This week: Marketing! Assassin's Creed! More marketing! But first, Cody and Steve cover some other things...

This week saw the release of Assassin's Creed Syndicate and it (much to our surprise) received pretty stellar reviews. Reviews good enough to warrant Cody deciding to go out and pick it up. And he was not disappointed. The change of setting and the much appreciated re-focus on the single player portion of the game (they completely removed the multiplayer aspect) makes this one fantastic. Keep an eye out for a Let's Play or streaming or a review in the near future.

Then we're joined by Sean Burke to discuss video game marketing. Video game marketing is in a bit of a discovery phase, where some companies are spending too much and overloading consumers with footage, both real and rendered, of games that they they so desperately need you to buy. And then there are other companies, ones that don't spend nearly enough on a marketing budget, mostly because they are smaller studios with smaller budgets.

But that really brings up more questions, which we discuss in the episode, like if there is really a need for this much marketing when it comes to entertainment. Our weirdest finding, however, is that Assassin's Creed Syndicate got, what seems to be, the least amount of marketing of any other Assassin's Creed game and it ended up being one of the best games in the series in years.

Then we finish off the episode by talking to Sean about the games he is most excited about. The obvious answer is Fallout 4...but we think Sean's was something else.

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play and Trylons on YouTube! If you’re feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: Halloween Panic by Barzoom , Flames Inside by Lethalix , Dancing Naked by TheFatRat / Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: GameSpot )

We're back! We're both back! Steve and Cody make a valiant return after missing each other terribly. So they cover a little bit of everything.

• Steve talks about some of the things Whitney and Cody talked about during their talk about sequels a few weeks ago (which you can find right here!)
• Nintendo: Last week, Nintendo revealed a little bit of information about their yet unannounced but still upcoming platform, the NX, which is some type of console/handheld hybrid thing. Color us excited. [via Kotaku]

Then we're joined by Jordan Coombs from Warballoon to discuss Star Command Galaxies, a procedurally-generated space exploration game where you get to take your crew on crazy space adventures! They talk about how great the game is going to be once all of the modules are updated and added via monthly updates. Which brought the gang to their next topic: Early Access and how the majority of people don't quite understand the concept anymore. Is it because demos ruined us all as kids? Is it because we don't understand what "early access" means? Or is it because there is just too much out there for us to choose between that when something isn't perfect we lose our minds? Maybe all three? Maybe none of them? Who knows? What do you think?

You can buy Star Command Galaxies on Steam for $19.99! You can follow them on Twitter @StarCommandGame and on Facebook here.

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play and Trylons on YouTube! If you’re feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: Calculator City by Jusu-Tengu , Dream Came True by SpeTheof , Energy by DJStriden / Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: Reddit )

Cody and Steve have decided that occasionally they are going to look back and repost an episode that they think is particularly good. One of their favorites. This is the first episode we've decided to do and it features one of our dear friends, Tobias, as our guest to talk about Star Wars video games!

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Cody and Steve talk a little bit of news,

This week in news:

• Mortal Kombat is glorious and amazing and brutal and you can't tell me otherwise [via Kotaku]
• Say goodbye to any shred of productivity because now you can play Hearthstone on your Android and Apple devices [viaPolygon]
• OH MY GOD STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT IS HAPPENING! IT'S REAL YOU GUYS! [via GameSpot]

Then they sit down with resident Star Wars enthusiast Tobias Ellis to talk about the recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars Battlefront trailers. They talk about all of the good times they've had playing Knights of the Old Republic and the X-Wing games.

They also talk, extensively, about how amazing the Star Wars: The Force Awakens is going to be and speculate on what the trailer might mean for the series. Watch the trailer. Go do it now. [via YouTube]

There have been a lot of great Star Wars games and a few not so great ones. What's your favorite Star Wars game?

Tobias Ellis is the co-host of the always informative, always interesting, always fantastic Block Bluster! You can find him on Twitter@callmetobias and @blockblusterpod!

*SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT*

In the spirit of Star Wars, the Alien Angel Podcast Network will be hosting a special May the 4th Be With You event at Dave & Busters in Virginia Beach, VA. The event will be on May 4, 2015. Be sure to RSVP on Facebook to keep up to date on any details.

