Game/Life Balance U.S.

By Cody Gough and Jonathan MartinLeisure Video Games

Game/Life Balance U.S. episodes

December 10, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #127: Selling your video games: the final episode
Learn why Jon sold his entire collection of physical video games and consoles, and why his wife is upset with his decision. Jon and Cody’s significant others join them with some surprising perspectives on collecting “things” and the emotional value of physical objects. Tune in for the final episode of Unqualified Gamers before Cody and Jon move on to their next venture, Game/Life Balance U.S.!
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon explain the saga of why Jon decided to sell all of his video games
* Jon’s wife Casey argues that it was a terrible decision for several reasons, including that the decision was made too quickly and that now he’s lost a sense of history from his game collection
* Cody’s girlfriend Casey talks a bit about the relationship between objects and at what point something becomes a “collection”
* Jon debates the utility of simply “having objects” while his wife insists that there’s a connection to those objects that make them more significant
* Cody and Jon both reminisce about some of their fond memories of games, and how much the physical games have to do with the memories associated with them
* Jon’s wife Casey argues that if only digital copies of things matter, then why not just take pictures of everything and get rid of the physical objects?
* Jon and his wife make fun of people who shut down their computers… which Cody admits he does, basically all the time
* Cody offers his Diablo II display case to Jon’s household to make everyone feel better about him getting rid of all of his games, but they instead tentatively settle on a copy of International Track & Field for Playstation
* Cody brings the conversation back around to Steam libraries and collecting games, including the guilt induced from purchasing new games when there are dozens of un-played games in a game library
* Jon reveals one of at least one games that he DID keep, despite selling the vast majority of his collection, and explains why: lack of emulation
* With some of the money he made from selling all of his games, Jon bought a brand-new computer and built it by himself for the first time ever! Hear how smoothly it went
* Cody laments that he has a bunch of old NES games in excellent condition, but they aren’t worth anything—even Castlevania II: Dracula’s Curse in great condition

* Jon discusses the role of emulation in game valuation, and Cody talks about other weird video game artifacts he’s recently found

* Cody and Jon look back at the last 4 years of Unqualified Gamers (which started in January 2012, even though they say it started in January 2011) and reflect on the last few years of adventures together
* Cody thanks many of the listeners and contributors who supported Unqualified Gamers over the years, including the GonnaGeek Network, and he and Jon thank everyone for being so positive and awesome

* Always providing content, Cody explains what listeners can expect in the weeks leading up to the premiere of their new podcast in January 2016

* Cody and Jon explain why they’re ending Unqualified Gamers on the note of selling your video games, then recount the incredible story behind the name of their new podcast, Game/Life Balance U.S. Then hear what to expect when it launches!

1 hr 12 min
December 10, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #127: Selling your video games: the final episode
Learn why Jon sold his entire collection of physical video games and consoles, and why his wife is upset with his decision. Jon and Cody’s significant others join them with some surprising perspectives on collecting “things” and the emotional value of physical objects. Tune in for the final episode of Unqualified Gamers before Cody and Jon move on to their next venture, Game/Life Balance U.S.!
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon explain the saga of why Jon decided to sell all of his video games
* Jon’s wife Casey argues that it was a terrible decision for several reasons, including that the decision was made too quickly and that now he’s lost a sense of history from his game collection
* Cody’s girlfriend Casey talks a bit about the relationship between objects and at what point something becomes a “collection”
* Jon debates the utility of simply “having objects” while his wife insists that there’s a connection to those objects that make them more significant
* Cody and Jon both reminisce about some of their fond memories of games, and how much the physical games have to do with the memories associated with them
* Jon’s wife Casey argues that if only digital copies of things matter, then why not just take pictures of everything and get rid of the physical objects?
* Jon and his wife make fun of people who shut down their computers… which Cody admits he does, basically all the time
* Cody offers his Diablo II display case to Jon’s household to make everyone feel better about him getting rid of all of his games, but they instead tentatively settle on a copy of International Track & Field for Playstation
* Cody brings the conversation back around to Steam libraries and collecting games, including the guilt induced from purchasing new games when there are dozens of un-played games in a game library
* Jon reveals one of at least one games that he DID keep, despite selling the vast majority of his collection, and explains why: lack of emulation
* With some of the money he made from selling all of his games, Jon bought a brand-new computer and built it by himself for the first time ever! Hear how smoothly it went
* Cody laments that he has a bunch of old NES games in excellent condition, but they aren’t worth anything—even Castlevania II: Dracula’s Curse in great condition

