Music:

• Trevor Morris - Dragon Age Inquisition Main Theme

Links:

• Notch's new $70m mansion
• Lindsay Lohan: The Price of Fame

Music: 

• Hitoshi Sakimoto - Valkyria Chronicles (Main Theme)

Music:

• Garry Schyman - The Gravewalker - Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor OST

Music:

• Jake Kaufman - Strike The Earth! (Plains of Passage) - Shovel Knight OST

Music:

• Jake Kaufman - Double Dragon Neon Title Theme

Also, Turn Down For What?

Music:

• Brian Tyler - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag OST - A Pirate's Life

Image credit: xkcd

You can find the Global Game Jam build of Not Everything is Flammable here.

Music:

• Rushjet1 - Son of Flynn (it's an 8bit cover of the Daft Punk song off DaChip Vol 2)

Inspired by Jim Crawford's GDC talk on Preserving a Sense of Discovery in the Age of Spoilers, we embark on a trip down memory lane as we talk through a few of the Easter Eggs and rumors (true or false) that we know of from our gaming history. Spoiler alert. If you know of any interesting Easter Eggs or glitches (?) in any game you've played, tell us about them via email or Twitter.

Music:

• Disco Zoo OST

• Escape From The Time Travel Lab and other Real Escape Games
• Her Things: An Interactive Real Estate Sale
• Sleep No More

For this week's discussion we had a chat with Jim about the Frog Fractions 2 Kickstarter (that you should totally back right now) and his adventures in crowdfunding. Inevitably we also discussed Facebook's $2b acquisition of Oculus and pontificate about their nefarious(?) plans for VR technology. If you have any questions for Jim you can tweet @mogwai_poet and as always if you'd like to write in to us you can do so via email or Twitter. 

Music:

• Jim Crawford - Pond Life (Frog Fractions OST)

In other news, we discuss games that disappointed us and try to figure out where they failed to meet our expectations. You know who you are. That's right, we're looking at you, Simcity (2013), Metal Gear Solid 2 & 4, Mirror's Edge, Alphabets, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Fable: The Journey and others. Got a game that disappointed you? Tell us what and why by dropping us an email or a tweet.

This week we discuss some memorably difficult games and try to expound on the appeal of deliberately (or accidentally) difficult games. Along the way we talk about Codestorm, Flappybird, Dark Souls, Devil May Cry, Battletoads (ARGHH) and many more! Got a difficult game you want to talk about? How hard-boiled are you? Tell us by dropping us an  email or a tweet.

This week we talk about our gaming-related resolutions and goals for the new year. Take a listen and find out what we're looking forward to in 2014. Obligatory name-dropping follows: Ultra Street Fighter 4, Evolve, The Witness, Titanfall, GTA V, Watchdogs, and Bravely Default. Got a game you're looking forward to in 2014 or a gaming-related resolution to share? Write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens. Stay tuned for episode 49.5 next week and an important announcement for the 50th episode soon after that! 

Music:

• Curtis Schweitzer - Starbound Complete OST: Epsilon Indi

This will be our last episode for the year, but we'll be back fairly soon! So in case we don't get to wish you, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Kung Hei Fatt Choy. Okay just kidding, we're not gonna be gone that long. See you in 2014!

This week we talk about our personal Games of The Year for 2013. If you've been following this podcast closely you shouldn't be too surprised. Join the gang as we look back at an interesting year for Video Games. If you have any thoughts about our choices or if you'd like to let us know what your picks for GOTY are, send us an email at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

Music:

• Stacking OST - Frédéric Chopin - Mazurka in B flat major Op. 7 No. 1

) tells us about Titanfall (but of course) and Payday 2.

Stick around for the topic of the week where we discuss the paradigm shift from player to developer and pick the brains of industry insiders to learn more about the glitz and glamour of making video games. (Spoiler alert: it's not all fun and games. Actually no, it is all games, just maybe not quite what you're expecti— you know what, just listen to what they have to say.)

Got a question for our panel? Want to know what it's like to work in the Video Game industry? Ask us by tweeting us @StaringScreens or writing in to hello@staringatscreens.org.

Music:

• Jesper Kyd - State of Decay OST: Civilization Falls

Joel's been playing (among other things) The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Pokemon X & Y, and State of Decay; Lisa's moved to the US and discovered new oldskool in the form of Dark Escape 4D and Tiny Death Star; despite Dave's busy-ness (making games, doncha know) he's managed to play some GTA V and Clicking Bad; and Vick's been in the US spending time with her iPad in Symphonica and Ready Steady Bang.

We're back! Talk to us! We've missed you! Tweet us @StaringScreens or write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org. Also, astute listeners may have noticed that this is actually last week's episode. We had some technical problems so it's really late. As an apology, look out for a full episode (this week's!) in the next few days!

