Polygon Minimap

Welcome to Polygon Minimap: Worldmap Edition (http://www.polygon.com/minimap), a roundtable discussion about the most interesting gaming, entertainment and pop culture news of the day.

Today, we conclude our discussion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Episode III, “A scared teenager with a deadly weapon,” the final chapter of our podcast trilogy. Join special guests Charlie Hall, Ben Kuchera and Susana Polo as well as your host Dave Tach for a special spoiler-filled episode where we wrap up our discussion of a galaxy far, far away.

Be sure to listen to the trilogy’s first episode here: http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/18/106252…ce-awakens-part-1

The second episode here: http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/21/10633126/minimap-star-wars-force-awakens-in-episode-2-podcast

And you can listen to a prequel where we discuss our history with Star Wars here: http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/16/103302…16-2015-star-wars

Welcome to Polygon Minimap: Worldmap Edition, a roundtable discussion about the most interesting gaming, entertainment and pop culture news of the day.

Today, we continue our discussion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Episode II, the middle chapter of our trilogy. Join special guests Charlie Hall, Ben Kuchera and Susana Polo as well as your host Dave Tach for a special spoiler-filled episode where we break down the latest movie from a galaxy far, far away.

Be sure to listen to the trilogy’s first episode here: http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/18/10625242/minimap-star-wars-force-awakens-part-1

And you can listen to a prequel where we discuss our history with Star Wars here: http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/16/10330258/minimap-december-16-2015-star-wars

The Force has awakened, and we're talking about it — all of it — in a trilogy of in-depth episodes, beginning today.

Here in Episode I, join special guests Charlie Hall, Ben Kuchera and Susana Polo alongside your host Dave Tach for Polygon Minimap: Worldmap Edition.

Stay tuned to Polygon Minimap for the next two episodes, where we'll continue our conversation. The easiest way to do that is subscribe at iTunes.com/minimap or to visit our podcast hub at polygon.com/minimp, where you can subscribe in your podcast player of choice or download this and every episode of Polygon's daily audio tour through the world of video games, related technologies and pop culture favorites like comics, movies and TV as an mp3.

If you like this episode, be sure to listen our previous Worldmap Edition, where another group of Polygon staffers talked about the franchise before The Force Awakens' release, too.

On the eve of Star Wars: The Force awakens, we have an epic episode — and Minimap's longest to date — about what we like, what we don't so much like, how we came to Star Wars and more.

Polygon Minimap: Worldmap Edition returns with Julia Alexander, Susana Polo, Jeff Ramos and Samit Sarkar joining your host Dave Tach to talk about a galaxy far, far away.

Here's what we're covering today in your daily audio tour through the world of video games, related technologies and pop culture like comics, movies and TV.

### THE BIG STORIES

- You can now pay $29.99 to boost to level 25 in Destiny (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10210066/destiny-level-boost-microtransaction)

- Netflix is re-encoding its entire library to help save bandwidth (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10228066/netflix-is-re-encoding-its-entire-library-to-help-save-you-bandwidth)

- Report: Hideo Kojima has officially left Konami, forming new studio (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10220372/hideo-kojima-new-studio-leaves-konami)

- Rock Band 4's future updates set to deliver features fans have been requesting (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10217564/rock-band-4-updates-new-features-harmonix)

- Noby Noby Boy players finally beat the game, six years later (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10212378/noby-noby-boy-ending-six-years)

### THE BEST OF THE REST

- Star Wars: The Force Awakens' geekiest secrets are hidden in the toy aisle (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10216404/star-wars-the-force-awakens-geekiest-secrets-are-hidden-in-the-toy-aisle)

- How to Shave Obama: Behind the baffling, nearly two-year-long quest to find Frog Fractions 2 (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10220184/frog-fractions-2-arg)

- Monster Factory: Devouring the universe of Fallout 4 - Part Three (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10221922/monster-factory-fallout-4-part-3-the-final-pam)

Here's what we're covering today in your daily audio tour through the world of video games, related technologies and pop culture like comics, movies and TV.

### THE BIG STORIES

- Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 is now available (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/12/9974300/star-citizen-alpha-2-0-is-now-available)

- System Shock 3 is officially happening (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/14/10104714/system-shock-3-announcement-official-otherside-entertainment)

- GameStop’s holiday deals feature $299 PS4, $249 Wii U, $20 off big games (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/14/10116452/gamestop-holiday-deals-2015)

- Nintendo brings back $249 Wii U bundles for the holidays (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/14/10124826/nintendo-holiday-deals-2015-wii-u)

- Pokemon's next legendary is a franchise first (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/14/10112488/volcanion-pokemon-legendary-reveal)

### THE BEST OF THE REST

- Is Rainbow Six Siege a free-to-play game with a $60 price tag? (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9910678/rainbow-six-siege-quality-control)

- Star Wars toy collectors get mocked on Saturday Night Live (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/13/10023708/star-wars-toy-collectors-get-mocked-on-saturday-night-live)

- Jar Jar Binks is not the worst thing to happen to Star Wars (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/14/9873064/jar-jar-binks-is-not-the-worst-thing-to-happen-to-star-wars)

- Amiibo, Disney Infinity, Skylanders, Lego Dimensions: A guide to gaming toys (http://www.polygon.com/features/2015/12/14/9868062/amiibo-disney-infinity-skylanders-lego-dimensions-a-guide-to-gaming)

Here's what we're covering today in your daily audio tour through the world of video games, related technologies and pop culture like comics, movies and TV.

