Player Attack

This week on Player Attack, we're looking at the past.

You might remember a few weeks ago, we made a big deal about how Australian free-to-air community television was being shut down, taking a chunk of excellent, home-grown content with it.

Well... that didn't happen. Literally four days before the transmitters were turned off, community stations including C44 in Adelaide and C31 Melbourne and Geelong were given a reprieve - a six month extension on their license - and an extra half a year on air.

To celebrate this great news, we've decided to take a look back at some of the bits of Player Attack that never made it to community television, before we step forward again into the future.

If nothing else, you can see how far we've come since our first episode, nearly five years ago.

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This week on Player Attack, we're getting a little bit competitive.

Hi-Rez Studios took its Mid Year finals to Adelaide's Cybergamer studios - and we were there to check out all the action. Featuring two of the developer's best games - third-person MOBA Smite and free-to-play hero shooter Paladins - it was a weekend of high-energy esports in the brand new venue.

We caught up with members of both Legacy and the LG Dire Wolves - the two Smite teams going head-to-head to determine the Split 2 champions. One of these teams walked out of the event with a fair chunk of the $25,000 prize pool, while the other has a glint in their eyes, looking for revenge.

On the Paladins side of the fence, the stakes were even higher - the winner of Sunday's event would be sent to Spain, to represent the region at Dreamhack Valencia! Kanga Esports faced off against newcomer Kings - and we spoke to both teams to find out what was going on.

(Want to know more about Smite or Paladins? Stephen Cooper, the head tournament admin from Hi-Rez was also on hand to fill us in on both games, as well as caster HughZ.)

But wait! There's more! Angelo sits down with Adelaide developer Chris Johnson to chat about what he's been doing lately. Spoiler: He's been working hard on The Slaughterhouse, a mod for Hacknet that focusses on the numerous ethical issues surrounding an abbatoir.

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

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This week on Player Attack, we're headed out to the far reaches of the galaxy.

First up, it's survival time as Jessica explores Oxygen Not Included, a new experience from Don't Starve developer Klei. The game is packed with adorable features and creatures, and some unique interstellar residents, but - you guessed it - easy to pick up, fiendishly difficult to master.

You can forget everything you think you know about driving a spaceship. Turns out that it's not at all like flying a plane, and a lot more like piloting a giant, floating submarine. At least, that's the approach Flat Earth Games is taking, with the upcoming release of Objects In Space - a game that also encourages you to build your own cockpit.

And as if all that wasn't enough, in the latest clip from Angelo's Player A-Chat series, we sat down with local Adelaide games writer James O'Connor to chat about freelance writing, kids' magazines, video game academia, and the thesis he wrote about player-driven narratives in GTA IV.

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

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This week on Player Attack, we're looking back at the juggernaut that was E3 2017.

Whether you were lucky enough to be in Los Angeles for the sensory overload that is the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or if you simply watched all the hype from home, you'd know that this year was - undeniably - huge.

We watched all the big pre-show press conferences, took pages and pages of notes, and have picked out our favourite trailers from the big screen. There are highlights here from Microsoft, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Sony and Nintendo - and even EA (even though yes, we know they weren't actually *at* E3 this year).

Find out just what Mario's up to these days (working alongside Rabbids and exploring the big city), spend some time with Spidey, and take some time to revisit some old favourites.

There's the reveal of the Xbox One X (no more Project Scorpio!), a bunch of games headed to Nintendo Switch, and a good look at what's happening in a galaxy far, far away. BioWare shows off their newest experience, Xbox gets a bit racy, and we meet a lovable orc named Brûz.

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This week on Player Attack, we're not even supposed to be here today.

If you haven't seen Clerks, you're missing out on one of this generation's most influential films. Shot for less than $30,000 and making more than $3 million in theatres, Clerks catapulted director Kevin Smith into the public eye. Happily, he dragged a few of his friends up with him - and Jonny Robot caught up with Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) for a two-part chat about filmmaking, indie cinema, and the importance of following your dreams. The number 37 is not mentioned anywhere in the interview, except for this sentence.

Indie smash Hacknet has been described as a hacking simulator so authentic that it cannot be played in an airport, and the first expansion set - Hacknet Labyrinths - was released just a few months ago. Adelaide developer Matt Trobbiani drops in to talk to Angelo in the latest episode of Player A-Chat.

