video, here's some gameplay. And there was a couple of times where I got invited in to play some behind the scenes demos even though it was still remote, you know, but it was still going on. Pretty much every type of creator out there could do something, and now it's very specific, very driven, and very controlled. RB: Do you see any other conventions in that ecosphere that could take the place of E3 or could help fill that space and provide that information to consumers? DHB: I mean, I don't believe they've gone 100% back in person, but there's Gamescom that happened in Copenhagen, I think it is. Which is obviously harder for a lot of smaller outlets to get to, but to my knowledge, they're still doing their stuff because that's one of the other biggest gaming, video gaming conventions that happen. But the other thing is like other things like San Diego Comic Con. For me, that was usually, if I couldn't see the game at E3, I could show up to San Diego Comic Con and catch it there. Or obviously, I mean, they just canceled one of the PAXs. I mean, PAX is another one. They canceled South by Southwest. That used to be another one, but it feels like there's there's nothing out there right now. And I'm not hearing anything on that in the future. I'm almost certain that there's not going to be The ESA is just gonna have to shut shut out all the E3 stuff down. It's it's there's not gonna be any hope. RB: Well, and even San Diego Comic Con last year trying to get access to games that were there is extremely difficult. DHB: Oh, yeah, cuz I mean it and that's the thing is I get a comic-con they have them out there, but it's not just for the press, it's also specifically for your average consumer to go. Oh, I've heard of this. Let me play this five-minute demo. I think the last year we were out there, they had this huge pac-man thing. And there was like an hour and a half line that anybody who wanted to play it had to wait through. And you know... And then there was the other area where we did a couple of things out there... That you kind of had to wait, it was like four hours? To get in because of the one of the other special events going on in there like where we saw the Samsung thing. The NFT game that we saw in there like how they kind of had it behind closed doors. RB: Well, and there was one specifically that you tried to sign up for, but every time you tried to sign up for it, all of the slots were filled. I thought. DHB: Oh, yeah, that was Sony when they're doing the VR stuff. Is when we have to wake up at like four or five in the morning, hop on their website, hope it doesn't crash so you could try to grab a slot. But like at Comic-Con, when you have quarter of a million people trying to do the exact same thing, you're in a lottery, which I know that's kind of the running joke at Comic-Con, that everything's a lottery there. But that's kind of how it is. And getting access is going to be, is going to be harder and harder because there's more people who want to see it all. And then now there is no reason to give out access willy nilly when they can just control it. RB: It's, it's, it's interesting to, because I don't know if everybody actually pays attention to the fact that smaller outlets were utilizing E3 to gain access to developers and to gameplay, to be able to help write reviews and get consumers information. DHB: No, and there were smaller outlets that didn't even realize they were doing it themselves. There was one outlet that I tried teaming up with one year at E3, and it was mainly because of how, you know, getting a hotel down there was rough, and we just ended up having to share a hotel room. And the entire time we were there, they did nothing but complain. They're like, oh, E3 needs to end. E3 needs to be canceled because of, you know, because of how horrible of an experience it is. Not realizing the instant that happens, now they're going to be sitting there watching videos and not getting access. And then after the pandemic hit, I still talk to some of them and they've been having issues getting a hold of some of the developers and publishers they've talked to before. Or getting access to certain events. Or getting access to early access games. Or sometimes even just press assets. And if they're controlling like the screenshots you could share or if you could share a video that some other outlet has already shared and watermarked everywhere. That's just kind of another telling thing. Like they don't want these smaller outlets to do that kind of stuff. Because the smaller outlets have less to lose by being honest. RB: Well, I'm sure that in their minds, at least from a marketing perspective, the perception is, well, these smaller outlets don't have have a big enough following, so it's not really like we're losing anything. DHB: Yeah, and I've run into that too, where it's like, oh, you know, we're losing you and you get, you know, maybe, you know, 10,000 views a month, you know. Yeah, but it doesn't behoove them to go, yeah, we're gonna, this is gonna be a drop in the bucket for us, you know, nothing major, but if we lost like our IGN or our GameSpot who are coming in bringing in millions of views, you know, that's a bigger, that's a bigger thing, obviously. RB: Well, I, I am sorry that I did not have an opportunity to go to E3 and to experience... DHB: Well, with any luck, I'm hoping, I'm still holding out hope that they'll do something, at least some kind of in-person event. I don't see it happening, but I'm still gonna hold out hope, because it just feels like we're getting to that point we're gonna have monopolies driving the news and hopefully the fans will realize that's what's happening and maybe kind of force the hand again. RB: It'd be good to see. It would be good to see that access open back up. Let's let's hope. DHB: I will keep all my fingers crossed. RB: Well we are coming up towards the end of the podcast. Any last thoughts? DHB: I believe I've got everything out there but I will I could talk for hours on this topic because it's been something I've been passionate about since I've gone to the first one. RB: Yeah I was gonna say... DHB: Yeah, the first one back in 2008. RB: 2008. I was gonna ask how many you had gone to it sounds like quite a few I went to. DHB: I've been to every one of them as either a fan, member of the press, member of the industry every year since 2008 up until the pandemic. RB: that is that's that's quite the track record. All right David. Well, thank you for bringing us this information and hopefully folks find some benefit from hearing about E3 and its cancellation. DHB: Well, hopefully this this will also a light on for the consumer to look out there. Because, I guess, another nugget I threw out there is most people don't know the things that are going on behind the scene. And I've talked to a few other people that have worked kind of in the gaming industry and even I mean some of them are like people who work at GameStop or you know minor developers or whatever. And they don't recognize how detrimental this could be to just getting news and information out there beyond what you know wants to be driven by the marketing and PR team. RB: All right. Well, we're going to wrap it there. David, thank you. DHB: I have spoken. RB: That's perfect. We will catch you all next week. Have a great day. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. RB: It's not a penis joke. BOTH: Until now. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode108.mp3 Wed, 17 May 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected — E3’s Cancelation [Episode Six] AggroCast Resurrected — E3’s Cancelation [Episode Six] AGGROGAMER.COM 006 003 The AggroCast crew has some words to say about the cancelation of E3 in 2023 in the latest episode of the podcast. Okay, it is more David has a lot of words to say about the E3 cancelation. Partially as the long-term journalist going to the convention for over a decade. Partially since Ray was a bit under the weather during the recording but was still a superstar to press on through. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi! Welcome to the AggroCast. This is Ray Bruels with David Hades Becker. Today we're going to talk about E3. Or, more importantly, the cancellation of E3 in 2023. So, David, what the hell happened? David Hades Becker: There's a lot that's happened, and there's a lot that still hasn't come about because they put out the official statement canceling it. There's rumors going about. If you read some of the signs that are out there, you can kind of piece things together. but what it feels like is there was so much backlash for E3 for the longest time mixed in with the pandemic that other organizations and all that stuff kind of feel like they're moving in to do their own thing and... Here I am I'm rambling there it feels like there's a progression that most people didn't see or saw coming and now some of those companies are finally taking advantage of it to do their own thing and by that I mean we have to go back a few years with some of the drama that's happened with E3 in the past... because when I started going E3, every publisher, developer, hardware and creator would show up and they would have a place on the floor or they'd have a meeting room for everybody to get together and actually talk about games, look at games, play the games, all that kind of thing. And then slowly over time, because of the internet and technology, it became easier for them to stream stuff. So like EA, EA was one of them, Ubisoft did the same thing where they would host their own streams, but they would still be on the show floor until it was cheaper to just do the stream and not have these big booth spaces. And that's kind of where it all started. Even though you still have like, you had Sony showing up, Nintendo showing up, Microsoft showing up, and they would do these huge booths, as well as these massive showcases, so that people see the games and everybody that wasn't actually able to on the show floor could see the games. But if you're on the show floor, you can actually play some of them. And it just feels like the shift right now is it's just deeper into stream stuff, as well as allows them to dictate their narrative that want to sell it at all. I think that's the bigger one I kind of want to dive in on. RB: Yeah, I wondered with some of the changes, especially after COVID and the lockdowns and how everything was kind of put on hiatus, if some of this was because of that and companies recognizing that they didn't need conventions to get their message out, to get their advertising out and so they've shifted to a more online platform. DHB: Well in some instances it makes sense for it because I remember the last in-person E3 I went to they were still showing off Psychonauts 2 and I remember having a special press access and all they did was they took me into a special room that was done up in a theme, they gave me a little press swag bag and all they did was show me video that they could have just uploaded to YouTube so I could have watched. The only difference was I was in this room that they kind of built an experience around. I was still just watching gameplay that ended up getting uploaded to YouTube a day or two later. So I mean, I get like for companies like that. I mean, at the time, I can't remember the name of the studio, Double Fine. They were a smaller studio, they hadn't been bought by Microsoft yet. So it made it would have made sense for them to save their money and do that. Whereas like, there was one year I went to go like for Dead Space 3, EA had this massive booth. It was almost the same thing. I had this whole experience, you walked in like this ice cave thing, sat down and watched the fight with a giant drill from the game, but it was literally just video that they were showing that wasn't actual live gameplay. But EA can afford to do that. So they can put on that extra spectacle and show off to, you know, press industry and all that stuff. The bigger the bigger issue, I guess the bigger swap comes in is if they can show up the video and then have people go and play that, it would make more sense to obviously have an in person thing. So they can make sure that people aren't taking the handing it out to other people because if you know they send me a demo reel they run the risk of me taking that demo and accident you know quote accidentally leaking it online for it to make a buck or something like that so they have better access there. RB: So, with the cancellation of E3 do you do you think E3 is ever coming back? DHB: Sadly, I don't think it is. Because they're as it's been proven because it was it was what the nails in the coffin for E3 it was Microsoft pulling out. Sony pulling out. Sega pulling out. Ubisoft pulling out. All so that they can do their own, um, live streams, which makes sense. I mean, they were doing that during the pandemic and they were getting, you know, decent viewership, not only just for that, but also effectively they could put out the sizzle reels that they wanted to put out there and they could put the information they wanted out there without having to filter it through, uh, any, any individuals like, you know, like ourselves, you know, press or journalists or bloggers or anything like that. It was just, it's what they want to dump out there. RB: But with those companies pulling out, E3 is probably just dead. DHB: Yeah, but with those companies pulling out, that was the first sign going, well, now we've removed our big showcases. And then, you know, so it's like, what were we going to E3 for if you didn't have these massive companies? Because obviously, Sony doesn't just show up with their first party. They show up with all of their third party games they're gonna show off, as well as the hardware. Same thing with Microsoft. Ubisoft is gonna show up there and show up there however many games they're showing off, and then would have space on the floor. But if they're not there, now you have these empty booth spaces, you have no draw for it because even though they still try to highlight in the indie games, they don't get as many into developers because it costs a lot to go to a convention in LA. It was a domino effect where people started just like, they saw, oh, these major ones pulled out, so these other companies are pulling out. And I guarantee that's what happened is finally the ESA finally saw it's like, oh, we're now going to be bleeding money if we hold this and it's gonna be developers that you would see at like kind of any of the smaller gaming conventions that's happened throughout the world. Like the way it was kind of at the original Penny Arcade where you'd get the smaller developers because they can go to those smaller events and show off their stuff. And that was kind of what E3 was turning into. And if we're gonna move into a little bit more of the speculation, it's to be able for these companies to put their narrative through very specific companies. Because if you look at it, all of the companies I've named had planned, including Microsoft announced, they were going to be showing off, was it Starfield, was going to have the big debut of all the games that everybody wanted to watch the Sunday before E3 would have even happened. And that was still when it was happening. It couldn't have any presence at the show. RB: Yeah. DHB: So now Microsoft could be like, here's what we want to show. Nobody gets to play it. All you get to do is speculate on this. Kind of like what Ubisoft did with the original Watch Dogs, where they showed off this amazing looking footage. Everybody assumed that's what game was going to be like, everybody bought it, and then realized, oh, no, we got kind of got duped. And then you, so you take all of that and then you add in the fact that the only people who kind of benefited from this on top of that, as far as the game journalist side were the bigger companies, because now you have a Geoff Keighley, I think IGN is the site that's hosting it, having the Summer Game Fest going on with kind of a collaboration between the two of them. And they get to show off everything and they get to sit down and play the games with the developers. But these are going to be in very, very tight quarters. But you're not going to get, in my opinion, a truly unbiased opinion on these games. You're going to be fed whatever the marketing teams want to give you, if that makes sense. RB: Well, yeah, because any time you've got some kind of conference, you're going to have talking points that are fed by marketing. So you won't have that true gaming experience of being able to test it while at the con. DHB: Oh, yeah, exactly. I've run into that with multiple other things. It's why I was always a fan of making sure we had an in-person E3 every year. Because you could see those videos and they look amazing and I almost want to say it was I think it was the God of War 2018 which or no God of War 3 I mean it's still one of my favorite games. I loved it. But from the video they showed in the presentation they showed at that E3 anybody watching it outside of the show would be like oh this is amazing but I remember sitting down and I'm like no there's some issues with this game. They need to be fixed. Thankfully, they did fix that but at the time it made me worried to go I don't want to I want to promote this game yet because it's still in development. I'm getting fed the marketing. And if I was to buy into all the marketing, I would have just thrown my money down and not thought about it. And it wouldn't have mattered if they fixed it or not. And that's kind of the same thing that's happened with Watch Dogs. They didn't have anybody there to sit down, play the game or anything in the original setting. They just had it filtered through. Everybody saw these crazy videos. They assumed, there was people picking it apart, trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't real. But at that point, it was all theory crafting and not actual people having real knowledge. And then the game came out and it was good, but it wasn't what people were promised. And I could see that moving forward when you can go and be like, okay, we have our IGN, we have our GameSpot, we have our Polygon, we have these very, very specific relationships where we can put our sponsored content on them already. But now you just have marketing people creating the video, capturing gameplay that only highlights the positives of the game and completely ignores any of the negatives. RB: Yeah, they're controlling the narrative as you said and they're basically creating like movie trailers You only see the best parts that they want to show you. DHB: Yeah, exactly! And I mean even though this is gonna kind of date it right the podcast a little bit It they kind of did the same thing with the current Star Wars, Star Wars Jedi game is they've shown off some amazing stuff for it. They've mentioned a few things I'm currently in the middle of doing the review for it. The game I'm playing isn't what I saw in the marketing. It's not it's not bad. I prepped myself up for a specific game, and it's not what I was, I felt like I was given. So, and that's, and I see that just happening more and more, because to dovetail from that, through the cancellation of E3 happened, that's when some of the stuff like the press asset communication I had started to kind of wind itself back. And it felt like there was a couple of extra embargos in general that make it feel like they want to push this content through these people that they can pay the sponsored content for. While, I don't want to say lower level, but like the more junior or not as popular, I guess, outlets have to wait. And by then, because the way the algorithms and all that stuff work on Google, YouTube, everything, our content will be pushed down and thus they control the narrative even further. RB: So the end of E3, by having those anchors pull out of the show, it hurts indie developers who would rely on the show to get their product out there in front of people. It hurts the smaller reviewers and outlets who perhaps don't have those relationships or don't do sponsored content. DHB: Or even have the resources to show up every to every other convention because I mean there's so many other conventions that go on. But usually E3 was the big one where you can go oh I live in the United States I can make this one convention instead of having to try to figure out how to go to nine different conventions to find these little indie developers as well as big AAA developer. RB: Going forward, do you think that any of these anchor companies that already kind of either pulling out of E3 and setting up their own stuff before the show or pulled out like the the dominoes falling over, do you think that they're going to ever go to other shows or are they just gonna kind of do their own thing now? DHB: I would like to think they would go to other shows not do their own thing but they have no incentive. I mean, if they could save money where they could just have their marketing team which they've already paid for and hired. Whip up some trailers to upload to YouTube or to run Twitch streams that is free for them to do, as well as hand out to people they know they can drive the narrative for. They're just saving money while making money at the same time. So there's no real benefit for them to kind of go back to having an in-person E3. And that's unfortunate because we're talking at it as members of the media and the press and bloggers also. E3 two, three years before the pandemic happened, We're starting to open it up to people who weren't in the industry, who weren't media, Who weren't press. That you could actually have fans go out there, get the hands on with their actual games, and kind of form an opinion. And then, you know, as well as I do, word of mouth is a great marketing strategy as well. So if you have one guy who goes out, plays this game, goes back and tells four of his friends how amazing it was or how shitty it was, now it just kind of builds from there. RB: Yeah, you've got that grassroots marketing. DHB: And they're going to lose that kind of thing unless they start mixing in smaller events, it'll be, again, probably paid for and pulled by the companies. I've been to a few where Sony's done that, Capcom's done that, where they, they go on like these tours around the country where you can go out and see the game, play the game. And it's kind of like going to little mini E3, but it still comes down to you're going into a trailer to watch video, a video of a game or a very, very specific segment of a game to highlight it and not actually getting a true sense of what you're getting into, or allowing anybody whose job it is to go get that sense for you and kind of, you know, craft, not, not craft, I don't want to say craft a narrative. But kind of give you that unbiased, unfiltered response. You're kind of destroying the narrative the marketing team is to kind of give the reality to people. RB: We've seen so many issues with video games the last few years. Even recently, EA's Last Survivor, Star Wars The Last Survivor (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), there was a lot of conversation about the game was not built with new graphics cards in mind. So there were a lot of stuttering and graphics issues and the gameplay was was not great. DHB: Yeah from a lot of people I've heard the game was almost unplayable on the PC. And, I mean, they've I know they've patched it since or they're still and they're still working on patches to fix that but that's something that could have been told right out the gate if you know... if somebody actually got to sit down and be like, oh, what's the specs of the system? I'm using here I guess we saw that it at CES where you'd sit down you look at the computer next to it say what the specs are so you compare that to what you're seeing on the screen and that kind of would have thrown a red flag up if everybody's looking over and like why is it running on this really low-end graphics card how is it going to work if i've got the the latest and greatest. And also to that extent games like Cyberpunk nobody was seeing any of the red flags because they were kind of driving the narrative for the year that was building up at E3 and all the other conventions. Until the E3 before it was supposed to launch and then all of a sudden like i remember being in that room with ever with a bunch of other press people behind closed doors. They gave us like jackets and statues and all sorts of stuff. Like it felt like they were buttering us up and like we had to walk it. We walked into one of the bars from the game and like, yeah, here's the beers. Here's the jacket. Here's this. Okay, and then we go back and watch the game play. I'm like, this is not the game we saw in any of the trailer or the game. We've been promised and it felt like they're in that and the news started to flow out there because there was a lot of independent writers, bloggers, and journalists out there and they were catching on to that. And that's if they're driving the narrative through these other mainstream outlets. As well as just doing, we're just going to show videos that we want to show everybody. RB: Well, and we've spoken on other podcasts about some of these outlets and how even when they do the reviews, the review scores that they give do not reflect the content of the review. Because they will score them higher than how they actually describe the gameplay. DHB: Well, I've seen it the other way, too. Where I've seen reviews that have been out where you read it and it sounds like the the the writer really loved what they were playing. Then all of a sudden it's like it's got a three out of out of ten or a four out of ten and then you come to find out that the reason it has that is because they didn't want to promote that game because they didn't have the decent relationship with that developer or that publisher. They kind of wanted to get it buried down by giving it the lower score or to kind of like i know it's it's horrible like the review bombing thing where people go out there just give a shitty review because they don't like one person's politics or they don't one person's thing. And I've seen some of these some of these outlets do that as well. RB: I hadn't heard of that. That's really interesting. DHB: It's rare but I've seen it happen a few times. Because there was years ago but I know I saw it on Kotaku and it was when they got blacklisted by another publisher I'm not going to name right now. But for whatever reason they were giving bad reviews because they were 'A' having to buy the game themselves putting their review out pretty much a week after the game came out because the publisher wanted nothing to do with them. Because Ironically, because they leaked some information they shouldn't have leaked in the first place. Good talker. By knowledge, that's all been rectified and all that stuff, and like I said, that was years ago about trying to put out, throw any cake in the current state of everything. But it's an easy Google search. You can find out any of this information. RB: Yeah. But it shows that that actually happens as well. So there's a reverse to the relationships and the false ratings that are given. DHB: Yeah. RB: Interesting. DHB: Yeah, and it's all a way to manipulate the market. It's all a way to get more pre-orders, more day one buys, and all that kind of stuff. Again, to control the narrative, and that's what feels like it's gonna happen with the cancellation of E3 is, even though it sounds like, yes, I'm griping because I get to go out there and do all this stuff and now I'm losing that access, and it's access I'll probably never be able to get back instead of sitting there and doing the grind with some very specific developers and very specific publishers. It's also a detriment for the consumer in general. RB: They lose an outlet for information. DHB: Yeah. Well, in this sense, they're losing multiple outlets. There's YouTube creators, Twitch creators, multiple sources go out there and have been covering it up until the pandemic. And then even when the pandemic hit, a lot of us were still able to still do that even though it was, you know, here's a video, here's some gameplay. And there was a couple of times where I got invited in to play some behind the scenes demos even though it was still remote, you know, but it was still going on. Pretty much every type of creator out there could do something, and now it's very specific, very driven, and very controlled. RB: Do you see any other conventions in that ecosphere that could take the place of E3 or could help fill that space and provide that information to consumers? DHB: I mean, I don't believe they've gone 100% back in person, but there's Gamescom that happened in Copenhagen, I think it is. Which is obviously harder for a lot of smaller outlets to get to, but to my knowledge, they're still doing their stuff because that's one of the other biggest gaming, video gaming conventions that happen. But the other thing is like other things like San Diego Comic Con. For me, that was usually, if I couldn't see the game at E3, I could show up to San Diego Comic Con and catch it there. Or obviously, I mean, they just canceled one of the PAXs. I mean, PAX is another one. They canceled South by Southwest. That used to be another one, but it feels like there's there's nothing out there right now. And I'm not hearing anything on that in the future. I'm almost certain that there's not going to be The ESA is just gonna have to shut shut out all the E3 stuff down. It's it's there's not gonna be any hope. RB: Well, and even San Diego Comic Con last year trying to get access to games that were there is extremely difficult. DHB: Oh, yeah, cuz I mean it and that's the thing is I get a comic-con they have them out there, but it's not just for the press, it's also specifically for your average consumer to go. Oh, I've heard of this. Let me play this five-minute demo. I think the last year we were out there, they had this huge pac-man thing. And there was like an hour and a half line that anybody who wanted to play it had to wait through. And you know... And then there was the other area where we did a couple of things out there... That you kind of had to wait, it was like four hours? To get in because of the one of the other special events going on in there like where we saw the Samsung thing. The NFT game that we saw in there like how they kind of had it behind closed doors. RB: Well, and there was one specifically that you tried to sign up for, but every time you tried to sign up for it, all of the slots were filled. I thought. DHB: Oh, yeah, that was Sony when they're doing the VR stuff. Is when we have to wake up at like four or five in the morning, hop on their website, hope it doesn't crash so you could try to grab a slot. But like at Comic-Con, when you have quarter of a million people trying to do the exact same thing, you're in a lottery, which I know that's kind of the running joke at Comic-Con, that everything's a lottery there. But that's kind of how it is. And getting access is going to be, is going to be harder and harder because there's more people who want to see it all. And then now there is no reason to give out access willy nilly when they can just control it. RB: It's, it's, it's interesting to, because I don't know if everybody actually pays attention to the fact that smaller outlets were utilizing E3 to gain access to developers and to gameplay, to be able to help write reviews and get consumers information. DHB: No, and there were smaller outlets that didn't even realize they were doing it themselves. There was one outlet that I tried teaming up with one year at E3, and it was mainly because of how, you know, getting a hotel down there was rough, and we just ended up having to share a hotel room. And the entire time we were there, they did nothing but complain. They're like, oh, E3 needs to end. E3 needs to be canceled because of, you know, because of how horrible of an experience it is. Not realizing the instant that happens, now they're going to be sitting there watching videos and not getting access. And then after the pandemic hit, I still talk to some of them and they've been having issues getting a hold of some of the developers and publishers they've talked to before. Or getting access to certain events. Or getting access to early access games. Or sometimes even just press assets. And if they're controlling like the screenshots you could share or if you could share a video that some other outlet has already shared and watermarked everywhere. That's just kind of another telling thing. Like they don't want these smaller outlets to do that kind of stuff. Because the smaller outlets have less to lose by being honest. RB: Well, I'm sure that in their minds, at least from a marketing perspective, the perception is, well, these smaller outlets don't have have a big enough following, so it's not really like we're losing anything. DHB: Yeah, and I've run into that too, where it's like, oh, you know, we're losing you and you get, you know, maybe, you know, 10,000 views a month, you know. Yeah, but it doesn't behoove them to go, yeah, we're gonna, this is gonna be a drop in the bucket for us, you know, nothing major, but if we lost like our IGN or our GameSpot who are coming in bringing in millions of views, you know, that's a bigger, that's a bigger thing, obviously. RB: Well, I, I am sorry that I did not have an opportunity to go to E3 and to experience... DHB: Well, with any luck, I'm hoping, I'm still holding out hope that they'll do something, at least some kind of in-person event. I don't see it happening, but I'm still gonna hold out hope, because it just feels like we're getting to that point we're gonna have monopolies driving the news and hopefully the fans will realize that's what's happening and maybe kind of force the hand again. RB: It'd be good to see. It would be good to see that access open back up. Let's let's hope. DHB: I will keep all my fingers crossed. RB: Well we are coming up towards the end of the podcast. Any last thoughts? DHB: I believe I've got everything out there but I will I could talk for hours on this topic because it's been something I've been passionate about since I've gone to the first one. RB: Yeah I was gonna say... DHB: Yeah, the first one back in 2008. RB: 2008. I was gonna ask how many you had gone to it sounds like quite a few I went to. DHB: I've been to every one of them as either a fan, member of the press, member of the industry every year since 2008 up until the pandemic. RB: that is that's that's quite the track record. All right David. Well, thank you for bringing us this information and hopefully folks find some benefit from hearing about E3 and its cancellation. DHB: Well, hopefully this this will also a light on for the consumer to look out there. Because, I guess, another nugget I threw out there is most people don't know the things that are going on behind the scene. And I've talked to a few other people that have worked kind of in the gaming industry and even I mean some of them are like people who work at GameStop or you know minor developers or whatever. And they don't recognize how detrimental this could be to just getting news and information out there beyond what you know wants to be driven by the marketing and PR team. RB: All right. Well, we're going to wrap it there. David, thank you. DHB: I have spoken. RB: That's perfect. We will catch you all next week. Have a great day. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. RB: It's not a penis joke. BOTH: Until now. 24:12 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,E3,E3 2023, yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected — Marvel Strike Force [Episode Five] The AggroCast crew has some words to say about the mobile game Marvel Strike Force in the latest episode of the podcast. Ray and David dig into what the game is, how hard it can be for new players to get into the mix of it all, if Marvel fans should pay attention, as well as the predatory aspects that the app has built in to abuse those with gambling/gaming addiction. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi, this is the AggroCast Resurrected with Ray Bruels and David Hades Becker, and we are talking about today the mobile game Marvel Strike Force. Yeah, I know, it's one of those that we've been wanting to talk about for a while, and especially me. I started writing an article about four months ago, and I just could not finish it because every week it's something new with this game. David Hades Becker: Right, it's like, yeah, not even every week, it's almost every other day. RB: Yeah. DHB: Something changes, or they make some tweak or whatever, or they screw up on their own and completely screw over the fan base. RB: And there are so many YouTube content creators like Frank Hartgrave and BoilOn and ValleyFly and MobileGamer are constantly talking about these screw ups, and it's got to be just a media rich environment for them because they can just keep going back to all of these mistakes, content galore. But you and I have both been playing it pretty close to inception, if not… DB: Pretty much, yeah, almost like at least four or five years or so. RB: Yeah, since it started, and I used to love this game. I agree with so many people talking about how you're addicted to this game. And yet I think now I cannot break the habit because I'm too invested. DHB: Well, too invested financially or just in general? RB: In general. I try not to spend any money on mobile games. I know I have spent some money because there have been a couple of opportunities where they have screwed up and they have put out offers that were just too good to be true. And I had to jump on them. But what started off for me was simply a game of collecting has now became this strategized… DHB: Game of hoarding. RB: Yeah, it's hoarding. Oh yeah, HordeForce. DHB: Yeah. RB: Every week you're having to sit on resources waiting for somebody to tell you when you can spend them because I don't have the time to read the blog. I don't know if you read the blog. DHB: I think I've read them maybe two or three times. That's about it. RB: And even those are so convoluted that it's difficult to understand just what the hell they're doing. All right. And to roll it back, for those who may not know what Marvel Strike Force is, it's a game that originally was put out by Fox Next. And then it was bought by Scopely, put under the Boundless umbrella. And in 20, was it 2020? They said that they had made $300 million off this game. DHB: Yeah, I think it was about that. RB: But they have not posted any financial figures since then that I could find. And all of the envoys, all of these content creators on YouTube and Reddit, part of an envoys system that they get to talk to the developers that are under NDA. They get to see stuff as it's pre-released. There's a couple like Tana that actually do deep dives and can read the backend coding. So they kind of see what's going on… DHB: Get a better feel on like those random drops or yeah. RB: Well, and what characters may potentially be next. But we just came through a massive push that they were doing for Apocalypse. Oh my gosh, Apocalypse, Apocalypse, Apocalypse. And this is something else I've learned is that they have different categories for people that spend. You've got your Whales and your Krakens and your Dolphins and all of the sea life whatsoever has some title. I am nowhere near any of that. I'm kind of a casual player for the most part. DHB: Well, I am allergic to fish, so I'm not even in the swimming pool because I haven't spent a single dime on this game. RB: That would kill you. You are allergic to seafood. When you look at the game and you're having to spend money to keep up or even to finish some of the events that they're doing, like I didn't get anywhere close to unlocking Apocalypse. And right after Apocalypse, this giant push, they then had Kang. DHB: Yeah, Kang. But that I think was to work in with the Ant-Man movie more than anything. RB: Well, the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, the new series of movies that are coming out with Kang focus, although that's going to be interesting sidebar with what happened in the news recently with that actor. DHB: Oh, yeah. With Jonathan Majors. Yeah. RB: Yeah. We're going to have to see what happens or if that's going to be another Ezra Miller type situation. DHB: Yeah, we've spent so much time and effort. We have to figure a way to keep this going. RB: Yeah. So we have this game, Marvel Strike Force. And really, it was Frank Hartgrave that taught me a lot through his content about just how predatory mobile games in general are. I never paid much attention, but I was never a big mobile game player. My partner, Juliet, is more of a mobile game player, but she has that superpower. If she plays a game for like two months right after the sweet spot, after they kind of lure you in and then she jumps to a new game, because that's the trick, right? They have this trickle where they get you in and they're giving you stuff and they're like, yeah, this is great. DHB: Here's all the free shit. Now you got to pay. RB: Yeah. I've got the rush of dopamine every time I get to open something and… DHB: Makes all the 'chinging' noises. RB: Yeah. And then it starts to slowly trickle down and it's like, oh, well, if you want to continue only for a fee of $4.99. Although with Marvel Strike Force, some of these offers $99. DHB: Right. And not even guaranteeing that you can unlock something. It wasn't there one recently that was like almost two grand you'd have to drop. RB: Yeah. DHB: And you might be able to unlock something. RB: And that's the thing with these loot boxes that they get you with having to earn these shards and they're like, oh, you can possibly earn up to 180 shards of a character for $4.99 or whatever. But then you open it up and it's like, oh, I got 10. DHB: Yeah. RB: And so you have to keep grinding. DHB: Well, that's because they also obfuscate the actual drop rates because you can go through. But I think the other day I went there and I was like, let's see what the drop rate is on. I think it was Dark Beast. And I saw it was like, if you open up the specific one, you could buy to get 180. It said it was like a point zero 3% or something like that, that you can get 180 shards of this one character, whereas like 90% you get two. RB: Yeah, they have truly mastered the ability to milk people. DHB: And they also hide it multiple layers down because I had to go through four different clicks to even see those numbers. And I don't even think those numbers I saw were the correct ones. They're probably rounded up from what the actual, you know, behind the scenes code gives them. RB: Well, content creator Boilon, he recently released a video talking about he went to Scopley's website for careers and how many jobs they have open and their internships for like code testing and things like that. And it's like, well, that explains a lot. No wonder you're making so many mistakes. If you're not testing this, any of this code before you're pushing and you're, you're a tech guy, you know how that works. DHB: Definitely know how that works. But they can also just easily have a turnover as well. Because most of the time though, they'll hire a bunch of people and they get tired of, you know, the bullshit at the work environment, let alone, you know, the actual game stuff. And they just bounce on their own. RB: I have not talked to anyone at Scopley or even Boundless. And I wonder how much of it marketing people at Scopley pushing for all of this money and the monetization of the game? DHB: I'm almost certain that's probably a majority of it all. They probably have a couple of developers, a couple of programmers, a lot of stuff making it up, making everything function, but there are probably people in the background doing the whole like, how do we trick people into paying this money? How do we get, how do we put enough out there to where you're two, two shards away. So it was like, I guess I'll pay $5 just so I can get those two that I'm missing to unlock this character to level up this character. RB: Well, there are so many YouTube videos about that psychology and the history behind it, because I guess there was a game that you could get a skin for your horse and that's all it was, was a skin. DHB: Yeah. It was horse armor. RB: But they learned that people would pay it. And so it has just grown into this thing. And there's an awesome video where there is a developer that talks about all of the gimmicks. He basically lays it out for other developers on how to just milk the system. And here we are, five years later, still playing this damn game and still getting frustrated every week as they pull some new crap. DHB: They trickle out enough new stuff to keep you hooked. And at the same time, it's deploying the same thing EA tried to do with Battlefront, where it's like… RB: Oh, yeah… DHB: Which is interesting that people don't harp on these type of games as much as they did on EA, because EA got hammered for that where they had to remove massive chunks of the game to go, "okay, it's playable now." And you don't have what you pay for is what you actually get. RB: Well, and I think it's because I feel like the mobile game industry in terms of players may be smaller than the overall gaming world. DHB: No, it's the other way around. Mobile gaming is bigger than console and PC gaming, because who doesn't have a phone in their pocket? RB: That's true. DHB: And I can name tons of people who don't have a PS5 or an Xbox Series X or a gaming PC. RB: Is it maybe that EA got hammered more because they're just a bigger name? DHB: Well, that and I think at the time, they were the one who did they did it the most blatantly where the unlock you got was Darth Vader. And effectively, he just killed everybody in the game. So if you paid the $45 or whatever it was to get him, you know, just you had the best kill death ratio in the game. And gamers saw that real fast. I think it was just because it was a Star Wars IP. So you had the Star Wars fans watching, you had the hardcore gamers who were playing back because it was Battlefront 2, not Battlefront 1. So who were carried over from the original one, they saw it and all that stuff. And EA had a bunch of other things going on with loot boxes and all their other games. I think that was the one that that was the straw that broke the camel's back. RB: Yeah, as you said, though, so there are more there are more mobile gamers out there, you would think that people would pay more attention to the fact especially like Marvel Strike Force. It's rated T for teen. So you know the age demographic and… DHB: What it's supposed to be… RB: What it's supposed to be and all of the fans of the Marvel comics and franchise on top of all of that, then you have essentially gambling because you're buying these loot boxes, you're buying a pool of slot machine and living in Vegas, we know what that's like. DHB: And they're using similar tactics that you would use in gambling to do that is like, Oh, just one more. I'll definitely get it one more pull. That's all I need. I'll hit the jackpot. RB: And even looking at the gold and the power that you need to run some of the challenges, I don't know about you, but I never paid much attention to it. I would run my power and I'd be like, Oh, I have like eight left, but it takes 10 to use. So you either use what they call power cores to refresh those things, or I would just let it go. But I know having talked to Frank that there are folks that are like, No, but I got to spend those last eight. I've got to find a way to spend those last eight. DHB: Well, there's also the same people it's like when you look at your radio dial, it's either even odd or multiples of five. So you have people who have that mindset where I have to clear this or I have to have this thing even though I even though I can't use five power for anything, as long as I'm there, I'm okay. But if you're at six, you're like, I got to figure a way to spend this. RB: That's so funny. You brought that up. I'm like that with my TV volume, what it used to be. I'd be like, it only could be an even number or a five. DHB: Yeah. RB: I've since relaxed on that. But it's so funny. You bring that up. DHB: But that's how a lot of people are. And when you see those extra ones out there, that's one of the predatory actions that can be done is well, you can spend a little more and get that extra so you can zero out or hit that even number or whatever. I even find myself because I like to have everything cleared out. Also, they're watching the time ticker. So it gives you that one extra power to go from nine to 10. So I'd be like, yeah, I'm just going to burn it and then wait, wait until I know it's going to be fully refreshed later on. RB: I am so addicted that I found a way to play it on my desktop. So while I was writing an article today for Aggrogamer, I was running my dailies. And I'm just like, okay, this is because I also have to ask myself and I'm going to ask you, do you still have fun with the game? DHB: In some aspects, I do. Mainly it's the I enjoyed the collecting and getting you know, seeing how some of the characters build together. And even when they put out the rare times actually put more story into the thing. I enjoy that. But at the end of the day, it comes down to where I'm just going through the motions until that happens again. RB: Yeah, because I am a collector. I have the collector bug. I was a comic book collector. I played Magic the Gathering. So I know that I have