CheckpointXP: On Demand Podcast

This week on Checkpoint XP:

• (0:00) Esports and COVID-19 - 
  • Esports has come back following a couple weeks away due to coronavirus. James and Robbie are joined by producer Kali to break down some of the latest in LCS and Overwatch League, as well as give a personal update on their life in quarantine.
• (12:00)  E-Girls
  • Would you pay to play video games with a girl? Robbie shares a website he found where e-girls can charge to play video games one on one.
  • Afterwards, Kali goes through a few profiles to see if she can find the perfect match for Robbie and James.
• (24:02) The Flood - 
  • Life in quarantine got hectic for Robbie over the weekend when he woke up the sound of water flooding into his apartment. 
• (34:02) Gamestop-
  • While they've since reversed course, Gamestop tried to leverage themselves as an essential business and stay open during the pandemic.
  • Plus, we go over which restaurants or businesses we wish could stay open during the lockdown.
• (43:52) Name That Price
  
  • Kali's found some weird items on craigslist, and it's time to find out whether James or Robbie has the better sense of how much people are asking for their gaming gear. 
• (55:50) Gaming and Esports News - 
  • Ninja Donates $150,000 to Feeding America amid Covid-19 Outbreak 
  • Animal  Crossing Infinite Item Glitch
  • Resident Evil 3 Remake will Make Knife Only Runs Possible 
  • Rosario Dawson cast as Ahsoka Tano in the Mandalorian Season 2
  • Disney Releasing Onward on Disney+ Only Two Weeks After Release 
  • Overwatch Announces New Hero: Echo
• (1:07:52) Checking in with Weirdbeard- 
  • Ric has been potentially exposed to COVID-19 and is under mandatory quarantine. We give him a call and check in our missing host.
• (1:17:52) Shutdown Showdown
  • Kali was able to speak with Matt Jackson of UGC and Anthony Gaud of G3 Gaming to talk about the upcoming Shutdown Showdown. It's a charity esports tournament benefiting No Kid Hungry. 

This week on Checkpoint XP:

• (0:00) E3 is Cancelled, along with everything else - 
  • E3 has joined the growing list of events that have been affected by COVID-19. Even the building where we record is closed to all non-essential personnel. So how did we get in? 
• (12:02)  Checkpoint's Guide To Gaming
  • With coronavirus locking people away at home, we here at CheckpointXP have you covered. Here's our games to get you through the quarantine.
  • Then the guys break down what TV shows they're finally getting caught up on.
• (24:00) Ric's Teachable Parenting Moment - 
  • We've all blamed someone when it wasn't actually their fault. Ric did so in the worst way, and he'll tell us all about it. 
• (33:00) Warzone is out and New Collegiate League of Legends Rules-
  • Call of Duty's new Warzone mode is out and it's pretty awesome. Ric gives us the rundown.
  • Then the guys go over some of the new rules for Collegiate League of Legends. Spoiler: Things are going to be tough if you aren't Riot.
• (42:49) Checkpoint Goes To The Polls
  
  • It's democratic primary season and it's time for Checkpoint to go to the polls. Kali's got 5 ballot initiatives up for consideration, and it's up to the guys to figure out which ones are going to pass and which ones get voted down.
• (54:51) Gaming and Esports News - 
  • LEGO is Making Super Mario Brothers Play Sets https://kotaku.com/lego-is-making-super-mario-themed-playsets-1842289004
  • NBA Player Finders Out Season Suspended While on Twitch https://kotaku.com/nba-player-finds-out-season-suspended-while-playing-on-1842281521
  • Discord Ups Livestream Limits Beacuse of Coronavirus https://kotaku.com/discord-ups-livestream-limits-because-of-coronavirus-1842276377
  • Lead Writer for Overwatch leaves Blizzard after 20 years https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/11/21174947/overwatch-lead-writer-michael-chu-leaves-blizzard
  • PornHub is allowing people in Italy free access to their Premium Services throughout the month of March.
  • Steam hits new concurrent user record of 20M
    https://dotesports.com/dota-2/news/steam-reaches-new-concurrent-user-record-of-20-million-likely-due-to-coronavirus
  • OWL and CDL to be played online https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/12/21177465/call-of-duty-league-cdl-overwatch-owl-online-games-esports-coronavirus
• (1:06:53) Awkward Moments In Real Life- 
  • James had an awkward moment that wound up with him playing bartender. 
  • Have you ever had a misunderstanding that cost you?
• (1:17:46) Social Media - Best game of all time

