The Obscurecast

Greetings Friends in Obscurity! Sil and Raz are back - and Raz is only slightly still bubonic... They talk Xbox 3.... which is called One. We find out Sil's been streaming wrong this whole time and needs to get her donate buttons out. Nintendo make a dickish move, Blizzard make a pretty nice  move. The Toxic avenger pees acid you guys, and... finally, the cake is not a lie! Gaming News Highlights Raz XBOX ONE http://gizmodo.com/the-new-xbox-everything-you-need-to-know-about-microso-509033619 trolls your Kinect http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/21/4353010/kinect-trouble-xbox-one-reveal Diablo gold bug leads to charitable donation http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123928-Blizzard-Confiscates-Gold-From-Exploiters-Donates-it-to-Charity Rift goes F2P http://t.co/1IbMBu1Rdr Nintendo stealing from YouTubers? http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos trion layoffs http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=32396 WoW 5.3 drops http://wow.joystiq.com/2013/05/21/patch-5-3-pvp-round-up/   Sil Arnie in Toxic Avenger remake: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/27107/schwarzenegger-in-toxic-avenger-remake Hasbro is sueing Warner Brothers over DnD http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/05/15/hasbro-sues-over-warners-dungeons-and-dragons-movie Harassing girls in game now with tips... seriously? Controversy incoming! http://kotaku.com/5972869/faith-in-humanity-slowly-depleting-this-jerk-and-his-supporters-find-joy-in-harassing-women-gamers New kickstarter project with GlaDOS http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2013/05/21/help-glados-make-a-movie-video/ Talking Point for the week Sil: Most annoying npc you’ve ever encountered in a video game or that your dm/gm created.   Next Week What game have you invested the most money in and why Obscurebag:   Ian: @RzBg Noober from Baulder's Gate 1 was pretty annoying.   Mike: @obscurecast @RzBg I'd be surprised if you didn't share a certain Infernal escaping  through certain balconies for that... Rob Roberts: navi from the legend of Zelda. HEY! LISTEN! HEY! LISTEN! HEY! LISTEN! ... Its like me trying to promote a podcast >:)   Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Sil is back! which can mean only one thing: It's time for The Obscurecast! - the gang talks Kickstarter (for a change), EA (for a change), discusses why the internet is saying WoW is dead (for a change) it sets XBox rumours straight, talks movie news, and debates a listener submission D&D 4e or do you like it Old Skool? Plus we hear the voices of the Obscuredience, and more, right after the jump! Gaming News Highlights Raz EA get exclusive rights to Star Wars games http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/05/electronic-arts-star-wars/ http://nooooooooooooooo.com/ No the next Xbox dosn’t have to be always connected to the net http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05/microsoft-next-xbox-will-work-even-when-your-internet-doesnt/ old school D&D - sent in by Ian on Twitter http://boingboing.net/2013/05/06/old-school-dungeons-dragons.html?utm_campagn=moreatbbmetadata&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=boingboing.net Exalted 3rd Edition kick starter - gets it’s $60,000 funding in 17 minutes http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/deluxe-exalted-3rd-edition WoW subscriptions drop to 8.3m http://t.co/jnFGF3I9fp Google hire chief game designer http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/02/noah-falstein/   Sil Warner Bros. to Make a New D&D Movie? http://www.deadline.com/2013/05/rights-battle-on-dungeons-dragons-warner-bros-and-universalhasbro-tangle/ John Carpenter wants to make a deadspace film: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/05/09/john-carpenter-wants-to-make-a-dead-space-film God of War creators making unannounced project: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/05/09/god-of-war-creators-making-unannounced-project Talking Point for the week Raz: What is it the one genre of games you just can’t seem to enjoy   Next week: Most annoying npc you’ve ever encountered in a video game or that your dm/gm created. Obscurebag:   Stompalina Puzzle games. I get frustrated and want to SHOOT STUFF!   Paul Bates I hate platformers. I've only liked a few including super Mario land on the GB, Mario 64 and if you can call it a platformer, mark of the ninja. It might be because I am rubbish at them, but that doesn't usually stop me liking games.   Robert Turn based ... Aka final fantasy.... Prefer real time ...   Casey Match 3/4 games (Candy Crush, Bejeweled, etc) Probably because I'm mildly colourblind, and have a hard time seeing the difference between Blue and purple, red and green, etc.   James Sports games - no interest in sports, no interest in sports games (with the exception of Wrestling games, but that doesn't count right??)   and RTS - despite really really wanting to. I just do not have the patience an strategic forethought to deal with Modern RTS games. When the required tactics got more complicated than 'Tank Rush' (i.e. anything past the original Command and Conquer) I was forced out of the genre. I now just watch my best mate play, watching him play against even the hard AI is like watching Garry Kasparov play me at Chess. RTS AI designers need to step it up lol.   and one more (never a short answer from me lol) MOBA (League of Legends, DOTA etc) - I simply cannot deal with the aggression and toxic behaviour that seems to be inherent in this genre. I don't play games to get bitched at for simple mistakes, I play games to chill out and have fun.   