Press Play to Save: Video Game News and Reviews on the Cheap

Once again, news is king as we get into the deals, come to terms with Steam's Midweek Madness, all before getting into the Voice Actor's strike vote, Ubisoft's disc-ditching, and our experience playing Star Wars Battlefront on PS4 and PC! Shoot, even the RUNDOWN is full of great stuff this week.  Don't miss out!

Noteworthy Deals

* XBL Games for Gold (October, 2015) (link)

* XB1: Valiant Hearts: The Great War

* XB1: The walking Dead complete first season

* 360: The Walking Dead Complete first season

* 360: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeros

* PSPlus Games for October

* Super Meat Boy, PS4, PS Vita

* Broken Age, PS4, PS Vita

* Unmechanical: Extended, PS4, PS3

* Chariot, PS3

* KickBeat, PS3, PS Vita

* Kung Fu Rabbit, PS3, PS Vita

* Humble Bundle CAPCOM Bundle (Link) 

* BundleStars (Link)

* Revisiting the Steam Midweek Madness 

* Steam 80% Deep Silver Weekend (link)

The News Ticker

* Game voice actors vote overwhelmingly in favor of being open to strike (link)

* Asking for…

* Royalties on games that sell over 2 million

* Hazard pay for vocally stressful roles (screaming, etc)

* Stunt coordinators on hand where mocap is required

* Ubisoft and the ol’ Bait & Switch (leaving out the DVD for the Might & Magic Heroes VII collector’s edition) (link)

* Sold pre-orders then quietly changed the marketing info to leave out the hard copy for US customers (EU received a hard copy). Game came with all the fixin’s… except for the game.

* Star Wars: Battlefront Beta is in the can (and was extended for a day, but seemingly not really)! We give our in-depth impressions!

 The RUNDOWN

* Microsoft won’t let Xbox ONE users have access to Cortana until 2016, that is as long as you don’t go to the settings menu, go to the top, and mash ‘A’ a bunch of times. No, seriously. (link)

* 'Overwatch' is Blizzard's first all-new game in years, see it Thursday (link)

* The Witcher 3 expansion's physical release delayed a day before launch (link)

* It will cost $110 to play all of Star Wars Battlefront (link)

* Unity engine works with everything, except browsers like Chrome and Firefox which are dropping support for a required plugin (link), but Unity is currently working to keep everybody up and running.

* Microsoft is about to kick off a developer recruitment tour for HoloLens, which costs 3K for a test unit. (link)

* PS4 remote goes on sale sometime this month, will cost $30, communicate via Bluetooth, and hopefully will have batteries last longer than the 4 hours you get from a DualShock 4. (link...

The boys have hung up their guns and epic lewtz for decks of cards, as it's a CCG explosion this week.  Also, we make Howie eat something weird (it's our thing), then get back into the curse that is Bundle Roulette with another round of reviews and draws for next time!

On the Gaming Docket

* Howie - Infinity Blade 3, Cards and Castles

* Chris - Cards and Castles

* Corey - Hearthstone

Free-to-Play GotW: Path to Luma (android, iOS)

What’s in Howie’s Mouth

Bundle Roulette Returns!

* Reviews are in!

* Howie - Insecticide

* Chris - ENSLAVED: Odyssey to the West Premium Edition

* Corey - DeadCore

* Draw for next Bundle roulette games 

* Howie - Deep Eclipse: New Space Odyssey

* Corey - Platformines

* Chris - Global Ops:Commando Libya

Play With Us Online:

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Find your hosts on Twitter at:

* Corey the Emcee @WilsonCoreyT

* Chris the "Middle Name" @stumped17

* Steve at Master Control @sjhowie

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Holy broken news, Castman! It's a plus-size news episode, and husky big-and-tall rundown on the latest episode!  Also, things get hot and heavy when Howie takes Chris and Corey to task over 'Humble' methodology. IT COMES TO VERBAL BLOWS! THE VERY FABRIC OF REALITY IS AT RISK! //clickbait

 

Noteworthy Deals

* XBL Games for Gold (October, 2015) (link)

* XB1: Valiant Hearts: The Great War

* XB1: The walking Dead complete first season

* 360: The Walking Dead Complete first season

* 360: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeros

* PSPlus Games for October

* Rumors (link)

* Humble Bundle (Link)

* BundleStars (Link)

* Blizzard Deals (link) 

