CAGcast #94: The One with Major Nelson

[CheapyD]

Major Nelson (http://www.majornelson.com) entertains CheapyD's theory about why he can't be fired while Wombat tries to remove the taste of clown shoe from his mouth. We also read angry feedback from PS3 owners, reveal our end of year game shopping plans, discuss the latest gaming and shopping news, and so much more!
Enter our CAGcast Theme Song Contest! Win $100 CASH! (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155483)
Become Wombat's Intern! (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156244)

Note: Major Nelson interview starts around 15:40.

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Past CAGcasts (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/../archives/cat_cagcast.php)


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Show Linkage/Notes (click the button below to expand):

Intro music: Rise From Your Grave - Captain Freeze
Interview bumbers: trabbahabba

MajorNelson.com (http://www.MajorNelson.com)

CAG Foreplay Podcast #20: Apple Aardvark Awesomeness... Always (10/17/07) (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/../archives/cag-foreplay-podcast-20-apple-aardvark-awesomeness-always-101707.php)

Super Smash Brothers Delayed 2/10 (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6180758.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=newstop&tag=newstop;title;11) - Sonic!
(http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/characters/sonic.html)Japan snags kawaii NiGHTS pre-order bonus: America envious, vengeful (http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Er/Destructoid/%7E3/171160932/japan-snags-kawaii-nights-pre-order-bonus-america-envious-vengeful-49585.phtml)

Exclusive No More: PlayStation 3 Finds Lost Planet (http://feeds.gawker.com/%7Er/kotaku/full/%7E3/171195409/playstation-3-finds-lost-planet-311893.php)
Target scan shows 40 GB PS3 coming Oct. 28 for $399 (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/16/target-scan-shows-40-gb-ps3-coming-oct-28-for-399/)
PS3 Gets Episodic Adventure Series (http://kotaku.com/gaming/rat-race/ps3-gets-episodic-adventure-series-311663.php)

Achieve360Points.com Guy's 360 Problem (http://www.achieve360points.com/articles/my-experience-with-18004myxbox/)
Study: More Xbox 360 achievements = better reviews, more sales (http://feeds.joystiq.com/%7Er/weblogsinc/joystiq/%7E3/171234074/)

CAG Buzz
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (Wii) (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156113)
Victorious Boxers Revolution (Wii) (http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155250)

EA to acquire BioWare Corp. and Pandemic Studios (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6180818.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=newstop&tag=newstop;title;2)
Brutal Legend Trailer (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/16/first-brutal-legend-video-is-well-its-brutal/)
$170 Bundle Only Rock Band Option Until 2008 (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163641)
Street Fighter IV The Teaser Trailer (http://kotaku.com/gaming/clips/street-fighter-iv-the-teaser-trailer-312074.php)

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Outro: Head to Head Football - Coleco (http://gameads.gamepressure.com/tv_game_commercial.asp?ID=6579)


CAGcast Video Companion coming soon!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDA1EN00gAY

[crazyfoot491]

been waiting all week for this... listening as I type

[SmellsLikeRandyMossGuy]

First!

[HooHaa]

Thanks for asking the Major my question Cheapy. :D

[tsg2005]

maybe its just me, but its only playing the first 5 seconds....

[Ugamer_X]

I think you got your show numbers confused there.

[Wombat]

I think you got your show numbers confused there.

Oh we did 94, but it was so awsome we felt it might be too good for mortals to handle.

[Richlough]

This will be the highlight of my workday , no doubt .

[dysuriai]

Lol, good catch Ugamer_X. Where is Ep 94 anyways?

[king masters]

I've given up listening to the cag cast the past several shows have sucked and so does this one

cag foreplay way better

[Medium_Pimpin]

Great show again guys, Keep up the good work!

Glad i got my name mentioned on the cagcast!

I just have to ask though, where's the outrage as far as the EA buying Bioware/Pandemic? You guys barely touched on that topic, and this is fairly bad news for alot of gamers and most likely the employees of those companies. Maybe you're under the impression that this was a good thing?

[Punk_Raven]

Oh we did 94, but it was so awsome we felt it might be too good for mortals to handle.

u aint rite.

[Mr Unoriginal]

Sounded like there were some edits in the Major Nelson interview. What got left on the cutting room floor?

[CheapyD]

Sounded like there were some edits in the Major Nelson interview. What got left on the cutting room floor?

Nope, no edits other than a little skype-esque clean-ups.

[KingBroly]

Cheapy, you dismiss getting Rock Band despite the fact that it's coming out for the PS3. And if I'm not mistaken, the PS3 is region free, isn't it? Meaning you could get the PS3 version of Rock Band if it stayed in that same line of thinking.

[E*Master]

Wombat gets to play Even Flow By Pearl Jam on GH3 before I do??? I iz massively jealous. That's the only reason I am buying that game.

[Brak]

lolol @ secret JimmieMac reference.

[xrayzwei]

Another great show! Thanks guys.

Get Major on again soon.

P.S. I think you guys didn't give the Shivering Isles disc the Cheap Ass treatment. It retails @ $30 with Knights of the Nine on the disc, and you can probably pick it up a few bucks cheaper. Shivering Isles alone is $30 (2400 fun bucks) on Marketplace. Makes the disc sound like a good deal to me.

[Nephlabobo]

Pretty good show, but it seemed like a missed opportunity having Major Nelson on the show and then bringing up the DRM issue on Xbox live half an hour after the interview was *over*.