This week we talk about gamers' expectations of the price of games. Along the way we touch on some fairly meaty topics: Digital Distribution, Free-to-Play monetization and Steam Sales. Got something to say about this? How much are you willing to pay for your games? Tell us on Twitter @StaringScreens or write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org.

HUGE episode this week guys, but stay tuned for a bonus half-episode to be posted later this week!

Music:

• Patrice Bourgeault - Mercenary Kings OST - Jungle 1

Links:

• Sony explains why PS4 will cost $1,845 in Brazil
• Extra Credits on games in Brazil

Errata:

• Mercenary Kings is currently in Steam Early Access is not technically alpha, but open-beta.
• In April 2013 Forbes reported that Supercell makes $2.4Million a day between their two games, Hay Day and Clash of The Clans. This figure has likely significantly increased by now.
• Steam now has 65 million total users, compared with 48 million on Xbox LIVE.

The topic for this week is Gaming Nightmares. Steel yourself, Dear Listener, for harrowing tales from our collective gaming histories. These are not for the faint of heart; you have been warned! Got a scary story you'd like to share? Tweet us @StaringScreens or write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org. 

Welcome back. On this week's episode, Vick's Xbox finally sees some action in the form of Max Payne 3, Lisa demonstrates her vastly superior intellect in Har•mo•ny, and Joel geeks out about Pokémon X only to receive a tepid response. (PHILISTINES!)

This week we bravely go where no game publication has dared go before and ask the uncomfortable question: "What makes a game cute?" Gird your loins, ladies, as we namedrop Kirby's Epic Yarn, Nimblebit games, Orisinal: Morning Sunshine, Nintendogs, and Pokémon (but of course) and many more.

Questions? Comments? Tweet us @StaringScreens or write to us athello@staringatscreens.org.

In the second segment we talk about the Oculus Rift and the kinds of games we'd like to see on the platform. Along the way we name drop Hawken, Titanfall, Eurotruck Simulator, Just Dance 2015, Saints Row IV, AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome, Gone Home, and the Virtuix Omni treadmill. If you have questions or comments you can tweet us @StaringScreens or write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org.

Errata:

• The game we're actually thinking of at the 4:30 mark is River Valley Rendang River City Ransom. Sigh.
• The set up that Joel alludes to at 37:30 is not for AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! for the Awesome but for SkyDIEving. The link to that simulation is below.

Links:

• An overly-elaborate SkyDIEving Tech Demo setup
• Dreadhalls experienced on the Oculus Rift (whyyyyy would you do that??)

Music:

• Craig Toungate - Prince Ali (from Just Dance 2014)

Later on we go through some old games and try to decide if they are vintage or antiques. On the way we mention the Megaman and Megaman X games, both old and new Karateka, Theme Hospital, Chrono Trigger, The Legend of Zelda games, Final Fantasy 7, Planescape Torment, The Prince of Persia and many more! Join us on our trip down memory lane by tweeting us @StaringScreens or writing to us at hello@staringatscreens.org. Let us hear about your well/poorly aged games!

Links:

• Sequelitis: Mega Man Classic vs. Mega Man X
• All Philips CD-i Legend of Zelda cutscenes. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Music:

 Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra - Fuego de Pasion (featured in Tropico 4)

Our topic of discussion is Weird Games that we've played, namely Katamari Damacy, Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, LocoRoco, Patapon, Rhythm Heaven, Robot Unicorn Attack, Heavy Rain, Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure, There's No Time To Explain, WarioWare and Mr. Mosquito. Reminisce with us by tweeting us @StaringScreens or writing to us at hello@staringatscreens.org. Let us hear about your weird games. You sickos.

Links:

• Tom Chick's reviews of Halo 4 and Uncharted 3
• Darren Geer's interpretation of Gabe Newell

Music:

Akira Yamaoka - Sine Mora OST- Cardinal Canyon A

Which segues very nicely into our discussion topic for the week: Free To Play games. Along the way we name drop Candy Crush, Clash of The Clans, Plants Vs. Zombies 2, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic iOS game, and MMOs like Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Elder Scrolls Online and Final Fantasy XIV. So, Dear Listener, which F2P games do you enjoy and which do you shy away from? Tweet us @StaringScreens or write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org and let us know!

Links:

• Joel's blog post about the likelihood of a GTA V on PC
• PC Gamer's estimate of the GTA V PC release date — supported by math!

The topic of discussion this week (which was totally Vick's idea) is gaming culture's apparent obsession with breasts. Once the initial sniggering dies down we look at some female video game character design vis–à–vis Dragon's Crown, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Code of Princess, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Now I know you're gonna want to join this discussion, so go ahead and tweet us @StaringScreens or write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org.

Oh and other that Lightning in the masthead image, here are the characters we referenced in today's episode.

