Joystiq Podcast 074 - Geekadelphia edition

by Justin McElroy { Nov 21st 2008 at 2:30PM }

Well, we're back, and in fine form if we do say so ourselves. First off, we've done away with Chris "Dead Weight" Grant, making room for rising star and Geekadelphia writer Ben Gilbert. And, we've got an hour-and-a-half of delightful conversating.

Is there a Brush? Of course. Is there a Tip of the Week? Try two. So yeah, it's pretty much more bacon than the pan can handle. Oh, and thanks to the JPAG's Trevor Clifford for the delightful pic.

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Hosts: Benjamin Gilbert, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin McElroy

Music: "Get Ready for Love" by Nick Cave, "Red Eye" by Ben Kweller

For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group

See all of this week's links after the jump.

NEWS:
Eidos curbs negative Tomb Raider Reviews
Nixie is out
Grand Theft Auto IV DLC named, detailed, dated: 'The Lost and Damned' on Feb. 17
The NPDs
Happy second birthday to the PS3
Happy second birthday to the Nintendo Wii

BIG THREE:
3. Turkish inmate escapes Solid Snake style
2. Prince of Persia hands-on
1. Sony gimps Netflix queues

Tags: joystiqpodcast, podcasts

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

In A World (XBL) @ Nov 21st 2008 2:37PM

Top of the Muffin TO YOU!

syrik zero @ Nov 21st 2008 2:40PM

It came out not too late today. I'll get to listen to it today instead of sometime next week.

Exciting

reign-♥-of-♥-love @ Nov 21st 2008 4:17PM

im listening it to it right now...
justin dont bring him on again if you can help it.
i couldnt believe he didnt laugh to your corn holing joke. but he totally deflated your comment and started talking about kids.

not cool guest star. not cool. sorry for the rant.

i cant survive work without this podcast. omg thanks.

Marek Hryc @ Nov 21st 2008 4:56PM

I figured it would be late again so I didn't check! Damn you unpredictable Joystiq crew! Now I'll have to wait until Monday.

syrik zero @ Nov 21st 2008 7:38PM

I thought he was good at keeping things on track. And he wouldn't "hate" on something for long. I don't mind when they do it was just something different, which is interesting.

Ficken @ Nov 21st 2008 2:58PM

Two tips of the week?!?!? Sweet

Mr Numeros @ Nov 21st 2008 3:21PM

Ryan Davis and Kevin VanOrd are dipsh*ts.
Confirmed by Justin!

fwiw I disagree... hi Ryan!

Justin McElroy @ Nov 21st 2008 5:35PM

Nah, not Ryan Davis. He's a sharp guy. He must have just clicked the wrong button.

j.howlett @ Nov 21st 2008 3:53PM

i guess justin doesn't get to know his consoles

j.howlett @ Nov 21st 2008 4:12PM

someone has a crush on the fedex guy

XGM @ Nov 21st 2008 4:23PM

Oh sh*t its the FedEx guy !!

syrik zero @ Nov 21st 2008 7:21PM

That was great! Made me laugh out loud!

But is anyone different? I do the same thing every time he knocks on my door.

XGM @ Nov 21st 2008 7:30PM

True, tho its usually UPS here. And i can say if it gets to my house on the first try i get really happy, since most of the time the package goes back and arrives the next day with a Mapquest/Google maps taped on the box.

Marek Hryc @ Nov 21st 2008 7:30PM

I like the FedEx guy, becuase he's a drug dealer and he doesn't even know it.

syrik zero @ Nov 21st 2008 7:32PM

RIP Mitch Hedberg...

Dirty @ Nov 21st 2008 5:01PM

Can we have it shrunken to decrease detail?

Mr Numeros @ Nov 21st 2008 5:53PM

I feel like sending in a tip about Dark Triforce's release date that I just found out.
Also, Solid Snake is playable.

Shagittarius @ Nov 21st 2008 5:55PM

30 Rock????///??//?/slash

Really?...ReALLY?

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 21st 2008 6:28PM

I gotta say about the L4D versus mode, it is the most fun multiplayer ive ever had, at all. The situations and plans that get me killed never upset me because they are so brilliant and awesome. Like 3 times on the end of No Mercy, when I go to get into the chopper ONE step away a smoker pulls me back from the right side hall corner. The first time I was bill and got choked out and the chopper flew away without even waiting for me, the second time I actually survived and got back to the helipad only to have my entire team killed by the tank and me being the only survivor. COMPLETELY AWESOME

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 21st 2008 7:32PM

OMG! By answering my question you have made me eternally happy and proud.
Except for the part were you said it's dead : (

syrik zero @ Nov 21st 2008 7:40PM

Dude, Batman... People are going to know your identity! Change your name back!!

And I just heard your email.... Sorry for the bad news buddy

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 21st 2008 10:30PM

I'm too intimidating that people wouldnt even try to confront me as Bruce Wayne.
Besides, the joy of being answered in the podcast does away the pain of the dead game

syrik zero @ Nov 21st 2008 7:39PM

Just a question about NXE. Does anyone know how to change the themes? I can't find it. I don't want the GOW2 theme any longer. I'd like the help, thank you!

Zertoss @ Nov 21st 2008 7:44PM

Under My Xbox, click your profile. You'll find the option to change themes in there.

syrik zero @ Nov 21st 2008 8:00PM

Thanks so much! I'll get to that later. How can I repay you? Looks like you like to be gagged? I think I could help there (hahaha)

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 21st 2008 10:39PM

is there a way to make the pictures cycle like they said they would? As it is now they only change when i enter different sections

Pedobear @ Nov 21st 2008 8:41PM

I think there are some good Wii games coming out.