### THE BIG STORIES

- Xbox One bundles come with $50 gift card at Best Buy (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9895916/xbox-one-bundles-come-with-50-gift-card-at-best-buy)

- Xbox One controller's wireless PC dongle now supports Windows 7 and 8, not just 10 (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9891710/xbox-one-controller-pc-adapter-windows-7-8)

- Steam sale gives away Double Fine games for $20 this weekend (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9910662/steam-sale-daily-deal-double-fine-psychonauts-broken-age)

- Irrational Games hiring for 'narrative first-person shooter' project (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9891652/irrational-games-new-game-fps-steam-bioshock)

- Nintendo engineer's patent application could hint at new handheld (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9891786/nintendo-engineers-patent-application-could-hint-at-new-handheld)

- Report: Nintendo eyeing shape-shifting LCD screens from Sharp (http://www.polygon.com/2014/12/17/7408719/nintendo-screens-sharp-free-form-lcd)

### THE BEST OF THE REST

- Making a game while recovering from cancer (http://www.polygon.com/features/2015/12/11/9880812/crashlands-making-a-game-while-recovering-from-cancer)

- The opening of Return of the Jedi is weirder than you thought (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9879450/return-of-the-jedi-out-of-context)

- Teabagging shouldn't bother me (but it does) (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9885482/tea-bagging-shouldnt-bother-me-but-it-does)

- Watch a few rounds of tense tactics in SteamWorld Heist (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9888868/steamworld-heist-gameplay-video)

- We just built the worst Hearthstone deck ever (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9889586/hearthstone-worst-deck-ever-league-of-explorers-week-4-gameplay-video-walkthrough)

- First X-Men: Apocalypse trailer is here to build a better world from the ashes of the old (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9891314/x-men-apocalypse-trailer)

Here's what we're covering today in your daily audio tour through the world of video games, related technologies and pop culture like comics, movies and TV.

### THE BIG STORIES

- EA launching esports division, will be led by Peter Moore (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/10/9888556/ea-competitive-gaming-division-esports-peter-moore)

- Fallout Shelter introduces Dogmeat and other pets to the vault (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/10/9885152/fallout-shelter-introduces-dogmeat-and-other-pets-to-the-vault)

- Bethesda opens new studio in Montreal (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9878680/bethesda-softworks-new-studio-montreal)

- Valve can't stop Steam account theft and customers are suffering because of it (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/10/9886136/steam-trade-hold-account-theft-organized-crime)

- League of Legends 2015 World Championship broke a bunch of records (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/10/9886500/league-of-legends-2015-world-championship-records-viewership-numbers)

### THE BEST OF THE REST

- Stop waiting for those other space games, Elite: Dangerous Horizons is already here (http://www.polygon.com/features/2015/12/10/9880302/elite-dangerous-horizons-preview)

- Get one of the best mobile games for free (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/10/9886200/the-room-free-ios)

Here's what we're covering today in your daily audio tour through the world of video games, related technologies and pop culture like comics, movies and TV.

### THE BIG STORIES

- All Xbox One bundles $50 off through Christmas (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9882210/xbox-one-bundle-holiday-discount-sale)

- Nearly 1 in 10 Kickstarters fail to deliver rewards, a 'reasonable' rate says company (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9881224/nearly-1-in-10-kickstarter-campaigns-fail-to-deliver-rewards)

- Bungie to fix Destiny exploit that gives away Sparrow Racing League rewards (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9881436/destiny-the-taken-king-exploit-sparrow-racing-league-free)

- Game Awards 2015 pulls in 2.3M people, more than 1B Twitter impressions (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9881198/game-awards-2015-pulls-in-2-3m-people-more-than-1b-twitter-impressions)

- Lucasfilm hasn't given up on Star Wars 1313 (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9880910/star-wars-1313-revival-lucasfilm)

- Fallout 4's first major patch arrives on PC, PS4 and Xbox One (update) (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/8/9873286/fallout-4-patch-1-2-pc-ps4-xbox-one)

- Clash of Clans beats out GTA, Star Wars, Fallout 4, FF 7 as 2015's top gaming video (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9877988/clash-of-clans-beats-out-gta-star-wars-fallout-4-ff-7-as-2015s-top)

### THE BEST OF THE REST

- Time killers: The strange history of wrist gaming (http://www.polygon.com/a/smartwatch-history-guide-evolution)

- China's new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer is packed with new footage and dialogue (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9883172/china-star-wars-the-force-awakens-trailer-new-footage)

- Not even Mark Hamill could save Christmas with The Flash (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/9/9878296/the-flash-christmas-episode-recap-mark-hamill)

Here's what we're covering today in your daily audio tour through the world of video games, related technologies and pop culture like comics, movies and TV.

### THE BIG STORIES

- Destiny's future isn't in paid expansions but in microtransaction-based events, Bungie says (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/8/9871646/destiny-bungie-dlc-microtransactions-taken-king-year-two)

- League of Legends is about to become a better game by learning from sports (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/8/9851040/league-of-legends-champ-select-update-sports)

- Netflix to double original content next year, will produce 31 new scripted shows (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/8/9869452/netflix-to-double-original-content-next-year-will-produce-31-new)

### THE BEST OF THE REST

- Time killers: The strange history of wrist gaming (http://www.polygon.com/a/smartwatch-history-guide-evolution)

- Who's Your Daddy pits a self-destructing baby against an incompetent parent (http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/8/9870914/whos-your-daddy-gameplay-preview)