We have news this week!  Within the course of a couple of weeks, streaming game company OnLive was rumored to have laid off everyone, but really they only laid off half of everyone, then they confirmed that Steve Perlman would continue as CEO, only to then boot him out.  Also booted out: the first- and second-place winners of League of Legends Summer Championship after being accused of collusion.  Olympians got nothing on gamers.

In the meat of the episode today, we pretty much just talk about games the whole time.  And by “we,” I actually pretty much just mean Jonathan.

First, though, Alex shares his initial thoughts on Madden, which are surprisingly positive considered past years.  He also gives us another book recommendation, Prince of Thorns, which is all about the bad guy.

Sam brings a couple more games to the table than Alex, one new and one old.  The old one, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, ended up causing a bit of obsessiveness in Sam, while the new one. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, has Sam’s opinions mixed.

Jonathan has played through Journey again, and found even more reasons to love it than before.  He’s also signed up for Playstation Plus, which ought to keep his game appetite sated for a while.

The game, though, that dominates the podcast is one Alex was curious about last week, Papo & Yo.  Jonathan has some personal experience with the subject matter which inspired Papo & Yo, and he’s got a bit of a different perspective on how effective the game truly is at conveying its message.  Ultimately, he finds the game fundamentally flawed, but worth playing by anyone looking for a counterargument to Cristoph Hartmann’s idiocy, or who are simply interested in seeing games expand as an art form.

We will no doubt revisit this topic in the future.

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As is our custom this time of year, we bring you tales of Gen Con, this time hosted by The Moose.  First, though, games!

Jonathan finished two games this week!  Stacking and N+ make it into the All Done pile.  Dust: An Elysian Tail gets nixed, though, based on a disappointing demo.

Alex busts out some Sleeping Dogs, and tells us about Papo & Yo, a game he won’t be able to actually play.

Sam’s plans to play Metal Gear Solid 3 collapse under the need to record this episode, but he’s got lots of Gen Con Virgin stories to share.  He’s returned, but he’s not the same.

In a brief news/topic hybrid, we rip on Christoph Hartmann for claiming that the only way games can produce unique genres and emotional games is if we have photorealistic graphics.  Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, Silent Hill 2, Bastion, Portal, and dozens of others would like to have a word with you, Christoph.

Finally, we wrap up with another installment of Identity Thief.  It turns out we are truly terrible at this game.

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To start the episode, Sam tries to plan out his Gen Con experience, a most pointless task if ever there was one.

In news this week, an Olympic gymnast performs her routine to a musical Zelda medley and Valve makes Team Fortress 2 even more awesome.

In games this week, Jonathan has finished Dynamite Jack and The Act and recommends them both.  Alex ends his sabbatical and dives back into gaming with Ghost Recon, Symphony, and Nexus: The Jupiter Incident.  Sam busts out some sweet moves in Lollipop Chainsaw, and watches someone else play Metal Gear Solid 4.

In the topic, we decide to discuss something that won’t be contentious at all: the best game music.  Each of us picks three songs and then we discuss why it’s the best.  There are some surprises.  There are some fantastic choices.  There are some questionable choices.  Whatever you think about our favorites, what are yours?

Next week, Sam will no doubt have drunk Gen Con tales to relate.  Fun!

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We start off the show with non-game stuff.  Curiosity not only landed on Mars successfully, but was gently lowered to the ground, and Jonathan’s mind can’t entirely cope with that.  Also, Sam got a new new toy, which has made his old toy jealous.

In games, Sam almost talks about the game that started this podcast, but he actually meant to talk about Arkham City.  Alex, prior to the start of his gaming sabbatical, has finished a game of Warlock: Masters of the Arcane, and he also picked up Final Fantasy XIII-2 for a song.  Jonathan found nothing interesting to say about Akai Katana, gives a brief preview of Splice, and then rips to shreds the ending of Outland.

In the topic, we discuss the proliferation of stat tracking options both in-game and out.  How much is too much?  Do you even care?

Then we bust out another game of Identity Thief, and it starts off strong, and finishes in shame.

Next week: gaming music!

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Since I’m not gaming, I might as well provide a quick update to how the gaming sabbatical is going and some of the things I’m learning.

First, as an ex-smoker, I can confidently report that gaming taps into the section of my brain once preoccupied by cigarettes. Smoking was something I did in between other things in my life. I’d smoke between classes. I’d smoke between waking up and my first chore of the day. I’d have a few smokes between arriving at home after work and dinner. Smoking was this pleasant pastime that had the unpleasant side effects of being horrible for my health, social life and wallet. So I quit smoking.

My gaming habit, however, has only become deeper ingrained in my life over the past several years. I get home, I fire up the PC for a few rounds of the latest strategy game. After dinner, I rally some online compadres for some fragging. On the weekends, I game to while away the day.

Now that I’m on my sabbatical, I’m getting urges to play. As the clock ticks towards the end of my day at work, I automatically think about what I can play once I get home. Then I jolt myself out of the daydream, cognizant that the purpose of the sabbatical is to NOT play, to NOT indulge in those urges.

Yet, of course, it’s impossible for me to separate from the gaming culture completely. I’m entrenched. I’ve made wonderful friends via the hobby. I have the podcast. I have the second job. There are eight game-related items on my desk right now, along with all the gaming posters I have plastered around my walls.

So, it’s a matter of dealing with the urges, and that’s a familiar feeling. It’s just like dealing with the urges to have a cigarette, to fill that in-between time with a pleasant pastime. And while I’m confident I’ll finish the sabbatical successfully, dammit, those urges keep coming. I was listening to a podcast about the Medici family’s schemes, and that made me think about how awesome it’d be to try to get back into Crusader Kings 2. Talking about what toppings I’d like on my pizza led me to think about Mario and Luigi.

Perhaps that sort of thinking isn’t just the result of my psychology; it could be just a symptom of the prevalence of gaming in today’s society. The more I hang out with the great cross-section of the gaming populace, the more I realize it truly spans all ages and both genders.

Anyway, other insights I’ve had is that just because I have more free time doesn’t mean I’m more productive. I have “side quests” in the works that I’ve not put one minute of time towards, despite how cool I think it’d be to pursue them. It makes me realize that my problem isn’t truly a matter of time or distraction; it’s about developing a system in which the side quests become a part of my everyday life.

Another thing I’ve come to realize is how much this gaming sabbatical is like fasting. I’ve never fasted, but this sabbatical happens to coincide with Ramadan, and the subject of fasting in Ramadan has come up in a few conversations with a good Muslim friend of mine. I’m not saying giving up games is in any way close to the fasting that Muslims do in the holy month, but I think both force the person out of their normal rhythm, and by doing so, allow them the chance to examine themselves and see what can be improved.

I’m honestly having fun with this. I’m getting a new perspective on things. I’m even flirting with the idea of taking a whole month off from gaming… next year.

Jonathan’s in transition, so forgive the sound quality for the next couple of weeks.

News!

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