Game/Life Balance U.S.

By Cody Gough and Jonathan MartinLeisure Video Games

Game/Life Balance U.S. episodes

July 21, 2016 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn review and MMORPG history: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 024
Cody bit the bullet and started playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, his first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). He and Jon welcome special guest and FFXIV fanatic Brad to talk about the game, MMOs, and more.

Show Notes:

* Jon tries to trick Brad, this episode’s special guest, into thinking they’re actually going to talk about pro wrestling for an hour
* Cody and Jon welcome special guest Brad to the program, since he’s been playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn since its inception and thus knows a ridiculous amount about the game and its extremely unique history
* Full Gamer

* Jon explains a bit about the massively multiplayer online RPG (MMORPG) genre and typical play styles of its players
* Brad explains the history of Final Fantasy XIV and why its initial release was unsuccessful, including graphical limitations and experience point caps
* Learn why Square Enix decided to try to re-launch the game and how they listened to fan feedback rather than simply shut it down
* Hear about the final days of the “original” release of Final Fantasy XIV, and how a cataclysmic event was coordinated with their server shutdown timeline to create an awesome in-game epic battle that served as an “ending” to the game before it was re-launched
* Jon discusses his MMORPG history, including Everquest and World of Warcraft, and how it impacts his view of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, especially considering the social aspect of the games
* Brad and Jon agree that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a World of Warcraft “clone” in a way, based on its carrot-on-a-stick adventure/reward system
* The biggest differentiation between FFXIV and other MMORPGs from a gameplay perspective is that you can “do everything” and master multiple classes, which is not possible in many other MMOs
* Why did neither Cody nor Brad enjoy World of Warcraft when they played a free trial, but they were hooked when they played a similar (to a newcomer) Final Fantasy MMO?
* The story in World of Warcraft “is there if you want to engage with it as the player,” but it’s not integral, according to Jon, as opposed to the highly integrated and elaborate story in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
* Brad and Cody discuss some of the amazing puns in the game and the clear care taken to make story elements entertaining and memorable, including Metal Gear Solid references of all things
* Everyone gushes about how awesome the soundtrack is, and why you should probably listen to it on YouTube
* To add some balance to the conversation, Jon mentions a few features in the game that he didn’t know about until very late in the game, such as unclear quest indicators and other minor “unexplained” systems that make it more difficult to play certain classes due to the fact that it’s a more complicated game than WoW and other MMOs
* Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is coming to Xbox One! Cody explains why it took so long, and when it will become available
* Brad tells a hilarious story about a raid partner named Arnold Schwarzenegger whom most of the players on his server blocked at some point
* Jon briefly discusses Free Companies (FFXIV) versus Guilds (WoW) and Level Sync in FFXIV, and Brad talks about how Level Sync works in later raids and dungeons
* Brad talks about the most hardcore raid parties and how they literally schedule their lives around playing FFXIV raids

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
1 hr 13 min
July 21, 2016 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn review and MMORPG history: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 024
Cody bit the bullet and started playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, his first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). He and Jon welcome special guest and FFXIV fanatic Brad to talk about the game, MMOs, and more.

Show Notes:

* Jon tries to trick Brad, this episode’s special guest, into thinking they’re actually going to talk about pro wrestling for an hour
* Cody and Jon welcome special guest Brad to the program, since he’s been playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn since its inception and thus knows a ridiculous amount about the game and its extremely unique history
* Full Gamer

