346: Look Out for the Mousies

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This week! We do a little more E3 talk and get Mike’s reading of reviews from the future then talk about some of the game tapes released recently: Animal Crossing: New Leaf, The Swapper, The Last of Us (non-spoilery), Remember Me and Picross E. Plus: Forgotten terrible ’90s series that should be revived, bad E3s, biggest piece of crap at the conferences, seamless open worlds, DRM backtracking and more!

And check out Greg’s web series Generation 16 (Episode 8 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, and more! Click here to download.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Amazon Android Appstore. Find out all about it here.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:22:00

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E3 2013: Presser Cooker

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Today! A special episode where we discuss the press conferences just passed at E3, swapping out a Mike Phillips and replacing him with a special guest, Pete Dodd. We talk Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo for almost two hours. Enjoy!

And check out Greg’s web series Generation 16 (Episode 8 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, and more! Click here to download.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Amazon Android Appstore. Find out all about it here.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:43:36

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345: Often Online

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This Week! Microsoft clarifies the connectedness and used game policies for Xbox One, and all the fears about how consumer unfriendly and restrictive they are come to pass. Not without a few benefits, but with plenty of latitude under which to turn the screws on consumers in new and innovative ways in the future. Plus: E3 hopes, dreams, predictions, Puppeteer, game pricing, Fantasia, Metal Gear, Animal Crossing and loads more!

And check out Greg’s web series Generation 16 (Episode 8 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, and more! Click here to download.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Amazon Android Appstore. Find out all about it here.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:30:30

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Some Xbox One Policy Thoughts

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This is going to be a wild fall, huh? (If you’ve not read all the policy news, go here.)

Microsoft have gone and killed used games (or at least private sales), borrowing/lending, AND rentals in ONE SHOT. And left the door open to slam it on the rest of used games. That is madness. Bonkers. I never thought we’d see that happen.

Since I’m a terrible renter/borrower anyway and don’t do it, that part doesn’t impact me. I canceled my disc-based Netflix sub after I realized I’d have the same movie for months before watching it. I am not a GameFly member cuz I’m sure I’d do the same there; ditto for lending/borrowing. Since I rarely resell games I’ve bought, that part doesn’t impact me. And I happen to like having everything installed on a hard drive so I don’t have to get up to switch discs or worry about scratches/scuffs, so these policies are completely within my tolerance. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have internet every 24 hours but I could always tether to my phone for the check. Maybe they’ll even let you do it through Smartglass on your phone. That’d be the best use of Smartglass ever.

BUT. They’ve gone about the whole thing in the most consumer-unfriendly manner possible while saying they’re “listening.” They should have let convenience, value, creative bundling, etc. encourage digital sales instead of straight up killing the previous model in one go. I was reluctant for a long time to go full-digital on 3DS, Wii U and Vita. I did because of the convenience factor – Nintendo’s games usually come out on Sundays so Amazon release day delivery wasn’t appealing for that and retail around me generally doesn’t hurry to put things out on street dates. And in the Vita’s case the game cards being so tiny and easily lost it was easy to say yes to all-digital (and I haven’t bought that much on Vita anyway – most of my collection are free PS+ or cross-buy games). Sony and Nintendo didn’t FORCE me to do any of that.

I thought for a while that a better way to do it would be to continue the retail model for discs – but allow optional installs that would then be exactly like what Microsoft has put forth. That would still kill rentals but leave used games mostly unharmed as you could just decide not to install and miss out on the convenience benefits that does bring. Maybe Sony’ll go that way.

The wild card is whether or not consumers will accept this. A lot of people say they won’t now, but, will that be the case in a few months when the thing is on shelves with games.

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344: Trading in the Negative

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This Week! The Last of Us (demo), Animal Crossing, Call of Juarez Gunslinger, Super Metroid, Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright Trilogy HD, and GRID 2. Plus: deals on the eShop, Arrested Development on Netflix, who we’re rooting for at E3, MORE used games, backwards compatibility and anti-consumerism, new Metroids, getting a Vita (and the fate of the system), the games we own on the most platforms, one system of the fall, and more!