Come on guys, get it together.

And quit bitching about online play, Cheapy.

[ninju D]

Great show! Keep the interviews coming!


First!
Why do you have to be that guy? :-s Seriously.

[4nik8tor]

I guess if I care what major larry has to say I'll listen to his own podcast.

[FriskyTanuki]

Cheapy, you dismiss getting Rock Band despite the fact that it's coming out for the PS3. And if I'm not mistaken, the PS3 is region free, isn't it? Meaning you could get the PS3 version of Rock Band if it stayed in that same line of thinking.
I think he did the same to NHL 08, so it seems strange that it's like the PS3's not an option.
_________________________
Neither of you got Everyday Shooter? Calling it a Robotron-clone is just a weak (uninformed?) excuse to not buy it. If you try to play it like Super Stardust, you'll fail and fail hard. The Warhawk thing was cool at first, but this is super weak. Maybe Wombat needs a nickname, say "Play it safe" Wombat? ;)

The Bladestorm demo was good. I was surprised that I enjoyed it. You can directly attack along with directing your crew. The Conan demo wasn't bad, but nothing great.

Great show. Keep up the good work.

Edit: I found it strange that Cheapy kind of paraphrased, read most of half of the paragraph, my comment on the PS3/360 SKU issue instead of reading the whole thing. Not a big deal, just strange.

[GF_Eric]

Thanks for doing your Transformers review so early. I only had to listen to a minute and a half of this cast before I knew it was garbage and turned it off. Most weeks it takes longer ...

[cdrober]

Enjoyed the Cagcast and having the Major on it. Thanks for making another great episode!!!!

PS-> I think MS should just charge $$ to allow you to have more than 100 friends....but I'm sure I'm not the first to think of /say this....was this even mentioned on a previous cagcast?...maybe...

[daphatty]

Wow. Just wow...

Sorry guys but the Major Nelson interview was highly disappointing. While the Vagina Clown pwnage was hysterical, the interview quickly spiraled out of control when Cheapy started asking pointless questions about behind the scenes drama at Microsoft. I hate to be blunt about it but that part sucked ass. The interview got better once Wombat was allowed to chime in with questions which, in all honesty, is what you should have done in the first place. Let's hope you guys are able to get another chance to interview him again.

More to come once I've finished listening.

[gunm]

Tagged!

[nckillthegrimace]

Yeah, the Major Nelson interview was a bit flat. A Grimace interview would be really awesome though. As you can see by my user name, I'm a big fan of his antics.

[JackFlash666]

I actually really enjoyed that Major Nelson interview- I thought you guys asked some interesting questions regarding what he officially does compared to his community representative status and it was a good interview overall.
Good show!

[Chris in Cali]

Good to hear I wasn't the only one who hated Transformers... I forced myself through it because I paid for it.

[shafnitz]

Hey guys, love the podcast. Yours was the first podcast I ever listened to and you guys got me hooked. I've been a dedicated listener for a few months now and have loved the site for much longer than that, but this is my first post on the forums. Keep up the good work!

I just wanted to comment on your remarks about the guy at Achieve360points.com. I've been in a similar situation trying to get my red ringed Xbox 360 repaired.
Here's my story, if you have a few minutes:
http://shafnitz.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-experience-with-microsofts-xbox.html
http://shafnitz.blogspot.com/2007/10/update-my-xbox-360-repair.html
http://shafnitz.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-xbox-360-repair-stats.html
Basically, their customer support is ridiculous. It took nearly a month before I was finally able to ship my console to get repaired. Anyway, I'm just trying to let people know that it's more of a problem than some think. I think the problem needs to get more attention.

I also wanted to mention that there is a work-around for the XBLA games if other people in your family want to play using their own profiles.
1. Sign in with the profile that purchased the game.
2. Turn on the 2nd player controller and sign in as the person that would like to play the game.
3. Using the 2nd player controller, go to the Games blade and fire up the game you want to play.
The game will load under the 2nd player's profile. This allows the 2nd player to play the full version just fine. It's obviously a bit of a hassle to sign in two profiles, but at least it's possible.
It seems that this problem could easily be remedied using token codes. Enter a code on one console to remove the link to your XBLA games. Then enter a code on your new console to link those games to it. In the case where you've received a refurbished console from Microsoft, Customer Support should be able to unlink those games and give you a code for your new console. Seems like a plausible solution to me.

[DJSteel]

Comment on the podcast..

people need to either quit complaining about Cheapy and Wombat's answers or just stop asking them for their opinion.. Opinions aren't wrong... They are entitled to them...

[Bazz]

Awesome Cheapy I feel like it has been a while since a new Cagcast for some reason. Also if you thing their stories are bad mine 7th 360 just broke. The thing is a peice of garbage.

[JEDIan]

With such a deep voice Cheapy, you would think you have huge balls. But when it comes to asking the tough questions we find your head up Nelsons ass and your balls are no where to be found. Why bring the Major on if your not going to ask him why developers are jumping off the sinking ship? So unfortunate. :cry:

[Mr Unoriginal]

With such a deep voice Cheapy, you would think you have huge balls. But when it comes to asking the tough questions we find your head up Nelsons ass and your balls are no where to be found. Why bring the Major on if your not going to ask him why developers are jumping off the sinking ship? So unfortunate. :cry:


Do you think they would be able to get 'high profile' interviews in the future if they make fun of a guest for the entire segment. Please, use your head.