Links

• Jenn Frank — "Tits or GTFO"

We also talk about the relatively recent rise of collectible NFC chip toys in gaming with obvious nods to Disney Infinity, the Skylanders series, and the much anticipated (or dreaded depending on your point of view) Pokémon Rumble U. Is this just a cynical money grab? Do you think this is just a passing fad or are NFC toys here to stay?  Let us know by tweeting us @StaringScreens or writing to us at hello@staringatscreens.org.

This week Vick finishes Infinity Blade 2 four times, Joel talks us through The Showdown Effect and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Dave takes his time with Gone Home, and (almost) everybody gets to play Saints Row IV on launch day.

In the run up to the launch of Grand Theft Auto V we discuss Realism and how it affects our enjoyment of video games. Along the way we mention Prototype, Skyrim, the GTA games, milsims like ARMA, The Last of Us, Cart Life, Dope Wars, FFVII, and Galatea by Emily Short. So, Dear Listeners, how does realism affect YOUR enjoyment of video games? Tell us by tweeting us @StaringScreens or writing to us at hello@staringatscreens.org.

Links:

• Galatea by Emily Short
• That misquote about GTA IV and Howard Zinn came from this excellent Polygon article

For the rest of the time we just shoot the breeze about the various things on Sale at this point in time. There's the Club Nintendo offer of $30 eShop credit if you purchase and register Shin Megami Tensei IV and Fire Emblem Awakening before 31 Aug, Steam Summer Sale obviously, the iOS 5th anniversary sale, and Kentucky Route Zero is 25% off. Also, did you know that in Animal Crossing you can buy and sell turnips at a profit? ISN'T THAT COOL??

If you have anything to add to the conversation or you'd just like to find out Lisa's Nintendo friend code so you can watch her sleep in Animal Crossing Awakening, you can write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

Creepy Lisa is creepy

Links:

• Leigh Alexander on the escapism of life sims
• PBS Idea Channel on Animal Crossing
• Don't cross Tom Nook (PVPOnline)

Discussion topic for this week: Games that require high levels of time commitment to play or even get started playing. Along the way we namedrop Ni No Kuni, The Witcher series, Skyrim, the Dragon Age series, Persona 4, the Arkham games, Far Cry 3, Angry Birds, The Sims, The Last of Us, the Alan Wake games, L.A. Noire, Red Dead Redemption, the MMO genre, and GTA V.

By the way, no offense was intended to people living with OCD, ADHD, paraplegia or a vagina. If you take issue with our use of these labels on this episode, please email your complaints to vick@vicksredredemption.org. Otherwise if you have anything to add to the conversation write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

Errata

• Chronicles of Mystara is actually on Steam and PSN too. Not just XBLA.
• Puzzle Pirates was on Java. Not Flash.

** THIS EPISODE HAS POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US (duh), BIOSHOCK INFINITE, UNCHARTED 2, BRAID, AND STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS (yes.) **

In addition to the controversial ending, they chat about companion AIs from other games, how the logic of the game sometimes defies common sense, whether Joel is an identifiable protagonist, and the brilliant, brilliant writing and relationship between Joel & Ellie. Also, Nolan North as David, Naughty Dog's elegant game design, the brilliant segments that were Fall & Winter, combat mechanics that reward improvisation, why a sequel wouldn't work, and Dave's issues with all the women around Joel dying for his story to progress.

Links:

• On the needs of the one versus the needs of the many. (Forbes)
• Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us (Trailer)

In a small departure from our usual gamut of topics, this week the crew and guests explore broadly how being (South-East) Asian has affected their careers are game writers and developers. Naturally, parental expectations are discussed, as well as these careers being 'outlier professions' in the eyes of Asian society, issues of creative and technical competency in the region, and the struggles of independent game developers in Asia.

Definitely a topic in which we would like you to join the discussion: do write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

Links:

• Cassandra wrote about Handsome Jack and Angel in Father Knows Best (Unwinnable)
• Witching Hour Studios' latest game Ravenmark: Mercenaries  (Yes, Brian and team wrote this, not outsourced to someone from the UK)
• Venus Patrol's  Horizon being an alternative E3 (Joystiq)
• And if you haven't played it yet, Candy Box
• If you like indie games, a good resource can be found here.
• We also think you should follow @johnpolson, @CPriestman & @weetim.

Addendum:

• The ARG game that Dave and Vick were playing on their iOS devices a few years ago is Shadow Cities.
• Dave only has about 215 T-Shirts, not 300, including those not from Threadless.

In the topical segment we discuss the Microsoft and Sony announcements at E3 2013 vis-a-vis the controversies surrounding Microsoft's Xbox One messaging and the absolute smackdown that was delivered by Sony's PS4 announcment. We also talk about some of the upcoming games flogged at E3, namely the deliciously cross-platform Watchdogs, the mystifyingly-numbered Mirror's Edge 2, the pulchritudinous Bayonetta 2 and the wordily-named Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

If you would like to join the discussion, write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

Links:

• Animal Crossing Comic (Lyk dis if u cry everytiem!)
  