This week on Checkpoint XP:

• (0:00) New Host On The Block - James Campbell joins Robbie Landis and Ric 'Weirdbeard' Hogerheide for the new incarnation of CheckpointXP.  The guys introduce themselves and then play a round of Who's That Gamer?
• (12:00) TurboGrafx-16 Delayed Due To Coronavirus
  • https://kotaku.com/turbografx-16-mini-delayed-due-to-coronavirus-1842145102
  • The TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine Minis were scheduled for release on March 19. However, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), the miniature consoles will be delayed.
• (24:00) Robbie's Birthday and James Gets Embarrassed At NXT - 
  •  No one showed up for Robbie’s Birthday Get-Together
  • Ric is a Terrible Person, he even chose the place.
  • James went to NXT and got embarrassed.
• (34:06) Twitch streamer shoots gun on stream and gets banned - A twitch streamer was recently banned from the platform after firing a gun on stream. Robbie has the latest details. this is a test 
• Then the guys share what the dumbest thing they've ever done while drunk or on stream is. 
• (43:52) Kali and Weirdbeard Convince Robbie and James to try CS:GO, or not. 
  
  • Kali and Weirdbeard have been playing a lot of CS:GO, but don't have anything good to say about it. Will they convince the guys to give it a try?
  • Then the guys put their gaming music knowledge to the test as they try and guess the game music backwards.
• (55:48) Gaming and Esports News - 
  • Nintendo and Lego Team Up for Lego Mario
  • Reggie Fils-Amie joins the GameStop Board of Directors
  • Fan-Made Browser Lets You Plan Out Your Animal Crossing Island
  • Sonic Fox Wins Mortal Kombat 11 Championship
  • Father Makes Death Stranding Style Pod for His Baby
  • Should We Be Excited by Valorant’s Anti-Peeker’s Advantage
• (1:07:47) Last of Us TV Series On HBO- 
  • The guys dive into the Last Of Us TV show that's coming to HBO. They discuss what they hope to see out of it.
  • Then it's time to decide what video games would best translate to a TV series.
• (1:17:46) Social Media - What's the best game of the PS2 era?

This week on Checkpoint XP:

• (0:00) Final Fantasy VII Remake Demo & Riot's New Game: Valorent - One of the most anticipated games of 2020, The Final Fantasy VII Remake, just had their demo published on PSN. The crew shares their initial thoughts. Plus, Riot Games released a few minutes of gameplay footage from their new game Valorent.
  • Close Shave of the Week - Flyquest Give Cloud9 Some Turbulence
• (12:03) Esports Gaming Update
  • FIFA 20 Qualifier Decided By Rock Paper Scissor
  • Overwatch League’s first Hero Ban Pool
  • Armada won’t play in Smash Tour, Money isnt why he plays
  • EVO 2020 won’t be delayed
  • Riot to suspend LCK due to Coronavirus
  • NHL World Championship to increase prize pool by 50k to 150k
  • New 250k Smash Tournament - Smash World Tour
• (24:06) Most Wanted Video Game Movies & GameStop Tests New Store Type - A few episodes back we talked about the Sonic The Hedgehog movie hitting theaters, so Robbie's found a list of the most wanted video game movies. Plus, GameStop is testing out some new store in Oklahoma. Could these help save the ailing company?
  • Nailed It - Houston Wins Their First Game In OWL
• (34:11) Fallout 76 Wastelanders & When Do You Give A Game a Second chance? - Bethesda recently showed off their next content addition to Fallout 76, Wastelanders and it sparked an interesting debate about when do you feel like you can give a game a second chance?
• (44:03) Gaming News Update
  • Ocarina of Time Speedrunner clears 8 minutes
  • Player Takes No Damage during Pokemon Platinum Run
  • Corona-Virus Quarantine CSGO Event breaks viewership records
  • PUBG Cheater Banned for 10 Years
  • DOA6 is charging players to change their hair color
  • Overwatch Change that Nerfs Teabagging is a bug
  • The Playstation 2 Turns 20
• (56:05) League Updates & IEM Katowice - We'll check in on the latest action out of the LCS and Joe and Robbie share their experiences from the Houston Outlaws Homestand last week. Plus, we check in on the results from IEM Katowice.
  • Failed It - A Grand Finals Snoozefest
• (1:08:08) Coronavirus Continues To Impact Esports & Cancels GDC - The Coronavirus is continuing to impact not just the esports world but the entire video game industry. This week saw that cancellation of GDC for the first time in 26 years.
• (1:18:10) Social Media - What is your Stress Reliever Game?

