NicheCast

We recap the entire year of 2017, including the biggest games, the biggest news, and the biggest surprises. What impressed or shocked us the most? This is a long one, and we get a bit belligerent towards the end of the show.

We talk up the new Catherine remake/enhanced version and all of the dumb controversy surrounding it, that one certain character, its sexual themes, and more. It gets a little wild, there might be talk about brown eyes, sexting, and all sorts of debauchery. Just in time for the holiest time of year – Merry Christmas!

We talk up the Nintendo Switch and its success, its library of games, as well as what to expect in the coming months and year – including what the Switch needs to really be more competitive in the modern gaming console market.

Narrative in gaming - it constantly changes, evolves, and is (hopefully) improved upon. However, there are the usual detractors within the industry that continue to insist gaming needs to "grow up" to be accepted as art. We debate this, including the inane arguments over so-called misogynistic games, and more.

Tokyo Game Show 2015. The biggest news to come from Japan - how was this year's showing? We talk up our favorite reveals, trailers, and more.

Is it racist? We tackle the subject of censorship yet again, and whether or not a recently re-discovered game is truly racist, and where the cultural boundaries lie.

We recently covered a series of interviews that Famitsu had completed with various top Japanese developers. These interviews focused on the AAA development scene in Japan, as well as the adoption of the Playstation 4, and more. We talk up their points, the current state of the Japanese games industry, and where it could go from here.

Are remakes becoming too common? Will there be a point where you're playing a game and the remake for it is already happening? All hyperbole aside, we talk up the Resident Evil 2 remake, and if new games can stack up to old ones. This includes re-releases of games from the previous console generation, with simple HD-treatment for current generation consoles.

Why are we seeing Kickstarter's getting funding via outside companies? Is this disingenuous? Are Kickstarters becoming a new form of courting publishers? What does this mean for the future of crowdfunding, now that we're seeing more and more Kickstarters openly (or in some cases, quietly) receiving large investments alongside fan donations?

This week has been a rough one for the fans waiting for Nintendo and Intelligent Systems' upcoming Fire Emblem Fates, on the Nintendo 3DS. The game has recently launched in Japan, while importers have taken it upon themselves to put a magnifying lens on various things in the game - including dialogue involving a female character, Soleil, and just exactly what her sexual orientation is.

We disseminate the rumors and heresy and get down to brass tactics, because ultimately the entire discussion was centered around a manufactured controversy.