And check out Greg’s web series Generation 16 (Episode 8 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, and more! Click here to download.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Amazon Android Appstore. Find out all about it here.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:11:30

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WELCO METOT HENEX TLEVEL – The Lawnmower Man

lawnmowermancoverPublisher: Sales Curve Interactive (SCi)
Developer: Sales Curve Interactive (SCi)
Release: 1994

Considering how ubiquitous The Lawnmower Man was when it came out in 1992, it’s kind of amazing how it’s more or less been completely forgotten. This was one of the first films to seriously tackle virtual reality, not to mention make extensive use of 3D generated computer graphics. It also featured a post-Remington Steele, pre-James Bond Pierce Brosnan.

Of course, it was also really terrible. So there’s that.

The Lawnmower Man is a story about one Dr. Angelo and his pioneering work with the brain. More specifically his research on increased intelligence and behaviour modifications through the use of drugs and virtual reality. Following a horrible accident involving one of his chimpanzee research subjects, the good doctor decides it’s time to experiment on the human brain instead. He settles on a landscaper named Jobe – a mentally challenged orphan who is the ward of an abusive priest and constantly at the mercy of various terrible people around him.

Of course, Dr. Angelo’s work goes so well that not only does Jobe become super-intelligent, but also gains telepathic powers, which he quickly uses to punish all those who have wronged him. Ultimately Jobe turns himself into pure energy and enters the worldwide network.
THE LAWNMOWER MAN001
The video game is a pseudo-sequel to the movie, I guess? It’s hard to tell, because it seems to take place after the film, but also resurrects several characters who are already dead by the end of the original script.

Anyway, this is another one of those meetings of video games and hollywood, which is to say it’s an entirely full-motion video affair. You play as a cyber-version of Dr. Angelo on a quest through the network in order to find and stop Jobe. This is represented through a series of minigames and short travel bits that closely resemble those found in Sewer Shark. Peppered throughout are clips from the movie in the form of Jobe’s memories.

It’s awful. The video is of extremely poor quality, even by Sega CD standards. And the source material is bad to being with – computer animation was really not up to dealing with humanoid characters back in1992. Plus due to the nature of the game and multiple branching paths, the flow of the game is interrupted constantly as the single-speed disc drive searches for the proper clip to show next.
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Trivia time! Sales Curve Interactive still exists in some form today. You’ll know it as Square Enix Europe. In 2005, four years before Square Enix acquired the group, Sales Curve gained ownership of Eidos Interactive. Of course, the Eidos group also included U.S. Gold, which created Flashback (which was covered in an earlier WELCO METOT HENEX TLEVEL). And U.S. Gold owned Core, whose games I’ve covered a few times in this series.

See? The Sega CD is somehow linked to everything great.

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Xbox One Policies: There Have To Be Benefits, Right?

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Internet, I know you’re very upset with Microsoft at the moment. And you have every right to be. They’ve half-not-really-kind-of-explained their used games or 24-hour check-in policies for Xbox One. We don’t know the full details. Are there fees to activate a used game? Are you telling me the system has to check in every. 24. Hours? It’s infuriating.

But we do know two things that I think are important:

1) “Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games.” – Official statement, posted by Major Nelson

2) “with the disc, it’s just a repository for “the bits”.” – Phil Harrison’s interview w/Wired

At least, I think we can say these are things we know for sure. With how contradictory reports have been streaming out lately who knows. Just for a quick second, let’s look at potential positives for consumers through these two things.

The physical disc no longer matters, and that is awesome. A disc just installs the bits (as Phil Harrison said) on the HDD Microsoft already knows you have since it’s standard on the One. You never need it again. This didn’t happen in this generation and hasn’t happened with console/handheld games yet. If I have a physical copy of a game for 3DS, I can’t install it on the large SD card I have. If I have a PS3/Wii U game I can’t install it on the drive. If I have a 360 I had the option—but this didn’t provide many positives because if I wanted to play, the game disc needed to be in the drive for authentication. With the Xbox One a license key attached to my account does that. Having it on the drive and never needing the disc means I could be watching a TV show or movie on Netflix, get a game invite from a friend and be in that game in seconds without needing to get up and grab a disc. That is a huge benefit. But for it to work that authentication portion has to be via key, has to have a regular check-in and therefore has to “not work like it always has in the past.” I’m willing to make that sacrifice.