* Jon discusses the role of emulation in game valuation, and Cody talks about other weird video game artifacts he’s recently found

* Cody and Jon look back at the last 4 years of Unqualified Gamers (which started in January 2012, even though they say it started in January 2011) and reflect on the last few years of adventures together
* Cody thanks many of the listeners and contributors who supported Unqualified Gamers over the years, including the GonnaGeek Network, and he and Jon thank everyone for being so positive and awesome

* Always providing content, Cody explains what listeners can expect in the weeks leading up to the premiere of their new podcast in January 2016

* Cody and Jon explain why they’re ending Unqualified Gamers on the note of selling your video games, then recount the incredible story behind the name of their new podcast, Game/Life Balance U.S. Then hear what to expect when it launches!

1 hr 12 min
December 03, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #126: Worldwide Nuclear Disarmament in Metal Gear Solid V: Philosophers versus Patriots
Cody discusses the concept and efforts behind worldwide nuclear disarmament in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, including efforts from Reddit communities to participate in one of the biggest metagames he’s seen since Twitch Plays Pokemon. Then, he and Jon have a MAJOR announcement about the future of Unqualified Gamers!
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon discuss whether 127 is a prime number (it is) in a moment of ominous foreshadowing
* Cody explains how nuclear weapons work (kind of) in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and the inner workings of Konami’s “worldwide nuclear disarmament” event online

* Members of two subreddits, /r/MetalGearPhilanthropy (which Cody mistakenly calls Metal Gear Philosophers throughout the episode) and /r/MetalGearPatriots, are particularly active in vying for disarmament and proliferation, respectively
* Cody references “mainstream” pickup of the event, including WIRED and Ars Technica
* Jon compares the event to events in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs)

* Meanwhile, in real life, Cody and Jon actually saw each other in the flesh over Thanksgiving! Hear them recap their turkey day weekends, including Cody seeing Jon’s son running around and being hilarious
* Hear why Jon is still playing Final Fantasy XIV, and what his latest plans are for his PC gaming life

* PC building with Jonathan Martin

* Cody and Jon make a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT regarding the future of Unqualified Gamers

* You will not want to miss next week’s episode, for anything, no matter what

* Also on the GonnaGeek Network this week, check out Legends of S.H.I.E.L.D. Episode #99 and All Things Good and Nerdy Episode #187: Clever Cosplay Returns

38 min
December 03, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #126: Worldwide Nuclear Disarmament in Metal Gear Solid V: Philosophers versus Patriots
Cody discusses the concept and efforts behind worldwide nuclear disarmament in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, including efforts from Reddit communities to participate in one of the biggest metagames he’s seen since Twitch Plays Pokemon. Then, he and Jon have a MAJOR announcement about the future of Unqualified Gamers!
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon discuss whether 127 is a prime number (it is) in a moment of ominous foreshadowing
* Cody explains how nuclear weapons work (kind of) in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and the inner workings of Konami’s “worldwide nuclear disarmament” event online

* Members of two subreddits, /r/MetalGearPhilanthropy (which Cody mistakenly calls Metal Gear Philosophers throughout the episode) and /r/MetalGearPatriots, are particularly active in vying for disarmament and proliferation, respectively
* Cody references “mainstream” pickup of the event, including WIRED and Ars Technica
* Jon compares the event to events in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs)

* Meanwhile, in real life, Cody and Jon actually saw each other in the flesh over Thanksgiving! Hear them recap their turkey day weekends, including Cody seeing Jon’s son running around and being hilarious
* Hear why Jon is still playing Final Fantasy XIV, and what his latest plans are for his PC gaming life

* PC building with Jonathan Martin

* Cody and Jon make a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT regarding the future of Unqualified Gamers

