Middle Aged Gaming

Hello Middle Aged Gamers!

The summer is slowly fading to an end.

Luckily for us though, we have some shiny new release to help us beat the gloom of the approaching fall.

Come and listen to Adam, Phil and Antoine as they are discussing the next 3 titles to play this year!

Make sure to leave us a comment and tell us which future release you are exited about!

It’s time for another eyebrow-raising episode from MiddleAgedGaming for your audio pleasure. This week’s topic is the Esports phenomenon that has turned the gaming world into a spectator frenzy. All three major genres of FPS, RTS and fighting style games are considered, alongside wider implications of e-sports on game development or evolution. 

Phil - Starcraft 2

Starcraft was one of Blizzard’s greatest pre-World of Warcraft success stories that introduced the world of Terran, Protos and Zerg. Kerrigan returned in Starcraft 2, in a game that received favourable nods from plaudits. 11 years after it’s release and Starcraft 2 still has a strong following, but how much does region and location play a factor in this? 

Antoine - Valorant 

Relatively new to the Esports world, Valorant is a FPS from the same developers of League of Legends and is structured in a way to capture the hearts and souls of Counterstrike, Overwatch and Fortnite players. Is this a rising star that will rise to the top of the commercial world, or is it poised to struggle in an over Saturdays market? 

Adam - Super Smash Ultimate

Nintento’s iconic fighter game has seen multiple editions with characters draw from across the extensive Nintendo back catalogue. To what degree has Super Smash evolved into the ideal game to bring in viewer crowds? How much of an Esports game is provided by nature vs nurture? 

Not everyone's a gambler, but for better or worse it's become a big part of gaming. In today's episode, three of our hosts give their two cents on the value of loot boxes and their place in the industry.

Antoine's Pick

Injustice 2

You ever wonder what the world would be like if Superman was the bad guy? Yeah, that'd suck... would make a great game though! Injustice 2 is a fighter that sees all your favorite heros and villians duking it out to determine who is the strongest of them all. Sorry, Batman. No prep time on this one.

Phil's Pick

FIFA (series)

We might not argree on the terminology, but there's no denying that football is a world wide sensation. FIFA sees the game being brought off the pitch (or "field" for you Americans) and into your living room.

Adam's Pick

League of Legends

The grandfather of MOBAs, League of Legends is still going strong today. What's more, it's one of the original pioneers in the current free-to-play gaming model that has become popular in games like Fortnite and Apex Legends. For something that costs $0 to become so lucrative, they must be doing something right.

Hello everyone, it’s Crian and I am back with another episode where I am the star. Just kidding! In today’s episode we once more dive into the endless sloshing ocean that is live service games. This week’s episode is entitled: “Living La Live Service Loca.” It was recorded on July 20th, 2021 Today each person has chosen a live service game or their interpretation of a live service game. They will explain how they interpreted today’s topic and then give us their viewpoint and take on live service gaming. We conclude the show talking about the hot topic i.e The Steam Deck and the plans for the week and an exciting new topic for the podcast next week. A side note, this will be my last episode for a while until I can re-balance my schedule. Until then, you will have the pleasure of listening to Adam, Phil and Antoine.

Games Covered Today:

1.   Outriders

2.   Crossout

3.   Naraka Bladepoint

4.   Hearthstone: United in Stormwind

How are you? What are you playing these days?

Yes, I am talking to you audience!

Today we want to talk about gaming together. Y’all have seen Crian and Adam game once. Phil and Antoine and doing it more frequently. But coop gaming is something special. Be it with your partner, brothers or just random people online.

Join us in this podcast to get the MAG team insights on Co-op Gaming!

Hello Folks and welcome back to Middle Aged Gaming. As you may have heard in previous podcast and videos, I am in serious need of upgrading my microphone. Crian is kind enough to join me in my shopping today. The requirements are easy, what’s the best bang for my buck at less than 100 CAD$. I already shortlisted 2 mics which are the HyperX SoloCast and the Razer Seiren Mini. I am a complete novice when it comes to microphones so while comparing these mics, we will also review what makes a good mic.

It’s every American’s favourite birthday, July 4th, and our resident American host has chosen ‘spin-off’ games for today’s theme. Crian, Adam, Antoine, and Phil discuss a variety of games that have broken free from the shackles of their oppressive feature titles. Is it a case of who dares, wins… or… if it’s not broken, don’t fix it? 

Antoine: Pokemon Snap

Who can resist the need to throw things at cute cuddly creatures for your own perverse pleasure? With the recent release of New Pokemon Snap on Switch, Antoine reminisces about the joyful days of the original N64 Pokemon Snap. 