[Ivanhoe]

Another great show.

Thanks.

[SmellsLikeRandyMossGuy]

Was I the only one who caught Major Nelson calling Wombat 'Grimace'?

[SteveMcQ]

Wombat, thank you for actually making the Major Nelson interview worth listening to.

[Jazar]

Cheapy are you getting Robocop on Blu-ray? It just came out.

[ObiBen]

Great show, and I couldn't agree more with the Transformers review. I was a fan growing up and didn't care for the movie, but for some reason I'm debating buying it on DVD.



http://card.mygamercard.net/cylinder/fire/ObiBen8.png

(http://profile.mygamercard.net/ObiBen8)

[MaxDense]

It seems to me the only angry PS3 owners are the PS3 Only owners. I have all three systems and Cheapy's comments don't offend me, I think he calls it like it is; at this point the Microsoft product is better than the Sony product. If that offends you Sony Sycophants, go to Sony Defense Force, they'll tell you all the lies you want to hear.

It's just an opinion, after all...

http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/MaxDense.png (http://profile.mygamercard.net/MaxDense)

http://tags1.ps3tag.com/uploads/M/MaxDense4007083.png (http://profile.ps3tag.com/profile.asp?memberID=5289)

[RudyPants]

Good interview with Major guys, but I think Cheapy needs to be a little more concise when asking questions. You tend to ramble on a bit too much - just spit it out and let your interviewee answer it however he or she likes. Just a tip.

Other than that, great show. I especially liked how Wombat was called out right away for his comments.

[mnine]

Major Nelson is full of shit. The point system is made stricktly to fuck people out of money. Don't tell me they can't develop a system to take actual monentary amounts. Every internet website from here to arkansas can accept speceffic cash ammounts.

The point system is ghey and it sucks. Thanks Wombat for bringing it up, but you shoulda grilled him!

[Besko]

CheapyD ! Stop crying over PS3 !!! You are going to see that it is going to be better than Xbox 360 ...

[pinebarrens]

This is the first show I've listened to and I really enjoyed it. I'll be listening from now on.

[swerv]

What a wasted opportunity that was. At least interview people who don't have a podcast, you know, so there's actually some point in doing it?

Even the MOG army guys actually had a decent interview recently, even those fuck wits can get something interesting happening! For shame Cheapy, for shame!

[Captain Freeze]

HOLY SHIT!

that's my song! (or at least part of it)


Awesome. Thanks Cheapy!

[Milkyman]

Did Major Nelson make a fat joke on Wombat when he said he'd be hanging out with Grimace in New York?

[Milkyman]

Neither of you got Everyday Shooter? Calling it a Robotron-clone is just a weak (uninformed?) excuse to not buy it. If you try to play it like Super Stardust, you'll fail and fail hard. The Warhawk thing was cool at first, but this is super weak. Maybe Wombat needs a nickname, say "Play it safe" Wombat? ;)



A demo would probably have helped

[SNAKE EYES EX]

Was I the only one who caught Major Nelson calling Wombat 'Grimace'?

I caught that and thought it was quite funny. I'm suprised they either didn't hear it, or glossed over it.

[CheapyD]

I caught that and thought it was quite funny. I'm suprised they either didn't hear it, or glossed over it.
Yeah, it was.
The skype connection was pretty bad. There was a lot we simply just didn't hear.
At least MN recorded his own audio so you could hear it all.

[gunm]

To be fair, there may have been some guidelines on what the Major would talk about in his agreement to do this interview. Cheapy, are you at liberty to discuss that/address some of the CAG listener complaints about your line of questioning? (which btw, I didn't really have an issue with--might as well set up a repoire with the guy to ensure future interviews and co-op right?).

[FullmetalCJ]

I still call b.s. on the 100-person limit to the Friends List. It's great that the average is 23-24 friends, but you should be given an option to increase it incrementally when you hit the limit. Charge a couple points for more buddy slots. That's fine, whatever. Increase it and if the Guide System can't handle it, let you toggle a "show all friends" or "only buddies that are online."

Awesome interview tho'! :applause:

Nice Shonen Knife call-out, Wombat. That would rock. ^_^

[FriskyTanuki]

A demo would probably have helped
Sure, but there's a time where you've just got to take a chance. You'll miss out on some great games if you're too conservative.

Saying you're not going to buy it because it's somewhat similar to another game that came before it is kind of a cop-out.

[Cursor]

I loved this show. Really enjoyed the Wombat/Major Nelson tension. No matter what he says, deep down the Major really doesn't like Wombat and it's cool to hear that edge in the interview.

If I can be constructively critical for a minute--I'm tired of Cheapy walking on eggshells around vocal CAGs who say he has a bias against the PS3. That's bullshit. The system just isn't as mature as a gaming platform. It's a fact. To crib from Stephen Colbert, "Reality has a well-known 360 bias." CAGs who disagree are entitled to their opinions, but Cheapy is entitled to his as well. There's no need to be apologetic about it.

[AshesofWake]

Was I the only one who caught Major Nelson calling Wombat 'Grimace'?


i burst into laughter when i heard that :rofl:


i liked the interview, but it felt short, hopefully he will be back soon =D

[Thomas96]

Cheapy D. you're not a 360 fanboy, you like all games, and I admit you will give all games a try. (at least for the show) However, the thing is.. you prefer games on the 360. I remember when you bought darkness, you bought darkness on the 360, for your BROKEN 360 that you had to jump start each time you played! When at that time you could have bought it for the PS3, [you didn't buy it for the online mode, because everyone knows that Darkness wasn't a game that really needed or was being bought for online purposes.]