I just cannot get into the realistic simulators: Flight Simulator, Train/Truck/Farming/etc.  These games do not break away far enough from reality for me to escape and have fun. Thanks for the great podcast, Gabriel   Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Razerbug is joined by two gentlemen in Obscurity for our thirteenth episode this week; Damarai returns from his sabbatical again, and we hear a blast from the past as Gazimoff, creator of The Obscurecast, and Senior Contributing Editor at Zam.com They chat on some truly Obscure game news this week: Aliens getting sued,  mobile gaming 'zapping' old men, South Korean games as bad as drugs? Allll the XBoxs! And we put some game pirates in your game piracy... how meta. We also get behind the scenes update on Wildstar and the goings on from Icelands Eve Fanfest So what are you waiting for: get a'listening already! Gaming News Highlights Game Pirates get their games pirated in-game http://www.greenheartgames.com/2013/04/29/what-happens-when-pirates-play-a-game-development-simulator-and-then-go-bankrupt-because-of-piracy Insights on the next XBox http://windowsitpro.com/paul-thurrotts-wininfo/here-comes-next-xbox Mobile gaming taking a ‘shocking’ twist? http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/1/4289064/researchers-use-electric-current-to-create-forced-feedback-in-mobile Icelandic mayor, muchos eve obscurity http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/1/4289098/eve-online-initial-development-funded-by-board-game-featuring South Korea regulates Games like drugs and alcohol - should UK? http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/2/4292822/south-korean-politicians-propose-bill-to-regulate-video-games-like Colonial Marine sued for false advertising http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/05/01/gearbox-and-sega-to-defend-claims-of-aliens-colonial-marines-false-advertising/ Talking Point for the week (talking point and any reader feedback) Raz:  Which game have you been addicted to for the longest time and why did you keep playing it?   Next week: What is it the one genre of games you just can’t seem to enjoy Obscurebag:     Dear Razorbug, Long time listener, first time writer, love the show! First off, let me say that I think you don't get nearly the respect you deserve from Sil, Raven, and several others who shall not be named. Being the consummate gamer and investigative reporter, I applaud you dedication to the gaming community at large and your (mostly) unfailing continuation of podcasting greatness! :) Now, onto business. For some time, I've been meaning to write and ask you if you have ever tried the pvp-centric MMO called "World of Tanks". I haven't ever heard anyone mention it, and it has posted some interesting subscriber numbers. The World of Tanks servers even got a Guiness world record recently on January 21st of this year with 190,541 players on one server. It is a 15-on-15 pvp first or third person shooter-type battle game of armored combat. Very fast paced, your tanks get xp, earn credits, get skills built up in tank crews and you can either level up tanks or buy new tanks in a tech tree. The sound and graphics are awesome, very realistic (I think). It is a Free-to-play model, but one that doesn't skimp on the free part. The only thing paying for premium gets you is 50% more xp and credits per battle. Otherwise, Nearly all features are available to non-paying players. I just wanted to mention it in case it hadn't ever popped up on your gaming radar. It has been one of my favorites for the past two years, and a nice distraction when WoW burnout sets in. Keep up the great work, and tell Sil I said she should bow to your greatness once in a while :P Sincerely, Nexonexo Tauren Hunter in Nocturnal Vigilance, Scryers, US server Moment of Obscurity? Raz: gamer girlscouts! http://www.pcgamesn.com/girl-scouts-get-video-game-developer-badge   Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Hello friends in Obscurity! Sil is conspicuous by her absence this week, so the boys are back together to go off on a mini side-quest! This short form show has Bats in it's boardgames and instant NPC's 'just add water', amongst the usual news, reviews and opinions of the goings on in the geekverse* Join Razerbug and Damarai after the jump! *not an actual place. Not an actual word.  Probably for good reason.   Raz instant NPC s for your games  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/703093372/character-cards-instant-npcs-just-add-water Google to launch a new gaming platform? http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/04/18/google-leak-hints-at-an-android-game-center-with-multiplayer-chat-lobbies-leaderboards-and-achievements/ Batman Arkham Boadgame http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123565-The-Bat-Gets-a-Board-Game-in-Batman-Arkham-City-Escape Bert http://www.polygon.com/2013/4/25/4266122/ea-layoffs-popcap-vancouver-quicklime   Which game have you been addicted to for the longest time and why did you keep playing it?   Obscurebag: @Albertno5 @Lumineus @obscurecast wow and football manager ‏@mbuhtz @Lumineus @obscurecast For video games: WoW (8+yrs). For games: D&D or just p&p RPGs. Fantasy RP + min-maxing + storytelling + people = win ‏@RichardRahl32 @obscurecast Earthbound for SNES. It's a classic. Kids fighting evil. Bought when came out. Never beat. Lost game, found emulator and rom.