Going all-digital kinda sucked this generation, and it needs to be better. Towards the end of this generation Sony and Microsoft opened the door to full digital releases of retail games but the big compromise was paying full (or very near) retail price with no ability to trade or resell. That has been a bitter pill to swallow. It kept me from buying more games digitally except for the ones I already knew I wanted to keep. And even then, there’ve been a couple situations where I would’ve loved the option later on.

With Xbox One that digital copy I have is basically just like a retail one except I don’t have a disc. I have a license. Why shouldn’t I be able to resell or trade-back that license just like the retail buyer can? If that’s digitally through the Xbox Live Marketplace or at GameStop or wherever else for credit on my account, then that barrier or concern I’d have about buying a $60 or $70 game digitally would be significantly reduced.

That kind of system opens plenty of complications and questions. And, yes, also likely needs those license check-ins to be functional and not “gamed” like game sharing and family plans were. Maybe Microsoft has tried to tackle that, maybe they haven’t and it’s just retail discs that’ll get the resale/trade-in benefit. As someone who wants to go all-digital next-gen, that’s not what I want to hear.

Where’s that leave game rentals? Lastly, something I’d love to see them address at E3 is game demos. If rentals are not going to be a thing because of license keys, then what alternative is going to be offered that would effectively replace it for consumers. There needs to be one. Timed full-game trials for Gold members? Online game rentals? Sony did full-game trials on PS3 though I’m not sure what sort of success they had with them since you couldn’t buy and continue playing right from the stop-point. A rental system might be an interesting idea as well, especially if I’d like to immediately rent a game I see a friend playing but I’m not sure I want to buy yet.

I want to think there are some positives to whatever system Microsoft has going that we haven’t considered because of their inability to just lay all the cards out on the table. Am I wrong? If they opened trades/resale to digital purchasers does that make you more open to the idea of a more Microsoft-mediated system?

UPDATE: One thing I just thought of – make it work like it does now discs and all unless you opt in to register the license key to your account. Then you get the installing and no disc swap, downloading at a friend’s just from your live profile (or allow them to purchase a license if you’d brought over your disc), and license check every 24 hours. And if they really want to get me to do it still allow me to sell or trade my license key later – but of course they’d have to check my licenses with a check-in every 24 hours, whatever. I think I would be OK with that. I don’t mind some restrictions that’d give me the experience I want in next-gen and let me re-sell or trade-in digital downloads which I cannot do this gen but would surely appreciate next-gen.

Posted in Video Games, Xbox One | Tagged | 3 Responses

343: Dingo Diddlers

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This Week! It’s a holiday in the US, but we still laid down a podcast just for you. In it we discuss the aftermath of the Xbox One announcement and additional communication problems Microsoft’s been having. Oh and video games like Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Super Puzzle Platformer, Bioshock Infinite (spoilers for the sensitive, including the ending variety from 35:00 – 42:00), Reus, and more.

And check out Greg’s web series Generation 16 (Episode 8 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, and more! Click here to download.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Amazon Android Appstore. Find out all about it here.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:07:30

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Xbox One Revealcast Special

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Today! It’s an Xbox One Revealcast Special! CJ, Greg and Phil are joined by the Press Row Podcast’s Rich Grisham and For Your FYI’s Pete Dodd to talk about Microsoft’s latest console announcement. It’s nearly two hours of laughter, tears, bargaining, and acceptance of a presentation that ushers in the new face of Xbox. Like it, or not.

And check out Greg’s web series Generation 16 (Episode 8 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, and more! Click here to download.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Amazon Android Appstore. Find out all about it here.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:51:00

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342: Nintendo Should

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This week! More bad news for Nintendo equals more people becoming amateur Iwatas, EA axes the online pass, Gran Turismo 6 coming for the Pee Ess Triple. Plus! Bioshock Infinite [Spoilers from 59:00 - 1:08:50], Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, Resident Evil Revelations (demo), Karaoke Channel, Thunder Wolves, Ace Patrol and so much more! We’re going to be doing a special Xbox Reveal Post-Cast this Tuesday. Join us live for that, details here or follow p1podcast on Twitter.

And check out Greg’s web series Generation 16 (Episode 8 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, and more! Click here to download.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Amazon Android Appstore. Find out all about it here.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:23:30

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