• Watchdogs performance capture with Sebastien Merlowe

The topic for the week is games we underestimated and were pleasantly surprised by. Find out which SAS team member has Stockholm Syndrome when it comes to the endless runner genre, which team member is still on dial-up internet, and who has been on the internet since at least 2004. If you have anything to add to our most awkward episode ever — perhaps a game or two that you found unexpectedly enjoyable — we invite you to join the conversation by writing to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweeting us @StaringScreens.

So Microsoft has finally revealed their next console: the Xbox One. If you know nothing about it, here is the TL;DR version. Yes, it's a little tongue-in-cheek, but we stayed up to watch the entire reveal and can vouch for the uncanny fidelity of that highlight reel. Listen as we take you through what we do know and what we'd like to know about Microsoft's philosophy for the future of living room entertainment! At least for those of us who have living rooms… in the US.

If you have questions or comments about the Xbox One reveal, we invite you to join the conversation by writing to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweeting us @StaringScreens.

Links:

• Engadget's report on Microsoft's proprietary silicon chips in the Xbox One
• Eurogamer's interview with Microsoft's corporate-vice-president-of-something-to-do-with-games Phil Harrison
• Polygon's roundup of the known and unknown things about the Xbox One
• Also, Call of Duty Dog on Twitter

In this episode, Joel gets a new 3DS XL and immediately gets to work on Super Mario 3D Land and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, but also gives his Xbox360 some love thanks to Gears of War: Judgment; Junch goes retro on us with Persona 3 & 4 for the PS2/PSP; and Dave has nothing but praise for the awesome (and slightly creepy) Playstation Plus service which gives him free games to play like Quantum Conundrum.

For our topic this week we discuss the industry's aversion to Female Protagonists and bemoan the mystifying lack of games starring playable female leads. Memorable female leads are uncommon at best, and when female protagonists do get their own game they are starved of marketing dollars or discouraged from having any agency. We also touch on the role of the protagonist's gender on game narrative and the apparent differences between Western and Japanese market perception of female protagonists.

If you feel strongly about anything we said in this week's episode and would like to add your voice to the conversation, we encourage you to write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens. Oh yeah, by the way, Sid Meier's Ace Patrol is pretty sweet. And for the record, this episode was produced by Dave.

Links:

• The Creepy Cull of Female Protagonists
• EEDAR's research on games with Female Protagonists
• Ico's box art debacle
• American vs. Japanese Mega Man box art
• and the more things change…

Bonus Link: Why Japanese box art is better… except when it's not

Errata:

• Beyond Good and Evil was released in 2003 for PS2, not 2006
• The version of Nier released outside of Japan (simply titled "Nier") features a beefy middle-aged male protagonist trying to find a cure for his young daughter's illness. In Japan two versions of the game were released: Nier Gestalt on Xbox360 and Nier Replicant on the PS3. "Nier" and "Nier Gestalt" are identical, but "Nier Replicant" features a comparatively scrawnier and younger "bishounen" male lead as the sick girl's older brother rather than her father. Other than this minor detail the two versions are essentially the exact same game. Nier Replicant was never released outside of Japan.

We had originally planned for our discussion this week to be about Platform Envy and the platform-exclusive games we have no way of playing but it somehow morphed into an interesting discussion on Platform Exclusivity in general with a nod to Indie Games on consoles and (as fanservice) a meditation on iOS vs. Android development. This was of course accompanied by a healthy dose of name-dropping. Coming along for the ride against their will: Red Dead Redemption (Xbox360, PS3), Little Big Planet (PS3, PS Vita), Fez (Xbox360, PC), the Professor Layton games (DS, 3DS), and Journey (PS3).

By the way, the aforementioned playcast is gonna be slightly delayed, and for that we apologize. (Cutting video takes time! Who knew?) In the meantime here are some links for your perusal:

• Corridor Digital's Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon fan video
• Phil Fish vs. Microsoft

Errata:

• Battleblock Theater was made by "The Behemoth" and not "The Leviathan". Wrong biblical monster, Dave.
• Microsoft has never disclosed the cost of the Xbox360 patch fee, but DoubleFine's Tim Schafer pegged it at $40,000 in this interview from 2012.

We trust that this more than makes up for the brevity of Episode 27. :) Check it out!

Aaand strangely that is it for this week. As usual we'd love to hear from you, dear Listeners. To add your voice to the conversation simply write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens. Apologies for the short episode; no promises, but we'll try to make it up to you some time later this week with something special. Fingers crossed!

Links:

Kotaku's Moneysaver tag

Game Deals Subreddit

Thanks to YJ for the money-saving tips!

The topic of the week was inspired by this article by Kotaku's Jason Schreier that suggests that review score aggregate site Metacritic hurts developers and by extension video games in general. We think it's a thought-provoking and informative read that is well worth your time. So this week we were inspired to do a (rather meta) critique of Metacritic and its effect on our purchasing decisions. In our discussion we do allude to ideas discussed in the Kotaku article, so you may want to hit pause at the halfway mark and go read that first.