‏ @obscurecast found out someone was selling Earthbound on SNES for $20,000 either on ebay or http://amazon.com but can't remember. @trimbleir @obscurecast the game of love been chasing girls since I was 16. Or wow @StarseekR @GGWshow wow, for the people i play with @obscurecast Kenmoe Thanks for that Leviathan link, that was AWESOME!   Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Hello and welcome to episode 11 of the 5th series of Obscurecast!   It all gets a little tights and spandex (steady!) in this weeks Obscurecast as we talk all sorts of superheroics, from the return of Heroes, to Deadpool, Injustice for the WiiU (literally) , and the latest from The Goddamn Batman! We also talk aboutWorld of Warcraft callendar spam...  how EA are pulling some of our favourite Facebook games (seriously it's like they're going for and achievement in asshat-arrey last few months)  and how 2013 is the year of the 3DS! Also, Razerbug finally sold out and got an iThing, iTunes - the super complicated way (as Sil points out) - and he'd love to see new 5 star reviews in the UK store from iListeners to show it was all worth while! Notes and show are after the break, what are you waiting for?!   Raz Black Mask big bad of Batman Arkham Origins http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2013/04/16/black-mask-revealed-to-be-the-big-bad-in-batman-arkham-origins-wait-who/ WildStar deals with Beta leaks like it aint no ‘thang http://www.gamebreaker.tv/mmorpg/carbine-responds-to-wildstar-leaks/ EA shutting down Facebook games http://www.geeknewscentral.com/2013/04/16/ea-is-retiring-some-facebook-games/ Is Microsoft bringing back Heroes TV series? http://tvline.com/2013/04/17/heroes-relaunch-msn-xbox/ Injustice JLA game has an App, http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/injustice-ios-out-now/ Dosnt’ work with Wii U http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/injustice-gods-among-us-wii-u-doesnt-support-ios-app/ Sil spammers fill up WoW callendars http://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/1cb2im/calendar_spam/ here’s how to fix it  http://www.elvinelol.com/forums/showthread.php?663 Deadpool soon to be in pre-order http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/deadpool-comes-alive-june-25/#continued ' NIntendo 3ds will ‘really take off’ in 2013 http://uk.gamespot.com/news/nintendo-3ds-will-really-take-off-in-2013-6407176 Talking Point for the week    this weeks topic: Which game that you looked forward to, was the biggest disappointment in your life? How come?  NEXT WEEK: Which game have you been addicted to for the longest time and why did you keep playing it?   Obscurebag:   James on Facebook: this might be a bit controversial, and I'll disclaimer this by saying most of this is my own fault for expecting the game in question to be some sort of electronic MMO Messiah come to save us all (yeah, I got a little too hyped up) but for me it has to be Guild Wars 2. For the build up to that game, I was singing it's praises, probably boring all my friends rigid. I thought it was going to be a game that changed the MMO sphere - which to be fair, it kind of has had an effect, or maybe the move towards more action oriented combat etc is just the natural next step for all MMO's. Maybe I built it up too much in my own mind - because when I started watching videos of it, I found the Lore to be uninspiring, the writing and voice acting was over the top to the point of feeling cartoonish - which i found immersion breaking. And the action felt a bit floaty and disconnected. And when i got to play it during the free trial weekend - I really wanted it to prove me wrong, but I lasted about an hour, I found that I missed a directed narrative, the dynamic events system felt like it disconnected me from what was going on, it just missed the balance i wanted. Now I know the game has an enormous number of players, I'm not saying it's bad - i'm just saying it's not what I had hoped it would be, and it's not for me, which for the most part, is my fault for building it up so much. For all the reasons above, I'm trying really hard not to build up Wildstar or Elder Scrolls Online (two games that might actually succeed where all other's have failed, to pull me away from WoW) - because I want those games to impress me or disappoint me on their own terms,

Hello brave Obscureonauts out there in the great dark beyond of them there Information Super-Highways! We're invading your ear holes again and this week! Warcraft is giving us all a helping hand with a new in-game browser, although Sil is cynical and thinks it might be a better way to put the Blizzard Store in front of your face while playing... then again, I hear she's a prick in PvP. And on that bombshell we find the biggest asshole on the internet, Microsoft need to stop it's staff sounding off at XBox skeptics on Twitter,  and EA wins the Worst Company in America Award for the second year in a row! But it's not all negative, because Ninty is bringing 1950's classic films, to your childs favorite hand held console... ...wait what?! If its all getting a little obscure, hit up that play button after the cut! Raz MS game developer tweets about always online XBox http://www.geekosystem.com/microsoft-twitter-tirade/ and we get specs details http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/bloomberg-next-xbox-has-x86-amd-chip/ Blizzard buys IGN gaming leauge (future of eSports?) http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/08/blizzard-acquires-ign-pro-league/ Sim City’s first ‘free’ DLC brings in-game product placement http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/04/02/simcity-dlc-nissan-leaf/ as EA wins “worst company in the US” for 2nd year running http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/04/05/ea-worst-company-in-america/ WoW getting In-Game browser http://us.battle.net//wow/en/blog/9445382 Sil Two 1950s Films Head to Nintendo Video http://8-bitgirl.