The News Ticker

* PS4 System Software 3.0 arrive(s/d) on September 30th (link)

* EVENTS – a list of crap happening that Sony thinks you’ll like

* Communities & Message Boards

* PSPlus will FINALLY get its own section, getting 10gb online storage

* More streaming options (including youtube gaming)

* 10 second clips to twitter

* Request to “share play and broadcast” with a friend

* You can watch your friend play a game you don’t have / take turns playing

* Star Wars Battlefront open beta runs from October 8-12 (link) (Nov 17 release)

* 40 man Hoth warzone

* 8v8 capture-the-flag style map called dropzone

* Solo/co-op survival mode

* TBS starting a Competitive Video Game league around CS:GO  (link)

* 10 week seasons, twice a year, Tuesdays thru Fridays on digital platforms, Friday nights on TBS regular

* Bowser and Donkey Kong come with their own Amiibos and racers for… wait… Skylanders Superchargers? (link)

 The RUNDOWN

Google increases app size limit on the Play store from 50MB to 100MB (link)

Fallout 4 DLC Won't Be Platform Exclusive (link)

Master Chief is a fallen hero in the new Halo 5 trailer (link)

343 Is Already Working on Halo 6 (link)

'Mighty No. 9' demo gets a Humble Bundle and a new release date (says Engadget) (link)

Watch Guild Wars 2 Heart of Thorns Expansion Launch Trailer (link)

A PlayStation Vita Successor Sounds Unlikely (

It's a high-fallootin' episode, as we get all official-like with special guest Matthew Siegel - game director behind Cards and Castles! He gives us the low-down on the inspiration behind the game and teases what the future may hold!  And don't think we didn't wrangle him into our whatcha-been-playin' discussion, because he gives us the scoop on Mario Maker while we cover Star Wars: Uprising, plus old standbys like Panic Run, Diablo 3, and Fallout Shelter (spoiler: it isn't Corey this time). Bud up or shuddup, gang!

Special Guest - Matthew Siegel, game director for Cards and Castles

On the Gaming Docket

* Howie - Star Wars Uprising, Panic Run

* Chris - Diablo 3 (RIP Fidelacchius the Witch Doctor), Fallout Shelter

* Corey - Star Wars Uprising

* Matt Siegel - Super Mario Maker

Free-to-Play GotW AND Feature Discussion Topic: Cards and Castles (Free on iOS and Android, and early access on Steam)

Listener Question:

What character (or two) would you want to see in your dream “Super Smash Bros’ game? - @CJnussi89  (spoilar: Matt schools us with his answer to this question.)

Play With Us Online:

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* Our Twitch Channel!

* Watch our Videos on YouTube (someone has to)

Find your hosts on Twitter at:

* Corey the Emcee @WilsonCoreyT

* Chris the "Middle Name" @stumped17

* Steve at Master Control @sjhowie

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It's true!  Apple wants to seriously compete in the game console mark-snort-snort-BWAHAHAH couldn't say it with a straight face - but Howie sure does in this episode, on top of other news and the glorious rundown. Is Bungie screwing over customers with post-release exclusive content? You'll have to listen to find out.

Noteworthy Deals

* XBL Games for Gold (August, 2015)

* XB1: The Deer God (All month)

* XB1: Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (September 16 to October 15)

* 360: Battlestations: Pacific (September 1 to 15)

* 360: Crysis 3 (15th till October)

* PSPlus Games for August

* Grow Home (PS4)

* Super Time Force Ultra (PS4, PS Vita)

* Xeodrifter (PS4, PS Vita)

* Teslagrad (PS4, PS3)

* Twisted Metal (PS3)

* La Mulana EX (PS Vita)

* Humble Bundle (Link)

* Amnesia the Dark Descent Free on Steam (at the time of recording - 80% after) (link)

The News Ticker

* Amnesia: Dark Descent Free - is this a viable way to promote a new (different) game?

* Howie Hulks-Out over the new AppleTV

* Sony announces PS4 price drop in japan (link)

 The RUNDOWN

* New controller colors PS4 faceplates revealed at playstation TGS keynote (link)

* Bloodborne first expansion is called the old hunters hits nov 2015 (link)

* Virtual reality wins its first emmy (link)

* Destiny has Playstation exclusive content (link)

* Google made a super mario bros easter egg (link)

* Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Jack the Ripper DLC, season pass announced (link)

Play With Us Online:

* BetterKind.com

* Facebook.com/BetterKind

* Twitter & Instagram @PressPlaytoSave

* Our Twitch Channel!