that desire to just collect it all. An achievement hunter in many ways for video games. I did that in the City of Heroes. I collected every achievement that I could. And so I love trying to unlock the new characters, but there are some characters I know I will never unlock. And it was funny with that last big push for Apocalypse. I kept hearing so many people, both content creators, as well as even people in my Alliance Discord talking about how they were going to just leave the game after they unlocked him. And now, especially because they unlocked him, he wasn't that great. DHB: Yeah. RB: They did all of that work to push all of those characters up to be able to unlock him. And then they're like, oh, well, you got them. But now here's Kang. But even now, Kang's not that great. DHB: But you said there is it was all push for you to spend all of your resources building up other characters in the idea you're going to get some amazing character. And now that people are sitting there without their stuff, now they got to go buy more. Or they have to sit there and grind out more. RB: And they still, there's so many people that still play the game. They just refuse to leave. And what's funny is if you get on Facebook or Reddit, how many people defend this game? And I'm like, are you purposely being obtuse about what's going on? Or are you somehow seeing something that I and all of the other people that I know that are not seeing? Because gosh, there are so many defenders of this game. DHB: Well, I'm almost certain a lot of the defenders, it's because they spent so much time, they've put so much money into it. They don't want to feel like they've wasted that. So they're going to defend it no matter what going, no, no, I didn't waste five years of my life and thousands of dollars. This game is still good, even though it's not or they don't want to recognize the fact that they got swindled. RB: Sunk cost fallacy. It happens with every game you spend money on, especially for a long period of time. We've seen it in tabletop games, we've seen it in LARPs. And so yeah, I really think that's the issue with Marvel Strike Force is it's sunk cost fallacy. Yeah, so Marvel Strike Force. And the thing is they can keep it going. DHB: Yeah, as long as they have new characters. I mean, they're even making new characters just for the game. And yeah, so they have three that they made originally for the game in a branched out sense in the other stuff. But I have a feeling as long as they get that license, they're going to keep doing that. And when they run out of original content from the Marvel universe, we'll just slap somebody together like Deathpool. Easy one to put together. Deadpool and Death had a kid. RB: Well, and one of the best characters in the game was one they created. BOTH: Kestrel. RB: Yeah, she's supposed to be getting a new costume. DHB: I actually unlocked that one yesterday. RB: Oh, I have not. See, and this is the thing. This is how they get you. Because your buddies, you're like, oh, did you get this thing? I totally got this thing. God, now I want that thing. And even the scrolling thing at the bottom of the game where you're like, oh, your buddy in the Alliance just pulled 2 million gold from a gold orb. Well, I want to pull 2 million gold. DHB: Why don't I ever get to pull 2 million? But I'm going to do it now. RB: And I swear they throttle stuff back because there have been a couple of instances after they've screwed up and they've given us rewards that suddenly I no longer get the same level of rewards that was getting opening things. So the new player experience. When I started looking to write that article, I created a brand new account because I have a problem. I'm still playing that account. But if you're a brand new player, don't ever come near this game because you are never going to be able to catch up. A lot of the current events I can't touch with my new account, even though the accounts like level 65 now. DHB: Yeah, I mean, I've been playing almost since inception. I couldn't even do the Apocalypse one because I was missing a couple of shards for one character. And because I got locked out, not even a new player. So I can't even imagine a new player coming in. Like, I'd like to even just try some of these. RB: Well, you need millions and millions of gold to level them up to a point where you can actually participate. Like this newest event, because they introduced the Invaders and they've got a multiversal World War II Captain America, which one of his animations is summoning like a Sherman tank. And to basically play through some of that content, you have to have gotten the Rebirth, Rebirth teams, team members to a certain point that you can then use them for his and I'm like, oh my God, are you kidding me? DHB: Exactly. Even with that, when that one started up, I had to grind some of those characters just to get it, get it so I can run those, run those little missions and play out, even just play out the story sort of it all, not the difficult version that gets you even more stuff to unlock. RB: Well. And then they had the St. Patrick's Day event and specific… DHB: Really, because I didn't get anything from that. RB: Well, so they had the currency at least. And so in the store, they had the little shamrock, but everything in there was crap for the most part. And they're about to turn it over to Easter. So we're going to we're going to earn like Easter eggs or something. DHB: Well, yeah, but also they had the special Thor: Ragnarok or whatever Hulk costume. And that was the only thing that felt worthwhile at all. And I don't know anybody who got it outside of people who paid money because I was looking at there was no way to grind it out as a free player. RB: I have seen people in Crucible, which is one of the aspects of the game where you fight against other player's teams. I've seen somebody that had it there, but I couldn't get enough costume shards. There are times where I get this message, which perhaps I should be paying more attention, but my costume credits expire and they turn them into something else. And I'm like, what the hell is this? I don't even understand how some of that works. DHB: To clarify for that, it's what happens is when those ones, it's the specific ones for those characters of that event, then they turn into the generic ones, which gets you the they have the 12 that are always just sitting in there. But after you get those, they just sit there and keep accumulating until into perpetuity. RB: But, you know, even with the expiration of those credits, I still don't have enough to buy another costume. Like, I think maybe four of my characters have alternate costumes. Like Shang-Chi, I wanted the movie version as opposed to his comic version. It's convoluted, it's frustrating, and they get you. DHB: To get the value of it, playing as a free player, I fully get the value out of it. I don't understand how anybody would get a value spending any money on it. RB: Well, especially thousands and thousands of dollars, because I understand they've got the leaderboards and people want to be on top and there's like one guy, he must spend thousands of dollars to be on top of the leaderboards like he is. But at the end of the day, when they decide to pull this game and pull the servers down, what do you have for it? DHB: You have nothing. Because it's pretty much you have to delete the app anyways because it's going to just sit there and taking up space on your… RB: Are you going to put it on a resume? If you've got that much disposable income and it's bringing you that much enjoyment, I guess, that reaches a point where if you spent thousands of dollars, you could have bought a convertible and had your midlife crisis. DHB: Yeah, exactly. I think it was something you mentioned earlier on the predatory and gambling aspects of it all. And it comes down to that's kind of the bigger focus of all of that is you have people who think they're getting value out of it when they're not. And they're using these deceptive practices to give you that dopamine so you feel it, you're like, oh yeah, I feel great. But there's characters on there that I guarantee people paid money for. They probably haven't even looked at even though they paid hundreds of dollars on it because they got their quick fix and now they're moving on to the next thing. RB: Well, and every character that comes out today, there's a better character tomorrow. DHB: Yeah. RB: There are so many characters that have been unlocked. They force you eventually to have to use them for some bullshit event. But for the most part, there's so much bloat in terms of the characters and there's the power bloat. Like I saw it with card games and especially Magic where, well, okay, we've got this tricky mechanic, but now we have to escalate to a new tricky mechanic and a new deck build. And now we have all of these teams that are just escalations of escalations. So how do you even balance this kind of thing? DHB: I haven't seen a single way to do that because in the arena, we're playing against another team and all that stuff just one on one. Almost all of the ones, because I'm at like the number 200 rank or whatever. Everybody's running the exact same team I have. It's just different power levels for each of the characters. And it's either the Infinity Watch, the Darkhold team, or my personal favorite one, which is the Eternals and the New Warriors. I don't see anything else in there except for that because that's where the current power bloat is. As soon as somebody figures out the next one, that's all that's going to be in the top 200 places. There's going to be variations of who spent more money or spent more time grinding out these levels and all that stuff. RB: Yeah, because even Gamma, which was the Red Hulk, Incredible Hulk, She-Hulk, Brawn, and… Abomination… They were really great. And now they're kind of middling. DHB: Well, even when you put them up against the Uncanny X-Men, the one where we were introducing Rogue and Gambit for the first time, that one's even more like way more powerful than that one. That one came out way before the Gamma team. And it's just they don't do any balancing, which I guess is why they need the testers and developers. Because I think they just put everything in like, it works, let's let it go. People aren't complaining. Or when people complain, they just over-correct the other way and things become unusable. RB: That over-correction, it's a knee-jerk reaction. And often it goes completely too far. DHB: Because one of my favorite teams early on was the Guardians. And they worked out amazing. Now I laugh at them every time I see somebody put that team up against me because I was like, I could probably beat you with one of my characters because of how stupidly they reduced everything down. RB: The only character that is really worth a damn on that team is Gamora. DHB: I throw her over on Infinity Watch. RB: Yeah, oh yeah. DHB: And that's the thing is she's not really the Guardians anymore. She's on a different team. RB: Yeah, well, and they've done that with a bunch of characters. And me being the purist that I am for Marvel Universe, I was trying to build the teams as they were in the comics. And I'm just like, okay, great. So Magneto really isn't part of the Brotherhood anymore. He's a Death Seed. But to then add a positive of the game, as we're about to wrap up, I love the art. Whoever they have as their art director or their art team does a great job in rendering. DHB: Oh yeah, I would love to have, even to the current background they have for the fifth anniversary, where they have every character they've released, I'd love to just be able to see that outside of the loading screen that comes in. You could see where they took the time to actually draw each of the characters. We'll just copy and paste everything in and call it a day. RB: Well, I don't know if you saw when they first released that, it was before they had announced the Invaders. And I saw Union Jack in there. I'm like, ha, ha, ha, okay. But yeah, whoever's doing it. DHB: Well, yeah, because it was that, there's the Agent Venom one that comes splashing every now and then. RB: Well, and that one you could actually get off their Twitter. DHB: Yeah. RB: Because I pulled that down because I was like, I love Agent Venom. Flash Thompson was awesome as Venom. And they did a great job with that. And occasionally on Facebook, they would post up the art. I really feel bad for their customer service and their social media marketers because of how much they get hammered because of the mistakes that are made. DHB: Oh, easily. Yeah, they're guaranteed they're having to field… Or they're just drunk all the time. RB: Well, it's funny. I once thought perhaps they were making some of these mistakes on purpose, like they were planned. But now, they legitimately make these mistakes and then they're having to overcorrect or they get these bullshit responses like Cerebro, one of the community managers put out recently, really frustrated a lot of people. It's like, you're not giving us anything. This is the fifth anniversary event for this game. And we really, up to last week, we hadn't really gotten anything out of them. And then they tried to backpedal on a mistake they made that would have given us something. And then ultimately they gave it to us anyway. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: I'm like, you know, if you were a little more generous and proactive about things, you wouldn't have to constantly eat so much crow. DHB: Their fan base wouldn't complain. They could probably get more people who are willing to spend the $5 or $10 here and there instead of only having to rely on Whales and Kraken and all the other massive, you know, Cthulhus out there. RB: Yeah, yeah. Well, and if they actually offered value in the store, the online store, even the app store, it would be worth it. But yeah, $99, I don't think so. DHB: Yeah, I don't even think so for like the $2.99 ones. RB: Yeah. So yeah, Marvel Strike Force sunk cost fallacy. This has been Ray and David and we will catch you next week. RB: Little did Ray and David know how right they were regarding the frequency of issues and problems with Marvel Strike Force. These are just some of the issues since the recording of the Marvel Strike Force episode, creation of a new in-game currency, Ultracores. A login calendar, which provides bonus items for players logging in, went live creating issues with items that were meant for the end of the month's Angel's Army Milestone, requiring deactivation and promise of compensation. Issue with the rule, Britannia event node causing game crashes. Quarter Blitz event failed to launch as expected. Marvel Strike Force player voice Discord movement grows amongst the community and gain support from Twitch and YouTube content creators. This is a movement in hopes to save the Marvel Strike Force game due to the various issues and problems that have come up over the years. In a stroke of insensitivity towards its Japanese uber-Kraken in the Dano Mac, they release an April Fool's offer that has the appearance being written in broken English. Blog Post comes out introducing the next legendary character coming to the game, Nova. All the while, players are actively expending resources to acquire the Invader's characters. Same Blog Post introduces a new game level, Dark Dimension 6 with a new character Super Skrull. Again, same Blog Post introduces the coming gear tier 18 when gear for tier 17 is not farmable. News of Scopely, the parent company of Boundless Entertainment, announced that they were being acquired by Savvy Games which is part of the Saudi Arabian government's public investment fund. Uber-Kraken in player to Dano Mac quits. Reports of issues with the villain's hard chapter 7 necessitate a post regarding the soon coming corrections. Incursion Invaders event suffers delays and I am sure that with the coming days there will be more issues with Marvel Strike Force. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode107.mp3 Wed, 03 May 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected — Marvel Strike Force [Episode Five] AggroCast Resurrected — Marvel Strike Force [Episode Five] AGGROGAMER.COM 005 003 The AggroCast crew has some words to say about the mobile game Marvel Strike Force in the latest episode of the podcast. Ray and David dig into what the game is, how hard it can be for new players to get into the mix of it all, if Marvel fans should pay attention, as well as the predatory aspects that the app has built in to abuse those with gambling/gaming addiction. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi, this is the AggroCast Resurrected with Ray Bruels and David Hades Becker, and we are talking about today the mobile game Marvel Strike Force. Yeah, I know, it's one of those that we've been wanting to talk about for a while, and especially me. I started writing an article about four months ago, and I just could not finish it because every week it's something new with this game. David Hades Becker: Right, it's like, yeah, not even every week, it's almost every other day. RB: Yeah. DHB: Something changes, or they make some tweak or whatever, or they screw up on their own and completely screw over the fan base. RB: And there are so many YouTube content creators like Frank Hartgrave and BoilOn and ValleyFly and MobileGamer are constantly talking about these screw ups, and it's got to be just a media rich environment for them because they can just keep going back to all of these mistakes, content galore. But you and I have both been playing it pretty close to inception, if not… DB: Pretty much, yeah, almost like at least four or five years or so. RB: Yeah, since it started, and I used to love this game. I agree with so many people talking about how you're addicted to this game. And yet I think now I cannot break the habit because I'm too invested. DHB: Well, too invested financially or just in general? RB: In general. I try not to spend any money on mobile games. I know I have spent some money because there have been a couple of opportunities where they have screwed up and they have put out offers that were just too good to be true. And I had to jump on them. But what started off for me was simply a game of collecting has now became this strategized… DHB: Game of hoarding. RB: Yeah, it's hoarding. Oh yeah, HordeForce. DHB: Yeah. RB: Every week you're having to sit on resources waiting for somebody to tell you when you can spend them because I don't have the time to read the blog. I don't know if you read the blog. DHB: I think I've read them maybe two or three times. That's about it. RB: And even those are so convoluted that it's difficult to understand just what the hell they're doing. All right. And to roll it back, for those who may not know what Marvel Strike Force is, it's a game that originally was put out by Fox Next. And then it was bought by Scopely, put under the Boundless umbrella. And in 20, was it 2020? They said that they had made $300 million off this game. DHB: Yeah, I think it was about that. RB: But they have not posted any financial figures since then that I could find. And all of the envoys, all of these content creators on YouTube and Reddit, part of an envoys system that they get to talk to the developers that are under NDA. They get to see stuff as it's pre-released. There's a couple like Tana that actually do deep dives and can read the backend coding. So they kind of see what's going on… DHB: Get a better feel on like those random drops or yeah. RB: Well, and what characters may potentially be next. But we just came through a massive push that they were doing for Apocalypse. Oh my gosh, Apocalypse, Apocalypse, Apocalypse. And this is something else I've learned is that they have different categories for people that spend. You've got your Whales and your Krakens and your Dolphins and all of the sea life whatsoever has some title. I am nowhere near any of that. I'm kind of a casual player for the most part. DHB: Well, I am allergic to fish, so I'm not even in the swimming pool because I haven't spent a single dime on this game. RB: That would kill you. You are allergic to seafood. When you look at the game and you're having to spend money to keep up or even to finish some of the events that they're doing, like I didn't get anywhere close to unlocking Apocalypse. And right after Apocalypse, this giant push, they then had Kang. DHB: Yeah, Kang. But that I think was to work in with the Ant-Man movie more than anything. RB: Well, the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, the new series of movies that are coming out with Kang focus, although that's going to be interesting sidebar with what happened in the news recently with that actor. DHB: Oh, yeah. With Jonathan Majors. Yeah. RB: Yeah. We're going to have to see what happens or if that's going to be another Ezra Miller type situation. DHB: Yeah, we've spent so much time and effort. We have to figure a way to keep this going. RB: Yeah. So we have this game, Marvel Strike Force. And really, it was Frank Hartgrave that taught me a lot through his content about just how predatory mobile games in general are. I never paid much attention, but I was never a big mobile game player. My partner, Juliet, is more of a mobile game player, but she has that superpower. If she plays a game for like two months right after the sweet spot, after they kind of lure you in and then she jumps to a new game, because that's the trick, right? They have this trickle where they get you in and they're giving you stuff and they're like, yeah, this is great. DHB: Here's all the free shit. Now you got to pay. RB: Yeah. I've got the rush of dopamine every time I get to open something and… DHB: Makes all the 'chinging' noises. RB: Yeah. And then it starts to slowly trickle down and it's like, oh, well, if you want to continue only for a fee of $4.99. Although with Marvel Strike Force, some of these offers $99. DHB: Right. And not even guaranteeing that you can unlock something. It wasn't there one recently that was like almost two grand you'd have to drop. RB: Yeah. DHB: And you might be able to unlock something. RB: And that's the thing with these loot boxes that they get you with having to earn these shards and they're like, oh, you can possibly earn up to 180 shards of a character for $4.99 or whatever. But then you open it up and it's like, oh, I got 10. DHB: Yeah. RB: And so you have to keep grinding. DHB: Well, that's because they also obfuscate the actual drop rates because you can go through. But I think the other day I went there and I was like, let's see what the drop rate is on. I think it was Dark Beast. And I saw it was like, if you open up the specific one, you could buy to get 180. It said it was like a point zero 3% or something like that, that you can get 180 shards of this one character, whereas like 90% you get two. RB: Yeah, they have truly mastered the ability to milk people. DHB: And they also hide it multiple layers down because I had to go through four different clicks to even see those numbers. And I don't even think those numbers I saw were the correct ones. They're probably rounded up from what the actual, you know, behind the scenes code gives them. RB: Well, content creator Boilon, he recently released a video talking about he went to Scopley's website for careers and how many jobs they have open and their internships for like code testing and things like that. And it's like, well, that explains a lot. No wonder you're making so many mistakes. If you're not testing this, any of this code before you're pushing and you're, you're a tech guy, you know how that works. DHB: Definitely know how that works. But they can also just easily have a turnover as well. Because most of the time though, they'll hire a bunch of people and they get tired of, you know, the bullshit at the work environment, let alone, you know, the actual game stuff. And they just bounce on their own. RB: I have not talked to anyone at Scopley or even Boundless. And I wonder how much of it marketing people at Scopley pushing for all of this money and the monetization of the game? DHB: I'm almost certain that's probably a majority of it all. They probably have a couple of developers, a couple of programmers, a lot of stuff making it up, making everything function, but there are probably people in the background doing the whole like, how do we trick people into paying this money? How do we get, how do we put enough out there to where you're two, two shards away. So it was like, I guess I'll pay $5 just so I can get those two that I'm missing to unlock this character to level up this character. RB: Well, there are so many YouTube videos about that psychology and the history behind it, because I guess there was a game that you could get a skin for your horse and that's all it was, was a skin. DHB: Yeah. It was horse armor. RB: But they learned that people would pay it. And so it has just grown into this thing. And there's an awesome video where there is a developer that talks about all of the gimmicks. He basically lays it out for other developers on how to just milk the system. And here we are, five years later, still playing this damn game and still getting frustrated every week as they pull some new crap. DHB: They trickle out enough new stuff to keep you hooked. And at the same time, it's deploying the same thing EA tried to do with Battlefront, where it's like… RB: Oh, yeah… DHB: Which is interesting that people don't harp on these type of games as much as they did on EA, because EA got hammered for that where they had to remove massive chunks of the game to go, "okay, it's playable now." And you don't have what you pay for is what you actually get. RB: Well, and I think it's because I feel like the mobile game industry in terms of players may be smaller than the overall gaming world. DHB: No, it's the other way around. Mobile gaming is bigger than console and PC gaming, because who doesn't have a phone in their pocket? RB: That's true. DHB: And I can name tons of people who don't have a PS5 or an Xbox Series X or a gaming PC. RB: Is it maybe that EA got hammered more because they're just a bigger name? DHB: Well, that and I think at the time, they were the one who did they did it the most blatantly where the unlock you got was Darth Vader. And effectively, he just killed everybody in the game. So if you paid the $45 or whatever it was to get him, you know, just you had the best kill death ratio in the game. And gamers saw that real fast. I think it was just because it was a Star Wars IP. So you had the Star Wars fans watching, you had the hardcore gamers who were playing back because it was Battlefront 2, not Battlefront 1. So who were carried over from the original one, they saw it and all that stuff. And EA had a bunch of other things going on with loot boxes and all their other games. I think that was the one that that was the straw that broke the camel's back. RB: Yeah, as you said, though, so there are more there are more mobile gamers out there, you would think that people would pay more attention to the fact especially like Marvel Strike Force. It's rated T for teen. So you know the age demographic and… DHB: What it's supposed to be… RB: What it's supposed to be and all of the fans of the Marvel comics and franchise on top of all of that, then you have essentially gambling because you're buying these loot boxes, you're buying a pool of slot machine and living in Vegas, we know what that's like. DHB: And they're using similar tactics that you would use in gambling to do that is like, Oh, just one more. I'll definitely get it one more pull. That's all I need. I'll hit the jackpot. RB: And even looking at the gold and the power that you need to run some of the challenges, I don't know about you, but I never paid much attention to it. I would run my power and I'd be like, Oh, I have like eight left, but it takes 10 to use. So you either use what they call power cores to refresh those things, or I would just let it go. But I know having talked to Frank that there are folks that are like, No, but I got to spend those last eight. I've got to find a way to spend those last eight. DHB: Well, there's also the same people it's like when you look at your radio dial, it's either even odd or multiples of five. So you have people who have that mindset where I have to clear this or I have to have this thing even though I even though I can't use five power for anything, as long as I'm there, I'm okay. But if you're at six, you're like, I got to figure a way to spend this. RB: That's so funny. You brought that up. I'm like that with my TV volume, what it used to be. I'd be like, it only could be an even number or a five. DHB: Yeah. RB: I've since relaxed on that. But it's so funny. You bring that up. DHB: But that's how a lot of people are. And when you see those extra ones out there, that's one of the predatory actions that can be done is well, you can spend a little more and get that extra so you can zero out or hit that even number or whatever. I even find myself because I like to have everything cleared out. Also, they're watching the time ticker. So it gives you that one extra power to go from nine to 10. So I'd be like, yeah, I'm just going to burn it and then wait, wait until I know it's going to be fully refreshed later on. RB: I am so addicted that I found a way to play it on my desktop. So while I was writing an article today for Aggrogamer, I was running my dailies. And I'm just like, okay, this is because I also have to ask myself and I'm going to ask you, do you still have fun with the game? DHB: In some aspects, I do. Mainly it's the I enjoyed the collecting and getting you know, seeing how some of the characters build together. And even when they put out the rare times actually put more story into the thing. I enjoy that. But at the end of the day, it comes down to where I'm just going through the motions until that happens again. RB: Yeah, because I am a collector. I have the collector bug. I was a comic book collector. I played Magic the Gathering. So I know that I have that desire to just collect it all. An achievement hunter in many ways for video games. I did that in the City of Heroes. I collected every achievement that I could. And so I love trying to unlock the new characters, but there are some characters I know I will never unlock. And it was funny with that last big push for Apocalypse. I kept hearing so many people, both content creators, as well as even people in my Alliance Discord talking about how they were going to just leave the game after they unlocked him. And now, especially because they unlocked him, he wasn't that great. DHB: Yeah. RB: They did all of that work to push all of those characters up to be able to unlock him. And then they're like, oh, well, you got them. But now here's Kang. But even now, Kang's not that great. DHB: But you said there is it was all push for you to spend all of your resources building up other characters in the idea you're going to get some amazing character. And now that people are sitting there without their stuff, now they got to go buy more. Or they have to sit there and grind out more. RB: And they still, there's so many people that still play the game. They just refuse to leave. And what's funny is if you get on Facebook or Reddit, how many people defend this game? And I'm like, are you purposely being obtuse about what's going on? Or are you somehow seeing something that I and all of the other people that I know that are not seeing? Because gosh, there are so many defenders of this game. DHB: Well, I'm almost certain a lot of the defenders, it's because they spent so much time, they've put so much money into it. They don't want to feel like they've wasted that. So they're going to defend it no matter what going, no, no, I didn't waste five years of my life and thousands of dollars. This game is still good, even though it's not or they don't want to recognize the fact that they got swindled. RB: Sunk cost fallacy. It happens with every game you spend money on, especially for a long period of time. We've seen it in tabletop games, we've seen it in LARPs. And so yeah, I really think that's the issue with Marvel Strike Force is it's sunk cost fallacy. Yeah, so Marvel Strike Force. And the thing is they can keep it going. DHB: Yeah, as long as they have new characters. I mean, they're even making new characters just for the game. And yeah, so they have three that they made originally for the game in a branched out sense in the other stuff. But I have a feeling as long as they get that license, they're going to keep doing that. And when they run out of original content from the Marvel universe, we'll just slap somebody together like Deathpool. Easy one to put together. Deadpool and Death had a kid. RB: Well, and one of the best characters in the game was one they created. BOTH: Kestrel. RB: Yeah, she's supposed to be getting a new costume. DHB: I actually unlocked that one yesterday. RB: Oh, I have not. See, and this is the thing. This is how they get you. Because your buddies, you're like, oh, did you get this thing? I totally got this thing. God, now I want that thing. And even the scrolling thing at the bottom of the game where you're like, oh, your buddy in the Alliance just pulled 2 million gold from a gold orb. Well, I want to pull 2 million gold. DHB: Why don't I ever get to pull 2 million? But I'm going to do it now. RB: And I swear they throttle stuff back because there have been a couple of instances after they've screwed up and they've given us rewards that suddenly I no longer get the same level of rewards that was getting opening things. So the new player experience. When I started looking to write that article, I created a brand new account because I have a problem. I'm still playing that account. But if you're a brand new player, don't ever come near this game because you are never going to be able to catch up. A lot of the current events I can't touch with my new account, even though the accounts like level 65 now. DHB: Yeah, I mean, I've been playing almost since inception. I couldn't even do the Apocalypse one because I was missing a couple of shards for one character. And because I got locked out, not even a new player. So I can't even imagine a new player coming in. Like, I'd like to even just try some of these. RB: Well, you need millions and millions of gold to level them up to a point where you can actually participate. Like this newest event, because they introduced the Invaders and they've got a multiversal World War II Captain America, which one of his animations is summoning like a Sherman tank. And to basically play through some of that content, you have to have gotten the Rebirth, Rebirth teams, team members to a certain point that you can then use them for his and I'm like, oh my God, are you kidding me? DHB: Exactly. Even with that, when that one started up, I had to grind some of those characters just to get it, get it so I can run those, run those little missions and play out, even just play out the story sort of it all, not the difficult version that gets you even more stuff to unlock. RB: Well. And then they had the St. Patrick's Day event and specific… DHB: Really, because I didn't get anything from that. RB: Well, so they had the currency at least. And so in the store, they had the little shamrock, but everything in there was crap for the most part. And they're about to turn it over to Easter. So we're going to we're going to earn like Easter eggs or something. DHB: Well, yeah, but also they had the special Thor: Ragnarok or whatever Hulk costume. And that was the only thing that felt worthwhile at all. And I don't know anybody who got it outside of people who paid money because I was looking at there was no way to grind it out as a free player. RB: I have seen people in Crucible, which is one of the aspects of the game where you fight against other player's teams. I've seen somebody that had it there, but I couldn't get enough costume shards. There are times where I get this message, which perhaps I should be paying more attention, but my costume credits expire and they turn them into something else. And I'm like, what the hell is this? I don't even understand how some of that works. DHB: To clarify for that, it's what happens is when those ones, it's the specific ones for those characters of that event, then they turn into the generic ones, which gets you the they have the 12 that are always just sitting in there. But after you get those, they just sit there and keep accumulating until into perpetuity. RB: But, you know, even with the expiration of those credits, I still don't have enough to buy another costume. Like, I think maybe four of my characters have alternate costumes. Like Shang-Chi, I wanted the movie version as opposed to his comic version. It's convoluted, it's frustrating, and they get you. DHB: To get the value of it, playing as a free player, I fully get the value out of it. I don't understand how anybody would get a value spending any money on it. RB: Well, especially thousands and thousands of dollars, because I understand they've got the leaderboards and people want to be on top and there's like one guy, he must spend thousands of dollars to be on top of the leaderboards like he is. But at the end of the day, when they decide to pull this game and pull the servers down, what do you have for it? DHB: You have nothing. Because it's pretty much you have to delete the app anyways because it's going to just sit there and taking up space on your… RB: Are you going to put it on a resume? If you've got that much disposable income and it's bringing you that much enjoyment, I guess, that reaches a point where if you spent thousands of dollars, you could have bought a convertible and had your midlife crisis. DHB: Yeah, exactly. I think it was something you mentioned earlier on the predatory and gambling aspects of it all. And it comes down to that's kind of the bigger focus of all of that is you have people who think they're getting value out of it when they're not. And they're using these deceptive practices to give you that dopamine so you feel it, you're like, oh yeah, I feel great. But there's characters on there that I guarantee people paid money for. They probably haven't even looked at even though they paid hundreds of dollars on it because they got their quick fix and now they're moving on to the next thing. RB: Well, and every character that comes out today, there's a better character tomorrow. DHB: Yeah. RB: There are so many characters that have been unlocked. They force you eventually to have to use them for some bullshit event. But for the most part, there's so much bloat in terms of the characters and there's the power bloat. Like I saw it with card games and especially Magic where, well, okay, we've got this tricky mechanic, but now we have to escalate to a new tricky mechanic and a new deck build. And now we have all of these teams that are just escalations of escalations. So how do you even balance this kind of thing? DHB: I haven't seen a single way to do that because in the arena, we're playing against another team and all that stuff just one on one. Almost all of the ones, because I'm at like the number 200 rank or whatever. Everybody's running the exact same team I have. It's just different power levels for each of the characters. And it's either the Infinity Watch, the Darkhold team, or my personal favorite one, which is the Eternals and the New Warriors. I don't see anything else in there except for that because that's where the current power bloat is. As soon as somebody figures out the next one, that's all that's going to be in the top 200 places. There's going to be variations of who spent more money or spent more time grinding out these levels and all that stuff. RB: Yeah, because even Gamma, which was the Red Hulk, Incredible Hulk, She-Hulk, Brawn, and… Abomination… They were really great. And now they're kind of middling. DHB: Well, even when you put them up against the Uncanny X-Men, the one where we were introducing Rogue and Gambit for the first time, that one's even more like way more powerful than that one. That one came out way before the Gamma team. And it's just they don't do any balancing, which I guess is why they need the testers and developers. Because I think they just put everything in like, it works, let's let it go. People aren't complaining. Or when people complain, they just over-correct the other way and things become unusable. RB: That over-correction, it's a knee-jerk reaction. And often it goes completely too far. DHB: Because one of my favorite teams early on was the Guardians. And they worked out amazing. Now I laugh at them every time I see somebody put that team up against me because I was like, I could probably beat you with one of my characters because of how stupidly they reduced everything down. RB: The only character that is really worth a damn on that team is Gamora. DHB: I throw her over on Infinity Watch. RB: Yeah, oh yeah. DHB: And that's the thing is she's not really the Guardians anymore. She's on a different team. RB: Yeah, well, and they've done that with a bunch of characters. And me being the purist that I am for Marvel Universe, I was trying to build the teams as they were in the comics. And I'm just like, okay, great. So Magneto really isn't part of the Brotherhood anymore. He's a Death Seed. But to then add a positive of the game, as we're about to wrap up, I love the art. Whoever they have as their art director or their art team does a great job in rendering. DHB: Oh yeah, I would love to have, even to the current background they have for the fifth anniversary, where they have every character they've released, I'd love to just be able to see that outside of the loading screen that comes in. You could see where they took the time to actually draw each of the characters. We'll just copy and paste everything in and call it a day. RB: Well, I don't know if you saw when they first released that, it was before they had announced the Invaders. And I saw Union Jack in there. I'm like, ha, ha, ha, okay. But yeah, whoever's doing it. DHB: Well, yeah, because it was that, there's the Agent Venom one that comes splashing every now and then. RB: Well, and that one you could actually get off their Twitter. DHB: Yeah. RB: Because I pulled that down because I was like, I love Agent Venom. Flash Thompson was awesome as Venom. And they did a great job with that. And occasionally on Facebook, they would post up the art. I really feel bad for their customer service and their social media marketers because of how much they get hammered because of the mistakes that are made. DHB: Oh, easily. Yeah, they're guaranteed they're having to field… Or they're just drunk all the time. RB: Well, it's funny. I once thought perhaps they were making some of these mistakes on purpose, like they were planned. But now, they legitimately make these mistakes and then they're having to overcorrect or they get these bullshit responses like Cerebro, one of the community managers put out recently, really frustrated a lot of people. It's like, you're not giving us anything. This is the fifth anniversary event for this game. And we really, up to last week, we hadn't really gotten anything out of them. And then they tried to backpedal on a mistake they made that would have given us something. And then ultimately they gave it to us anyway. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: I'm like, you know, if you were a little more generous and proactive about things, you wouldn't have to constantly eat so much crow. DHB: Their fan base wouldn't complain. They could probably get more people who are willing to spend the $5 or $10 here and there instead of only having to rely on Whales and Kraken and all the other massive, you know, Cthulhus out there. RB: Yeah, yeah. Well, and if they actually offered value in the store, the online store, even the app store, it would be worth it. But yeah, $99, I don't think so. DHB: Yeah, I don't even think so for like the $2.99 ones. RB: Yeah. So yeah, Marvel Strike Force sunk cost fallacy. This has been Ray and David and we will catch you next week. RB: Little did Ray and David know how right they were regarding the frequency of issues and problems with Marvel Strike Force. These are just some of the issues since the recording of the Marvel Strike Force episode, creation of a new in-game currency, Ultracores. A login calendar, which provides bonus items for players logging in, went live creating issues with items that were meant for the end of the month's Angel's Army Milestone, requiring deactivation and promise of compensation. Issue with the rule, Britannia event node causing game crashes. Quarter Blitz event failed to launch as expected. Marvel Strike Force player voice Discord movement grows amongst the community and gain support from Twitch and YouTube content creators. This is a movement in hopes to save the Marvel Strike Force game due to the various issues and problems that have come up over the years. In a stroke of insensitivity towards its Japanese uber-Kraken in the Dano Mac, they release an April Fool's offer that has the appearance being written in broken English. Blog Post comes out introducing the next legendary character coming to the game, Nova. All the while, players are actively expending resources to acquire the Invader's characters. Same Blog Post introduces a new game level, Dark Dimension 6 with a new character Super Skrull. Again, same Blog Post introduces the coming gear tier 18 when gear for tier 17 is not farmable. News of Scopely, the parent company of Boundless Entertainment, announced that they were being acquired by Savvy Games which is part of the Saudi Arabian government's public investment fund. Uber-Kraken in player to Dano Mac quits. Reports of issues with the villain's hard chapter 7 necessitate a post regarding the soon coming corrections. Incursion Invaders event suffers delays and I am sure that with the coming days there will be more issues with Marvel Strike Force. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 27:22 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,Marvel,Marvel Strike Force,Gambling Addiction,Gaming Addiction, yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected — GDC 2023 [Episode Four] The AggroCast crew had the opportunity to take in what this year's GDC had to offer up out of San Francisco. Raymond sits down with David to go over the many different things that were a highlight for GDC this year. Some of it mo-cap, some of it physics engines, and some of it how AI could be changing the game. Pun intended. All of it will be something we will see soon in not only our video games but also many other forms of media out there. Hear just what is coming around the corner. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast Resurrected, this is Ray Brules with David Hades Becker. Today we're talking about GDC and some of the announcements that came out of that convention. David Hades Becker: More along the tech line of announcements, because I know there was a couple of games dropped out there because it's a gaming convention, and the big one was Counter-Strike 2, nobody expected that to come out, but it wasn't Portal 3, so. RB: Alright, so for a plebeian like me, what is GDC? DHB: GDC is the Game Developers Conference, it's a place for all the developers to get together and talk about new stuff they've worked on, plugins they've used for engines, or even just new engines they've built. In the past they've shown like the Unreal 3 engine was debuted there, some of the new technology they've used in like Unreal 3, 4, and 5 have been debuted there before even going out to the mass public and stuff like that. RB: And that was your first convention with Aggrogamer, right? DHB: Correct, yeah, it was way back in 2008, my very first convention going out there with Andy. RB: 15 years? DHB: Yeah, it's been a journey, and I guarantee it's a whole different ballpark. Funny enough, back then, the big thing was online streaming games, like that was the big, like onLive was the big thing being shown off, whereas, you know, it took so long, and then Stadia did the same thing, and then it crashed and burned just the same way. Plus, sometimes it's interesting to watch as the technology dies like that. RB: Well, yeah, especially when you get the long view… DHB: Yeah! RB: As you're able to look back and you see how far things have come, or what everybody thought was going to be the big thing, and it crashed and burned, and now something completely different. DHB: Yeah, because back then, yeah, obviously it was the streaming video games as a platform, and it's been resurrected so many times, but I think it was like a few years later, even though VR has been around for a lot longer than that, that was when they first started talking about having like the Oculus Quest and all that stuff before, you know, Meta bought them out and everything. And people then were like, oh, VR is not going to be a thing, it died before, yet here we are. VR and AR is the next bigger thing people are pushing towards. RB: All right. So what big news came out of this year's GDC? DHB: Well, I know there's a lot that came out. Most of the stuff I paid attention to was I'm an Unreal developer, so I usually pay attention a lot more to that. I know Unity had a couple of things. There was the one that they announced with Ubisoft, the Ghostwriter that uses AI to dynamically generate NPC text or even dialogue. So if they can get put, I think the idea people have put out there is going into an Assassin's Creed. Obviously, if your NPCs have the same bit of dialogue over and over, even though they try to make it feel like a fully fleshed out world; it doesn't. Because how many times can you hear the town crier like, "Hey, come over here because somebody did something" over and over. This one, it can they can have it generate live text based on what you're doing, as well as if somebody else says something, another NPC can react to it. So it's using AI to generate the world and actually make it more immersive. RB: That sounds like there's a lot of potential there. DHB: It does, but there's also a lot of back end people don't want to recognize as well, because obviously our AI systems on your local systems, like your PC or even your consoles, aren't going to be as strong. So currently, I think they have to call out to an API to generate that. So it's just more of having your games always be online to get that full immersive experience. Unless you want them to solidly record all this stuff and just have it generate thousands of lines of spoken dialogue that we don't have to hire an actor to come in. RB: Well, AI writers have become such a buzzword. DHB: Yes. RB: We went from Metaverse and VR, AR, XR to now everything is ChatGPT and all of these writers. DHB: Yeah, you can have a whole relationship that way. I watched South Park. RB: Yeah, that episode was amazing. We sat down and watched it the other day. DHB: Oh, you're such a great texter. I love you. Copy paste. Good. RB: No effort whatsoever. Exactly. But what about you told me the other day? DHB: Where's my story? You didn't write me a story. ChatGPT, please write a story. And that's kind of what we're getting at now. But this is kind of like the more macro scale, instead of using it for an individual conversation. Now you're having it build out all the stuff that would normally take a developer or even voice actors hours and hours of time to do. You can have this AI just generate it real fast. Even if you have the actors come in and do the voices, writing all that dialogue and text and then having it be dynamic that adds that extra level of immersion into a video game, but also years of extra work for just a writer to get all that out there, let alone record it. RB: Well, I've got friends that are writers for video games. That's kind of a frightening concept that they could be replaced in some instances. DHB: In some instances, but from what I've understood on it, it's not specifically to remove them completely. It's to do the mundane stuff was like, Do you really need to know what random pie cook is going to be saying over here? No, you don't because you're writing the grand story to tell this epic thing. But obviously, the player is going to go over to the shop and you don't want them to say the same thing over and over. You want them to feel like a real being. And that's where the AI comes in is like so that the writer could take the time and focus on the bigger portion of the story and not write down 50 lines of dialogue for the same person to repeat over and over. So in effect, it feels like a double-edged sword where, yeah, technically is removing a job, but at the same time, giving the actual human something more to focus on and kind of drive towards. RB: That's always the challenge with technology is it's supposed to make life easier. DHB: Exactly. Work smarter, not harder. And there's always going to be that complaint that you're going to get rid of jobs. Or you're going to be like, "You took your jobs!" You know, because you know, but at the same time, you're making your life easier so that the human component can do their job better. RB: Did they talk about when we're going to see Ghostwriter in effect? DHB: I'm not sure if they did, but if I had to guess, it's going to be in one of the next Assassin's Creed games. Just because I know Ubisoft was pushing it quite a bit. And I don't want to say it would probably be the next one, but it could be because they've announced like four or five over the next decade. So in one of them, we could probably see. I mean, we could also be surprised to see it. This it's probably going to be this upcoming November when they announce this next game is coming out. So we'll see. RB: So what else did you see? DHB: Well, moving on to the other one that the other stuff I really enjoyed was the Unreal stuff because that's where I got my degree. I've worked in Unreal since, you know, Unreal three and one that was called Rocket Ship at one point because it was the working title for it all. And they pumped out a bunch of new updates that on the on the face. Some people kind of just like threw it off, but it's like, I know the one that everybody glommed onto was the Fortnite editor so that they no longer have to build your Fortnite maps. You can let the community do it and other other aspects of it. And they've pumped that out there so that now Epic Games isn't going to be the sole builder of it all. They're allowing the community to do it and kind of build their own little off branches from it. RB: So Fortnite is so interesting as a game because of how the iterations. DHB: Yeah, and it's just another iteration. It's going to keep it going on in perpetuity, effectively, because now you don't have to worry about paying single developers. You just pump the tools out there and let the community do it. RB: Yeah, they create their own DLCs. DHB: Exactly kind of like what Roblox has done and some of the other games like that where it's like, here's the tools, you're paying us for the tools. But in this instance, I don't believe Unreal is charging for people to use the tools. They're just giving it out there. And they're getting paid through all the other ways they make money off of Fortnite, with the microtransactions and everything. The dirty side of it all, not loot boxes, but loot boxes. RB: Well, maybe they've even got swag at merchandise as well. DHB: Oh yeah. And then from there, there was also the new physics engine that they showed that I believe just released in early demo form for anybody playing with the Unreal editor. What they did was it's real dynamic physics engine. They showed it off using a car. Whereas normally when you have a car driving through a bumpy terrain, animators have to make all that move. So it's like, oh, it's going over a tree trunk, make the car bounce here. This one, the new physics engine allows that to just happen real time. So if there's a piece of like a geometry in the world, car drives over it. As long as the developer did it correctly, it's going to react how a real car would. I don't remember they used some new electric vehicle or whatever to show that off, but they drove over a bunch of mud through some rivers and trees and branches and all that stuff. And you could see the individual shocks moving and the wobble of even like the antenna on the car flailing around as they were just driving through this terrain. And that which led them into the other part that was really interesting was procedural terrain. Which isn't a new thing, but it's something new for developers on the micro as well as up to the macro scale. So like you can have a developer build an area and then on the fly, whoever's building the level design goes, well, we need to move this here and there. Developer no longer has to go, oh crap, I've got to scrap this and rebuild. They can just pick it up and move and the engine itself will manipulate everything around it. And like one of the things they showed is they came to a big valley and the description was like, if the developer all of a sudden wants the person to have to drive left around this area, they just dropped in this big mountain and it filled the area not only with the rocks, debris, foliage, just random other tidbits in there that were still manageable if the developer didn't like when they dropped. But it was just almost like a button click, boom, there it was. And then furthering along that, they're like, well, if they don't want that and they want to have a split road, they like move the mountainside over and one of the branches like pops up and now there's a walkway just dynamically got built and you watch as the river forms around this new mountain and all that stuff. So it was a new way for artists to go pretty much keep development moving on the fly and they didn't have to like spend months and months of time going, okay, well, we have this concept art, we need to make it look this way for another piece of concept art to come in and completely change that and scrap months of work. Now it's like, oh, you scrapped 30 seconds of my work. And by saying micro to macro, you have like the game area where the player is at and then obviously you have the environment everybody looks out to. That can also get procedurally generated as well. So even though you'll never go to the mountains or whatever, you'll see them out in the distance and if they want to shift that around or change all that stuff, the engine itself will do that based on how the artist drags and drops and moves, manipulates things around. RB: So really interesting tools. DHB: Yeah, and you see the tools, but if you have a crafty programmer in there, that's stuff that can be used live and play as well, not just during the development process at all. So like, say for instance, it's something, except they have the Nanite system instead of, it still uses pixels and polygons, but if you have like a meteor come down and crush stuff, you can have a crater just real time be in the engine as a scripted event in the game and the world will change and manipulate around that. And I think at one point they mentioned even little creatures like bugs and like just random things that you normally wouldn't even interact with but makes the world feel lived in, those would also get interacted with as well. So obviously if you have like a huge fire, insects aren't gonna go over there, but you see them swarming away. It's little things like that that most people don't think about and they're giving the tools out there for the developer. It's live as of right now, if you wanna use the preview build. I think they plan on going live with that in a week or so, I believe, or maybe, or end of April, that it should be live as a production quality version. RB: And so that's tools for the setting. DHB: Yeah. RB: Did they do anything for actors? Cause I know mocap is huge. DHB: Yeah, so I know that, so it was GDC when they blew everybody's mind back with Hellblade and some of the real time motion capture they were able to do. Ninja Theory, who's done all that stuff, they felt like they'd been pioneering it and they've been giving out the tools to the community to use. This time they go out there and they have the exact same actress who's played Senua in their game and all that stuff. And they did a presentation where they had her record 30 seconds of dialogue. They recorded her face from a couple of different angles using a cell phone. Handed that off to an artist and before the end of the presentation was done, he had been able to build a muscle structure of her face real time and then was able to build a 3D model of her face, facial structure to put on there and replay the animation. And then swap that out with other characters and other faces as need be. So it's, which I mean, when you look at it that way, it's like, oh yeah, it's a AAA developer doing these things. But they're giving that out to like indie developers where anybody could take their cell phone, have their motion capture actor, capture it with a cell phone, get rudimentary stuff and then take the time to do it all. So you don't have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on this giant mo-cap studios. You can just do it with a cell phone or basic camera work. Obviously you get better quality when you have the bigger rigs because they put out a video where they have the actress do everything live. She has the dots on her face and the cameras right in front of her, but she was doing all that live in game, in engine. And you could see the difference between it capturing the little wrinkles and all that stuff in her face as to where the cell phone is a little more cartoony, but for 30 seconds to a minute of work, it's still rather impressive. RB: Well, and I wonder, as I'm not a huge developer, in terms of resources, what is that going to take to be able to generate that stuff and to do it? I know it was done on a cell phone. Yeah, just thinking about that. DHB: Well, as a developer, and some of the stuff I do online, I don't run anything, I don't run like a high-end gaming rig. I have a decent gaming computer, but that's what I do my development on, and it works perfectly fine. It's a little of a resource hog, so I can't play a game while I'm developing, but I mean, if I'm developing, why am I playing a game? RB: multitasking! DHB: Exactly, multitasking. But it's not out of the realm of an average consumer. Like, I think my gaming PC by itself, I only paid like two or three thousand for my gaming PC, and it runs this stuff just as well as I saw in the tech demos they were running. RB: At what point are we going to see all of this come together, especially with XR? DHB: It's got to be soon, because I think they mentioned the MetaHuman Animator, which is what this is. It's only like a couple months out before it's just released to the public, and then it's just going to take any artist or any other developer to use it in a creative way for using XR, or even building it into to do generated TikTok avatars. RB: Yeah, well Snapchat does a bunch of that too, but like when we were at CES, and Canon could do the mapping of the body and face to do the calls through virtual reality. If we have these resources available in terms of the physics engines and the MetaHuman Animator, holy cow! DHB: Yeah, and mind you, we're just talking about games here. This goes into every other aspect, because if most people don't know, shows like The Mandalorian and other big movies, they use what's called The Volume, which is just a huge area that is kind of running an unreal instance on a bunch of screens around the actors. So they're kind of like their own little personal holodeck, and they have the 3D assets there that they can react to as well. They use it mostly for to get the light, but also to have the dynamic backgrounds. And so it builds into that, and then like on top of that, like you're saying, doing the filters, you could slap that on other people in movies or animation or whatever. So if you wanted to have a cartoon that looked like it was perfectly animated, like for realistic, just slap one of those avatars on somebody as they have the basic motion capture, and you have the high-end cameras, and you don't even have somebody sitting there doing the dots on the face. It just records live and then replays it. RB: And then we have the possibility of deep fakes. James Earl Jones had signed over his voice. So you can do all kinds of stuff. DHB: Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised in the next few years if we have an entire… I mean, we have them now, but like an entire CG movie where you even lose that uncanny valley. And because you have the real voice that somebody's used, and you have an AI rebuilding it and all that stuff, and you have a real actor who's behind it all. And like I fully recommend watching these tech demos because even though the eyes were a little bit off because they were using a cartoonish filter, they were still able to get some of like the basic, like little tiny details that most people don't even realize they catch. And it's what makes the eyes look different for most people when they're watching CG characters. RB: And we've seen that with like the Luke Skywalker on The Mandalorian. DHB: Yeah, the deep fakes they've done there. RB: Yeah, and how it just keeps getting better and better and better. DHB: And this isn't even a deep fake because the deep fake is using the actual persons likeness. This one you could do a 3D scan if you do a deep enough 3D scan. This is rigging that up so we have the muscle structure and everything underneath it reacting and moving the… It sounds horrible, but the flesh as it should. RB: It's actually kind of scary when you consider how all of these things could come together. You know, you got the AI on top of that. And if… DHB: Okay, you can have an entire scripted scene happen with a realistic looking person that was written by an AI. And we have all the tools pretty much at our disposal right now. But at the end of the day, it's all to make the human element have an easier job doing it all. Because, I mean, I could see where somebody can get crafting creative and make it all AI generated. But at the same time, these are all tools specifically to make your motion capture people have an easier job. Your animators have an easier job. Your writers have an easier job so they can focus on the bigger grander scale things and ignore the little things. RB: Yeah, anything else? Because that sounds pretty mind blowing as it is. DHB: Yeah, that's where I'm kind of at right now. My mind's been blown with just that kind of stuff. There was tons of stuff that came out of GDC, but those are like the bigger points that stuck with me. RB: Have you considered going back to GDC since it's been so many years since you've… DHB: I've given the consideration, but just like everything, the cost of it keeps going up and up. And sometimes it's hard for a small developer to justify. I think it's $4,000 for the weekend, just for the ticket. And then it takes place in San Francisco and we all know how expensive it is out there. So it's a pricey thing to be able to throw down for. And even when I went there last time it was, I think it was $2,000 for the ticket. But we went as press and I got in for free. I still had to pay all the other prices for going to San Francisco. RB: Yeah, San Francisco is not cheap, but holy cow. Yeah, so it looks like there's a lot of possibility on the horizon just because of these tools. And I look forward to seeing what the developers do with them. DHB: Yeah, and exactly. And that's all it's going to take is the developers are going to do it and it's going to push it further. And it feels like we're in an exponential growth on all of these types of things. Because like I said, 15 years ago we were looking at basic VR type stuff that it would be laughed about right now. How is that a thing? And here we are as like, oh, we can pretty much do a deep fake with your cell phone. RB: So there we have it. GDC, some of the highlights that came out of this year. David, thank you for providing your insights. DHB: Not a problem. Thank you. RB: And we'll see you all next week. Well, you get to hear us next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. RB: Downstairs is junk. DHB: Exactly. It burns so good. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode106.mp3 Wed, 26 Apr 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected — GDC 2023 [Episode Four] AggroCast Resurrected — GDC 2023 [Episode Four] AGGROGAMER.COM 004 003 The AggroCast crew had the opportunity to take in what this year's GDC had to offer up out of San Francisco. Raymond sits down with David to go over the many different things that were a highlight for GDC this year. Some of it mo-cap, some of it physics engines, and some of it how AI could be changing the game. Pun intended. All of it will be something we will see soon in not only our video games but also many other forms of media out there. Hear just what is coming around the corner. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Welcome to the AggroCast Resurrected, this is Ray Brules with David Hades Becker. Today we're talking about GDC and some of the announcements that came out of that convention. David Hades Becker: More along the tech line of announcements, because I know there was a couple of games dropped out there because it's a gaming convention, and the big one was Counter-Strike 2, nobody expected that to come out, but it wasn't Portal 3, so. RB: Alright, so for a plebeian like me, what is GDC? DHB: GDC is the Game Developers Conference, it's a place for all the developers to get together and talk about new stuff they've worked on, plugins they've used for engines, or even just new engines they've built. In the past they've shown like the Unreal 3 engine was debuted there, some of the new technology they've used in like Unreal 3, 4, and 5 have been debuted there before even going out to the mass public and stuff like that. RB: And that was your first convention with Aggrogamer, right? DHB: Correct, yeah, it was way back in 2008, my very first convention going out there with Andy. RB: 15 years? DHB: Yeah, it's been a journey, and I guarantee it's a whole different ballpark. Funny enough, back then, the big thing was online streaming games, like that was the big, like onLive was the big thing being shown off, whereas, you know, it took so long, and then Stadia did the same thing, and then it crashed and burned just the same way. Plus, sometimes it's interesting to watch as the technology dies like that. RB: Well, yeah, especially when you get the long view… DHB: Yeah! RB: As you're able to look back and you see how far things have come, or what everybody thought was going to be the big thing, and it crashed and burned, and now something completely different. DHB: Yeah, because back then, yeah, obviously it was the streaming video games as a platform, and it's been resurrected so many times, but I think it was like a few years later, even though VR has been around for a lot longer than that, that was when they first started talking about having like the Oculus Quest and all that stuff before, you know, Meta bought them out and everything. And people then were like, oh, VR is not going to be a thing, it died before, yet here we are. VR and AR is the next bigger thing people are pushing towards. RB: All right. So what big news came out of this year's GDC? DHB: Well, I know there's a lot that came out. Most of the stuff I paid attention to was I'm an Unreal developer, so I usually pay attention a lot more to that. I know Unity had a couple of things. There was the one that they announced with Ubisoft, the Ghostwriter that uses AI to dynamically generate NPC text or even dialogue. So if they can get put, I think the idea people have put out there is going into an Assassin's Creed. Obviously, if your NPCs have the same bit of dialogue over and over, even though they try to make it feel like a fully fleshed out world; it doesn't. Because how many times can you hear the town crier like, "Hey, come over here because somebody did something" over and over. This one, it can they can have it generate live text based on what you're doing, as well as if somebody else says something, another NPC can react to it. So it's using AI to generate the world and actually make it more immersive. RB: That sounds like there's a lot of potential there. DHB: It does, but there's also a lot of back end people don't want to recognize as well, because obviously our AI systems on your local systems, like your PC or even your consoles, aren't going to be as strong. So currently, I think they have to call out to an API to generate that. So it's just more of having your games always be online to get that full immersive experience. Unless you want them to solidly record all this stuff and just have it generate thousands of lines of spoken dialogue that we don't have to hire an actor to come in. RB: Well, AI writers have become such a buzzword. DHB: Yes. RB: We went from Metaverse and VR, AR, XR to now everything is ChatGPT and all of these writers. DHB: Yeah, you can have a whole relationship that way. I watched South Park. RB: Yeah, that episode was amazing. We sat down and watched it the other day. DHB: Oh, you're such a great texter. I love you. Copy paste. Good. RB: No effort whatsoever. Exactly. But what about you told me the other day? DHB: Where's my story? You didn't write me a story. ChatGPT, please write a story. And that's kind of what we're getting at now. But this is kind of like the more macro scale, instead of using it for an individual conversation. Now you're having it build out all the stuff that would normally take a developer or even voice actors hours and hours of time to do. You can have this AI just generate it real fast. Even if you have the actors come in and do the voices, writing all that dialogue and text and then having it be dynamic that adds that extra level of immersion into a video game, but also years of extra work for just a writer to get all that out there, let alone record it. RB: Well, I've got friends that are writers for video games. That's kind of a frightening concept that they could be replaced in some instances. DHB: In some instances, but from what I've understood on it, it's not specifically to remove them completely. It's to do the mundane stuff was like, Do you really need to know what random pie cook is going to be saying over here? No, you don't because you're writing the grand story to tell this epic thing. But obviously, the player is going to go over to the shop and you don't want them to say the same thing over and over. You want them to feel like a real being. And that's where the AI comes in is like so that the writer could take the time and focus on the bigger portion of the story and not write down 50 lines of dialogue for the same person to repeat over and over. So in effect, it feels like a double-edged sword where, yeah, technically is removing a job, but at the same time, giving the actual human something more to focus on and kind of drive towards. RB: That's always the challenge with technology is it's supposed to make life easier. DHB: Exactly. Work smarter, not harder. And there's always going to be that complaint that you're going to get rid of jobs. Or you're going to be like, "You took your jobs!" You know, because you know, but at the same time, you're making your life easier so that the human component can do their job better. RB: Did they talk about when we're going to see Ghostwriter in effect? DHB: I'm not sure if they did, but if I had to guess, it's going to be in one of the next Assassin's Creed games. Just because I know Ubisoft was pushing it quite a bit. And I don't want to say it would probably be the next one, but it could be because they've announced like four or five over the next decade. So in one of them, we could probably see. I mean, we could also be surprised to see it. This it's probably going to be this upcoming November when they announce this next game is coming out. So we'll see. RB: So what else did you see? DHB: Well, moving on to the other one that the other stuff I really enjoyed was the Unreal stuff because that's where I got my degree. I've worked in Unreal since, you know, Unreal three and one that was called Rocket Ship at one point because it was the working title for it all. And they pumped out a bunch of new updates that on the on the face. Some people kind of just like threw it off, but it's like, I know the one that everybody glommed onto was the Fortnite editor so that they no longer have to build your Fortnite maps. You can let the community do it and other other aspects of it. And they've pumped that out there so that now Epic Games isn't going to be the sole builder of it all. They're allowing the community to do it and kind of build their own little off branches from it. RB: So Fortnite is so interesting as a game because of how the iterations. DHB: Yeah, and it's just another iteration. It's going to keep it going on in perpetuity, effectively, because now you don't have to worry about paying single developers. You just pump the tools out there and let the community do it. RB: Yeah, they create their own DLCs. DHB: Exactly kind of like what Roblox has done and some of the other games like that where it's like, here's the tools, you're paying us for the tools. But in this instance, I don't believe Unreal is charging for people to use the tools. They're just giving it out there. And they're getting paid through all the other ways they make money off of Fortnite, with the microtransactions and everything. The dirty side of it all, not loot boxes, but loot boxes. RB: Well, maybe they've even got swag at merchandise as well. DHB: Oh yeah. And then from there, there was also the new physics engine that they showed that I believe just released in early demo form for anybody playing with the Unreal editor. What they did was it's real dynamic physics engine. They showed it off using a car. Whereas normally when you have a car driving through a bumpy terrain, animators have to make all that move. So it's like, oh, it's going over a tree trunk, make the car bounce here. This one, the new physics engine allows that to just happen real time. So if there's a piece of like a geometry in the world, car drives over it. As long as the developer did it correctly, it's going to react how a real car would. I don't remember they used some new electric vehicle or whatever to show that off, but they drove over a bunch of mud through some rivers and trees and branches and all that stuff. And you could see the individual shocks moving and the wobble of even like the antenna on the car flailing around as they were just driving through this terrain. And that which led them into the other part that was really interesting was procedural terrain. Which isn't a new thing, but it's something new for developers on the micro as well as up to the macro scale. So like you can have a developer build an area and then on the fly, whoever's building the level design goes, well, we need to move this here and there. Developer no longer has to go, oh crap, I've got to scrap this and rebuild. They can just pick it up and move and the engine itself will manipulate everything around it. And like one of the things they showed is they came to a big valley and the description was like, if the developer all of a sudden wants the person to have to drive left around this area, they just dropped in this big mountain and it filled the area not only with the rocks, debris, foliage, just random other tidbits in there that were still manageable if the developer didn't like when they dropped. But it was just almost like a button click, boom, there it was. And then furthering along that, they're like, well, if they don't want that and they want to have a split road, they like move the mountainside over and one of the branches like pops up and now there's a walkway just dynamically got built and you watch as the river forms around this new mountain and all that stuff. So it was a new way for artists to go pretty much keep development moving on the fly and they didn't have to like spend months and months of time going, okay, well, we have this concept art, we need to make it look this way for another piece of concept art to come in and completely change that and scrap months of work. Now it's like, oh, you scrapped 30 seconds of my work. And by saying micro to macro, you have like the game area where the player is at and then obviously you have the environment everybody looks out to. That can also get procedurally generated as well. So even though you'll never go to the mountains or whatever, you'll see them out in the distance and if they want to shift that around or change all that stuff, the engine itself will do that based on how the artist drags and drops and moves, manipulates things around. RB: So really interesting tools. DHB: Yeah, and you see the tools, but if you have a crafty programmer in there, that's stuff that can be used live and play as well, not just during the development process at all. So like, say for instance, it's something, except they have the Nanite system instead of, it still uses pixels and polygons, but if you have like a meteor come down and crush stuff, you can have a crater just real time be in the engine as a scripted event in the game and the world will change and manipulate around that. And I think at one point they mentioned even little creatures like bugs and like just random things that you normally wouldn't even interact with but makes the world feel lived in, those would also get interacted with as well. So obviously if you have like a huge fire, insects aren't gonna go over there, but you see them swarming away. It's little things like that that most people don't think about and they're giving the tools out there for the developer. It's live as of right now, if you wanna use the preview build. I think they plan on going live with that in a week or so, I believe, or maybe, or end of April, that it should be live as a production quality version. RB: And so that's tools for the setting. DHB: Yeah. RB: Did they do anything for actors? Cause I know mocap is huge. DHB: Yeah, so I know that, so it was GDC when they blew everybody's mind back with Hellblade and some of the real time motion capture they were able to do. Ninja Theory, who's done all that stuff, they felt like they'd been pioneering it and they've been giving out the tools to the community to use. This time they go out there and they have the exact same actress who's played Senua in their game and all that stuff. And they did a presentation where they had her record 30 seconds of dialogue. They recorded her face from a couple of different angles using a cell phone. Handed that off to an artist and before the end of the presentation was done, he had been able to build a muscle structure of her face real time and then was able to build a 3D model of her face, facial structure to put on there and replay the animation. And then swap that out with other characters and other faces as need be. So it's, which I mean, when you look at it that way, it's like, oh yeah, it's a AAA developer doing these things. But they're giving that out to like indie developers where anybody could take their cell phone, have their motion capture actor, capture it with a cell phone, get rudimentary stuff and then take the time to do it all. So you don't have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on this giant mo-cap studios. You can just do it with a cell phone or basic camera work. Obviously you get better quality when you have the bigger rigs because they put out a video where they have the actress do everything live. She has the dots on her face and the cameras right in front of her, but she was doing all that live in game, in engine. And you could see the difference between it capturing the little wrinkles and all that stuff in her face as to where the cell phone is a little more cartoony, but for 30 seconds to a minute of work, it's still rather impressive. RB: Well, and I wonder, as I'm not a huge developer, in terms of resources, what is that going to take to be able to generate that stuff and to do it? I know it was done on a cell phone. Yeah, just thinking about that. DHB: Well, as a developer, and some of the stuff I do online, I don't run anything, I don't run like a high-end gaming rig. I have a decent gaming computer, but that's what I do my development on, and it works perfectly fine. It's a little of a resource hog, so I can't play a game while I'm developing, but I mean, if I'm developing, why am I playing a game? RB: multitasking! DHB: Exactly, multitasking. But it's not out of the realm of an average consumer. Like, I think my gaming PC by itself, I only paid like two or three thousand for my gaming PC, and it runs this stuff just as well as I saw in the tech demos they were running. RB: At what point are we going to see all of this come together, especially with XR? DHB: It's got to be soon, because I think they mentioned the MetaHuman Animator, which is what this is. It's only like a couple months out before it's just released to the public, and then it's just going to take any artist or any other developer to use it in a creative way for using XR, or even building it into to do generated TikTok avatars. RB: Yeah, well Snapchat does a bunch of that too, but like when we were at CES, and Canon could do the mapping of the body and face to do the calls through virtual reality. If we have these resources available in terms of the physics engines and the MetaHuman Animator, holy cow! DHB: Yeah, and mind you, we're just talking about games here. This goes into every other aspect, because if most people don't know, shows like The Mandalorian and other big movies, they use what's called The Volume, which is just a huge area that is kind of running an unreal instance on a bunch of screens around the actors. So they're kind of like their own little personal holodeck, and they have the 3D assets there that they can react to as well. They use it mostly for to get the light, but also to have the dynamic backgrounds. And so it builds into that, and then like on top of that, like you're saying, doing the filters, you could slap that on other people in movies or animation or whatever. So if you wanted to have a cartoon that looked like it was perfectly animated, like for realistic, just slap one of those avatars on somebody as they have the basic motion capture, and you have the high-end cameras, and you don't even have somebody sitting there doing the dots on the face. It just records live and then replays it. RB: And then we have the possibility of deep fakes. James Earl Jones had signed over his voice. So you can do all kinds of stuff. DHB: Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised in the next few years if we have an entire… I mean, we have them now, but like an entire CG movie where you even lose that uncanny valley. And because you have the real voice that somebody's used, and you have an AI rebuilding it and all that stuff, and you have a real actor who's behind it all. And like I fully recommend watching these tech demos because even though the eyes were a little bit off because they were using a cartoonish filter, they were still able to get some of like the basic, like little tiny details that most people don't even realize they catch. And it's what makes the eyes look different for most people when they're watching CG characters. RB: And we've seen that with like the Luke Skywalker on The Mandalorian. DHB: Yeah, the deep fakes they've done there. RB: Yeah, and how it just keeps getting better and better and better. DHB: And this isn't even a deep fake because the deep fake is using the actual persons likeness. This one you could do a 3D scan if you do a deep enough 3D scan. This is rigging that up so we have the muscle structure and everything underneath it reacting and moving the… It sounds horrible, but the flesh as it should. RB: It's actually kind of scary when you consider how all of these things could come together. You know, you got the AI on top of that. And if… DHB: Okay, you can have an entire scripted scene happen with a realistic looking person that was written by an AI. And we have all the tools pretty much at our disposal right now. But at the end of the day, it's all to make the human element have an easier job doing it all. Because, I mean, I could see where somebody can get crafting creative and make it all AI generated. But at the same time, these are all tools specifically to make your motion capture people have an easier job. Your animators have an easier job. Your writers have an easier job so they can focus on the bigger grander scale things and ignore the little things. RB: Yeah, anything else? Because that sounds pretty mind blowing as it is. DHB: Yeah, that's where I'm kind of at right now. My mind's been blown with just that kind of stuff. There was tons of stuff that came out of GDC, but those are like the bigger points that stuck with me. RB: Have you considered going back to GDC since it's been so many years since you've… DHB: I've given the consideration, but just like everything, the cost of it keeps going up and up. And sometimes it's hard for a small developer to justify. I think it's $4,000 for the weekend, just for the ticket. And then it takes place in San Francisco and we all know how expensive it is out there. So it's a pricey thing to be able to throw down for. And even when I went there last time it was, I think it was $2,000 for the ticket. But we went as press and I got in for free. I still had to pay all the other prices for going to San Francisco. RB: Yeah, San Francisco is not cheap, but holy cow. Yeah, so it looks like there's a lot of possibility on the horizon just because of these tools. And I look forward to seeing what the developers do with them. DHB: Yeah, and exactly. And that's all it's going to take is the developers are going to do it and it's going to push it further. And it feels like we're in an exponential growth on all of these types of things. Because like I said, 15 years ago we were looking at basic VR type stuff that it would be laughed about right now. How is that a thing? And here we are as like, oh, we can pretty much do a deep fake with your cell phone. RB: So there we have it. GDC, some of the highlights that came out of this year. David, thank you for providing your insights. DHB: Not a problem. Thank you. RB: And we'll see you all next week. Well, you get to hear us next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. RB: Downstairs is junk. DHB: Exactly. It burns so good. 18:03 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,GDC,Developers,Unreal Engine,Fortnite,Counter Strike 2,Portal 3,Hellblade yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected — GenghisCon 45 [Episode Three] The AggroCast crew had the opportunity to head out to GenghisCon 45. Raymond and David are here to give you a nice little feel for the convention, how long it has been going, some of the fun experiences to be had, and how the gaming community is becoming ever more diverse out there. Even if someone had to suffer through some rough snows to get there… TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi, welcome to the AggroCast. This is Raymond with 'David Hades' Becker. And today we're gonna talk about GenghisCon 45 in Denver, Colorado. I, full disclosure, used to live in Colorado with my partner, Juliet, and we had gone to GenghisCon for a number of years. And we know Donny and Andrea, the folks that run the convention. We know a lot of the mainstays who are always there running content. But we decided to invite David and Ike. We're like, guys, you should come out. It's a great convention. Arguably, you could say it's even a national convention given the fact that it's been running for 45 years. It was a great time. And so we're gonna kind of go over that. That was your first time at GenghisCon. David Hades Becker: It was, and I'd like to say, you know, un-thank you for taking me out to negative 10 degrees. That's how cold it was when I first got out there. My beard froze. But other than that, the rest of the convention was a good time, so I didn't have to leave. RB: Well, and they had a lot of different games and content. I know we spent a lot of time playing D&D with the Adventures League. That has always been a mainstay because my buddy, Michael McGovern, who runs S.C.A.L.E., which is the organization that, I think it's Southern Colorado Adventures League Events. They run Adventures League for GenghisCon and a bunch of the other conventions in Colorado, and I think even maybe Wyoming at one point. Michael was in the hospital. We wanted to go and get the full experience. We've been running Adventures League here in Las Vegas. And so that was a great time, to be able to sit down at the table and play through some of that. DHB: Oh, yeah, not just one table. There was, what, 15 tables just for D&D 5E and only for Adventures League as well. If I remember correctly, there was multiple other rooms, not only just running other games, but other D&D games as well. RB: Yeah, well, and then you got to play through an Epic. DHB: Yes, I did get to play through an Epic, and that was an experience I've never gone through before. I mean, I've never been to an actual tabletop gaming convention before. But the Epic was something I've heard about and was always interested in seeing… For those who don't know, at least from my experience, Epic is, everybody's kind of running their own table, but all of it builds into one massive story. And depending on how well individual tables do is how well the overall story goes. And we also came out on top. RB: Which was really, really strange. DHB: It shouldn't have happened. RB: Given what our table compliment was, because we had three kobolds. DHB: Oh yeah, three kobolds, because one person changed from a kobold, yeah. RB: Yeah, because I- DHB: No, we had four kobolds. RB: Four kobolds, because you, me, Juliet, and Ike. And then we had our buddy that was playing the dwarf. And then we had Coach, the human paladin. DHB: Yeah. RB: And yeah, kobolds were ridiculous. DHB: And somehow we won out everything else. We saved the day. RB: Yeah, it was great. But yeah, so it was a fun convention. It started on Thursday with GooeyCube, and they do kind of an event around that. Which if you've never looked at GooeyCube, totally recommend taking a look at that. It's self-contained, fifth edition content with picture cards and item cards and maps and everything that you need to run a quality game. DHB: If you've never run before. RB: Yeah, and we actually had an opportunity to speak with the son of the gentleman who goes by Alphineus Goo. And we're hoping down the road to possibly do an interview with either Ken, who is Alphineus, or his son, who is just really entertaining. But while we were out there, we also did a bunch of interviews because we know a lot of the content creators in the Colorado area. So at some point, we're gonna post some excerpts from, as well as the full content for the interview with Mobius Worlds Publishing. That was Jennifer Sheinfeld and Corey Williamson, the CEO and COO. We also spoke with Bill 'The Bunny' Keys, who has a setting for Prowlers and Paragons that is a really awesome, gritty superhero setting. We also spoke with Michael 'The Professor' Surbrook about his upcoming Well of the World setting for Prowlers and Paragons. And then we sat down with Ross Watson, who is an amazing game creator who has done a ton of work, both for Warhammer 40K RPGs, for the Rift Savage Worlds conversion, just so much stuff. But he's working with Star Anvil. There's also work that he's doing on the Secret World RPG. So you'll get to hear about that in the interview that we did with Ross. We were hoping to catch Donnie and Andrea, but they were, of course, they were running around, running the convention and doing an amazing job. DHB: Yeah. RB: One of the things that they offer is a V.I.G., which is a Very Important Gamer. Which you get a really awesome lanyard, as well as a swag bag, which I'm using for my Aggrocast to carry all the equipment. DHB: Yeah, I kind of feel bad I didn't go in as a V.I.G. because I watched everybody walking away with the bags and I was like, man, I want that bag. RB: Yeah, they really outdid themselves. And even the t-shirts. DHB: They had special dice specifically for the very important gamers and then kind of like the plebeian dice that they gave out. RB: Well, and they also had the tumbler. So it's a lot of quality stuff that you normally see at conventions like Origins or Gen Con that they really upped the game. So if you ever have an opportunity, I definitely recommend checking out GenghisCon. I remember back in the day, and I can even, I can pull them out. I've got Dragon Magazines where there were advertisements a long time ago with listings of conventions and GenghisCon was on there. And I know that California, I'm not exactly sure where they have KublaCon. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I think that, I don't know if they're working in tandem, but I did see advertisements there at the show. And- DHB: They had one for, was it Phoenix Khan is another one that looked like it was in Wyoming. RB: Yeah, maybe. DHB: Well, I remember it was somewhere not in Arizona. Cause I remember seeing Phoenix Khan, I was like, oh, I can go down and see my sis. Oh wait, no, it's not in actual Arizona. It's just the name. RB: Well, I know Donny and Andrea also do TactiCon. Which in times past was more of a war gaming, but I think it's kind of a everything convention these days. And it's going to be an amazing experience. That's not one I'm going to be able to make it out to, but that's another one I always recommend folks check out because even though Colorado has snow… DHB: Uhh… RB: Which we here in Las Vegas, we love the heat. The snow was a bit much and of course it got better as we were getting ready to leave. DHB: Yeah, exactly. But speaking of amazing experiences, you got to sit down and play a D&D session with the son of the man himself. RB: Luke Gygax. Yeah, Juliet and I had the opportunity. We, Swole Gax is what we were calling him. Because this gentleman is just mighty. His arms are huge. His chest is huge. I'm like, okay, that's some goals. I just got back into the gym. I'm like, okay, I got to do some work because holy cow, Luke had some guns. There's a picture of me actually that Juliet took where he was showing off the gun show. But I tell you, sitting down with the son of Gary Gygax and playing D&D, it was fifth edition, but it was still D&D with a table of folks and it was a paid experience. So we paid a little extra for it. It was such a great game because everybody there was, basically they had brought their A-game. They were there to have a great time. And this isn't the slight other tables we were at, but it definitely shone through at Luke's table. And Luke was a really good game master. Now, of course, he talks about it. He's got gaming in his blood. And so, you know, it's not that I walked in with certain expectations. He really, he did a great job. And of course, Juliet being the amazing role player she is, when he called for who is the most entertaining player at the table, everybody kind of pointed at her and she got an autographed copy of the adventure that he ran. So if you have an opportunity, Luke Gygax, if you can get into his table, definitely recommend it. He runs GaryCon, which was a convention that honors his father. We actually got to hear about it when we sat down at his table. Originally, it was kind of a celebration of life for his dad and a lot of folks getting together, playing games, and it just grew into this amazing experience that everybody participates in. So that's something I hope to hit. Of course, it's at the end of March, so it's not something we can do this year, but maybe next year. DHB: Yeah, we just gotta plan ahead. RB: Yeah, yeah, you know, the whole planning thing. So the Luke Gygax experience was great, playing Adventures League with a bunch of friends. I know Ike got to play in a aliens game, which he had a lot of thoughts on that. DHB: Aliens based on the horror franchise, the movie franchise, not just random aliens out there. RB: Yeah, it's not like, you know, the- DHB: The H.R. Giger type aliens. RB: Yeah, it's not Alan Tudyk sitting at the table. DHB: Yeah, that would be amazing. RB: Yeah, that would be amazing. That's a guy I would love to play D&D with. DHB: If you're listening, Alan Tudyk, we would not mind to have you here. RB: We have a whole list of people. I would also add Jack Black. DHB: Yes. RB: Because that would be amazing. Make Jack Black play a bard. Yeah, so we got to do that. In the dealer room, the dealer room was really awesome. I got to pick up a copy of Pirate Borg, which the gentleman who wrote that actually lives in the Colorado area. My hope is that I can hit him up for an interview so we can talk about Pirate Borg. And that's one of the games that we were talking about doing a playthrough. DHB: Yes. RB: On Discord, maybe we'll try to rope Frank Hartgrave into it and do some fun times. If you haven't checked out Mork Borg, I definitely, definitely recommend. Borg is amazing. The game is a fun OSR, old school role play game, which there's a lot of those out there, but this one really has a great feel and vibe. DHB: That's the heavy metal themed? RB: Oh yeah, it's like death metal. DHB: In there, yeah. RB: They talk about like after the game ends, you're supposed to go out and burn the book. And we know a fella here in town, Tyler, who's actually done that. There's a picture of him like in corpse pain, burning the book. And this one, Pirate Borg, they actually talk about when the game's over, you're supposed to throw it in the sea. So every one of them has that kind of aspect to it, even like Cy-Borg and some of the others. It's just great. And I love, I love the art. It's amazing. So I got to pick up a copy of that when we were in the dealer room. There's a candle company that Juliet loves. And every year she buys candles from them. DHB: Well, there was also the Dice and Gaming one that we went to, and they said they were having issues because of COVID or whatever. But I mean, it was a local shop, right? RB: Yeah, oh, that was, Lair of Abraxas was originally kind of a tavern, but they had started making dice and then they really have focused down into making dice. It's a company I recommend, Hollywood of Locals. DHB: Well, it's more to turn that into, you could also see how GenghisCon is trying to help prop them back up. Well, yeah. Because they had their own little space in the vendor hall as well. RB: Well, and that's the great thing. Donny and Andrea really try to help support local folks, giving them space, giving them opportunity. But they also, they have brought other artists in, like Derek Stevens is a fellow that I met last year who done a couple of art pieces for us that we're gonna put on t-shirts because they're just super cool. DHB: That's the one I got my Cerberus picture from? RB: No, that was Sumro. DHB: Oh, yeah. RB: Yeah, Sumro is another gentleman that I'm hoping we can catch an interview with because he works for Chaosium. DHB: Yeah, well, he also, we can't talk about what he showed, but he showed some stuff, other things that are coming down the pipeline and that looks so cool. RB: And I met him years ago at, I think, Starfest because he had this zombie donut and he actually had a picture as well as a sculpture of this zombie donut. And then I picked up a Comics Code t-shirt, which at some point, we'll probably talk about that, maybe when Jules is here, because she's a huge comic book fan too. Yeah, I was glad to reconnect with him and then David was looking at his table and there's this amazing picture of Cerberus. DHB: Yeah, and I think you were trying to do an interview and I was already pulling my card out, I was like, you sucked me in, I got this. RB: Yeah, because folks that don't know, one of David's dogs' name is Cerberus. DHB: We'll have to have him on at some point. RB: Yeah, yeah, he's highly excitable. DHB: Yeah. RB: Yeah, so it was just a really great experience. We had a great chance to reconnect with a lot of our Colorado friends. Got to introduce folks to David and Ike and they got to meet, one of the people that were out there was Jarvis and Kelly, which are old, not old. Jarvis is an old friend of mine. Kelly is his wife, I've only recently met. DHB: Long time friends. RB: Long time friends. But Jarvis was one of my first Game Masters when we lived in Berlin as, you know, I was an Air Force brat and Jarvis' dad worked for the Department of Defense Schools. So it was really great. Of course, they moved to Colorado as I was leaving to come to Vegas, but that's just how it always goes. DHB: To highlight even further, it also kind of shows how the gaming space by itself, like you get to go to these conventions where most people have that, you see the stereotypical nerd wearing just all sweatpants or whatever, but as we've been talking, everybody from every walk of life is here. So that's another thing it seems like GenghisCon is highlighting as well. Yeah, you're gonna have your stereotypes, but you're also gonna have the Swole Gax out there. You're gonna have people who work these different jobs you would never expect to be in. So it's kind of interesting to get to meet those kind of people out there. RB: Yeah, and one, we had a couple of cosplayers. DHB: Yeah. RB: And yeah, it's just a really great experience and I'm glad that you were able to come out and share that with us. DHB: I was glad to as well, minus the snow. RB: Yeah. So after having done that, would you go to a gaming convention again? DHB: Oh yeah, definitely. RB: Were there any games that you hoped to play that you didn't have an opportunity? DHB: I kind of want to check out Pathfinder 2nd Edition because I've never played any of that. I would have been interested to see how Alien or Blade Runner played because I've talked to the people who've made those games, but I've never actually got to sit down and play them. I also would have loved to play Mork Borg or Pirate Borg, but I think they were just out there selling it, not specifically playing it. RB: Well, and that's Free Press (Free League) that does Aliens, Blade Runner. They just, they have a whole new… DHB: Yeah, Mutant Year Zero. They're doing the Walking Dead game. The other one that I think I mentioned in the past, like an 80s, kind of like a Stranger Things, but not Stranger Things. RB: Kids on Bikes. DHB: Yeah. RB: So yeah, it was great to see them there because that was the first time I'd ever seen them out there as well. But the dealer room was always a surprise as to who you're going to see there. So I tip my hat to Donny and Andrea and I thank them for an amazing experience as well as their team, because they've got a whole group of folks that support them in putting on this amazing convention. I'm really glad, again, that you were able to share that with us. DHB: And thank you for letting me see that little slice of your history. RB: Well, it's those things that help build the community and really bring us all together as friends. And stay tuned for those interviews with Mobius Worlds Publishing, as well as with Ross Watson. We'll catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. AggroCast will realign your chakras… http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode105.mp3 Wed, 19 Apr 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected — GenghisCon 45 [Episode Three] AggroCast Resurrected — GenghisCon 45 [Episode Three] AGGROGAMER.COM 003 003 The AggroCast crew had the opportunity to head out to GenghisCon 45. Raymond and David are here to give you a nice little feel for the convention, how long it has been going, some of the fun experiences to be had, and how the gaming community is becoming ever more diverse out there. Even if someone had to suffer through some rough snows to get there… TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi, welcome to the AggroCast. This is Raymond with 'David Hades' Becker. And today we're gonna talk about GenghisCon 45 in Denver, Colorado. I, full disclosure, used to live in Colorado with my partner, Juliet, and we had gone to GenghisCon for a number of years. And we know Donny and Andrea, the folks that run the convention. We know a lot of the mainstays who are always there running content. But we decided to invite David and Ike. We're like, guys, you should come out. It's a great convention. Arguably, you could say it's even a national convention given the fact that it's been running for 45 years. It was a great time. And so we're gonna kind of go over that. That was your first time at GenghisCon. David Hades Becker: It was, and I'd like to say, you know, un-thank you for taking me out to negative 10 degrees. That's how cold it was when I first got out there. My beard froze. But other than that, the rest of the convention was a good time, so I didn't have to leave. RB: Well, and they had a lot of different games and content. I know we spent a lot of time playing D&D with the Adventures League. That has always been a mainstay because my buddy, Michael McGovern, who runs S.C.A.L.E., which is the organization that, I think it's Southern Colorado Adventures League Events. They run Adventures League for GenghisCon and a bunch of the other conventions in Colorado, and I think even maybe Wyoming at one point. Michael was in the hospital. We wanted to go and get the full experience. We've been running Adventures League here in Las Vegas. And so that was a great time, to be able to sit down at the table and play through some of that. DHB: Oh, yeah, not just one table. There was, what, 15 tables just for D&D 5E and only for Adventures League as well. If I remember correctly, there was multiple other rooms, not only just running other games, but other D&D games as well. RB: Yeah, well, and then you got to play through an Epic. DHB: Yes, I did get to play through an Epic, and that was an experience I've never gone through before. I mean, I've never been to an actual tabletop gaming convention before. But the Epic was something I've heard about and was always interested in seeing… For those who don't know, at least from my experience, Epic is, everybody's kind of running their own table, but all of it builds into one massive story. And depending on how well individual tables do is how well the overall story goes. And we also came out on top. RB: Which was really, really strange. DHB: It shouldn't have happened. RB: Given what our table compliment was, because we had three kobolds. DHB: Oh yeah, three kobolds, because one person changed from a kobold, yeah. RB: Yeah, because I- DHB: No, we had four kobolds. RB: Four kobolds, because you, me, Juliet, and Ike. And then we had our buddy that was playing the dwarf. And then we had Coach, the human paladin. DHB: Yeah. RB: And yeah, kobolds were ridiculous. DHB: And somehow we won out everything else. We saved the day. RB: Yeah, it was great. But yeah, so it was a fun convention. It started on Thursday with GooeyCube, and they do kind of an event around that. Which if you've never looked at GooeyCube, totally recommend taking a look at that. It's self-contained, fifth edition content with picture cards and item cards and maps and everything that you need to run a quality game. DHB: If you've never run before. RB: Yeah, and we actually had an opportunity to speak with the son of the gentleman who goes by Alphineus Goo. And we're hoping down the road to possibly do an interview with either Ken, who is Alphineus, or his son, who is just really entertaining. But while we were out there, we also did a bunch of interviews because we know a lot of the content creators in the Colorado area. So at some point, we're gonna post some excerpts from, as well as the full content for the interview with Mobius Worlds Publishing. That was Jennifer Sheinfeld and Corey Williamson, the CEO and COO. We also spoke with Bill 'The Bunny' Keys, who has a setting for Prowlers and Paragons that is a really awesome, gritty superhero setting. We also spoke with Michael 'The Professor' Surbrook about his upcoming Well of the World setting for Prowlers and Paragons. And then we sat down with Ross Watson, who is an amazing game creator who has done a ton of work, both for Warhammer 40K RPGs, for the Rift Savage Worlds conversion, just so much stuff. But he's working with Star Anvil. There's also work that he's doing on the Secret World RPG. So you'll get to hear about that in the interview that we did with Ross. We were hoping to catch Donnie and Andrea, but they were, of course, they were running around, running the convention and doing an amazing job. DHB: Yeah. RB: One of the things that they offer is a V.I.G., which is a Very Important Gamer. Which you get a really awesome lanyard, as well as a swag bag, which I'm using for my Aggrocast to carry all the equipment. DHB: Yeah, I kind of feel bad I didn't go in as a V.I.G. because I watched everybody walking away with the bags and I was like, man, I want that bag. RB: Yeah, they really outdid themselves. And even the t-shirts. DHB: They had special dice specifically for the very important gamers and then kind of like the plebeian dice that they gave out. RB: Well, and they also had the tumbler. So it's a lot of quality stuff that you normally see at conventions like Origins or Gen Con that they really upped the game. So if you ever have an opportunity, I definitely recommend checking out GenghisCon. I remember back in the day, and I can even, I can pull them out. I've got Dragon Magazines where there were advertisements a long time ago with listings of conventions and GenghisCon was on there. And I know that California, I'm not exactly sure where they have KublaCon. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I think that, I don't know if they're working in tandem, but I did see advertisements there at the show. And- DHB: They had one for, was it Phoenix Khan is another one that looked like it was in Wyoming. RB: Yeah, maybe. DHB: Well, I remember it was somewhere not in Arizona. Cause I remember seeing Phoenix Khan, I was like, oh, I can go down and see my sis. Oh wait, no, it's not in actual Arizona. It's just the name. RB: Well, I know Donny and Andrea also do TactiCon. Which in times past was more of a war gaming, but I think it's kind of a everything convention these days. And it's going to be an amazing experience. That's not one I'm going to be able to make it out to, but that's another one I always recommend folks check out because even though Colorado has snow… DHB: Uhh… RB: Which we here in Las Vegas, we love the heat. The snow was a bit much and of course it got better as we were getting ready to leave. DHB: Yeah, exactly. But speaking of amazing experiences, you got to sit down and play a D&D session with the son of the man himself. RB: Luke Gygax. Yeah, Juliet and I had the opportunity. We, Swole Gax is what we were calling him. Because this gentleman is just mighty. His arms are huge. His chest is huge. I'm like, okay, that's some goals. I just got back into the gym. I'm like, okay, I got to do some work because holy cow, Luke had some guns. There's a picture of me actually that Juliet took where he was showing off the gun show. But I tell you, sitting down with the son of Gary Gygax and playing D&D, it was fifth edition, but it was still D&D with a table of folks and it was a paid experience. So we paid a little extra for it. It was such a great game because everybody there was, basically they had brought their A-game. They were there to have a great time. And this isn't the slight other tables we were at, but it definitely shone through at Luke's table. And Luke was a really good game master. Now, of course, he talks about it. He's got gaming in his blood. And so, you know, it's not that I walked in with certain expectations. He really, he did a great job. And of course, Juliet being the amazing role player she is, when he called for who is the most entertaining player at the table, everybody kind of pointed at her and she got an autographed copy of the adventure that he ran. So if you have an opportunity, Luke Gygax, if you can get into his table, definitely recommend it. He runs GaryCon, which was a convention that honors his father. We actually got to hear about it when we sat down at his table. Originally, it was kind of a celebration of life for his dad and a lot of folks getting together, playing games, and it just grew into this amazing experience that everybody participates in. So that's something I hope to hit. Of course, it's at the end of March, so it's not something we can do this year, but maybe next year. DHB: Yeah, we just gotta plan ahead. RB: Yeah, yeah, you know, the whole planning thing. So the Luke Gygax experience was great, playing Adventures League with a bunch of friends. I know Ike got to play in a aliens game, which he had a lot of thoughts on that. DHB: Aliens based on the horror franchise, the movie franchise, not just random aliens out there. RB: Yeah, it's not like, you know, the- DHB: The H.R. Giger type aliens. RB: Yeah, it's not Alan Tudyk sitting at the table. DHB: Yeah, that would be amazing. RB: Yeah, that would be amazing. That's a guy I would love to play D&D with. DHB: If you're listening, Alan Tudyk, we would not mind to have you here. RB: We have a whole list of people. I would also add Jack Black. DHB: Yes. RB: Because that would be amazing. Make Jack Black play a bard. Yeah, so we got to do that. In the dealer room, the dealer room was really awesome. I got to pick up a copy of Pirate Borg, which the gentleman who wrote that actually lives in the Colorado area. My hope is that I can hit him up for an interview so we can talk about Pirate Borg. And that's one of the games that we were talking about doing a playthrough. DHB: Yes. RB: On Discord, maybe we'll try to rope Frank Hartgrave into it and do some fun times. If you haven't checked out Mork Borg, I definitely, definitely recommend. Borg is amazing. The game is a fun OSR, old school role play game, which there's a lot of those out there, but this one really has a great feel and vibe. DHB: That's the heavy metal themed? RB: Oh yeah, it's like death metal. DHB: In there, yeah. RB: They talk about like after the game ends, you're supposed to go out and burn the book. And we know a fella here in town, Tyler, who's actually done that. There's a picture of him like in corpse pain, burning the book. And this one, Pirate Borg, they actually talk about when the game's over, you're supposed to throw it in the sea. So every one of them has that kind of aspect to it, even like Cy-Borg and some of the others. It's just great. And I love, I love the art. It's amazing. So I got to pick up a copy of that when we were in the dealer room. There's a candle company that Juliet loves. And every year she buys candles from them. DHB: Well, there was also the Dice and Gaming one that we went to, and they said they were having issues because of COVID or whatever. But I mean, it was a local shop, right? RB: Yeah, oh, that was, Lair of Abraxas was originally kind of a tavern, but they had started making dice and then they really have focused down into making dice. It's a company I recommend, Hollywood of Locals. DHB: Well, it's more to turn that into, you could also see how GenghisCon is trying to help prop them back up. Well, yeah. Because they had their own little space in the vendor hall as well. RB: Well, and that's the great thing. Donny and Andrea really try to help support local folks, giving them space, giving them opportunity. But they also, they have brought other artists in, like Derek Stevens is a fellow that I met last year who done a couple of art pieces for us that we're gonna put on t-shirts because they're just super cool. DHB: That's the one I got my Cerberus picture from? RB: No, that was Sumro. DHB: Oh, yeah. RB: Yeah, Sumro is another gentleman that I'm hoping we can catch an interview with because he works for Chaosium. DHB: Yeah, well, he also, we can't talk about what he showed, but he showed some stuff, other things that are coming down the pipeline and that looks so cool. RB: And I met him years ago at, I think, Starfest because he had this zombie donut and he actually had a picture as well as a sculpture of this zombie donut. And then I picked up a Comics Code t-shirt, which at some point, we'll probably talk about that, maybe when Jules is here, because she's a huge comic book fan too. Yeah, I was glad to reconnect with him and then David was looking at his table and there's this amazing picture of Cerberus. DHB: Yeah, and I think you were trying to do an interview and I was already pulling my card out, I was like, you sucked me in, I got this. RB: Yeah, because folks that don't know, one of David's dogs' name is Cerberus. DHB: We'll have to have him on at some point. RB: Yeah, yeah, he's highly excitable. DHB: Yeah. RB: Yeah, so it was just a really great experience. We had a great chance to reconnect with a lot of our Colorado friends. Got to introduce folks to David and Ike and they got to meet, one of the people that were out there was Jarvis and Kelly, which are old, not old. Jarvis is an old friend of mine. Kelly is his wife, I've only recently met. DHB: Long time friends. RB: Long time friends. But Jarvis was one of my first Game Masters when we lived in Berlin as, you know, I was an Air Force brat and Jarvis' dad worked for the Department of Defense Schools. So it was really great. Of course, they moved to Colorado as I was leaving to come to Vegas, but that's just how it always goes. DHB: To highlight even further, it also kind of shows how the gaming space by itself, like you get to go to these conventions where most people have that, you see the stereotypical nerd wearing just all sweatpants or whatever, but as we've been talking, everybody from every walk of life is here. So that's another thing it seems like GenghisCon is highlighting as well. Yeah, you're gonna have your stereotypes, but you're also gonna have the Swole Gax out there. You're gonna have people who work these different jobs you would never expect to be in. So it's kind of interesting to get to meet those kind of people out there. RB: Yeah, and one, we had a couple of cosplayers. DHB: Yeah. RB: And yeah, it's just a really great experience and I'm glad that you were able to come out and share that with us. DHB: I was glad to as well, minus the snow. RB: Yeah. So after having done that, would you go to a gaming convention again? DHB: Oh yeah, definitely. RB: Were there any games that you hoped to play that you didn't have an opportunity? DHB: I kind of want to check out Pathfinder 2nd Edition because I've never played any of that. I would have been interested to see how Alien or Blade Runner played because I've talked to the people who've made those games, but I've never actually got to sit down and play them. I also would have loved to play Mork Borg or Pirate Borg, but I think they were just out there selling it, not specifically playing it. RB: Well, and that's Free Press (Free League) that does Aliens, Blade Runner. They just, they have a whole new… DHB: Yeah, Mutant Year Zero. They're doing the Walking Dead game. The other one that I think I mentioned in the past, like an 80s, kind of like a Stranger Things, but not Stranger Things. RB: Kids on Bikes. DHB: Yeah. RB: So yeah, it was great to see them there because that was the first time I'd ever seen them out there as well. But the dealer room was always a surprise as to who you're going to see there. So I tip my hat to Donny and Andrea and I thank them for an amazing experience as well as their team, because they've got a whole group of folks that support them in putting on this amazing convention. I'm really glad, again, that you were able to share that with us. DHB: And thank you for letting me see that little slice of your history. RB: Well, it's those things that help build the community and really bring us all together as friends. And stay tuned for those interviews with Mobius Worlds Publishing, as well as with Ross Watson. We'll catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. AggroCast will realign your chakras… 15:29 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,GenghisCon 45,D&D,Dungeons & Dragons,Prowlers & Paragons,Vampire: The Masquerade,LARP,Tabletop,Aliens,RPG,Bladerunner,Dice,Snow yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected — Super Nintendo World [Episode Two] The AggroCast crew had the opportunity to head out to the new Super Nintendo World out at Universal Studios Hollywood. Raymond and David are here to give you all a nice little rundown of their experiences, their loves, their hates, and more commentary to help you decide if you want to make the pilgrimage out to the park yourself. Universal Parks invited us out for this event, granted us free access to the park, gave us free Power-Up Bands, and offered us the meals that we discuss in the episode. We spent our own money buying souvenirs. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi! This is Raymond Bruels and David 'Hades' Becker with AggroCast Resurrected, covering the Super Nintendo World Press Day in 2023. David Hades Becker: That was so much fun. RB: You got invited out to… DHB: We got invited out. RB: We got invited out for the press day. I have to say that I really was impressed with Universal and how they handled the press going into that event. DHB: I was going to ask how you thought about that, because this has been one of your major press events that you've been able to do before, right? RB: Yeah. I've done a few other press events, but this one was really awesome. The fact that they gave us our press badges, they had the super comfy van that shuttled us to where we needed to be, they gave us the wristband so we got to play with that. Yeah, it was just a hell of an experience, and I was really impressed by it all coming together. But you've done a fair number of these. DHB: I have. That's why I was curious, because for me it felt like a little bit of old hat, outside of obviously with it being Universal, they drive us all the way down to the back lot let us out there instead of just parading us through the park wearing our badges and stuff like that. I've had a mixed bag on that, but I will say it was definitely handled a little more professionally, but it's Universal… I didn't think I expected less than that. RB: And we also got to see a lot of other content creators as well as YouTube personalities and podcasters. It was a really neat experience seeing all those folks. DHB: Yeah, the director of Nintendo was out there in the mix of it all too. RB: Yeah. DHB: I didn't get to see him, but I know people saw him in the backstage and all that stuff. RB: Well, I'm not sure I'd be able to identify him. We rolled up, we got dumped on the back end, not dumped, we got off the bus. DHB: We kind of got dumped off because we didn't know where to cross and we kind of jaywalked across. RB: And then you stopped and you asked questions to make sure that we weren't going to get in trouble with any content or pictures that we took. You've been releasing pictures and some of the video that we took through our socials. I was amazed by how immersive an experience it was. We walked in, there were the pipes. DHB: The first thing you walk in is you see the warp pipes. It's a photo op, yeah, but then you have the main one that you have to walk in, makes the noise, does all the lights, so it feels like you're actually transported from Universal in. RB: And the thing that we noticed and we spoke about while we were there was the fact that it was kind of self-contained. DHB: Yeah. RB: You didn't see the rest of the park. DHB: Yeah, I think once we got inside, the only thing I was able to see outside of the natural sky was there was like one crane working on something next to us, but it just blocked out everything. Like all the sights, sounds, everything else from Universal, so it felt like you were transported into Super Nintendo World. RB: Well, and even when we walked out and we took the escalators up into the rest of the park, when we stopped to look down, we still couldn't see a whole lot into the park. DHB: Yeah, we could see a few things here and there to let us know it was there, but you couldn't see like any of the finer details or even like, I think I had trouble even finding the 1-UP shop or even some of the other interactive experiences we did out there. RB: Yeah. DHB: Like, I knew where they were after experiencing it all, but I still couldn't be like, that's it right there. Got it! RB: Yeah. Well, and so we walked in and the very first thing that I was struck with was the gamification of that area. Holy Moly. 'Cause there were a number of games that we played through because you had to collect the keys. DHB: Yes, you had to get at least three keys to do the hidden extra feature that was in there. Which there was four different places to do that. RB: Well, and they had the gold bricks so you could collect the coins. And then when we were in the guest shop, the individual we were speaking to there said that the wristbands, you could actually get those benefits in the Switch game? DHB: In certain Switch games, yeah. It's kind of like the Amiibo thing is you can put it up there and it gives you exclusive skins for like the… like we did the Mario Kart experience, you can get a specific skin for that. You can move some of the coins into some of the other games. They have little gamification… If you actually participate in the land, you get those in-game benefits on your Switch if you have one. RB: Well, and that was fun watching the playthroughs of the games as we were going through. 'Cause I know you have this fabled ability of pattern recognition. DHB: It's true. RB: And so, I'm sitting there watching you and I've got it on film. You basically watched the timing of it and in one shot, bam, you got it. DHB: First one of the day according to the representative there, which could be or could not be, but that's what they said. RB: Yeah. Well, and they were so friendly and helpful. DHB: Yeah. RB: There were a ton of folks. I don't know if that's standard for that park area. DHB: I'd like to think it's going to be for a little bit because I know one of the things I noticed at those little events, there was only a couple that actually had a solid line queue for it and other ones felt like you could just walk up to it. Which if you have thousands of people flooding in, could get a little chaotic. Like the one you're talking about with the sequencing thing. There was no line whatsoever. We just walked up. They said, hey, go and do this. And you get three tries at it. I'm like, and I think I even asked was like, how is that going to be managed once the parks actually open? Because once it's open, you're just going to have random people running up there and doing it all the time if you don't have something. Whereas I think the Goomba one, there was a little small stanchion. The Thwomp Box one actually had the full-on snake line queue. So, it's interesting. RB: Because like the one that we did where you smacked it, there was no space really for a line queue. And all right, full disclosure. I think I must have played that thing four times before I got it because my timing is terrible. DHB: We also got that on video. RB: Yeah. Thanks. But yeah, it was it was great getting to play through it. And what the other thing that struck me just talking about first. So, thoughts was when I first walked in, I didn't think there was a ton of content there. But as we started playing through it, moving through it, it took us the better part of our time there. DHB: I think I clocked us in. It took us about four and a half hours and we didn't even complete everything or see everything because there's two whole sections we didn't get into. RB: Yeah. DHB: And we did all the main stuff, the gift shop, the ride, the restaurants, Kid Koopa Bowser Challenge (Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown Battle) as well, like all that stuff. But then there was the little hidden nooks. We even tried to go exit through one of them and like, oh, no, you had to go out through another area. RB: Yeah. DHB: And we just ran out of time. RB: Well, and there was the one thing that you wanted to… DHB: The AR viewfinder they have because that we found out right at the end of the day because like, oh, where do these stairs go? And they go up there is where this AR thing, which is what I was trying to find all day because it should allow you to look over the park and it'll put like characters in randomly. So, you'll see one of the Koopa kids walking behind some other pedestrian in the real world or whatever. Kind of that fun little extra experience to see. We didn't get to see it, unfortunately. RB: Sad trombone. So, the one ride game that I was super impressed with was the Mario Kart because of the integration of AR. Get in there, we sit down and I know at first you were asking about the comfort of the car. DHB: Yes. RB: Because I guess some folks had talked about that. DHB: Well, some of the earlier tech events that they did, there was people saying that the size of the seats in the car were not made for your average American adult male American, which I think they rated as like if you have more than a 40 waist or 40-inch waist, you're not going to fit into these seats. And as somebody who has a 38, 40-inch waist, I had absolutely zero issues. RB: Yeah, it seemed pretty comfortable. DHB: Yeah. RB: And then we got to put the headset on. DHB: Well, we had the one headset that kind of went on like a VR helmet, but didn't have the visor. And then they gave you the visor that clicks into that so that they can wash the part that actually touches you while you're, to keep the whole cleanliness thing going and while you could still get the AR experience. RB: And then as we were going to the ride, just seeing all of the characters zooming by as we were trying to drive. DHB: Drive and shoot, and apparently you can lose the game. RB: Yeah, we didn't know that. DHB: We found out afterwards, but somehow, we snuck in a win. RB: Yeah. DHB: Cause I think they said that you have to have four people in the car cause you have to get at least 400 points to win. RB: Yep. DHB: And it was just the two of us. RB: Yeah, and I did score more points. DHB: You did score more points. RB: It's probably the only time that I will ever play a video game and beat David, but it was really fun. And I was really excited about seeing that integration of AR. I know that we've seen some of that at other parks like Disney had some of that with the Spider-Man. DHB: Yeah, the Spider-Man stuff. And I think there's another one that it has it. RB: But it's going to be really exciting to see more of that integration. The other thing that was around the park that I thought was really neat was all of the LED screens and the images that were projected. Like, especially like in the cafeteria when Bowser attacks. DHB: Yeah, like you had the whole story play out, and it kind of like, you could see the kitchen, or the quote kitchen where all the toadstools are working, and then Bowser attacks, and he watches they all freak out and run. And you could see the towns outside and people are trying to hunker down and defend themselves and all that stuff as you can watch him slowly flying around. RB: Well, and it was great because they also lowered the lights. DHB: Yeah. RB: Now that was an experience eating at the cafe because when we got through the line and walked up there was essentially a maître d that asked us how many were in our party and then took your tray and then led us to a table. DHB: Yeah, I was curious on if that's going to be how it goes moving forward or if that was just for the event because it looked like they had the solid maître d stand. RB: Yeah. DHB: But it was also seemed like it was built similar to the other themed restaurants they have throughout the rest of the park. Like the one of the Simpsons or even the one in Hogwarts. Because usually you show up, you have your tray and then you sit there and wait for your food then you go find your seat on your own. This one it was, they actually had the servers and all that stuff. RB: Well, and the food was pretty good too. DHB: Yes, I had, you know, full disclosure we didn't have to pay for any of it but even with the prices they did have, I think my meal would have come out to be about 40 bucks. RB: Yeah, I kept my receipt because I noticing how it was pretty affordable. DHB: Yeah. RB: Because we got an entree, a dessert and a drink. DHB: And by not only was it like you say it's affordable but it also wasn't the lower quality that you have in something where it's like, oh yeah, that's a frozen chicken patty they throw on there. Like you could see where they seared in like the mustaches on our burgers or they had grilled mushrooms on mine. RB: Yeah, because I got the Luigi burger which had an amazing pesto and I'm a foodie. So, I have standards. Mostly because my partner has fostered that in me. She says I came with that pre-installed but you had the Mario burger. DHB: Yes. RB: And that looked pretty tasty. DHB: It was, I'm not a big fan of mushrooms but I had to have it in general because we're in the Mushroom Kingdom. RB: Yeah. DHB: Yeah, I had to do that. RB: We took pictures because there was a section that they had kind of quarantined off that showed all of the food. DHB: Yeah, I wish they had had the Bowser fireball special at there. Because it seemed like it was a spicy meatball. And I was like, I'd have been down for that one. But yeah. RB: David, if you don't know, loves the heat. And so that would have been right up his alley. But yeah, the food, I have to say in terms of food quality at an amusement park, I was really impressed. DHB: I just hope they keep it up. And it wasn't just for the media because I think one of the things, I noticed in the tiramisu I had, which was the one that looked like the question mark box. It felt like it was still frozen. Like it came out of which I get they need to preserve it. But it felt like it was one of those it was pre-made like a week ago and they just thought it out to bring it out. RB: Well, and that might've been also because I saw them bringing out desserts after folks had sat down. DHB: Yeah. RB: So, it might've just been how many cause I also know some tables had paid extra to try all of the food. And so, it might've been that they just hadn't expected. DHB: The sheer number. Cause I think it took us about 20 minutes to even get to the line. RB: Yeah. DHB: And that's supposed to be a smaller line with only the limited number of people they had in there. RB: Yeah. It makes me wonder after going through that area of the park, how many folks are going to be allowed in Super Nintendo World? DHB: Yeah. If they're going to gate it at the warp pipe. Cause it seemed, I mean, it's in the far back. So, you kind of have to walk the entirety of Universal to get to it. RB: Yeah. DHB: But I don't, I mean, obviously right now it's in up until probably horror nights. It's going to be busy cause right now we're going into spring break and then right after that, it's going to be summer. And they just opened up in on February 17th. RB: Well, it makes me wonder if there's, there was a pass through for the rest of the park that wasn't open because it was press day. Because if you're going in there then you're kind of contained in there and there's no way to just move through. DHB: Yeah. RB: I want to go back and take a look at it now that it's open just to kind of see the changes between what we saw on press day and now being an open aspect of the park. That's a question that when we were sitting down eating at the cafe, I had asked you after going through it, is it something that you could see going to every time you go to Universal? DHB: So, in my experience, if I went with other people who had never been, I could say yes. Or if I, if I had plenty of time to kill, definitely. Cause like we killed three to four hours just doing some of the game stuff. Outside of that, I don't know if it'd be like I need to run through here and get there. I mean, I'm a, I'm a huge gaming fan. Been playing Nintendo since, you know, the NES and all that stuff. But even that, it wasn't one of those things where I just, I had to be, I have to go back constantly. Kind of like, you know, where you have people who have to go to Hogwarts every time they go or they have to do the back lot tour every time they go. RB: Yeah. Well, yeah. Cause I love doing the back lot tour. I, I'm a sucker for that. That was my assessment as well. After going through it, I would want to take people who've never been so they can experience how awesome it was. And I'm not a huge video game guy. I played Super Mario Brothers. But yeah, I just, I don't know. It's not something I would probably seek out every time I go to the park. DHB: Well, and to build on that, one of the other issues I ran into, I think I mentioned it to you as well, is the hidden cost that goes into that as well. Cause even though we enjoyed the Mario Kart race, it was the Bowser Jr. fight that we did that I actually, I enjoyed that experience more than anything there. But to get into it, you had to have three keys and to get those three keys, you had to go and do at least three of the other games out there. And so, you have those lines that you're going to have to, cause there was the Piranha Plant one that was like a whack-a-mole game. And you could have up to two people play that, which I could see a line forming real fast, and that took, what, 30 seconds, 40 seconds? RB: Yeah. DHB: To get one key. So now you have the line weight to do that. The Goomba one, that one we did in like 10 seconds. That wasn't too big. But… Like not to throw shade at you but the Goombah power-up one the one we had to do the sequencing. RB: Yeah. DHB: If you get three challenges you can't do it and then you have to get back in line to do it again, I could see somebody easily depending on the line lose an hour just trying to get that one key and you have to have three to go into the hidden area. RB: Yeah, because like if I had not been able to just jump back in and do it I would have probably I would have given up, and I wouldn't have gotten that extra key. And so, it's kind of gatekeep-y in terms of having to acquire those keys to go on to that additional content. DHB: Yeah, even with the other one, which we found, it's not supposed to be hidden, but it was hidden. A little hint for everybody, and spoiler alert if you don't want to hear it, if you go under the Thwomp block, there's another one to get a key, and there's a whole other one. But that one had a very long queue as well. Because I think, I posted a video of it, and I think the whole game is like a minute long. So, and you can have up to two people doing that as well, and even though each person gets the key… You just gotta think how many times you have to do that to go in. And then on top of all that, each person has to have three keys on their wristband. And this gets to one of my biggest complaints about it is, those wristbands are $40 a person. So, if you take a family of four, you all wanna go do this extra challenge, that's $160 you have to pay, and then on top of all the time. So, another level of gatekeepy, I guess. RB: Well, and speaking about those wristbands, because that was an observation we had as well, I understand wanting to do the slap bracelet thing. DHB: Yeah, the nostalgia. RB: Yeah, the nostalgia, but man… would it be easy to lose those. DHB: And I think that's by design, because even when we did the Koopa (Bowser Jr.) challenge, they told us to take it off because you have to throw your arms in it, and you throw your arms, the thing's gonna go flying, you're gonna lose it. And even when we were just walking around, I was constantly checking to make sure it just didn't fall off my wrist. RB: Yeah, and the other aspect about the wristbands was the collectability, because each one had a different symbol for the various characters. DHB: Yeah, I think they had five or six symbols right now, and that's not saying they're gonna expand out later to where now you have all the different characters. Because they also don't have any of the villains, which I think might be coming in Halloween if they. RB: That'd be cool. DHB: Yeah. RB: Now, here's another divisive topic when it comes to Super Nintendo World. DHB: All right. RB: Should it be called Super Nintendo World or Super Mario World? DHB: So, I understand why they call it Super Nintendo World. Because there are hidden Easter eggs that hit other Nintendo, like I don't know if I showed you where they had hidden Pikmin, and there was a couple of things, like one of the shields was a Zelda shield. RB: Yeah, the Highrulian crust. DHB: Yeah, so there was a couple of things hidden in there, but I think they call it Super Nintendo World because in Japan, they actually have other experiences that dive into the other stuff. I don't think they had enough space to do more than just the AR Mario Kart as well as the Koopa (Bowser Jr.) Challenge, so I think they just kept it because that's the name they gave it all. There's also looks like there's room to expand, so they might be able to bring some of the stuff in, and they just wanted to get this open now. RB: Yeah, that was something we had discussed while we were there as well. Where they could expand out to? Like, if they took over the area where the Transformers ride is, they could expand out there, but then I heard that there's gonna be a new Transformers movie, so they're probably not gonna do that. But yeah, it's pretty self-contained, and there's not a lot of space to push out there. DHB: Yeah, because even behind the area where we're in for the Mario Kart ride, on the other side of that is a soundstage. So, they'd have to remove that soundstage out and then build theirs, the only other place, but Universal doesn't make all their money with just the theme park. They do it through renting out soundstages. RB: Looking back at the entire experience. what was your favorite ride or aspect to Super Nintendo World? DHB: It comes back to the Kid Koopa (Bowser Jr.) challenge. And that's because somehow, they made Kinect fun. Cause that's how it looks like. It was, they tracked your shadow and then they projected it on a screen and then you're slapping bombs and, you know, throwing fireballs and all that stuff based on your hand movements on it. It's what I think the Microsoft Kinect wanted to be. And then Super Nintendo just, or Nintendo just like, oh, we made it better. And it made it a full-on immersive experience to where like, I don't know if you noticed, but your shadow shrinks when you got hit. So, you got a little, and then you get the mushroom and you got bigger. It was fun. RB: Well, you had to jump. DHB: Yeah, you had to jump. You had to actually aim to throw fireballs. You had to swap Bob-omb and duck Bullet Bills, all that stuff. And even though I think that one only took a minute, I had more fun doing all that in that one minute than I did in the couple of minutes we had in the Mario Kart ride. RB: I'm going to be lame. DHB: Okay. RB: I'm going to say that what I really enjoyed and stood out for me was how immersive Bowser's Castle was. DHB: Yes. RB: Walking through that queue line. Oh, my goodness. They packed so much into that. DHB: Well, I think it took us like 15 minutes and there was no line. There was walking through. And we went through almost every different era of Super Nintendo and Mario and Yoshi's Island, Paper Mario, all that stuff. RB: Well, and they had like the blueprints for how to build like the Bullet Bills and the Bob-ombs, and just all of those aspects just really felt awesome. DHB: Yeah. RB: And even the giant statue of Bowser, when you first walk in. DHB: Yeah, it's so imposing. Just like, I don't know if I want to go in here. Cause you had to also walk through Bowser's maw to get to that. RB: And so, I know I took a lot of pictures because I was super impressed by every, cause like you said, there were a lot of Easter eggs as we were going through. DHB: Yeah. RB: And whoever designed that did a great job putting that together. Yeah. I would go with that is my most memorable experience for Super Nintendo World. DHB: See, in here as a mask maker, I thought you were going to talk about the mascots because they had the eyes that blinked, the mouths that moved. And it felt like, even though Mario and Luigi felt like they were recycling the same phrases over and over, Princess Peach seemed like she was actually able to interact way more than any other ones. RB: Yeah. Cause when we