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

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This week on Player Attack, we're talking to some amazing people.

With all the recent hype about Wonder Woman, we wanted to take a moment to look at her comic roots. And who better to reminisce with than artist Nicola Scott and author Greg Rucka, the dynamic duo who recently worked together on DC's Wonder Woman Year One series!

The pair also collaborated on creator-owned series Black Magick, which is about homicide detective Rowan Black, who also happens to be a witch (don't worry, no pointy hats, magic wands or black cats in sight). Jonny Robot finds out more about both of these amazing projects, and finds out a bit more about what's up next for this winning combination.

If that wasn't enough interview goodness for you, Angelo is also here with a taste of his brand new project. Player A-Chat is a longer-form video series we're posting directly to YouTube, where Angelo talks to members of the Australian gaming community. In this first one, Guy "Yug" Blomberg is in the spotlight. He's the newly appointed Global PAX Content Editor at ReedPOP, and we tracked him down at Oz Comic-Con Adelaide for a bit of a chat.

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

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This week on Player Attack, we're hanging out with some of the biggest idiots in the galaxy.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is out now in cinemas just about everywhere, and Jonny Robot wants you to know what he thought about it. Simply put: If you liked the original, you'll like this one... but is that really ~enough~ these days?

Amy also watched the movie, but she's dropped by to share her thoughts on the new video game that's out now - the first episode of Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series! It's exactly what you'd expect from this pop culture mash-up. Modern point-and-click adventuring, classic animation and some killer voice acting (including Scott Porter as Star-Lord!).

For something a little different, we figured it was about time to refresh our collective memories about South Park: The Fractured But Whole, which got us pretty excited at E3 2016. Now, nearly 12 months later, the game's still not here and we have no idea when it will be.

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

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This week on Player Attack, we're overwhelmed by amazing characters!

Whether you know her best as the voice of Sarah Kerrigan in StarCraft II, the face of Kilian Qatar in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, or perhaps as cylon Number Six in Battlestar Galactica, Tricia Helfer should be familiar to anyone with an interest in sci-fi, cyborgs, or bad-ass bitches. She's played some incredible women over the past decade and a bit, and is now starring in Lucifer (as the exiled wife of God, no less).

Tricia was in town recently for Oz Comic-Con, and was more than happy to chat with Jonny Robot in this two-part interview about her impressive career (did you know she's part cyborg?).

For something completely different, if you miss the glory days of the character platformer, Angelo has some good news for you. Yooka-Laylee is out now from new studio Playtonic Games (featuring former key personnel from classic developer Rare), and it looks like it can fill the gap. Described as a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie, this one might not bring much new to the table, but hey - if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

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This week on Player Attack, we're chatting to people at Oz Comic-Con Adelaide!

The national event has been running across the country for five years now, and has grown from some humble beginnings to stand proud as one of the highlights of the Australian gaming calendar. Angelo catches up with event co-founder Rand Ratinac to find out what prompted the creation of this celebration of pop culture.

One of this year's guests is the inimitable, irrepressible Charles Martinet. You might not recognise his face, but you'll certainly know his work - particularly if you're a Nintendo fan. This silver-haired Californian is the voice of Mario, and he was more than happy to chat to Jessica in our two-part special about spending the past two decades voicing the world's favourite plumber.

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

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This week on Player Attack, we're all over the place.

We head out on an adventure with Rare, sailing the Sea of Thieves to figure out what's best about being a pirate. It's a new Shared World Action Game (that is, a SWAG) that's set for release a little later this year. Whether you want to explore the seven seas, buckle your swash, or simply head down the pub, it's all at your fingertips.

Last year, Wargaming brought an important piece of Australian military history back home. The AC1 Sentinel tank is the only tank to be built Down Under, during WWII - and now there's a beautiful example of one living in Cairns. We chatted to Tanitha from Wargaming to work out just how - and why - they managed this mammoth task!

Jonny pulls on his fightin' pants as he reminisces about Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu (tm), first released on the Nintendo 64 back in 1990. It was a simpler time, a happier time, and a time where you could gain power-ups simply by kickin' them out of frogs.

...plus, of course, we have all the latest in gaming news - this is Player Attack!

http://www.playerattack.com