* Jon explains a bit about the massively multiplayer online RPG (MMORPG) genre and typical play styles of its players
* Brad explains the history of Final Fantasy XIV and why its initial release was unsuccessful, including graphical limitations and experience point caps
* Learn why Square Enix decided to try to re-launch the game and how they listened to fan feedback rather than simply shut it down
* Hear about the final days of the “original” release of Final Fantasy XIV, and how a cataclysmic event was coordinated with their server shutdown timeline to create an awesome in-game epic battle that served as an “ending” to the game before it was re-launched
* Jon discusses his MMORPG history, including Everquest and World of Warcraft, and how it impacts his view of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, especially considering the social aspect of the games
* Brad and Jon agree that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a World of Warcraft “clone” in a way, based on its carrot-on-a-stick adventure/reward system
* The biggest differentiation between FFXIV and other MMORPGs from a gameplay perspective is that you can “do everything” and master multiple classes, which is not possible in many other MMOs
* Why did neither Cody nor Brad enjoy World of Warcraft when they played a free trial, but they were hooked when they played a similar (to a newcomer) Final Fantasy MMO?
* The story in World of Warcraft “is there if you want to engage with it as the player,” but it’s not integral, according to Jon, as opposed to the highly integrated and elaborate story in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
* Brad and Cody discuss some of the amazing puns in the game and the clear care taken to make story elements entertaining and memorable, including Metal Gear Solid references of all things
* Everyone gushes about how awesome the soundtrack is, and why you should probably listen to it on YouTube
* To add some balance to the conversation, Jon mentions a few features in the game that he didn’t know about until very late in the game, such as unclear quest indicators and other minor “unexplained” systems that make it more difficult to play certain classes due to the fact that it’s a more complicated game than WoW and other MMOs
* Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is coming to Xbox One! Cody explains why it took so long, and when it will become available
* Brad tells a hilarious story about a raid partner named Arnold Schwarzenegger whom most of the players on his server blocked at some point
* Jon briefly discusses Free Companies (FFXIV) versus Guilds (WoW) and Level Sync in FFXIV, and Brad talks about how Level Sync works in later raids and dungeons
* Brad talks about the most hardcore raid parties and how they literally schedule their lives around playing FFXIV raids

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel,
1 hr 13 min
July 11, 2016 Live from Podcast Movement 2016 with Signl.fm: Game/Life Balance U.S. Special Episode
In this special bite-sized podcast, Cody sits down with Kim Hansen of Signl.fm to discuss her podcasting platform and share some fun stories from her background in the video game industry.

Show Notes:

* Cody thanks Buzzsprout for letting him use their equipment at Podcast Movement 2016
* Cody introduces Kim Hansen, CEO of Signl.fm, and she talks a bit about Signl.fm and its features (“Twitch for podcasting”)

* Learn about how Signl.fm can help with podcast monetization, live streaming and listener engagement, transcription with IBM Watson, and more!

* Kim also used to work for Bioware, and has some cool stories about her time working on Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 (in addition to some other cool games that weren’t necessarily ever released)

* Fun fact: Mass Effect 2 had the fewest launch bugs of any Bioware property (at the time it was launched)
* Kim also tells an awesome story about the Xbox achievements in the first Mass Effect game and helping gamers with strategy

* Cody throws some shade at NPR for being ridiculously successful in the world of podcasting, as he learned during the week at Podcast Movement 2016
* Kim also discusses her role in developing the game Everlove: Rose, a narrative game of romance and mystery that was shockingly well-received, for a pretty entertaining reason
* What was her favorite part of visiting Chicago? Tune in to find out!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

15 min
July 11, 2016 Live from Podcast Movement 2016 with Signl.fm: Game/Life Balance U.S. Special Episode
In this special bite-sized podcast, Cody sits down with Kim Hansen of Signl.fm to discuss her podcasting platform and share some fun stories from her background in the video game industry.

Show Notes:

* Cody thanks Buzzsprout for letting him use their equipment at Podcast Movement 2016
* Cody introduces Kim Hansen, CEO of Signl.fm, and she talks a bit about Signl.fm and its features (“Twitch for podcasting”)

* Learn about how Signl.fm can help with podcast monetization, live streaming and listener engagement, transcription with IBM Watson, and more!

* Kim also used to work for Bioware, and has some cool stories about her time working on Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 (in addition to some other cool games that weren’t necessarily ever released)

* Fun fact: Mass Effect 2 had the fewest launch bugs of any Bioware property (at the time it was launched)
* Kim also tells an awesome story about the Xbox achievements in the first Mass Effect game and helping gamers with strategy

* Cody throws some shade at NPR for being ridiculously successful in the world of podcasting, as he learned during the week at Podcast Movement 2016
* Kim also discusses her role in developing the game Everlove: Rose, a narrative game of romance and mystery that was shockingly well-received, for a pretty entertaining reason
* What was her favorite part of visiting Chicago? Tune in to find out!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

15 min
July 07, 2016 Independence Day Weekend 2016 with Guns N’ Roses: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 023
Jon and Cody discuss their Independence Day weekend, complete with illegal fireworks displays, The Book of Mormon, and the Guns N’ Roses “Not in This Lifetime…” tour. Plus, hear about a bizarre Anime called Belladonna of Sadness and a check-in with Summer Games Done Quick 2016.