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play on YouTube! If you're feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: Club Cantina by Genraltweet, Mire by Conal, Star Wars Theme Remix by SargeantJohnson. Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image:Imgur)

This week, Steve is sick. There appears to be some sort of weird pattern. Maybe next week. we'll both be sick. Anyway! Whitney is filling in for Steve this week because she is a good dude.

Whitney and Cody talk about a local Nintendo-themed burlesque show that Whitney went to and then they talk about some news.

• The Assassin's Creed Film is Coming: The cast of the Assassin's Creed movie just got even more impressive with the addition of Jeremy Irons and Brendan Gleeson to the cast. They are joining Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard to play their respective fathers. [via GameSpot]

Then we decided to tackle the age old question of: are sequels as important as we're making them out to be? The answer is a little bit more complicated than we originally thought. Obviously, it's always exciting when developers decide to further a beloved series (looking at you Bethesda) but sometimes it's really refreshing to see an all new idea make it big. Even Call of Duty was an original thought at one point instead of the yearly release of sequel after sequel.

Big thanks to everyone who answered our Facebook question about sequels. We appreciated all of your answers and we've chosen and announced our winners in the episode! Thanks for playing and be on the lookout for future giveaways!

Have an idea for a future episode of Additional Pylons? Want to be a guest on the show? Want to tell us we’re super handsome? Shoot us an email at [email protected]!

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play and Trylons on YouTube! If you’re feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: Glitch Chase by Kolter , Clockwork Calamity by stratkat , -Sunwalker- by Waterflame / Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: Amazon )

We did it! Wow! 50 episodes of your favorite video game podcast!

This week, Steve and Cody talk about their favorite episodes of the show over the past year. Some of those favorites included:

• Episode 6: The Fallout After the Fallout Debate with Patrick McCoy
• Any of of our Indie Spotlight episodes
  • Children of Morta with Amir Fassihi
  • Reflections with Tristan Moore
  • Dropsy the Clown with Jay Tholen
• Episode 21: Video Game Movies and Shovelware with Tobias Ellis

Then we're joined by our long-lost-friend-of-the-show Whitney Brundage to talk about our favorite games of all time. Cody gets sad about his favorite series. Steve's favorite series doesn't surprise anyone at all. And Whitney's favorite game is super obvious. What are our favorite games? What are our favorite series? The answers might surprise you...probably not. But maybe! We also talk about our fan submissions and about the games that they chose as their favorites.

Thanks to everyone who submitted an answer!

We just want to take a moment and thank everyone who has been a guest on the show over the last year. Talking about gaming and the industry and everything in between. We've had a lot of fun over the last 50 episodes and we're excited to do it for 50 more.

Have an idea for a future episode of Additional Pylons? Want to be a guest on the show? Want to tell us we’re super handsome? Shoot us an email at [email protected]!

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play and Trylons on YouTube! If you’re feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: Super Mario 3 World 1 by KHMS , Star Ocean 2 - Bunny hop by Chronamut , Persona4 Heartbeat Cover by AEPfx ,LastTowers - Great Job! by sonicsneakers

/ Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: Eskipaper )

Last week, we took a break to relax and enjoy the Labor Day weekend! This week, Cody and Steve talk about some news!

• Pokemon GO: Finally, after years and years of smart phone dominance, Pokemon is finally coming to mobile devices. Now we can finally live out our dreams of becoming actual Pokemon Masters! What a time to be alive. [via Polygon]
• Metal Gear Solid V: The newest [and pretty much the last] installment of the Metal Gear Solid franchise is here and it's amazing and perfect and one of the best games to come out in years. It feels like a fitting end to the Kojima-era at Konami.
• Fallout 4: Bethesda announced this week that Fallout 4 would have Season Pass available at launch for $30. It will include several DLC expansions [much like previous Bethesda games] at a discounted price if you buy the Season Pass. If the past is any indication of the future, $30 will definitely be worth it. [via PC Gamer]

Then, Cody and Steve sit down to talk Metal Gear Solid and other stealth games. We cover everything from the Ghost Recon series to the Splinter Cell series, to why some of those franchises have gone in interesting directions. We talk Assassins Creed and how it is rapidly turning in to an action-adventure game with a couple of stealth elements instead of the stealth game with action-adventure elements it started out as. We also give some love to the Sniper Elite franchise because ridding the world of fascism is a good time.