This week on Checkpoint XP:

• (0:00) The Adderall Problem In Esports - This week former Call of Duty pro Adam "KiLLa" Sloss told The Washington Post that Adderall use in esports has been an open secret for years. Should drugs like Adderall be considered performance enhancing drugs for esports players? Should leagues start testing their players for ADHD medication?
  • Close Shave of the Week - Overwatch Players Win a 2v6
• (12:01) Esports News Update
  • Overwatch League Seoul Homestand canceled. All Matches rescheduled again
  • Dr Disrespect Lands Publishing Deal for In-Character Memoir
  • LCK Host removed from broadcast after showing signs of Coronavirus, but tests negative
  • Cloud9 has yet to lose a midlane Turrent in the first split. Also, only team without a former Champion on it the NA
  • Gen G Win Dreamhack Open Anaheim without dropping a single map
  • Houston Outlaws\Boston Uprising break OWL Record playing 7 Maps
  • 7 Year Old Wins 2020 International Juniors Championship
• (24:04) League of Legends Championship Series/Overwatch League/Call of Duty League Update - Major esports action over the weekend, we start by breaking down the latest in the Overwatch League and the Call of Duty League then we bring in League of Legends expert Joe in to talk about Cloud9's dominance in the LCS.
  • Nailed It - MK Leo Clutches Victory Against Tea
• (34:08) Frostbyte 2020 with FGC Caster Script & The Forza Motorsport 7 WGN Championship - Super Smash Bros Ultimate was in action over the weekend at Frostbyte 2020, FCG caster Script joins us to analyze MK Leo's epic victory. Plus, Norris has returned from the Great White North of Canada where he got to check out the Forza Motorsport 7 WGN Championship and talk to the winner ForceOne.
• (43:59) Video Game News Update
  • Almost nobody played a bad guy in Mass Effect
  • Body Painting Streamer Banned for Nudity
  • Activision Subpoena’s reddit for COD Leaker
  • YouTuber gets banned from all of EA Games and online services
  • Grandma Gets a replacement Gameboy from Nintendo
  • Samurai Jack gets it’s first Video Game in over a Decade
  • Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Get Documentary
• (56:01) The Best from the 2020 ToyFair & Xbox Series X Details - Robbie runs down some of the best (and worst) things from the ToyFair 2020 that was held at the Javitz Center in New York . Plus, the specs for the Xbox Series X have started to come out - how many gigaflops do you need to game?
  • Failed It - 100 Thieves Get Stomped By G2
• (1:08:04) Who In Gaming Would You pardon & Ninja Says Dumb Stuff - With all of the pardoning that seems to be going on in the United States, we ask the question - if you could pardon anyone in gaming, who would it be? Plus, Ninja thinks telling yourself "it's just a game" is weak! Why would Ninja say such a thing? Hear it straight form the horses mouth!
• (1:18:07) Social Media Question - What Gaming Related Tattoo Would you Get?