* You will not want to miss next week’s episode, for anything, no matter what

* Also on the GonnaGeek Network this week, check out Legends of S.H.I.E.L.D. Episode #99 and All Things Good and Nerdy Episode #187: Clever Cosplay Returns

38 min
November 19, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #125: Downloadable content woes, featuring Star Wars Battlefront & Metal Gear Solid V
Jon has a bone to pick with the upcoming downloadable content release schedule for Star Wars Battlefront, and Cody debates with him whether Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is guilty of DLC misdeeds.
Show Notes:

* Photo credit: Marco Verch via Flickr
* Jon recounts the tale of one man’s ridiculous customer service experience with Sony

* Cody counter-points with some good customer service experiences he’s had with Sony, which somehow leads to Jon talking about a subscription he has that allows him to listen to old baseball games… which is completely pointless
* Jon is not a fan of how difficult it is to unsubscribe from basically anything on the iTunes Store
* Jon claims that if you get a “dumb” customer service representative, sometimes you can get totally screwed
* Cody posits that stupidity isn’t the only thing that can affect your customer service experience, as many people are great and many people are just kind of terrible people
* Jon and Cody argue about whether they’re even arguing at this point in the customer service conversation

* They transition into downloadable content (DLC) discussion mode, starting with a reference to the atrocious DLC in Plants vs. Zombies 2: Garden Warfare
* Jon gives a primer on the Battlefield video game series, since Star Wars Battlefront is essentially a Battlefield game and the third game in the Star Wars: Battlefront series
* Jon explains the $50 Season Pass available to order pre-release, and why he thinks that’s too expensive and splits the player base too dramatically

* Is the initial offering for the game too thin at $60 for a game that’s been in development for a very long time? Cody doesn’t think it is, and discusses with Jon

* Cody discusses his history with the Call of Duty DLC map packs and how dissatisfied he was with the maps
* Jon compares Destiny’s latest expansions to the price of the season pass to highlight its absurdity to him, and Cody argues why the content is “worth it” to some
* In Cody’s world, it’s just as offensive to have spent $20 on a game like Gone Home as it is to spend fifty bucks on some DLC, then reminisces on his multiplayer days playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 3 with his friends
* Jon concedes that he is probably “just old” and seamlessly transitions into a discussion on in-app / in-game purchases, which seem a little more frightening

* Cody helps enable the most seamless transition basically ever

* Cody explains the online multiplayer in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, including Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), your staff, R&D, and offense/defense when infiltrating bases in multiplayer mode

* Jon is a fan… up until Cody starts talking about how you can buy insurance, using real-world money, to “insure” your virtual characters from being captured by online adversaries

* The verdict is out regarding exactly whom is the target of the game...
1 hr 3 min
November 19, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #125: Downloadable content woes, featuring Star Wars Battlefront & Metal Gear Solid V
Jon has a bone to pick with the upcoming downloadable content release schedule for Star Wars Battlefront, and Cody debates with him whether Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is guilty of DLC misdeeds.
Show Notes:

* Photo credit: Marco Verch via Flickr
* Jon recounts the tale of one man’s ridiculous customer service experience with Sony

* Cody counter-points with some good customer service experiences he’s had with Sony, which somehow leads to Jon talking about a subscription he has that allows him to listen to old baseball games… which is completely pointless
* Jon is not a fan of how difficult it is to unsubscribe from basically anything on the iTunes Store
* Jon claims that if you get a “dumb” customer service representative, sometimes you can get totally screwed
* Cody posits that stupidity isn’t the only thing that can affect your customer service experience, as many people are great and many people are just kind of terrible people
* Jon and Cody argue about whether they’re even arguing at this point in the customer service conversation

* They transition into downloadable content (DLC) discussion mode, starting with a reference to the atrocious DLC in Plants vs. Zombies 2: Garden Warfare
* Jon gives a primer on the Battlefield video game series, since Star Wars Battlefront is essentially a Battlefield game and the third game in the Star Wars: Battlefront series
* Jon explains the $50 Season Pass available to order pre-release, and why he thinks that’s too expensive and splits the player base too dramatically