* Watch our Videos on YouTube (someone has to)

Watch LIVE or recorded!

* twitch.tv/betterkind

Find your hosts on Twitter at:

* Corey the Emcee 

Yes.  We finally played Rocket League.  And we are hooked in the worst way.  Listen to Howie and Corey as they gush over what has handily become the game-of-the-summer for most, maybe even a game of the year contender.  Also, Chris gets sucked back in to Diablo 3 with a new season of loot and leaderboards.  Also, we make Howie eat some fiery corpses from Mexico... or something.

What's in Howie's Mouth

It's hecho en Mexico, and it has something vaguely to do with the undead...

 On the Gaming Docket

* Howie - Rocket League, Time Surfer

* Chris -Diablo 3

* Corey - Rocket League

Free-to-Play GotW: Clicker Heroes

Bundle Roulette

* Round Three reviews are in, and they are decidedly LESS painful!

* Howie - Rush Bros.

* Chris - Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

* Corey - Cargo Commander

* Round Four games are drawn - let the spinning wheel spin!

Play With Us Online:

* BetterKind.com

* Facebook.com/BetterKind

* Twitter & Instagram @PressPlaytoSave

* Our Twitch Channel!

* Watch our Videos on YouTube (someone has to)

Find your hosts on Twitter at:

* Corey the Emcee @WilsonCoreyT

* Chris the "Middle Name" @stumped17

* Steve at Master Control @sjhowie

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KABAM! New games for Xbox Gold and PS Plus subscribers hit the streets, including a HumbleBundle End of Summer sale!  One man's trash is also another man's collector gold on the follow-up to the Atari landfill debacle, recently made even more famous by "Atari: Game Over." More on the news ticker before we even hit the rundown!

Noteworthy Deals

* XBL Games for Gold (August, 2015)

* XB1: The Deer God (All month)

* XB1: Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (September 16 to October 15)

* 360: Battlestations: Pacific (September 1 to 15)

* 360: Crysis 3 (15th till October)

* PSPlus Games for August

* Grow Home (PS4)

* Super Time Force Ultra (PS4, PS Vita)

* Xeodrifter (PS4, PS Vita)

* Teslagrad (PS4, PS3)

* Twisted Metal (PS3)

* La Mulana EX (PS Vita)

* Humble Bundle (Link) - End of Summer Sale

* Guild Wars 2 free to play (link)

The News Ticker

* Xbox one bundle packs 1tb hybrid drive and elite pad for $499 (link)

* Games dug out of landfill sell for $107000 (link)

* Microsoft release Halo 5 Guardians opening cinematic (link)

 The RUNDOWN

* Nintendo Announces Two New Nintendo 3DS Systems Coming This Fall (link)

* Cyber attackers target U.K. crime agency with ddos attack days after arrests (link)

* Betcade unveils an Android app store for real-money gambling (link)

* Metal gear solid 5s special edition ps4 has a typo on it (link)

* The new xbox one will boot up 20 percent faster (link)

* Fallout 4 has over 270 XP levels to attain! (link)

* Xbox One Getting Another $150 Controller, This One From Razer (link)

* Star Wars Battlefront Beta is coming soon! (link)

* Uncharted 4 Launches March 18th,

*

It's a ballyhoo when we welcome back Ed and Garrick for the second episode in a row, and we get in hot with a DOTA2 newbie, Grim Dawn, Panic Run, Fallout Shelter, and Naruto SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 3 Full Burst, which is an actual game name. Free-to-Play GotW is Time Surfer, and we wrap up our second Bundle Roulette with reviews of Dementium II HD, Stronghold 3 Gold Edition, and Roogoo before picking for another punishing round. And don't forget What's In Howie's Mouth!

What's in Howie's Mouth

It ain't Bertie Bott's, but it's the next worst thing. And Howie nearly chokes on one.

On the Gaming Docket

* Howie - Panic Run

* Chris - Dota2, Grim Dawn

* Corey - Minecraft

* Ed- Fallout Shelter

* Garrick- Dota2, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 3 Full Burst!!!!!

 Free-to-Play GotW: Time Surfer

Bundle Roulette

* Round Two reviews are IN!

* Howie - Dementium II HD

* Chris - Stronghold 3 Gold edition

* Corey - Roogoo

* Round Three games are drawn - and the adventure continues!