We'd love to hear how (if at all) game reviews influence your video game purchasing decisions. If you feel that you have anything that could add to the conversation write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

As you may already have heard, Disney shuttered LucasArts last week, and in memoriam we do a LucasArts retrospective and talk about the memorable (and ignominious) experiences we've had with LucasArts games through the ages. Along the way we mention point and click adventure games from the SCUMM era like Maniac Mansion, its arguably more famous successor Day of The Tentacle, the awesome Sam and Max Hit The Road, and GrimE era games like the seminal Grim Fandango. Oh yeah, we also mention a slew of generically-named Star Wars® games of varying quality. Whee.

Also, after the credits stick around for our first ever dedicated SPOILER SECTION where Dave and Joel discuss the story of Bioshock Infinite at length. If you haven't yet played this game, we highly recommend saving this for after you've finished the game, because in our opinion Bioshock Infinite is as close to a gaming masterpiece as you can get and you don't want to have the story spoiled for you. Consider yourself warned.

As usual if you have anything you'd like to add to the conversation — maybe a good memory of a LucasArts game, or if you used to work for LucasArts before last week — tell us via email hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

Links:

Play Dys4ia

Download and play Cart Life

Music:

Michael Land — Theme from The Curse of Monkey Island

Garry Schyman & Jim Bonney — Welcome to Columbia

In the second half of the episode we talk about the things that make videogames such a good vehicle for telling engaging stories and recount some of the more memorable narrative arcs in our collective gaming experience. SPOILER ALERT: Along the way we also reference (and possibly spoil) plot elements of several games including the Saints Row series, GTA IV, Red Dead Redemption, Heavy Rain, the Mass Effect series, Fallout 3, Mafia II, Assassins Creed 2, L.A. Noire, and Halo 4.

Got an example of a game that really wowed you with its narrative? Tell us via email hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

In other news, PAX East was last weekend and have we got news for you!

• The DoubleFine Adventure finally has a name: Broken Age
• Ducktales Remastered has been announced. Watch this trailer. It's all you need to know. (If you have no idea what this is, you may be too young for this podcast.)
• Supergiant Games' next project is called Transistor and Logan Cunningham has been confirmed as a voice actor. The game is about WHO CARES WHAT THE GAME IS ABOUT SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY
• Diablo III for consoles is not going to be a Sony exclusive. Whoop dee doo. Moving on…
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut for the Wii U will fix the controversial Boss Battles
• and finally XCOM: Enemy Unknown is getting an iOS release!

As always if you'd like to join the conversation, feel free to write to us at write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

In this week's episode, Lisa talks about the first episode of Tropes vs. Women in Video Games, the result of Feminist Frequency's highly successful Kickstarter and that super-feel-good story about the father who hacked Donkey Kong so his daughter could play as Pauline; Vick is introduced to the excellent (and very "jin zhang") Uncharted 2; Dave does a bunch of collecting in the form of trinkets in Tomb Raider and ridiculous fish in Ridiculous Fishing; and Joel tries out the innovative platformer (of course it's a platformer) Snapshot and reports a growing annoyance with SimCity.  

Given the recent furore over the always-online nature of SimCity and the growing public perception that this design choice is DRM-motivated we thought it would be fitting to discuss the motivations behind Videogame Piracy and Anti-Piracy countermeasures over the years. For the record, Staring At Screens does not condone video game piracy, but if you have a differing view or an interesting perspective on piracy, DRM, or anything we discussed in this episode, write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens.

Also, you wouldn't steal a car. Would you?

 Links

Damsel in Distress: Part 1 - Tropes vs Women in Video Games

Why Mike Mika hacked Donkey Kong for his Daughter

John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory

The IndieRoyale Thoughtful Bundle

Trailer for Snapshot

If you'd like to weigh in on anything SimCity-related write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or Tweet us @StaringScreens. Also, Will Wright, if you're reading this and you remember meeting an 8-year-old SimEarth-obsessed Dave in Taiwan 22 years ago, please feel free to contact us to corroborate his fantastical claims.

Did I forget to mention we played a bunch of SimCity?

We also discuss the bygone age of Expansion Packs, the maturing of the DLC era, and hint at the advent of the In-App-Purchase dynasty. Along the way we point fingers at The Sims, Warcraft 2, World of Warcraft, Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, the Mass Effect games, Red Dead Redemption, Borderlands 2, the Professor Layton games, and Batman: Arkham City. Name drops abound in this segment.

Then in the mailbag section we get carried away and end up only having time enough to answer one question about predictions for the next generation of consoles. Even more name dropping ensues: Steambox, Ouya, PS4, Xbox Durango, Wii U, and even the Barbie games get a mention. Whut. If you have anything to add to our discussion or if you'd like to hijack our train of thought, send us an email at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us at @StaringScreens and we'll do our best to lose focus for you.