You bought it because, the 360 is your primary system, if you're paying for live.. you might as well be using it. Me personally, I'm the opposite, my primary system is the PS3 especially for multiplatform titles.

Because you enjoy most of your games on 360, it may cause you to dismiss or not get as excited for games outside of the system - example Rachet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, Wombat had to set you straight on that game, and I'm glad he did! Rachet and Clank's graphics can't be compared to any other game on any other console. Its looking like a pixar movie - The incredibles, and yet you say it only looks slightly better than it did on the PS2. You don't have to like the game, but give Insomniac some credit, for doing what gabe newell is affraid to do and what other devs can't do. Rachet and Clank doesn't need an online mode, its a single player game (like darkness) and no need to latch on an online mode and take anything away from the single player experience.

Holiday Shopping list: The forgotten ones
Eye of Judgememt - I got a feeling that on the PS3 front this may be the sleeper hit for the holiday season..

anyway... good show

Next time when you have Major Nelson, you guys do the entire 360 portion of the show together, and address things together. [if possible]

[SpreadTheWord]

About Ratchet and Clank, I think saying that it's just like the first one is a bit off. The second R&C game improved the weapon switching and added circle strafing. In fact, the third one added some great things like a home base and streamlined the gadgets into one all-purpose gadget.

The Ratchet and Clank series is a prime example of More of the Same done right. I like the fact that Insomniac is alternating between R&C and Resistance. It should hold off the feeling of "series overkill" unlike Tony Hawk and now Guitar Hero.

And Cheapy, Say it like it is. You like the 360 better. Don't skirt around the issue or try to point out how you actually like both consoles equally. Look at all the forum users here who say things like "Halo sucks" or "Metal Gear Solid is boring" they don't need to apologies for their opinions, I might ask them why they feel that way but you've already explained why you prefer the 360. So tell the whiners to back off, you don't need to like everything as much as they do.

[Nibi]

Wombat,

"You could have been his wet nurse"

Ballsy comic gold. I laughed my ass off. Bravo.

[CheapyD]

CAGcast #94 Video Companion is now up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDA1EN00gAY

[rogueweapon]

GOOD show guys. BURNOUT Paradise is rumored to be better on the ps3 but I think the release date has been pushed back to '08. It looks better than the 360 version and is probably the only game which will have a better online experience on the ps3, believe it or not. Otherwise Cheaps holiday buying list pretty much mirrors mine. Ratchet & Clank ,I can wait for a price drop on. I'm also looking forward to Gran Tourismo 5, that shit looks amazing. I'm buying rockband for the ps3 for the wireless instruments and so I can hopefully play my ps2 guitar hero games on my ps3. Btw Resistance was a launch title and it looks way better than Halo 3, but halo 3 overall is still a better game.

[thundr51]

Great show for the most part but I have to admit you guys would have had more time for "REAL" questions had you not waste so much time on the vaginaclown crap. Give it a rest already! It stopped being funny weeks ago.

The rest of the show was great and I was impressed by how professional you guys sounded when asking the questions.

The only thing I would add would be to press a little more for further information on the mspoints issue. Don't try to scare the guy off or anything but at least ask, what type of action is being taken? When would we see these changes? Sony is a global company as well, why is it they use actual dollar amounts?

[shipwreck]

In all honesty, though, for CAGs point systems are a better option for online purchases. I find ways to buy MS Points and Wii Points at a discount all the time. I've yet to find a way to buy $9.99 worth of PSN content for less than $9.99. Sure, there is game sharing on the PSN for some items, but I'm just talking strictly about the currency that each system uses and how it is relevant to CAGs.

The fact of the matter is the "Points" system allows for us to find deals where the "Monetary" system does not. As the future of video games becomes more and more dependent on digital purchases, I'd be really disappointed if there was no way to get an item cheaper than its assigned price. With the way these online services are set up, they are the sole provider of the content and you either buy it at their price or not at all. That offers no way to buy a product at a discount, and it's not a video game shopping world that I'd like to live in.

I can understand that the general public could have confusion when dealing with points and equating them to monetary values, but it confuses me when CAGs argue against the point system in favor of using actual currency.

[lowgear26]

If you have to choose the same game between a 360 and a PS3, why wouldn't you get the Xbox version.

You get acheivements, which are fun to get

You get a unified Environment online which the PS3 doesn't offer as well as the 360

The 360 controller is better for many types of games at this point (opinion)

Not a knock on the PS3, but the Xbox has more to offer when comparison shopping for the same games.

[Wombat]

In all honesty, though, for CAGs point systems are a better option for online purchases. I find ways to buy MS Points and Wii Points at a discount all the time. I've yet to find a way to buy $9.99 worth of PSN content for less than $9.99. Sure, there is game sharing on the PSN for some items, but I'm just talking strictly about the currency that each system uses and how it is relevant to CAGs.

The fact of the matter is the "Points" system allows for us to find deals where the "Monetary" system does not. As the future of video games becomes more and more dependent on digital purchases, I'd be really disappointed if there was no way to get an item cheaper than its assigned price. With the way these online services are set up, they are the sole provider of the content and you either buy it at their price or not at all. That offers no way to buy a product at a discount, and it's not a video game shopping world that I'd like to live in.