Next week is Episode 50 of Additonal Pylons! It's hard to believe that we started this little adventure a year ago, but here we are. Next week, we'll be talking our favorite games of all time and what the future of the show holds. Let us know what your favorite games are in the comments, on Facebook, Twitter, or in an email!

Have an idea for a future episode of Additional Pylons? Want to be a guest on the show? Want to tell us we’re super handsome? Shoot us an email at [email protected]!

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play and Trylons on YouTube! If you’re feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: MGS: Encounter 8 bit by SwordstrikeChameleon , metal gear solid 2 rock theme by dbz-dude , In a Dream by Step

/ Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: alphacoders )

This week, Steve talks about his all new freelancing gig and then they cover some news:

• Sword Coast Legends: If you're a fan of Dungeons & Dragons and the video games that are based in that universe [Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale] then you're in luck! A new game based on the Fifth Edition ruleset of Dungeons & Dragons is coming this year! [via GameZone]
• XCOM 2: The release date for the next installment in the XCOM series has been pushed back to February of 2016, which is sad...but also gives us plenty more time to invest in to Fallout 4! [via PC Gamer]

Then we're joined by Sean Burke to talk about live streaming and the culture behind Let's Plays. Over the course of the last few years, all new avenues for gaming broadcast have opened up and become increasingly popular. YouTube has been the primary place to find hundreds and thousands of Let's Plays from a multitude of funny and talented personalities (LIKE US! Go check out Pylons Play!) On the live stream side of it, Twitch went from a modest following to being acquired by Amazon for just short of $1 billion dollars last year. In an effort to compete, YouTube launched YouTube Gaming last week in the hopes to cater to some of the disenfranchised live streamers.

What are your thoughts on Let's Plays and live streaming? Would you rather play a game than watch someone else? Tell us below in the comments and we'll talk about it on next week's show!

Sean Burke is a former colleague of Steve's and a marketing extraordinaire. He's a big fan of console gaming and PC gaming and just gaming in general. And he accidentally died in our XCOM playthrough! You can find him on Twitter @spb273. If you want to play video games with him you can on PS4 - SPB273 and on Steam!

Have an idea for a future episode of Additional Pylons? Want to be a guest on the show? Want to tell us we’re super handsome? Shoot us an email at [email protected]!

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play and Trylons on YouTube! If you’re feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: PAC-MAN's Day Off by Yahtzei , Tunnel Vision by PompYin , Axel-f never die by Djjaner

/ Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: Goliath)

This week, Cody and Steve talk about some upcoming AAA titles:

• Madden NFL 16: Cody's favorite time of the year is finally upon us again - "MADDEN SEASON!" Is Madden 16 a phenomenal entry in to a series that has been getting gradually less impressive from year to year. The answer is...read Cody's review of Madden 16 when the game releases on August 25th.
• Call of Duty Black Ops 3: The beta for Black Ops 3 launched on PlayStation 4 for pre-order customers on August 19th and was later given to all PS4 owners. With a bunch of multiplayer overhauls and a story that will probably be ridiculous, Black Ops 3 should definitely be on your radar if it isn't.

Then we sit down with Ryan Christopher from FilmFad to talk about Disney Infinity and the gauntlet of collectibles that we all can't stop collecting. Disney Infinity started as a pretty obvious copy of the Skylanders series with the obvious benefit of Disney owning virtually everything that kids love: Star Wars, Marvel, pretty much every Disney movie, etc. With games like this, comes an avalanche of collectible, playable characters for kids (adults) to fight over. We also cover the upcoming LEGO Dimensions game and try to figure out if LEGO has gone crazy.

Ryan is the host of FadCast, a podcast about fads and movies, and the Editor-in-Chief of FilmFad.com! You can find them on Twitter @FilmFad! He is a fan of all things pop culture and Marvel comics. He has a pretty impressive collection of sweet Marvel comics, figures, and Disney Infinity figures.