Let's also talk Gaming News. How about that PS4 announcement, huh? Huh? What do you think about that feature-packed controller? Do you want your console experience to be more social? And what about those exciting upcoming games: Deep Down, The Witness, Watch Dogs and Diablo III? Okay, maybe not Diablo III. Tell us what you think by writing to us at hello@staringatscreens.org! In other news the perennial Plants Vs. Zombies is free for a limited time on iOS!

Finally we want to give a big shout out to all our new listeners and those who found us via our Swagathon or via our 15 minutes of fame on /r/Gaming. Welcome, Redditors, and we hope you like what you hear enough to stay. Forever.

Some links:

• Didn't wake up early to watch it live? Here's the PS4 Announcement Abridged to get you caught up quick.
• Okay, that was a joke, but here's a serious article about mitigating your PS4 expectations despite the post-announcement euphoria.
• Indie Royale Chosen Bundle where you can get the short but very funny DLC Quest (Not long to go! 2 days left at the time of posting.)

And because it's also Valentines Day this week, our topic of the week is Video Game Characters that We Would Consider Dating. Find out who in the SAS crew would date royalty for the perks, who could stand to make better life choices, and who has a thing for busty ladies. (Spoiler-alert depending on your KOTOR in-game choices: "Bastila-dies". )

Now if you follow us on Twitter @StaringScreens (How are you not yet following us on Twitter??) you may have seen some photos of our hot-off-the-presses swag in action. That's right Dear Listener, if you haven't already figured it out, the sticky things we teased in last week's episode are… Staring At Screens stickers! Here's a photo of the full sheet. See if you can name all the games we referenced!

Want one? Here's how to get in on the action. Tweet about our podcast to one or more of your followers and link them to http://www.staringatscreens.org/ and put our Twitter name (@StaringScreens) in there for good measure. For example:

Or if you don't really use Twitter, you can still participate by telling your Facebook friends and sharing the website link with them, like so:

Then send us an email (hello@staringatscreens.org) and attach a screenshot of the deed, as well as your name and snail mail address, and we'll figure out a way to send you your swag! While stocks last, so don't delay!

Also please be reminded that we will be taking a short one-week break, so no episode next week! But we'll be back the week after, so stay tuned to Staring at Screens!

The topic of the week is the Global Game Jam 2013 and a few of the games that caught our eye. There's that viral (geddit?) hit Surgeon Simulator 2013, the promising FTL-like platformer Noel, the surprisingly polished bubble-eater Arrhythmia,  and that creepy and slightly mystifying game The Watcher. That's all we had time on the show for, but there's a whole gamut of interesting games birthed from this event that you can (and should) check out on the GGJ2013 website. 

Just want to take a moment to give a shout out to our friends at OMGeek.net (pronounced "Ohm-Geek") — HELLO!! Check them out. They're cool. Finally don't forget to write to us (hello@staringatscreens.org) or tweet us (@StaringScreens) and get as many of your friends as possible to follow and listen to us! If you do, we'll send you something… sticky. ;)

This week we examine the topic of in-game Tutorials. Along the way we make reference to Temple Run 2, Zookeeper and Half Life to name a few. We also highly recommend watching Egoraptor's seminal (hurhur) work, Sequelitis - Mega Man Classic vs. Mega Man X.

What do you guys think? Are in-game tutorials really necessary? Can we live without them? Tell us what you think via email or tweet us @StaringScreens. Don't forget, if you get your friends to listen to the podcast and follow us on Twitter, we'll send you something awesome. /InvisibleCarrotDangle

Links:

The #Objectify event planned by Leigh Alexander and Ben Abraham…

… and why they (rightly) decided to call it off.

The topic of the week is Games and/or Game Mechanics that have not stood the test of time. I mean, what were we thinking when we voluntarily subjected ourselves to these things back in the day? It's not all bad news though; we also give a shout out to Games and/or Game Mechanics that have aged well, and would still be eminently playable today. Here's a non-exhaustive list of name drops we make along the way: Tamagotch(i), Duke Nukem Forever, Retro City Rampage, Who Shot Johnny Rock, the Leisure Suit Larry series, the Mario Kart games and Virtua Tennis of all things. Damn, we're old.

If you know of some well-aged/putrid old Games/Mechanics that we've missed, tell us by dropping us an email or tweet us @StaringScreens. PS. We're sorry for making fun of Star Wars; it was disrespectful to the dead.

Links:

Leisure Suit Larry Kickstarter (it's been successfully funded btw)

YouTube video of some of the wacky minigames in Virtua Tennis 2009

In other news, Vick tells us more about Guardian Heroes on iOS and Fable: The Journey for Xbox360 (Kinect required) and Joel spends way too much time on Far Cry 3. We also talk about some videogame-related movies that we recently watched, namely Wreck-it Ralph and Minecraft: The Story of Mojang. Keep those tissues handy, folks, because it's an emotional episode of Staring At Screens.