Phil: Until Dawn: Rush of Blood

Until Dawn and it’s sequel are PS4 titles designed to get your blood pumping in a homage to 90s style slasher films; however, the original butterfly system gave way to a roller-coaster VR experience. But, how effectively did the spin-off embrace its potential? 

Adam:  Metal Gear Survive

1998’s Metal Gear Solid returned in a variety of sequels which were designed to test the players ability to sneak and stealth their way through sticky situations. Who can go wrong by throwing in a parallel dimension with zombies and tower defences? Apparently, Konami can, with this underperforming title. 

Crian: Dragon Quest Builders 2

Returning to last weeks publisher, Square Enix, Crian discusses this sandbox hack-and-slash spin-off which received positive reviews from most critics. So, where did the game improve and how successful were the changes? 

It's hip to be a square, and that's why today's episode is dedicated to four games from the Square Enix catalog that our four hosts have yet to play. Do any of our choices catch your fancy? Let us know in the comments:

Adam's Game: NEO: The world ends with you

A sequel to the 2007 NDS hit, NEO: The World Ends with You sees you playing the "Reapers Game" in order to A) be granted any wish and B) not be erased from existence. The stakes are high and you'll be playing for keeps in this psychokinetic beat-em-up.

Antoine's Game: The Tomb Raider Trilogy

She's no spring chicken, but our girl Lara Croft still has a few tricks up her sleeves. Rebooted in 2015, the Tomb Raider series has only gotten better with age. And like a fine French wine, Antoine knows quality when he sees it.

Phil's Game: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Althought it may not be his usual cup of tea, something about this game still managed to catch Phil's eye. The characters may not share the same familiar faces we've grown accustomed to on the big screen, but that doesn't mean they don't ooze the same charisma.

Crian's Game

Alright, this one is a bit of a misnomer. Crian forwent his choice in game to instead catch us up on some recent news and catching up on what everyone's been up to the last few weeks.

Hello

everyone, it’s Crian and I am back with another episode edited my way. What way

is that, I am not sure but let’s roll with it. Today we are going to be

bringing you games, games and more games. Some of these may not be coming out

soon but we still want to get you fired up about 2021 and 2022. The title of

this week’s episode is: “E3 Games, Trailers and Reactions”. It was recorded on

June 22nd, 2021. Today each person has picked two trailers that have

come out in the last week. They will briefly introduce the game, afterwards, we

will watch the trailer. You won’t be able to watch the trailers but all the

links will be in the show notes if you are on Android. We apologize to Apple

podcasts listeners. You will have to manually google the trailers because Apple

doesn’t allow links to be posted in show notes. Post trailer watching, we will

give you our reactions, thoughts and whatever two cents we have. Ideally, we

are going to do eight trailers but we will see how much time we have. We run a

bit out of time today so keep an eye out on social media for next week’s

podcast episode.

Games Covered Today:

1.   Somerville

2.   Breath of the Wild 2

3.   Elden Ring

4.   Slime Rancher 2

5.   WarTales

6.   Survival Machine

7.   Babylon’s Fall

Like it or hate it, escapism into the gaming world is increasing difficult with the encroachment of real life aspects due to product placement, celebrity voice-overs and product placement. In this episode Crian, Adam, Antoine, and Phil discuss the fine nuances of this phenomenon and its implications to gaming. 

Adam: Need for Speed/Forza/Gran Turismo

Racing games seem a perfect opportunity for car manufacturers to flaunt their vehicles, but what are the restrictions in place to protect their corporate image? Adam discusses the complex nature of companies allowing the inclusion of their cars, along with limitations that are placed on game developers regarding in-game play which protect their image.  

Antoine: Civilisation 6 & Wing Commander

Celebrities play a huge role in society and is in inevitable that they would eventually seep into voice acting within games? Antoine focuses his attention on two classic games to discuss the impact of when we recognise a friendly voice whilst playing. 

Phil: Guitar Hero (Aerosmith)

Another match made in heaven, but this time a guitar based game combining with a famous rock band. Phil discusses the stellar rise of an iconic system and then its subsequent downfall into obscurity. Was this due to a change of gaming habits, boredom with the system, the release of something bigger and better, or something else? Dance mats, Just Dance and Rocksmith all get a moment in the spotlight.

Crian: Fortnite

For younger listeners, Fortnite is one of the standout games that has attracted a huge following. More recently, Fortnite has included a variety of other paid characters to increase revenue, from comics, films and TV. Crian considers the success of this integration and discusses whether this blending is successful at bringing in more players or just an added distraction/bonus.