Geeking with the Moms

Nicole, Simone and Stephen talk predictions for the DICE awards. You can probably guess which game Simone wants to win, even though it wasn't even nominated. Then we get into a detailed discussion about asking for refunds for games simply because they're too short, like what's happening with Firewatch. Plus Stephen went to Toy Fair and saw lots of things inlcuding the new Colecovision machine, and an apparently must-buy smart duck.

Stephen Duetzmann from EngagedFamilyGaming.com is joining us as a full-time cast member! He's been a guest once before, but now he's a permanent fixture. Hurrah!

News:

VTech Buys LeapfrogLEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Features New ScenesUbisoft has a Humble BundleToca Boca Takes a Stand For PlayAbleGamers Offers Expansion Packs

And our main course, what Kickstarter means for games. After the failure of the Unsong Story Kickstarter, donors are really upset. Read more about the story on Polygon.

Finally, remember that you can email [email protected] if you want to send us a letter!

Nicole, Linda, and Simone are joined by child psychologist and founder of Learning Works for Kids Dr. Randy Kulman. We talk about the Play Diet, and how parents can work with their kids to find the right amount of gaming to suit their lives.

News:

New LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer looks super cute.President Obama wants computer science taught in all schools.The Panthers will win the Super Bowl, according to Madden.Miitomo and My Nintendo will arrive in March.

Nicole phones in and joins Simone, Linda, and Courtney as we run down this week's gaming news.

There's an interesting discussion to be had about film adaptations of games and what franchise really makes a good movie. Simone thinks that Oxenfree, a new teen thriller, will adapt really well to TV and movies. She's not so optimistic about Assassin's Creed, believe it or not.

News:

ESPN Promotes EsportsPewdiepie's new network, RevelmodeNew Directory for Twitch PlaysFree Omikron With David BowieARK: Survival Evolved Holds a Mod ContestBrian Horton Leaves Crystal DynamicsSupreme Court Will Hear Xbox LawsuitMinecraft Educational EditionXbox One New Dashboard

2015 was a huge year for games, so what is there left to look forward to? We talk about what's coming up in 2016--like Oxenfree, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and...surely there's something Simone is looking forward to, right?

News:

Huge PlayStation SaleGDC Finalists AnnouncedDICE Finalists AnnouncedAwesome Games Done Quick Raises Moolah for CharityEA Workers Get More Parental LeaveSony tries to trademark "Let's Play." Yeah, really.

Also, don't miss our intern Ingrid Hill's awesome article about the games she's looking forward to this year. It's full of cool stuff!

It's good to be back. We have a lot of news this week as we catch up after break. The best news, of course, is that Courtney is playing Assassin's Creed Syndicate.

News:

The year of the Nintendo NXOculus Rift Will Cost $599...But Nobody Knows What the Oculus Rift IsIndependent Games Festival NomineesOver 40 New Games for PlayStation NowRise of the Tomb Raider Comes to PCForbes 30 Under 30 Includes Games AgainHow Educational Games Get FundingTerry Garrett Beats Ocarina of Time After 5 Years

That's it for this week! Simone is playing some new relaxing apps--check out Two Dots. Email us at [email protected] if you have any comments!

On this episode, Simone manages not to talk about Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Jack the Ripper DLC the whole time. Mostly. Ingrid Hill, our new social media person, joins us for the first time because Nicole is disease-ridden.

We also go over our Game of the Year votes for 2015!

News:

Super Smash Bros. Nintendo DirectMore amiibos for SmashNintendo's App Plans and the Nintendo 3DSLeague of Legends viewershipEmotional Game AwardsPS4 Line-up for 2015: Disappointing?Kojima is free!

Hope you liked this episode! Make sure you remember to rate and review us on iTunes.