Links:

Minecraft: The Story of Mojang

The Verge's interview with Gabe Newell

Time talks about Xi3's Piston prototype

Android Authority compares Android gaming devices

CNet's CES article on the Razer Edge

Dont forget now that Joel has Gunnar specs, he wants to make more friends! You may contact him, and the rest of us at hello@staringatscreens.org - oh, don't forget to throw us some questions, comments, and feedback too!

"So intense!"

It's still the beginning of 2013 and we're making new year's resolutions! Specifically, resolutions to finish some unfinished games that have been gathering dust on our shelves/Steam libraries. We also examine the reasons behind the phenomenon of not finishing games that we start, or in Vick's case, her reasons for finishing every single game. If you have any games that you resolve to finish in 2013, or have reasons to add about why people finish/don't finish games, write to us at hello@staringatscreens.org or tweet us @StaringScreens! We love to hear from our listeners, so tell us what you think!

To round up, here be links! To that cool site that does an analysis of your Steam Library, and the app that was mentioned in the mailbag.

In today's episode we discuss the tenuous correlation between violence in video games and violence in real life, especially in the light of the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the subsequent scapegoating of video games by the NRA. Along the way we talk about violence in games like Spec Ops: The Line, Far Cry 3, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter; and how the treatment of video game violence differs from the treatment of violence in other media. 

Now we don't purport to be expert commentators, and as mentioned in the recording, we're sure you, dear listener, have Opinions (with an uppercase O) on this topic. We would love to read these Opinions, so write us (hello@staringatscreens.org) or tweet us (@StaringScreens) and we'll get this discussion rolling.

For further reading, here is the Time article that Eric mentioned.

To round up the year, we talk about our individual Game of The Year picks along with Honorable Mentions. Long-time listeners may get a sense of deja vu. We also received (one piece of) gushy fanmail! Eeyur! (Don't stop sending those in.)

This will be the final episode of Staring At Screens for the year. We'd like to extend a big THANK YOU to all our wonderful listeners for your support in 2012. We'll still be checking our email (hello@staringatscreens.org) and Twitter (@StaringScreens), so do write us, and we'll talk to you in 2013!

In the second segment, Vick rips Fable 3 a new one and we embark on a discussion on what makes or breaks an open world game. Along the way we touch on Skyrim, the GTA games, Red Dead Redemption, Fah Kai Far Cry 2, Just Cause 2, Saints Row 3, Sleeping Dogs, and Fallout 3. So many name-drops! Listeners, you definitely get your money's worth this week. Y'know, I mean you would if this podcast weren't free.

In next week's episode we'll be talking about Art Film Music. Thrilling stuff. Stay tuned!

http://borderhouseblog.com/?p=9702

http://borderhouseblog.com/?p=9712

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/11/29/1reasonwhy-we-are-all-responsible/

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2012/06/513794/

http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/113776

http://gambit.mit.edu/projects/hatespeech.php [NSFW]

We want to hear from you if you have any feedback or comments, especially if you are from the gaming industry itself. Send us a mail at hello@staringatscreens.org

Fun, laughter, peace and joy on this week's episode of Staring at Screens! Joel spends way too much time on Assassins Creed 3 (yes, still), Vick finishes Assassins Creed 2 (but she hasn't found all the feathers… yet), we find out just how not a Star Wars fan Lisa is when she talks about Angry Birds: Star Wars, and Dave finds a hidden gem in Fah Kai Far Cry 3 (It's got hyper realistic hands, people!) but isn't too enamoured with the Halo 4 single player campaign.

In the second half of the show we share some of our Christmas gift recommendations for gamers as well as things we want for Christmas (you know, in case any of our listeners really really love us.)

If you'd like to find out how to send us presents or try to impress Lisa with your Star Wars lore ("laser swords"), drop us an email: hello@staringatscreens.org.

Or join our growing Twitter following and get updates on interesting video game news! @StaringScreens

Speaking of which, we highlight some of the deals from the recent Steam Autumn Sale and help you, dear listener, to get your credit cards primed and ready for the main event: the Steam Winter Sale. WAH, STEAM AH!

All this and more on Episode 8 of Staring at Screens!

PS. As of writing this post, the final day of the Autumn sale is underway. Our thoughts, very briefly:

25 Nov

• Dishonored; 50%; $29.99 — Excellent game. Great price for a new release.
• Civilization V GOTY Edition; 75% $12.49 — Pretty cheap, but die-hard fans of the series will prefer IV in favor of V. (Die-hard fans of the series will probably already own this anyway.)
• Orcs Must Die 2; 75%; $3.74 — At this price, why the hell not? Much better with friends to play it with, so buy a few copies and gift them!
• Arkham City GOTY Edition; 75%; $7.49 — Why haven't you played this yet?!? BUY.
• Torchlight II; 50%; $9.99 — At this price, We'd buy multiple copies for friends. Even friends on Mac, because the Mac playable version is inevitable.
• Sonic Generations; 75&; $7.49 — We're drawing a blank with this one. Never played it. Maybe if you really like Sonic?

