In-Game Chat

We’re a week out from E3 at this point and we barely break the bubble of discussion on it. I’m saving a lot of articles I had for this episode and bringing them over for the next episode just to discuss more of E3. Especially the analytics of it. All the analysis of everything that happened after it was over. Some of these are the most interesting to read and they make cases for and against the whole thing. I used to boil this stuff down in my head and would always come to the core of it – and that’s money, usually. Profitability. And, indeed, that’s still there, but it doesn’t seem to take an “E3” to get us there. We speak a bit on Microsoft and their performance for E3 – winners all around, I think. As much as I’ve railed in years past (and this year as well, before Microsoft last Sunday) about too much talk and not enough show – Microsoft listened. I was more than impressed by not what they had to offer (some of it was great), but how they offered it. It felt a bit like Sony in some years previous, although it lacked a few “wow” factors. Still, I can’t really knock that since it was just game after game after game with very little talk in between. Do more of this. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,860 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

Happy E3! This past week had new reveals as did this past weekend, and we’ve got more as of today’s posting here and more to come in the days ahead. So there’s still plenty of time to recover and redeem the fact that Ubisoft dropped the ball on Splinter Cell, yet again. It’s unlikely, however, to redeem itself on presentation. But this horse has been beaten beyond death at this point. I’ll just give my usual summation: Less talky talky and more showy showy. But I don’t know how much that even matters anymore. E3 isn’t like what it used to be in the sense that you would watch it live because you might miss out on something cool. Now, within minutes of a presentation the highlights are ready for you in YouTube form for whatever it was you missed. And it cuts out all the talky talky. Anyway, E3 is here and regardless of no Splinter Cell, I’m still enjoying it (thanks Devolver). And we’ll be back next week to talk about what we see today and the days to come. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,854 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

What a completely crazy two weeks it’s been. And most of it we tell you about right at the opening. Most of it having to do with our website being down, then back up, then split between 3 different people and now, finally, all under one roof. It’s a lot to figure out, but the main part of it is that we’re back on solid ground with the site and everything is as it should be thanks to the good folks (and Sully particularly) at DreamHost. Also, a very big thank you to Daniel, Jeremy, Jeff, as well as Mike K, and John. They all stepped up and helped out so we didn’t lose anything and pitched in to get us back, stable, and not so spread out all over. Seriously, it was a mess. As far as gaming is concerned, we’re rounding the bend getting closer to something similar to an E3. At least an E3 that’s all digital anyway. It all starts next Saturday right before the show. Don’t forget to join our Discord. It’s another method for you to interact with the show and be on the air with us to discuss anything gaming. You can find the link to join at the bottom of our website and also our Twitter and Facebook feeds. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,847 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

Last week, when RJ mentioned he wouldn’t be able to be on the show this week, I wasn’t really expecting to do an episode. But, given that next Friday I get my second vaccine shot, and the weekend after is Memorial Day weekend, it potentially meant we’d be gone for possibly 3 weeks in a row. (Speaking of, we WILL NOT be doing a show Memorial Day weekend, and given reports of other people’s dealings with their second covid shot, it’s likely we won’t be doing one next week, either.) Inspiration struck when a long time friend and listener from Germany mentioned he couldn’t call in anymore the usual way because Google pulled…well, a Google – kill things off that everyone likes. He mentioned Discord and that’s the experiment we ran with this weekend. Turns out, it worked. Now, ANYONE can be a guest host on the show. From anywhere. If you’ve got discord on your phone or PC, you can join us on the show. Our discord server can be found at this link: https://discord.gg/BmzKNbkQqj Join up. And then join us every….almost every Saturday. But yeah, the door’s open now. Anyone can be on the show with us, now. And we hope you will be. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,826 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

The first thirty minutes of this show have barely anything to do with gaming at all. It’s just the recap of a VERY chaotic week. The rest of it has to do with Epic and Apple and everything we learned in just the first few days of that court case. And the speculation of how much more we might learn as it goes on. I wasn’t planning on paying any attention to this thing because of the companies involved but so much light was shed on everything surrounding it with Microsoft and Sony being thrown in that it was just too good to pass up. For better or worse, anyway. Next week, we’re trying something different. Something new. And, if it works, maybe something pretty awesome. And if it doesn’t work, probably the way it fails will be awesome to see as well. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,819 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

