Nerds Without Pants

Hello, and welcome to a very special edition of Nerds Without Pants! Patrick takes the helm this week for the holiday that was named after him. That...may not be an accurate statement, but the name of the game is all sorts of clever tricks and cons in the world of video games.

Before that, we introduce a new opening segment to the show: Consumption Junction. This is where we talk about all the different forms of media we've consumed since last time, and this week we discuss Julian's new Disgaea obsession, Wreck-It Ralph, inFAMOUS 2, Joe Danger: The Movie, and more.

Then, Patrick dips into his pot 'o gold to talk about some tricky games and even trickier game companies. We bring up all the dastardly deeds we can ken, from deceptive console launches to video game hero switcheroos. Plenty of tangents and asides abound, thanks to input from Joe Step, leeradical42, and angelfaceband42. We've got crotch-shattering combos! Telekinetic babies! Ken Griffey Jr.!Patrick talking in Irish brogue! Don't miss it!

FEATURED MUSIC

Jeff and Mychael Danna (Blood of Cu Chulainn)

Connie Dover (Laddie, Lie Near Me)

Orealis (L'Hiver Sur Richelieu)

Dropkick Murphys (I'm Shipping Up to Boston)

Hello again! This week on Nerds Without Pants Julian and Patrick give all of their love to the PlayStation 4. There’s been a ton of negative talk swirling around the new Sony console, and the Pantsless Ones bring a refreshing amount of positive vibes to the discussion. But before that—games!

Both of the guys finished Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and they rant about the criminal difficulty of the final boss while raving about the rest of the game. Patrick’s been enjoying his first taste of Suckerpunch’s superhero saga with inFAMOUS 2, and a lot of time is spent dreaming up what their dream God of War game would be like. Regular contributor Michael117 has a question about video game advertising, leading to one of the best drops in the history of NWP.

After that, it’s a veritable Sony love-in. Well, after Julian takes jaded gamers to task for being so blasé about a NEW CONSOLE REVEAL. The guys talk about the new controller, Julian’s antisocial stance on all that social media stuff, and the solutions to first world problems that the PS4 presents. Then the guys move on to the games. Patrick and Julian are high on Knack, think Killzone and inFAMOUS look pretty but expected, and go gaga over Media Molecule’s virtual sculpting demonstration. Julian wags his finger at Square Enix and Quantic Dream for their lackluster presentations, and the nerds agree that Blizzard+console=give us a new Lost Vikings.

The discussion wraps up with baseless speculation on price, as well as those rumors of Sony trying to remove used games from the equation. Oh, and Julian says “fantastic” more in two hours than the 9th Doctor did in an entire season, so get your shot glasses ready for a drinking game that will have you falling down drunk by the end of the show.

FEATURED MUSIC:

It Has to Be This Way (Metal Gear Rising-Platinum Remix)

Black Sheep (Brie Larson-Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)

Games People Play (The Spinners)

Monzter Hozpital (Zeale Rapz-Metric Remix)

Welcome to another edition of Nerds Without Pants! No, this show isn't about an epic wrestling match between Antonio Inoki and Great Baba.This time, we revisit a topic that we talked about when we were still the Tri-Force crew on PixlTalk: Japanese games. Instead of rehashing material we take advantage of the fact that we’re nearing the end of the console cycle and grade major Japanese developers on their performance. Before that, we talk about what games we’ve been playing.

Rob tried his best to like Aliens: Colonial Marines, but the game failed him, and he had to break up with it. As a result, he’s done with Gearbox as well, and we talk a little about that entire debacle. Rob’s also been playing The Sims 3 (I know, right?), and has a special announcement on a new project. Patrick and Julian tag team the Platinum craziness that is Metal Gear Rising. Julian played the indie game Depression Quest, a text-based narrative that has him wondering if he needs professional help.

After that, the Pantsless Ones crack open the grade books and give report cards to Capcom, Konami, Sega, Square Enix, Sony, Nintendo, and Platinum Games. If you’ve been following the show at all you’ll probably be surprised at some of the scores.