met Mario and Luigi, it was kind of like the Star Wars with Disney where the Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren had the same voice tracks. DHB: Yeah. RB: Just over and over again. But yeah, you're right. They did, their mouths did move, their eyes did blink. And then we walked up to the princess and we're like, we're here to rescue you. And yeah, it seemed like she had a little more ability to change what she was saying. DHB: Yeah. To say, as well as emote. Cause I think at one point, I think she did a wink at somebody else as they were walking away. Whereas everybody else, it was kind of like doing the normal blink. And then, you know, the mouth just kind of flapped. So, I don't know if it was just a different technology for hers or just maybe the performers underneath. RB: I do hope for Halloween that they have Bowser. DHB: That would be cool to see a Bowser walking. Or even just like Wario and Waluigi. Some of the villains, or my personal favorite, even though it upset me, Dry Bones. I'd love to see him. There's not a single thing of Dry Bones out there in the gift shops. RB: Now that you mention it, gift shops. DHB: Ah, Segue! I brought you right in. RB: So, we walked through the gift shop there in Super Nintendo World, looked at everything there. And then we stopped because they let us go through the rest of the park. And so, we walked through and we checked out the other gift shops in the park just to compare all of the merchandise. And it was really strange. DHB: How did you find it strange? Because I don't know how I found it strange. RB: So, I found it strange because there were differences in what was being offered at the different stores. And some of the things that were being offered at the stores at the front of the park were not being offered in Super Nintendo World. There was that. And, you know, as much as I love Luigi, he was the only coffee cup. So, I couldn't pick up a Mario and Luigi coffee cup. And then you mentioned your favorite character. There was no merchandise for that. DHB: Well, there was no Dry Bones. And then on a converse though, it was certain characters you could only get, or it seemed like you could only get. Because I ended up getting a Chomp Ball and a Bob-omb. I didn't see the Chomper outside of the one outside of the park on the city walk, whereas all the other shops or whatever, they had the Bob-omb, but it was like one or two of them. So, it was interesting to see that they didn't have everything kind of focused there. That could just be because we were just, it was media day and they might be moving stuff over there, but it kind of removed some of that exclusivity. Like, why do I have to walk all the way back there? When I can get 99% of it outside of Universal, as well as, you know, the rest of it right inside the gate. RB: Well, and it was funny with the gift shop. We came out of the ride right into the gift shop. DHB: Yeah. RB: Just like with the Jurassic Park ride. They jump you right into the gift shop. Great marketing there. DHB: Well, not only that, they drop you right into the Mario Kart side of it, so you can get the flag or the pin saying you got number one or whatever you got. And then you're like, oh, and then there's the rest of it all. RB: And I liked some of the t-shirts that they had. So, they had some fun marketing and souvenir stuff. But yeah, just the fact that not all of the offerings at the gift shops was of note. Yeah, so it was a really great experience overall. DHB: Yeah, I don't want to dissuade anybody from going. If you've never been and you're any, even like a minor Nintendo fan, it is a fun experience to go to. It's worth going to at least once. And if you've gone once, if you have somebody else that wants to go, go back. It's not, I don't see it's one of those things like you have to go because it's new. RB: I would always want to take someone who's not gone. DHB: Yeah. RB: Just to show them, because I do, I do really hand it to him for building that immersive experience. Because even as you looked around everywhere you turned there was something even at do, sky level. There were things that you might not notice unless you looked up or when you were on Bowser's castle looking down. DHB: I think it was, yeah, because even when I found the Pikmin thing, it was like, I think I was waiting for you because you were going to the bathroom, or whatever, and I just kind of like just stood there looking around. And it was like this one little Easter Egg hidden there. It was like and it was so small that I guarantee your average person is not going to pick that up unless they're like actually, you know, looking for the Easter Eggs. So, it's little Pekin details like that. There's just always something new to look at. RB: And, another great segue. Missed opportunity with the bathroom. I walked in. There were no there were no pipes. There was nothing that you would think were indicative of two plumber brothers having to save a princess. There could have been something there that really made it a great experience, even just going to the restroom. As weird as that sounds. DHB: Well, I've seen some of the So, weirder, more adult themed memes about it all. So, I kind of understand why they stayed away from it. If you haven't, look up the Piranha Plant Bathroom. Look that up and you'll understand exactly why they probably shied away from that. But even so, it's like I didn't go in, but even just kind of having like wallpaper or something like something to make it feel like you're going into another world. I guess, even though you're just going to the bathroom, which sounds weird. RB: Well, and now So, the other thing I would I would want to take a look at if we ever get out to Universal Florida, I want to see what they have out there. DHB: I don't believe they have a Nintendo World out there yet. RB: Yet. DHB: There's still, I think that one's going to be a couple of years down the line before they build that. RB: I think the Universal in Florida tends to be a bigger space. So, they have more opportunity, I think. So, they're probably testing stuff out here. And of course, you said… DHB: Japan, Japan got up around 2021, like right when they started opening things back up after Covid. RB: Yeah. And for me, comparing those experiences would be really interesting to kind of see the differences between the parks. DHB: To see when they have more space and how they can use a lot, utilize it. Or there's no we're just going to it should be Super Mario World, but we're going to call it Super Nintendo World. RB: Yeah. Well, I think that kind of wraps us up. DHB: Yeah. RB: Talking about Super Nintendo World. Thank you, Universal, for inviting us out for press day. DHB: Thank you so very much. If you guys need to want to see any of the videos or photos, we have the photo gallery up on the site, aggrogamer.com. As well as on our YouTube. We have all the little videos. We have the shorts and the whole walkthrough Ray did of Bowser's Castle. RB: So, like, subscribe, find us on social media, and we will catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode104.mp3 Wed, 12 Apr 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected — Super Nintendo World [Episode Two] AggroCast Resurrected — Super Nintendo World [Episode Two] AGGROGAMER.COM 002 003 The AggroCast crew had the opportunity to head out to the new Super Nintendo World out at Universal Studios Hollywood. Raymond and David are here to give you all a nice little rundown of their experiences, their loves, their hates, and more commentary to help you decide if you want to make the pilgrimage out to the park yourself. Universal Parks invited us out for this event, granted us free access to the park, gave us free Power-Up Bands, and offered us the meals that we discuss in the episode. We spent our own money buying souvenirs. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Raymond Bruels: Hi! This is Raymond Bruels and David 'Hades' Becker with AggroCast Resurrected, covering the Super Nintendo World Press Day in 2023. David Hades Becker: That was so much fun. RB: You got invited out to… DHB: We got invited out. RB: We got invited out for the press day. I have to say that I really was impressed with Universal and how they handled the press going into that event. DHB: I was going to ask how you thought about that, because this has been one of your major press events that you've been able to do before, right? RB: Yeah. I've done a few other press events, but this one was really awesome. The fact that they gave us our press badges, they had the super comfy van that shuttled us to where we needed to be, they gave us the wristband so we got to play with that. Yeah, it was just a hell of an experience, and I was really impressed by it all coming together. But you've done a fair number of these. DHB: I have. That's why I was curious, because for me it felt like a little bit of old hat, outside of obviously with it being Universal, they drive us all the way down to the back lot let us out there instead of just parading us through the park wearing our badges and stuff like that. I've had a mixed bag on that, but I will say it was definitely handled a little more professionally, but it's Universal… I didn't think I expected less than that. RB: And we also got to see a lot of other content creators as well as YouTube personalities and podcasters. It was a really neat experience seeing all those folks. DHB: Yeah, the director of Nintendo was out there in the mix of it all too. RB: Yeah. DHB: I didn't get to see him, but I know people saw him in the backstage and all that stuff. RB: Well, I'm not sure I'd be able to identify him. We rolled up, we got dumped on the back end, not dumped, we got off the bus. DHB: We kind of got dumped off because we didn't know where to cross and we kind of jaywalked across. RB: And then you stopped and you asked questions to make sure that we weren't going to get in trouble with any content or pictures that we took. You've been releasing pictures and some of the video that we took through our socials. I was amazed by how immersive an experience it was. We walked in, there were the pipes. DHB: The first thing you walk in is you see the warp pipes. It's a photo op, yeah, but then you have the main one that you have to walk in, makes the noise, does all the lights, so it feels like you're actually transported from Universal in. RB: And the thing that we noticed and we spoke about while we were there was the fact that it was kind of self-contained. DHB: Yeah. RB: You didn't see the rest of the park. DHB: Yeah, I think once we got inside, the only thing I was able to see outside of the natural sky was there was like one crane working on something next to us, but it just blocked out everything. Like all the sights, sounds, everything else from Universal, so it felt like you were transported into Super Nintendo World. RB: Well, and even when we walked out and we took the escalators up into the rest of the park, when we stopped to look down, we still couldn't see a whole lot into the park. DHB: Yeah, we could see a few things here and there to let us know it was there, but you couldn't see like any of the finer details or even like, I think I had trouble even finding the 1-UP shop or even some of the other interactive experiences we did out there. RB: Yeah. DHB: Like, I knew where they were after experiencing it all, but I still couldn't be like, that's it right there. Got it! RB: Yeah. Well, and so we walked in and the very first thing that I was struck with was the gamification of that area. Holy Moly. 'Cause there were a number of games that we played through because you had to collect the keys. DHB: Yes, you had to get at least three keys to do the hidden extra feature that was in there. Which there was four different places to do that. RB: Well, and they had the gold bricks so you could collect the coins. And then when we were in the guest shop, the individual we were speaking to there said that the wristbands, you could actually get those benefits in the Switch game? DHB: In certain Switch games, yeah. It's kind of like the Amiibo thing is you can put it up there and it gives you exclusive skins for like the… like we did the Mario Kart experience, you can get a specific skin for that. You can move some of the coins into some of the other games. They have little gamification… If you actually participate in the land, you get those in-game benefits on your Switch if you have one. RB: Well, and that was fun watching the playthroughs of the games as we were going through. 'Cause I know you have this fabled ability of pattern recognition. DHB: It's true. RB: And so, I'm sitting there watching you and I've got it on film. You basically watched the timing of it and in one shot, bam, you got it. DHB: First one of the day according to the representative there, which could be or could not be, but that's what they said. RB: Yeah. Well, and they were so friendly and helpful. DHB: Yeah. RB: There were a ton of folks. I don't know if that's standard for that park area. DHB: I'd like to think it's going to be for a little bit because I know one of the things I noticed at those little events, there was only a couple that actually had a solid line queue for it and other ones felt like you could just walk up to it. Which if you have thousands of people flooding in, could get a little chaotic. Like the one you're talking about with the sequencing thing. There was no line whatsoever. We just walked up. They said, hey, go and do this. And you get three tries at it. I'm like, and I think I even asked was like, how is that going to be managed once the parks actually open? Because once it's open, you're just going to have random people running up there and doing it all the time if you don't have something. Whereas I think the Goomba one, there was a little small stanchion. The Thwomp Box one actually had the full-on snake line queue. So, it's interesting. RB: Because like the one that we did where you smacked it, there was no space really for a line queue. And all right, full disclosure. I think I must have played that thing four times before I got it because my timing is terrible. DHB: We also got that on video. RB: Yeah. Thanks. But yeah, it was it was great getting to play through it. And what the other thing that struck me just talking about first. So, thoughts was when I first walked in, I didn't think there was a ton of content there. But as we started playing through it, moving through it, it took us the better part of our time there. DHB: I think I clocked us in. It took us about four and a half hours and we didn't even complete everything or see everything because there's two whole sections we didn't get into. RB: Yeah. DHB: And we did all the main stuff, the gift shop, the ride, the restaurants, Kid Koopa Bowser Challenge (Bowser Jr. Shadow Showdown Battle) as well, like all that stuff. But then there was the little hidden nooks. We even tried to go exit through one of them and like, oh, no, you had to go out through another area. RB: Yeah. DHB: And we just ran out of time. RB: Well, and there was the one thing that you wanted to… DHB: The AR viewfinder they have because that we found out right at the end of the day because like, oh, where do these stairs go? And they go up there is where this AR thing, which is what I was trying to find all day because it should allow you to look over the park and it'll put like characters in randomly. So, you'll see one of the Koopa kids walking behind some other pedestrian in the real world or whatever. Kind of that fun little extra experience to see. We didn't get to see it, unfortunately. RB: Sad trombone. So, the one ride game that I was super impressed with was the Mario Kart because of the integration of AR. Get in there, we sit down and I know at first you were asking about the comfort of the car. DHB: Yes. RB: Because I guess some folks had talked about that. DHB: Well, some of the earlier tech events that they did, there was people saying that the size of the seats in the car were not made for your average American adult male American, which I think they rated as like if you have more than a 40 waist or 40-inch waist, you're not going to fit into these seats. And as somebody who has a 38, 40-inch waist, I had absolutely zero issues. RB: Yeah, it seemed pretty comfortable. DHB: Yeah. RB: And then we got to put the headset on. DHB: Well, we had the one headset that kind of went on like a VR helmet, but didn't have the visor. And then they gave you the visor that clicks into that so that they can wash the part that actually touches you while you're, to keep the whole cleanliness thing going and while you could still get the AR experience. RB: And then as we were going to the ride, just seeing all of the characters zooming by as we were trying to drive. DHB: Drive and shoot, and apparently you can lose the game. RB: Yeah, we didn't know that. DHB: We found out afterwards, but somehow, we snuck in a win. RB: Yeah. DHB: Cause I think they said that you have to have four people in the car cause you have to get at least 400 points to win. RB: Yep. DHB: And it was just the two of us. RB: Yeah, and I did score more points. DHB: You did score more points. RB: It's probably the only time that I will ever play a video game and beat David, but it was really fun. And I was really excited about seeing that integration of AR. I know that we've seen some of that at other parks like Disney had some of that with the Spider-Man. DHB: Yeah, the Spider-Man stuff. And I think there's another one that it has it. RB: But it's going to be really exciting to see more of that integration. The other thing that was around the park that I thought was really neat was all of the LED screens and the images that were projected. Like, especially like in the cafeteria when Bowser attacks. DHB: Yeah, like you had the whole story play out, and it kind of like, you could see the kitchen, or the quote kitchen where all the toadstools are working, and then Bowser attacks, and he watches they all freak out and run. And you could see the towns outside and people are trying to hunker down and defend themselves and all that stuff as you can watch him slowly flying around. RB: Well, and it was great because they also lowered the lights. DHB: Yeah. RB: Now that was an experience eating at the cafe because when we got through the line and walked up there was essentially a maître d that asked us how many were in our party and then took your tray and then led us to a table. DHB: Yeah, I was curious on if that's going to be how it goes moving forward or if that was just for the event because it looked like they had the solid maître d stand. RB: Yeah. DHB: But it was also seemed like it was built similar to the other themed restaurants they have throughout the rest of the park. Like the one of the Simpsons or even the one in Hogwarts. Because usually you show up, you have your tray and then you sit there and wait for your food then you go find your seat on your own. This one it was, they actually had the servers and all that stuff. RB: Well, and the food was pretty good too. DHB: Yes, I had, you know, full disclosure we didn't have to pay for any of it but even with the prices they did have, I think my meal would have come out to be about 40 bucks. RB: Yeah, I kept my receipt because I noticing how it was pretty affordable. DHB: Yeah. RB: Because we got an entree, a dessert and a drink. DHB: And by not only was it like you say it's affordable but it also wasn't the lower quality that you have in something where it's like, oh yeah, that's a frozen chicken patty they throw on there. Like you could see where they seared in like the mustaches on our burgers or they had grilled mushrooms on mine. RB: Yeah, because I got the Luigi burger which had an amazing pesto and I'm a foodie. So, I have standards. Mostly because my partner has fostered that in me. She says I came with that pre-installed but you had the Mario burger. DHB: Yes. RB: And that looked pretty tasty. DHB: It was, I'm not a big fan of mushrooms but I had to have it in general because we're in the Mushroom Kingdom. RB: Yeah. DHB: Yeah, I had to do that. RB: We took pictures because there was a section that they had kind of quarantined off that showed all of the food. DHB: Yeah, I wish they had had the Bowser fireball special at there. Because it seemed like it was a spicy meatball. And I was like, I'd have been down for that one. But yeah. RB: David, if you don't know, loves the heat. And so that would have been right up his alley. But yeah, the food, I have to say in terms of food quality at an amusement park, I was really impressed. DHB: I just hope they keep it up. And it wasn't just for the media because I think one of the things, I noticed in the tiramisu I had, which was the one that looked like the question mark box. It felt like it was still frozen. Like it came out of which I get they need to preserve it. But it felt like it was one of those it was pre-made like a week ago and they just thought it out to bring it out. RB: Well, and that might've been also because I saw them bringing out desserts after folks had sat down. DHB: Yeah. RB: So, it might've just been how many cause I also know some tables had paid extra to try all of the food. And so, it might've been that they just hadn't expected. DHB: The sheer number. Cause I think it took us about 20 minutes to even get to the line. RB: Yeah. DHB: And that's supposed to be a smaller line with only the limited number of people they had in there. RB: Yeah. It makes me wonder after going through that area of the park, how many folks are going to be allowed in Super Nintendo World? DHB: Yeah. If they're going to gate it at the warp pipe. Cause it seemed, I mean, it's in the far back. So, you kind of have to walk the entirety of Universal to get to it. RB: Yeah. DHB: But I don't, I mean, obviously right now it's in up until probably horror nights. It's going to be busy cause right now we're going into spring break and then right after that, it's going to be summer. And they just opened up in on February 17th. RB: Well, it makes me wonder if there's, there was a pass through for the rest of the park that wasn't open because it was press day. Because if you're going in there then you're kind of contained in there and there's no way to just move through. DHB: Yeah. RB: I want to go back and take a look at it now that it's open just to kind of see the changes between what we saw on press day and now being an open aspect of the park. That's a question that when we were sitting down eating at the cafe, I had asked you after going through it, is it something that you could see going to every time you go to Universal? DHB: So, in my experience, if I went with other people who had never been, I could say yes. Or if I, if I had plenty of time to kill, definitely. Cause like we killed three to four hours just doing some of the game stuff. Outside of that, I don't know if it'd be like I need to run through here and get there. I mean, I'm a, I'm a huge gaming fan. Been playing Nintendo since, you know, the NES and all that stuff. But even that, it wasn't one of those things where I just, I had to be, I have to go back constantly. Kind of like, you know, where you have people who have to go to Hogwarts every time they go or they have to do the back lot tour every time they go. RB: Yeah. Well, yeah. Cause I love doing the back lot tour. I, I'm a sucker for that. That was my assessment as well. After going through it, I would want to take people who've never been so they can experience how awesome it was. And I'm not a huge video game guy. I played Super Mario Brothers. But yeah, I just, I don't know. It's not something I would probably seek out every time I go to the park. DHB: Well, and to build on that, one of the other issues I ran into, I think I mentioned it to you as well, is the hidden cost that goes into that as well. Cause even though we enjoyed the Mario Kart race, it was the Bowser Jr. fight that we did that I actually, I enjoyed that experience more than anything there. But to get into it, you had to have three keys and to get those three keys, you had to go and do at least three of the other games out there. And so, you have those lines that you're going to have to, cause there was the Piranha Plant one that was like a whack-a-mole game. And you could have up to two people play that, which I could see a line forming real fast, and that took, what, 30 seconds, 40 seconds? RB: Yeah. DHB: To get one key. So now you have the line weight to do that. The Goomba one, that one we did in like 10 seconds. That wasn't too big. But… Like not to throw shade at you but the Goombah power-up one the one we had to do the sequencing. RB: Yeah. DHB: If you get three challenges you can't do it and then you have to get back in line to do it again, I could see somebody easily depending on the line lose an hour just trying to get that one key and you have to have three to go into the hidden area. RB: Yeah, because like if I had not been able to just jump back in and do it I would have probably I would have given up, and I wouldn't have gotten that extra key. And so, it's kind of gatekeep-y in terms of having to acquire those keys to go on to that additional content. DHB: Yeah, even with the other one, which we found, it's not supposed to be hidden, but it was hidden. A little hint for everybody, and spoiler alert if you don't want to hear it, if you go under the Thwomp block, there's another one to get a key, and there's a whole other one. But that one had a very long queue as well. Because I think, I posted a video of it, and I think the whole game is like a minute long. So, and you can have up to two people doing that as well, and even though each person gets the key… You just gotta think how many times you have to do that to go in. And then on top of all that, each person has to have three keys on their wristband. And this gets to one of my biggest complaints about it is, those wristbands are $40 a person. So, if you take a family of four, you all wanna go do this extra challenge, that's $160 you have to pay, and then on top of all the time. So, another level of gatekeepy, I guess. RB: Well, and speaking about those wristbands, because that was an observation we had as well, I understand wanting to do the slap bracelet thing. DHB: Yeah, the nostalgia. RB: Yeah, the nostalgia, but man… would it be easy to lose those. DHB: And I think that's by design, because even when we did the Koopa (Bowser Jr.) challenge, they told us to take it off because you have to throw your arms in it, and you throw your arms, the thing's gonna go flying, you're gonna lose it. And even when we were just walking around, I was constantly checking to make sure it just didn't fall off my wrist. RB: Yeah, and the other aspect about the wristbands was the collectability, because each one had a different symbol for the various characters. DHB: Yeah, I think they had five or six symbols right now, and that's not saying they're gonna expand out later to where now you have all the different characters. Because they also don't have any of the villains, which I think might be coming in Halloween if they. RB: That'd be cool. DHB: Yeah. RB: Now, here's another divisive topic when it comes to Super Nintendo World. DHB: All right. RB: Should it be called Super Nintendo World or Super Mario World? DHB: So, I understand why they call it Super Nintendo World. Because there are hidden Easter eggs that hit other Nintendo, like I don't know if I showed you where they had hidden Pikmin, and there was a couple of things, like one of the shields was a Zelda shield. RB: Yeah, the Highrulian crust. DHB: Yeah, so there was a couple of things hidden in there, but I think they call it Super Nintendo World because in Japan, they actually have other experiences that dive into the other stuff. I don't think they had enough space to do more than just the AR Mario Kart as well as the Koopa (Bowser Jr.) Challenge, so I think they just kept it because that's the name they gave it all. There's also looks like there's room to expand, so they might be able to bring some of the stuff in, and they just wanted to get this open now. RB: Yeah, that was something we had discussed while we were there as well. Where they could expand out to? Like, if they took over the area where the Transformers ride is, they could expand out there, but then I heard that there's gonna be a new Transformers movie, so they're probably not gonna do that. But yeah, it's pretty self-contained, and there's not a lot of space to push out there. DHB: Yeah, because even behind the area where we're in for the Mario Kart ride, on the other side of that is a soundstage. So, they'd have to remove that soundstage out and then build theirs, the only other place, but Universal doesn't make all their money with just the theme park. They do it through renting out soundstages. RB: Looking back at the entire experience. what was your favorite ride or aspect to Super Nintendo World? DHB: It comes back to the Kid Koopa (Bowser Jr.) challenge. And that's because somehow, they made Kinect fun. Cause that's how it looks like. It was, they tracked your shadow and then they projected it on a screen and then you're slapping bombs and, you know, throwing fireballs and all that stuff based on your hand movements on it. It's what I think the Microsoft Kinect wanted to be. And then Super Nintendo just, or Nintendo just like, oh, we made it better. And it made it a full-on immersive experience to where like, I don't know if you noticed, but your shadow shrinks when you got hit. So, you got a little, and then you get the mushroom and you got bigger. It was fun. RB: Well, you had to jump. DHB: Yeah, you had to jump. You had to actually aim to throw fireballs. You had to swap Bob-omb and duck Bullet Bills, all that stuff. And even though I think that one only took a minute, I had more fun doing all that in that one minute than I did in the couple of minutes we had in the Mario Kart ride. RB: I'm going to be lame. DHB: Okay. RB: I'm going to say that what I really enjoyed and stood out for me was how immersive Bowser's Castle was. DHB: Yes. RB: Walking through that queue line. Oh, my goodness. They packed so much into that. DHB: Well, I think it took us like 15 minutes and there was no line. There was walking through. And we went through almost every different era of Super Nintendo and Mario and Yoshi's Island, Paper Mario, all that stuff. RB: Well, and they had like the blueprints for how to build like the Bullet Bills and the Bob-ombs, and just all of those aspects just really felt awesome. DHB: Yeah. RB: And even the giant statue of Bowser, when you first walk in. DHB: Yeah, it's so imposing. Just like, I don't know if I want to go in here. Cause you had to also walk through Bowser's maw to get to that. RB: And so, I know I took a lot of pictures because I was super impressed by every, cause like you said, there were a lot of Easter eggs as we were going through. DHB: Yeah. RB: And whoever designed that did a great job putting that together. Yeah. I would go with that is my most memorable experience for Super Nintendo World. DHB: See, in here as a mask maker, I thought you were going to talk about the mascots because they had the eyes that blinked, the mouths that moved. And it felt like, even though Mario and Luigi felt like they were recycling the same phrases over and over, Princess Peach seemed like she was actually able to interact way more than any other ones. RB: Yeah. Cause when we met Mario and Luigi, it was kind of like the Star Wars with Disney where the Stormtroopers and Kylo Ren had the same voice tracks. DHB: Yeah. RB: Just over and over again. But yeah, you're right. They did, their mouths did move, their eyes did blink. And then we walked up to the princess and we're like, we're here to rescue you. And yeah, it seemed like she had a little more ability to change what she was saying. DHB: Yeah. To say, as well as emote. Cause I think at one point, I think she did a wink at somebody else as they were walking away. Whereas everybody else, it was kind of like doing the normal blink. And then, you know, the mouth just kind of flapped. So, I don't know if it was just a different technology for hers or just maybe the performers underneath. RB: I do hope for Halloween that they have Bowser. DHB: That would be cool to see a Bowser walking. Or even just like Wario and Waluigi. Some of the villains, or my personal favorite, even though it upset me, Dry Bones. I'd love to see him. There's not a single thing of Dry Bones out there in the gift shops. RB: Now that you mention it, gift shops. DHB: Ah, Segue! I brought you right in. RB: So, we walked through the gift shop there in Super Nintendo World, looked at everything there. And then we stopped because they let us go through the rest of the park. And so, we walked through and we checked out the other gift shops in the park just to compare all of the merchandise. And it was really strange. DHB: How did you find it strange? Because I don't know how I found it strange. RB: So, I found it strange because there were differences in what was being offered at the different stores. And some of the things that were being offered at the stores at the front of the park were not being offered in Super Nintendo World. There was that. And, you know, as much as I love Luigi, he was the only coffee cup. So, I couldn't pick up a Mario and Luigi coffee cup. And then you mentioned your favorite character. There was no merchandise for that. DHB: Well, there was no Dry Bones. And then on a converse though, it was certain characters you could only get, or it seemed like you could only get. Because I ended up getting a Chomp Ball and a Bob-omb. I didn't see the Chomper outside of the one outside of the park on the city walk, whereas all the other shops or whatever, they had the Bob-omb, but it was like one or two of them. So, it was interesting to see that they didn't have everything kind of focused there. That could just be because we were just, it was media day and they might be moving stuff over there, but it kind of removed some of that exclusivity. Like, why do I have to walk all the way back there? When I can get 99% of it outside of Universal, as well as, you know, the rest of it right inside the gate. RB: Well, and it was funny with the gift shop. We came out of the ride right into the gift shop. DHB: Yeah. RB: Just like with the Jurassic Park ride. They jump you right into the gift shop. Great marketing there. DHB: Well, not only that, they drop you right into the Mario Kart side of it, so you can get the flag or the pin saying you got number one or whatever you got. And then you're like, oh, and then there's the rest of it all. RB: And I liked some of the t-shirts that they had. So, they had some fun marketing and souvenir stuff. But yeah, just the fact that not all of the offerings at the gift shops was of note. Yeah, so it was a really great experience overall. DHB: Yeah, I don't want to dissuade anybody from going. If you've never been and you're any, even like a minor Nintendo fan, it is a fun experience to go to. It's worth going to at least once. And if you've gone once, if you have somebody else that wants to go, go back. It's not, I don't see it's one of those things like you have to go because it's new. RB: I would always want to take someone who's not gone. DHB: Yeah. RB: Just to show them, because I do, I do really hand it to him for building that immersive experience. Because even as you looked around everywhere you turned there was something even at do, sky level. There were things that you might not notice unless you looked up or when you were on Bowser's castle looking down. DHB: I think it was, yeah, because even when I found the Pikmin thing, it was like, I think I was waiting for you because you were going to the bathroom, or whatever, and I just kind of like just stood there looking around. And it was like this one little Easter Egg hidden there. It was like and it was so small that I guarantee your average person is not going to pick that up unless they're like actually, you know, looking for the Easter Eggs. So, it's little Pekin details like that. There's just always something new to look at. RB: And, another great segue. Missed opportunity with the bathroom. I walked in. There were no there were no pipes. There was nothing that you would think were indicative of two plumber brothers having to save a princess. There could have been something there that really made it a great experience, even just going to the restroom. As weird as that sounds. DHB: Well, I've seen some of the So, weirder, more adult themed memes about it all. So, I kind of understand why they stayed away from it. If you haven't, look up the Piranha Plant Bathroom. Look that up and you'll understand exactly why they probably shied away from that. But even so, it's like I didn't go in, but even just kind of having like wallpaper or something like something to make it feel like you're going into another world. I guess, even though you're just going to the bathroom, which sounds weird. RB: Well, and now So, the other thing I would I would want to take a look at if we ever get out to Universal Florida, I want to see what they have out there. DHB: I don't believe they have a Nintendo World out there yet. RB: Yet. DHB: There's still, I think that one's going to be a couple of years down the line before they build that. RB: I think the Universal in Florida tends to be a bigger space. So, they have more opportunity, I think. So, they're probably testing stuff out here. And of course, you said… DHB: Japan, Japan got up around 2021, like right when they started opening things back up after Covid. RB: Yeah. And for me, comparing those experiences would be really interesting to kind of see the differences between the parks. DHB: To see when they have more space and how they can use a lot, utilize it. Or there's no we're just going to it should be Super Mario World, but we're going to call it Super Nintendo World. RB: Yeah. Well, I think that kind of wraps us up. DHB: Yeah. RB: Talking about Super Nintendo World. Thank you, Universal, for inviting us out for press day. DHB: Thank you so very much. If you guys need to want to see any of the videos or photos, we have the photo gallery up on the site, aggrogamer.com. As well as on our YouTube. We have all the little videos. We have the shorts and the whole walkthrough Ray did of Bowser's Castle. RB: So, like, subscribe, find us on social media, and we will catch you next week. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 26:41 Gaming,Video Games,AggroGamer,Pwned,Video Game Discussion,Social Networking,Sony,PSN,PS+,XBL,Xbox Live,PS4,PS5,PlayStation,Xbox,Xbox One,Xbox Series X,Xbox Series S,Switch,Nintendo,VR,PSVR2,Board Games,Reviews,News,Podcast,Super Nintendo World,Universal Parks,Universal Studios Hollywood yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) Episode One Hundred Three: AggroCast Resurrected The AggroCast is back and Resurrected from the dead with Ray Bruels and David ‘Hades’ Becker. Get re-introduced back to some of the crew, hear what is on the way to the site and new podcast, and also celebrate someone’s fifteenth anniversary on the site. Get ready to join us all for the ride once again. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Ray Brules: Welcome to the Aggrocast! This is Ray Brules and sitting across from me is David Hades Becker and we're going to talk today about the resurrection of Aggrocast and a momentous occasion. This is the 15th anniversary for David. David Hades Becker: It is definitely 15 years I've been working on the site and went from just a basic writer all the way up to chief editor and owner of the whole company now. RB: And out of that 15 year experience, what would you say is kind of your crowning achievement? DHB: Oof... I don't know if I can name just one crowning achievement. There's been so many. I mean, pretty much any time I get invited out to go do like a specific press event or like a very exclusive thing, that always seems like the next crowning achievement. So it just keeps going. Like, if I had to go with one more recent, flying helicopters over Las Vegas for a mobile game company. RB: I have to say that I was quite jealous of that. The pictures you showed us were amazing. So how about we dig into what Aggrocast was? DHB: Well, Aggrocast originally, and it's been almost 13 years now since the last one aired, it started out as a small little, I believe it was called Total Meltdown before on Pwned.com. And it was done by Mike Camacho and a couple of the other guys that were working for the site. It was just a way to rapid fire some of the news out there, quick updates. And that was even before we had the actual written news articles or even the YouTube and video stuff we did. And then that progressed into where Brian Bentley, Binh Nguyen, and Corey Dockendorf took over. And they did kind of like a Last Week Tonight kind of thing where it was, they would just go over everything we just went, I saw for that week or a couple of weeks, depending on what was going on and just recap what we didn't cover on the site. RB: So there's a lot of content. DHB: There is, yes. I believe we got up to 79 (102) episodes before all the other talent had to go off and do their own thing and progress to do their own stuff. RB: So what encouraged you to move forward on bringing this back? DHB: Well, I've always been trying to get an easier way to get the content out to people. I also know attention spans are a lot shorter. People don't have the time to read things. I joke about it quite often in my articles that people probably just skip over my writing right to the trailer or whatever, a little video tidbit or whatever. I figured this would be an easier way for people to digest the information and get those news. And also, we can put out, I guess, give people our actual excitement of stuff we've gone and seen and done as media, press and all that stuff. RB: AggroGamer.com, it has been primarily focused on video games and new releases. But I know that you've got a vision for what you want to see AggroGamer head towards in the future. Could you tell us about that? DHB: Yeah. So to reiterate what you just said, originally, yes, we were focused primarily only on video games. And that was one of the calls way back when I was a writer. They didn't want to touch anything else. And I've always been a proponent of what about all things gaming or even like anything that's interactive? Because video games is just interactive media. Same thing like tabletop games, escape rooms, all that kind of stuff is just experiences. And I've kind of always wanted to move into that, not to mention some of the pop culture stuff that seeps in as well, because you have people who build dynamic experiences. Based on certain IPs. And most of those don't even touch any of the gaming sphere, like even tabletop board games or anything like that. But they dive in and use some of these to give people those kind of real life video game or board game experiences. So it's kind of like branching out and covering all of that at the same time. Which I know it sounds like a massive undertaking, but. RB: And part of it's when podcasts or even with websites, you have to find your niche. And it seems like a lot, but I would also imagine that as you progress forward on this, that you're gonna drill down in certain places when you find that juicy bit. DHB: Oh yeah, I mean, I do it all the time when I find the juicy bits, specifically for video games. That's always been my passion since I was a young child. I will always drill down, and most of it's even on just like game theory and general design as well, and how to push the genres forward and the industry forward. But then there's also, I have all the other hobbies of tabletop and board games as well. So finding those little niches, like I have a feeling come this June, as soon as the Marvel Zombies board game comes out, I'm probably gonna dive into that and cover every little thing on that. RB: Yeah, we both kicked into that because it was just amazing. DHB: Yes. RB: And I remember us when we went to SDCC this last year, we got to see some of the models and holy smokes, they were awesome. DHB: Yeah, not only the models just for that one, but all the other branches that came off of their successful Kickstarter for Marvel Zombies. The boys, they had He-Man, they had like all these different versions that were not part of the Marvel set, but it was like, you could see how they were building upon a lot, and not just gonna build on top of the, I think it was the basic game of Zombicide. RB: Yeah. Yeah, so that it I completely agree that we're gonna have we're gonna probably have to do some coverage and we talked about possibly doing that as well with doing some playtests of board games and and even some tabletop games because I know that… Hi, I'm tabletop-RPG-Correspondent, I know that I want to get into doing some playtests and really dive into that material and I know we've got a couple of friends that are interested in helping us along the way with that as well. So, Tabletop, RPGs, the traditional video game coverage, board games, LARP… DHB: We've had a few LARPs on there before. I think I've covered some of the Dystopia Rising. Julia has covered… I'm gonna butcher the name… I think it's like black bear something (Black Shield Productions) that happens where they do one weekend a month type LARP. It's a fantasy thing. We've been trying to cover some of that as well because those kind of build into these interactive experiences that, you know, I guess the love of video games always just seem to branch out into. RB: That's great. So, what do you what do you see going forward for the rest of 2023 in terms of aggro gamer? I know you were looking at E3. Is the next is that your next outing? DHB: E3 is… currently yes, it should be the next. Well, it should be the next big outing that I have planned. There's always little things that get mixed in here and there. Then after that obviously SDCC and then I'm trying to get in to do more of the immersive experiences for like the Halloween time. So like Horror Nights, Not Scary Farm, all that kind of stuff to kind of work our way into looking into like how they built them, not just the haunts, but any of the other stuff that's going on. Like I know there's the new IT Escape Room that they're building down here. That's not gonna be just an escape room, but a whole experience that you can go into around the IP. RB: Being in Las Vegas, there's a ton of escape rooms. And then there was the talk of the Universal Halloween Nights year round attraction that they were opening up. DHB: Correct, yeah. RB: So that's over by area 15. DHB: Area 15, where they also have the Meow Wolf Omega Mart. Which is a whole interactive experience. And I know people that have gone in there, they think it's just an art exhibit, but there's like for an extra $2, you get this entire immersive video game thing, which is what caught me the first time as I walked in and I was able to start hacking computer screens and all that stuff. And there was just something built on top of it that most people miss out on. RB: That's awesome. So it sounds like really fun stuff ahead for AggroGamer. And then of course the Aggrocast with covering a lot of topics. And how are those topics gonna generally be picked? Are you just gonna kind of pull from a hat or? DHB: As far as the Aggrocast goes, it's probably gonna be some of the stuff that's kind of in the, not really, I don't wanna use the word zeitgeist, but the things that seem more important to the gamers. Like I know you did an article based on the new OGL for D&D. So things like that, so we can actually discuss and bring that kind of topics back in. As well as other things that are getting hyped up or shady things that are going on. Which is gonna date this podcast. Literally today they announced the release date for Starfield, but then they're gonna do a massive reveal for it the day before E3 starts. So it feels like the PR and marketing team are trying to give a middle finger to the E3 event. Which is weird. It's topics like that that I wanna kind of find and cover as well. RB: Well, and I think that there are gonna be some topics that are almost timeless, because you and I have discussed even like the Hogwarts legacy and some of the stuff about that, how there's a lot of publicity and negative attention because of J.K. Rowling and some of her comments in regards to turf and that sort of thing. DHB: Yeah, there's that one and then Atomic Heart. Which just recently came out, made by a Russian company and it's kind of promoting capitalism, even though it came out of a Ukrainian developer. So there's a whole lot of controversy around that and even though people wanna support them, it's kind of a similar thing. They wanna support the developers, but they don't wanna support the war that's going on, stuff like that. So those topics are always gonna keep coming up. RB: Okay, so we've talked about the fact that this is your 15th year anniversary, that you are the head editor for Aggrogamer.com and you are quite prolific. You've kind of been a one-man show for a while, just pumping out content. DHB: Yes, it's… been mostly me for quite a while. I know you've added in there, Julia's added in there, Jana has added in there every now and then. We kind of have a good collaboration where I want to keep content flowing, but I also don't want to like force everybody to sit there and churn out content, because I know we all have our own lives as well. And I can keep everything rolling as well as I can and just take what everybody wants to give every now and then. RB: Well, and for you, it seems like this has truly been a passion project. You spoke about video games in your childhood, and it just seems like that's been kind of a mainstay for you throughout your adult life. So this is kind of an evolution of that time as a child playing video games. DHB: Yeah, exactly. I remember when I was a kid, I was always thinking like, oh, I could write in Nintendo Power or Game Informer or whatever the little magazines were at the time, and this is kind of my way of fulfilling that childhood dream. As well as I get to sit around and tell people I play video games for a living. So that's kind of the fun side of it all. RB: And with AggroGamer, you don't take sponsorships? I know that you've got a very hard line in regards to some of that. You wanna explain that? DHB: Yeah, so more or less, we don't take sponsorships unless it's something we truly can get behind. For a while, we were doing Loot Crate, and then when that company kind of started to tank a little bit, we cut our sponsorship there. Same thing with Paradox Games and a couple of the other things they were promoting. Which we only cut our sponsorship because it was originally for Bloodlines 2, and that game has been postponed indefinitely. And it's all the other stuff. People will write to us and say, "hey, we wanna put a sponsored content, or we wanna do some promotion where it's," we're trying to hide the fact we're marketing and using your kind of credibility, and I hate that, and that's kind of… why I've kept going on with AggroGamer as well. Is I hate all of the marketing bullshit that gets wrapped into things, and it oversells a game to somebody when it's just utter crap. I hated that when I was a kid, where I'd spend all of my money, like, you know, I think at the time, like 40, 50 bucks, to buy this one game, and then be stuck with it because I couldn't sell them at the time. I hated that, and I kind of want to help promote that, even though it's easier to sell off games and trade back and all that stuff now. I still don't want people to waste their time and money, or even get in thinking they're going to get a 60-hour game, and be like, oh yeah, you can beat this in two hours. So I'd rather keep our credibility and not feel like, oh, we're only covering this because we're paid to do so. RB: Well, and sticking to your guns, as you have over the years, has caught some flack as well. DHB: Yes, multiple times. Like, there was a few developers, I'm not going to name names. They blacklisted me at a time when they were blacklisting everybody, so you can Google that on your own. And it was mainly because I was very, very open and honest about all of my reviews and all of my opinions on things. While everybody else was giving 10 out of 10s, 9 out of 10s. There was one game I gave a 4 out of 10 on, if I have to put a number on it, I hate doing numbers as well. But that developer refused to do anything with us. Until the pandemic hit. And then when they found out our numbers were actually better than some of the other ones because people were actually able to take the time and not just buy the game and leave it on the shelf, we were actually sending better reviews out than some of these other major companies or major outlets. So they actually reached out to us and swapped that around. So it's kind of, because we stuck to our guns, stuck to our, you know, our merit and all that stuff, I feel like we're coming full circle on that. RB: That's great. Well, and you see a lot of outlets, but I don't want to say any names, but you'll see them review a game. In the text, they'll trash the game, but then they'll still give it like eight out of 10 stars or seven out of 10 stars. And it's like, well, wait a minute, this score does not reflect what I just read review-wise of this game. DHB: That is exactly why I do what I do, because… It all harkens back to, and I've mentioned it to you before, but Dead Space was always one of my favorite games way back when. It was back when we were still doing review scores. I gave a 10 out of 10, but then when in my written part, there was, I had issues with it. I was like, "how is this a perfect game?" if I'm having issues? But then I'd watch as like some of the other outlets that I also won't name would do the same thing. It's like 10 out of 10, five stars or whatever. And then half their article is on. Know this is why this game sucks and this is why you should avoid this or this you know this needs to be fixed I'm like "well, then how is it a perfect game?" It's all because they always want to get their numbers or their tag on the back of the box or in the accolades video or whatever because now that's kind of self-promotion from the game back and forth, when all you're doing is feeding a lie to people. And it's also why, which fun little quirk on my reviews, I actually do put scores in there, but they're so nonsensical. And they're all like, it's all to prove that I've actually played the game. Like it'll be, I have given this, five chimichangas out of 32 or out of, on the chimichanga scale. So I don't even name how many chimichangas or whatever. But it's just to go, yeah, I went in there, there's a huge thing about chimichangas here, or what was it, I think in Far Cry, I listed off, I gave it like 630 medallions or something like that. And that's based on the in-game currency or something like, it was little things like that to kind of like poke fun at the same thing, but also not give any kind of solid score because if you read the article, you'll know whether or not you should be playing it, spending your money and all that. RB: And it's kind of an Easter Egg by using a term from the game. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: Nice. DHB: Yeah, because it was, I think Midnight Suns is the other one where I did it. Where I think I named out one of the in-game currencies about friendship. And I was like, I had to make a joke about all the friendship because that was one of the things I harped on so much in the actual hated part of my review. RB: And so, yeah, I know that I am really looking forward to joining you on this endeavor. I've had a couple of opportunities now. I've written some things, not nearly as prolific as you are. DHB: Well, I've been doing it for a while. You're just cutting your teeth and getting going, but you've also done some interviews and all that stuff as well, so. RB: Yeah, I did interviews at GenghisCon. Which we're going to be doing some coverage on that. My background is kind of a freelance writer having written for RPGs, and that's why doing the tabletop RPGs reviews is great because I've got a wealth of knowledge. I've been playing tabletop games for 40 years, as loath as I am to admit that, because it shows my age. But, I have lived and breathed in the tabletop space. And so I really always look for innovation and I'm glad that I'm able to team up with you. We can do these immersive experiences, like the escape rooms, the conventions, meeting folks, and getting to meet thought leaders in the various industries who are trying to change gaming and people's experiences for the better. My partner works in VR and other marketing aspects, and so we're always keeping an eye towards that as well. DHB: And then that's what I was going to mention is the whole immersive experience, it's always evolving and changing because you have the AR, the VR, all that stuff building on top of some of this stuff. Not just in the video game space, but there's also for the tabletop and LARPs, all that kind of stuff. So it's kind of, I don't want to say we're becoming a tech thing, but you could see how certain things are evolving and trying to stay on top of all that. RB: Yeah, it's moving in that direction. I started LARPing back in '94. Then of course, when I lived in Colorado, I owned and ran Dystopia Rising Colorado for a number of years with my partner. But I know you've got a large LARP pedigree as well. DHB: Well, I started back in '99 doing Vampire, and then I was just bouncing around from certain ones from here to there. I've played in your Dystopia Rising, I've done the Alliance, Refuge, but most of it's been Vampire and in some of the major organizations and some troop games and all that stuff. RB: Yeah, well, yeah. Because there was a lot of organizations back in the day for the World of Darkness products. And even like going to Grand Masquerade in New Orleans, where you got to see a lot of those groups come together was really exciting times. DHB: Well, that and also seeing when they would go above and beyond, to get back to the original point of the immersive experience. When they would build those like Vampire nightclubs. So it's not only where you go in there throwing rock, paper, scissors, and reading off of a sheet, you could actually physically go to some of these locations they have built to add that extra level. And even though we're still ways off from like Holodecks, it felt like you were going into that kind of sensation. And it just felt like it would add to those kinds of experiences. RB: Yeah, well, and then wrapping back around to the fact that the technology is moving in that direction to really augment those experiences. At some point, we'll have to talk about the Disney Star Wars experience that they've got going on in Florida. And then even just the evolution of the escape rooms and some of the stuff that we've seen there. And I've got a haunt pedigree, having come out of Colorado, having worked in haunted houses, built haunted houses, as well as having a mask shop with my buddy, Dan Henry out in Colorado. I've got a lot of that that we can bring to the table too as we evaluate these things for that immersive experience. And I look forward to seeing how technology plays into these new experiences. I think we're gonna even touch on some of that with Super Nintendo World. DHB: Yeah, that is one of the things I was gonna bring up for another one of our podcasts. We have that and it's all about getting that extra experience out there. It's to get you further engrossed in the IPs, as well as kind of building upon your escape from reality. Because, I mean, at the end of the day, it's kind of what all that is. You can leave all of your horrible stuff here, go do all these other things, and pretend to be somebody else in a video game or in a tabletop. Or put yourself in a dungeon where you feel like you have to escape in an hour. Those kind of things so that you can come back out and kind of appreciate life afterwards. RB: Well, yeah, because it definitely gets you out of your skin. DHB: Yeah! RB: And then gives you an opportunity to share that experience with others. Even if you don't know them, you suddenly make fast friends. DHB: Yes! RB: And so the other benefit of being based in Las Vegas is that we have LA four hours away. And there are so many experiences out there because of all the theatrical and the Hollywood folk, that there's a bunch of LARPs and escape rooms and other experiences. Like one that we're probably not gonna do much coverage on, but we'll talk about it, I'm sure, is the Stranger Things. DHB: Yeah, the Stranger Things one. RB: Yeah, because we went out there just for fun. And that was a really great immersive experience that had some of the integration of technology plus the escape room element. And I think we all were really excited by what we saw, especially at the end of it when you walked in and there was kind of the food court and all of those elements from the show. DHB: Yeah! RB: That kind of just sucked you into the show. And gave you the chance to play in that environment. DHB: Yeah, that hour long escape that you need from reality to reset and all that stuff. And not to mention, have the entertainment. So that you have those stories, you have those experiences to build upon later on. RB: So we've covered a fair bit of this. We've talked about who you are, who I am. Are there any games for 2023, on the horizon, that you're looking forward to seeing? DHB: Ooh, that's a loaded question because there is a ton of games coming up. I can't name just one off the top of my head. RB: That's fair. DHB: I'm ready to throw all of them out. RB: I know I'm really excited to see what they're doing with the new Diablo game. After the launch of that cell phone game. DHB: Yeah, Immortal or whatever it is. RB: Yeah, I am really looking forward to seeing what they do with the new Diablo game because I have been a Diablo fanatic forever. And so, and I refused to play that cell phone game. DHB: Good call, good call. RB: Well, and part of that's because of one of the things that I've gotten passionate about, working with you, and starting to learn and research and for articles and things. Is the gamification and the gambling aspect that a lot of these mobile games have. But I'm sure we'll talk about that. DHB: That's a whole other podcast in itself. RB: That's a whole podcast to itself. And then maybe we can drag in Frank Hartgrave; somebody that we've been working with on some game reviews and who also has really been immersed in that experience of the mobile gaming and gambling addiction aspect. But yeah, so it sounds like there's a lot of future for Aggrocast and for AggroGamer. DHB: That is definitely the hope. I mean, like I said, the industry is constantly evolving. I'm excited to do this. You're excited to do this. And I'm pretty sure we can find a way to keep the ball constantly rolling. RB: And are you ever looking for new writers and new voices? DHB: I'm always looking for new writers and new voices to come and add on. I've been approached by a few people and they've fallen through the, not fallen through the cracks on my end, but they've given like one thing here or there and then they just kind of moved on. Or yeah, I have people who ask and then they think it's gonna be a way harder job after I'm like, "yeah, can you do this?" And it's like, I need 500 words and they have issues giving out 500 words. I'm like, "well, obviously you can't cut it here then." RB: Yeah, and no chat GPT here, buddy. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: This is all using your own words. DHB: You can read the passion behind it if you're an actual gamer and not feeding it through an algorithm. RB: Well, and even I'm sure at some point we'll talk about AI art. DHB: Easily. AI art, AI, chat GPT, a lot of stuff, like all that stuff because that's gonna be coming soon as well. RB: In the future, yeah. Suddenly Skynet, dogs and cats living together, Both: Mass hysteria! RB: Great, so what do we have to look forward to in terms of future podcasts? DHB: We were invited out to go check out Super Nintendo World for their grand opening media day and all that stuff. So we'll probably be talking a lot about that. We went out and did GenghisCon 45. Covered some of the games out there, you did a few interviews. So we'll have that to go on. Obviously, probably E3, we're gonna do one probably almost every day just because of how much information comes out of that. As long as other companies don't try to screw them over as "some other publisher that will not be named" has done so. Obviously, Comic-Con and all that stuff. We'll probably get some of the other people in as well, like Julia has been probably will be coming in and talking about things. I know she's very passionate on the art side of stuff as well as the comic books. RB: Well, I think it would be great because of the LARP that she runs once a year. DHB: Correct. RB: We could actually dig into some of her experiences. DHB: Especially, since her reception at her wedding this year is going to be at the LARP she runs. RB: That is amazing. DHB: Yes, so I'm excited to see how that goes down. RB: Yeah, I can't wait to see the pictures. DHB: Right?! RB: That's gonna just be incredible. That's great. And anything towards the end of the year? DHB: Towards the end of the year, maybe we can mix in some of the extra reviews as well as the, if we can get into some of the haunted experiences as well. I know usually around November/December is usually when video games and all the other games, they try to hit the mass market for Christmas. So maybe doing some podcasts where we're like, we're just talking about these games that we've played or these, be it board games, tabletop, video games. So we can get the information out there faster. Because I call it Review Season on the back end where sometimes you just get flooded with things and you gotta pick and choose if you're gonna write about it. So maybe we can mix some of that stuff in as well. RB: Yeah, well, and then we have our pilgrimage out to Universal for Horror Nights. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I really wanna dig into that because I love Horror Nights. And I always look forward to seeing what new haunts they put up for that event. DHB: And I've heard a few rumors on some big ones coming out specifically because of this year. RB: Oh, that's gonna be great. All right, this has been the Aggrocast. DHB: The RESURRECTED Aggrocast. RB: The resurrected. No sponsorships, no money under the table. DHB: Unless you guys wanna completely fund us by like $10 million, I won't turn that down. RB: Oh, all right, so we at least have a budgetary. DHB: Yeah, yeah, yeah. RB: But David, thank you for this amazing experience. DHB: And thank you, Ray. RB: The opportunity to really see something that you're passionate about grow and build as we go through 2023 and into 2024. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode103.mp3 Wed, 05 Apr 2023 21:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected: Episode One Episode One Hundred Three: AggroCast Resurrected AGGROGAMER.COM 001 003 The AggroCast is back and Resurrected from the dead with Ray Bruels and David ‘Hades’ Becker. Get re-introduced back to some of the crew, hear what is on the way to the site and new podcast, and also celebrate someone’s fifteenth anniversary on the site. Get ready to join us all for the ride once again. TRANSCRIPTION It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive… It's alive…! AggroCast RESURRECTED!!! Ray Brules: Welcome to the Aggrocast! This is Ray Brules and sitting across from me is David Hades Becker and we're going to talk today about the resurrection of Aggrocast and a momentous occasion. This is the 15th anniversary for David. David Hades Becker: It is definitely 15 years I've been working on the site and went from just a basic writer all the way up to chief editor and owner of the whole company now. RB: And out of that 15 year experience, what would you say is kind of your crowning achievement? DHB: Oof... I don't know if I can name just one crowning achievement. There's been so many. I mean, pretty much any time I get invited out to go do like a specific press event or like a very exclusive thing, that always seems like the next crowning achievement. So it just keeps going. Like, if I had to go with one more recent, flying helicopters over Las Vegas for a mobile game company. RB: I have to say that I was quite jealous of that. The pictures you showed us were amazing. So how about we dig into what Aggrocast was? DHB: Well, Aggrocast originally, and it's been almost 13 years now since the last one aired, it started out as a small little, I believe it was called Total Meltdown before on Pwned.com. And it was done by Mike Camacho and a couple of the other guys that were working for the site. It was just a way to rapid fire some of the news out there, quick updates. And that was even before we had the actual written news articles or even the YouTube and video stuff we did. And then that progressed into where Brian Bentley, Binh Nguyen, and Corey Dockendorf took over. And they did kind of like a Last Week Tonight kind of thing where it was, they would just go over everything we just went, I saw for that week or a couple of weeks, depending on what was going on and just recap what we didn't cover on the site. RB: So there's a lot of content. DHB: There is, yes. I believe we got up to 79 (102) episodes before all the other talent had to go off and do their own thing and progress to do their own stuff. RB: So what encouraged you to move forward on bringing this back? DHB: Well, I've always been trying to get an easier way to get the content out to people. I also know attention spans are a lot shorter. People don't have the time to read things. I joke about it quite often in my articles that people probably just skip over my writing right to the trailer or whatever, a little video tidbit or whatever. I figured this would be an easier way for people to digest the information and get those news. And also, we can put out, I guess, give people our actual excitement of stuff we've gone and seen and done as media, press and all that stuff. RB: AggroGamer.com, it has been primarily focused on video games and new releases. But I know that you've got a vision for what you want to see AggroGamer head towards in the future. Could you tell us about that? DHB: Yeah. So to reiterate what you just said, originally, yes, we were focused primarily only on video games. And that was one of the calls way back when I was a writer. They didn't want to touch anything else. And I've always been a proponent of what about all things gaming or even like anything that's interactive? Because video games is just interactive media. Same thing like tabletop games, escape rooms, all that kind of stuff is just experiences. And I've kind of always wanted to move into that, not to mention some of the pop culture stuff that seeps in as well, because you have people who build dynamic experiences. Based on certain IPs. And most of those don't even touch any of the gaming sphere, like even tabletop board games or anything like that. But they dive in and use some of these to give people those kind of real life video game or board game experiences. So it's kind of like branching out and covering all of that at the same time. Which I know it sounds like a massive undertaking, but. RB: And part of it's when podcasts or even with websites, you have to find your niche. And it seems like a lot, but I would also imagine that as you progress forward on this, that you're gonna drill down in certain places when you find that juicy bit. DHB: Oh yeah, I mean, I do it all the time when I find the juicy bits, specifically for video games. That's always been my passion since I was a young child. I will always drill down, and most of it's even on just like game theory and general design as well, and how to push the genres forward and the industry forward. But then there's also, I have all the other hobbies of tabletop and board games as well. So finding those little niches, like I have a feeling come this June, as soon as the Marvel Zombies board game comes out, I'm probably gonna dive into that and cover every little thing on that. RB: Yeah, we both kicked into that because it was just amazing. DHB: Yes. RB: And I remember us when we went to SDCC this last year, we got to see some of the models and holy smokes, they were awesome. DHB: Yeah, not only the models just for that one, but all the other branches that came off of their successful Kickstarter for Marvel Zombies. The boys, they had He-Man, they had like all these different versions that were not part of the Marvel set, but it was like, you could see how they were building upon a lot, and not just gonna build on top of the, I think it was the basic game of Zombicide. RB: Yeah. Yeah, so that it I completely agree that we're gonna have we're gonna probably have to do some coverage and we talked about possibly doing that as well with doing some playtests of board games and and even some tabletop games because I know that… Hi, I'm tabletop-RPG-Correspondent, I know that I want to get into doing some playtests and really dive into that material and I know we've got a couple of friends that are interested in helping us along the way with that as well. So, Tabletop, RPGs, the traditional video game coverage, board games, LARP… DHB: We've had a few LARPs on there before. I think I've covered some of the Dystopia Rising. Julia has covered… I'm gonna butcher the name… I think it's like black bear something (Black Shield Productions) that happens where they do one weekend a month type LARP. It's a fantasy thing. We've been trying to cover some of that as well because those kind of build into these interactive experiences that, you know, I guess the love of video games always just seem to branch out into. RB: That's great. So, what do you what do you see going forward for the rest of 2023 in terms of aggro gamer? I know you were looking at E3. Is the next is that your next outing? DHB: E3 is… currently yes, it should be the next. Well, it should be the next big outing that I have planned. There's always little things that get mixed in here and there. Then after that obviously SDCC and then I'm trying to get in to do more of the immersive experiences for like the Halloween time. So like Horror Nights, Not Scary Farm, all that kind of stuff to kind of work our way into looking into like how they built them, not just the haunts, but any of the other stuff that's going on. Like I know there's the new IT Escape Room that they're building down here. That's not gonna be just an escape room, but a whole experience that you can go into around the IP. RB: Being in Las Vegas, there's a ton of escape rooms. And then there was the talk of the Universal Halloween Nights year round attraction that they were opening up. DHB: Correct, yeah. RB: So that's over by area 15. DHB: Area 15, where they also have the Meow Wolf Omega Mart. Which is a whole interactive experience. And I know people that have gone in there, they think it's just an art exhibit, but there's like for an extra $2, you get this entire immersive video game thing, which is what caught me the first time as I walked in and I was able to start hacking computer screens and all that stuff. And there was just something built on top of it that most people miss out on. RB: That's awesome. So it sounds like really fun stuff ahead for AggroGamer. And then of course the Aggrocast with covering a lot of topics. And how are those topics gonna generally be picked? Are you just gonna kind of pull from a hat or? DHB: As far as the Aggrocast goes, it's probably gonna be some of the stuff that's kind of in the, not really, I don't wanna use the word zeitgeist, but the things that seem more important to the gamers. Like I know you did an article based on the new OGL for D&D. So things like that, so we can actually discuss and bring that kind of topics back in. As well as other things that are getting hyped up or shady things that are going on. Which is gonna date this podcast. Literally today they announced the release date for Starfield, but then they're gonna do a massive reveal for it the day before E3 starts. So it feels like the PR and marketing team are trying to give a middle finger to the E3 event. Which is weird. It's topics like that that I wanna kind of find and cover as well. RB: Well, and I think that there are gonna be some topics that are almost timeless, because you and I have discussed even like the Hogwarts legacy and some of the stuff about that, how there's a lot of publicity and negative attention because of J.K. Rowling and some of her comments in regards to turf and that sort of thing. DHB: Yeah, there's that one and then Atomic Heart. Which just recently came out, made by a Russian company and it's kind of promoting capitalism, even though it came out of a Ukrainian developer. So there's a whole lot of controversy around that and even though people wanna support them, it's kind of a similar thing. They wanna support the developers, but they don't wanna support the war that's going on, stuff like that. So those topics are always gonna keep coming up. RB: Okay, so we've talked about the fact that this is your 15th year anniversary, that you are the head editor for Aggrogamer.com and you are quite prolific. You've kind of been a one-man show for a while, just pumping out content. DHB: Yes, it's… been mostly me for quite a while. I know you've added in there, Julia's added in there, Jana has added in there every now and then. We kind of have a good collaboration where I want to keep content flowing, but I also don't want to like force everybody to sit there and churn out content, because I know we all have our own lives as well. And I can keep everything rolling as well as I can and just take what everybody wants to give every now and then. RB: Well, and for you, it seems like this has truly been a passion project. You spoke about video games in your childhood, and it just seems like that's been kind of a mainstay for you throughout your adult life. So this is kind of an evolution of that time as a child playing video games. DHB: Yeah, exactly. I remember when I was a kid, I was always thinking like, oh, I could write in Nintendo Power or Game Informer or whatever the little magazines were at the time, and this is kind of my way of fulfilling that childhood dream. As well as I get to sit around and tell people I play video games for a living. So that's kind of the fun side of it all. RB: And with AggroGamer, you don't take sponsorships? I know that you've got a very hard line in regards to some of that. You wanna explain that? DHB: Yeah, so more or less, we don't take sponsorships unless it's something we truly can get behind. For a while, we were doing Loot Crate, and then when that company kind of started to tank a little bit, we cut our sponsorship there. Same thing with Paradox Games and a couple of the other things they were promoting. Which we only cut our sponsorship because it was originally for Bloodlines 2, and that game has been postponed indefinitely. And it's all the other stuff. People will write to us and say, "hey, we wanna put a sponsored content, or we wanna do some promotion where it's," we're trying to hide the fact we're marketing and using your kind of credibility, and I hate that, and that's kind of… why I've kept going on with AggroGamer as well. Is I hate all of the marketing bullshit that gets wrapped into things, and it oversells a game to somebody when it's just utter crap. I hated that when I was a kid, where I'd spend all of my money, like, you know, I think at the time, like 40, 50 bucks, to buy this one game, and then be stuck with it because I couldn't sell them at the time. I hated that, and I kind of want to help promote that, even though it's easier to sell off games and trade back and all that stuff now. I still don't want people to waste their time and money, or even get in thinking they're going to get a 60-hour game, and be like, oh yeah, you can beat this in two hours. So I'd rather keep our credibility and not feel like, oh, we're only covering this because we're paid to do so. RB: Well, and sticking to your guns, as you have over the years, has caught some flack as well. DHB: Yes, multiple times. Like, there was a few developers, I'm not going to name names. They blacklisted me at a time when they were blacklisting everybody, so you can Google that on your own. And it was mainly because I was very, very open and honest about all of my reviews and all of my opinions on things. While everybody else was giving 10 out of 10s, 9 out of 10s. There was one game I gave a 4 out of 10 on, if I have to put a number on it, I hate doing numbers as well. But that developer refused to do anything with us. Until the pandemic hit. And then when they found out our numbers were actually better than some of the other ones because people were actually able to take the time and not just buy the game and leave it on the shelf, we were actually sending better reviews out than some of these other major companies or major outlets. So they actually reached out to us and swapped that around. So it's kind of, because we stuck to our guns, stuck to our, you know, our merit and all that stuff, I feel like we're coming full circle on that. RB: That's great. Well, and you see a lot of outlets, but I don't want to say any names, but you'll see them review a game. In the text, they'll trash the game, but then they'll still give it like eight out of 10 stars or seven out of 10 stars. And it's like, well, wait a minute, this score does not reflect what I just read review-wise of this game. DHB: That is exactly why I do what I do, because… It all harkens back to, and I've mentioned it to you before, but Dead Space was always one of my favorite games way back when. It was back when we were still doing review scores. I gave a 10 out of 10, but then when in my written part, there was, I had issues with it. I was like, "how is this a perfect game?" if I'm having issues? But then I'd watch as like some of the other outlets that I also won't name would do the same thing. It's like 10 out of 10, five stars or whatever. And then half their article is on. Know this is why this game sucks and this is why you should avoid this or this you know this needs to be fixed I'm like "well, then how is it a perfect game?" It's all because they always want to get their numbers or their tag on the back of the box or in the accolades video or whatever because now that's kind of self-promotion from the game back and forth, when all you're doing is feeding a lie to people. And it's also why, which fun little quirk on my reviews, I actually do put scores in there, but they're so nonsensical. And they're all like, it's all to prove that I've actually played the game. Like it'll be, I have given this, five chimichangas out of 32 or out of, on the chimichanga scale. So I don't even name how many chimichangas or whatever. But it's just to go, yeah, I went in there, there's a huge thing about chimichangas here, or what was it, I think in Far Cry, I listed off, I gave it like 630 medallions or something like that. And that's based on the in-game currency or something like, it was little things like that to kind of like poke fun at the same thing, but also not give any kind of solid score because if you read the article, you'll know whether or not you should be playing it, spending your money and all that. RB: And it's kind of an Easter Egg by using a term from the game. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: Nice. DHB: Yeah, because it was, I think Midnight Suns is the other one where I did it. Where I think I named out one of the in-game currencies about friendship. And I was like, I had to make a joke about all the friendship because that was one of the things I harped on so much in the actual hated part of my review. RB: And so, yeah, I know that I am really looking forward to joining you on this endeavor. I've had a couple of opportunities now. I've written some things, not nearly as prolific as you are. DHB: Well, I've been doing it for a while. You're just cutting your teeth and getting going, but you've also done some interviews and all that stuff as well, so. RB: Yeah, I did interviews at GenghisCon. Which we're going to be doing some coverage on that. My background is kind of a freelance writer having written for RPGs, and that's why doing the tabletop RPGs reviews is great because I've got a wealth of knowledge. I've been playing tabletop games for 40 years, as loath as I am to admit that, because it shows my age. But, I have lived and breathed in the tabletop space. And so I really always look for innovation and I'm glad that I'm able to team up with you. We can do these immersive experiences, like the escape rooms, the conventions, meeting folks, and getting to meet thought leaders in the various industries who are trying to change gaming and people's experiences for the better. My partner works in VR and other marketing aspects, and so we're always keeping an eye towards that as well. DHB: And then that's what I was going to mention is the whole immersive experience, it's always evolving and changing because you have the AR, the VR, all that stuff building on top of some of this stuff. Not just in the video game space, but there's also for the tabletop and LARPs, all that kind of stuff. So it's kind of, I don't want to say we're becoming a tech thing, but you could see how certain things are evolving and trying to stay on top of all that. RB: Yeah, it's moving in that direction. I started LARPing back in '94. Then of course, when I lived in Colorado, I owned and ran Dystopia Rising Colorado for a number of years with my partner. But I know you've got a large LARP pedigree as well. DHB: Well, I started back in '99 doing Vampire, and then I was just bouncing around from certain ones from here to there. I've played in your Dystopia Rising, I've done the Alliance, Refuge, but most of it's been Vampire and in some of the major organizations and some troop games and all that stuff. RB: Yeah, well, yeah. Because there was a lot of organizations back in the day for the World of Darkness products. And even like going to Grand Masquerade in New Orleans, where you got to see a lot of those groups come together was really exciting times. DHB: Well, that and also seeing when they would go above and beyond, to get back to the original point of the immersive experience. When they would build those like Vampire nightclubs. So it's not only where you go in there throwing rock, paper, scissors, and reading off of a sheet, you could actually physically go to some of these locations they have built to add that extra level. And even though we're still ways off from like Holodecks, it felt like you were going into that kind of sensation. And it just felt like it would add to those kinds of experiences. RB: Yeah, well, and then wrapping back around to the fact that the technology is moving in that direction to really augment those experiences. At some point, we'll have to talk about the Disney Star Wars experience that they've got going on in Florida. And then even just the evolution of the escape rooms and some of the stuff that we've seen there. And I've got a haunt pedigree, having come out of Colorado, having worked in haunted houses, built haunted houses, as well as having a mask shop with my buddy, Dan Henry out in Colorado. I've got a lot of that that we can bring to the table too as we evaluate these things for that immersive experience. And I look forward to seeing how technology plays into these new experiences. I think we're gonna even touch on some of that with Super Nintendo World. DHB: Yeah, that is one of the things I was gonna bring up for another one of our podcasts. We have that and it's all about getting that extra experience out there. It's to get you further engrossed in the IPs, as well as kind of building upon your escape from reality. Because, I mean, at the end of the day, it's kind of what all that is. You can leave all of your horrible stuff here, go do all these other things, and pretend to be somebody else in a video game or in a tabletop. Or put yourself in a dungeon where you feel like you have to escape in an hour. Those kind of things so that you can come back out and kind of appreciate life afterwards. RB: Well, yeah, because it definitely gets you out of your skin. DHB: Yeah! RB: And then gives you an opportunity to share that experience with others. Even if you don't know them, you suddenly make fast friends. DHB: Yes! RB: And so the other benefit of being based in Las Vegas is that we have LA four hours away. And there are so many experiences out there because of all the theatrical and the Hollywood folk, that there's a bunch of LARPs and escape rooms and other experiences. Like one that we're probably not gonna do much coverage on, but we'll talk about it, I'm sure, is the Stranger Things. DHB: Yeah, the Stranger Things one. RB: Yeah, because we went out there just for fun. And that was a really great immersive experience that had some of the integration of technology plus the escape room element. And I think we all were really excited by what we saw, especially at the end of it when you walked in and there was kind of the food court and all of those elements from the show. DHB: Yeah! RB: That kind of just sucked you into the show. And gave you the chance to play in that environment. DHB: Yeah, that hour long escape that you need from reality to reset and all that stuff. And not to mention, have the entertainment. So that you have those stories, you have those experiences to build upon later on. RB: So we've covered a fair bit of this. We've talked about who you are, who I am. Are there any games for 2023, on the horizon, that you're looking forward to seeing? DHB: Ooh, that's a loaded question because there is a ton of games coming up. I can't name just one off the top of my head. RB: That's fair. DHB: I'm ready to throw all of them out. RB: I know I'm really excited to see what they're doing with the new Diablo game. After the launch of that cell phone game. DHB: Yeah, Immortal or whatever it is. RB: Yeah, I am really looking forward to seeing what they do with the new Diablo game because I have been a Diablo fanatic forever. And so, and I refused to play that cell phone game. DHB: Good call, good call. RB: Well, and part of that's because of one of the things that I've gotten passionate about, working with you, and starting to learn and research and for articles and things. Is the gamification and the gambling aspect that a lot of these mobile games have. But I'm sure we'll talk about that. DHB: That's a whole other podcast in itself. RB: That's a whole podcast to itself. And then maybe we can drag in Frank Hartgrave; somebody that we've been working with on some game reviews and who also has really been immersed in that experience of the mobile gaming and gambling addiction aspect. But yeah, so it sounds like there's a lot of future for Aggrocast and for AggroGamer. DHB: That is definitely the hope. I mean, like I said, the industry is constantly evolving. I'm excited to do this. You're excited to do this. And I'm pretty sure we can find a way to keep the ball constantly rolling. RB: And are you ever looking for new writers and new voices? DHB: I'm always looking for new writers and new voices to come and add on. I've been approached by a few people and they've fallen through the, not fallen through the cracks on my end, but they've given like one thing here or there and then they just kind of moved on. Or yeah, I have people who ask and then they think it's gonna be a way harder job after I'm like, "yeah, can you do this?" And it's like, I need 500 words and they have issues giving out 500 words. I'm like, "well, obviously you can't cut it here then." RB: Yeah, and no chat GPT here, buddy. DHB: Yeah, exactly. RB: This is all using your own words. DHB: You can read the passion behind it if you're an actual gamer and not feeding it through an algorithm. RB: Well, and even I'm sure at some point we'll talk about AI art. DHB: Easily. AI art, AI, chat GPT, a lot of stuff, like all that stuff because that's gonna be coming soon as well. RB: In the future, yeah. Suddenly Skynet, dogs and cats living together, Both: Mass hysteria! RB: Great, so what do we have to look forward to in terms of future podcasts? DHB: We were invited out to go check out Super Nintendo World for their grand opening media day and all that stuff. So we'll probably be talking a lot about that. We went out and did GenghisCon 45. Covered some of the games out there, you did a few interviews. So we'll have that to go on. Obviously, probably E3, we're gonna do one probably almost every day just because of how much information comes out of that. As long as other companies don't try to screw them over as "some other publisher that will not be named" has done so. Obviously, Comic-Con and all that stuff. We'll probably get some of the other people in as well, like Julia has been probably will be coming in and talking about things. I know she's very passionate on the art side of stuff as well as the comic books. RB: Well, I think it would be great because of the LARP that she runs once a year. DHB: Correct. RB: We could actually dig into some of her experiences. DHB: Especially, since her reception at her wedding this year is going to be at the LARP she runs. RB: That is amazing. DHB: Yes, so I'm excited to see how that goes down. RB: Yeah, I can't wait to see the pictures. DHB: Right?! RB: That's gonna just be incredible. That's great. And anything towards the end of the year? DHB: Towards the end of the year, maybe we can mix in some of the extra reviews as well as the, if we can get into some of the haunted experiences as well. I know usually around November/December is usually when video games and all the other games, they try to hit the mass market for Christmas. So maybe doing some podcasts where we're like, we're just talking about these games that we've played or these, be it board games, tabletop, video games. So we can get the information out there faster. Because I call it Review Season on the back end where sometimes you just get flooded with things and you gotta pick and choose if you're gonna write about it. So maybe we can mix some of that stuff in as well. RB: Yeah, well, and then we have our pilgrimage out to Universal for Horror Nights. DHB: Yeah. RB: And I really wanna dig into that because I love Horror Nights. And I always look forward to seeing what new haunts they put up for that event. DHB: And I've heard a few rumors on some big ones coming out specifically because of this year. RB: Oh, that's gonna be great. All right, this has been the Aggrocast. DHB: The RESURRECTED Aggrocast. RB: The resurrected. No sponsorships, no money under the table. DHB: Unless you guys wanna completely fund us by like $10 million, I won't turn that down. RB: Oh, all right, so we at least have a budgetary. DHB: Yeah, yeah, yeah. RB: But David, thank you for this amazing experience. DHB: And thank you, Ray. RB: The opportunity to really see something that you're passionate about grow and build as we go through 2023 and into 2024. Thank you for listening to the Aggrocast resurrected, the official podcast of AggroGamer. For more gaming news and reviews, please check us out at aggrogamer.com. If you enjoyed today's content, follow and subscribe to get notifications of our next episodes. 26:01 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, Diablo 4, Diablo IV, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/article/10397/AggroCast-Resurrected-Episode-One dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) AggroCast Resurrected The AggroCast is coming back and will be Resurrected from the dead with Ray Bruels and David 'Hades' Becker. Stay tuned for more… http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-resurrected-teaser.mp3 Sat, 01 Apr 2023 10:00:00 GMT © 2023 Aggrogamer AggroCast Resurrected: Teaser AggroCast Resurrected AGGROGAMER.COM 000 003 The AggroCast is coming back and will be Resurrected from the dead with Ray Bruels and David 'Hades' Becker. Stay tuned for more… 00:20 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, Diablo 4, Diablo IV, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room yes © 2023 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/article/10397/AggroCast-Resurrected-Episode-One dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) You are shocked. Brian, Corey and Matt return to the Aggrocast after only one week. Topic for this episode is looking forward to the fall release lineup. Yes, the guys promised to do it quarterly, but why not just have one good blowout episode with our excitement abounding for games like Assassins Creed III, Far-Cry 3, Torchlight II and Halo 4. The guys also spend a few not-so-quiet minutes revisiting last week's debate on Facebook games. While you're listening, don't miss out on Whatcha Been Playing, the Community Spotlight and another 5-question Care / Don't Care. As always, please do not hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments below or email me directly and I will read your email on the next show. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode102.mp3 Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 102 002 Episode One Hundred Two: Looking Forward to Fall AGGROGAMER.COM You are shocked. Brian, Corey and Matt return to the Aggrocast after only one week. Topic for this episode is looking forward to the fall release lineup. Yes, the guys promised to do it quarterly, but why not just have one good blowout episode with our excitement abounding for games like Assassins Creed III, Far-Cry 3, Torchlight II and Halo 4. The guys also spend a few not-so-quiet minutes revisiting last week's debate on Facebook games. While you're listening, don't miss out on Whatcha Been Playing, the Community Spotlight and another 5-question Care / Don't Care. As always, please do not hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments below or email me directly and I will read your email on the next show. 01:03:26 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Assassins Creed III, Far-Cry 3, Torchlight II, Halo 4 yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Brian, Corey and Matt return the Aggrocast to former glories. Before you ask whether or not the Aggrocast had glory to begin with, think about how you view Massively Multiplayer Online games. Now that you're thinking about MMOs and how to categorize them, join the guys as they discuss business models, how to categorize MMOs and whether they are dropping out of the mainstream. The debate further continues as they discuss what constitutes a MMO and where this genre is going. While you're listening, don't miss out on Whatcha Been Playing, the Community Spotlight and a special 5-question Care / Don't Care. As always, please do not hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments below or email me directly and I will read your email on the next show. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode101.mp3 Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 101 002 Episode One Hundred One: Niching the MMO AGGROGAMER.COM Brian, Corey and Matt return the Aggrocast to former glories. Before you ask whether or not the Aggrocast had glory to begin with, think about how you view Massively Multiplayer Online games. Now that you're thinking about MMOs and how to categorize them, join the guys as they discuss business models, how to categorize MMOs and whether they are dropping out of the mainstream. The debate further continues as they discuss what constitutes a MMO and where this genre is going. While you're listening, don't miss out on Whatcha Been Playing, the Community Spotlight and a special 5-question Care / Don't Care. As always, please do not hesitate to leave your thoughts in the comments below or email me directly and I will read your email on the next show. 01:10:17 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] This is it. The episode you've all been waiting for - number 100. I bring in a bunch of new and old friends to podcast together. We talk video games, last week's E3 and reminisce the humble beginnings of Aggrogamer and the Aggrocast. The first half of the show has regular characters Matt and Corey, as well as Aggrogamer's own Chief Editor, fresh from E3 2012, David Becker. I'm sure you'll be as surprised as I was to hear Matt with a static free microphone. We hit up a lot of topics, but chief among them is the recent hullabaloo over the "attempted rape" scene in Tomb Raider The second half of the show is a little lighter and full of nostalgia as I bring the band back together. I bring on former co-hosts Michael Camacho and Binh Nguyen for some talk of E3, find out what these guys have been up to and we laugh about the past. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode100.mp3 Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 100 002 Episode One Hundred: The Epic Reunion AGGROGAMER.COM This is it. The episode you've all been waiting for - number 100. I bring in a bunch of new and old friends to podcast together. We talk video games, last week's E3 and reminisce the humble beginnings of Aggrogamer and the Aggrocast. The first half of the show has regular characters Matt and Corey, as well as Aggrogamer's own Chief Editor, fresh from E3 2012, David Becker. I'm sure you'll be as surprised as I was to hear Matt with a static free microphone. We hit up a lot of topics, but chief among them is the recent hullabaloo over the "attempted rape" scene in Tomb Raider The second half of the show is a little lighter and full of nostalgia as I bring the band back together. I bring on former co-hosts Michael Camacho and Binh Nguyen for some talk of E3, find out what these guys have been up to and we laugh about the past. 02:15:20 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] The Electronic Entertainment Expo has descended for 2012. Day Zero brings Press Conferences galore with Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft and Sony all taking their respective stages. Brian, Corey and Matt sat down directly after the Sony presser to talk over the days activities. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode099.mp3 Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 099 002 Episode Ninety Nine: E3 2012 Day Zero Recap AGGROGAMER.COM The Electronic Entertainment Expo has descended for 2012. Day Zero brings Press Conferences galore with Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft and Sony all taking their respective stages. Brian, Corey and Matt sat down directly after the Sony presser to talk over the days activities. 01:14:19 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] It is absolutely true that Episode 98 got out of hand. I split it into the meat of talk about E3 and then the rest is in here. It's almost pure rant. Listen to Corey going off on what he thinks the industry thinks makes a successful game (hint: don't assume you'll understand him right away, Matt and I thought he was talking about something completely different at that time. Hear how incredulous Matt and I get. Comment with your thoughts below in the show notes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode098.mp3 Mon, 04 Jun 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 098 002 Episode Ninety Eight: Tangent on Games - More Like TangRant AGGROGAMER.COM It is absolutely true that Episode 98 got out of hand. I split it into the meat of talk about E3 and then the rest is in here. It's almost pure rant. Listen to Corey going off on what he thinks the industry thinks makes a successful game (hint: don't assume you'll understand him right away, Matt and I thought he was talking about something completely different at that time. Hear how incredulous Matt and I get. Comment with your thoughts below in the show notes. 42:30 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] After two hand surgeries, Brian - more importantly, the Aggrocast - is back at full strength. Corey and Matt join Brian for a podcast talking about the great clickfest that is Diablo III. The guys also touch on Bioware/EA's woes with Star Wars: The Old Republic, 38 Studios going into loan default, as well as the various court cases swirling around the industry at this time. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode097.mp3 Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 097 002 Episode Ninety Seven: A Blizzard in Hell AGGROGAMER.COM After two hand surgeries, Brian - more importantly, the Aggrocast - is back at full strength. Corey and Matt join Brian for a podcast talking about the great clickfest that is Diablo III. The guys also touch on Bioware/EA's woes with Star Wars: The Old Republic, 38 Studios going into loan default, as well as the various court cases swirling around the industry at this time. 01:16:56 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Diablo III yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Matt, Corey and Brian are at it again for another rousing episode of the Aggrocast. The guys touch on a myriad of topics this episode ranging from Lollipop Chainsaw to Double Dragon Neon to the next installment of God of War. Matt does a tell-all on his experiences at PAX East, including his kinect-winning performance. There is also plenty of talk about the recently released technical specifications for the PC version of Max Payne 3. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode096.mp3 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 096 002 Episode Ninety Six: PAX, Max and Mass Effect 3 AGGROGAMER.COM Matt, Corey and Brian are at it again for another rousing episode of the Aggrocast. The guys touch on a myriad of topics this episode ranging from Lollipop Chainsaw to Double Dragon Neon to the next installment of God of War. Matt does a tell-all on his experiences at PAX East, including his kinect-winning performance. There is also plenty of talk about the recently released technical specifications for the PC version of Max Payne 3. 01:12:45 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Lollipop Chainsaw, Double Dragon Neon, God of War, Max Payne 3 yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] …and we're not gonna take it anymore. That may only be slightly paraphrasing the movie Network, but then again, we're gamers, so we'll probably continue to "take it." We're hoping you take and enjoy our latest episode of the Aggrocast as Corey, Brian and Matt talk about the latest news, including the recent announcement for Amazon Instant Video on PS3. The guys also talk about their latest adventures in gaming - including World of Warcraft, iPad games, SNES games, Wheels of Destruction and Mass Effect 2. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode095.mp3 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 095 002 Episode Ninety Five: We're Mad As Hell AGGROGAMER.COM …and we're not gonna take it anymore. That may only be slightly paraphrasing the movie Network, but then again, we're gamers, so we'll probably continue to "take it." We're hoping you take and enjoy our latest episode of the Aggrocast as Corey, Brian and Matt talk about the latest news, including the recent announcement for Amazon Instant Video on PS3. The guys also talk about their latest adventures in gaming - including World of Warcraft, iPad games, SNES games, Wheels of Destruction and Mass Effect 2. 01:05:22 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, World of Warcraft, iPad games, SNES games, Wheels of Destruction, Mass Effect 2 yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] The Aggrocast returns to its roots with the typical format. Matt, Corey and Brian first talk up what they've been playing - including Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Tiny Tower, Rock Band 3 and Final Fantasy XIII-2. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode094.mp3 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 094 002 Episode Ninety Four: DLC Evolution and Expectations AGGROGAMER.COM The Aggrocast returns to its roots with the typical format. Matt, Corey and Brian first talk up what they've been playing - including Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Tiny Tower, Rock Band 3 and Final Fantasy XIII-2. 01:10:34 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Tiny Tower, Rock Band 3, Final Fantasy XIII-2 yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] This episode of the Aggrocast tries out a new feature/format called Convince Me. Brian is joined by David and Matt who have the unfortunate task to attempt to convince Brian that he wants to play The Darkness II and Twisted Metal. The discussions heat up on these soon-to-be-released games. Will I be convinced? Listen and find out. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode093.mp3 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 093 002 Episode Ninety Three: Convince Me AGGROGAMER.COM This episode of the Aggrocast tries out a new feature/format called Convince Me. Brian is joined by David and Matt who have the unfortunate task to attempt to convince Brian that he wants to play The Darkness II and Twisted Metal. The discussions heat up on these soon-to-be-released games. Will I be convinced? Listen and find out. 01:08:15 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, The Darkness II, Twisted Metal yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Episode 92 of the Aggrocast takes a different route as Corey and Brian are left to their own devices, which means the episode goes off the rails in the first couple minutes. All kidding aside, the guys go into what they've been playing including Puzzle Quest 2, Tiny Tower, Final Fantasy XIII, and Dungeon Defenders. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode092.mp3 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 092 002 Episode Ninety Two: Coming Soon Q1 AGGROGAMER.COM Episode 92 of the Aggrocast takes a different route as Corey and Brian are left to their own devices, which means the episode goes off the rails in the first couple minutes. All kidding aside, the guys go into what they've been playing including Puzzle Quest 2, Tiny Tower, Final Fantasy XIII, and Dungeon Defenders. 01:25:52 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Puzzle Quest 2, Tiny Tower, Final Fantasy XIII, Dungeon Defenders yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] 2012 is starting off strong here at Aggrogamer with a rousing (and slightly longish) discussion here on the Aggrocast. Corey, Matt and Brian talk about the slew of demos they've played including Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Warp and The Darkness II. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode091.mp3 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:00:00 GMT © 2012 Aggrogamer 091 002 Episode Ninety One: 2012 Prognostications AGGROGAMER.COM 2012 is starting off strong here at Aggrogamer with a rousing (and slightly longish) discussion here on the Aggrocast. Corey, Matt and Brian talk about the slew of demos they've played including Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Warp and The Darkness II. 01:52:06 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Warp, The Darkness II yes © 2012 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Matt joins Brian and Corey again for Aggrocast hijinks, including being completely disconnected from the call. The format jumps around as Brian and Corey wax poetic on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as they wait for Matt to return and they generally talk about what they've been playing including Batman: Arkham Asylum, WoW, Braid and Fusion: Sentient. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode090.mp3 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 090 002 Episode Ninety: Skyrim, Sequels And Series AGGROGAMER.COM Matt joins Brian and Corey again for Aggrocast hijinks, including being completely disconnected from the call. The format jumps around as Brian and Corey wax poetic on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as they wait for Matt to return and they generally talk about what they've been playing including Batman: Arkham Asylum, WoW, Braid and Fusion: Sentient. 01:36:30 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Batman: Arkham Asylum, WoW, Braid, Fusion: Sentient yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Episode 89 has the Aggrocast mixing things up. Writer Matthew Waitt joins Brian and Corey for the podcast filled with talk of World of Warcraft and everything Blizzcon 2011. You'll also hear Brian pretty much speechless as he tries to wrap his head around why people are still excited about WoW. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode089.mp3 Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 089 002 Episode Eighty-Nine: Blitz On Blizzcon AGGROGAMER.COM Episode 89 has the Aggrocast mixing things up. Writer Matthew Waitt joins Brian and Corey for the podcast filled with talk of World of Warcraft and everything Blizzcon 2011. You'll also hear Brian pretty much speechless as he tries to wrap his head around why people are still excited about WoW. 01:06:01 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, World of Warcraft, WoW yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Your regular length Aggrocast is back, even if not necessarily the guys are completely back on track as they continue to recover from Extra Life. David, Corey, and Brian use the time for Whatcha Been Playing and Community Spotlight to share their Extra Life experiences and talk Dragon Age: Origins, Dark Souls and Spider Man: Edge of Time. Be sure to keep listening as Care / Don't Care gets a little lively as does our main topic, revolving around when does a game "end" for you. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode088.mp3 Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 088 002 Episode Eighty-Eight: When Capitalism Meets Completion-ism AGGROGAMER.COM Your regular length Aggrocast is back, even if not necessarily the guys are completely back on track as they continue to recover from Extra Life. David, Corey, and Brian use the time for Whatcha Been Playing and Community Spotlight to share their Extra Life experiences and talk Dragon Age: Origins, Dark Souls and Spider Man: Edge of Time. Be sure to keep listening as Care / Don't Care gets a little lively as does our main topic, revolving around when does a game "end" for you. 01:02:47 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Dragon Age: Origins, Dark Souls, Spider Man: Edge of Time yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Brian, David, and Corey get back on the mic for a shorter-than-usual podcast. They start with a retelling of Brian's recent run-in with the shady side of Cincinnati. Next they hit up What You've Been Playing with talk of Facebook games (i.e. DnD: Return to Neverwinter) and X-men: Destiny. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode087.mp3 Sat, 08 Oct 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 087 002 Episode Eighty-Seven: Betas and Break-ins AGGROGAMER.COM Brian, David, and Corey get back on the mic for a shorter-than-usual podcast. They start with a retelling of Brian's recent run-in with the shady side of Cincinnati. Next they hit up What You've Been Playing with talk of Facebook games (i.e. DnD: Return to Neverwinter) and X-men: Destiny. 46:57 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, DnD: Return to Neverwinter, X-men: Destiny yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Brian simply hates everything in this podcast - from Game Stop to analog sticks to Kotaku. Well, maybe not everything, but just about. Listen to Corey, David and Brian talk over what exactly is games journalism and whether we consider ourselves to be a part of that group. You'll also hear us touch on the Game Stop / Deus Ex debacle and its affect on our lives. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode086.mp3 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 086 002 Episode Eighty-Six: The One Where Brian Hates Everything AGGROGAMER.COM Brian simply hates everything in this podcast - from Game Stop to analog sticks to Kotaku. Well, maybe not everything, but just about. Listen to Corey, David and Brian talk over what exactly is games journalism and whether we consider ourselves to be a part of that group. You'll also hear us touch on the Game Stop / Deus Ex debacle and its affect on our lives. 01:52:01 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Game Stop, Deus Ex yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Corey, David and Brian are aiming high in their goal to make the Aggrocast the best "slightly above average" podcast on the Internet today. Catch the guys as they talk about what they've been playing - including but not limited to: Assassins Creed II and Brotherhood, Darksiders, Borderlands and Terraria (as Corey literally plays it during the podcast). http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode085.mp3 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 085 002 Episode Eighty-Five: Real Money and the C+ Podcast AGGROGAMER.COM Corey, David and Brian are aiming high in their goal to make the Aggrocast the best "slightly above average" podcast on the Internet today. Catch the guys as they talk about what they've been playing - including but not limited to: Assassins Creed II and Brotherhood, Darksiders, Borderlands and Terraria (as Corey literally plays it during the podcast). 01:52:01 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Assassins Creed II, Assassins Creed Brotherhood, Darksiders, Borderlands, Terraria yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Episode 84 is afoot when the Aggrocast crew looks back at San Diego Comic-Con and discusses the stigma of portable, handheld gaming versus mobile gaming on your phone. Be sure to check out what David, Corey and Brian have been playing including Assassins Creed II, Dungeon Siege III, Captain America and plenty of mobile gaming. And our standing segments of Community Spotlight and Care / Don't Care are sure to provide plenty of entertainment. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode084.mp3 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 084 002 Episode Eighty-Four: Comics, Phones and Fan Pages AGGROGAMER.COM Episode 84 is afoot when the Aggrocast crew looks back at San Diego Comic-Con and discusses the stigma of portable, handheld gaming versus mobile gaming on your phone. Be sure to check out what David, Corey and Brian have been playing including Assassins Creed II, Dungeon Siege III, Captain America and plenty of mobile gaming. And our standing segments of Community Spotlight and Care / Don't Care are sure to provide plenty of entertainment. 01:25:23 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Assassins Creed II, Dungeon Siege III, Captain America yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] David, Corey and Brian are back at it to talk about this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. First, they wrap up what they've been playing outside of the show floor - including Dungeon Siege III, Dungeons And Dragons: Daggerdale, Alice: The Madness Returns, Duke Nukem Forever, Final Fantasy III, 4 Elements and of course, Brian's update on how many hours he's put into Persona 4. Our Care/Don't Care segment goes commando with an all-E3 focus, which is also our main topic. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode083.mp3 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 083 002 Episode Eighty-Three: E3 2011 Special AGGROGAMER.COM David, Corey and Brian are back at it to talk about this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. First, they wrap up what they've been playing outside of the show floor - including Dungeon Siege III, Dungeons And Dragons: Daggerdale, Alice: The Madness Returns, Duke Nukem Forever, Final Fantasy III, 4 Elements and of course, Brian's update on how many hours he's put into Persona 4. Our Care/Don't Care segment goes commando with an all-E3 focus, which is also our main topic. 01:51:02 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Dungeon Siege III, Dungeons And Dragons: Daggerdale, Alice: The Madness Returns, Duke Nukem Forever, Final Fantasy III, 4 Elements, Persona 4 yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] David, Corey and Brian sit down once again to talk all things kittens games. They hit up what they've been playing including Call of Duty: Black Ops, Persona 4, Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale, Dungeon Siege II, Assassins Creed: Brotherhood and Shadow Cities. The Care/Don't Care segment gets lively with another 8 topics including our discussion on games with gender-specific marketing. We wrap up with our Pre-E3 discussion* - what we're looking forward to, what we'll be seeing and giving Corey a hard time because he won't be there to share it with us. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode082.mp3 Mon, 03 Jun 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer 082 002 Episode Eighty-Two: Setting Up E3 2011 AGGROGAMER.COM David, Corey and Brian sit down once again to talk all things kittens games. They hit up what they've been playing including Call of Duty: Black Ops, Persona 4, Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale, Dungeon Siege II, Assassins Creed: Brotherhood and Shadow Cities. The Care/Don't Care segment gets lively with another 8 topics including our discussion on games with gender-specific marketing. We wrap up with our Pre-E3 discussion* - what we're looking forward to, what we'll be seeing and giving Corey a hard time because he won't be there to share it with us. 01:16:46 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Persona 4, Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale, Dungeon Siege II, Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, Shadow Cities yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] Brian, David and Corey are back for more hilarity and hijinks on this mid-May episode of the Aggrocast. The guys talk what they've been playing including Dungeon Siege II, Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, Brink, Persona 4 and David's special project. The Community Spotlight is back as well as the highly praised Care/Don't Care segment. The episode wraps up with our main topic - the IGN / UGO merger - and ends with plenty of talk of kittens. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode081.mp3 Fri, 20 May 2011 10:00:00 GMT © 2011 Aggrogamer Episode Eighty One: Mergers and Acquiescence AGGROGAMER.COM 081 002 Brian, David and Corey are back for more hilarity and hijinks on this mid-May episode of the Aggrocast. The guys talk what they've been playing including Dungeon Siege II, Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, Brink, Persona 4 and David's special project. The Community Spotlight is back as well as the highly praised Care/Don't Care segment. The episode wraps up with our main topic - the IGN / UGO merger - and ends with plenty of talk of kittens. 01:09:05 Video Games, Gaming, Video Game Discussion, Social Networking, Sony, PSN, PS+, XBL, Xbox Live, PS4, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Nintendo, VR, PSVR2, Board Games, Reviews, News, Podcast, SDCC, E3, Comic Con, Tabletop, LARP, Escape Room, Dungeon Siege II, Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, Brink, Persona 4 yes © 2011 Aggrogamer https://aggrogamer.com/ dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)AggroCast — Gather Up For Some Magic [Episode Twenty-One] (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The gang starts off talking about week 1 of the NFL and gets back on track about what they have been playing which includes Starcraft 2, Mass Effect 2, Persona 4, TerRover, Halo: Reach. The Bargain Bin for the week is Final Fantasy XIII for the Playstation 3. On the DL is Plants v.s. Zombies for Xbox Live. Netflix pick of the week is Buffy the Vampire Slayer the movie. The gang discuss WCG Ultimate Gamer Season 2 and a major announcement from Michael. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode079.mp3 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 079 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Nine: The farewell tour (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The gang starts off talking about week 1 of the NFL and gets back on track about what they have been playing which includes Starcraft 2, Mass Effect 2, Persona 4, TerRover, Halo: Reach. The Bargain Bin for the week is Final Fantasy XIII for the Playstation 3. On the DL is Plants v.s. Zombies for Xbox Live. Netflix pick of the week is Buffy the Vampire Slayer the movie. The gang discuss WCG Ultimate Gamer Season 2 and a major announcement from Michael. 1:37:07 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, gamer girls, slim ps3, Kinect, 3DS,Final Fantasy XIV, Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian and Binh is joined by Corey again for another exciting and yet "classy" episode of the Aggrocast. The crew talked about what they have been playing which includes Mafia II, Mushroom Wars, Persona 3 and going back old school with Dungeon Siege 2. The crew also touch base with the Xbox Live price increase. The price drop of the Nintendo DSi and many more. Including some Apple talk thanks to Corey. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode078.mp3 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 078 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Eight: Keeping the class up (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian and Binh is joined by Corey again for another exciting and yet "classy" episode of the Aggrocast. The crew talked about what they have been playing which includes Mafia II, Mushroom Wars, Persona 3 and going back old school with Dungeon Siege 2. The crew also touch base with the Xbox Live price increase. The price drop of the Nintendo DSi and many more. Including some Apple talk thanks to Corey. 1:13:23 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, gamer girls, slim ps3, Kinect, 3DS,Rage,Final Fantasy XIV, Nintendo 3DS, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian and Binh make their podcast return along with Corey (mythicgriffon) for another exciting episode of the Aggrocast while Mike will AFK for this week. This week Binh and Corey is in the mercy of Blizzard with the release of Starcraft 2 and playing the beta for World of Warcraft Cataclysm. Brian has been on his Playstation 3 enjoy the PSN Plus and the free games. The gang also discuss the many news that has been released from Gamescom along with some the news that has leaked outside of Gamescom. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode077.mp3 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 077 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Seven: The Return (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian and Binh make their podcast return along with Corey (mythicgriffon) for another exciting episode of the Aggrocast while Mike will AFK for this week. This week Binh and Corey is in the mercy of Blizzard with the release of Starcraft 2 and playing the beta for World of Warcraft Cataclysm. Brian has been on his Playstation 3 enjoy the PSN Plus and the free games. The gang also discuss the many news that has been released from Gamescom along with some the news that has leaked outside of Gamescom. 1:21:26 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, gamer girls, slim ps3, Kinect, 3DS,Rage,Final Fantasy XIV, Nintendo 3DS, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The team is back to get back into the swing of things as Mike is jealous that Brian and Binh has recently return from E3. This week Bargain Bin is from the Halo Universe. On the DL we traveled into the land of Final Fantasy. Netflix pick will have you ROFL with Comedy Central presents. A bonus pick from Brian with ARCHER. The gang discuss the new Xbox Slim, The Kinect and among other things. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode076.mp3 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 076 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Six: Back Into the Swing (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The team is back to get back into the swing of things as Mike is jealous that Brian and Binh has recently return from E3. This week Bargain Bin is from the Halo Universe. On the DL we traveled into the land of Final Fantasy. Netflix pick will have you ROFL with Comedy Central presents. A bonus pick from Brian with ARCHER. The gang discuss the new Xbox Slim, The Kinect and among other things. 1:25:57 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, gamer girls, slim ps3, Kinect, 3DS,Rage,Final Fantasy XIV, Nintendo 3DS, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The team spent their last day at E3 scrambling around looking and playing some of the latests games from Bethesda games, Square-Enix Final Fantasy XIV. Brian went and scope out the Nintendo 3DS and Sony Move. After the smoke has settled and the convention center was cleared out the team manage to survive another year of E3. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode075.mp3 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 075 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Five: E3 Wrap-up (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The team spent their last day at E3 scrambling around looking and playing some of the latests games from Bethesda games, Square-Enix Final Fantasy XIV. Brian went and scope out the Nintendo 3DS and Sony Move. After the smoke has settled and the convention center was cleared out the team manage to survive another year of E3. 1:26:49 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, gamer girls, slim ps3,E3 2010, 3DS,Rage,Final Fantasy XIV, Nintendo 3DS, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The game is back to discuss Day 2 of the Expo as they experience the 3DS, 2k Games which includes Mafia 2, Civ V, Spec Ops The Line and XCOM. Epic Mickey, Saw, Enslaved, Splatterhouse, Dead Space, Naughty Bear. They also talked about the "after party" that the best part was the taco. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode074.mp3 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 074 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Four: E3 2010 Day 2 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The game is back to discuss Day 2 of the Expo as they experience the 3DS, 2k Games which includes Mafia 2, Civ V, Spec Ops The Line and XCOM. Epic Mickey, Saw, Enslaved, Splatterhouse, Dead Space, Naughty Bear. They also talked about the "after party" that the best part was the taco. 1:04:51 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Alpha Protocol, UFC 2010, 3DS,Mafia 2, Splatterhouse, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The Aggrogamer team of David, Brian and Binh is in Los Angeles for the biggest Video Game event of the year - E3. The past couple of days has been interesting for the team as they talk about the Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony conferences along with EA and Activison. They also went to the show floor and spent a bit of time with Haromix to see Rock Band 3 and Dance Central. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode073.mp3 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 073 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Three: E3 2010 Day 1 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The Aggrogamer team of David, Brian and Binh is in Los Angeles for the biggest Video Game event of the year - E3. The past couple of days has been interesting for the team as they talk about the Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony conferences along with EA and Activison. They also went to the show floor and spent a bit of time with Haromix to see Rock Band 3 and Dance Central. 1:21:31 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Alpha Protocol, UFC 2010, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Starcraft II, Respawn, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) David, Brian and Binh sat down and talk about the big upcoming event call E3 or also known as Electronic Entertainment Expo. The fellas talked about some of the breaking news that came out that day as Microsoft rename Project Natal to Kinect and also the Rumor for the Slim Xbox 360 may come true. They also discuss what Games, Gadget and People they are looking forward to see at E3. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode072.mp3 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 072 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy Two: Pre-E3 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) David, Brian and Binh sat down and talk about the big upcoming event call E3 or also known as Electronic Entertainment Expo. The fellas talked about some of the breaking news that came out that day as Microsoft rename Project Natal to Kinect and also the Rumor for the Slim Xbox 360 may come true. They also discuss what Games, Gadget and People they are looking forward to see at E3. 47:10 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Alpha Protocol, UFC 2010, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Starcraft II, Respawn, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss the various games we've been playing, to include Alpha Protocol, UFC 2010, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Prince of Persia, and more. Bargain Binh revisits a familiar universe, On The DL finds us a Persian prince, and Netflix Pix brings us a state of laughter. We finish off with a discussion on LOTRO going free to play, and another lawsuit against Sony. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode071.mp3 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 071 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy One: Free To Play (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss the various games we've been playing, to include Alpha Protocol, UFC 2010, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Prince of Persia, and more. Bargain Binh revisits a familiar universe, On The DL finds us a Persian prince, and Netflix Pix brings us a state of laughter. We finish off with a discussion on LOTRO going free to play, and another lawsuit against Sony. 1:18:49 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Alpha Protocol, UFC 2010, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Starcraft II, Respawn, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss Split/Second, Iron man 2, Picross 3D, Just Cause 2, and more. Binh brings us his experience at Midnight Gaming Classic. We also talk about a gamer theme park, the recently announced Mass Effect movie and more. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode070.mp3 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 070 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventy: Gamer Land (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss Split/Second, Iron man 2, Picross 3D, Just Cause 2, and more. Binh brings us his experience at Midnight Gaming Classic. We also talk about a gamer theme park, the recently announced Mass Effect movie and more. 1:14:20 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Split/Second, Iron man 2, Picross 3D, Just Cause 2, Starcraft II, Respawn, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) it's 69 time and we are discussing Beat Hazard, Picross 3D, Agarest War, Super Street Fighter IV, and more. Bargain Binh revisits an earlier game, On the DL has us doing some photo kung-fu, and Netflix Picks delivers a Hong Kong action film. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode069.mp3 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 069 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Nine: 69 Time (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) it's 69 time and we are discussing Beat Hazard, Picross 3D, Agarest War, Super Street Fighter IV, and more. Bargain Binh revisits an earlier game, On the DL has us doing some photo kung-fu, and Netflix Picks delivers a Hong Kong action film. 1:08:20 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Final Fantasy XIII, Starcraft II, Respawn, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian and Binh was joined by fellow writer Corey for this week show. The three discuss what they played which included Beat Hazard, and StarCraft II. The guys also talked about Bungie signing with Activision, the rumor of Activision closing down Infinity Ward, Playstation Store updates move to Tuesday, Halo 2 still around due to a few dedicated players and Call of Duty: Black Ops. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode068.mp3 Sat, 08 May 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 068 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Eight: We found a MythicGriffon (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian and Binh was joined by fellow writer Corey for this week show. The three discuss what they played which included Beat Hazard, and StarCraft II. The guys also talked about Bungie signing with Activision, the rumor of Activision closing down Infinity Ward, Playstation Store updates move to Tuesday, Halo 2 still around due to a few dedicated players and Call of Duty: Black Ops. 1:21:23 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Final Fantasy XIII, Starcraft II, Respawn, Call of Duty: Black Ops yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew discusses more FFXIII, Pokemon, Perfect Dark, and a couple iPhone games. Bargain Binh sees a huge sale, On The DL wants you to demo a new DS game, and Netflix Pix gets all Sci-Fi. We also discuss Respawn Ent, Gears 3 and Ubisoft's latest move. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode067.mp3 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 067 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Seven: Stepping Down, But Not Out (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew discusses more FFXIII, Pokemon, Perfect Dark, and a couple iPhone games. Bargain Binh sees a huge sale, On The DL wants you to demo a new DS game, and Netflix Pix gets all Sci-Fi. We also discuss Respawn Ent, Gears 3 and Ubisoft's latest move. 1:21:23 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Final Fantasy XIII, Starcraft II, Respawn, bad company 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Michael begins the show with a surprising announcement. The crew discuss what they've been playing, including Final Fantasy XIII, Starcraft II, Fragile Dreams, Dead or Alive: Paradise, and more. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode066.mp3 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 066 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Six: Stepping Down, But Not Out (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Michael begins the show with a surprising announcement. The crew discuss what they've been playing, including Final Fantasy XIII, Starcraft II, Fragile Dreams, Dead or Alive: Paradise, and more. 1:12:54 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, Final Fantasy XIII, Starcraft II, Fragile Dreams, Dead or Alive: Paradise, bad company 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Mike and Binh are back from PAX East 2010 and give Brian a rundown of how the travelling and 3 days of fun went down. We also discuss what we've been playing, including FFXIII, FFVII, Suikoden, Tetris, and Mario Kart DS. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode065.mp3 Mon, 05 Apr 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 065 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Five: PAX East Recap (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Mike and Binh are back from PAX East 2010 and give Brian a rundown of how the travelling and 3 days of fun went down. We also discuss what we've been playing, including FFXIII, FFVII, Suikoden, Tetris, and Mario Kart DS. 1:24:17 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Dragon Age Origins Awakening, bad company 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode 64 sees the crew discussing FFXIII, Dragon Age: Origins Awakening, Fragile Dreams and more. They also discuss the Modern Warfare 2 details, PAX East, and if Spring is the new Fall for gaming. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode064.mp3 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 064 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Four: Spring is the New Fall (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode 64 sees the crew discussing FFXIII, Dragon Age: Origins Awakening, Fragile Dreams and more. They also discuss the Modern Warfare 2 details, PAX East, and if Spring is the new Fall for gaming. 1:39:16 video games, gaming, FFXIII, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Dragon Age Origins Awakening, bad company 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is back after a short hiatus. We discuss Heavy Rain, Bad Company 2, WoW, and Aion. We discuss the PS3 outage, Infinity Ward firings, Splinter Cell 360 Bundle, and our brand new Friday Twitter Contest. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode063.mp3 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 063 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Three: Give Me Twinkies Or Give Me Death (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is back after a short hiatus. We discuss Heavy Rain, Bad Company 2, WoW, and Aion. We discuss the PS3 outage, Infinity Ward firings, Splinter Cell 360 Bundle, and our brand new Friday Twitter Contest. 1:40:18 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, mass effect 2, bad company 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Sixty Two has the crew discussing WoW, STO, and Retro Game Challenge in what we've been playing. We discuss the FFXIII 360 Bundle, MW2 Glitch and Hack issues, and Warner Bros buying out Rocksteady. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode062.mp3 Mon, 1 Mar 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 062 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty Two: A Win Nguyen Situation (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Sixty Two has the crew discussing WoW, STO, and Retro Game Challenge in what we've been playing. We discuss the FFXIII 360 Bundle, MW2 Glitch and Hack issues, and Warner Bros buying out Rocksteady. 1:12:16 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, mass effect 2, bad company 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss more snow, Valentine's Day, and what we've been playing (Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain and MMOs). Bargain Binh brings DJ fever, On The DL brings forth a new version of a classic, and Netflix Picks takes Manhattan. We finish with news and letters. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode061.mp3 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 061 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty One: More Snow (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss more snow, Valentine's Day, and what we've been playing (Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain and MMOs). Bargain Binh brings DJ fever, On The DL brings forth a new version of a classic, and Netflix Picks takes Manhattan. We finish with news and letters. 1:17:54 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, mass effect 2, bad company 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew discusses snow, what they;ve been playing (STO, WoW and MAG). On The DL bring Turtle Power, Bargain Binh has J-RPG Goodness, and Netflix Picks never say die! We end with a lengthy discussion about sequels. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode060.mp3 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 060 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixty: The Sequels (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew discusses snow, what they;ve been playing (STO, WoW and MAG). On The DL bring Turtle Power, Bargain Binh has J-RPG Goodness, and Netflix Picks never say die! We end with a lengthy discussion about sequels. 1:30:44 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, mass effect 2, dantes inferno yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We begin this week's show discussing our GOTY picks, then move into what we've been playing. This includes a lengthy talk on Mass Effect 2. Brian spills the salt for On the DL, Binh finds a 2009 game for under $20, and Mike gets his revenge on. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode059.mp3 Tue, 9 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 059 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Nine: The Second Effect Is Massive (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We begin this week's show discussing our GOTY picks, then move into what we've been playing. This includes a lengthy talk on Mass Effect 2. Brian spills the salt for On the DL, Binh finds a 2009 game for under $20, and Mike gets his revenge on. 1:28:46 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, mass effect 2, dantes inferno yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) This episode we are a tad late due to illness. We discuss what we've been playing, to include Bayonetta, Star Trek Online, and more. Mike and Brian discuss whether Bayonetta has offensive moments or not. Then we talk random crap. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode058.mp3 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 058 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Eight: Bring Forth The Nyquil (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) This episode we are a tad late due to illness. We discuss what we've been playing, to include Bayonetta, Star Trek Online, and more. Mike and Brian discuss whether Bayonetta has offensive moments or not. Then we talk random crap. 50:14 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Michael is back this episode with Binh and Brian. They discuss what they've been playing (Bayonetta, Chrono Trigger and more), CES, their weekly picks, and some random rants and raves to close out the episode. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode057.mp3 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 057 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Seven: New Year, Same Crew (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Michael is back this episode with Binh and Brian. They discuss what they've been playing (Bayonetta, Chrono Trigger and more), CES, their weekly picks, and some random rants and raves to close out the episode. 1:01:20 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian, David and Binh roam the halls of CES for day 2, 3 seeing more technology, games, people and more. Day 4 was all about Binh seeing things he wanted to see. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode056.mp3 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 056 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Six: CES Wrap-up 2010 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian, David and Binh roam the halls of CES for day 2, 3 seeing more technology, games, people and more. Day 4 was all about Binh seeing things he wanted to see. 52:11 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, CES 2010 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian, Binh and David are in Las Vegas for CES as they spend day 1 checking out gaming products and being sidetrack with interesting stories. Brian and Binh were at the Nvidia press conference to check out the new Tegrea and 3D video card. Now the crew is resting up for Day 2 and 3. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode055.mp3 Fri, 8 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 055 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Five: CES podcast day 1 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Brian, Binh and David are in Las Vegas for CES as they spend day 1 checking out gaming products and being sidetrack with interesting stories. Brian and Binh were at the Nvidia press conference to check out the new Tegrea and 3D video card. Now the crew is resting up for Day 2 and 3. 55:23 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, CES, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss the games we've been playing to include Bayonetta Demo and End of Eternity Demos, Spirit Tracks, Little Big Planet PSP, and Modern Warfare 2. Binh also discusses the brand new console he received for christmas. We finish with our 2010 Preview. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode054.mp3 Tue, 5 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 054 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Four: 2010 Preview (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss the games we've been playing to include Bayonetta Demo and End of Eternity Demos, Spirit Tracks, Little Big Planet PSP, and Modern Warfare 2. Binh also discusses the brand new console he received for christmas. We finish with our 2010 Preview. 1:00:31 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Torchlight, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We are here with Episode 53 after some delays of getting this posted. We apologize as this was recorded a couple weeks ago, but due to reasons beyond our control, it was delayed. Enjoy the show. :) http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode053.mp3 Tue, 5 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 053 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Three: Delays (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We are here with Episode 53 after some delays of getting this posted. We apologize as this was recorded a couple weeks ago, but due to reasons beyond our control, it was delayed. Enjoy the show. :) 1:06:25 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Michael is back this week after his Thanksgiving vacation. After a brief joke on firing Brian and Binh, the crew are right back in action. We discuss what we've been playing, to include Left 4 Dead 2, Lego Rock Band, New Super Mario Brothers Wii and more. Binh shows some resistance on Bargain Binh, Brian races to first in an SNES classic with On the DL, and Michael shows some love to the greatest B-Movie actor ever on Netflix Pix. We discuss Michael's thoughts on the top 200 games ever by Game Informer, and look back on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals of 2009. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode052.mp3 Sun, 6 Dec 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 052 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty Two: Bringing Back The Class (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Michael is back this week after his Thanksgiving vacation. After a brief joke on firing Brian and Binh, the crew are right back in action. We discuss what we've been playing, to include Left 4 Dead 2, Lego Rock Band, New Super Mario Brothers Wii and more. Binh shows some resistance on Bargain Binh, Brian races to first in an SNES classic with On the DL, and Michael shows some love to the greatest B-Movie actor ever on Netflix Pix. We discuss Michael's thoughts on the top 200 games ever by Game Informer, and look back on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals of 2009. 1:03:24 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is back minus Michael as he is in the land of the Crimson Tide. Brian and Binh is joined once again by Shannon (moepower) and they talk about what they have been playing and a discussion about GameInformer top 200 videos games of all time. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode051.mp3 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 051 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty One: No GNitro? No Problem...we think (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is back minus Michael as he is in the land of the Crimson Tide. Brian and Binh is joined once again by Shannon (moepower) and they talk about what they have been playing and a discussion about GameInformer top 200 videos games of all time. 50:59 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is celebrating the 50 episode milestone in fashion by bringing back one of Michael's old co-hosts, Moepower (Shannon). She joins us in discussing games we have been playing, including Modern Warfare 2. We also take a look back on our past episodes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode050.mp3 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 050 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifty: One Moe Time (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is celebrating the 50 episode milestone in fashion by bringing back one of Michael's old co-hosts, Moepower (Shannon). She joins us in discussing games we have been playing, including Modern Warfare 2. We also take a look back on our past episodes. 1:35:26 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is here with first impressions of Modern Warfare 2, as well as an intriguing look into the controversy beginning to surround the game. We also discuss other games we've been playing, to include Torchlight, Dragon Age: Origins, Lego Rock Band, and more. Binh helps you survive zombie hordes in the Bargain Binh section, Brian showcases an NES classic, revisioned when he does On The DL, and Mike chooses a Sci-Fi journey with humor and action for his Netflix Pix. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode049.mp3 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 049 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Nine: MW2 Impressions and Controversy (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is here with first impressions of Modern Warfare 2, as well as an intriguing look into the controversy beginning to surround the game. We also discuss other games we've been playing, to include Torchlight, Dragon Age: Origins, Lego Rock Band, and more. Binh helps you survive zombie hordes in the Bargain Binh section, Brian showcases an NES classic, revisioned when he does On The DL, and Mike chooses a Sci-Fi journey with humor and action for his Netflix Pix. 49:55 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is back and trouble free this week. They discuss what they've been playing, including Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age and much more. Binh brings a Lego game to his Bargain Binh segment, Brian goes old school during On The DL, and Michael dusts off a classic gaming cartoon for Netflix Picks. Our topics of discussion this episode deal with the rumors of Modern Warfare 2 blocking party chat in some modes on XBox Live, Michael ranting about demos being given out as pre-order bonuses, and why the hell there is a King Of Fighters movie being made. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode048.mp3 Tue, 04 Nov 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 048 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Eight: Rumors and Rants (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew is back and trouble free this week. They discuss what they've been playing, including Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age and much more. Binh brings a Lego game to his Bargain Binh segment, Brian goes old school during On The DL, and Michael dusts off a classic gaming cartoon for Netflix Picks. Our topics of discussion this episode deal with the rumors of Modern Warfare 2 blocking party chat in some modes on XBox Live, Michael ranting about demos being given out as pre-order bonuses, and why the hell there is a King Of Fighters movie being made. 1:07:37 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2, Torchlight, Tekken 6, Dragon Age yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) It's a rather troublesome episode for Michael, Binh and Brian. They discuss what they've been playing, including Uncharted 2, Torchlight, Borderlands and more. Binh is also off the wagon, as he resumes his WoW account. The crew adds two new segments starting this episode with On The DL, where Brian discusses the best of Download content, and Netflix Pix, in which Michael chooses must see movies and TV. Binh takes over as the sole contributer in the Bargain Binh segment. After losing our Borderlands discussion to recording issues, they end the show talking about Netflix coming to PS3. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode047.mp3 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 047 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Seven: Troubleshooting (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) It's a rather troublesome episode for Michael, Binh and Brian. They discuss what they've been playing, including Uncharted 2, Torchlight, Borderlands and more. Binh is also off the wagon, as he resumes his WoW account. The crew adds two new segments starting this episode with On The DL, where Brian discusses the best of Download content, and Netflix Pix, in which Michael chooses must see movies and TV. Binh takes over as the sole contributer in the Bargain Binh segment. After losing our Borderlands discussion to recording issues, they end the show talking about Netflix coming to PS3. 1:01:44 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) This episode we cover games we've been playing (Uncharted 2, Brutal Legend, and more). We throw out some great Bargain Bin pickups for this show as well. We finish it all of with discussions on recent CoD: MW2 PC news, September PC NPD Numbers, and Sony EyePet. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode046.mp3 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 046 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Six: PC Cheers and Jeers (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) This episode we cover games we've been playing (Uncharted 2, Brutal Legend, and more). We throw out some great Bargain Bin pickups for this show as well. We finish it all of with discussions on recent CoD: MW2 PC news, September PC NPD Numbers, and Sony EyePet. 1:06:53 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, modern warfare 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Not much going on this episode, as the crew discusses a few games they managed to play. They also discuss Pwed Game Nights coming back in November and Uncharted 2's twitter integration, and where it may lead. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode045.mp3 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 045 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Five: Tweet Tweet (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Not much going on this episode, as the crew discusses a few games they managed to play. They also discuss Pwed Game Nights coming back in November and Uncharted 2's twitter integration, and where it may lead. 47:32 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, twitter yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) he crew is here to talk about the few games they got their hands on due to a couple busy weeks. They also discuss the PSP Go Launch, Aion spam, disgruntled gamers and Call of Duty on the big screen. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode044.mp3 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 044 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Four: Launches, Lawsuits and Laughter (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Forty Four: he crew is here to talk about the few games they got their hands on due to a couple busy weeks. They also discuss the PSP Go Launch, Aion spam, disgruntled gamers and Call of Duty on the big screen. 1:04:16 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, scribblenauts yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The guys are back this episode with no interruption from the girlfriend peanut gallery. They cover the games they've been playing (including Aion, WET and Scribblenauts) and their Bargain Bin titles which include the PC, XBox 360 and Playstation 2 platforms. They also discuss the Modern Warfare 2 XBox 360, PSN and Wii HD leaks, and the Aion launch slip ups. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode043.mp3 Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 043 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Three: Exclusives, Leaks and Slip Ups (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Forty Three: The guys are back this episode with no interruption from the girlfriend peanut gallery. They cover the games they've been playing (including Aion, WET and Scribblenauts) and their Bargain Bin titles which include the PC, XBox 360 and Playstation 2 platforms. They also discuss the Modern Warfare 2 XBox 360, PSN and Wii HD leaks, and the Aion launch slip ups. 1:27:43 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, scribblenauts yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Another episode is here and the Aggrocast is back talking about Scribblenauts, Aion, Muramasa, and Beatles Rock Band. They also have an informative discussion into aggregator sites and whether they are truly doing the job they were meant for. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode042.mp3 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 042 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty Two: Aggregator Aggro (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Forty Two: Another episode is here and the Aggrocast is back talking about Scribblenauts, Aion, Muramasa, and Beatles Rock Band. They also have an informative discussion into aggregator sites and whether they are truly doing the job they were meant for. 56:52 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aion, gamer girls, slim ps3, scribblenauts yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The Aggrocast crew discuss Binh's adventures at PAX over the weekend. Talk about the many games he played, the people he met, and the partying. We also discuss the games we've been playing, including Aion, Mini Ninjas Demo, Guitar Hero 5 and more. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode041.mp3 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 041 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty One: Adventures at PAX (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Forty One: The Aggrocast crew discuss Binh's adventures at PAX over the weekend. Talk about the many games he played, the people he met, and the partying. We also discuss the games we've been playing, including Aion, Mini Ninjas Demo, Guitar Hero 5 and more. 1:04:06 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, charisma, gamer girls, slim ps3, AION yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Short episode this week as Michael, Brian and Binh discuss the games they have been playing over the past week and their bargain bin titles. Also, the crew is in need of some WD-40 due to all the squeaking going on and plaster for the holes in the wall. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode040.mp3 Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 040 001 AggroCast : Episode Forty: Squeak Squeak Thump (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Forty: Short episode this week as Michael, Brian and Binh discuss the games they have been playing over the past week and their bargain bin titles. Also, the crew is in need of some WD-40 due to all the squeaking going on and plaster for the holes in the wall. 41:51 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, charisma, gamer girls, slim ps3 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode 39 has the crew of the Aggrocast discussing Binh's trip to Blizzcon and all the stuff he saw and purchased. We also discuss Sony's new PS3 Slim and the new 3.0 Firmware coming soon. We also discuss what we've been playing, our bargain bin titles and Pwned Game nights. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode039.mp3 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 039 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Nine: PS3 Slim 3.0 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Nine: Episode 39 has the crew of the Aggrocast discussing Binh's trip to Blizzcon and all the stuff he saw and purchased. We also discuss Sony's new PS3 Slim and the new 3.0 Firmware coming soon. We also discuss what we've been playing, our bargain bin titles and Pwned Game nights. 1:17:19 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, charisma, gamer girls, slim ps3 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Our Managing Editor, David Becker, joins us for our weekly discussion of games we've been playing, bargain bin and other topics. We also have an insightful discussion on the upcoming MMO, Aion. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode038.mp3 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 038 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Eight: A Trip To Hades (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Eight: Our Managing Editor, David Becker, joins us for our weekly discussion of games we've been playing, bargain bin and other topics. We also have an insightful discussion on the upcoming MMO, Aion. 1:14:13 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, charisma, gamer girls, hades yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) On Episode 37 of the Aggrocast, we are lucky to be joined by Raychul of Gamegirl.com, Gametopia Podcast, and Gamer's Garage Podcast. We discuss her Comic-Con 2009 Experience along with wtf has happened to the Comic in Comic-con. Nitro discusses his experience at a local Scion Street Fighter IV Tournament. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode037.mp3 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 037 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Seven: An Evening With The Raychul (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Seven: On Episode 37 of the Aggrocast, we are lucky to be joined by Raychul of Gamegirl.com, Gametopia Podcast, and Gamer's Garage Podcast. We discuss her Comic-Con 2009 Experience along with wtf has happened to the Comic in Comic-con. Nitro discusses his experience at a local Scion Street Fighter IV Tournament. 1:11:54 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, charisma, gamer girls, raychul yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) In our latest episode, fellow Aggrogamer writer Kevin Johnson joins us to talk about anime, what we've been playing, our latest bargain bin titles and we discuss the upcoming games slated for release this Fall. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode036.mp3 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 036 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Six: Gears of WarKOAN (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Six: In our latest episode, fellow Aggrogamer writer Kevin Johnson joins us to talk about anime, what we've been playing, our latest bargain bin titles and we discuss the upcoming games slated for release this Fall. 1:14:32 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, charisma, gamer girls yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We are joined by Adelle of Gametopius.com and Charisma +2 as we discuss Michael's Otakon Experience, what we've been playing and a look at the upcoming conventions. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode035.mp3 Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 035 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Five: Dude, You're Getting Adelle (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Five: Dude, You're Getting Adelle - We are joined by Adelle of Gametopius.com and Charisma +2 as we discuss Michael's Otakon Experience, what we've been playing and a look at the upcoming conventions. 1:13:32 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, charisma, gamer girls yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) This episode we welcome Stephanie Naboshek, AKA Clov3r, back as a guest host. We discuss the recent Screw Attack Gaming Convention, what we've been playing, bargain bin titles, and everyone's favorite d-bag, Jack Thompson. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode034.mp3 Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 034 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Four: The Return of Clov3r (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Four: The Return of Clov3r - This episode we welcome Stephanie Naboshek, AKA Clov3r, back as a guest host. We discuss the recent Screw Attack Gaming Convention, what we've been playing, bargain bin titles, and everyone's favorite d-bag, Jack Thompson. 1:02:21 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Like the title says, the crew keep this weeks podcast short and mostly to the point. We discuss what we've been playing, bargain bin titles and ramble for a few minutes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode033.mp3 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 033 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Three: Short and Sweet (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Three: Short and Sweet - Like the title says, the crew keep this weeks podcast short and mostly to the point. We discuss what we've been playing, bargain bin titles and ramble for a few minutes. 0:40:36 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aggro, E3, bargain yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) For our 32nd Episode, we are joined by Beau and Leo of Radnerd.com. We discuss what we've been playing, E3 and various off topic subjects throughout the show. This episode is deemed as one of our must listens! http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode032.mp3 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 032 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty Two: Radnerd Invasion (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty Two: Radnerd Invasion - For our 32nd Episode, we are joined by Beau and Leo of Radnerd.com. We discuss what we've been playing, E3 and various off topic subjects throughout the show. This episode is deemed as one of our must listens! 1:30:33 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aggro, E3, radnerd yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Crew discusses the last days of E3 2009 and give their worst and best picks of the show. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode031.mp3 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 031 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty One: E3 2009 Wrap-Up (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty One: E3 2009 Wrap-Up - Crew discusses the last days of E3 2009 and give their worst and best picks of the show. 1:11:33 video games, gaming, Left 4 Dead 2, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aggro, E3, E3 reviews yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Mike, Brian and Binh are joined by David and Ben as they recap the first couple days of E3. They discuss the best and biggest surprises of the Big Three's Press Conferences and discuss some games they have seen on the floor. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode030.mp3 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 030 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirty: E3 2009 1st Recap (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirty: E3 2009 1st Recap - Mike, Brian and Binh are joined by David and Ben as they recap the first couple days of E3. They discuss the best and biggest surprises of the Big Three's Press Conferences and discuss some games they have seen on the floor. 0:58:04 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aggro, E3, E3 reviews yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) We discuss our excitement for E3, the new addiction that has surfaced with Plants Vs Zombies, and the Neo Steam: The Shattered Continents Beta. We also wish our loyal listener HeyHeyChest well after her recent car accident and congrats to our other loyal listener geomoose on his first child. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode029.mp3 Mon, 25 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 029 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Nine: Excited For E3 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Nine: Excited For E3 - We discuss our excitement for E3, the new addiction that has surfaced with Plants Vs Zombies, and the Neo Steam: The Shattered Continents Beta. We also wish our loyal listener HeyHeyChest well after her recent car accident and congrats to our other loyal listener geomoose on his first child. 1:16:08 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aggro, E3, E3 predictions yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) In this episode, we are all recovering from a stressful week. We go over what we've been playing during the time we could get in, and go over our weekly bargain bin picks. We also discuss 3D Realms closing down, Brian's dwarf beard, E3, and more. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode028.mp3 Thu, 21 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 028 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Eight: Duke, Beards, E3 and More (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Eight: Duke, Beards, E3 and More - In this episode, we are all recovering from a stressful week. We go over what we've been playing during the time we could get in, and go over our weekly bargain bin picks. We also discuss 3D Realms closing down, Brian's dwarf beard, E3, and more. 1:22:04 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Aggro, E3, Beards yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Michael, Brian and Binh are back with the brand new Aggrocast. We discuss the launch of Aggrogamer.com, the games we've been playing, our Bargain Bin selections, and our E3 Predictions for this week. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode027.mp3 Mon, 11 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 027 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Seven: We're Back (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Seven: We're Back - Michael, Brian and Binh are back with the brand new Aggrocast. We discuss the launch of Aggrogamer.com, the games we've been playing, our Bargain Bin selections, and our E3 Predictions for this week. 1:30:30 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Madworld, Aggro yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The team is back without any guests and get into their latest bargain bin titles, what they've been playing and discussing potential new game nights. Topic of discussion this episode is MMOs. We also fill people in on a couple good online import stores in play-asia.com and ncsx.com. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode026.mp3 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 026 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Six: Crack For Gamers (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Six: Crack For Gamers - The team is back without any guests and get into their latest bargain bin titles, what they've been playing and discussing potential new game nights. Topic of discussion this episode is MMOs. We also fill people in on a couple good online import stores in play-asia.com and ncsx.com. 2:13:48 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, Madworld, iPhone, android yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) This episode we bring in Nate from Average Joe Gamer and we discuss the new Pwned Android App, the recent Killzone 2 Night aftermath, Halo 3 without MATRYX, and we discuss if it is time to drop the Games label. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode025.mp3 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 025 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Five: A Twist Of Nate (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Five: A Twist Of Nate - This episode we bring in Nate from Average Joe Gamer and we discuss the new Pwned Android App, the recent Killzone 2 Night aftermath, Halo 3 without MATRYX, and we discuss if it is time to drop the Games label. 2:04:27 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, killzone 2, Madworld, iPhone, android yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) In the latest show, the crew brings in a special guest host in Eric from AverageJoeGamer.net. We discuss the new Pwned iPhone App, Bargain Bin titles, what we are playing, and if Adult Only games will ever see the light of day on a console. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode024.mp3 Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 024 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Four: Check the Glove Box (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Four: Check the Glove Box - In the latest show, the crew brings in a special guest host in Eric from AverageJoeGamer.net. We discuss the new Pwned iPhone App, Bargain Bin titles, what we are playing, and if Adult Only games will ever see the light of day on a console. 2:15:52 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, killzone 2, Madworld, iPhone yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The crew bring in Guest host, Westley Evers from AverageJoeGame.net and its podcast of the same name. He joins us to discuss what we've been playing, as well as lending his insight on the future of gaming and consoles. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode023.mp3 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 023 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Three: Wes-Side Connection (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Three: Wes-Side Connection - The crew bring in Guest host, Westley Evers from AverageJoeGame.net and its podcast of the same name. He joins us to discuss what we've been playing, as well as lending his insight on the future of gaming and consoles. 1:44:22 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, killzone 2, Madworld yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) In episode 22, the Total Meltdown crew goes over new additions to Pwned, results of 4 recent game nights, and what they are playing. Also, the topic of discussion this week has the the guys looking back at the past 8 plus years of the PS2, and going over their fondest memories and the missteps of one of the greatest consoles ever. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode022.mp3 Mon, 23 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 022 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty Two: A Look Back At The PS2 (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty Two: A Look Back At The PS2 - In episode 22, the Total Meltdown crew goes over new additions to Pwned, results of 4 recent game nights, and what they are playing. Also, the topic of discussion this week has the the guys looking back at the past 8 plus years of the PS2, and going over their fondest memories and the missteps of one of the greatest consoles ever. 1:48:11 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, killzone 2,PS2, Madworld yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Rich of Gametopia Podcast joins us this week, and creates some heated discussions. We discuss various topics, including Kat Dennings, Madworld, and if Nintendo can stay on top. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode021.mp3 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 021 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty One: En-Rich-Ment (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty One: En-Rich-Ment - Rich of Gametopia Podcast joins us this week, and creates some heated discussions. We discuss various topics, including Kat Dennings, Madworld, and if Nintendo can stay on top. 2:33:29 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, killzone 2,Kat Dennings, Madworld yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) In this episode Nitro brings up problems with PSN and Killzone 2 during Game Nights, discuss what we've been playing, and have an interesting discussion about where Digital Distribution is at now and where it is headed. Also included is a blooper clip after the ending song http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode020.mp3 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 020 001 AggroCast : Episode Twenty: Digital Distribution (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twenty: Digital Distribution - In this episode Nitro brings up problems with PSN and Killzone 2 during Game Nights, discuss what we've been playing, and have an interesting discussion about where Digital Distribution is at now and where it is headed. Also included is a blooper clip after the ending song 1:50:15 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, PSP2, achievements, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead, killzone 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) The guys of Total Meltdown try out a Black and Blue, Blue Moon with Guinness, suggested by a faithful listener. They also discuss the PSP2, what they've been playing and discuss the Good, the Bad, and the WTF of Achievements. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode019.mp3 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 019 001 AggroCast : Episode Nineteen: Black and Blue (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Nineteen: Black and Blue - The guys of Total Meltdown try out a Black and Blue, Blue Moon with Guinness, suggested by a faithful listener. They also discuss the PSP2, what they've been playing and discuss the Good, the Bad, and the WTF of Achievements. 1:37:54 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, PSP2, achievements, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) In the latest episode, the crew discuss the recent DC Metro Area Pwned, Goozex, CAG Meet, and give their opinions on what Sony can do to bring itself back to the forefront of gaming. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode018.mp3 Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 018 001 AggroCast : Episode Eighteen: Do or Die Time for Sony (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Eighteen: Do or Die Time for Sony - In the latest episode, the crew discuss the recent DC Metro Area Pwned, Goozex, CAG Meet, and give their opinions on what Sony can do to bring itself back to the forefront of gaming. 1:24:51 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, society, social networking, sony, psn, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, amazon, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro is joined by new co-hosts Church and Quiglin. To start off their new tenure as co-hosts, we discuss Amazon banning of a hentai game, Midway's bankruptcy, and go off on various gaming related tangents. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode017.mp3 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 017 001 AggroCast : Episode Seventeen: New Co-Hosts (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Seventeen: New Co-Hosts - G-Nitro is joined by new co-hosts Church and Quiglin. To start off their new tenure as co-hosts, we discuss Amazon banning of a hentai game, Midway's bankruptcy, and go off on various gaming related tangents. 1:25:46 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, society, social networking, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation, amazon, Warhammer Online, Midway, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) This episode, we are sad to announce Moe is leaving the podcast. In her final show, we discuss new additions to Pwned, the upcoming DC Metro Area Meet, and G-Nitro's love of Hentai Games. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode016.mp3 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 016 001 AggroCast : Episode Sixteen: Moe's Goodbye (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Sixteen: Moe's Goodbye - This episode, we are sad to announce Moe is leaving the podcast. In her final show, we discuss new additions to Pwned, the upcoming DC Metro Area Meet, and G-Nitro's love of Hentai Games. 1:05:53 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, society, social networking, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation,LARP, Warhammer Online, Stripper Roulette, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, Horror yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Pwned.com member Miragel rolls in as a guest host this week to help fill in for Moe who couldn't make this episode. We found out who Miragel is and what she is into, including LARP, Warhammer Online and Stripper Roulette. She also turns the tables on G-Nitro and interviews him. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode015.mp3 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 015 001 AggroCast : Episode Fifteen: Stripper Roulette (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Fifteen: Stripper Roulette - Pwned.com member Miragel rolls in as a guest host this week to help fill in for Moe who couldn't make this episode. We found out who Miragel is and what she is into, including LARP, Warhammer Online and Stripper Roulette. She also turns the tables on G-Nitro and interviews him. 0:42:51 video games, gaming, pwned, video game discussion, society, social networking, XBL, XBox Live, playstation 3, playstation,LARP, Warhammer Online, Stripper Roulette, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, Horror yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Moe introduce a brand new contest, discuss listener feedback and answer questions, as well as discuss the recent decision by Circuit City to close down for good. We also interview long time Pwned member Jeff Threat and talk Horror, tattoos and his own video game. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode14.mp3 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 014 001 AggroCast : Episode Fourteen: Jeff Threat Auto (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Fourteen: Jeff Threat Auto - G-Nitro and Moe introduce a brand new contest, discuss listener feedback and answer questions, as well as discuss the recent decision by Circuit City to close down for good. We also interview long time Pwned member Jeff Threat and talk Horror, tattoos and his own video game. 1:07:41 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, XBL, XBox Live, Call of Duty: World at War, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, Horror, tattoos, co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Moe are back for 2009 with a brand new format. In their 1st episode of the year, they discuss the relaunch of Pwned and coming out of Beta, and the fallout from the UGO buyout of 1UP and the support those laid off received from the gaming community. We also interview long time Pwned member Church and he enlightens us with his vast knowledge of the Power Rangers. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode13.mp3 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 013 001 AggroCast : Episode Thirteen: Relaunched, Redesigned, and Ready For Church (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Thirteen: Relaunched, Redesigned, and Ready For Church - G-Nitro and Moe are back for 2009 with a brand new format. In their 1st episode of the year, they discuss the relaunch of Pwned and coming out of Beta, and the fallout from the UGO buyout of 1UP and the support those laid off received from the gaming community. We also interview long time Pwned member Church and he enlightens us with his vast knowledge of the Power Rangers. 1:54:36 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, XBL, XBox Live, Call of Duty: World at War, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, Mirror's Edge, co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Moe discuss VGXPO, Pwned coming out of Beta, a new podcast schedule, recent news and games, as well as Fallout Threesomes. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode12.mp3 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 012 001 AggroCast : Episode Twelve: Beta No More and In Game Threesomes (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Twelve: Beta No More and In Game Threesomes - G-Nitro and Moe discuss VGXPO, Pwned coming out of Beta, a new podcast schedule, recent news and games, as well as Fallout Threesomes. 1:22:28 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, XBL, XBox Live VGXPO, Call of Duty: World at War, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, Mirror's Edge co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Moe discuss run down the latest developments on Pwned, and then play catch up after being MIA during October. They discuss gaming news and review titles released in October. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode11.mp3 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 011 001 AggroCast : Episode Eleven: We Play Catch Up (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Eleven: We Play Catch Up - G-Nitro and Moe discuss run down the latest developments on Pwned, and then play catch up after being MIA during October. They discuss gaming news and review titles released in October. 1:25:20 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, XBL, XBox Live VGXPO, Call of Duty: World at War, Counter-Strike, Gears of War 2, left 4 dead, Resistance 2, Mirror's Edge co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Moe discuss Pwned Gaming Nights, winner of the Schwag Contest and other recent happenings on Pwned.com. We also discuss the XBL downtime, future overhaul to XBL, and a very stimulating discussion about Female Game Characters. Don't miss this episode!!!!!!! http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode10.mp3 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 010 001 AggroCast : Episode Ten: A TITillating Time (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Ten: A TITillating Time - G-Nitro and Moe discuss Pwned Gaming Nights, winner of the Schwag Contest and other recent happenings on Pwned.com. We also discuss the XBL downtime, future overhaul to XBL, and a very stimulating discussion about Female Game Characters. Don't miss this episode!!!!!!! 1:07:54 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, PAX, E 4 All, XBL, XBox Live VGXPO, PAX 4, Call of Duty: World at War, Counter-Strike, Rock Band 2, co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Moe discuss Pwned news and updates, as well as Post PAX coverage, and Moe shares her thoughts on Girl Gamers http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode9.mp3 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 009 001 AggroCast : Episode Nine: PAX Review and Impressions (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Nine: PAX Review and Impressions - G-Nitro and Moe discuss Pwned news and updates, as well as Post PAX coverage, and Moe shares her thoughts on Girl Gamers 1:18:28 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, PAX, E 4 All, VGXPO, PAX 4, Call of Duty: Wolrd at War, Counter-Strike, Rock Band 2, co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) AggroCast, G-Nitro and Moe discuss new and updated features on Pwned, as well as recent and upcoming events. We also cover recent game releases such as Soul Calibur IV, Madden '09 and discuss upcoming games in Fable 2, FFXIII and Rock Band Japan. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode8.mp3 Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 008 001 AggroCast : Episode Eight: Get Your Game On (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Eight: Get Your Game On - AggroCast, G-Nitro and Moe discuss new and updated features on Pwned, as well as recent and upcoming events. We also cover recent game releases such as Soul Calibur IV, Madden '09 and discuss upcoming games in Fable 2, FFXIII and Rock Band Japan. 1:04:18 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, PAX, E 4 All, VGXPO, Soulcaliber 4, Fable 2, Call of Duty: Wolrd at War, Call of Duty 6, UGS, DOA4, Counter-Strike, FIFA, Rock Band, co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) AggroCast, hosted by G-Nitro and brand new co-host Moe. We discuss the happenings on Pwned.com, new and upcoming game releases, news and the gaming industry as a whole. We regularly interview active members on the Pwned website as well as behind the scene staff. We don't shy away from topics that may be too risky for other podcasts. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode7.mp3 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 007 001 AggroCast : Episode Seven: Moe Money, Moe Problems (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode Seven: Moe Money, Moe Problems - AggroCast, hosted by G-Nitro and brand new co-host Moe. We discuss the happenings on Pwned.com, new and upcoming game releases, news and the gaming industry as a whole. We regularly interview active members on the Pwned website as well as behind the scene staff. We don't shy away from topics that may be too risky for other podcasts. 1:15:57 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, GTA IV, GTA IV multiplayer, co-host yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Clov3r and I discuss Pwned.com being down, Quakecon, Gaming News and updates, Interview Pwned.com Member Dropkick Dog and Clov3r reviews House Of The Dead 2 and 3 on the Wii http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode6.mp3 Sat, 03 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 006 001 AggroCast : Episode six: We Dropkick a Dog (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode six: We Dropkick a Dog - On this episode Clov3r and I discuss Pwned.com being down, Quakecon, Gaming News and updates, Interview Pwned.com Member Dropkick Dog and Clov3r reviews House Of The Dead 2 and 3 on the Wii 1:19:06 video games, gaming, pwned, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, GTA IV, GTA IV multiplayer, House of the Dead, House of the Dead 2, House of the Dead 3, Quake, Quakecon yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) On this episode G-Nitro and Clov3r are joined by guest host Nei1337, discuss Clov3r's new PC parts, Mini-Cam, Recent News and game releases from Atlus, The GTAIV Multiplayer Modes, and just Ramble on a bit about Pwned itself. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode5.mp3 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 005 001 AggroCast : Episode five: We Reach En1337enment (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode five: We Reach En1337enment - On this episode G-Nitro and Clov3r are joined by guest host Nei1337, discuss Clov3r's new PC parts, Mini-Cam, Recent News and game releases from Atlus, The GTAIV Multiplayer Modes, and just Ramble on a bit about Pwned itself. 1:05:19 video games, gaming, pwned, halo, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, GTA IV, GTA IV multiplayer yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) GNitro and Clov3r interview BlueWolf72, discuss Nintendo's recent influx of eroge games, and G-Nitro discusses Army Of Two, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds. http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode4.mp3 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 004 001 AggroCast : Episode four: Talk 'til we're BlueWolfed in the Face (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode four: Talk 'til we're BlueWolfed in the Face - GNitro and Clov3r interview BlueWolf72, discuss Nintendo's recent influx of eroge games, and G-Nitro discusses Army Of Two, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds. 1:32:13 video games, gaming, pwned, halo, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, Rainbox Six Vegas 2, Hot Shots Golf, Army of Two yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Clov3r discuss Narticles, Blogs and Contests on Pwned.com, as well as interview Pwned member/Mod, ViolentAndDelicious. Clov3r reviews Mario Galaxy and Nitro's gives his first impressions on Army Of Two http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode3.mp3 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 003 001 AggroCast : Episode three: So Violent and Delicious (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode three: So Violent and Delicious - G-Nitro and Clov3r discuss Narticles, Blogs and Contests on Pwned.com, as well as interview Pwned member/Mod, ViolentAndDelicious. Clov3r reviews Mario Galaxy and Nitro's gives his first impressions on Army Of Two 1:45:48 video games, gaming, pwned, halo, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, mario galaxy, counterstrike, left 4 dead, army of 2 yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Clov3r discuss the upgrades to pwned, GDC and it's aftermath, interview Pwned (creator and co-owner of Pwned.com), and G-Nitro reviews Lost Odyssey http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode2.mp3 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 002 001 AggroCast : Episode two: We Got Pwned! (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode two: We Got Pwned! - G-Nitro and Clov3r discuss the upgrades to pwned, GDC and it's aftermath, interview Pwned (creator and co-owner of Pwned.com), and G-Nitro reviews Lost Odyssey 1:08:07 video games, gaming, pwned, call of duty 4, call of duty, cod4, interview, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking, top 5 games of 2008, Left 4 Dead yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM) (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) G-Nitro and Clov3r discuss the trailer for Lost Odyssey, the effectes of Rhythm games on it's players, PWNED.COM and a few other familiar things as they kick off their Internet career with the very first episode of Total Meltdown! http://aggrogamer.com/podcasts/aggrocast-episode1.mp3 Sat, 1 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT AGGROGAMER.COM 001 001 AggroCast : Episode one: Technical Difficulties (This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.) Episode one: Technical Difficulties - G-Nitro and Clov3r discuss the trailer for Lost Odyssey, the effectes of Rhythm games on it's players, PWNED.COM and a few other familiar things as they kick off their Internet career with the very first episode of Total Meltdown! 1:05:15 video games, gaming, pwned, halo, video game reviews, video game discussion, society, social networking yes dbecker@aggrogamer.com (AGGROGAMER.COM)