Show Notes:

* Following a raucous Independence Day weekend, Jon and Cody reflect on their feelings about fireworks, which are strangely similar despite Jon being a cranky old man at this point in his life
* Life Stuff

* Cody saw The Book of Mormon in Chicago, and it was worth every penny
* Cody also saw Guns N’ Roses perform at Soldier field on both Friday, July 1, and Sunday, July 3

* Oddities

* Cody discusses Belladonna of Sadness, an obscure 1973 Anime with a highly sexual plot that he saw at the very hipster Music Box Theatre in Chicago
* Jon discusses Summer Games Done Quick, a charity speedrunning marathon taking place July 3-9, 2016

* Cody will be attending Podcast Movement Chicago 2016, so keep an eye out for him!
* Cody will also be co-hosting an upcoming episode of Game/Life Balance Australia, so be sure to follow that show for updates!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

1 hr 5 min
July 07, 2016 Independence Day Weekend 2016 with Guns N’ Roses: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 023
Jon and Cody discuss their Independence Day weekend, complete with illegal fireworks displays, The Book of Mormon, and the Guns N’ Roses “Not in This Lifetime…” tour. Plus, hear about a bizarre Anime called Belladonna of Sadness and a check-in with Summer Games Done Quick 2016.

Show Notes:

* Following a raucous Independence Day weekend, Jon and Cody reflect on their feelings about fireworks, which are strangely similar despite Jon being a cranky old man at this point in his life
* Life Stuff

* Cody saw The Book of Mormon in Chicago, and it was worth every penny
* Cody also saw Guns N’ Roses perform at Soldier field on both Friday, July 1, and Sunday, July 3

* Oddities

* Cody discusses Belladonna of Sadness, an obscure 1973 Anime with a highly sexual plot that he saw at the very hipster Music Box Theatre in Chicago
* Jon discusses Summer Games Done Quick, a charity speedrunning marathon taking place July 3-9, 2016

* Cody will be attending Podcast Movement Chicago 2016, so keep an eye out for him!
* Cody will also be co-hosting an upcoming episode of Game/Life Balance Australia, so be sure to follow that show for updates!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

1 hr 5 min
June 23, 2016 Mighty No. 9 Launch, Kickstarter Fails, and Booking Air Travel: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 022
Jon and Cody discuss the epic tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, plus other Kickstarter projects they’ve backed in the past. Then, Cody launches into a tangent about the Tremors movie series, Jon talks about Father’s Day, and Cody shares some tips and tricks for booking international travel online.

Show Notes:

* Jon tells the sad tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, which underwhelmed and under-delivered in more ways than thought possible

* Cody shares his history backing video games on Kickstarter and why he doesn’t closely follow Kickstarter campaigns after he’s funded them (especially after the Mighty No. 9 launch going the way it did after so much hype)
* Jon and Cody briefly discuss Exploding Kittens briefly, which is one of the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time

* Somehow Cody gets on the topic of Tremors 5, a fifth movie in the Tremors film series that actually happened in 2015

* Cody refuses to let Jon change the subject, instead launching into a brief ranking of every Tremors film, which is relevant to roughly nobody

* Life Stuff

* Jon wishes himself and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia a Happy Father’s Day, then talks about how he ate ribs on Father’s Day like he does literally every year that he has ever recorded a podcast with Cody
* In addition to patting himself on the back for being an awesome dad, Jon also tells yet another story of how his son is constantly trying to find ways of destroying himself, this time involving a hilarious habit with swimming pools
* Cody saw Flight of the Conchords at Millennium Park, and literally refuses to believe that Jon has never heard of them, because that is a stupid thing for him to have never heard of
* Jon received the most domestic male gift in history for Father’s Day

* More Life Stuff

* Cody explains his summer travel plans and what an airline means when it offers a “mystery deal,” which he actually did for the first time
* The airline itinerary mystery deal Cody found on Kayak directed him to Vayama, which offered a full 100% refund if he canceled his transaction within one hour of booking his three flights… and it actually worked!
* Naturally, Jon argues that Cody probably won’t get his money back, because he’s an awful person. The previous sentence can be read one of two ways, and either are probably accurate
* In the end, Cody ended up booking his overseas flights on JustFly, which also had good customer service—so check it out!