We wrap things up by putting on our designer hats. It’s East meets West, and we select a favorite Japanese game property and pair it with a Western developer.

We’re sad to say that this is Rob’s final episode as a regular member of NWP. It’s been a hell of a run, but he’s had a lot of life changes that prevent him from continuing, which he talks about. It’s kind of like when Son Goku was killed by Cell and didn’t want to be resurrected by the Dragon Balls. Actually yeah, it’s exactly like that. Stay tuned after the show for a very special set of outtakes.

Featured Music:

Jungle and Hangar (Contra)

Ryu’s Theme (Super Street Fighter 2-MS DOS remix)

Little Mac’s Lament (Punch Out!! OC remix)

Theme of Laura (Silent Hill 2)

Sarah McLachlan (I Will Remember You)

Hey folks, Julian here. I hope you had a great Valentine's Day (or Single Awareness Day if you're like the Pantsless Ones). I wanted to do something special for this episode, but my original idea was love stories in video games. Yawn. Instead, I asked Patrick to come up with an off the wall and eclectic idea, in the way that Patrick does. He did not disappoint, and it's a shame that Rob wasn't able to join us because of BLIZZARD 2013!!!

We talk about what we've been playing. It's slim pickings, but Patrick's been powering through Simpsons: Tapped Out and FIFA 13, which leads to a nice discussion about "in-app" purchases. I'm working on Corpse Party: Book of Shadows (review coming soon!), but the big thing for me was playing an upcoming indie game: Pimps vs. Vampires. Pixel artist Thomas Noppers was nice enough to let me participate in a recent weapons test and I liked what I played. Go give him some love on Twitter.We also speculate on what could come out of the upcoming Sony PS4 announcement.

Patrick takes the lead for romance, focusing on the countries that spawned the romantic languages: France, Italy, Spain, and Romania. This leads us to a lengthy talk about game design in Europe. Not quite flowers and chocolates, but I think you'll find it interesting. We digress into other regions as well, highlighting the potential for game design in Saudi Arabia and Ireland. Patrick brings up an interesting article about Spanish game design, which you can read here.

Part two of the discussion brings in the Romantic movement. We wax philosophical about games that could be considered a part of this period in history, as well as pontificate about what impact video games could have had if they had existed back then. It's something different than you're used to from Nerds Without Pants, and I hope you enjoy it.So put on your smoking jacket and adjust your horn-rimmed glasses, because we get academic on your ass this week.

Featured Music:

Damien Rice- The Blower's Daughter

Dan Fogelburg- Longer

Mychael and Jeff Danna- The Child Deirdre

Karen Matheson- Mi Le M' Ulinn Air Mo Ghluin

Adam Sandler- Love Stinks

 

Hello again! Julian here, joined as always by Patrick and Rob for another episode of Nerds Without Pants. No topic this time...we decided to just wing it with some random discussion. Yes, a hodge podge of talking points brought together to form a pleasant bouquet. Some potpourri, if you will. We can all enjoy a little P O T. And if you got that obscure Laugh In joke, congratulations! I love you.

I didn't think we had a lot of games to talk about, but actually we had a frakton of games to talk about. Patrick is still preaching the gospel of PS Plus, with beta access to Dust 514 and God of War: Ascension some good reasons to join. Rob's knee-deep in his second Fallout: New Vegas run through, and he confesses his undying love for Felicia Day at last. Okay, not really, but his opinion has changed a little. I try to convince him for the billionth time to finish Alan Wake, and I'm met with his love for Max Payne 3's multiplayer. I give Final Fantasy ATB a thumbs up while taking Dead Space 3 and EA to task. Patrick's not enamored with Darksiders (being played right now on Backloggers Anonymous!), but he loved The Unfinished Swan so much that he wrote a poem about it. I reveal my own quest to eliminate my backlog, lottery style.

Then we go to crazy town. Rob has turned me on to Tommy Wiseau, who brings his own brand of insanity to this podcast. We all rage about the crappy non-ending to The Devil Inside before Rob and Patrick nearly bring the fun to a screeching halt. Fear not, listeners! We bring things back to life with copious amounts of comic book talk, as well as Amazing Spider-Man 2 casting news, and I talk about some awesome documentaries I watched recently, with 6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park at the top of the list. There are plenty more shenanigans in this episode, including Rob's proclivity for sitting in a rocking chair wearing a Batman snuggie...and nothing else. Come for the gaming talk. Stay for the crazy.