I can understand that the general public could have confusion when dealing with points and equating them to monetary values, but it confuses me when CAGs argue against the point system in favor of using actual currency.

get your own show

[ScottG13]

In all honesty, though, for CAGs point systems are a better option for online purchases. I find ways to buy MS Points and Wii Points at a discount all the time. I've yet to find a way to buy $9.99 worth of PSN content for less than $9.99. Sure, there is game sharing on the PSN for some items, but I'm just talking strictly about the currency that each system uses and how it is relevant to CAGs.

The fact of the matter is the "Points" system allows for us to find deals where the "Monetary" system does not. As the future of video games becomes more and more dependent on digital purchases, I'd be really disappointed if there was no way to get an item cheaper than its assigned price. With the way these online services are set up, they are the sole provider of the content and you either buy it at their price or not at all. That offers no way to buy a product at a discount, and it's not a video game shopping world that I'd like to live in.

I can understand that the general public could have confusion when dealing with points and equating them to monetary values, but it confuses me when CAGs argue against the point system in favor of using actual currency.

In fact, there is a good one going on right now. You can get Halo themed coupons from Burger King for $10 giftcards when you buy an Xbox 360 game or accessory at $39.95 or more. Xbox Live is on sale for $39.95 this week plus a $10 gift card to knock 25% off your 4000 gamer point card. You're set for the holiday season.

[jaystaeb8]

How about next time you do an interview, you give us the start time and the end time so we can skip the interview. I couldn't care less what Major Nelson has to say about anything and would love to skip any future interviews with him.

My only frustration with Cheapy's 360 bias is that he constantly can't understand how Wombat likes things about the PS3. He once again seems to try to talk Wombat out of liking Ratchet & Clank. Cheapy, you are entitled to your opinion, but so is Wombat. He likes the 360 more than the PS3, the same as you, but he is willing to give the PS3 things a chance with a more open mind.

The CAGcast is about both of your opinions, neither is wrong, they are opinions, but I am tired of hearing you try to talk Wombat out of his opinion when it relates to him saying good things about the PS3.

[thundr51]

In all honesty, though, for CAGs point systems are a better option for online purchases. I find ways to buy MS Points and Wii Points at a discount all the time. I've yet to find a way to buy $9.99 worth of PSN content for less than $9.99. Sure, there is game sharing on the PSN for some items, but I'm just talking strictly about the currency that each system uses and how it is relevant to CAGs.


Good point, I honestly hadn't thought about that...

[lowgear26]

Man, do all these people work for Sony? It sounds like everyone can't handle Cheapy's opinions so they throw tantrums when he gives one. After reading through the comments.....I'm going to my broker to buy stock in Kleenex.

[LiK]

Man, do all these people work for Sony? It sounds like everyone can't handle Cheapy's opinions so they throw tantrums when he gives one. After reading through the comments.....I'm going to my broker to buy stock in Kleenex.

yea, no shit. if Cheapy kept praising the Wii over the PS3, they will not bitch about it. but whenever he likes anything about the 360, people think he's biased. they don't work for Sony, they just hate Microsoft.

anyways, nice interview with Major Nelson. i'm glad the voice quality was alot better than Pachter's interview which was hard to listen to. the lil MajorNelson.com background is pretty cool since Major never talks about some of the stuff you asked. very good candid interview.

and thanks alot to Wombat for asking about the Friends List limit. i wish they made it a 200 limit...

[4nik8tor]

please DO NOT have Major Nelson on again.

[Rei no Otaku]

If you guys have Major Nelson back I think Wombat should conduct the whole interview, and Cheapy should just stay in the background. Sorry Cheapy, but who cares about the office politics at Microsoft? It just seemed like a silly question to even bother asking.

The interview didn't start to get good until Wombat chimed in with his points question, and then the Major had to leave. The whole thing just seemed like a huge wasted oppurtunity.

[stormrage360]

I thought CheapyD's review on Transformers was REALLY Harsh! The concept of cars turning into robots is pretty crazy and I thought the Michael Bay did a great job making it as close as possible to the cartoons without using to much creative license. Oh and the Transformers sneaking around the kids backyard was pretty funny and I really enjoyed it.
I thought the movie was great and probably the best 07 summer movie after the disappointment that was PotC3.

[Mr Unoriginal]

please DO NOT have Major Nelson on again.

What happened? You trolled once and no one responded so you had to do it again? There, I talked to you, you can stop now.

[FaintDeftone]

Good show, very nice to hear Major Nelson answer some questions. Also glad I'm not the only one who hated Transformers.

[Kimninja]

Great show guys! Really liked the interview. Wombat äger =)

[MSUnman]

Man, I think the Major Nelson interview was just fine. Everytime Major Nelson does a interview outside Microsoft people are disappointed because he tows the company line, and is very positive. I mean what do you expect for him to say? I hate microsoft? Trixie is a ho? Give me a break. I like Cheapy theory on him being hard to fire. I will be very suprised if one day he is not the head of microsoft videogame dvision, or one of its competitors.

Additionally Cheapy....What you got against McDonalds and Transformers? I dont eat McDonalds every day, but what is wrong with a delicous big mac and fries once in a while?!? The action scenes in transformers are awesome, and Im glad they made the movie and will be making sequels. No its not perfect, but does every movie have to make perfect sense and be a deep thought provoking masterpiece? Sometimes you just want to see cars transform, fight and blow stuff up.