I’ve long since stopped trying to find the magic ratio for game to value. We talked about this with Returnal and it’s price tag. And how, at $60, I was more than entertaining the idea of picking up the game. Until I found out it was $70 and apparently that extra 10 bucks was just a bridge too far. Meanwhile I’m eyeballing this collectors set of another game that runs $175. So yeah, it’s weird to justify things. Or, at least, my own spending habits and where I find value, I suppose. Ultimately, $70 is too rich for my blood and I’ll be holding off on getting the game. And I’m actually perfectly fine with it. It’ll be discounted on some sales here and there likely over the summer and should be very reasonably priced come the holiday sales. I’m fine waiting. Graphics cards have really helped with my “new toy” patience. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,812 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

Welcome to an episode that almost never was…twice! Some of it’s explained in the show itself. That being the bad weather we were having and you’ll notice this show starts differently than the rest because of all the hecticness that was happening at the time. However, 24 hours earlier I was dead set against not doing a show as I was running a fever. Regardless, we got it together for the most part and were able to knock out a show where I think I played more new games than I ever have before in a week’s time. That doesn’t always happen since I’m mostly in auto-Destiny mode. Speaking of which, we talk a lot about Bungie in this one and their transmog system for Destiny 2. I often think gamers, or most of the ones I know and listen to, can be a cynical bunch. But in the case of the complaints and issues with this new system, I don’t detect a bit of cynicism there. It is verified legitimate concern. Even more so if it actually works and becomes successful. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,805 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

At this point I’m pretty sure ANY Pac-Man game will get my attention and will also end up being something that’ll just keep me playing over and over. It’s been doing that since the whole “Championship Edition” versions have been released. And it’s doing it again with some slinky little free game (free with a subscription to Nintendo’s online component): Pac-Man 99. For those not familiar with the “99” series or any sort of number (they just finished a year of Mario 35), it’s where you are competing against 98 other players. And everyone’s actions send obstacles to other players. Everyone is battling to stay alive until none are left. It’s a battle royal, but…less personal since you’ve no idea who is attacking you or who you’re specifically targeting as well. You just play. I can’t place better than 4th so far. But, the hook is there and it keeps pulling me back in. Until I found Cozy Grove. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,798 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

Just a quick show note: No new episode next week. We’ll be back live again on the 17th. I don’t want to sound like a shill for Microsoft, but I can’t really find a reason why you should NOT have a Game Pass subscription if you own an Xbox or even a PC. I mean, I’m sure there’s plenty of people out there who probably can find reasons, but outside of just being able to afford it (it’s actually a pretty good price considering what you get for it), I don’t know what they could come up with. Then they go and get what was, up to last year anyway, a Sony exclusive game to show up on their system. But not only that, they go and add it to their subscription service so any subscriber will be able to play the game on day one. Just to add a little insult to the injury already. I can’t see how Sony is happy about this. They may be happy to keep the MLB license, but maybe not so much after this. Also, stunts like this probably just go further to sour their ideas of cross-platform stuff. They weren’t really all about that life anyway, but they probably point to this and say “this is why”. Not that I need big mega corporations to be happy or whatever. This whole thing is a win for consumers to me. Although I stand to benefit from it. Those who don’t, however, probably look at it as either more disdain for Microsoft, or shake their head at Sony for not giving them the same option. And let’s be honest here, Sony needs to find something, anything, to counter that whole Game Pass thing cause PS Plus ain’t cutting it anymore. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,784 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

I don’t consider myself a hoarder, but I can imagine some people would say otherwise about me. I do tend to “hold on” to things a lot longer than most from time to time. Although I’ve recently backed off a bit with that habit. Or, at least, put a limit on what I’ll consider. Then there’s the digital side to hoarding. How many hard drives of old systems I’m keeping around cause I need a file maybe down the road at some point. Then there’s the games aspect of that and a backlog that is, digitally, bigger than any amount of physical games I have ever owned in my life…combined. It’s a lot of stuff. Stuff that…isn’t always guaranteed to be there. Paid for or free, it won’t last forever. But it’ll probably outlast me, and that’s really all it needs to do, I suppose. Unless I bought any of those games on the PS3, Vita, or PSP. Sony seems to be shutting down those store fronts. And we’re not exactly sure why but it probably has to do with money. Now, I have no real idea what I’ll be losing because of this, and I’m not all that concerned, but there are other people who might depend on this for their games. Not yet having moved over to the PS4, or only ever had a PSP or Vita for whatever reason. I’m also sure that list is small and probably whatever that group of people is putting into the stores doesn’t exceed what it takes to maintain them. Still, my point being, these digital copies won’t last forever. And if it suddenly ends in your lifetime, what’ll you do? In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,777 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