• (0:00) Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Review & Dragon Quest: Your Story on Netflix - Sonic The Hedgehog has hit theaters and has seemingly broke the video game movie curse, having a very strong opening for a video game movie. But another movie that was recently released on Netflix, Dragon Quest: Your Story, is maybe the best video game movie to come out last week.
  • Close Shave of the Week - Carpe's Widowmaker Clutches Out Win on Nepal 
• (12:03) Esports News & ESL Pro League Reveals 24 Teams Signed
  • Blizzard Announces Changes to Chinese Scheduled Matches
  • Activision Blizzard and YouTube Deal rumored to be 160M
  • Hungry Box become three-time Summit Champion
  • Hungry Box calls out nintendo for not supporting smash
  • Pokimane donates $50,000 to UC Irvine Esports Scholarship
  • Faker Signs a 3 Year Deal with T1 and becomes part owner
  • ESL Pro League Reveals 24 Teams Signed
• (24:05) Overwatch League and LCS Update - Overwatch League had a truncated week with their canceled Chinese matches, but we did get to see some teams in action for the first time this season including the Florida Mayhem, The Houston Outlaws and the Washington Justice. Plus, Joe joins the crew for an update on the LCS.
  • Nailed It - Cloud 9 Dominates The LCS
• (34:10) When do you Bench a player in esports? & What's Something You Miss In Gaming? - With the recent struggles of The Houston Outlaws in the Overwatch League and Team Liquid in the LCS it forces us to ask: when do you make the call to bench an esports player?
• (44:01) Video Game News & Anthem Rebuild
  • Burger King is testing a Sandwhich with nothing by French Fries
  • Nintendo Playstation Prototype sells for 400,000 dollars
  • A playable version of StarCraft: Ghost exists
  • Ronda Rousey got an exclusive streaming deal?!
  • Nintendo to open Video Game Airport Lounges
  • EVE Online Shooter canceled, EVE Online Shooter Announced
  • Sony Pulls out of Pax East amidst Coronavirus concerns
  • Anthem To Undergo A Rebuild
• (56:07) PlayStation 5 Price & Microsoft's Future - Rumors from the tech world say that Sony is struggling to get the price of the PlayStation 5 below $500, could this be Microsoft's opportunity to rebound in the console space?
• (1:08:14) Diablo and Overwatch getting an animated series? - It's been announced that Diablo is going to be getting an animated series on Netflix, well some rumors are pointing to a possible Overwatch animated series as well.
• (1:18:18) Social Media -   What two games would you love to cross over with one another?

This week on Checkpoint XP

• (0:00) Overwatch League Opening Weekend & Call of Duty League - Last weekend was the opening weekend for Overwatch League and while the broadcast had issues, we're all excited for more competitive Overwatch. Plus, Call of Duty League has officially started their weekly tournament series, and how is it working compared to Overwatch?
  • Close Shave of the Week - ChrisJ Takes Out All Of NAVI in CS:GO
• (12:02) Esports News & Dragon Ball Fighter Z Tournament Results
  • CS:GO Sets new Record for Concurrent Peak Player Count at 900,000
  • League of Legend, DOTA2 and CSGO most watched esports of 2019
  • Faker says it’s not a good idea to practice every day
  • Overwatch player LulSiSH visa issues
  • Overwatch Teases it’s new Stat Labs
  • PUBG Crop Postpones Berlin Event due to Coronavirus
  • Dragon Ball Fighter Z World Tour Results
• (24:04) Sonic Movie Expectations and Games that deserve Netflix Witcher Treatment  - The Sonic movie comes out February 14th so we ask 'what do you need to see from the Sonic movie to walk away satisfied?' Plus, The Witcher was such a fantastic adaptation, what are some other video games that should get a Netflix adaptation. 
  • Nailed It - CrimSix Give The Best Post Game Interview In Esports
• (34:07) Rockstar Loses it’s CEO, the Future of Grand Theft Auto - Dan Houser, one of the chief architects and creative forces behind Grand Theft Auto has decided to leave his position as CEO at Rockstar Games in Mach of 2020. What could this mean for the future of the Grand Theft Auto series?
• (43:58) Video Game News & Tyrell Appleton Interview
  • Dragonball Z Abridged is finally over
  • Anthem still hasn’t taken down it’s Christmas Decorations
  • Sakurai says there are too many Fire Emblem Heroes in Smash Brothers
  • The World of Warcraft Race to World First Has Finished
  • EA Raises the Price of their Games on Steam by double.
  • Neopets may be getting its own animated series
  • Tyrell Appleton Interview
• (56:02) League of Legends update & Introducing you favorite games to your significant other - Producer Jow joins us to discuss the latest in League of Legends as well as just what the hell is going on with Team Liquid. Plus, have you ever tried to introduce your significant other to your favorite games?
  • Failed It - Dallas Go 0-2 At First Homestand
• (1:08:03) Mother Reunited with Deceased Daughter through VR and Animal Crossing Forces You to Buy Another Switch - A Korean TV show recently used VR technology to reunite a grieving mother with the daughter she lost. It forces the crew to ask - is this going too far with VR? Plus, Weird Beard is fired up about, of all things, Animal Crossing. Why? He'll tell you!
• (1:18:10) Social Media -  What game do you think was a One Hit Wonder?