[MSUnman]

whoops forgot one more thing......
Good luck with the baby. The first year is quite the challenge, say goodbye to sleeping at night. =) But of course it will all be worth it in the end.

[Rei no Otaku]

Everytime Major Nelson does a interview outside Microsoft people are disappointed because he tows the company line, and is very positive. I mean what do you expect for him to say? I hate microsoft? Trixie is a ho? Give me a break
That's not the problem. There was nothing wrong with what Major Nelson said. He was just answering what was being asked of him. The problem is that the questions he was asked suck, except for when Wombat finally jumped in towards the end.

And I know people will come in here and say "Well if you're too hard on him he won't want to come back!" Well then good. If the interview is just going to be some boring ass PR oppurtunity for the Major, then I don't want him back.

[john_ruhlman]

Looks like you have some nice Shure E3C's there Cheapy. Maybe you should try some triple flange sleeves. I'll never go back to the normal sleeves. The seal on the triple flange is the best.

[LiK]

Looks like you have some nice Shure E3C's there Cheapy.

i just noticed he was using those. i have the same ones, they are great altho i might upgrade my pair soon.

[catapult37]

i just noticed he was using those. i have the same ones, they are great altho i might upgrade my pair soon.

I just need to get a pair. *ba-dum, PSHH!*

[Thomas96]

If you have to choose the same game between a 360 and a PS3, why wouldn't you get the Xbox version.

You get acheivements, which are fun to get

You get a unified Environment online which the PS3 doesn't offer as well as the 360

The 360 controller is better for many types of games at this point (opinion)

Not a knock on the PS3, but the Xbox has more to offer when comparison shopping for the same games.


what is a "unified Environment" ?

[steverl22]

How about next time you do an interview, you give us the start time and the end time so we can skip the interview. I couldn't care less what Major Nelson has to say about anything and would love to skip any future interviews with him.

My only frustration with Cheapy's 360 bias is that he constantly can't understand how Wombat likes things about the PS3. He once again seems to try to talk Wombat out of liking Ratchet & Clank. Cheapy, you are entitled to your opinion, but so is Wombat. He likes the 360 more than the PS3, the same as you, but he is willing to give the PS3 things a chance with a more open mind.

The CAGcast is about both of your opinions, neither is wrong, they are opinions, but I am tired of hearing you try to talk Wombat out of his opinion when it relates to him saying good things about the PS3.


Couldn't have said it better......It's getting old hearing cheapy talk about the PS3. Just like last week when he was trying to take a dig at sony for the 4 SKU's when Microsoft has 5....give me a break.

He's said in the past that he has the PS3 for the "CAGcast" well wombat has one now so how bout selling yours and leaving the PS3 section to wombat. Because somehow wombat can find the GOOD and the BAD of the PS3, you on the other hand only look to knock the platform left and right.

[Thomas96]

In all honesty, though, for CAGs point systems are a better option for online purchases. I find ways to buy MS Points and Wii Points at a discount all the time. I've yet to find a way to buy $9.99 worth of PSN content for less than $9.99. Sure, there is game sharing on the PSN for some items, but I'm just talking strictly about the currency that each system uses and how it is relevant to CAGs.

The fact of the matter is the "Points" system allows for us to find deals where the "Monetary" system does not. As the future of video games becomes more and more dependent on digital purchases, I'd be really disappointed if there was no way to get an item cheaper than its assigned price. With the way these online services are set up, they are the sole provider of the content and you either buy it at their price or not at all. That offers no way to buy a product at a discount, and it's not a video game shopping world that I'd like to live in.

I can understand that the general public could have confusion when dealing with points and equating them to monetary values, but it confuses me when CAGs argue against the point system in favor of using actual currency.



The deals is the best part of the points system, but in actuality for buying points at regular price, I feel like you're being overcharged. 400 points, imo should be 4 dollars. However, its 5 dollars. meaning for every 400 in MS dollars, you're being charged 1.25. I guess it would have been better to have a more direct MSP to dollar ratio (i.e. 1$ for 100msp). But, castlevania is 10 dollars on psn, and 800 on live so its all good. But at least people can have a chance at a discount, whereas on psn you're waiting on a price drop.

http://www.mspconverter.com/index.php [this should end all confusion]

[sugarhigh4242]

I'm not going to accuse Cheapy of bias, but maybe blindness if he thinks Tools of Destruction doesn't looked that much better than the PS2 titles. On the contrary, its one of the best-looking next generation games I've seen (as a PS3+360 owner, i've seen all the biggies).

I could understand if he was playing on a 13" Black&White TV, but I thought he said he has a decent sized plasma.

He should have to play Going Commando and Tools of Destruction side-by-side and eat some crow next week.

[maxgle]

LOL, Cheapy, I also call someone Chris by Christ this week too. It's funny to hear you did that too.

[Gillespee]

Loved the show guys, but you failed to tell those of us who weren't in the know what exactly the NiGHTS pre-order in Japan is. I was saying to myself, "Wait, what is it guys!?!" Try not to tease us like that in the future. Sorry, I'm not much of a forum reader, so if someone else brought that up, please forgive me.