I was going to lay out my whole situation here but it’s covered pretty well in the second half of the first hour of the show. Last fall I built a new PC. Almost everything in it was new except for two things: my power supply and my graphics card. This past week I somehow found a way to kill those specific two things, however. And this isn’t really the best time to be breaking PC parts, right now. Specifically those parts. Thankfully, I’m pretty much back up and running with a brand new power supply and a borrowed video card from Matt. I had one of my old ones (680) but it was from 2012 and Matt, thankfully, had a more modern card in his 970 that I’m currently borrowing until the availability gets better. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,770 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

Strictly speaking consoles, when you take the big 3 and put all their exclusives together, Nintendo probably leads the pack with the most, both in intellectual property and games featuring that IP. Microsoft SHOULD be in the number 2 spot there or maybe even number 1. I would think Sony would come in last but this all changes when you just ask someone who they think has the most exclusives. Microsoft doesn’t stick out at all when I try to think about it just off the top of my head. And they should. They bought up more studios over time than most of the other two, if not more than the other two combined. They should own the rights to PLENTY of exclusives, but I can’t name more than like five different IP’s. It gets less if you want me to name ones that are recent. They should be leading the pack or at least come close to Nintendo. Course, now that they officially own Bethesda, that number has increased. And in more ways than one. Just the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series alone is enough to be swinging all kinds of mud in the face of the other guys, especially when they go exclusive. And they will go exclusive. Should they? Of course not. But they will. Microsoft needs system sellers. They haven’t had that kind of pull in a long time. Sony has been showing them up time and time again, and they shouldn’t. MS should be wiping the floor with them given all the companies they’ve bought but it just hasn’t happened. Yet. Microsoft WILL go exclusive with some of these titles. They know what they’ve got and it’s the reason they bought them (and other companies) to begin with. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,763 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

Ever had peer pressure to play a game. Honestly, I never have, but there is some sort of feeling when you see so many people playing or talking about a game and you aren’t in on it. Maybe it’s an odd social pressure. Currently, for me, that pressure is Valheim. A lot of people are playing it. A lot of people are talking about it, but here I am on the outside looking in. And the problem comes from looking in, actually. Because what I see is something that I won’t enjoy. Or, at least, that I typically don’t enjoy. The only thing about the game calling to me isn’t even the game itself but the people playing the game. I feel like eventually I’ll give it a go, but I’d imagine by that time the moment will have passed and something else will have taken its place. It happened with Bastion. It’s a little bit different, but there was tons of praise for that game and people playing it but it took me YEARS to finally play it and afterwards I was left with a sense of…what’s the big deal? Something was missing and maybe it was because I was years late to the party and whatever was done in the game had been done previously for me by the time I played it or…whatever, but something didn’t connect. Sometimes there’s an expiration date on the zeitgeist. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,756 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

Apparently, I really need to play Until Dawn. And from our caller praising it I’m actually looking forward to it. Now to just finish up some more time with Destiny before that. Anthem never really did anything for me (or anybody else it seems, for that matter), but I didn’t want it to die. I understand why it had to, but there could have been something good there. That’s why it got canned, however. There could have been, but there wasn’t. And more money and time were not going to fix its problems. I’d say it was a noble effort, but this thing was dead out of the gate, if I remember right. It wasn’t ready. And I don’t think EA is a company known for their patience. They had a nice creative stint in the early 2000s where they had a few games they threw at the wall and actually stuck, but then they delved back into sequels and loot boxes. Besides, they found what they wanted from Anthem. And they called it Apex Legends. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,749 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).

We’re having trouble with our metaphors. But we think we’ve got it in the bag. I’m always surprised at how something becomes popular. Even when I know, I sometimes can’t understand it and, even when I’m involved, it can still be hard to explain. Valheim is the best and most current explanation of what I mean. It’s very rare, especially in video games, that I’m on a bandwagon before it becomes one and Valheim is no different. It just…happened. Felt like it was out of the blue but the thing exploded with popularity and players. Still, like other games people relate it to, I can’t really see the draw. Which isn’t to say it doesn’t have one, but the hooks aren’t holding me. However, this is from an outsider perspective. I haven’t actually played the game so I’m sure I’m missing a ton about what keeps players there. The feedback loop. Then again, I’ve got another game keeping me trapped in that particular experience. In the meantime, Ubisoft, it’s been 2,742 days since the last Splinter Cell release (non-animated series or guest spot in another game franchise or VR exclusive).