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/two-1950s-films-head-to-nintendo-video.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/8-BITGirl+(8-BIT+Girl)&utm_content=Google+Reader The biggest a*hole on the internet http://www.gamebreaker.tv/pc-games/this-may-be-the-biggest-a-hole-you-see-today/ Torment breaks kickstarter record http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/123119-Torment-Breaks-Kickstarter-Record 'Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist' Kickstarter Campaign http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1689785997/street-fighter-assassins-fist-kickstarter-campaign and the website for Sil’s friend: http://www.patrickgillmusic.com/ Talking Point for the week    THIS WEEK  Tell us about your favorite gaming memory, WoW, Video Games, or Pen/Dice - was it solo or multiplayer etc NEXT WEEK Which game that you looked forward to, was the biggest disappointment in your life? How come? Obscurebag: ‏@GeeFunkSays @obscurecast shark in the first resident evil game on the PS one the little cut scene as u enter the room s**t my self.   @Flaco_Jones @obscurecast Playing so much Contra on NES as a kid I eventually beat it in 20 minutes without the Konami Code. I even recorded it to VHS.   ‏@mbuhtz8  @obscurecast So many amazing pen&paper D&D/Whitewolf memories. Had a GM who's L2 goblins were terrors. Their warcry was FREEEE MONEEEY!   @zesty19868  @Lumineus @obscurecast getting an NES as a present from girlfriend, being super pissed off about getting a toy, then played till 5am 8^D   @zesty19868  @Lumineus @obscurecast god damn, installing f&$@king skyrim, oh love the podcast btw     Moment of Obscurity? Raz: http://io9.com/holy-crap-somebodys-selling-a-hubble-telescope-contro-471249924 someone is selling 1970’s hubble telescope controller on ebay http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57578493-71/confusing-twitter-hashtag-leaves-cher-fans-in-mourning/ Thatcher hash-tag spreads the rumour Cher died Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.  

It's all gone 90's comicbook Cross-Over Special folks! Orange Lounge Radio is super-amalgamated into the Obscurecast dimension, and Rob, Jamie, and Loki team up with our dynamic-duo Razerbug and Sil for some Trans-Atlantic geek action! Welcome OLR fans dropping by for their weekly show, and help yourself to a dose of Obscurity as the ensemble chat about everything from PS4, Always online gaming, new Harmonix games, and we even squeeze in some DnD and Sci-fi film news! It's a monster kids, nearly 2 hours of Orange flavoured Obscurity, and the language gets a little colourful in parts as well, but join the two crews --do-- for a very special Orange Lounge Obscurecast!     Find Jamie at: http://kuroutsubasa.tumblr.com/ http://masseffecting.tumblr.com/ @darksakura Rob and OLR are over at: http://www.orangeloungeradio.com  @skie and Loki: @LOKIOLR Gaming News Highlights  Raz Hearthstone - if no one else is going to we should at least touch on it... Squareenix - makes great games, still in trouble http://www.pcgamesn.com/tombraider/tomb-raider-sold-34-million-copies-despite-high-critical-acclaim-failed-meet-each-target (link to sil) Wildstar talks player housing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IDasSMtoDs RPG in a spreadsheet http://boingboing.net/2013/03/26/rpg-inside-an-excel-workbook.html Port-all-the-things! Magica Coming to Android/iOS tablet http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/30/psa-magicka-wizards-of-the-square-tablet-out-now-on-ios-androi/ & Unreal coming to Firefox! http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/29/mozilla-unveils-browser-based-unreal-engine-3-using-javascript/ Sil Tomb Raider sets franchise sales record http://uk.gamespot.com/events/gdc-2013/story.html?sid=6406183 WonderCon: Del Toro Talks Justice League Dark Movie http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/03/31/wondercon-del-toro-talks-justice-league-dark-movie     Jamie   Unreal Engine 4   3D Printer Ouya Cases     Rob three new harmonix games ps4 social details EA: drm is a dead end strategy     Obscurebag: From previous show: @mylin121 Mar @obscurecast harn for me, its such a complete world, fantasy but low magic and interesting races and world. Heaps of books and fan fiction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A2rn)     Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Welcome welcome, one and all, to Season 5 Episode 8 of the Obscurecast! This week it's Razerbug's turn to get his ranty-pants on about changes to mages in Patch 5.2 of World of Warcraft, as well as recent interviews from Blizzard's staff at to what went wrong in Cataclysm and is going right in Mists. We finally clear the fall-out of Simcity 5's launch, with news of free games and playing Simcity offline  We highlight the pretty crappy trope of female game characters being