[bobthecat23]

wombat i dont hate you ur da best

[io]

Loved the show guys, but you failed to tell those of us who weren't in the know what exactly the NiGHTS pre-order in Japan is. I was saying to myself, "Wait, what is it guys!?!" Try not to tease us like that in the future. Sorry, I'm not much of a forum reader, so if someone else brought that up, please forgive me.

Actually, I AM an avid forum reader and I still didn't know about it. Still don't as of now. But after a quick Google search I came up with this:

http://www.destructoid.com/elephant/photo-m.phtml?post_key=49585&photo_key=19248

I guess that's it? Nice, but not THAT nice...

As for the whole points thing, I agree wholeheartedly with Shipwreck (and have made a similar point before on CAG). In fact, I would push it even further - one of the reasons I've held back on buying a PS3 is that I know I'll never get a deal on DLC like I can with the other 2 systems. The price of the system (while getting better) added on to potential DLC cost is just not worth it to me.

[metaly]

Hey, I'm a little late finishing this week's CAGcast (I save it for the commute), but here are some reactions:

The question about whether or not games need a last boss reminded me of this article I saw recently:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=440

About a page in it talks about Planescape: Torment (which I sadly haven't played) that evidently eschews a final boss in favor of a final conversation tree, and according to the author, it's quite effective. Just an interesting example of a game radically abandoning that tradition.

Another thing, in response to the comments on EA having a recent string of good games: Don't confuse the Orange Box as being an EA-developed product. Valve should get 100% of the credit, with EA only stepping in to put the retail copy in stores.

Anyway, great show this week. I don't have a 360 and so I don't follow the community as much, so it was cool to hear Major Nelson discuss his ideas and philosophies about the system.

[oboroky1]

To be honest I have all three systems , and I do not think Cheapy was being bias , I think he is being honest , like it or not RIGHT NOW,the ps3 expierence is lacking ,however As I am about to get rid of my Wii,,I am SOOO disapointed with it .I am hoping ps3 gets better. I am abit scared after LAIR LOL , Keep up the good work!!!

[H.Cornerstone]

There was one line in the entire podcast that proved to me that Wombat is essential to the survival of the cagcast

Cheapy: "Brutal Legend was just announced and it looks like a mix between God of War and Guitar Hero"
Wombat: "It's AWESOME!"

And cheapy, if you honestly think you Ratchet and Clank TOD doesn't look any better, your nuts, the game looks like a pixar movie, and runs silky smooth with large enviroments, and Wombat knows where it's at with that game.

[orko60]

Actually, I AM an avid forum reader and I still didn't know about it. Still don't as of now. But after a quick Google search I came up with this:

http://www.destructoid.com/elephant/photo-m.phtml?post_key=49585&photo_key=19248

I guess that's it? Nice, but not THAT nice...

As for the whole points thing, I agree wholeheartedly with Shipwreck (and have made a similar point before on CAG). In fact, I would push it even further - one of the reasons I've held back on buying a PS3 is that I know I'll never get a deal on DLC like I can with the other 2 systems. The price of the system (while getting better) added on to potential DLC cost is just not worth it to me.

Regarding DLC -

It's nice that you can get deals on points with XBLA, but the nice thing about PSN is that they do have sales on occasion. Apparently Calling All Cars is only $4.99 at the moment, and I remember buying Flow for a much cheaper price. Not exactly the same thing as getting point cards, but at least Sony is trying. I prefer their method, mostly because I don't want to be stuck with leftover points (like my Goozex points)!

[Walt Jay]

Pretty good show guys. I think the Major Nelson interview could have went a bit smoother, but overall it was good. The questions could have been a bit better, but I understand you can't bombard him with a bunch of "I can't answer that" questions or controversal topics. Well, you could, but then he'd probably never come back.

Overall, I enjoyed the interview, and hope you have more guests on. Not every week, but perhaps once every three podcasts.

Cheapy, with Army of Two pushed to 2008, what will replace that on your holiday list? I don't recall if you listed Call of Duty 4, but to me, that is a must-have. The beta was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to check out the retail release. Also, Kane and Lynch looks interesting. I'm a fan of the Hitman games, so I'm interested in seeing how that game turns out.

[sugarhigh4242]

To be honest I have all three systems , and I do not think Cheapy was being bias , I think he is being honest , like it or not RIGHT NOW,the ps3 expierence is lacking ,however As I am about to get rid of my Wii,,I am SOOO disapointed with it .I am hoping ps3 gets better. I am abit scared after LAIR LOL , Keep up the good work!!!

He was saying the Ratchet demo doesn't look much better than the PS2 games.

It may not be biased, but it is obviously idiotic.

[DesertEagleXIX]

Just listened to the show.

Did Nelson imply that Wombat looked/acted like Grimace? Thems fightin' words!

I have to agree with Wombat on Ratchet and Clank. I am a total and unapologetic Insomniac fanboy, though. I love a good single player game; while multiplayer games keep me up with my 'Interwebs' gaming circles. If I had to chose between the two, I would have to go with a stroger single player game.

The Major was much more interesting that I thought he'd be. I attribute that to Cheapy's interviewing skills/personality. Great job!

[umcthomas]

It's taken me all week to listen to the whole cagcast (which makes it a good one in my book). I just now heard that my question was asked. For what it's worth I don't think games need a final boss either. I have had a few games I never finished (Dark Cloud comes to mind) because I couldn't get past the final boss and didn't want to spend time leveling up.