Have an idea for a future episode of Additional Pylons? Want to be a guest on the show? Want to tell us we’re super handsome? Shoot us an email at [email protected]!

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check outPylons Play on YouTube! If you’re feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: Clockmaster by Djjaner , (My Fans Are) Superheroes by Binaerpilot , Love and Memes, Both Must Die by Cacola

/ Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: StarWars)

This week, Cody and Steve talk about a couple of indie games you should definitely think about playing!

Indie games to watch out for:

• Tooth and Tail: A pixel-art RTS from the creators of Monaco. It looks incredible and the details in the art-style look gorgeous. It's coming sometime in 2016. [via PC Gamer]
• Skyshine's BEDLAM: A post-apocalyptic, rogue-like, turn-based RPG with "colorful characters and brutal enemy encounters". Definitely influenced by XCOM and built on the Banner Saga engine. [via their website]

Then, the guys are joined again by their pal Cody Webb, to discuss fighting games! Which ones are great? Which ones made our childhoods better? Who could beat up who in a fighting game tournament? There is a lot of talk about Mortal Kombat, some talk about Street Fighter, and some mention of some pretty obscure titles like Medabots and Megabyte Punch. And, to nobody's surprise at all, Steve's favorite fighting game is Super Smash Bros. Who would have guessed?

Cody Webb has been on the show before and is still a gentleman and a scholar and podcaster extraordinaire. He is the host of the podcast I Heart Videogames and owner of MultimediaCritics.com. He recently started a new podcast called "That's the Show" where he reviews the entirety of a series, from first episode to series finale. You can find Cody Webb and the IHVPodcast on Twitter!

What is your favorite fighting game? Do you prefer Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter? Let us know in the comments!

Have an idea for a future episode of Additional Pylons? Want to be a guest on the show? Want to tell us we're super handsome? Shoot us an email at [email protected]!

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play on YouTube! If you're feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: Guile's Theme by noxweb , A Day On The Sun by PompYin , Mannequins by Leelius

/ Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: IGN)

This week, Cody and Steve layout the future of Additional Pylons and talk about a sad, damp clown.

This week in news:

• Additional Pylons is sadly and unfortunately leaving the Alien Angel Podcast Network. On good terms, of course, but sometimes things happen and you can't do anything about them. Clear skies and calm seas to everyone we've been working with over the past eight months.
• We have, obviously, launched www.addpylons.com as our new home for the podcast, the YouTube adventures, and some other things we have in the works. We appreciate your support and look forward to doing more things with you and for you in the coming months and years.
• The production schedule should be as follows:
  • Additional Pylons [podcast] - Monday
  • Pylons Play [YouTube] - Tuesday
  • Trylons [YouTube] - Wednesday
  • Pylons Play [YouTube] - Thursday
  • Chill Out and Bro Down - Friday

Then we are joined, via Google Hangouts, by our pal Jay Tholen about his upcoming game, Dropsy! Dropsy is just a sad creepy clown who wants to give people warm, damp hugs. He has a pretty interesting philosophy behind Dropsy that makes the game even more interesting than it already appears to be. It's a philosophy that more people should really use when they live their day to day lives. Dropsy will be available on September 10th for $9.99 on Steam.

Jay resides in Florida and has been making games for the better part of the last two decades. He started by joining the "Click Community" in the 90s and the rest is sort of just trial and error history.

You can find Jay on Twitter - @dropsytheclownWebsites: dropsytheclown.com & jaytholen.netEmail: [email protected]

Have and idea for a future episode of Additional Pylons? Want to be a guest on the show? Want to tell us we're super handsome? Shoot us an email at [email protected]!

Like Additional Pylons on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @AddPylons! Follow Cody @IndieLumberjack and Steven @ActuallyAkiba! Be sure to subscribe to us on iTunes! Check out Pylons Play on YouTube! If you're feeling generous, donate to our Patreon!

(Music: A Hero's Destiny by Miqz , Yummy☆Jelly by SpeedoSausage ,Zombie Outbreak by Stereocrisis / Intro: Blackout City by Anamanaguchi. Image: Pricol)