This week on Checkpoint XP

• (0:00) Overwatch Introduces Hero Pools & Overwatch League Season Preview - Overwatch recently announced a controversial addition to its competitive scene in the form of Hero Pools. Plus, the crew previews the upcoming Overwatch league which starts Saturday February 8th. 
  • Close Shave of the Week: Team Dignitas Go To Triple Overtime
• (12:03) Esports News & EVO 2020 Lineup Announced 
  • Blizzard denied Sinatraa information on his MVP skin after he leaked it was for Zarya
  • Breso becomes first player to win Fortnite LAN with a controller
  • Two More Esports Temporarily Halt Competition in China over Coronavirus Health Concerns
  • Twitch Rivals Streamer Bowl Results
  • Cheater in the Streamer Bowl?
  • Esports Posts its first $1 Billion Year in 2019 according to Newzoo
  • Verizon In The Know Bowl Results
  • EVO Games Lineup Announced
• (24:06) Super Bowl Ads Feat Streamers and Disney+ - Bugha and TimTheTatMan made some surprise appearances during the Super Bowl in a few ads. Plus, the first ads for the Marvel Disney+ shows have been released. The crew share their thoughts. 
  • Nailed It: Sven Has Not Died In 4 Games
• (34:10) Valentine Day Gift Guide for Gamers - The crew runs down some gift suggestions for that special gamer in your life. Valentine's Day is hard, make it easier with the help of Checkpoint XP!
• (44:02) Video game news & Warcraft 3 Reforged Is A Mess
  • Fire Emblem Heroes is adding a Subscription Fee
  • Over 36,000 Flash Games Have Been Saved And Are Now Playable Offline
  • The Sims Turns 30
  • Nintendo Says No New Switch Models Planned For 2020
  • Remember that Ocarina of Time SpeedRun that got shattered a few weeks ago? It happened again.
  • Who is Eímear Noone? Irish video games composer conducting the Oscars ceremony
  • Warcraft 3 Reforged Is The Worst Reviewed Game Ever
• (56:04) Monday Night League and final Fantasy VII Remake Trailer - Producer Joe joins the crew to continue discussing Monday Night League and the weeks matchups as well as the brand new trailer for Final Fantasy VII which features Cloud in a Dress and other scenes from The Honey Bee Inn.
  • Failed It: Complexity-Limit Reaches The World Of Warcraft Raid Limit
• (1:08:08) What is the worst Trash Game you still play? & Catchphraze - What's your favorite trash game? A game you know is objectively bad, but you still can't help but love it anyway. Plus, Weird Beard runs the crew through a game of Catchphraze.
• (1:18:14) Social Media -  What game has caused you to rage so hard, you’ve never picked it back up?