Featured Music

Abandoned Pools- Clone High theme song

Total Recallin' - Spoof of Free Fallin' by Tom Petty

Normand Cobeil- Theme of Ethan Mars (Heavy Rain)

Abandoned Pools- The Remedy

YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, LISA!

The band is back together for another exciting edition of Nerds Without Pants! This time, the Pantsless Ones talk about the people in the video game industry that inspire them, and why. Inspiration is the topic of the day, but before that, the guys catch up on what they’ve been up to.

It’s a little light in the games department this week, as Rob’s been busy and Julian was laid up in bed. Patrick’s been busy, though, and he brings the games with Assassin’s Creed 3, NiGHTS, and Retro City Rampage. He’s also really digging PlayStation Plus, leading to a discussion about what Sony and Microsoft need to do to impress us in the online space next generation. Julian is neck deep into his Doctor Who obsession while also jumping down the Lost rabbit hole. Rob interviewed a film hero of his, Tommy Wiseau, and you should totally read his piece at Just Press Play.

The guys brought three people from the game industry that inspire them , and they go around the room trading influences. If you’ve been following along you can probably guess a few of them, but some of the answers may surprise you. The show wraps up with a single non-gaming personality.

Who inspires you? Let us know in the comments section, and come back in two weeks for another excellent episode of Nerds Without Pants.

Featured Music:

Vangelis- Chariots of Fire

Spectre General- Nothin’s Gonna Stand In Our Way

Chicago- You’re the Inspiration

Welcome to a very special edition of Nerds Without Pants. Julian is joined by a couple of lovely ladies—Shanna and Allison—who are experts on the topic of the day: massively multiplayer online role playing games. That’s MMORPGs for you savvy ones. With Star Wars: The Old Republic doing well below expectations and Final Fantasy XIV needing a complete redesign this episode of NWP asks what’s so special about these types of games, and why do people still play them?

Final Fantasy XI is the gateway drug for this conversation. Julian has played this game for nearly ten years, and his guest Shanna has spent nearly that long wandering the lands of Vana’diel. We talk about how we each got into this notoriously difficult game, and why we’ve played it for so damn long. Allison has moved on to Final Fantasy XIV, so she tells us why she left.

Community plays a big role in these games, and that’s the core theme that the panel keeps coming back to. With all the drama, naughty talk, and serious conversations there’s just something about bonding with fellow adventurers in a virtual world that’s very appealing. We take some time to remember a fallen friend, and talk briefly about other MMOs we’ve played, and why they didn’t stick with us.

Allison got a chance to participate in the FF XIV:A Realm Reborn alpha test, and she’s all too happy to give us the dirt on that. But she goes one step beyond, and lets us know what improvements were made to the embattled game over the past couple of years since its launch.

We go into some deep “inside baseball” talk at times, but if you’re not an MMO fan hopefully you find this discussion informative. And if you’re well versed in these types of games, we hope this podcast gives you a chance to think about all the fond memories and friendships you’ve made along the way. And if you’re a big fan of Final Fantasy, please check out our Final Fantasy retrospective. Comment and let us know your favorite MMO moments, or why you avoid them.

Featured Music:

Selected music from Final Fantasy XI (Main Theme to Final Fantasy XI, Vana’diel March, The Kingdom of San d’Oria, The Federation of Windurst, The Republic of Bastok, Recollection, The Sanctuary of Zi’Tah,  Ronfaure-vocal version)

Jace Hall-I Play WoW

Selected music from Final Fantasy XIV (The Hall of Flames, Good King Moggle Mog XII)

It’s 2013 and somehow we survived the apocalypse! Time to ring in the new year in style, with a new episode of Nerds Without Pants. This week we’re a nerd down, as Patrick is convalescing after minor surgery. Filling in is the one and only Ty “Fighter”, who long time listeners will know as Rob’s oft-mentioned buddy. Since every podcast is doing their game of the year lists we decided to buck that trend and instead take a look back at the year that was.