T

[Gillespee]

Actually, I AM an avid forum reader and I still didn't know about it. Still don't as of now. But after a quick Google search I came up with this:

http://www.destructoid.com/elephant/photo-m.phtml?post_key=49585&photo_key=19248

I guess that's it? Nice, but not THAT nice...

As for the whole points thing, I agree wholeheartedly with Shipwreck (and have made a similar point before on CAG). In fact, I would push it even further - one of the reasons I've held back on buying a PS3 is that I know I'll never get a deal on DLC like I can with the other 2 systems. The price of the system (while getting better) added on to potential DLC cost is just not worth it to me.

Thanks for the link - likewise I'm sure I could have found it myself. I was more than anything offering a suggestion for future shows.

[sinewav]

Cheapy I have to give you credit for getting Major Nelson on the show. Whether CAG's may agree with him or not it's still a major win for the show and a sign that you've the attention of the big name podcasts.

While I certainly understand your review of Transformers as a fellow Gen 1 fan of the show I have to say that I actually liked the Movie and while it is clearly flawed I found that there are good qualities that neither you nor Shipwreck mentioned for fan and non fan alike:

- The voice of none other than Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime which added authenticity to the autobots.
- Among the best CGI work to date from ILM.
- Bumblebee & OP redesign huge but necessary (can you really imagine the hero driving a new beetle?)
- Good moral to the story "No sacrifice, no victory" - this is a movie not just for adults after all
- Just a good old summer popocorn flick

All in all while there were definitely negatives (bad jokes, weak story, the director himself) I think there's enough good stuff in it to warrant the success that it had and like other commercial successes (ie Madden) there are strengths even in works that cater to the masses.

[doctorfaustus]

Not a big fan of Major Nelson, so this cagcast was pretty lame for me. I wish cheapyd would keep his perpetual man-crush on Major Nelson behind the scenes. It seems that every episode has some sort of nod or reference to Nelson. Kudos to wombat for asking a tough question, even if Nelson dismissed as an often asked one.
I understand you two don't want to burn any bridges with people in the industry, but why all the placating and sucking-up? If you called him some name don't try to Micheal Keaton your way out of it by trying to justify your name-calling antics.
Anyhow, this is still the only podcast that I listen to on a regular basis-- keep up the good stuff.

[H.Cornerstone]

Cheapy I have to give you credit for getting Major Nelson on the show. Whether CAG's may agree with him or not it's still a major win for the show and a sign that you've the attention of the big name podcasts.

While I certainly understand your review of Transformers as a fellow Gen 1 fan of the show I have to say that I actually liked the Movie and while it is clearly flawed I found that there are good qualities that neither you nor Shipwreck mentioned for fan and non fan alike:

- The voice of none other than Peter Cullen, the original voice of Optimus Prime which added authenticity to the autobots.
- Among the best CGI work to date from ILM.
- Bumblebee & OP redesign huge but necessary (can you really imagine the hero driving a new beetle?)
- Good moral to the story "No sacrifice, no victory" - this is a movie not just for adults after all
- Just a good old summer popocorn flick

All in all while there were definitely negatives (bad jokes, weak story, the director himself) I think there's enough good stuff in it to warrant the success that it had and like other commercial successes (ie Madden) there are strengths even in works that cater to the masses.

Don't forget about the Redisgn of Ironhide. A mini-van transformer would have been ultra weak.

[Apossum]

First CAGcast I've listened to in a while (I save them for my drives from WI to Chicago...which I haven't done in a while, go figure.)

The first few minutes of the Major Nelson interview were gold. Glad you guys went down potentially rocky terrain by discussing Wombat's major nelson insults--it was freaking hilarious (more so since I remember when he called nelson a "vagina clown" :lol: )

Can't say I really learned anything new from the interview though. He still came off as a PR guy, acting like Live is mostly perfect. Not that you guys didn't ask the right questions, you did and I was a bit surprised by the honesty of some of them, but it must be difficult to find questions that can't be slyly dodged with PR magic (and you also don't want to make the guy uncomfortable of course.) It sounded like some great fodder for the next interview came up at the end of this one. Unfortunately, we pretty much know how he's going to answer the harder questions: "oh that's another department," "we try to do our best everyday here at MS!" "we are looking into that, I've passed it on to the grade 36 bureaucrats and your request should process within the next 6 years" etc. etc.


Missed the PS3 controversy, but I'm not surprised to see it still going on even after this podcast.

[Hasty]

First, congratulations Cheapy D on your new baby.

Second, thanks for another podcast. I remember listening in the spring/summer to Wombat's comments about MN and found it entertaining to hear the two meet (again) on the show. Awkward!

Anyway, there was some discussion on the show about which PS3 ports are arguably superior to the 360 version. Oblivion was mentioned, and I don't think any others were.

Perhaps this was already mentioned to you somewhere - but there is one clear case of the PS3 version being superior that was missed - and that is the rally racing game DiRT, by Codemasters. The PS3 version was released a little later than the PC/360 version, and it is a much smoother and better looking game on the PS3. Also it seems to fully recognize the Logitech G25 wheel which I really appreciate. The 360 does not recognize many wheels outside of that one Microsoft made that was recalled (oops).

I like my driving games and if it takes a month or two to "optimize" the game beyond the original releases, then I'm all for waiting. If more ports like this one come out, I'm willing to consider delayed PS3 release dates a major selling point. Less frustrating bugs = more fun.