The Game Under Podcast

Tom and Phil are back with final scores for The Witcher III: Hearts of Stone, The Graveyard and Sunset. We also give first impressions of the recently released Darksiders II: The Deathfinitive Edition and some ongoing commentary on Fallout 4.

First impressions of the Retron 5 as well as some news and Trademark Banter.

Thanks for listening.

2:52: The Sand Table’s Irrelevance of Game Design

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH4Utjypxlg&list=PLxP2lws1RkuUwMm1XFHEMrN_Rin7O_eiZ&index=3

Anything said by anyone working at Naughty Dog is carefully composed enough that it is ultimately meaningless, so one cannot draw any real inclusions from such statements: an artist primary and only motivation in their public discourse is to promote their own commercial work, after all…

But when I can confuse the writer of The Last of Us and Uncharted, while noting their differences, it does raise certain questions...about my literacy, and Naughty Dog's authenticity.

16:28:

Or simply that they did not like the ending because that made dude a dick, and they never woulda done that themselves because they’ve lived a very sheltered life.

17:07: A Disingenuous Vision of Games Journalism

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/11/a-price-of-games-journalism/

Watergate…I mean, that’s just like leaking the script to a game in production, right?

Running over Devolver Digital without checking e-mail and article dates, because I’m a videogame journalist. Just don’t sue me for slander, please. I’m a journalist! I have rights!

Critical of its own fictional bullshit in a story that then did not yet exist…in the public domain—wait, I’d inadvertently leaked the Hotline Miami 2 script? Fuck me, no wonder it was banned in Australia.

25:00: Post-Script

I have an acrimonious relationship with the English language, journalists, the English and Americans. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi! oi! oi!

42:38:

I dabble in sensational journalistic incompetence.

45:36:

I share my delusions of grandeur, inspired by The Sand Table.

This week we give first impressions of Fallout 4, Witcher 3: The Heart of Stone and Lisa, (another auteur indie game).

We give our highpoints of the latest Nintendo Direct, an also talk about an Australian company that is already using VR combined with lasertag as pubic entertainment.

We quickly resolve which is the better console (Retron 5 vs. XBOne).

Tom Towers and Phil Fogg give final thoughts and scores for MGSV, Life is Strange, and The Beginner's Guide. Fogg goes alone to score Undertale.

Plenty of discussion about themes in games and also a conversation about the status of XB1.

Undertale, MGS5 Online, Driver: San Francisco, Shovel Knight: Plague Knight and So much more.

Tom Towers checks in on Metal Gear Solid 5, both hosts examine Blues and Bullets for PC and then a spoiler free discussion between the hosts about the first four episodes of Life is Strange. A gloriously spoiler-full segment is at the end of the podcast, which is abundantly flagged.

This show, Phil and Tom talk abuot Ernest Cline's new book Armada, Rocket League, Splatoon (final scores), Amnesia: Memories, Return to Obra Din, The Westport Independant and Mike Bithell's new game Volume.

Tim Keenan's candid insights, coloured by his days at Disney, Rainbow Studios and his prior indie development, are a rare glimpse into the pain and passion involved in releasing a game that aims to be a commercial and critical success without compromise or dilution.

Introduction0:00:25 Lack of Sponsors, No Body's Goin' Break Our Stride

Trademark Banter Interruptus0:01:47 Towers Miserably Ill and Hosts Recount Fever Dreams

First Impressions0:03:44 Tom talks about Fairy Fencer F0:04:20 Tom Trolls Our Loyal Listeners0:05:08 A Discussion of Fencing, Sword Play, Drilling Holes etc...0:07:00 Discussion of Effuu Effuu and Final Fantasy0:08:39 Back to FFF0:19:45 Phallic Art, Phil's History With0:22:20 Back to FFF

Trademark Banter Resumed0:23:03 The Trouble With Running a Game Podcast0:24:00 Tera MMO, and General MMO Discussion0:40:15 Slot Machine Theory0:45:45 Fake Australians0:43:00 Gran Turismo 5 AKA: Crack Cocaine0:55:50 2016 MX-5 (Miata) A discussion of Roadsters0:57:45 Focus Groups1:05:04 Dr. Dre's New Album Compton, Rise of the Snoop

Continuing Impressions1:11:55 Rocket League

Trademark Banter (Did we mention the theme of this Big Show?)1:16:50 The Ashes (Cricket Talk)1:28:45 Tom's PC Problems1:38:45 Sean Price Obiturized

Games in today's show: Her Story, Life is Strange Ep. 4, Duskers, Rocket League, Splatoon, Drive Club, The Witcher 3 (patch news), Mario Kart 8, Uncharted 3 and more.