26 Nov

• Counter Srike GO; 50%; $7.49 — Are people still playing Counter Strike these days? Maybe if you owned a LANshop…
• Call of Duty MW3; 50%; $29.99 — This is the first time MW3 has been on sale, we think. It is what it is, for half the price.
• Alan Wake franchise; 75%; $9.99 — Everything Alan Wake is 75% off! Which is good, because you're going to need money to buy adult diapers because Alan Wake is piss-your-pants scary (if you are like Joel!)
• Castle Crashers; 67%; $4.99 — Only if you've never played this on XBLA, and even then try to get a bunch of friends to purchase this because it's $5 and it's an online multiplayer beat 'em up and you really get bang for your buck if you play this with buddies.
• Legend of Grimrock; 75%; $3.74 — Old-school RPG dungeon crawl. At full price, this game isn't for everyone, but at $3.74, why the hell not? BUY.
• The Witcher 2; 75%; $7.49 — A bit of a niche fantasy IP, but this is well worth your time at this price. (Another game we need to get around to finishing.)

Send questions and comments to hello@staringatscreens.org! Just because there's a sale doesn't mean you can forget about writing to us.

In the second half of the show we talk about rival game franchises and draw comparisons between pairs of games that demand it: GTA vs Saints Row, Dance Central vs Just Dance, Maxis' Sim franchise vs Bullfrog's Theme franchise, Rock Band vs Guitar Hero amongst many others. Eric also educates us about the intense competition between Capcom and SNK back in the day.

Also here's a link to that now legendary EVO 2004 SF3 match between Justin Wong and Daigo. 8 years after the fact and this video still gives us the chills. Plus a gif of Wonder Woman parrying, discovered by Vick. Just because. (Thanks Julia Segal!)

If you have already listened to the show, and are back looking for a particular picture, it's here.

Send questions and comments to hello@staringatscreens.org! Just do it. You know you'll feel good afterwards.

Mass Effect 2 - Suicide Mission.

Oppa Gangnam Guile - http://youtu.be/GBeoGFvwHEc

After the break, Vick joins us for a somewhat-halloween special as we talk about the games we are too scared to play - not because they are scary, but have frightened us off for one reason or another. Also, more on Vick's hatred for first person shooters. Joel's thoughts on the Hitman: Absolution trailer. Dave doesn't like volleyball games, or just one in particular. Eric tries to talk about DOTA, but couldn't. Why? You'll see.

Send questions and comments to hello@staringatscreens.org! We've been getting lots of great comments but we need more questions else we sound like we're just flattering ourselves! Cough.

Welcome to our first ever Super Special Bloopers Bonus! (SSBB)

(See what we did there?)

As Dave struggles to host an episode while working in a dingy French hotel, the team finds itsself a first ever emergency bloopers bonus special. It's 6 mins 30 seconds of pure concentrated awkwardness as you hear the team screw up and laugh at each other mercilessly! 

We'll be back with the full episode next week. We promise.

After the break, the guys discuss the resurgence of single player games in the industry, fueled by kickstarter and the independent scene. They also respond somewhat to Blizzard's Chief Creative Officer Rob Pardo's statement that single player games are an endangered species. Also cue memories of old multiplayer game experiences. 

Not to be missed: see if you can pick out more singing by Joel, Eric talks about self-consciously playing God of War in his living room, and Dave's XCOM squaddies are named 'Adrian Pang' and 'Beyonce Knowles'

Send questions and comments to hello@staringatscreens.org! If we have enough coffee, we might read it out.

In this episode, Staring at Screens talks about portable games, and how casual games have spawned from mobile devices of the past few years. 

Also meet new podcast member Lisa who fills in for Eric while he's away. Lisa's our resident social media guru and handles all our twitter and facebook accounts so do say hi! And she's also our resident Kingdom Rush expert.

Joel confesses his love for Cookie Dozer, Vick waxes lyrical about the Simpsons Tapped Out, Dave splurges in Pocket Planes, and Lisa breaks down how fun Bad Piggies is for us.

Send questions and comments to staringatscreens@outlook.com! If we aren't too tired, we might read it out.

In our first episode, Staring at Screens answers the million dollar question: Just who the hell are we and why should you care?

Apart from introductions, we delve into the future of Sony and the Playstation; combat mechanics of Assasin's Creed 3; narrative gaming, and how Guild Wars 2 is measuring up in its first few months.

Also! Find out who dumped a kindergarten crush because of 'controller tugging', and who is very proud of his C3PO Xbox controller.

Send questions and comments to staringatscreens@outlook.com! If it makes us happy, we might read it out.