* Both Cody and Jon lament that they didn’t have a ton of adventures to recount on this episode, but preview an action-packed summer of podcasting coming soon
* Cody tries to explain a very complicated but difficult to communicate joke between him and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia, which involves Costume Quest and gifting video games—leading, naturally, to another argument between him and Jon, whom he feels is just lying at this point (and please note that this sentence can also be read one of two ways)
* Learn how to connect with us on the
42 min
June 23, 2016 Mighty No. 9 Launch, Kickstarter Fails, and Booking Air Travel: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 022
Jon and Cody discuss the epic tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, plus other Kickstarter projects they’ve backed in the past. Then, Cody launches into a tangent about the Tremors movie series, Jon talks about Father’s Day, and Cody shares some tips and tricks for booking international travel online.

Show Notes:

* Jon tells the sad tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, which underwhelmed and under-delivered in more ways than thought possible

* Cody shares his history backing video games on Kickstarter and why he doesn’t closely follow Kickstarter campaigns after he’s funded them (especially after the Mighty No. 9 launch going the way it did after so much hype)
* Jon and Cody briefly discuss Exploding Kittens briefly, which is one of the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time

* Somehow Cody gets on the topic of Tremors 5, a fifth movie in the Tremors film series that actually happened in 2015

* Cody refuses to let Jon change the subject, instead launching into a brief ranking of every Tremors film, which is relevant to roughly nobody

* Life Stuff

* Jon wishes himself and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia a Happy Father’s Day, then talks about how he ate ribs on Father’s Day like he does literally every year that he has ever recorded a podcast with Cody
* In addition to patting himself on the back for being an awesome dad, Jon also tells yet another story of how his son is constantly trying to find ways of destroying himself, this time involving a hilarious habit with swimming pools
* Cody saw Flight of the Conchords at Millennium Park, and literally refuses to believe that Jon has never heard of them, because that is a stupid thing for him to have never heard of
* Jon received the most domestic male gift in history for Father’s Day

* More Life Stuff

* Cody explains his summer travel plans and what an airline means when it offers a “mystery deal,” which he actually did for the first time
* The airline itinerary mystery deal Cody found on Kayak directed him to Vayama, which offered a full 100% refund if he canceled his transaction within one hour of booking his three flights… and it actually worked!
* Naturally, Jon argues that Cody probably won’t get his money back, because he’s an awful person. The previous sentence can be read one of two ways, and either are probably accurate
* In the end, Cody ended up booking his overseas flights on JustFly, which also had good customer service—so check it out!

* Both Cody and Jon lament that they didn’t have a ton of adventures to recount on this episode, but preview an action-packed summer of podcasting coming soon
* Cody tries to explain a very complicated but difficult to communicate joke between him and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia, which involves Costume Quest and gifting video games—leading, naturally, to another argument between him and Jon, whom he feels is just lying at this point (and please note that this sentence can also be read one of two ways)
* Learn how to connect with us on the
42 min
June 09, 2016 Martin-Con 2016 board game reviews: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 021
Cody and Jon played a ton of board games at “Martin-Con” 2016 in Minneapolis, and they have a lot to say about them! Hear them delve into several board game reviews, then review X-Men: Apocalypse and talk a little Jessica Jones on Netflix.