Vegnagun bwf @ Nov 21st 2008 9:11PM

What I meant was that the Netflix application was being touted as being able to view anything that netflix owns, not just their instant watch section. I can be underwhelmed with something that's free. It's like if I said I was giving you a free car and gave you a car that's on fire.

ogvor @ Nov 22nd 2008 12:09AM

I think the selection Netflix has available to the Xbox 360 is of some value whereas a burning car is worth nothing. I was never under the impression they were offering everything, but even so, your analogy doesn't quite work. It's like someone was offering you a free BMW and instead you got a Honda.

Matt M @ Nov 24th 2008 1:45PM

Can you back up the notion that they were touting the Netflix capability as being able to stream 'anything Netflix owns'? Where was this said, specifically? Here's the text of Microsoft's press release from E3:

A *growing library* of more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes will be available from Netflix when it launches on Xbox LIVE in late fall, *with more choices added over time*

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 21st 2008 11:24PM

I cant say I agree at all that video games are not a good medium to tell story's. Look at a game like Mass Effect, if it weren't for it's story it'd hardly be worth playing. Video games have the chance to tell stories the way nothing else can, like choose your own adventure books but not sucky.

Justin McElroy @ Nov 22nd 2008 7:39AM

Wayne, you're proving my point for me. The plot of Mass Effect is what propelled you through, meaning it served as great "Motivation" to get you from one end to the other. That's the criteria it should be judged on, and in that sense it succeeds.

But I think that the "story" is impossible to judge, because it's completely dependent on how you played, the characters you met, how much of an attachment you had to them, and how much imagination you bring to the table.

If there's another reason, another "Motivation" to get through a game, then story is completely unnecessary. That's all I'm saying.

reign-♥-of-♥-love @ Nov 22nd 2008 11:41AM

Well I've been thinkin' the last 5 minutes of what other motivations ya' know that could drive someone through a game besides its story. Maybe a high score and a couple gamerpoints tops. Even Mario had a story line; must save Peach, the end.

If your talking about a complete narrative with convoluted scripts and action sequences, then it is no different from the evolution of movie pictures with no sound compared to today. It's called progress man. The year's 2008. Deal with it.
:P :P :P

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 22nd 2008 1:59PM

but that brings up another point, you said in the podcast you felt like you'd played Fallout 3 wrong, if you aren't going through and meeting all the characters and getting all the story in a game, aren't you playing it wrong there too?

The motivation thing does make sense, but so many posts on joystiq are snarky jokes about how stupid the normal media is when it comes to games and they still act like it's 1985. I think that if we want that sort of stuff to stop then meaningful and movie/book worthy stories are a necessity.

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 22nd 2008 2:02PM

actually. immediately after posting that last reply, I realized how right you are. Gears of War 2 had a ridiculously stupid and awful story, but it did make me want to keep playing the game to see what happened with the Queen or if Marcus died or even just if everyone lived for a sequel

Taco_Hell @ Nov 22nd 2008 6:36PM

I think it really depends on the game. Some games are completely story-drive IE: Most Bioware games, GTA4, and so on. However, others are just tunnels of fun and the story really doesn't matter like Call of Duty 4, Gears of War, and many other games. I think that's what's wonderful about video games, the choices you have for motivation. If you want just to have fun, there's an incredible library for you, and the same can be said if you want your motivation to be the story.

hamildan @ Nov 22nd 2008 1:43PM

The Hodgekinson Lymphoma guy complaining about lifes' character creation mode. that's some good LOLZ right there.
Keep Ben as a backup as he knew his stuff and exposure here might even get some more interest in Geekodelphia.

player66 @ Nov 22nd 2008 2:01PM

Justin's NPD predictions for next month sound eerily like a shopping list from Oregon Trail. The circle of life would be complete if life in America reverted to long, treacherous journeys across the plains as your obscenely named children contract dysentery and you spend your free time shooting small woodland creatures while being restricted to an 8-directional axis.

Saria the Cat @ Nov 22nd 2008 3:37PM

Chris' absence displeases me. Just like Justin's absence displeased me last episode! Come on guys, Ludwig better not be missing from the next one, or else, I'll...crochet sadly. :(

reign-♥-of-♥-love @ Nov 22nd 2008 4:39PM

i had a weird feeling since last week that chris is mad about the podcast and thats why he wasnt there yesterday.

is chris gone for good?? stay tuned to next episode to find out!

Donald @ Nov 22nd 2008 7:53PM

The odds of Chris leaving the podcast permanently are approximately equal to the odds of my receiving the Brush With Fame next week.

That is to say, a quadrillion to one.

halcyonTwilight @ Nov 24th 2008 2:44AM

I hope you write a review of the Last Remnant soon Justin. I need a trusted opinion on it, since I'm looking to fill my JRPG slot in my games library.

Also; "IT'S THE FEDEX GUY!!!". Instant classic.

NullPointer @ Nov 25th 2008 11:29PM

OMG! Today for the first time we finally found the so called BlueBerry Muffin Tops in my local Walmart in Upper NY State.... they are great !!! and my wife agrees ;) (btw... she can't understand what is this all about writing to a 'VideoGames Blog' about a cereal... but after she tried them she forgot about geekeness...lol ..)