In the very first episode of Versus Node, Eddie Inzauto and Christos Reid talk about swine flu's videogame debut, a flash game that outraged religious groups across the globe, homosexuality in gaming, and this show's headline topic, sandbox games.
00:00 - Welcome!
00:44 - What vs. Node is all about.
01:29 - News
02:00 - Swine Fighter
02:30 - Faith Fighter
06:04 - Six Days in Fallujah canceled.
09:33 - Homosexuality non-existent in Star Wars: The Old Republic.
11:13 - Other gay rights issues.
13:15 - What we've been playing.
13:46 - Christos: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
14:44 - Eddie: The Dark Spire
17:16 - What makes a sandbox?
19:05 - Wikipedia definition of sandbox videogame.
20:26 - Storyline in sandbox games.
21:13 - Freedom to play and explore at one's own pace.
24:11 - Spore's universe.
25:11 - Crafted experience vs. open-ended play.
26:43 - Mass Effect a sandbox?
28:53 - Side tasks need to be engaging.
30:56 - Open-world freedom with guided portions is best.
32:21 - Fable II discussion.
35:56 - Is Braid a sandbox game?
40:15 - Subsequent play-throughs in Braid vs. Halo 3.
41:30 - Burnout Paradise lacks sandbox elements.
44:15 - Final thoughts and wrap-up.
Introductory music "1st & 2nd Floors" taken from the soundtrack to Atlus's The Dark Spire, 2008, 2009. "Victory Fanfare" taken from the soundtrack to Square Enix's Final Fantasy X, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, 2001.