Play With Us Online:

* BetterKind.com

* Facebook.com/BetterKind

* Twitter & Instagram @PressPlaytoSave

* Our Twitch Channel!

* Watch our Videos on YouTube (someone has to)

Find your hosts on Twitter at:

* Corey the Emcee @WilsonCoreyT

* Chris the "Middle Name" @stumped17

* Steve at Master Control @sjhowie

Subscribe and Rate Us:

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Our centennial presentation! We're joined by some familiar voices as we cover the results of The International, the scare-rousing personality of one particular pokénerd, the dark side of the PS4, and China continually sticking it to the rest of the world in lovable, under-performing electronic knockoffs. All this before we get to the Rundown!  Plus, we're video-streaming now!

Noteworthy Deals

* XBL Games for Gold (August, 2015)

* XB1: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (all month long)

* XB1: How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition (second half)

* 360: Metro 2033 (first half)

* 360: Metro: Last Light (second half)

* PSPlus Games for August

* PS4: Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

* PS4: LIMBO

* PS4, PS3, VITA: Soundshapes

* PS4, PS3, VITA: Stealth, Inc. 2: A Game of Clones

* PS3: God of War: Ascension

* PS3, VITA: CastleStorm

The News Ticker

* NA Gaming ain’t no joke no more – Evil Geniuses win The International (6.5 mil) for USA! USA! (link)

* UFC star Ronda Rousey did a Reddit AMA and guess what – she’s a HUGE POKEMON NERD. (link)

* What other celebs play video games we may or may not know about?

* Star Wars PS4, Vader Style – Nov 17, one with Disney Infinity, one with Battlefront (link)

* Too poor for an XBONE or PS4, but too not-dumb for an OUYA? – Introducing OUYE (link)

* Gamers enjoying Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire have another legendary coming their way. Shiny Mega Rayquaza is being distributed by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company until September 14, 2015.

 The RUNDOWN

* Quantum Break – a weird mixture of live action and time-manipulating gameplay… or something (link)

* Destiny Ditching the Dinklage (link)

* Mojang’s next game is “Cobalt,” a 2D platformer (link)

* Sonic Dreams is a little collection of games that allegorizes Sonic’s fall from grace (link)

* League of Legends has its first pro female gamer in Maria Creveling or “Remelia” (Team: Renegades) (link)

* ESL (Electronic Sports League) is now banning the same banned substances as the Olympics… (link)

* PlayStation Plus subscribers can now VOTE for their free PS4 games (link)

* Big Fallout Shelter on iOS update hits with Android version, adds Deathclaws, Mole Rats, and Mr. Handy

* Android users, plug in and close apps before playing Fallout Shelter or face a possible save-destroying bug! (link)

* Nintendo finally updates Splatoon to add much needed squad features (link)

Play With Us Online:

* BetterKind.com

* Facebook.

*

We've been playing some games, and we wanna talk about em!  Grim Dawn, Kingdom Rush Origins, Minecraft - and perhaps gushingest of all - Brawlhalla!  And if you've been waiting to hear how the first round of Bundle Roulette went, wait no longer! Let's just say it's a brutal round of reviews, and Chris may or may not be under investigation by the UN as violating the Geneva Convention in regard to cruel treatment / torture.  Plus, this week's What's-in-Howie's-Mouth gets either a little sacrilegious or a little out of this world. We're not sure which.

 

What's in Howie's Mouth

It is a UFO?  Is it candy?  Is it a prophylactic?  Only Howie's mouth can tell us!

On the Gaming Docket

* Howie - Counter-Strike Source, Borderlands 2

* Chris - Grim Dawn, Kingdom Rush Origins

* Corey - Terraria, Minecraft, Fallout Shelter

(sort of) Free-to-Play GotW: BRAWLHALLA (link)

Bundle Roulette

* Round One reviews are IN!

* Round Two games are drawn - now with annoying sound effects!

Play With Us Online:

* BetterKind.com

* Facebook.com/BetterKind

* Twitter & Instagram @PressPlaytoSave

* Our Twitch Channel!

* Watch our Videos on YouTube (someone has to)

Find your hosts on Twitter at:

* Corey the Emcee @WilsonCoreyT

* Chris the "Middle Name" @stumped17

* Steve at Master Control @sjhowie

Subscribe and Rate Us:

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* tunein