Before that, we talk about stuff that we’ve been up to, including Hitman: Absolution, FTL, and Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy. Ty has gone down the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure rabbit hole, and Rob has a walk of shame. Oh, and Julian went streaking on New Year’s Eve!

After that we discuss some of the biggest things to hit the video game industry in 2012. We take a look at the implications of Kickstarter on indie game development, explore why we aren’t all that excited over the PS Vita and Wii U, and try to get to the bottom of so many major game designers leaving their companies. Julian takes the BioWare fans to task over their ridiculous demands over the ending to Mass Effect 3. We close things out with our favorite games of 2012, as well as our favorite gaming experiences of 2012.

We have big plans in store for NWP this year, and we hope you continue to listen and support us. Please comment with your favorite game and experience of 2012 in the comments. You can check out Rob’s entire top five here, and you can follow Ty on Tumblr.  Visit our Facebook fanpage, and come back in two weeks for the triumphant return of The Ginger Devil!

Featured Music:

Damien Rice- Cheers Darlin’

Save Ferris- Under 21

Sugarcult- [Untitled]

Dan Fogelburg- Same Old Lang Syne

Happy end of the world, everyone! With today being the supposed end of times according to the Mayans, the Nerds Without Pants thought it would be a great time to talk about apocalyptic games and media. Before that, we catch up on what we’ve been up to lately.

Rob is back after recovering from a terrible bout of throat AIDS (don’t ask). He talks about Far Cry 3 and The Hobbit. We also talk some comic books, have a heated debate about the difference between graphics and art design, and more. Julian rants about his bug infested experience with The Walking Dead which leads us to ponder the nature of giving popular games a pass when they have serious technical issues. He also sends a love letter to David Tennant, the tenth Doctor. Who? Exactly.

The topic of the day is the end of the world, and we talk about our favorite depictions of the apocalypse in video games and film. We discuss what type of post apocalypse we’d most like to live in, and then finish things off with a doomsday scenario wherein we can only play one game for the rest of our lives, and reveal what that game would be for each of us.

Thanks for listening to us! If the world hasn’t descended into chaos after this, join us again in two weeks for another exciting edition of Nerds Without Pants! Oh, and check out the apocalyptic web comic Weapon Brown, which we bring up during the show.

Featured Music:

Johnny Cash- Ring of Fire

Doctor Who theme

The cast of The Hobbit- Misty Mountains

R.E.M.- It’s The End of the World As We Know It

 

We’re back! After a month long hiatus, the Pantsless Ones return to entertain and inform on a variety of topics. We begin by catching up, which leads to a lot of comic book talk. Rob’s made a new addition to his legendary Comedian shrine, and he also may have a slight Dark Knight Rises hoarding problem. Don’t worry folks—an intervention is in the works.

Unfortunately, technical difficulties plagued this episode, resulting in us splitting up our recording time. In that break, Rob got really sick and couldn’t make it for the rest of the show. Julian and Patrick soldier on and talk about TOO MANY GAMES. This discussion includes, but is not limited to, Assassin’s Creed 3, Need for Speed Most Wanted, NiNo Kuni, and Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom.

After that, we talk about holiday gaming memories. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, we compare notes on any deals they stumbled upon. Patrick shares eerie similarities with the Nintendo 64 kid, and Julian shares an epic tale from the gaming retail trenches. We then close things out with some discussion about the second Grand Theft Auto V trailer that debuted recently.

It’s good to be back! Tell us your holiday gaming and Black Friday stories in the comments below. Tell your friends about the Nerds Without Pants--it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Send us feedback to our Facebook fanpage, and please rate and review us on iTunes.

Featured Music:

Oh You Didn’t Know (New Age Outlaws)- Jim Johnston

Kiss Me Sunlights (Zone of the Enders)- Heart of Air

Skeletons (GTA V)- Stevie Wonder

Are You Ready? (D-Generation X)- Jim Johnston