This week on Checkpoint XP

• (0:00) Call of Duty League & LCS 2020 has Begun - It's so nice to have esports to talk about again! The CDL kick off in Minnesota with the Rokkr, we'll tell you how that went. Plus, League of Legends is back in action and testing out their new Monday Night League format. Joe Sloan joins us to break it all down.
  • Close Shave of the Week: Licorice Survives
• (12:03) Esports News & Genesis 7 Results
  • Why Gary Vaynerchuk Invested in CDL Esports
  • APEX’s New Legend announcement takes a left Turn
  • NHL All-Star Weekend to Feature a Celebrity Pro-Am Gaming Challenge
  • 100 Thieves creates the 100 Thieves Next program to help develop younger North American League talent
  • Kentucky Bans Fortnite in High Schools
  • ESL Pro League Announces New Format and List of Invited Teams for Season 11
  • Genesis 7 Results - Fighting game tournament Genesis 7 was in action and Noris gives us the rundown of results.
• (24:05) Gamers.vote & Watch Dogs 3 Developer Gives Interview Inside Game - Steve Lipscomb joins the crew to discuss his site Gamers.vote which is a non partisan group dedicated to signing gamers up to vote. Plus, the developers of Watch Dogs 3 give a fascinating interview to the BBC inside their own game.
  • Nailed It - Nauman Wins EVO Japan With Sakura
• (34:10) Nintendo World Announced For The US & Atari Announces Hotels - Every gamer got excited when they learned about Nintendo World that was being built at Universal Studios Japan. Now, you can be even more excited because one is slated to be built in Orlando. Plus, not to be outdone by their rival Atari has announced a series of hotels to be built in the US.
• (44:02) Video Game News & Looking At 10 Years of Video Game Profits
  • EVE Online Ship sold for $33,000 to benefit the Wildfires in Australia
  • NBA 2K players and studio pay tribute to Kobe Bryant
  • World of Warcraft’s Next World First Race is On
  • 100T CouRage hits major milestone after move to YouTube Gaming
  • GTA5 Voice Actors Tease Fans on Instagram
  • CSGO Player has a car crash into house during a stream
  • From 2010-2019 Video Games were more profitable than music & movies - A statistic hit us this week saying that video games have been one of the most profitable forms of media from 2010-2019, so shut up Joe Biden!
• (56:04) CDL Hardline Call & Music In Esports - During the Call of Duty League debut there was a strange call against the LA Guerrilla's that ended up costing them a map. Plus, the rap group Shredders performed at the CDL to a...mixed reception. So what type of music is appropriate for esports?
  • Failed It - G2 in CS:GO
•  (1:08:07) Activision Blizzard Esports Partner with Google - Blizzard signed an exclusivity agreement 2 years ago with Twitch for 90 million dollars. Now, all Blizzard and Activision leagues will be streamed exclusively on YouTube. Wonder how much money it took to get that deal done.
• Social Media Question: What game should our boss buy for the Switch?

This week on Checkpoint XP

• Joe Biden Makes Dumb Comments on Video Games & Checkpoint Goes To The Polls - Joe Biden, token senior citizen currently running for the President of the US, has come out again to advocate that video games cause violence and that no person who creates a video game could ever be an artist. Plus, we play a round of Checkpoint Goes To The Polls where we vote on imaginary ballot initiatives. 
  • Close Shave of the Week: C9 Qualifies For IEM Katowice
• Esports News & Hero Bans in Overwatch?
  • Bud Light becomes the LCS’ official beer ahead of the 2020 Spring Split
  • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate champion at Evo Japan will receive Nintendo Switch Pro Controller—not money
  • Twitch is hosting a Super Bowl Fortnite tournament
  • New Overwatch League skin is a homage to the infamous GOATS meta
  • Sneaky leaves C9 to become an Owner\Streamer
  • Soe announces she will host the Overwatch League Desk for 2020
  • Rumors in the Overwatch scene point to incoming hero bans
• Byleth Announced for Super Smash Bros Ultimate & AKA - A brand new character has been revealed for Super Smash Bros Ultimate and ...it's another Fire Emblem character...yay. Plus, Weird Beard has the crew play a game called Also Known As.
  • Nailed It - Outlaws005 Dominates PAX South PRO-AM
• Overwatch League Responds to Recent Criticism - All but 1 of the casting talent at The Overwatch League has departed for the 3rd season and the League has finally responded.
• Video Game News & Pokemon Movie Remake Comes To Netflix
  • Dying Light 2 is the 5th Triple A Game to be Delayed
  • Man Hijacks Airport Information Monitor to play PS4
  • Speedrunners Shatter Zelda: Ocarina of Time Record
  • Cyberpunk 2077 developer says multiplayer won’t be available until after 2021
  • Tencent plans to Buy Funcom
  • TikTok to enter the Gaming Space
  • The movie Pokemon: Mewtwo Strikes Back is being remade into a digital animated movie on Netflix.
• Experiences from PAX South - Robbie got to do some really cool stuff out at PAX South like cast the PAX South PRO-AM with the Houston Outlaws as well as host a panel with The Outlaws.
  • Failed It - Streamer Loses Her Mind About No Subs
• Esports Sees Major Sponsorships - Nike has announced a huge collaboration with T1 for League of Legends. In the same week Overwatch League has released a new apparel line with Jeff Staple.
• Social Media -  What game can’t you live without?