the damsel in distress, or worse, the prize... And, do we need a Gamers Bill of Rights? All that and much much more (to say nothing of the Game of Thrones Beerage!) Have at it! Raz Blizz admits Cata Sucked http://t.co/zwtrdzXpLg  & MoP 5.2 pwnz http://t.co/ZM2bSJZpGL and could be on consoles after all? http://www.nowgamer.com/news/1845078/blizzard_talks_world_of_warcraft_on_nextgen_consoles.html Gamers “bill of rights” http://www.fark.com/go/7638736 SimCity5 can run offline after all http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/14/modder-runs-simcity-offline-maxis-remains-silent/ Maxis admits it could do offline but didn’t http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21828799 Maxis detail SimCity compensation: http://www.ea.com/news/for-our-patient-and-amazing-mayors---a-free-pc-download-from-origin- Sil Square Enix Forces All Staff to Play Super Mario RPG in Order to Learn How to Make Good RPGs Again http://www.p4rgaming.com/?p=1507 Game of thrones beer? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2293216/Game-Of-Thrones-producers-bring-ale-inspired-fantasy-series-Ommegang-Iron-Throne-Blonde-Ale.html Tropes vs women series launches with damsels in distress: http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/08/tropes-vs-women-series-launches-with-damsels-in-distress/   Talking Point for the week    Sil: Which games (board, p&p, video) have the most interesting lore / background story for you? And why do you find it so appealing? NExt Week! Obscurebag:   I've been a lifelong reader of the Dungeons & Dragons RPG.  I played some of the first edition in the 1980s and kept following the game throughout the years.  Oddly enough, I've hardly participated in actual RPG campaigns.  I enjoy reading both the rules and numbers side as well as the lore.  Characters from Dragon Lance and the Forgotten Realms mix right in with books regarding the Heavens, Hells, and all points in between.  Thanks, Gabriel @FSUTJ @obscurecast halo, Wow, elder scrolls, and Guild wars.   @Moogyver @obscurecast WoW and Starcraft (of course) But I also loved the story in HALO, and Bioshock.   SG ‏@zesty1986 @obscurecast listened to 1 obcast, loved it, 40k for the lore, lots of 40k games coming to iPad, hoping for a table top exp on the iPad     Moment of Obscurity? Raz: Sorry Princess, plumber is in other tower http://allthingsd.com/20130311/viral-video-dad-hacks-donkey-kong-so-daughter-can-have-female-hero/ Sil: losing  a piece of my model only to find I glued it to myself :/ (ha!)  

Welcome ladies and gents to Episode 7 of season 5! We're joined by Robblin of Girls Gone WoW - to talk RPGs, Table Top wargames, and the latest gaming new -- predominantly, the on-going cluster**** that has been Sim Cities launch! We've got all the usual goodies of the topic of the week and your audience feedback... Enjoy!     Raz EA confirm no refunds, leaked memo. http://www.pcgamesn.com/simcity/ea-stop-simcity-marketing-confirm-theyre-not-offering-refunds First result cross platform mmo? http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/8/4078226/sandbox-games-reveals-albion-online-the-first-true-cross-platform-mmo Shadowrun makes the leap to PC game http://www.pcgamesn.com/indie/shadowrun-returns-game-footage-shows-swords-gorgeous-artwork-and-magic Sil New gears of war trailer: http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2013/03/08/new-gears-of-war-judgment-launch-trailer-video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+geeksAreSexyTechnologyNews+%28%5BGeeks+are+Sexy%5D+technology+news%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Sim City having lots of issues: http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2013/03/08/sim-citys-traffic-problems-all-too-real/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+geeksAreSexyTechnologyNews+%28%5BGeeks+are+Sexy%5D+technology+news%29&utm_content=Google+Reader Talking Point for the week  What would make you start picking up the Warhammer army? Or what has made you hesitant of picking it up? Or how did you start with playing Warhammer?   nest week: Which games (board, p&p, video) have the most interesting lore / background story for you? And why do you find it so appealing?   Obscurebag:   What would make you start picking up the Warhammer army? Or what has made you hesitant of picking it up? Or how did you start with playing Warhammer? The monetary commitment is too large a hurdle to get into Warhammer tabletop gaming for me.  I painted a few D&D miniatures years ago, and while fun, cost quite a bit of money.  I like the 40k universe and have read a couple of trilogies - Dan Abnett is a great author! Thanks, Gabriel Ian  would need to find people to play with.   