* Is the initial offering for the game too thin at $60 for a game that’s been in development for a very long time? Cody doesn’t think it is, and discusses with Jon

* Cody discusses his history with the Call of Duty DLC map packs and how dissatisfied he was with the maps
* Jon compares Destiny’s latest expansions to the price of the season pass to highlight its absurdity to him, and Cody argues why the content is “worth it” to some
* In Cody’s world, it’s just as offensive to have spent $20 on a game like Gone Home as it is to spend fifty bucks on some DLC, then reminisces on his multiplayer days playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 3 with his friends
* Jon concedes that he is probably “just old” and seamlessly transitions into a discussion on in-app / in-game purchases, which seem a little more frightening

* Cody helps enable the most seamless transition basically ever

* Cody explains the online multiplayer in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, including Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), your staff, R&D, and offense/defense when infiltrating bases in multiplayer mode

* Jon is a fan… up until Cody starts talking about how you can buy insurance, using real-world money, to “insure” your virtual characters from being captured by online adversaries

* The verdict is out regarding exactly whom is the target of the game...
1 hr 3 min
November 05, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #124: Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below review
Jon reviews Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, including a brief history of the Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior franchise and a primer on Musou games. Plus, Cody has an exciting announcement about the future of Unqualified Gamers!
Photo credit: gullevek via Flickr
Show Notes:

* Jon briefly mentions Google’s addition of podcasts to Google Play Music, which is a big deal for the world of podcasting
* Cody teases an announcement, which Jon fears may be an announcement of an announcement, which may just end up being a bunch of Vaguebooking
* Jon talks about his internet connection, which is running at a slow speed of legendary proportions, although you’ll really only notice if you’re watching the video of this podcast on YouTube
* Jon gives a feature-length Dragon Quest Heroes review, starting with an overview of the relationship of the Dragon Quest series with North American audiences, including when in 1990, Nintendo Power ran a promotion packaging a free copy of Dragon Warrior with a paid yearly subscription

* Jon discusses Musou games in general, then gives a review rife with comparisons to Hyrule Warriors, which Cody talked about on basically a zillion episodes in a row in the past
* In a surprising twist, although Jon likes Dragon Quest Heroes more than Hyrule Warriors in general, he does point out one thing he misses from the WiiU game from his past

* An unexpected, accidental seamless transition finds Cody briefly mentioning a bachelor party and how he brought his WiiU to play Smash Bros. with friends, and ended up playing Hyrule Warriors in an airport
* PSA: Cody reminds the listener that neither he nor Jon advocate drinking and driving
* Without giving any details, Cody briefly mentions that he is still playing Metal Gear Solid V, and just over 70 hours into the game, he has finally unlocked multiplayer mode (and maintains a game completion rate of less than 40%)
* Cody promotes All Things Good and Nerdy Episode 183 “Halloween Hangover” and the series finale of Voices of Defiance, both fellow podcasts on the GonnaGeek Network
* Jon brings up the fact that there’s going to be a new Star Trek television series, which he simply hopes won’t be as bad as Enterprise, which he hated; Cody remains neutral on the matter for various reasons
* Cody finally makes the first official announcement about an upcoming change with the podcast—tune in to future episodes to learn more details!

44 min
November 05, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #124: Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below review
Jon reviews Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, including a brief history of the Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior franchise and a primer on Musou games. Plus, Cody has an...
44 min
October 29, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #123: Broforce review with Casey and Russian Jon
Cody is joined by occasional co-hosts Casey and comedian Russian Jon for a joint Broforce review, a game described as an “assault on the senses,” patriotic hyperbole, and more.
Photo credit: Czar via Wikipedia
37 min
October 29, 2015 U.Gamers Podcast #123: Broforce review with Casey and Russian Jon
Cody is joined by occasional co-hosts Casey and comedian Russian Jon for a joint Broforce review, a game described as an “assault on the senses,” patriotic hyperbole, and more. Photo credit: Czar via Wikipedia
37 min

About Game/Life Balance U.S.

From the publisher's feed

How do you save the world from space aliens while learning how to change a diaper? Join childhood frienemies Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin as they try to answer that question — while…