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon explain the legacy of “Martin-Con,” the annual tradition of Jon hosting their friends to play a bunch of board games, and how it has grown over the years
* A serious discussion of “root brews,” involving mason jars, cans, pints, drafts, and obviously Cody not having literally any idea what he’s talking about (hear also something about blokes)
* Cody pitches some ideas for growing Martin-Con in the future, regardless of how Jon feels about it
* Cody attempts to open the next segment dramatically, and it goes hilarious wrong
* Full Gamer

* Board game reviews abound as Cody and Jon discuss several games they played!
* Chaos in the Old World: Cody played this game last year, but Jon played it without him this year because he’s a jerk. It’s a good game for advanced gamers, and super fun! It’s also where Jon got his son’s former nickname
* Avalon: A Werewolf-like game that Cody and Jon have played about a zillion times, which is extremely accessible to any group of people (Cody even played with his girlfriend’s family last year!)
* Last Night On Earth: Jon insists that this game “can be fun,” and Cody completely disagrees. Cody compares it to Eldritch Horror in a way, which he says is a bad thing, while Jon compares it positively and claims it’s a good thing (Jon is obviously wrong)
* Roll for the Galaxy: A game that Cody played and Jon didn’t, which means that of course Cody gives it an average review, since he’s super critical of every game ever in this podcast (and also probably not very good at them)
* Sheriff of Nottingham: Neither Jon nor Cody actually played this game at Martin-Con, but Jon did “referee” the game and said that everyone had a ton of fun and that it’s super easy and accessible and fun
* Citadels: Another game that both Cody and Jon played, it’s another really accessible game but has a deceptively deep strategy element; somehow, Cody won this game, so of course he highly recommends it for basically anyone (especially since it’s a pretty quick game)
* Battlestar Galactica: The review of this game is extremely complicated, so you’ll just have to listen to hear what they have to say about it… and there is a lot to say!

* Following their foray into board game reviews, Cody and Jon briefly talk X-Men: Apocalypse, which is a movie that they actually feel the same way about, both because of the flow of the film and because of the plot

* Jon goes on a random tangent about Jessica Jones, which he saw about half of, and Cody briefly compares and contrasts the first season of both that and Daredevil on Netflix

1 hr 2 min
June 09, 2016 Martin-Con 2016 board game reviews: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 021
Cody and Jon played a ton of board games at “Martin-Con” 2016 in Minneapolis, and they have a lot to say about them! Hear them delve into several board game reviews, then review X-Men: Apocalypse and talk a little Jessica Jones on Netflix.

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon explain the legacy of “Martin-Con,” the annual tradition of Jon hosting their friends to play a bunch of board games, and how it has grown over the years
* A serious discussion of “root brews,” involving mason jars, cans, pints, drafts, and obviously Cody not having literally any idea what he’s talking about (hear also something about blokes)
* Cody pitches some ideas for growing Martin-Con in the future, regardless of how Jon feels about it
* Cody attempts to open the next segment dramatically, and it goes hilarious wrong
* Full Gamer

* Board game reviews abound as Cody and Jon discuss several games they played!
* Chaos in the Old World: Cody played this game last year, but Jon played it without him this year because he’s a jerk. It’s a good game for advanced gamers, and super fun! It’s also where Jon got his son’s former nickname
* Avalon: A Werewolf-like game that Cody and Jon have played about a zillion times, which is extremely accessible to any group of people (Cody even played with his girlfriend’s family last year!)
* Last Night On Earth: Jon insists that this game “can be fun,” and Cody completely disagrees. Cody compares it to Eldritch Horror in a way, which he says is a bad thing, while Jon compares it positively and claims it’s a good thing (Jon is obviously wrong)
* Roll for the Galaxy: A game that Cody played and Jon didn’t, which means that of course Cody gives it an average review, since he’s super critical of every game ever in this podcast (and also probably not very good at them)
* Sheriff of Nottingham: Neither Jon nor Cody actually played this game at Martin-Con, but Jon did “referee” the game and said that everyone had a ton of fun and that it’s super easy and accessible and fun
* Citadels: Another game that both Cody and Jon played, it’s another really accessible game but has a deceptively deep strategy element; somehow, Cody won this game, so of course he highly recommends it for basically anyone (especially since it’s a pretty quick game)
* Battlestar Galactica: The review of this game is extremely complicated, so you’ll just have to listen to hear what they have to say about it… and there is a lot to say!

* Following their foray into board game reviews, Cody and Jon briefly talk X-Men: Apocalypse, which is a movie that they actually feel the same way about, both because of the flow of the film and because of the plot

* Jon goes on a random tangent about Jessica Jones, which he saw about half of, and Cody briefly compares and contrasts the first season of both that and Daredevil on Netflix

1 hr 2 min

About Game/Life Balance U.S.

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