Stephen No playing just painting, undead and chaos       Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Welcome to Episode 6! This week the team is joined by @oliviadgrace , which makes for plenty of Warcraft discussion! We also talk about some of the up-coming gaming news, including the new Elder Scrolls Online and it's impending Beta. We talk Tomb Raider and debate the role of  female lead characters in games,  and why EA are insisting they never said micro-transactions were coming to ALL their games... despite the fact they totally did! Jump in after the cut! Gaming News Highlights Raz Elder Scrolls online beta invites going out http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/04/the-elder-scrolls-online-beta-invites-to-be-sent-out-end-of-march/ “tough to justify female leads”? http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/04/ac4-director-another-leading-lady-wouldnt-be-surprising-in-t/ http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/18/gears-of-war-art-director-its-tough-to-justify-a-female-lead/ 5.2 Raid will stagger unlock http://www.vg247.com/2013/03/05/world-of-warcraft-patch-5-2-thunder-king-raid-schedule-detailed/ Sil league of legends now on Mac http://uk.gamespot.com/news/league-of-legends-mac-client-enters-beta-6404699 Slender man take 2: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122435-Slender-The-Arrival-Leaves-You-With-Nothing-But-Your-Instincts Dam (wielding the Dam-Hammer!) New Tomb Raider film planned after reboot - http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/06/tomb-raider-film-lara-croft/ Legendary Skyrim - http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/04/skyrims-1-9-update-now-in-beta-brings-legendary-features/ Gaben - BAFTA Fellowship + Steam box incoming http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21677119 Olivia EA Microtransactions (reverse chronologcal order) http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-03-06-ea-backtracks-statement-that-it-will-put-micro-transactions-in-all-future-games (today) http://tech2.in.com/news/gaming/cliff-bleszinsky-defends-eas-microtransaction-model/802522 (mar) http://tech2.in.com/news/gaming/ea-to-build-microtransaction-systems-in-all-of-its-future-games/794302 (feb) Talking Point for the week (talking point and any reader feedback) Sil: What IP do you want to see made into a video game or the other way around into a board- or pen & paper game? Which games (board, p&p, video) have the most interesting lore / background story for you? And why do you find it so appealing?  What would make you start picking up the Warhammer army? Or what has made you hesitant of picking it up? Or how did you start with playing Warhammer? Obscurebag: @MCeeP @obscurecast @RzBg “Ian M Banks’ culture universe made into an Eve like space MMO” "What IP do you want to see made into a video game or the other way around into a board- or pen & paper game?" That's a tough question because many pop culture things (TV shows, movies, etc.) get turned into games to capitalize on their popularity. I enjoy police shows like Bones, CSI, NCIS, The Mentalist, and Castle.  I suppose those could be turned into fun mystery-solving games with educational benefits or themed card games.  Police shows in general are a natural if you want to re-skin Clue. Warehouse 13 would make an interesting adventure/puzzle solving game and the show's mix of current tech with steampunk would be a visual treat. Thanks, Gabriel Moment of Obscurity? Raz: Iron Man 3 Trailer looks amazing! http://gizmodo.com/5988658/heres-the-badass-trailer-for-iron-man-3/gallery/1 Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Season 5 Episode 5 is here folks! With us this week is our first guest of the season, and it's The Podfather himself, Medros! We talk about Warcraft, Starcraft, new gaming hardware, consoles new, old, and... smaller? And all things from the table top to the pen and paper RPGs. Plus as always we hear the thoughs from YOU the Obscuredience! So what are you waiting for folks? have at it!   Gaming News Highlights Raz Why Colonial Marines sucked http://www.gamebreaker.tv/pc-games/gearbox-aliens-colonial-marines-disaster/?utm_campaign=pc-games&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter New Trailer for 5.2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q51B6M70QBs&feature=youtu.be Leap Motoion shipping next month https://www.leapmotion.com/ 3D rpg for android http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/02/xseed-brings-rpg-ark-of-the-ages-to-android/ Sil Laughing Moon: The Ragged Man Adventure http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2013/02/24/70302/ and http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1823664075/laughing-moon-the-ragged-man-adventure World of Darkness mmo still happening! http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/02/28/ccp-employees-losing-themselves-in-world-of-darkness-playtests/ Underwear for characters in mmo makes them more powerful: http://biobreak.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/i-just-made-you-say-underwear/ Wii Mini price announced: http://8-bitgirl.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/wii-mini-launch-price-announced.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/8-BITGirl+(8-BIT+Girl)&utm_content=Google+Reader Dam (wielding the Dam-Hammer!) Retro Runescape - http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=31966 Medros SC2 Wings of Liberty on sale for $20 until HotS launch eve http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/8876310/Save_50_on_StarCraft_II_Wings_of_Liberty%E2%80%94Limited_Time_Only_-3_1_2013 SC2 vengeance trailer http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/8765793/Vengeance_Trailer_Revealed-2_26_2013 article I am writing about DLC killing traditional(and often free) post release content (will appear on SF site soon™) Assasins Creed 4 trailer http://www.gamebreaker.tv/pc-games/leaked-assassisns-creed-4-trailer/ Talking Point for the week Ideas for this weeks topic: Raz:  “what do you think of the PS4 announcement, will you be getting one?” Dam: Sil: NEXT WEEK: What IP do you want to see made into a video game or the other way around into a board- or pen & paper game? Obscurebag: trimble outland ‏@trimbleirl @obscurecast console gaming is dead Just listening to the latest episode, Sils comments about Werewolf: The Forsaken absolutely mirror my own thoughts. The werewolf the apocalypse lore - and in fact all of the old world of darkness lore was far far richer than the new WOD - however, I think the new storyteller system rules are superior to the old ones, much less imbalance. And I've been meaning for some time to attempt to play new rules in the old setting - will let you know how it goes if my group ever get their act together enough to do it :) there is currently a project running on kickstarter for the 20th anniversary special edition of Werewolf: The Apocalypse - which is looking gorgeous i have to say. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/200664283/deluxe-werewolf-the-apocalypse-20th-anniversary-ed Will have a look at some of the recommendations you made. Some interesting stuff there. I have a couple of recommendations of my own that I didn't mention on facebook. The first is probably my favourite RPG of all time - Legend of the Five Rings (L5R). It is a Samurai fantasy game, with an absolutely amazing setting, (it also has a very involved card game set in the same setting - the lore of each edition of the RPG can and has changed according to how the results of the card game tournaments go, as a result the world feels more alive than almost every other RPG out there.), you have Samurai, Monks, elemental spirit magic,

Hello Obscuronauts one and all! Seasons 5 continues with Episode 4, in which we talk about ALL THE THINGS, from comics to pc hardware, Preview peeks at Playstations, Warcraft, Warhammer, and of course, Video Games! Sil gets her rant-pant's seriously in a twist over Aliens: Colonial Marines (at the klaxon, skip ahead to around 00:10:32 to avoid spoilers!) And we go through all your letters, tweets, and comments of a BookFace origins!   Geekys News Highlights Raz PS4 news, Diablo on consoles http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/20/playstation-4-sony-tired-strategy/ http://i.wow.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/diablo-3-coming-to-the-playstation-3-and-playstation-4/ http://www.valvesoftware.com/news/ Steam now avaialble on Linux WiiU sales poor, gaming sales down 13% http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122149-NPD-Numbers-for-January-Xbox-360-Up-Wii-U-Down http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/3132-BlizzCon-2013-Storms-Anaheim-November-8?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Blizzcon gets a date! + will we see 5.2 patch in 5 days time? Sil UK Chart: Aliens: Colonial Marines the biggest launch of 2013 so far http://uk.gamespot.com/news/uk-chart-aliens-colonial-marines-the-biggest-launch-of-2013-so-far-6404055 Realm works streamlined rpg campaign tools on kickstarter http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/610004753/realm-works-streamlined-rpg-campaign-tools New Chaos Deamon models http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2013/02/news-chaos-daemon-minis-ho.html Dam (wielding the Dam-Hammer!) PC hardware Comics Audible ad Talking Point for the week (talking point and any reader feedback) Ideas for this weeks topic: Raz:  “what do you think of the PS4 announcement, will you be getting one?” Dam: Sil: How much are we letting ourselves get influenced by game reviews? Obscurebag: James: I think you just confirmed your place as my perfect geekery podcast. Since you mentioned pen and paper rpg's, what tabletop rpg's have you enjoyed. And which have you wanted to try and never got around to. Barefootwanderer (he of the red dwarf acronym quote from a few months back) Hi Obscurecast! It's good to hear you back on the virtual airwaves!  I just wanted to chip in to the topics you asked about: Ouya: Odd name.  I associate Steam products exclusively with PC-gaming, so making the leap to a console would be a big one.  If you could play Steam products you already own a license to on the Ouya, I could see this being perfect for games you enjoy in the console format (platformers, sports games, etc.). Reviews: I mainly play WoW so reviews - good or bad - don't mean too much in the end as I do not end up buying it anyway.  I've taken up watching "Let's Play" videos on YouTube and I'll judge the game on seeing it in action.  More often than not it will lead me to some older games that I can pick up on Steam sales. Thanks for the fun podcast! -Gabriel It really depends on who is doing the review; you get a feel for people who enjoy the same games you do and listen to what they say a little more than a random stranger. I really think that the way Massively.com does it works better for me - instead of rating a game they just give a general overview and what they like and didn't like and if you can relate bits of the game to other current games - it gives a wider coverage without attempting to tell me a meaningless rating. There are some obvious limitations with reviews; the authors bias the time that they are able to play the game what portion of the game they are given access too by the devs With mmos most reviews can only scratch the surface so are even less useful than a single player review. Ok rambled enough Hugs all Mylin1 (Scott) http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/610004753/realm-works-streamlined-rpg-campaign-tools I'm not sure about you guys but I have some gamers I would love to

Hello Ladles and Jelly-spoons! Welcome to Episode 3 of this season's Obscurecast! First off apologies for our tardiness, last week RL issues kept us from recording, but we're back (most of us) and we've got another fine week of gaming goodness to give our takes on, also, Sil says 'amazeballs' totally unironically despite being a grown woman and I 'pick up' Aquaman! o.O Our week in gaming: Razerbug: nothing! Dam: Sil: wow (getting shaman to 90), Tera online, Borderlands 2, Aliens colonial Marines Gaming News Highlights Raz Ouya on sale soon  http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/02/ouya-retailers/ lots of Wildstar news http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=31750 UK games market “a joke” http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/11/pachter-the-uk-games-retail-market-is-a-joke/ Sil Neverwinter nights founders pack: http://nw.perfectworld.com/founderspack injustice god amongst us; revealing aquaman http://uk.ign.com/videos/2013/02/13/injustice-gods-among-us-aquaman-reveal-trailer The Last Guardian Still Being Developed http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/02/13/the-last-guardian-still-being-developed-says-fumito-ueda Moment of Obscurity? Raz: all podcasts breaking US patents: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/02/podcasting-community-faces-patent-troll-threat-eff-wants-help Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

Hello once again Ladies and Gentlefolk This weeks episode doesn't actually sound anything like episode 2 at all! No! This is just a Tribute... Thanks to recording failures, Sil and I happily chatted about our gaming and take on this weeks news, going on on several geeky moments of obscurity, and touching on the notes below in detail, non of which recorded... So that we still had a show for you fine folks this week, we got the whole gang together this time, (yay!) and went over some of what we covered before, and got the fresh perspective of Damarai. Something we didn't mention in the tribute show was the new Director on board to direct the Warcraft movie... if it is ever going to get made, it looks like it's in the best shape it has been, so lets see what they can do with it...   Raz Guns and violent video games http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/vice-president-biden-reiterates-need-to-research-violent-video-g/  -- more http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxQAOnIsLVg Sim City trailer accounces DDelux packs/Euro love http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/simcitys-euro-sets-teased-in-trailer-mac-version-planned-for-s/ Women in the games industry http://bostonglobe.com/business/2013/01/27/women-remain-outsiders-video-game-industry/275JKqy3rFylT7TxgPmO3K/story.html Warcraft movie gets new director http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/warcraft-movie-lands-source-code-416956 Sil  Tera free to play on Feb 5 http://tera-europe.com/en/home/news/article/f2p-launch-date-tuesday-5th-of-february-2013.html Swtor expansion Rise of the Hutt Cartel to release in Spring 2013 http://www.swtor.com/rothc Dam (wielding the Dam-Hammer!) http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/02/01/top-tf2-item-makers-making-500k-a-year-we-cannot-compete-with-our-customers/ http://www.planetside2.com/roadmap Talking Point for the week What are our goals in gaming for 2013? Obscurebag: @anglerud @obscurecast @rzbg games I'm playing, Rocksmith! Looking forward to: more songs in Rocksmith. Also, I'm in ur bass, plucking ur strings. Welcome back! I don't play many games (no funds) but I like hearing gamers who are having fun discuss them like you do.  I didn't hear about the changes to SWTOR's F2P features, thanks for that info!  Are any of you interested in checking out Age of Wushu or Marvel Heroes?  Both are in closed beta and they seem to offer very different styles of MMO.  I don't know if AoW will really hold my interest but Marvel Heroes' action-RPG style may take some of my time. FYI:  The audio for this episode (from iTunes) is a bit odd.  Razerbug's audio was only coming out of one speaker, and Damarai & Sil's audio was coming out of another. Thanks, Gabriel From Facebook: James Flinders Maybe pull away from WoW a bit. Play some more MMO's - ESO, Neverwinter, Wildstar, Pathfinder, maybe The Secret World. Also learn more redstone stuff in Minecraft.   Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.

The Obscurecast is back! Welcome to the first episode of season 5 for 2013! In this episode we catch up on what Damarai, Razerbug, Sil, and what members of the Obscuredience have been playing, and what up -and-coming games they're looking forward too in 2013... Do your friends/followers a favour and re-Tweet/share this on the Book of Face, so they know Obscurecast is back with an all new series! (there's even links on this page, right up there!  ^^) This week we're asking you:  What are our goals in gaming for 2013?  tweet @obscurecast email bag@obscurecast.com Gaming News Highlights (one or two each, whatever game, whatever catches your eye!) Raz WoW TL2 Wildstar!/Simcity (and the chuffin useless beta/EULA!) Sil  WoW, Baldur’s Gate, Swtor, Dead space, The witcher The Walking Dead, mario 3ds land Aliens Colonial Marines Dam (wielding the Dam-Hammer!) Dota 2 Darksiders 2 Planetside 2   Give us a shout out and review on iTunes! Tweet us do! Razerbug @rzbg Damarai @_damarai Sil @Lumineus - www.girlsgonewow.net or antlergirl.wordpress.com @obscurecast Intro music was Decimal Places by I Concur.